//------------------------------//
// Bonus Chapter: The Dog Days (Are Over) 
// Story: Changeling of the East 
// by AF FireFly 
//------------------------------//

A swift cool breeze brushes over the dancing leaves of the towering trees. A sure sign that Summer is near its end. As the day gets cooler, more and more ponies are seen on the streets with scarves or jackets. Many from outside the city may find it odd to dress up for a simple cool day before fall as a pony's fur can easily deal with this kind of cold. However, this is simply how the ponies of Manehatten deal with the changing weather. 

Walking slowly along the city's park trail are a relatively recently formed couple taking time to enjoy the fresh air. One of them, a pale yellow stallion, shivers briefly as another lasting breeze blows through. The light pink mare next to him watches him as she adjusts the long red scarf around her neck.

"I told you to bring something warm with you," Meadow says. 

"I grew up outside Manehatten and never needed a scarf before and I don't need one now," Pitch says, once again shivering from the cool wind. Meadow rolls her eyes and looks at her scarf.

"Here," she says. She uses her magic to wrap part of her scarf around Pitch's neck. This ends up bringing them closer together as Pitch feels Meadow's fur on his.

Still having trouble getting used to such intimate contact from his long time friend, now marefriend, Pitch swallows nervously and stiffens. Sure, this isn't the first time they've been this close as they've had made out with each other before, but that's when they are home alone and lost in the moment. Here, outside and in public view, it just seems all too surreal. It's as if it hasn't fully registered with Pitch that his best friend is now also his marefriend. Meadow doesn't fair any better as she awkwardly walks next to Pitch while trying to hide her reddening face.

The two ponies, on a date mind you, continue forward in tense silence. Unknown to them, they have been followed nearly the entire time throughout their walk. A pair of eyes always watching, waiting for a moment to strike. As the tension rises, the follower makes his move.

"So... how about this weather? Crazy, yeah?" Pitch asks hesitantly. 

"It's certainly something," Meadow responds.

Pitch tries to think of something, anything to say to get this date back on track. He opens his mouth as if to say something a few times, but nothing ever comes forth. Meadow, meanwhile, is also thinking on how to proceed, only to sigh and turn to suggest heading home. Before she can get the words out, she feels a tug as her scarf is snatched away from both her and Pitch. She turns in time to see a large Germane Shepherd Dog run off with the scarf in his mouth.

"Hey! Get back here!" Pitch shouts, quickly chasing after the dog with Meadow just behind him.

The dog manages to keep a faster pace than Pitch and leads him to a well maintained grassy field. About halfway across, the dog stops, turns, and drops the scarf at his paws. He looks at Pitch eagerly who slows to a trot and approaches. As Pitch gets closer he slowly to a crawl and cautiously closes the gap. Meadow stops and watches from a distance. 

"Easy, Fido. I just want the scarf back," Pitch says. 

Pitch takes a step with no reaction from the dog. He then takes another, and another. Finally, when he's just a hoof length away, he reaches out a hoof to try and snag the scarf. As he does, the dog lowers himself on his two front paws in a playful posture. 

"Don't you even think about it," Pitch warns.

Pitch inches closer, the dog completely focused on his subtle movements. Pitch suddenly thrusts forward to grab the scarf, but the dog moves faster and manages to pick it up and sprint away. Pitch gallops after him and begins to gain ground. When he gets close enough,  Pitch leaps to tackle the dog with outstretched hooves, only for him to pivot to the right causing Pitch to land belly first like a catcher after a close ball, sliding across the ground.

Pitch stands up woozily, shaking his head clear when he hears the dog barking. He looks over to see that the dog has once again dropped the scarf and is staring eagerly at Pitch. Pitch turns his attention to Meadow who currently is suppressing a giggle behind her hoof at Pitch's now dirty appearance. 

"A little help, please?" He asks sincerely, ignoring her laughter. The dog looks at Meadow wagging his tail. Meadow nods her head and lights her horn.

"Distract him while I retrieve the scarf," she says. The dog tilts his head to the side at her words.

