//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 - Day 5 pt. 2 // Story: Speak From the Heart // by Halp //------------------------------// “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! How can I help-” The sound of rapid hoofsteps behind you distracted you from the shopkeeper’s greeting, although not nearly as much as being suddenly bowled over when you turned around to its source. A pink blob smothered your face while it send you sliding on your back across the floor, gently bumping your head against the counter as you came to a stop. You grasped the suffocating object and lifted it high up to discover a giggling, cherubic pink Earth pony in your hands. “HI! You must be new here! My name’s Pinkie Pie, what’s yours?” she bubbled, her cotton candy-like mane bobbing as she spoke. “Pinkie! How many times have I asked you not to come barreling into the shop?” scolded the shopkeeper, who approached the two of you in irritation. “You’ll run into customers, doing that!” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Cake,” Pinkie whined. The mare in your clutches went slack, frowning in shame. Pinkie Pie’s regretful baby-blues locked onto you, making your chest tighten. You quickly set her to the side and got back up to your feet, brushing dirt off of your clothes in an attempt to avoid eye contact again. At first, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom seemed like the only ponies who made you fear for your heart health, but you were quickly realizing that the potential danger of any upset pony face was very real. “Don’t apologize to her, Pinkie,” Fluttershy interjected, trotting up to you in concern. “You should apologize to Anon, you both could have gotten seriously hurt!” “I really am sorry, but as I was coming back, my tail went all wink-wonk, and I just knew somepony new had come!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her fluffy tail kinking for emphasis. Somehow, she had known about your arrival, even though Twilight and Discord were the only ones who should have. Fluttershy had mentioned that Pinkie Pie could be eccentric at times, but you hadn’t expected her to be psychic. Still, it wasn’t the strangest thing you’d experienced all day. “Anon, this is Pinkie Pie, a friend of mine that I wanted to introduce to you to. She’s one of the best bakers I know, along with Mrs. Cake, here,” Fluttershy explained. The blue mare behind the counter smiled bashfully before turning her attention back on Pinkie. “Did you remember the delivery receipt?” Mrs. Cake asked expectantly. “Uh-huh!” Pinkie walked towards her and comically pulled a small slip of paper out of her poofy mane. Mrs. Cake looked as startled as you probably did, and took the receipt, slipping it into a drawer under the register. “Right. Well, you’ve got another delivery to make in a few minutes, so make sure you’re not late,” Mrs. Cake remarked, checking a list on the clipboard hanging from the doorway near the counter. “I suppose it would have been better if we had come when you weren’t busy,” Fluttershy commented. “But would it be too much trouble to get Anon a sample of one of your treats? I didn’t bring any bits with me, this was kind of a last-minute visit.” “Sure!” Pinkie chirped, bouncing past you to a nearby shelf of baked goods. “Any friend of Fluttershy’s is a friend of mine, even if I have absolutely no idea who they are!” You looked down to see Fluttershy giving you an amused grin while Pinkie rummaged through the wrapped treats. Pinkie Gave a hearty ‘a-hah’ once she selected one, a basket with bright blue-iced cupcake larger than your fist inside. She held it out to you by the handle in her teeth, and prodded your stomach with her snout when you hesitated taking it from her. You signed your thanks to her and took the basket by its bottom. You carried your gift over to a nearby table and started unwrapping the paper around the cupcake. You felt a little guilty for having such a large “sample,” but your growling stomach convinced you it was worth overlooking. Pinkie Pie’s expectant stare bore into you as you took your first bite. “So, what do you think? How is it?” Though you had only taken a small bite, the cupcake was the sweetest, most blissful thing you’d ever eaten in your life. Pinkie’s words melted away in your mind as you grumbled euphorically over your next mouthful. The cake was moist, spongy, and tasted like heaven, if heaven were made of angel-food cake, blueberries, and the dreams of young foals. The buttercream icing was smooth and rich, and you felt like you could eat an entire barrel of it, if you were given the chance. For several seconds, you reveled in the sugar-induced high, before opening your eyes to see Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie chuckling to themselves. “I think that means he likes it,” Fluttershy joked. “From what I’ve seen so far, humans have a real sweet tooth.” “That’s great! I’ve got a super-duper secret project I’ve been working on, and Nonny would be perfect for it!” Pinkie replied, making you cease devouring your meal for a moment. “‘Nonny?’” “You know, A-non, Nonny? I thought it was a good nickname.” “I guess so. ‘Nonny and Pinkie’, huh?” “It sounds good, right? But it might sound better like ‘Pinkie and Nonny’.” You continued