My slumber was abruptly disturbed by the sound of Rainbow’s clamorous snoring, but I hardly cared. Having slept like a rock until now, I was perfectly well-rested and ready for the day; there was no secret that an intimate night always helped in getting a reposeful sleep. Pouring in through the window was the morning sun, and I basked in it for a short while before getting up for breakfast. Shutting the door behind me, I began making my way to the stairs, but had gone no further than halfway when the door to Twilight’s room swung open. Stepping out and scowling, the unicorn strode up to me and raised her lips into a snarl, her eyes visibly bloodshot. By the looks of things, she had been distressed for quite some time.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Sighing disdainfully, Twilight shook her head.

“I looked all over for you. I checked the bathrooms, I checked the kitchen, I checked the washroom, and I even went outside in case you were in the pool. I have been awake since two o’clock in the morning, not knowing what the heck was going on. For nearly seven hours, I’ve been freaking out! Rarity came downstairs a while ago and finally told me where you were. After what happened the other night, I thought maybe he had found us, that he had taken you away or something.”

“I trust you, so much.” she said with tears forming in her eyes, “And you told me that you weren’t coming to bed because you were restless, implying that I’d find you downstairs. So when I wake up from another damn Spooky, and come rushing down to find the one person I can depend on, you can imagine the fucking dread I felt when you weren’t there!”

Blinking away the tears, she planted a hoof against my chest and did everything in her power not to cry.

Dropping my shoulders, I allowed my arms to hang loosely as I gave my head a shameful, languid shake. Struggling to find the right words, I confessed.

“I was… embarrassed. Rainbow and I had, well… we had just… y-you know… and I didn’t know what to say at the time. I’m still not fully comfortable with everyone knowing, and I was scared you would judge me.”

After pausing to release a sigh, I added that with how often I spent nights with Twilight these days, I didn’t want her to assume that I was suddenly casting her aside. The moment I finished speaking, she stepped forward to bring her face closer to mine.

“I don’t give a fuck, what you do with Rainbow Dash.” she spat, her eyes flashing with anger, “Spend every damn night with her for all I care, but never lie to me, do you understand? You can’t do that to me, Callum, you just can’t. I need to know where you are, always!”

“Twi, if you got this worried about me, you could have just, I don’t know… checked the bedrooms?” I suggested, raising my shoulders.

Exhaling, Twilight explained that as her panicked state had worsened through the night, she had reached a threshold where she completely shut down, and could no longer think straight, or heed any rational incentive. By the time Rarity had come downstairs, Twilight had been sat for hours on the sofa, just quietly hyperventilating and staring at her own hooves, not knowing what else to do. With her ire subsiding, the terrified undertone slowly broke through and her demeanour began to soften. Sniffing, she reiterated that my business with Rainbow was my own, and that the only thing she cared about, especially after my close call with Nah’Lek, was knowing that I was safe, and in the case of emergency, reachable. Dipping my head, my heart sank as I realised that, intentional or not, I had hurt my closest friend. Getting onto my knees, I opened my arms and she fell into me, unable to hold back the tears any longer.

Burying her face into my collar, her horn jabbed the bruise that Rainbow Dash had given me, sending a jolt of blunt pain into my neck, of which I thoroughly deserved. This was what I had been feeling so guilty about; from the moment I had chosen not to tell Twilight where I’d be for the night, I had been plagued by the thought of her waking from a night terror and not knowing where to find me. Now here we were, with that being exactly what had happened.

{Why didn’t you just tell her the truth?} I thought to myself, {You idiot, Callum… You fucking idiot!}

This may have been over something so silly, with no real malicious intent, but it went beyond that. This wasn’t about me and Rainbow, this was about trust; I had deceived someone who depended on me, all because I was too insecure just to admit that I had slept with Rainbow again. My deceit had directly caused hours of panic and distress for the poor mare, and I felt absolutely awful for it… Holding her tighter, I promised that I would never lie to her again, and that I truly was sorry. With a loud sniff, she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

“It’s okay…” she croaked, “I just got really scared. And it’s so stupid, because you were just down the hall.”

“It doesn’t matter where I was.” I replied, “I should have just been honest with you.”

“I wasn’t going to hide it from you, if that means anything.” I said with sincerity, “I’d have told you this morning over coffee, I just… I just froze in the moment, you know?”

Repeating herself for a third time, she expressed that she did not care about what I did with Rainbow Dash, only that she knew where I was, and that I was safe. Attempting to sprinkle in some humour, I joked that I wasn’t sure if I was totally safe last night, considering how aggressive the pegasus had been with me. The joke didn’t go down too well, and the unicorn recoiled with disgust and then delivered a firm punch into my gut.

“Go make me a coffee.” she demanded through gritted teeth, a hateful glower now painted upon her face.

Staggering downstairs and into the living room, I found the others already up. Having overheard the scolding, they all looked at me with uncertain expressions, and I shrugged awkwardly before plodding into the kitchen. Rarity followed me in, and before I knew what was happening, I was seized by the ear, now firmly pinched by the ‘hoof aura’ that allowed ponies to grip things despite their lack of digits.

