//------------------------------// // Ch.16 Into the Night // Story: The Gaps in F r i e n d s h i p // by Arcanum -Phantasy //------------------------------// Equestrian Fluttershy hummed a happy tune as she strolled through the Ponyville market, her heart on cloud nine as she perused through what the venders had on sale. After the previous day's insanity, she was happy to return to some semblance of normal. Though spending yesterday with her new marefriend was definitely something she wasn't going to complain about. It wasn't anything too exciting, all things considered. The two of them spent most of the day cuddling and talking over tea and sandwiches after Princess Cadence left them to their own devices. It was what her mostly nocturnal marefriend proposed that night that had her grinning like a fool. *** "Hey, um, F-Fluttershy?" the shy Thestral whispered as she laid beside her double. "Hmm?" she asked, sleep trying to tug her lids shut as she nestled into her bedmate's chest. "W-We're a couple now, right?" She nodded, then said,"If you want us to be. I'm fine with it. Are you?" "Y-Yes," she stammered, face turning red. "I-It's just....I've never had a girlfriend before. I guess I'm a little scared." "It's okay," she smiled, pulling her face away from the Thestral's chest to look her in the eye. "This is a first for me too." "Th-Then..." she gulped. "You've never...been on a date or k-kissed or.....any of that?" She shook her head. "I never had a chance. I just couldn't connect with anypony like that. I didn't have the confidence to try either." "Th-Then," she stammered, face gradually growing hotter as she struggled to get the words out of her mouth. "H-How about we go on a date?" Equestrian Fluttershy blinked in surprise for a second, then flashed her double a wide smile as she gave her an enthusiastic nod. "I would love that!" she exclaimed. "When?" "How does tomorrow night sound?" she asked, already trying to setup a game plan with what she knew about the nearby town. "Great," she smiled as she pulled Fluttershy into a tight embrace. "I can't wait!" "Me neither," Fluttershy smiled, gently wrapping her forelegs around her girlfriend. They stayed like that until sleep finally claimed them, warm smiles decorating their muzzles as they enjoyed the moment. *** Smiling, she brought a hoof to her shoulder where her marefriend's cutiemark appeared as she walked out of the market into Ponyville's small entertainment district. Even with a Princess as a resident, Ponyville was still a small town with very few things meant to drag in tourists. Aside from a few cafés and small restaurants, there wasn't a lot to cater to those outside the resident population. Granted, Sugarcube Corner had an excellent reputation that stretched past the town's borders, but that wasn't enough to bulk up the town's tourist base. As she passed the restaurants, she wiped some sweat off of her forehead and unzipped the front of her jacket. A faint smile graced her muzzle as she let the winter chill hit her sweat-damped coat not covered by her jacket. Princess Cadence told her that the Marking ceremony would have some interesting side-effects that she would have to get used to. Sharper senses. A higher cold tolerance. A slightly higher craving for fish. Normal things for a Thestral that her body would be working around until it properly integrated Fluttershy's magic with her own. As a result, she was stuck walking through Ponyville wearing clothes that made her feel like she was in the middle of a summer heatwave. She sighed as she started to pick out a café to rest at. It was then that she noticed a building she hadn't seen before. It was a tall and darkly painted building resembling a small victorian mansion. It's roof looked like the top of a castle tower with an ornate dragon statue coiled around it with its head leaning against the highest point. The building was surrounded by an ornate metal fence painted jet-black like the dragon decoration. The exterior was made of polished dark-wood that shined like onyx in the morning light as she approached it. As she made it past the front gate, she noticed a pair of gargoyles standing on either side of the building's large plank-style front doors. The glaring decorations made her gulp as she forced herself to move closer to investigate. Just above the door was a sign written in intricate cursive. The Lunar Eclipse She tilted her head in confusion as she further examined the building's front. A smaller sign on the door caught her attention as a result. Business hours Mon-Fri: 7:00PM-6:30AM Weekends: 6:30PM-4:00AM