Stronghooves flicked on the lightswitch and stepped into his bedroom.

It wasn’t a small affair. With Stronghooves’s station came enough money that he was able to live comfortably, and his bedroom was of a fair size, with a double bed, soft silk sheets, some nice curtains and a few chests of drawers littered around the room. He pulled his armour off, strapping it onto a mannequin and putting his sword back on the weapon rack. That breastplate was so banged up that it barely fit him, anyway.

“Hey, nice place you’ve got here!” Shield chuckled. He was already a little tipsy from earlier, but Shield was, in fairness, a happy drunk.

“Yeah, I’ve managed to keep it...well…kind of tidy, anyway?” Stronghooves smiled uneasily, flopping onto his back on the bed. “Argh...damn it, Shield. Why did I agree to take Daybreak out on a date? What the hell are you supposed to do with another pony? Like, what should I wear? Where shall we go?” He gave an uncharacteristically high-pitched squeak. “What do I say?”

He glanced over at his second-in-command. Shield was giggling like a schoolfilly.

“What?” Stronghooves asked, cocking his head with his hooves in the air.

“You...you...this is your first date ever, isn’t it?” Shield laughed, trying to control himself.

“Ye...well..maybe it is! So?” Stronghooves replied defensively, rolling onto his front.

“Okay, okay…” Shield smiled, holding his hooves up. “Don’t worry pal, there’s no shame in it. Your new buddy Shield’s gonna talk you through how to make mares like you.”

“Ri...right.” Stronghooves frowned. “And you’ve been on a few yourself, have you?”

“Sure! Why not?” Shield beamed, settling down onto the bed next to Stronghooves. “Now, here’s what you do if you wanna get your hooves on a mare’s flanks…”

“I don’t just want to get laid, Shield. I kind of...want her to...like me…” The Captain trailed off, looking down at his forehooves bashfully.

“That’s what I said.” Shield carried on without missing a beat. “So if you want to make a mare happy, you’ve gotta show her a little compassion. Let her know you’ve got a fun side. Do something crazy but endearing. Also, just...don’t talk about your family, okay? That situation’s completely fucked.”

“So...show her a fun time?” The stallion cocked his head again. “I...think I can do that, yeah…”

“Now, since this is your first time, stick to the classics. Take her out to dinner, then round the park or something.” Shield smiled sagely, patting his friend on the shoulder. “Then walk her home like a perfect gentlecolt, you know?”

“Well, that’s pretty straightforward. I guess it’s just a matter of making sure I don’t say something stupid.” Stronghooves chuckled weakly. “I don’t suppose you have any advice for that, o great dating guru?”

“You being sarcastic with me?” Shield nudged. “Hmm...well, don’t talk about her ass, even if it is damn fine.”

“You’re checking her out yourself, aren’t you?”

“Hey, just examining her to make sure nothing’s out of place, that’s all!” Shield grinned, not meeting Stronghooves’s gaze.

“Yeah, sure. Go on?”

“Wha...oh, yeah! Well, okay, so we’ve covered not talking about her ass. Say something sweet, instead. Like, “oh Daybreak, you’ve got a cute nose,” or “Daybreak, you’re really funny.” Just nice stuff like that. Just remember to not say anything like “oh Daybreak, of all the mares I’ve fucked to get out of prison, you’re really up there.” Trust me, that’s like a fast track to getting your ass dumped.”

“Yeah, that’s...um...that’s pretty straightforward. I think I can handle that.” Stronghooves nodded. “What happens if I do screw up?”

“Pfft! You won’t! You’ve got this, buddy! She totally wants you!” Shield laughed, punching Stronghooves in the shoulder.

“How do you figure?”

“Well, she shagged you and gave you her address. That’s a good start if you ask me.” He snickered. “You want more than that? She smiles at you and reckons you’re a family stallion. Trust me, mares dig that. I mean, if she thinks you’re an awesome brother, imagine what kind of dad she thinks you could be!”