“What in Equus is wrong with you!?” she hissed, her tone utterly seething, “Do you know what trembling mess I came down to this morning? Honestly, Callum… you should have seen the state of her!”

She released me and I quickly backed away. Turning to face her, I clenched my jaw and bitterly grumbled my response, all while rubbing at my now-throbbing ear.

“Oh, you were thinking alright.” she barked back, “Just with the wrong head!”

Lashing out, the mare smacked me in the groin, catching the full set and sending cascades of excruciating pain and nausea through my body. Coiling into myself and almost keeling over, I gripped the countertop to steady myself and emitted a husky groan.

“Too right you deserved that.” she snorted, “Now, I appreciate you’re on the private side when it comes to your little ‘escapades’ with Rainbow Dash, but outright lying? To Twilight? Of whom you know is more frightful than even Fluttershy these days!?”

“Shame on you, Callum Horncastle.” Rarity continued, shaking her head, “Shame on you!”

Once she had finished reprimanding me, she rolled her eyes and huffed, choosing to scold me no longer. Stepping forward to put her forelegs around me, the unicorn lovingly hugged me, with her demeanour and tone now suddenly as friendly as could be.

“Well, with that out of the way, good morning dear. I expect you slept rather well, hmm?”

“Good, I’m sure you’ve been in need of a good rest after that dreadful encounter the other night. Now, hurry along with Twilight’s coffee, we don’t have much time before we have to leave.”

Turning around, she strutted off, leaving me emotionally whiplashed and weak in the knees from a very sore pair of bollocks. With the coffee brewed, I brought a mug to Twilight and then went to wake Rainbow Dash, skipping breakfast altogether. Once the pegasus was awake, I told her about the incident with Twilight, to which she shrugged and suggested that although I should have been upfront, it was hardly the crime of the century.

“You’re a grown-up, you can do what you want.” she murmured sleepily, “And besides, if she really thought you’d been taken by Nah’Lek, she would have woken us up with a great big screaming fit, and you know that’s true. Sounds more to me like she was just upset because she had a night terror, and you weren’t there to calm her down. With the best will in the world, Twilight’s not exactly the most stable pony at the moment.”

Picking up on my tone, Rainbow cuffed me on the arm and assured me that Twilight would get over it, and that I didn’t need to be so hard on myself.

“Give it a few hours, tops, she’ll come crawling back to you.” she said, confidently raising her chin, “Twilight needs your support more than she wants to be mad at you.”

“That’s… surprisingly profound of you, Rainbow.” I remarked, furrowing my brow.

“Oh whatever!” she scoffed, throwing her head to one side, “I don’t even get why this is such a big deal, it’s not like you were covering up a murder or something.”

Snorting with amusement, Rainbow playfully shoved me and then clambered out of bed. She went downstairs, while I went to the bathroom, not wishing to be seen with the pegasus for a while. After Dashie had eaten, we neatened up the rooms and promptly checked out, hopping aboard the bus and continuing westbound. In need of comfort after last night’s Spooky, Twilight eventually warmed to me again, coming over to lean against me. From the corner of her eye, Rainbow Dash glanced at me and smirked, giving a look which very blatantly said ‘I told you so’. Tutting quietly, I rolled my eyes and gave a look back to say ‘you were right, but shut up’.

Making our way out of Colorado, we crossed over into Utah, and soon enough, we were all gawking out the windows to take in the sights. Muttering our amazement, we gazed at the ever-changing landscape as it constantly warped from bushy flats, to rocky crags, to vast deserts of brown and orange hues. We were now a good quarter of the way into the state, and were utterly blown away as we passed Black Dragon Canyon and approached the San Rafael Reef. From our angle of approach, it was hard not to envision some almighty creature of colossal proportions had once burst from the earth, uprooting the very ground and leaving behind these incredible, jagged, gargantuan cliffs, spanning for dozens of miles.

After a few pit stops for food and bathroom breaks, we eventually made it to our last Airbnb, and once everyone was settled, Joshua decided to unveil his gifts for the girls. Mel and I helped collect them from the bus, and one by one, the parcels were distributed.

“Oh darling, this is so very thoughtful of you!” Rarity exclaimed, being the first to open her gift.

Eyeing up the books and taking the time to read the blurbs on the back, she grinned wildly at the enticing, albeit rather titillating material. Knowing her tastes, there was no doubt that she would thoroughly enjoy the lot of it. The next to open her gift was Pinkie Pie, who began squealing and whooping upon receiving a complete set of cooking utensils, and some non-stick pots and pans.

“Do you know how often I have to borrow Mr and Mrs Cake’s?” she squeaked, “This is perfect!”

Launching herself forward, Pinkie thanked Josh by way of clinging to him with all four legs, almost taking the poor lad to the floor. Applejack then proceeded to open her present, and although it was far smaller than anyone else’s, it carried no less meaning. To the farm pony, Josh had given a survival seed vault, containing well over a hundred different seeds for fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

“This way,” Josh began, “you can have a little patch of Earth on your farm.”

Welling up, Applejack sniffed loudly and said that this meant more to her than he would ever know. She then got up and gave him a hug just as Pinkie had done, albeit with a little more propriety.