Happy Hour: 8:00PM-9:00PM Closed on Hearths Warming Drink Specials: Blood Orange Cocktail Dragon's MIlk Cinnamon Rum Peppermint Vodka Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider Frost Flower Wine Food Specials: Coconut Shrimp with a side of Margarita Sauce Salmon steak with Sea Salt Dressing Steamed King Crab Manehattan Clam Chowder Eggplant Parmesan Crab Salad A wide smile spread across her muzzle as she read through the list of specials. "This is perfect!" she cheered. "An all night restaurant that sells fish! Oh, Fluttershy's going to love it!" A large part of her was more happy about the latter then the former. It had been ages since the last time she had any fish and her current situation made it hard for her to read the sign without drooling. Now that she had some idea of what they could do on their date, she quickly made her way towards a nearby café to cool off. As she walked away a red eye peeked out from one of The Lunar Eclipse's covered windows, a trace of surprise reflected in it's shine as it tracked her. *** Fluttershy anxiously paced the living room as she struggled to find a way to salvage the evening. Asking her double out wasn't quite as hard as she thought it would be, but planning the actual date was a completely different beast altogether. It was clear that they cared for each other and were more then willing to give themselves a try, but she read enough books to know that a bad first date could kill a relationship before it had a chance to even start. As a result, she found herself pacing the living room like a caged wolf as she tried to form a game plan that wouldn't end in disaster. "A walk through the forest? No, that's too dangerous" she muttered as she moved. "Dinner at a restaurant? No, I don't have any money." She let out a frustrated scream before flopping her face into a couch cushion. As she stayed like that, a soft fluttering caught her attention. Curious, she raised her head and turned towards the source. At some point, her wings had flared out to match her frustration. With an annoyed sigh, she struggled to get the appendages to fold back to her sides as she tried to think of what she could do. It was then that an idea came to her. Slowly, she turned her head to her left wing and tried to reopen it again. To her surprise, it snapped open like a spring the second she focused on it. Still staring at it, she tried to move it of her own volition. She marveled at how easily it moved and with no deviation from her will as she manipulated it. It was then that she remembered what Princess Cadence said about her magic and its link to instinct. With that in mind, she turned to face her right wing and opened it. Then she closed her eyes and pretended she was flying over Canterlot City. She smiled as the imagined evening air washed over her like waves in an ocean storm. She tilted her body with the imagined wind, her wings shifting position in accordance with her will. She smiled at that, then imagined she was diving as she leaned forward. Her wings tucked in slightly in response to her mental image as she let herself "fall". The night air tore into her as she fell, moving faster and faster to the earth with her wings tucked further and further into her sides. Then at the last second, she pulled up out of her mental dive and flapped her wings. Her eyes popped open as she found herself pushed off of the ground by a gust of wind and flopped onto her back with a startled yelp. For a second she just laid there blinking in confusion, only for a wide smile to form on her face as an idea took shape in her mind. "That's it!" she cheered, excited giggles pouring out of her muzzle as she pulled herself to her hooves. "Oh, she's going to love it!" *** A Princess' work is never done. A fact that all Alicorns quickly come to accept in one form or another. Celestia had the sun and most of the country's government affairs to keep under control. Luna had the moon and the entire Dream Plane. Twilight had to make sure that areas of interest didn't destabilize themselves every other Tuesday while dealing with the usual biweekly disasters that seemed to gravitate towards Ponyville. Cadence had to keep the Crystal Empire safe and spread love all across the land. Granted, most of her focus involved romances that if they went south, could lead to wars or near apocalyptic disasters. As such, her magic forced her to remain at an Inn in Ponyville in the wake of one of the most important relationships ever to take shape in the history of Equestria; the romance between the two Fluttershys. Cadence giggled as she