The morning light hit my face waking me up, I was confused for a moment at the open sky above my head rather then the entwined tree branches of the library.
Once I remembered where I was and looked down at Twilights peacefully sleeping form, her head laid upon my chest and my jacket spread out over her.
As the sun crept over my face and approached hers I raised my hand to shield her eyes from it. Just so she could sleep some more I convinced myself, not to prolong contact with her.
I laid there just staring at her; she is so beautiful I thought to myself, I loved every facet of her. Ironic after years of searching for a perfect woman for myself on earth that I would come here and find my ideal soul mate just to have to leave again in a few short months.
I sighed putting my head back down and closing my eyes concentrating on Twilights soft breathing and steady heartbeat. Doesn't matter, your her 'friend', been in that place before. Friends forever, lovers never. Didn't make me love her any less, or make my knowledge of our eventual separation any less painful.
Eventually I felt her stir; she stretched and yawned then looked up at me with those amazing eyes.
"Morning." She said with a smile, she didn't move away or seem embarrassed as she had before at our close contact.
"Morning Twi. Sleep well?"
"Best I've ever had in my life." She blushed slightly as she spoke and pulled herself up stretching again.
"So tell me, what is the Princess like really?" I asked.
She thought about it a moment. "Well she's been my teacher for many years. She taught me all about magic and sent me here to Ponyville. She's really why I met all my friends... And you too I guess." She said with a small smile.
"Well I'll definitely have to thank her for that."
"She raises the sun every morning and..."
"Wait... What? She raises the sun?"
"Well yes... Now that you mention it I've been meaning to ask how that works back where you come from."
"Well the gravity from the sun rotates the Earth around it and the Earths own rotation brings the suns radiance to each side of it everyday."
Twilight sat and gave that some thought for a moment. "Interesting... Not how things work here at all Princess Celestia raises and lowers the sun and Princess Luna the moon. Princess Celestia held both duties for a thousand years while Luna was banished to the moon."
"Again... What? How did that happen?"
She lay back down against me as she began to explain. "Well..." For the next couple of hours she told me Luna's story including how she and her friends became known as the Elements of Harmony and their part in redeeming her.
I just laid there staring at this beautiful mare I was head over heels in love with. "Wow Twi, your even more amazing then I thought... I mean you and the others too of cource." I covered quickly.
She blushed fetchingly. "Thanks. Oh it’s almost noon. I guess we had better get back to the library before Spike sends out a search party." She said with a grin pulling herself up.
I got up as well missing the feeling of her against me already; I put my jacket on and noticed it held her amazing scent all over it. Not washing this for awhile I thought to myself.
We gathered up Twilights things and headed back into town, side by side my arm draped lightly over her shoulder. Twilight greeted everypony we came across, I nodded and added a greeting of my own when we encountered anypony I knew particularly well.
Shortly we arrived at the library and headed in, Spike was waiting for us tapping his foot impatiently.
"Sheesh what took you guys so long? We're way behind on YOUR to do list Twilight."
"Sorry buddy, we just lost track of time." I apologized.
"Oh yeah, Fluttershy stopped by too and asked if you had time, if it wasn't too much trouble, if you could come to her cottage, please. Her words not mine dude."
Twilight giggled. "I guess you had better go Rick, honestly if her cottage was on fire she might go to the fire brigade and ask if they had the time could they come and help her. If it wasn't too much trouble."
I chuckled. "Well I better hurry then before she changes her mind. See you both later."
I headed out through town towards Fluttershys cottage; the ponies about town didn't seem bothered by me at all anymore. I suppose my acceptance by the Elements of Harmony might have a lot to do with that.
Arriving at Fluttershys cottage I found her pacing back and forth out front, seeing me she stopped suddenly hiding behind her long mane.
"Oh! You… You got my message?"
"I sure did Fluttershy. Do you need my help with something?"
"No... Well yes, but only if your not busy..."
"I would be more then happy to help you out Fluttershy. What do you need?"
She brightened up immediately. "Oh! Well it’s the annual bunny census. When I count all the new baby bunnies. I usually do it by myself; I got Applejack to help one year... It didn't turn out well... But I thought maybe you might be able to help. And here you are!"
"Ok, shouldn't be a problem. Where are they at?" She pointed over to an adjacent field where quite a few bunnies were hopping about. I gave the matter a little thought. "Do you have some treats for them so we can entice them all out into the open?" I asked.
She quickly zipped into her cottage and came back with a basket full of sliced up carrots, lettuce and tomatos. We walked over to the field and I sat down putting the basket in front of me.
"Should we try rounding them up?" She asked timidly.
"Sit, please Fluttershy. I admit I don't know a lot about animals but one thing I do know if your patient and let them come to you they won't be frightened."
She looked happy about that and sat down beside me, we waited a bit and before long a bunny hopped up sniffing curiously. I took a small piece of carrot and put it in front of him withdrawing my hand immediately after. He sniffed it cautiously then grabbed it and quickly hopped away.
