After several grueling hours of dealing with stupid and pompous nobles, the sun rose, thus signifying the end to Night Court. According to all present, it had been the most unorthodox and frankly obnoxious Night Court that they had ever witnessed, but none of them denied that The Forgemaster actually got important things, things that were actually necessary to bring before the princesses, done.

Pleased with his efficiency, if somewhat crude, manner, Princess Luna asked him to go over the budget for the next fiscal year. This added another 3 hours to the time he was spending without sleep, but he was glad to do it. After all, the person or pony that was in charge of the money is in charge of the nation. When completed with the arduous task of managing an entire country's budget, he had saved the nation bucket loads of money all in one short session with the princesses and a few prominent individuals. That cannot be said for all people who are supposed to run the country, and submit a budget to the proper authorities once a year though they haven't done so in more than 1000 days. But, I digress.

The budget for Equestria was much more streamlined: useless programs had been cut, military spending had increased in preparation for a war that may be coming, and the tax code simplified. The Forgemaster had saved Equestria money whilst simultaneously preparing it for the future. That takes balls of steel and sex appeal.

After being dismissed by the princesses of dusk and dawn, The Forgemaster flew back to his home for some well deserved R&R. He had been up for about a day exactly now, and was starting to feel the effects of fatigue. He also hadn't changed his clothes, or taken a shower, so he wasn't exactly pleasant to be around. Add to that his abrasive personality and irritableness and you get a problem waiting to happen. Fortunately, he went home before anything could happen.

The Forgemaster arrived at his home at just about noon. He opened the door and stepped inside, heading up the stairs to his room and the shower. However, something stopped him just as he was about to mount the stairs.

A noise.

A… snore.

The Forgemaster turned his head to reveal the culprit. Lying there, on the chair marked with a certain cutie mark, was a certain, light blue pegasus.

Rainbow Dash had evidently wanted to continue the conversation as soon as possible, and came into his home to ask him about it. She hadn't even taken off her Gala dress.

The Forgemaster chuckled lightly at the look on her face; she looked absolutely adorable!

However, The Forgemaster felt that it was best to let her sleep, and went upstairs to shower off the grime that had built up over the course of an entire day. He took off the USMC dress uniform, carefully folded it, and then tossed it into the wash. He then stepped into the shower, standing under the stream for several minutes. Getting out, he felt much more refreshed and smelt much better. He then redressed into his normal outfit and prepared for the lecture, and possible beat-down, that awaited him downstairs.

Going down, he noticed that even the shower hadn't roused her from her sleep. She must have been waiting up half way through the night for him. With that in mind, he went into the kitchen and prepared a breakfast for 2. While it was technically the afternoon now, nothing really ever beats breakfast foods.

'I wonder if ponies eat eggs… Celestia's memories aren't very clear on that point… weird.'

wWwWwWw

Rainbow Dash woke to the smell of freshly toasted toast and fried eggs. Well, parts of her were more awake than others. She was still in the depths of slumber when her nose brought the smells into her dream and decided to add their wonderfully melody to her already entertaining fantasy. She did however, notice the laughing that distinctly came from somewhere other than her dreams.

Her first sight, when she awoke, was the sight of a full plate of breakfast foods being wafted an inch in front of her nose. The second thing she noticed was the fact that she was drooling all over herself. The third, and most important thing, she noticed was who, exactly, it was that was holding onto the plate of wonderfully delicious food: The Forgemaster.

Her stomached grumbled.

The Forgemaster giggled at the noise, and laughed even more at the embarrassed face Rainbow made.

She glared up at him, blush still on her face, "You jerk!"

He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, "Dear Rainbow, you wound me! To think I went through all of this trouble to make this food, and now you don't want any!" He started to speak sullenly, "I guess I'll have to throw it away."

He slowly stepped away, not taking his eyes off of hers, and laughed when her nose subconsciously followed the plate. She snapped back into focus and glared at him some more. He just took the plate away and put it onto the nearby table. He then walked behind her chair and pushed her close to the table. He then went and sat down across from her, at his own plate of food, and started to eat.

After a while, a conversation was struck up.

"So what did you do after the Gala?" he asked.

"I came back here and waited for you." She replied.

"Why ever would you do that?"

"You know why!" She snapped at him, "I came here for answers."

"Answers, I have in ample amounts. But to what questions, I wonder." He mused.

She got a look of hurt into her eyes, "Why didn't you tell me that you were him?"

He sighed, "I wanted to, but the right moment never came up. I figured it'd be fastest if I told you all at once, so I settled for right then."

A pause.

"I understand if you hate me now."

She was confused, "Why would I hate you?"

"I lied, well, not lied. I withheld information from you."

"So?"

"You still love him, err, me?"

"Why would I stop just because you aren't a pony? You told us at the Gala that we acted differently towards you because you looked different, and I wanted to change that." She smirked smugly at him.

"You're too loyal for your own good." He whispered under his breath so Rainbow couldn't hear him.

"Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash, I am unable to reciprocate those feelings. And, as cliché as it sounds; it isn't you, it's me."

"WHAT!"

His eyes glazed over, as if he were remembering, "I've lost too much, experienced more than my fair share. I've lost the ability to feel. Love, fear, hate, I've lost them all." His eyes turned dark, "I know loss, and I know gain. I feel anger, rage, contentment, pain, sadness, and not much else. I think I lost the ability to love after my third child died of old age in my arms. I turned dead inside, a defense against the only kind of pain that I can't ignore totally."

He looked down, hiding his face from Rainbow Dash.

"I understand if you hate me for real now." He said, sadly.

Rainbow was at his side in an instant, wrapping her forelegs around his chest, burying her head into his chest.

"That just means I'll have to make you love me, you big lug."

He sniffled, "This will only hurt you, Rainbow."

"I don't care! I'm going to make you love me, if it's the last thing I do!"

She started to cry into his chest, the tears running down her face and into his clothes. She wasn't crying for herself, but for him and the things that had happened to him.

They held each other in their arms, and forelegs, for a few moments.

"This would've been easier if I was a pony."

Dash just nodded her head against his chest.

After a moment, she looked into his eyes. They still had that far-away look in them that signified he wasn't really with her, just then. His lips were moving, but no noise came out louder than a whisper.

He was saying, though she could only just barely make out what he was saying, "Brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, I remember you, so you are eternal, so long as I remember, you are real. Michael, George, Victoria, Julius, Mohammad, John, Sarah, Michelangelo, Kelly, Jane, Leonardo, Mao, Elizabeth, Vladimir, Jesus, Charles, Emily, Edward, Nero, Cleopatra, Fitzgerald, Ivan, Leonidas,-"

He spoke for many minutes, at least a half hour, never stopping, never repeating a name. Rainbow Dash just hugged him tighter with each passing second, now knowing just how much he had lost, and how many bad memories he had to fight through just to get up in the morning and last until the night.

Eventually, he came to a stop. He had recited every single friend he had ever had throughout his long life, a habit he had developed to honor their memory. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single name on that list that was currently alive; to be on that list they had to die. It had been too long since he had last added a name because he hadn't met anyone recently he could call a friend. But maybe, he could add Rainbow Dash, when she, too, passed.

He would loath that day, when it came. But, he would persevere, as he had promised all of the others.

He would persevere.