"Hey, Fido! Over here! Look what I have," Pitch says, waving a large stick he found nearby. "You want the stick, boy? You want the stick?"

The dog happily barks at Pitch's tone and stands, but doesn't leave the scarf. Pitch moves so that the dog's eyes are not directly in sight of the scarf as he continues teasing the pooch. Meadow then weaves her magic around the scarf and begins levitating it back. Suddenly, the dog stiffens, pivots, and latches onto the scarf. Meadow tugs on it, yet the dog holds firms and lets out a playful growl. Meadow doesn't dare tug further for fear of ruining her scarf.

Meanwhile, Pitch stealthily sneaks up on the dog while he's distracted. He plans on catching him by surprise and holding onto him, hoping he'll drop the scarf in the process. He’s about a half length away when he readies himself only for the dog to spontaneously run forward towards Meadow. 

Meadow is caught off guard as she unintentionally gives the dog a boost by pulling him along with the scarf. Pitch sprints after in an attempt to stop the rush. Meadow starts to turn in order to move out of the way, but the dog is too quick. He darts between Meadow's hooves causing her to step on the scarf with one hoof and trip over it with another. Pitch, who was right on the dog's tail, cannot stop in time and ends up careening into Meadow. They both roll along the grass while getting tangled in each others hooves. They end up dazed on the ground with Meadow on top of Pitch. 

Meadow shakes her head and tries to untangle herself when the dog leaps on her back and forces Meadow back down on Pitch whose breath gets stolen from the sudden impact. To make matters worse, the dog takes the scarf, slightly tangled between Pitch and Meadow, and wraps it around them, pulling them closer together while getting them even more tied up. Pitch recovers from his daze, looks at the smiling dog, looks at Meadow, then looks at the situation they're in.

"Did... did we just get bamboozled by a mutt?" he asks. The dog cheerfully barks. Meadow, now recovered herself, examines their predicament.

"I believe so," she says. She tries to unwrap herself from Pitch, but ends up losing her balance and falls back down on him, "Sorry."

"No, no. No problem. We'll just have to figure this out together," Pitch says as he tries freeing himself.

The couple falls into a pattern of attempting and failing to untangle themselves. They even end up getting more stuck than before they started. With each failure, both of their faces get more and more red as they become more and more aware just how close they are to each other. Although they don't voice it, both of them begin to only try halfheartedly to escape as they like this feeling, but are too embarrassed to say so out loud. All the while, the dog lays down nearby observing the odd and awkward couple, a smug smile adorning his face.





"Here you are," Pitch says, hoofing Meadow a tray with two small ice cream cones. He then jumps onto and sits down next to her on the bench.

"Thanks," Meadow replies, scooting over so she is leaning against Pitch. 

They sit in silence while enjoying their treats and each other's company. The mischievous dog, which started this mess, comes running back with a stick which Meadow had picked out for the game of fetch. Meadow takes the stick with her magic and tosses it down the path which the dog pursues.

"Still no sign of any owner?" Pitch asks.

"None, and he doesn't have a collar on to help. Yet, there's no way such a clean and well behaved dog can be a stray," she says.

"'Well behaved', right," Pitch scoffs. Meadow lightly pushes him.

"Be easy on him. He was just having some fun," Meadow says.

"At our expense," Pitch says.

"Oh, cheer up. Was it really all that bad?" Meadow asks, snuggling further into his side. 

"I suppose not," Pitch says, feeling a little heat in his face, "It was kind of fun to be honest."

"See? And I had fun too. It definitely made today," Meadow says.

"Yeah, I have to agree with that," Pitch replies, losing himself for a moment in Meadow's eyes. 

Meadow stares back lovingly. They stay that way for several moments before Pitch slowly leans in. Meadow follows suit and they both close their eyes as they exchange a long, passionate kiss. Several seconds pass before they break apart, never having their gazes drift. Only when their furry friend barks again do they return to reality. 

"So, what are we going to do with him?" Meadow asks.