to focus on the cupcake as they both chatted, until all that was left was crumbs. Seeing the two ponies caught up in conversation, you took the opportunity to get a good look at the interior of the bakery. The shelves along the walls were lined with all sorts of cakes, cookies, candies, and even party decor; while much of what was on display was edible, the lack of tables and booths told you that the shop probably ran mostly on catering and party events. The decorations you had seen on the outside of the shop made it stand out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rest of the town, but at least they seemed to fit what seemed to be the shop’s only real employee. “Well, I suppose Anon and I should get going, so you can get back to work. We still haven’t finished our trip yet,” Fluttershy announced before getting up from her seat at the table. “Wait, can I come?” Pinkie Pie asked, drawing a confused hum from Fluttershy. “What about your delivery?” “You can follow me, and talk to Anon about Ponyville on the way!” “That’s not exactly you coming with us, but I suppose that would work.” You weren’t certain, but for a brief moment, you swore that there was something strange about Fluttershy’s tone. After a polite yet stern lecture from Mrs. Cake, Pinkie led you and Fluttershy out across town for her delivery- a large, inconspicuously wrapped box of frosted cookies. The order had specifically asked that the delivery be as subtle as possible, as it was a surprise gift that the customer didn’t want spoiled. You had politely offered to carry the box for Pinkie, who was more concerned about introducing you to passersby than being discrete in any form or fashion. Fluttershy, patient as ever, took every opportunity between the Earth pony’s ramblings to talk about the various shops and attractions the small town had to offer. “And this shop belongs to Ponyville’s florist, Roseluck! Most of the flowers she sells aren’t for eating, but she-” “ROSELUCK!” Pinkie interrupted, once again startling you, as well as a nearby mare whose raspberry-colored hair stood on end. “Have you met Anon?” “Do you mean him?” Roseluck asked, pointing towards you. “I saw him earlier today with Lyra. She wouldn’t stop talking about him and his ‘hands.’ I was about to go find her, actually.” The cream-colored pony flashed you a polite smile and turned to walk away. “Oh, okay! Sorry to bother you!” Pinkie called out before turning to you. She stepped close to you and craned her neck beneath the box in your hands. “What are you doing?” Fluttershy asked, leaning her head down to meet hers. “I’m checking out Anon’s hands, silly! I want to know what Lyra thought was special about them.” Chills went up your back as you felt her breath on your fingers, and you stood stock-still, not uncomfortable but very confused. “This isn’t really the time, is it? You might be late for your delivery,” Fluttershy argued, her wings shifting uneasily. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine!” “But…” “It’ll just be a second.” You couldn’t recall seeing Fluttershy look or sound as uncomfortable as she did then, although you had no idea why. Maybe she was concerned about Pinkie making a scene; the three of you were standing out in the open, and you naturally drew stares from ponies walking by anyway. You balanced the box in one hand and set the other on Fluttershy’s head, hoping to reassure her in the only way you knew how. “Wha-!” Fluttershy yelped, freezing as you ruffled her mane with your fingers. Her head immediately jerked down to face the ground, her ears folding back in embarrassment. You leaned forward to try and see her face, which she hid behind her mane. Pinkie watched you with curiosity, and started bobbing up and down in place excitedly. “Ooh, do me next, do me next!” she begged, presenting the crown of her head to you. Unsurprised by her enthusiasm, you set the box down onto the ground and gingerly set your free hand on her head and started scratching. You felt her push into your palm, and swore you saw one of her back hooves rapidly shudder in place for a second. You looked around the area as you continued to pet the two mares, checking to make sure no one was around, staring. The only sign of any ponies was a glimpse of a seafoam-striped tail that slipped past a building behind you, and you sighed in relief. After a few more seconds, Fluttershy relaxed slightly, and looked up at you with a weak smile. “Don’t... we have a delivery to finish?” Fluttershy asked quietly. You nodded, while Pinkie Pie only hummed contentedly, stopping when you withdrew your hands and snapped your fingers to get her attention. “Right! Let’s go~!” Pinkie cheered, turning about-face and holding her hoof out as if she were leading a charge. You picked up the box with another sigh, and resumed your position between the two ponies as they continued walking. As you looked over the various houses and other buildings on the way to your destination, though, you noticed that both Fluttershy and Pinkie were considerably quieter than before. You figured it was better than their awkward attempts at vying for your attention, at least. You all kept walking through town, and cut through an alleyway to another open square, where you could see a burly, frustrated