"Darn..." Whispered Fluttershy.
I smiled at her. "Its ok just give them time." Clearly she was more used to animals coming up to her right away but with me there clearly we would have to be more cautious.
Several of the bunnies gathered around the first one to see what it had gotten, a minor scuffle broke out over the piece of carrot before it got eaten. Several of them hopped over cautiously, I again placed several small treats out for them sitting back and letting them take them away.
After another grouping quite a few of them hopped over expectantly, again I put out small samples of the treats. I didn't want them to get filled up, just to get used to us in their midst. Several of them grabbed their treats and hopped away but a few of them sat and nibbled their treats right there.
I slowly reached out my hand to one of the bunnies and let him sniff it; he did so and was apparently satisfied with what he smelled as he turned his attention back to his treat. I reached over and gently scratched him behind his little ears for a moment; one of his little back paws thumped the ground happily.
"Awww..." Cooed Fluttershy.
I put out more treats and soon we were surrounded by a horde of bunnies looking for food and attention, between giving out scratches I looked around to see if we had them all here so we could count them. There were still a few staying back so I quickly counted them and then tried to concentrate on the mass of cute furry critters all around me.
Counting them was definitely easier said then done, Fluttershy and I counted and both came up with different numbers several times before we finally came up with the same.
We had pretty much run out of treats by then I tossed the last few out to the bunnies that stayed back so they could have a treat too.
We continued to give the bunnies pets and cuddles until they began to wander away to their burrows, as it was getting late in the day.
"Ooh thank you so much for helping me." Fluttershy said giving me a hug.
"Aww thanks Fluttershy. I was glad to help."
"Oh just a second!" She flew off with the basket behind her house and came back a few moments later with it laden with vegetables; I took it from her so she could speak. "Here you go. These are from my garden.”
"Thank you Fluttershy. I'll go and share them with Twilight right now."
She smiled at me softly. "Don't forget Spike too."
"Oh! Of cource. Goodnight Fluttershy." I said slightly embarrased.
"Goodnight. Say hi to Twilight and Spike for me."
"I will." I said as I got up started to head back to town.
As I approached the library I heard a loud FOOSH! Immediately followed by a scream I recognised as Twilights, I rushed into the library throwing the door open to see Spike rolling off the upper level. I rushed forward catching him before he hit the ground, I was concerned he had been hurt but I immediately noticed he was shaking with laughter, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Bahahahahaha! Oh Twilight you really did it this time!” He laughed. I quickly put him down and rushed up the stairs, Twilight was sitting on the floor in front of... Well in front of where my bed had been, now there was just a small scorch mark on the floor.
"Twi! What happened? Are you ok?"
She looked up at me tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I... I just thought if your bed was a little bigger…” She burst into tears and I quickly knelt down and took her into my arms hugging her tightly.
"Hey, it’s ok. Don't cry, what happened?"
She sniffed looking miserable as I wiped her tears away. "I could see that you didn't fit in the bed... It was uncomfortable for you! So I tried a small spell to make it bigger... But I disintegrated it!"
I was trying my best not to smile but it was impossible, the look on her face and the situation was too funny.
"What are you smiling about!?”
I hugged her tightly. "Your not hurt Twi, its all fine." I whispered to her. I leaned back and grinned at her and Spike. "Well, I guess I'll be bunking on the couch now."
"Well..." Twilight looked down at the floor fidgeting with her front hooves.
"What?" I asked.
"My... My bed is big enough for two..."
"I couldn't do that to you Twi..."
"Why? There’s nothing wrong with two friends sleeping in the same bed is there?"
"Nooo, but..."
"But what? I insist! That couch is far too small." She seemed to remember what she was insisting upon and backed away a bit blushing. "I mean... If you want."
I smiled at her. "Now you sound like Fluttershy. Ok Twi." She smiled happily. "Oh, Fluttershy says hi to you both by the way and she gave me a basket of vegetables for supper." I got up and headed downstairs to gather them up from where I had dropped them when I violently entered.
"No gems? Yuk. But fine." Spike said.
Gathering the vegetables up we took them into the kitchen and made a nice supper, bellies full we all headed up to bed. As I undressed to get into bed Spike caught my eye from his bed with an 'I'm watching you' gesture, I smiled and climbed into bed coming face to face with Twilight.
"Oop sorry." I apologised.
"No my mistake." She said, we turned and settled down back to back. My skin was tingling from the contact with her soft fur; maybe I should have put a sheet between us? Too late now...
"Thanks for sharing your bed Twi."
"I'm the one who messed up. Goodnight Rick."
"Goodnight Twi."
As we drifted off to sleep I could feel her every breath, her smell was all over her sheets I couldn't get it or her out of my head.
Sleeping in the same bed with the mare I love and trying not to embarrass myself?
I'm so screwed.