VII

Fluttershy was nibbling on a daisy sandwich. Twilight was nibbling on Fluttershy’s ear. Fluttershy found the feeling surprisingly arousing; but although Twilight could probably smell it, Fluttershy kept quiet, knowing Spike could be home at any moment.

Indeed, just after she had finished her sandwich, the dragon came walking in through the front door of the library.

“Hey, Twilight. Hey, Fluttershy. Finally made the move on Twilight? About time, I would say. She’s been drooling over you so long, it’s been driving me crazy!”

Both mares blushed.

“Anyway, I heard AJ’s brother is missing. Have either of you seen him?”

Twilight forced out a smile. “I... Haven’t? No, no, I absolutely have not seen him. And I have no idea that... Um... Eheh...”

“Twilight... You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

“Eheh...” Twilight’s smile fell. “I... Promised not to tell anypony. Sorry?”

“I’m not the one you should apologize to. Applejack’s been running like mad trying to find him. When you see her, you have to tell her everything.”

“I kinda... Pinkie promised. To Celestia. Not to tell anypony. Especially his family.” Drops of sweat became visible on Twilight’s forehead. ”One does not break a Pinkie promise, right?”

Spike sighed. “You’re right. But once Celestia comes back from wherever she is, you tell her to explain to Applejack immediately.”

“Alright, Spike, I’ll make sure to do that.”

---

Celestia swallowed the last piece of steak from her plate. “Thank you, your majesty, the dinner was most exquisite.” She had indeed enjoyed the meal; it wasn’t every day she got the opportunity to eat meat, as most ponies found the very idea of eating animals disgusting. Surprisingly enough, Big Macintosh seemed to have enjoyed it too, and had even eaten more than Celestia herself, which was no mean feat.

The griffon king spoke softly enough to not blow the two ponies out of the room. “You are most welcome, your highness. Now that dinner is done, let us move on to other matters, shall we?”

“Indeed we shall. This here is Big Macintosh, from the Apple family of farmers; he is by far the largest stallion in Equestria, both in stature and endowment. I believe he would make a great gift for your grandson.”

“He might well be. But you are familiar with griffon tradition, so you know what must be done before we can accept the gift.”

“I do. Do you have a more suited locale for the demonstration?”

“I believe my bedchambers will do. Follow me please.”

The griffon walked out of the dining hall, with the two ponies in tow.