“Wait, dad?” Stronghooves yelped. “I...um...I don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of commitment. I...I mean...I just met her today…”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about that right now, champ.” Shield waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s, like, one of those subconscious things they take about in all of those dating magazines, like body language and stuff, you know?”

“What, so she thinks I’ll make a good dad and that’s why she’s interested?” Stronghooves cocked his head.

“Well, that’s part of it. She definitely thinks you’re hot. I mean, she already thinks you’d be a good mate, but that’s one of those subtle-ass subconscious things that goes through her mind as she checks you out. Trust me, I’m good at this shit!”

“How many marefriends have you had before?” Stronghooves narrowed his eyes.

“Three.” Shield answered. “And that’s three more than you’ve had up until now, so pay attention. All you’ve gotta do is be sweet, kind, gentle, compliment everything about her that’s not her back half and don’t mention your fucked-up family. Got it?”

“Right…” Stronghooves conceded. Shield was, in fairness, right. “And be funny?”

“Yeah! You know, tell a joke, have a laugh, come up with something spontaneous and exciting to do! Trust me, mares love that, too.”

“She did say I should do something spontaneous…” Stronghooves tapped a hoof to his chin, thinking.

“Well then, you can start by spontaneously taking a bloody shower. You’ve been in a prison cell for half the fucking day and unconscious on a train track for the rest of it, so you’d better clean your ass up.” Shield growled, smacking his flank. “You’d better believe she’s gonna be making herself look great for tonight, so you’d better pull your hoof out as well, mate!”

“What, is this a contest?” Stronghooves cricked his neck, stretching as he got to his hooves and trotted into the bathroom.

“Yup!” Shield said brightly, pulling a black jacket and a nice shirt out of the chest of drawers and tossing them in after him. “She’s gonna be looking her best, so you’ve gotta put in the effort, too! That means dressing up, sorting out your mane, looking like you take care of your appearance!”

“Huh...feels like my first day at the Guard Academy!” Stronghooves chuckled, turning on the shower.

“Nah, it’s worse than that. See, this isn’t some drill sergeant who’s gonna be looking you up and down and they’ll tell you if you fucked up. This is a mare we’re talking about! She’s gonna be watching everything you say and do, and you’ve gotta knock her on her ass with that first impression you give her or you’re fucked, mate!”

“Well...wha...what happens if she’s really pretty and...and I get...you know…”

“Hard?”

“No! I mean, flu...flustered, I guess…”

“You’re really new at this, aren’t you?”

“Now you sound like my sister…”

“Okay, listen here. If you knock on her door and she comes out looking like she was carved by the Princesses out of pure solid sexy, you’d better damn well tell her.”

“But...you said I wasn’t supposed to talk to her about her...you know...back half…”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, mate! There’s more to telling a mare she looks good than complimenting her ass!” Shield laughed. “Come on, if she opens that door and she looks like an angel had sex with Miss Equestria and she’s the bloody product, say something nice. Just tell her that she’s the prettiest damn thing in the world!” He took a pull from his hip flask before pushing it back into his saddlebag. “And if you look good yourself, maybe she’ll be lost for words. If she is, sweep her off of her fucking hooves and give her a nuzzle!”

“I’m...not exactly the kind of guy who does that on a first date…” Stronghooves smiled uneasily, shampooing his mane.

“You’re not the kind of guy who does anything on a first date!” Shield rolled his eyes, waiting patiently by the bathroom door. “Besides, you fucked her, what, ten minutes after you met? I think it’s okay to break social conventions now, mate!”

“Well...I suppose she kind of made her feelings for me clear, didn’t she?” He chuckled, washing the shampoo out and turning the shower off.

“Damn right. Now, here’s what you wanna do as far as your appearance goes. First, try and brush your mane and tail so it looks nice. You’re kind of an action stallion, so you wanna embrace the windswept look. Put on a nice suit so it looks like you give a shit about your appearance, too. It looks good and kinda gives the impression that you can go on adventures and stay sexy at the same time.”