stared into the mirror in her room's bathroom, a simple scrying spell showing her two images. On the left half of the mirror she saw a light-yellow Thestral taking steps to understand how to use her wings while the right half showed a yellow Pegasus trying to pull off her clothes in a Café bathroom and stuff them into her saddle bags. A bright pink glow surrounded them as they went about their business. The shine made her smile grow as she slid her hoof across the glass. The images blurred as two new ones formed on the glass. Now the left half of the mirror showed Princess Celestia and Discord sharing a few drinks at a high end bar in Canterlot while the right one showed Sunset and a grey Pegasus mare she didn't recognize strolling through the Royal Library. Like the two Fluttershys, both couples had a pink aura enveloping them. However, these were of a different luster then the local couple. Celestia and Discord's glow was almost a fiery red as they talked and laughed together, while Sunset and her partner was just a couple shades lighter as they did the same. Cadence's smile threatened to split her head in half as she took in the scenes. Not only had her adoptive Aunt finally found somepony, but so had Sunset as well. A happy squee filled the air as she clapped her hooves together in joy. "Oh this is just too perfect!" she cried, a wide smile decorating her muzzle as she waved a hoof across the mirror. "Now Aunty can finally have a special somepony that can literally love her forever and Sunset's found a marefriend! And from the looks of things Aunty and Discord are giving them a few nudges in the right direction." As if to prove her point, Discord snapped his claw and created a oneway portal showing Sunset and her marefriend going about their business. With a cheshire's smile, he gave his claw another snap and a book fell in front of the Pegasus. Curious, she adjusted her spell's angle to let her see the book. An annoyed grimace formed on her face as the two ponies in the mirror tried their damnedest to not have their faces burst into flames. "Maybe a bit more than a nudge," she sighed. "Really Discord? The Pony Sutra? Really?!" An irritated sigh slipped past her lips as she waved her hoof across the mirror's surface again, only for it to shift into a gentle smile as it revealed the previous set of lovebirds. "Aunty should be able to handle those two. The Fluttershys on the other hoof? They're all mine." *** The frigid night air nipped at anypony daring or foolish enough to brave it for whatever reason. Aside from that, it was a gorgeous cloudless night. Two ponies strolled through the town completely oblivious to the chill in the air and the confused stares of those they passed. Was it the fact that the two ponies were near identical that earned the attention? No. It was the fact that it was thirty-three degrees fahrenheit outside and neither mare was wearing anything to protect them from the elements. Equestrian Fluttershy giggled like a school filly as she guided her marefriend through the town. "Where are we going?" Fluttershy giggled as she let her giggly girlfriend lead her. "You'll know when we get their," she smiled. Fluttershy smiled and rolled her eyes at her antics as she followed. After a couple minutes of walking, she couldn't hold herself back anymore and wrapped a wing around her excited girlfriend. She squeaked, then smiled as she leaned into the embrace as they walked. "What's got you so giggly?" she whispered, rubbing her nose against Equestrian Fluttershy's neck. She let out a pleased whine then with a smile kissed her on the forehead and said, "You'll know when we turn the corner." Curious, she stayed quite as they closed in on the turn in question, all the while trying to get over the shock of her double's surprise kiss attack. When they made the turn, a building caught her eye. When Equestrian Fluttershy started guiding her towards it, a strange feeling started to fill the Thestral. It was an odd mix of excitement, longing, and homesickness that grew as they approached. It was as if she had gone on a long trip and was about to step through the door into her house again. When she saw the sign on the door, a wide smile spread across her muzzle as she turned towards her ecstatic girlfriend. Laughing like a fool, she threw her forelegs around her, spread her membraneous wings, and blasted twenty feet into the air. As they gently glided back to the ground, she peppered the trapped Pegasus with kisses everywhere she could, except the lips. When they touched back down she let her girlfriend go, a dopy smile