stallion beside a large cart full of cabbages. Pinkie Pie gasped, and sprinted over towards him, spurring you and Fluttershy to hurry along with her. “Heya, Patch! We were just coming to see you!” Pinkie shouted, earning a loud hush from the stallion, who looked around frantically. “Hey, easy on the volume! I said to be discrete, didn’t I?” Patch hissed in a Boston-esque accent. He gave you a stern look, and turned back to Pinkie. “And apparently you don’t know what ‘discrete’ means, given your tall friend over here followin’ you around.” You instinctively opened your mouth to try and set him straight, but stopped short as Fluttershy stepped in front of you. “Don’t worry about Anon, everypony here is just fine with him around. But what are you doing out here?” Fluttershy interjected. You felt the end of her tail wrap lightly around your calf as she backed up to you a few inches. “It’s this bum cart,” Patch complained, kicking the cart for good measure. “The rear left wheel’s jammed, and it won’t budge. I was hoping to get home before you showed up so I could get my, uh… package, but it locked up on me and I’ve been stuck here.” As if directed by the universe itself, the wheel promptly loosened itself from the cart with a crack and rolled away. Patch dashed under the edge of the cart, which spilled a few cabbages onto the ground. You felt a twinge of sympathy for the stallion, and set down his package to help lift the cart off of him, hoisting it up with both hands above your head. “Hey! What’s the big idea, pal?” he snorted, puffing up towards you menacingly. “Anon’s just trying to help, Patch, don’t worry!” Pinkie interrupted, jumping between you both. “Pinkie’s right, Anon’s not hurting anypony,” Fluttershy added adamantly. You gave patch a smug grin as he stared you down before standing down. “Fine, my bad. It’s not everyday you see some friendly giant helpin’ ponies out, though, right?” Patch apologized. “I’m sorry for snappin’, it’s just been a rough day. I’ll show you the rest of the way to my shop, and I can pay you for the delivery.” Along the way to his shop, Patch informed you that the box was, in fact, for his son, Sprout, who would be coming home from school only a couple hours later. Today was his son’s birthday, and Patch had taken great strides to keep the delivery a surprise, even avoiding Sugarcube Corner altogether, which was in line-of-sight of the school’s playground. He saved up profits from his run-down vegetable shop, mailed his order in and scheduled ahead of time, and even contacted the parents of Sprout’s friends, all so that he could make the colt’s first real birthday celebration special. You had nearly shed a tear after hearing Patch’s story, finally understanding how stressed he must have been, especially as a single father. Like many of the ponies Pinkie had introduced you to earlier in the day, he was initially confused by you communicating via your whiteboard doodles, but, nevertheless, you managed to convey your forgiveness to him. In the distance, you heard the tolls of the school bell, just moments after helping Patch unload the last few heads of cabbage into his shop’s storage area out back. Pinkie and Fluttershy’s hammering on the cart’s wheel stopped, and the stallion’s ears perked up. “Sounds like Sprout just started recess. Shouldn’t be long, now,” he commented, grinning in anticipation. After making a final count on his inventory, he shut the rear door of the shop and strode up to you. “I’d like to apologize again for earlier, and thank you for helpin’ me out.” He lifted his hoof out, which you promptly shook, nodding your head for emphasis. “We’ve fixed your cart’s wheel, I think,” Fluttershy added, walking up to your side. “Did you need anything else?” “No, no, I should be fine. To be honest, I wasn’t expectin’ a cart repair service with my delivery, but I suppose I should pay up, now that everythin’s settled.” You and Pinkie pulled the cart out to the front of the shop, and all of you waited patiently after Patched ducked inside. “So what do you wanna do once we get back to Sugarcube Corner?” Pinkie Piped up. “Back to Sugarcube Corner? Oh, I was actually thinking of taking Anon back home, since we’ve been out and about all afternoon,” Fluttershy muttered, pawing at the ground. “I’m… actually pretty tired, and we haven’t eaten lunch, either.” “Oh.” You almost expected to hear the sound of a deflating balloon as Pinkie’s expectant look drooped in disappointment. Milliseconds passed, however, before she brightened once more. “Well, you could always come by later this week. It’s not like we’re going anywhere soon!” You hummed in agreement, and gave her a thumbs-up. Fluttershy started to respond, but was cut off by the shop bell tinkling as Patch exited the shop, carrying two burlap bags in his teeth, which he offered to you. “Here are the bits for the order, plus a little extra for your help,” he remarked gleefully. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some last-minute errands to run!” “Have a good day!” Pinkie and Fluttershy shouted as he sprinted off. You opened the first bag, which was full of shiny coins, and handed it to Pinkie Pie. The second, much lighter bag contained a single head of cabbage with a hastily-scrawled thank-you note. Fluttershy’s ears perked up when she saw the cabbage, and she hummed quietly to herself. “I’m not a big fan of cabbage, but I do know a little bunny that happens to love eating it. Let’s go ahead and take it home, hm?” Pinkie Pie nodded in agreement, snickering cutely as the change in the bag jingled. She waved to you both with a muffled ‘good-bye,’ and walked off towards Sugarcube corner. You gave Fluttershy a quick nod, and you both started off for home as well. The light walk back to Fluttershy’s cottage turned into a light jog as both of you soon realized just how long it had been since breakfast; any caloric value in that cupcake that Pinkie had given you had probably been burned away by carrying Patch’s cart across Ponyville, and Fluttershy hadn’t eaten anything, save for a small bowl of fruit and yogurt. You practically inhaled the salad she prepared while she fussed over Angel at the dining room table. You’d never expected a rabbit to love cabbage so much. You offered your help, hoping to convince him to finish the tiny pieces of squash in his bowl, but even trying to take them away from him failed; not even reverse psychology could tear his focus away from the remaining carrots and cabbage in the fridge. Fluttershy commended your efforts, even as you walked out of the kitchen in defeat. You spread out across the couch and started doodling various objects in the living room on your whiteboard. Although you were pretty adept at drawing when you came to Equestria, it was still nice to practice on your own without the pressure of communicating to someone else. “Oh, come on!” a voice suddenly shouted, minutes later. You jumped almost half a foot in the air at the disturbance. Across the living room, Twilight was rubbing her forehead, having appeared out of nowhere and clearly irritated. “He could have at least sent me back to the castle. I didn’t think I had to specify…” she complained. Fluttershy dashed into the room from the kitchen, gasping when she saw Twilight. “Where did you come from? I didn’t hear the door open.” “I asked Discord to send me back to Ponyville, but I had expected him to send me home, not back here,” Twilight grumbled. “I suppose I can make the most of it by starting with you two.” “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, cocking her head to the side. “I’d like to sit down and talk about what the princesses, Discord, and I talked about.” Twilight seated herself in the chair beside you, and gestured for Fluttershy to sit with you. As they were making themselves comfortable, Angel came bounding in and hopped up into your lap, still chewing an overflowing mouthful of cabbage. You set your drawing pad to the side, and leaned forward, elbows on your knees, to give Twilight your full attention. Several sheets of paper appeared in front of her, which she began flipping through while clearing her throat. “Okay, first off, let’s talk about Discord’s idol,” she began. “Like he said this morning, Discord doesn’t remember the entire process of how he created the idol or how it works, but he does remember some of the process. We’ve concluded that, so long as the idol isn’t exposed to any nearby fluctuations in magic, it won’t activate again. It’s still recharging from when it summoned Anon, so it’s being contained in the palace away from ponies other than the princesses and Discord.” “Alright. What does that mean for Anon?” Fluttershy asked, seemingly reading your mind. “If we can jog Discord’s memory on how he made it, he can figure out how to reverse the process… hopefully.” She didn’t sound certain. You gave her a questioning look, raising your eyebrows. “What I mean is that things with Discord are usually iffy at best. He’s unbelievably powerful, but he’s still like any of us. It’s been centuries since he last saw one of the idols, and I imagine that it will take a while before we see any real progress.” You felt Fluttershy’s tail on you for the second time that day, gently draped across your lower back. “How long?” Fluttershy’s tone was curt, almost urgent. “It could be a couple weeks, couple months, maybe even a couple years,” Twilight sighed. “We honestly don’t have a clue. Until then, Celestia suggested that Anon could spend his time helping out Ponyville, if he wants.” “You mean like when he helped out Applejack and I?” “Exactly. Of course, you’re more than welcome to stay here with Fluttershy,” she replied coyly, looking at you and back to Fluttershy. “But I think you could be a great help here.” You shifted your gaze from her to the now embarrassed pegasus next to you, whose tail curled back around her. “I don’t mind…” You were tempted to refuse, but helping out ponies like you had earlier today would probably be better than sitting around in the cottage, drawing all day while Fluttershy went about her own business. You nodded to Twilight for her to continue. “Well, first off, I thought it would be a good idea for you to get to know our friends here in town, specifically Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity. You already helped Applejack a bit before, so that just leaves the others.” “We went to see Pinkie Pie today, when we were out in town. We helped her with a delivery for a stallion named Patch, and Anon carried his broken-down cart to