“You sure you got this all from your own dating experience?” Stronghooves asked, as he gave his mane and tail a half-hearted brush and pulled the shirt on.

“Yeah, but I’ve got it from the best kind of experience you can get, too. Here’s the golden fucking rule, Hoovesie. Listen to her. Get her to tell her everything about herself. Ask her about her hopes, her dreams, what she likes, what she doesn’t like. Be a good fucking listener!”

“Because it’s sweet and endearing and mares like that sort of thing?”

“Nah, because I can tell already that you’re gonna trip over your words like a newborn foal with their own damn legs.” Shield laughed. “Besides, being a good listener’s important no matter what you do with your life.”

“Oh. Thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess.” Stronghooves stepped out in his jacket and shirt, all cleaned up. “How do I look?”

Shield smiled, putting a hoof on his new friend’s shoulder. “Like a winner. Now go get her, Hoovesie.”

“Call me that one more time and your performance review’s coming three months early, Inspector.” Stronghooves chuckled. “But thank you. That really does mean a lot. What are you going to do?”

“Me? I’m going the fuck to bed. You’ve had me awake since midnight last night and I’m fucking knackered, mate.” He yawned, taking one more pull from his hip flask and trotting downstairs to the door. “Tell me how it goes though, okay?”

“Okay.” Stronghooves smiled, trotting to the top of the stairs. “Hey, Shield?”

“Yeah?” The stallion looked over his shoulder with a tired grin.

“Thanks for being there for me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

“I’m the only friend you’ve ever had.” Shield chuckled, looking at his hooves. “And you’re the only one I’ve had, too. Now come on, you don’t wanna keep your marefriend waiting.”

Stronghooves grinned, very nearly skipping down the steps and locking his door behind them. “Oh, wait, what if I screw up? Like, bad?”

“You won’t, mate. You’re a nice guy and you’ve got a good heart in that chest of yours, and it’s not because of any super-power magic bullshit, either. Now stop worrying, stop pussying about and go get yourself a fucking kiss.”

And with that, Shield trotted off down the street, back towards his house.

Stupid prat…

Stronghooves hit Daybreak’s doorbell and waited in quiet panic. He could already feel the panic creeping in, wondering if he’d pressed it too hard, or if she’d heard him or not. Of course, then there was the question of what would happen if he pressed it again. Would she get irritated that he was being too clingy or impatient? What if she really had forgotten?

“Just a minute!” She called from an upstairs window. “I’ll be right down!”

Well, that answers that.

A few moments later, Daybreak opened her front door, and Stronghooves’s jaw dropped. She was wearing a dark blue dress that only reached halfway down her legs, her mane done up in a ponytail behind her head. She was wearing her combat horseshoes, too. That was certainly unexpected.

“You...wow...you look…” He stammered. “You look...um…”

“Yeah…” Daybreak nodded, her mouth hanging open. “Er...you too…”

Stronghooves stepped up onto Daybreak’s porch, giving her cheek a nervous little nuzzle. “So...um...are you ready to go?”

“I...I’m ready to g...go…yeah.” Daybreak chuckled weakly. “So, where were you thinking?”

“Well…” Stronghooves tapped a hoof to his chin, frowning. “Shield was...I mean, I was thinking about...dinner...maybe?” He stared at her with the hopeful expression of a foal who was anxiously hoping that they’d gotten the answer right.

“Sure.” Daybreak grinned. “Come on, I know this great place a couple of blocks over where you can get great pony steak.”

“Oh, that sounds grea...wait, what?” Stronghooves paled, his eyes widening in shock. “Um...did you say what I think you just said?”

“Yeah! It’s a nice little griffon place. Trust me, when you get over how tough earth pony meat is, you’ll love it.” She winked.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Daybreak burst out laughing.