decorating the Pegasus' muzzle as she teetered on her hooves. "Thank you so much!" she cheered. "Pink bunnies make cherry pies," Equestrian Fluttershy mumbled drunkenly as her brain tried to reboot itself. She laughed, then wrapped a wing around her barrel and dragged her dazed girlfriend towards the Lunar Eclipse's front doors. Meanwhile, a pink Pegasus mare with a light-blue mane and tail spied on them from a nearby bush. "Huh, a Night Walker restaurant," she said, mildly surprised as she watched them through a pair of binoculars. "Who'd a thought?" "Interesting," a familiar voice said a couple feet to her left said, making her jump. The mare turned towards her company and gawked. Hiding behind a the bush next to her was a bright red Unicorn mare with a jet-black mane and tail. She was also holding a pair of binoculars, only in her magic instead of her hooves as she spied on the gemini couple. "I never knew Ponyville had businesses that catered to Night Walkers. I wonder if there are other stores in town that do the same." "Twilight?" the Pegasus asked, startling the Unicorn out of her observations. "Cadence?" she asked, tuning towards the familiar voice. "Hi," she said awkwardly, waving at her. "What are you doing here?" Twilight asked, excitement mixing with the curiosity in her tone. "Working," Cadence smiled, tilting her head towards the two Fluttershys. "You?" "Observing the courting habits between Thestrals and Pegasi," she said, eyes briefly unlocking from Cadence's. "Really?" she asked, raising a brow. "Y-Yes, really," she stammered. The two stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment. "You are a terrible lier," Cadence said flatly. *** The Lunar Eclipse was a sight to behold to anypony unfamiliar with the ways Night Walkers functioned. The restaurant's interior was dimly lit by wrought iron chandeliers lined with white candles. Several round tables dominated the massive fifty-by-fifty square room with a fully loaded bar set at the front door's left. At the end opposite the doors stood a stage with two ponies performing for the customers. The restaurant held the old rustic charm of a European pub from the middle ages that filled all who entered with a sense of whimsy as they went about their business. But what added to the sense of mystery was the patrons. All of the ponies in the room had varying shades of black, gray, or brown coats that were longer then most with equally dark colored manes and tails. Many of them were Thestrals, but there were also a few Unicorns and Earth Ponies in the mix. But they had some traits that even the former Human knew were outside the norm. The Unicorns had slightly curved horns and their tails looked more cat-like in shape while the Earth Ponies had more wolf-like traits mixed into their frames. Then there were the fangs everypony sported along with slitted pupils much like her own. Even the ponies on stage were like this, only their colors were much brighter then the rest of the patrons. One was setting up a mic while the other was sitting on a chair tuning a guitar. The pony behind the mic was a pale-blue Unicorn with a long blond mane and tail while the guitarist was a moss-green Earth Pony with a long and messy brown mane and tail. A Thestral waitress approached them and with a smile said, " Welcome to The Lunar Eclipse. Would you like a table or a bar seat?" Fluttershy was the first to recover and smiled at her fellow Thestral as she requested a table for the two of them. The waitress gave the two of them a brief once-over and flashed her a sly, knowing smile before guiding them to a table in the back. As they walked, her good mood started to dim as she picked up bits of the other customer's conversation as they whispered around them. "What's a Day Walker doing here?" "Great, can't we get any peace around here? Just watch, this place is gonna be loaded with Day Walkers now." "Shut it dumb plot! Didn't you catch that scent? They're a thing!" "Is the Illusion Spell faulty? How'd she even know this place exists?" "Dude! She's marked!" "Sweet Luna! That's a Star Eater! How'd that Pegasus get her to mark her?!" A table full of ponies stared at Equestrian Fluttershy like a zoo animal as they passed, earning an irate hiss from her date. The party quickly looked away, more sheepish then scared as they pretended to be oblivious to the couple. The reaction shocked her for a bit as she walked. Until then, anypony caught on the receiving end of her glare had been reduced to whimpering children at best and shown the face of death at worst. She let out a tired sigh as she walked, casting a passing look up at the performers on stage. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw that the singer was staring at her. Her slitted green eyes tracked her with pleased curiosity that matched her smile as she adjusted her mic stand with her magic. The singer turned to face the guitarist to say something that Fluttershy couldn't catch, to which he responded with a wide smile that flashed his fangs before once again tuning his instrument. The Thestral shook her head, forcing her concern over the performer's odd behavior to the back of her mind. She wasn't here to deal with strange ponies. She was here to have a wonderful time with her new girlfriend and she was going to do whatever it took to do it damn it! "Here we are ladies," the waitress smiled as she pulled out their chairs for them. Nodding their thanks, the two shys took their seats. "Our specials are on the front of the menus and our happy hour drinks are fifty percent off for the season," she said with a smile as she placed their menus in front of them. "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your orders." Again, they nodded their thanks to her and she left. The two mares opened up their menus and perused what was offered, but their attention wasn't entirely on the sheets of paper as they sneaked happy glances at each other. After a few seconds of this, Fluttershy gave her menu a true look over. The Hot Cider sounds tasty, she thought as she examined the drinks. But so does the Blood Orange Cocktail. "See something you like?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, setting her menu down. "I think so," she hummed. "I don't know if I should get the Cider or the Cocktail." "I see," Equestrian Fluttershy frowned, staring at the two drinks on her own menu. " Why not get both?" "A-Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked, She nodded. "Well...okay," she said, unsure of herself as she turned the page to the food options. They quietly mulled over their options for a couple minutes before their waitress finally returned. After placing their orders, they killed time with small talk while they waited. Nothing too extraordinary since they shared similar life experiences, but peacefully enjoyable all the same. When their orders arrived, a small commotion on the stage caught their attention. The guitarist had seated himself behind the mic while his companion stood behind him. Silence filled the whole restaurant as the stallion arranged the mic, then with a cocky smile he played. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ9nQNx0KEs As he played, the mare behind him lit her horn and the scene on the stage changed. A star-filled evening sky stood before the patrons, shooting stars occasionally darting through the faux sky behind the performer. But when the music suddenly spiked, blue, green, red, and violet flames swirled around him like infernal cobras. They zigged and zagged around, quickly turning the night sky into a kaleidoscope of brilliant color. The performer's mane flew wildly as the flames danced around him in a constant storm to match his unshaken playing. Then, two small portions of the great flame broke away from the maelstrom and morphed into a Thestral and a Pegasus. A Thestral and a Pegasus that looked eerily similar to the two Fluttershys. The two fire ponies turned towards each other and flew together in a wild arial dance to the music's rhythm. As the song progressed, they moved with more and more passion until they pulled each other close and passionately kissed. The second their muzzles made contact, the flames spiraled around them and burst into a storm of small sparkling lights. As the song slowed into its final cords, the starry sky returned to the stage with a cluster of stars now in the shape of the two previously dancing mares in flight. The room was filled with cheers and applause as the night sky faded away around the two ponies onstage. Meanwhile, the two Fluttershys stared slack-jawed in the wake of the spectacle. Then, a faint blush grew on their muzzles as their brains managed to fully process what just happened. Hiding behind their manes, they turned back to their dinner and in perfect synch took a good-sized gulp of their blood orange cocktails. Meanwhile, two disguised Alicorns stood in a similar state amazement at what they had just seen from their hiding places behind two windows outside the restaurant. "That. Was. Amazing!" Twilight squeaked as she took notes of what she saw. Cadence nodded, shifting her gaze towards the blushing couple. "Might've been a bit much though," she