the shop that Patch owns,” Fluttershy remarked. Twilight’s eyes widened, and she jerked her head towards the window, craning her neck to look outside. After a few seconds of inspection, she sighed in relief, turning back to you. “Sorry. For a second there, I wanted to make sure Ponyville was in one piece.” You folded your arms and gave Twilight an unamused frown, earning a giggle from her. “I’m only joking, I promise. I’m glad things went alright for you both,” she laughed. She glanced over her notes again. “If I recall correctly, Rarity should be coming back home tomorrow from her show in Manehattan. I spoke with her earlier this week, and asked her to consider helping you with your clothing situation.” You nodded and signed your thanks, grateful for her consideration. The prospect of not having to rewash your clothes every day was more than welcome, especially if you would be doing work like you had at Sweet Apple Acres. “Something else worth noting- we’ve created copies of the book you edited, and each of the Elements will be getting a copy. If you’re going to be spending any extended length of time with them, it would help for them to know what to expect.” You instantly recalled Rainbow Dash’s reaction to seeing the book, and felt your heart drop into your stomach. “That said, don’t worry, Anon, they’re a ‘for-your-eyes-only” copy. I was hoping that I could take some time and annotate the book with you myself, but sometime later. For now, though, we don’t want anypony misinterpreting the information and making unfair judgements about you, so I’ll make sure that only the Elements see what’s inside.” You nodded solemnly, realizing that she had definitely expected your response. Fluttershy looked about as concerned as you felt, although her expression softened in realization. “That’s good to hear. Anon made a good impression on a few ponies today, I’d hate for them to get the wrong idea about him,” she mused. Twilight magically flipped through her notes one final time before they disappeared in a small flash of light and nodded once, satisfied. “Alright, that’s actually all I’ve got to say. I should probably head out and let the others know what’s going on, and finish up compiling my notes." After a satisfying bath later in the evening, you dried yourself off and stepped back into the living room, carrying your choker in one hand. To your surprise, Fluttershy was still on the couch, sprawled out across it and dozing off quietly. The clock read a quarter past ten; it was certainly past Fluttershy’s usual bedtime, and you were feeling pretty drowsy yourself. You set the choker down on the table, and stepped up to the sleeping mare, searching for a way to pick her up without waking her. You considered just waking her up entirely, but you were uncomfortable with the thought of disturbing such an adorable sight; Fluttershy’s mane and tail were spread out and dangling off the edge of the cushions, while her hooves were folded up cutely to her chest. Who else, in your situation, would want to ruin a moment like this? Strangely enough, the urge to rub her exposed belly loomed over you, and you struggled to fight it. Even stranger, you actually considered following through- surely, you thought, she wouldn’t mind, even if she were awake? Hesitantly, you placed your palm on the center of her stomach, your fingertips gently resting on her coat. No reaction. Slowly, you drew your fingers back and forth in her fur, and froze as her body reactively curled up after a few seconds. She mumbled something happily in her sleep, and arched her back, pressing her stomach up against your palm. Your chest tightened, and you could feel blood rushing to your cheeks. Part of you, without rhyme or reason, desperately wanted to stay right there, petting Fluttershy until she would inevitably wake up or you would pass out. The rational majority, however, begged for you to withdraw your hand, and you took a deep breath as she feebly squirmed around, seemingly searching for your touch. You sat down on the floor beside the couch, suddenly aware of your rapid heart rate, and took stock of what had just happened. You, a human, had just given a grown, pastel yellow pegasus tummy rubs while she slept. The opportunity had just presented itself, and you had taken it. You had expected it to feel like petting any other animal would, like with Angel. For whatever reason, it felt much weirder, although you couldn’t pin down why. You mentally slapped yourself and recalled your initial task: getting Fluttershy off the couch and going to bed. Steeling your nerves, you stood up and faced the couch once more. You delicately slid one arm beneath Fluttershy’s neck and the other around her rear, taking a gentle grasp of her shoulder and flank. As you began to lift the mare into the air, you begged and pleaded with whatever deity existed that she would stay asleep. Carrying her at chest-height, you wrapped your arms around her back and leaned her against your torso as you tip-toed your way across the living area towards her room. Every second you took trying to ascend the creaking stairs felt like hours. Somehow, Fluttershy was still asleep, although she had begun sleep talking like the night before. She mumbled something unintelligible and reached out