“You’re too easy!” She giggled, punching Stronghooves in the shoulder. “What the hell do you take me for, some kind of cannibal?”

“Damn it, Daybreak!” Stronghooves blushed hotly, chuckling and relaxing a little. “I was going to say, I might reconsider sleeping with you if I thought I was going to wake up missing a leg in the morning.”

“Well well well, somepony’s optimistic.” Daybreak giggled. “We haven’t even started our little date yet and you’re already talking about taking me home.”

“I...erm…” Stronghooves blanched. “I...didn’t mean it like that, I was just…”

“I know, Hoovesie. I was just teasing.” Daybreak waved a hoof dismissively. “Just relax, okay? I promise I’m not gonna bite. Take it easy and try and kick back tonight. Have a little downtime, you know?”

Stronghooves gave her a blank look.

“You don’t really do the downtime thing, do you?” Daybreak deadpanned.

“Well...not as much as I probably should…” He admitted with a nervous chuckle.

The earth pony rolled her eyes, taking his hoof in hers.

“Come on, silly. I think you’re long overdue for some fun.”

The two ponies ventured out into the city in relative silence, each a little too apprehensive to initiate conversation. They passed the park with the big old oak tree atop its hill, crossed a little stone bridge that spanned an urban stream and journeyed into the stretch of the city that bordered the rich and middle districts. This was where all of the very fanciest restaurants were, and though Stronghooves could feel his wallet hurting already, he was undeniably excited. This was the sort of thing that simply didn’t happen to him. Usually he was too engrossed in his work to go out and meet ponies, and today he’d gone and made his first friend and gotten a date!

Now don’t screw it up…

Stronghooves didn’t exactly know what to say in a situation like this, glancing across at his partner every so often as they trotted down the street. Every time she’d turn her head and return his gaze, he’d look down and go bright pink until she looked away again. Daybreak almost seemed to be making a game of testing his reflexes. If anypony else had started playing with his nerves like that, Stronghooves might have been reproachful. Her, though…

Finally, the two of them found their way to a quaint little restaurant on the edge of the High District called Enfoncer Cher. Exchanging a look for the first time since they’d set off, the two soldiers smiled and stepped inside. Stronghooves, ever the gentlecolt, let her go first, and together they sat down at a little booth at the back of the eatery.

“So, how about we get this interrogation started, huh?” Daybreak grinned. “I guess by now I’ve worked out that you’re kinda all about your work, but what do you do for fun?”

“Fun? Erm...well, I mean...I like to exercise and...and hang out and stuff…” Stronghooves said, fiddling with his forehooves a little. “Oh, and I guess I like pony watching, too. It’s kind of nice to look at everypony in the city and try to work them out with nothing but a glance.”

“Oh, I love pony watching!” Daybreak nodded enthusiastically. “Especially zebras! They’ve got such exotic cutie marks. I kinda like making a game out of looking at ponies and guessing what their special talents are.”

“That must be pretty tricky.” Stronghooves chuckled. “Some of them have pretty obvious cutie marks, but others are a bit more...well...abstract.”

“Yeah.” She beamed. “Take mine, for example. You wouldn’t exactly know what my cutie mark even means, huh?” She shifted in her seat, pulling her dress up and uncovering her flank. Stronghooves blushed again, cocking his head as he gazed at her.

“It’s a rising sun.” He frowned. “Something tells me that you’re not exactly Princess Celestia’s sidekick, though.”

“Yeah, exactly.” Daybreak shrugged, letting the light material fall over her flank again. “It took me forever to work out why the hell I had it, but then it hit me.”

“Because you’re as hot as the sun?” Stronghooves blurted out without thinking.

Daybreak giggled, giving him a gentle kick under the table. “Silly colt.” She stuck her tongue out.

“Sorry, sorry…” He snickered a little, holding his hooves up and avoiding her gaze. “What does it mean, then?”