mused. Twilight looked at the Shys and frowned. "Are they going to be okay?" "Yeah," Cadence smiled. "Just give them a minute." *** After a few minutes (and drinks), the two Shys got over their shock and went back to enjoying their evening. As they laughed over memories they shared between their individual Rainbow Dashes, the two performers appeared next to their table. "Are you two ladies enjoying yourselves?" the Unicorn asked, half-smile gracing her muzzle. They nodded, not sure what to expect from the two ponies. The Earth Pony let out a barking laugh at their cautious demeanors and flashed them a friendly smile. "No need to be on edge gals," he smirked. "Ain't like we're gonna bite ya'." The Unicorn giggled at that before she leaned into him and with a mischievous grin said, "You better not, dear. Both of you are taken." He laughed before he nuzzled her cheek. Both Fluttershys blushed profusely in the wake of such open affection. The Unicorn noticed this and let out a wicked giggle as she pulled away from her stallion. "Sorry about that," she smiled. "I'm Looking Glass and this mangey wolf," she smirked with a tilt of her head towards the stallion. "Is my husband Moss Trail." He laughed good-naturedly at his wife's jab and gave her a playful bump with his hip. "Nice to meet you," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled. "I'm Fluttershy, and this is-" "Flutterbat," Fluttershy said quickly. Looking Glass and Moss Trail raised a brow at that. "M-My parents weren't the best namers," she said staring down at her plate awkwardly. "Not the worst name I've heard," Moss shrugged. "Not a crime as far as I know." "Anyway," Looking Glass smirked, looking between the two mares with a hint of pride. "What did you think of our performance?" "It was amazing," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled. "Do you do that every night?" "Nope," she chuckled. "Just for special occasions." "Oh, is their some special event tonight?" Fluttershy asked, snapping out of her awkward moment. "Not really," Moss said, giving the two mares a knowing smile. "Just thought we'd welcome a new Star Eater and her marefriend to the place." Both Fluttershys blinked in confusion at them. "What's a Star Eater?" Fluttershy asked. The married ponies parroted their guest's previous reaction. "You don't know what a Star Eater is?" Looking Glass gawked. She shook her head before nervously hiding behind her mane. "Flutterbat wasn't raised by Thestrals," Equestrian Fluttershy said, placing a hoof on her double's. "Ah," Moss said with an understanding nod. "Must've made the Marking really uncomfortable for her I'm guessing." She nodded, the memory drawing a blush out of her marefriend. "Then I bet you've never heard of Cheshires and Lycans," Looking Glass said, a trace of sadness hitting her tone. "No, I haven't," she said, pushing her mane out of her way. "Well," Looking smirked. "A Cheshire is a Night Walker's version of a Unicorn while a Lycan is the Earth Pony equivalent." "Night Walker?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked. "An old term Day Walkers came up with to describe us," Moss Trail shrugged. "Our senses are super sharp, so most of us are nocturnal. Since we walk around at night, your kind decided to call us Night Walkers." "As for Star Eaters," Looking added. "We're Night Walkers with unusual colorations." "How so?" Fluttershy asked, taking a sip of her drink. "Most Night Walkers have dark colored manes and coats," Moss Trail explained. "Makes it easier to blend into the shadows and such. But every so often a Night Walker will be born with a bright colored coat." "It's really rare," Looking added with a hint of pride in her tone. "Like we ate a star before we were born, hence the name." Both mares nodded in understanding. "Um, how come I never knew this place even existed before today?" Equestrian Fluttershy asked, gesturing towards the space around her with a hoof. "That's my doing," Looking smirked, shifting her left side towards them. "You see, there's a lot of tension between Night and Day Walkers, so I put a spell on the building that made it so only ponies with extremely sharp senses can see it. A simple task given my knack for illusions." As she said that, she gestured to the bent mirror Cutie Mark on her flank. "And my music keeps them coming back," Moss Trail laughed, mirroring his wife and showing off the guitar crossing over a full moon decorating his flank. "Anyway," she laughed, giving the stallion a playful swat across the back. "Since Flutterbat marked you, your senses got sharp enough to see