"I'm not sure. We could always take him to a shelter," Pitch suggests. The dog let's out a small whine at the mention of the shelter which melts Meadow's heart.

"Or... maybe... you could take him in?" Meadow asks sheepishly. 

"Me?"

"Yeah. I mean, you have a big house with a big yard. Plus, you have Arctic there to help you look after him when you can't," Meadow reasons. Pitch scratches his neck.

"I mean, I suppose I could. I would have to get Arctic's opinion before I do, but I can at least keep him while we try to find his owner," Pitch says. Meadow beams a smile at him and lets out a small squeal. She turns her attention to the patiently sitting dog.

"Would you like that? Would you like that boy? Do you want to become part of our family?" Meadow asks. The dog barks and leaps on the bench assaulting Meadow with puppy kisses. Pitch, on the other hoof, has his mind elsewhere.

"Our family?" He asks. 

Meadow freezes when she realizes what she just implied, "I mean, your family." She tries to hide her blush behind her mane.

"Right, right," Pitch chuckles nervously. 

He avoids Meadow's gaze by watching the dog when he notices something when the dog stares back at him. Pitch scrunches his eyes and looks to the ground lost in thought. His expression goes firm, and then relaxes into a more playful mood. 

"Well, if I'm going to keep him, I'll have to get a few things from the pet store such as a collar, leash..." Pitch narrows his eyes at the dog while he emphasizes the word "... A kennel." The dog stiffens at the word while Meadow looks at Pitch questionably. 

"Why a kennel?" she asks.

"Well, I don't know if he's house trained yet and it's easier to kennel train dogs first," Pitch says knowingly. The dog begins to look uncomfortable as he stares at the open field in front of him.

"Pitch, you're making him nervous," Meadow says.

"He'll be fine. Hmm, I also need a name for him. Maybe something like Dusty, Blackjack, or maybe even Buggy," Pitch says. The dog's eyes go wide and he tries to jump down and run, only to get trapped in Pitch's hooves. "How about it Buggy? You like that name? Do you?" Pitch coos. The dog yelps as he tries to break free.

"Pitch! What are you doing?" Meadow demands.

"And then I can train you to keep an eye on a dear friend of mine. You'll like him, he's very much like you. Very annoying to begin with, and very clingy after you get to know him," Pitch says. The dog stops struggling and instead growls aggressively at Pitch. 

"Pitch?" Meadow asks with concern.

"Gotcha," Pitch says smugly at the dog. The dog quiets down and then looks away in a snobbish fashion.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the dog says. Meadow's jaw drops as her mind sputters to figure out what just happened.

"I... how... did he... Arctic?" Meadow asks. I turn to look at Meadow.

"Arctic? Who's Arctic? I'm Buggy, apparently," I say. Meadow continues to stare.

"Arctic, what are you doing here?" Pitch asks.

"Nothing much, just decided to go have a walk in the park," I say.

"As a dog?" Pitch asks.

"Yup," I say.

"On the very day you knew I had a date with Meadow?" Pitch asks.

"You two are on a date? Huh, how about that," I say very convincingly. 

"Don't play coy with me, Arctic! You knew exactly what we were up to today," Pitch says.

"I can neither confirm or deny that accusation," I say. My smug-like attitude falters when I'm picked up by my scruff with magic and forced to look Meadow in the eyes.

"Why?" She demands. I gulp and ready my explanation.

"No big reason. I was just observing everything to make sure your date went smoothly. I know how awkward you two get when out and about and I wanted to help prevent another premature ending," I say.

"So you stole my scarf as a dog?" Meadow asks.

"It worked, didn't it. I mean, here we still are, still out on your date," I say. Meadow sighs with frustration and drops me while rubbing her temples.

"He does have a point," Pitch says.

"Zip it, Pitch!" Meadow demands. I'm about to intervene in the outburst when I notice, not only is Meadow not sincere in her apparent anger, and Pitch takes zero offense as well and is even amused.

"Well, what now?" Meadow asks.

"We still have to head to the pet store," Pitch says. My ears fold against my head.