with her hoof, gently bumping your cheek a few times. Half-amused, you leaned your neck away from her when she tried stroking your face. Her nose scrunched up while she pawed weakly at the air, and you laughed quietly as you reached the top of the stairs. Opening her bedroom door was a struggle, but after a few tries you managed to get it open without dropping her. You laid her gently on her back onto the bed, careful not to get your arm caught between the pillow and her mane. You had picked up the edge of the folded comforter and started inching it over her body when, much to your chagrin, you saw a pair of half-lidded teal-blue eyes staring down at you. “Anon…? Am I still dreaming?” Fluttershy whispered. Sensing the opportunity to get away at hand, you nodded slowly, and continued easing the comforter up to her chest. She stopped you with a hoof, however, and gave you a wide smile. “If this is just a dream, you don’t have to worry about tucking me in, Anon,” she remarked in a sleepy, playful tone. “But you could join me- yawn- if you wanted.” You were considering backing out of the room when what remained of your astonishingly low willpower was extinguished as Fluttershy put on a heart-wrenching pouty face. “Please?” she whimpered. You didn’t have the constitution to refuse, and hung your head over hers in defeat. She let out a victorious giggle, and reached out to touch your face. You felt the warm, broad pad of her hoof grip your cheek and pull gently to direct your attention up towards her. Your heartbeat throbbed loudly in your ears as you tried to figure out which was more puzzling: her drastic change in attitude towards physical contact with you, or how comfortable you were witnessing it. You stood motionless in the dim, moonlit room, still leaning over Fluttershy, whose drowsy eyes scanned your expression a thousand times over. The passage of time fell away to the back of your mind, and you felt the strain on your back becoming more difficult to ignore. Not wanting to lose your balance, you propped yourself up with both arms on the bed beside her shoulders, eliciting a quiet gasp from Fluttershy. She shifted back and forth a bit beneath you, and her coy smile started to quiver. She almost appeared as if she was anticipating something. You felt Fluttershy gently tug down on your cheek, and immediately realized what that ‘something’ was. In the span of a fraction of a second, you managed to focus on a few of the thousands of thoughts and senses that raced through your head: the sound of her breath as she leaned forward; the slick sweat that had built up between her hoof and your burning cheek; most prominently, the complete and utter lack of any resistance by any muscle in your body. You couldn’t find any hint of discomfort in your mind, even when faced with the blunt realization that you were about to be kissed by a technicolor talking pony you’d only known for four days. That you were completely different creatures. Whatever sense you should have had to pull away from her touch, her gentle prods and other mild displays of affection, had either disappeared the moment she took you in, or never existed in the first place. You couldn’t think of a good reason as to why, but as your lips made contact with hers, you didn’t care in the slightest. Fluttershy let out a high-pitched hum of content as she dragged you deeper into the kiss, making your hair stand on end. Your eyes drifted shut, and you let your thoughts fade away as you tilted your head slightly and savored the moment. Precious seconds passed as your mouths subtly shifted around one another, until her grip on you began to waver. She released you from her clutches, and let her head fall back to the pillow, breathing heavily. “You know, Anon, you usually act more surprised in my dreams when that happens.” Your face contorted in shock- just how many times had she dreamed of this situation before? “Yeah, like that!” she chuckled, before yawning heartily. You lifted one arm as she shifted towards the center of the bed and shot you an expectant look. You crawled beneath the covers, not wanting to disturb her impression that she was still asleep, and laid on your back beside her. “I kinda... wish this wasn’t a dream, though,” she mused, leaning forward and burying her face between your neck and shoulder. “It feels real, but it’s not. You said so yourself.” You fought to keep a straight face and not laugh at the mare’s sleepy logic, and accidentally let your shoulders quake in a tiny snort. “Are you alright?” You nodded and dismissed her concern with a gentle wave. “That’s good. If you don’t mind though, Anon- yawn- I’m still feeling sleepy. I know I said before that you didn’t need to tuck me in, but I think now’s a good time to take back what I said. Is that okay?” You obliged her request, and drew up the comforter over both of you. She stretched for a few moments, squeezing your hand with her upper thighs, before relaxing and leaning her snout against your neck. You closed your eyes and listened while her breathing grew more steady as she drifted off. Sleep sounded like a good plan, you thought, feeling the world around you gradually floating away. Lost in the mix of emotions slowing to a crawl in your mind, you too felt like floating away.