“It means that my special talent is bringing light into other ponies’ lives when they need it most.” Daybreak shrugged, smirking at her newfound partner knowingly. “Like you said, kind of abstract.”

“And you joined the military?”

“Sure did! Morale officer, and then I got bumped up to chaplain. Ponies in the military have to deal with a lot of heavy shit sometimes, so I joined up to...I dunno...make things all right.” She shrugged. “I like to think I’m good at bringing a smile to ponies’ faces.”

“You certainly bring a smile to mine.” Stronghooves chuckled. “You know, I hadn’t expected to meet a guard with such a...sweetness about her, especially not on cell-block duty.”

“Yeah, well I figured I needed a break.” Daybreak blushed. “I got pretty fucking short with Silver Tongue hitting on me, so I made some adjustments to my duty schedule so I could hang out in the cell blocks for a while instead.”

“Wait, he was hitting on you?” Stronghooves asked, aghast. “What an asshole!”

“Tell me about it.” She rolled her eyes. “Trust me, he’s the most inappropriately-named pony in the whole damn world. Oh Celestia...the pickup lines…” She hid her head in her hooves, shoulders shaking as she suppressed embarrassed giggles.

“Pickup lines? Well now I’ve got to know what he said.” Stronghooves gave a little smile, compelled by curiosity.

“Really?” Daybreak peeked through her hooves.

“Hey, you brought it up! No getting out of it now!”

“Fine.” The mare huffed. “He tried to pull me into the closet so that he could show me how he got his name. Wanted me to meet…” She gritted her teeth, “...’Little Silver.’”

Stronghooves’s jaw dropped again, and the two ponies locked eyes for a good half a minute, staring in silence. After a time, the Captain of the Guard couldn’t contain himself anymore, trying to hide his muzzle behind his heavy hoof as he giggled. “That’s...that’s terrible!”

“I know, right?” Daybreak sat back exhaustedly. “Then he mentioned that he was getting married in a week and wanted one more big fling before retiring ‘Little Silver.’” She shook her head like a veteran recalling the time his entire unit had been wiped out, shuddering. “I told him that I was used to taking jokes, but this was ridiculous.”

Stronghooves had completely lost it by this point, closing his eyes and laughing out loud. “Oh da...damn it….what did he do next?”

“Offered me a job as his secretary.” She was giggling now, too. “You’ve gotta hand it to him. He was pretty persistent!”

“I think it was him trying to hand it to you.” Stronghooves pointed out.

“Yeah, and I wasn’t taking it.” Daybreak grinned. “I told him I was about to start prisoner watch, so he got all serious and told me that yeah, I should go do that. Still, he told me not to run too far…”

“And the very next pony you ran into couldn’t stop flirting with you, either.” Stronghooves looked down at his hooves. “Um...sorry about that.”

“Eh, don’t be. It’s cute when you do it.” Daybreak took the silly stallion’s forehoof, patting it and beaming. “Besides, you haven’t tried any pickup lines yet. You’re far too earnest for that.”

“Well, I guess I’d rather be nervous than...well…that.” Stronghooves sighed. “Thanks, Daybreak. I needed that.”

“Told you I could bring a smile to anypony’s face!” She winked.

“You should go into standup. Forget that military mess.” Stronghooves chuckled. “Besides, I don’t much like the idea of you getting hurt.”

“Yeah, well as long as I’m a super-soldier who can take a hit from anything short of a damn train, I think I’ll be fine.” Daybreak squeezed his hoof. “Don’t worry about me, sweetheart. I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“You really are something special, you know that?” Stronghooves sighed. “I’ve known a lot of mares in the guard, but you’re the strongest I’ve ever met.”

“That’d be the super-soldier enhancements.” Daybreak stuck her tongue out again. “But thanks, Hoovesie. I never would have thought somepony as sweet as you could get to be Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“What can I say? I’ve worked my whole life to keep ponies safe.” Stronghooves said bashfully. “You’ve got your special talent, and it’s making ponies happy. This one’s mine.” He gave an uneasy chuckle, mindful of Shield’s advice about not bringing up his family.