"What for?" I ask.

"We still have to get you your collar and leash," Pitch says, grinning widely.

"But, I'm not actually a dog, nor am I planning to be so again anytime soon," I say.

"You are today, and every owner must have their dog collared and leashed. Unless you like to spend time at the pound?" Pitch says.

"I'll just change back," I say.

"Here? In public? Where others could see you?" He asks.

"I've done it before," I say. Still, probably not the wisest of moves to make.

"Think about it this way, Arctic. Either you stay a dog and be a good boy, or I'll find some other way to pay you back for interfering," Meadow says, staring at me with narrow, scheming eyes. I look back at Pitch. 

"So, which way to the pet store?" I ask.





Pitch flops down on his bed with a long sigh. Meadow follows in behind him and closes the door to keep out nosey bugs. She looks at Pitch and smiles.

"Today was certainly something, yeah?" She asks.

"It usually is with him around," Pitch says.

"I bet! I should probably get to know him better."

"Careful. There's no depth to how far the hole goes when it comes to Arctic."

"Still, he's a very caring friend of ours and he always seems to focus on us more times than not."

"Yeah, he's great. Just a bit too nosey at times," Pitch says. Meadow nods in agreement and moves to sit next to Pitch. 

"So, how did you find out it was him?" Meadow asks. 

"His eyes. They were yellow and pink. Literally the color of our coats."

"Seems like a silly mistake to make."

"Honestly, I think he has trouble with them. I want to ask, but I don't know if I'd be breaking some unwritten rule or something."

"I'm sure he'll tell us all he's comfortable with in time," Meadow says. She begins brushing Pitch's short mane with her hoof much to his delight, "You know, I was about to suggest ending the date before Arctic showed up."

"I know," Pitch sighs. "I'm sorry things didn't go right today. I just... I don't know. I really, really like you and I'm comfortable and confident when we're alone. But, out there, I just get so nervous and... and... don't get me wrong, I love that we're finally together, but sometimes I look at you and still just see my best friend." Meadow stays silent for some time while continuing to brush Pitch's mane. 

"I think I know what you mean. I've gotten so used to you being my friend while admiring from a distance that I'm not sure how to open myself up as I should. You don't think... t-that this was a mistake d-do you?" Meadow asks. 

Pitch answers by suddenly sitting up and planting a deep kiss on Meadow's lips. Her eyes shrink in shock, but soon closes her eyes and returns the favor passionately. They break apart and kiss again over and over. Eventually, they fall onto their side on the soft bed. Pitch backs away for a second to look deep into Meadow's eyes as he says.

"Never in a million years would I ever consider us a mistake."

"And what about after a million years?" Meadow asks playfully.

"Oh, it becomes an absolute deal breaker then," Pitch says. Meadow lightly punches him, but he holds onto her hoof, bringing her closer as he nuzzles her. It's not long after when they fall asleep in each others' hooves.





I lay in my bed absentmindedly spinning my new collar on my hoof. Despite the unpredictable ending, I consider today's operation a complete success. So successfully that the bond between Meadow and Pitch seems to have grown even stronger today. 

I stop spinning the pink collar (Meadow's idea to match my magic) to look again at the name inscribed. Buggy. I chuckle at the name. While today may have been slightly humiliating for me, being collared and leashed for a day, I don't regret how anything played out. And while Pitch told me both items belong to me to do as I wish (including burning them), I can't help but hold some sentimental value to the silly collar. I threw out the leash though because screw that thing!

I chuckle once more before I get out of my bed and move to a nearby wall shelf. Along the shelf are a few other items if value to me including: a white brimmed hat, a picture of my bandmates, a baseball signed by Pitch, an empty bottle of Silvia's special brew, several jars full of emotion-laced honey salvaged from my ship Triumphant, and finally a picture of Pitch and Meadow with me in the center dragging both of them in for a group hug.

I smile at the memories I've made in such a short time span. I add the collar to the shelf, wondering what all will be added in the future. 

	I may need a bigger shelf...