through the illusion I put up around the building." "Oh," she said nodding in understanding. "Well, I think we've bugged you two long enough," Moss laughed, turning away from the couple. Looking chuckled, then gave Fluttershy a smile and said, "We live on the second floor. If you ever need to talk about Night Walker stuff, come talk to us at around five PM." "Th-Thanks," she smiled. With a smile and a wink, the Cheshire followed after her husband. "They seemed nice," Equestrian Fluttershy smiled, watching them walk away. Fluttershy nodded. Then, with a raised brow the Pegasus turned towards her marefriend and asked, "Flutterbat?" "I-It was the first thing I could think of," she stammered, face turning red. *** The late night sky was filled with laughter as the two Fluttershys stumbled out of The Lunar Eclipse into the empty streets. Their cheeks were flushed with cheer and the buzz of alcohol as they made their way in the direction of Equestrian Fluttershy's cottage. "W-Wait," Fluttershy smiled, leaning into her Pegasus lovingly. "I want to do something before we go home." "What?" she asked, smiling into her double's mane. With a giggle, Fluttershy stepped away from her double's side and spread her wings. "Catch me and find out." With that, she shot into the sky and flew towards the southern part of Ponyville. A mischievous smirk graced her muzzle as she looked over her shoulder. It grew as her double started to close in on her, a determined glint in her eyes as she flew. She playfully stuck her tongue out at her before she shifted her attention back to her front as she flew, her target quickly coming into view. After a few minutes she lowered her altitude to near ground level and zipped into a familiar snow-covered tree line. Equestrian Fluttershy settled into a low hover as she stared at Sweet Apple Acres, the winter shelled trees giving the scene a eerily peaceful feel to it. A light giggling from within brought a smile to her muzzle as she slowly glided into the orchard. She touched down and looked around for her marefriend. "Fluttershy?" she asked, a playful smile spreading across her muzzle. "Where are you?" A giggle from behind a nearby tree caught her attention. Smiling, she crept towards the tree and jumped to the side opposite her. No Fluttershy. Another giggle caught her attention and she tried to follow it, only to be met with another empty hiding place and more giggling. All the while, Equestrian Fluttershy was getting more than a slight thrill out of the chase. Maybe it was the Thestral Magic running through her veins, but her heart was hammering with excitement in her chest as she pursued her "prey" through the mostly dead orchard. Soon, she found herself standing before a large barn far from the farm's main house. A poorly stifled giggle could be heard inside as she slowly reached for the barn's door. "Found you!" she cheered, as she threw the door open. A brief blur of pale-yellow shot to the top of the barn as the door banged open. A wide smile spread across the excited Pegasus' lips as she tailed her double. The two darted through the air as they played an arial game of cat and mouse through the barn's rafters, the night sky filled with peals of laughter as they moved. Suddenly, Fluttershy charged towards her double and caught the Pegasus in a tight embrace as they fell into tall pile of hay. Both laughing like fools, the Thestral let go of the mare pinned below her and leaned over her, their eyes gleaming brilliantly in the dim lighting as their panting breaths turned into a dense haze. Then, with eyes that burned like teal fire, Equestrian Fluttershy pulled her double into a kiss. A shocked squeak slipped past the Thestral's lips, but her shock quickly gave way to joy as she leaned into the kiss. Forelegs and wings wrapped around the two ponies as they enjoyed their first kiss, a wild flame surging through them as they let their passions run wild. When they pulled away for air, they were panting in a wild daze as they stared at each other. Both looked as though they had a question for their partner, one that was answered with a nod. At the same time, two Alicorns watched with rapidly heating faces as the scene played out. "Well, I think I'm not needed here," Cadence gulped, turning away from the barn window. Twilight nodded, eyes locked onto what was happening. Cadence raised a brow as she magically dragged her sister-in-law away from the barn. "But Cadence-" "I have some books you can take notes from. Now let them have their moment in peace." "Fine," she grumbled as she was dragged away from the orchard.