“Yeah, how’d you get your cutie mark, anyway?” Daybreak asked, cocking her head. “You must have a good story about that, right?”

Uh-oh… Thought Stronghooves. Well...let’s see if we can play this off…

“Well...I suppose it’s a sad story with a happy ending, if you like.” He shrugged. “When I was about thirteen, I came across this filly, and she was being shouted at by her dad. It was something about her school performance or the like, I can’t remember.”

“Oh boy…” Daybreak frowned, nodding. She had a fair idea of where this was going.

“Yeah, he was quite a character.” Stronghooves chuckled. “She was trying to run for it, but he caught her before she even got moving, and he started beating her. Well, I couldn’t allow that, so I stepped in and pulled her out of his grip. Told him to back off.”

“That’s pretty brave of you.” Daybreak admitted. “A thirteen year-old facing down a fully grown stallion? What the hell happened then?”

“Well, we got into a fight and I got my arse handed to me.” Stronghooves shrugged. “I kept the filly safe, and she was pretty damn grateful. When I came to, I had my cutie mark, and I guess I realised what I was here to do.” He smiled fondly. “Nice kid, too. I kept taking care of her for a few years after that.”

“Guess you were her hero, weren’t you?” Daybreak smiled. “Still keep in contact with her today?”

“Sometimes. Not as much as I’d like.” Stronghooves shook his head. “What about you? How’d you get yours?”

“Oh, this?” Daybreak waved a hoof dismissively. “Well, it’s not exactly heroic or exciting like yours, but it’s pretty nice, I guess.”

Stronghooves perked his ears and smiled, letting her know that she had his full, undivided attention.

There we go! Be a good listener, just like Shield said.

Daybreak stared at him for a moment before cracking another smile. “Well, you wouldn’t know it to look at her right now, but my sister wasn’t always the healthiest little pony. She was allergic to all sorts of stuff when she was growing up. We couldn’t run across a field without her sneezing and coughing by the time we’d reached the other side. She felt all right when she was allowed to fly up high, but...well...no wings.” Daybreak glanced back at her shoulders. “She got so upset whenever we couldn’t hang out, so she kinda...weathered the storm for me.”

“And she pushed herself over the edge one day?” Stronghooves asked. He couldn’t remember having a lot of trouble with Sky’s flying after he’d learned the cloudwalking spell.

“Bingo.” Daybreak nodded. “She got really sick, and I stayed at her bedside all through the night because the doctor said she probably wasn’t going to make it.”

“That’s dedicated of you.” Stronghooves smiled fondly. “And she did make it, right?”

“Well, duh!” Daybreak giggled. “She stayed up while I kept her company! We played games and talked about...well…everything, and when she finally fell asleep I tucked her in and stayed awake for as long as I could to keep watch over her.”

“I guess you must’ve been quite young back then.”

“Damn right. We were only fillies, and I guess I must’ve passed out at some point before morning, because I remember waking up just as the sun was coming up.” Daybreak’s smile grew softer as she recalled the memory. “The doctor was there, trying not to wake me as he took Seafire’s temperature, and he told mum and dad that she was gonna be okay. When I jumped up and hugged him, I had my cutie mark.”

“That’s the sweetest story I’ve heard in a long time.” Stronghooves smiled, taking both of Daybreak’s hooves in his own and looking deep into her eyes. “You’re a great sister and a wonderful pony. I imagine you performed exceptionally as a morale officer, too.”

“Well thanks, Hoovesie. That means a lot.” Daybreak smiled. “Hey, you know something?”

“Hmm?”

“You seem a lot less nervous all of a sudden.”

“Well...I guess that’s what sitting down and talking does, huh?” Stronghooves chuckled.

“Yeah...look, Hoovesie, I’m sorry if I come on a little strong. I didn’t mean to make you all blushy and nervous.” Daybreak sighed. “But you’ve gotta admit, you’re cute when you get like that.”

“I thought I said I wasn’t exactly the ‘cute’ type…”

“Not intentionally, anyway.” Daybreak smirked.

Stronghooves sighed, blowing his mane out of his face. This was going to be an interesting night after all.

Two sets of hooves clip-clopped over the cobblestone as Stronghooves walked with Daybreak down the road. They paid no heed to the time of night, only vaguely aware that midnight had long since come and gone. It didn’t matter. Stronghooves was having far too much fun with that mare to even check the palace clocktower.

“Come on, you’ll like this.” He beamed, trotting up to the wrought-iron gates to the city park. His horn glowed bright blue, unlocking the padlock keeping the gates sealed. With a loud creak, he pulled them aside, holding the gate for Daybreak.

“I guess having access to everywhere in the city comes in handy, huh?” Daybreak’s amber eyes glinted in the moonlight as she passed him, trotting into the park and looking around. A monstrous oak tree sat atop a hill at the centre, looming over both the park and the better part of the district. It was massive, seemingly possessing a magic all its own, and Daybreak felt herself drawn to it. As Stronghooves closed the gates behind them, she took his hoof and began the ascent.

“You know, even when I was stationed here with the rest of my unit, I didn’t really come here.” She admitted. “I always wanted to, though. It always looked beautiful as hell.”

“You should see it in spring when all of the flowers are out. It’s like a great big rainbow.” Stronghooves grinned. “You’d be surprised at the lengths I went to to have my patrol route come through here back when I was a lance-constable.”

“I can imagine.” Daybreak sighed happily as the two of them climbed the hill in near-darkness.

The way the moonlight filtered through the leaves bathed them both in a strange silver-green light, their eyes illuminated from the magic flowing through their veins. In spite of their enhancements and their physical fitness, both ponies found themselves panting a little by the time they finally crested the hill, curling up between two large black roots.

“I had a lot of fun tonight, Hoovesie.” Daybreak admitted after a short contemplative silence.

“Yeah, me too.” He replied, absently stroking down her spine with a hoof. “Not bad for a first date, huh?”

“I’ve had worse.” The mare giggled quietly, rubbing her cheek against his. The way the light caught the tree trunk at this angle illuminated a thousand little carvings in the bark, the marks left by all manner of couples. Some had been burned into the wood by magic, others still etched by talons, but there was one in particular that caught the soldier’s eye.

“Hey, Hoovesie?”

“Hmm?”

“Who’s “Shadow?””

There was a very long silence, and Daybreak could have sworn that she could feel the air growing a little colder. Stronghooves didn’t speak for a while, though she could hear him breathing faster, more heavily.

“Why?” He asked, after a while.

“Check it out.” Daybreak got to her hooves, pointing out one of the little etched hearts in the tree bark. Stronghooves got up as well, horn flaring as he read the inscription.

“SKY + SHADOW 4EVER”

It was the absolute worst hoofwriting that either of them had ever seen, but it was undeniably legible.

“Oh.” Stronghooves said simply, his voice a hair’s breadth above a whisper.

“That’s your sister’s name, right? Sky Runner the big infamous burglar?” Daybreak cocked her head. “Who the hell is Shadow, then?”

“That is...well, was...her partner.” Stronghooves shrugged, bowing his head. “Well...she was more than that, but that’s not important right now. Can we not go into my family right now? I’m kind of having too good a time to want to venture into that tangled mess again.”

Daybreak hesitated, frowning. “But...what do you mean, ‘was?’ What happened with those two?”

Stronghooves sighed.

“The answer to that,” he said, putting a hoof on Daybreak’s shoulder, “is incredibly complicated.”

Author's Notes:

Chapter 34! You have NO idea how much I wanted to put a gratuitous sex scene in here, maybe even between Stronghooves and Shield, just to confuse people. Ah well.