“I’ll set aside a whole plot just for these.” she promised, “I’ll plough the whole dang field myself!”

Grinning from ear to ear, she went back to her seat and let Josh give out the next gift.

Curiously tilting her head, the lilac unicorn took the two large boxes that were handed to her. Upon opening the first box, Twilight’s eyes widened, realising what she had been given.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.” he admitted, “You and Callum seemed more fond of the Xbox when we were at Alex’s place.”

With her mouth agape, Twilight stared excitedly at her brand new PlayStation Four, still sealed in the box. The second package revealed a handful of popular games to go with it, such as Minecraft, The Witcher, Bloodborne, The Last of Us, and much to Twilight’s delight, the Dark Souls games.

“You didn’t get to finish that one.” Josh murmured, pointing to Dark Souls Three, “Well, now you can!”

Without uttering a word, Twilight’s eyes quickly began to water. She went over and gave Josh a very emotional hug, squeezing him even tighter than Pinkie had. This gift meant everything to her… Now, when Twilight was back in Equestria, missing me and longing for my company, she could play these games just as we had done at Alex’s house. She could lose herself in these great human-made digital adventures, all while imagining me at her side.

“How are you going to play without electricity?” asked Rommel, raising an eyebrow.

Looking at him just as the tears began to flow, she spluttered that she would find a way to make it work. Realising that Josh hadn’t included a television, I made a mental note to acquire one closer to the end of our journey, as without one, a console was little more than an expensive brick.

Following Twilight, Rainbow Dash opened her present, who had been waiting very patiently. Just as Twilight had two separate parcels, so did she, and opening the first one unveiled a device of some sort, only a little smaller than a laptop.

Laughing, Josh explained that she was now in possession of a portable DVD player. Equipped with its own built-in screen, it would allow her to watch films and TV shows, both at home, and on the fly, which could be taken literally if she so desired.

The second parcel revealed a plentiful collection of action flicks, such as Die Hard, the Indiana Jones films, The Dark Knight trilogy, and many more.

“There’s a USB slot too.” Josh said to me, “So if you think of anything else, just put it on a flash drive and it’ll work just fine.”

I nodded, while an overjoyed Rainbow Dash sprung up and delivered Josh’s fourth hug, thanking him profusely; needless to say, he had done very well indeed. Lastly, he presented his gifts for Fluttershy, which came as a handful of encyclopaedias, covering all the different categories of the animal kingdom. As something of a friendly joke, he also gifted her the enormous plushie of herself, as she had ironically grown quite fond of the damn thing. Along with that, he also gave her a sealed letter, which he requested she only read upon returning home. Of course, we were all eager to learn the letter’s contents, but none of us pressed the matter, allowing it to remain a mystery.

With the gift giving out of the way, the rest of night was a very pleasant one, with another round of Domino’s for dinner, and at Joshua’s request, a few episodes of Doctor Who, specifically from David Tennant’s era. I gave the girls a short-but-thorough explanation about the series, so they could enjoy the show without being utterly befuddled by it. Twilight, as expected, was hooked immediately, and the others enjoyed it as well, all captivated by David Tennant’s boundless energy and charisma.

When it was time for bed, things grew uncomfortable once more, upon learning from Fluttershy that some members of the group had been secretly placing bets on whether I would be sleeping platonically with Twilight tonight, or intimately with Rainbow Dash. Quite understandably, I was both angered and hurt; they all knew that I felt bad about upsetting Twilight this morning, and to turn things into some heartless wager left me incredibly riled up.

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t place any bet.” Fluttershy told me, trying to calm me down, “It was just Applejack, Rarity, and the guys. Oh, and uh… Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh of course she would be in on it.” I grumbled, “Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was the one who started it.”

Remaining silent, Fluttershy broke eye contact and quietly cleared her throat, indicating that Rainbow was indeed, the one who started it. Huffing with annoyance, I threw my head to one side and folded my arms. It was then, with an adorably devious expression, Fluttershy suggested that we one-up the lot of them.

With my eyes widening, my irritated demeanour rapidly dissipated; what a perfect idea! Fluttershy and I had spent many a night together at the beginning of our adventure, so there wouldn’t be a hint of awkwardness. In fact, it wasn’t all that long ago since she had mentioned missing those old days. This would make for a nice opportunity to rekindle that closeness we used to have. There was no secret that I had drifted away from the other girls to some degree, with caring for Twilight becoming my main focus. Fluttershy and I used to have so many laughs together in the night, gossiping over our secrets and telling one another stories. It dawned on me how much I also missed those nights, and I broke into a huge grin.

“That…” I began, pointing to the pegasus with a finger, “is a bloody good idea.”

“Oh, you think so?” she replied, her ears perking up, “I wasn’t sure if you’d want to or not.”

“No-no, I’m totally down!” I insisted, “It’d be just like the old days.”

Beaming, Fluttershy was unable to hide her excitement, and we went into the living room to rejoin the others, where we mutually decided to savour the secret plan. Enjoying some TV in silence, we continually exchanged knowing glances, eagerly awaiting the group’s unanimous decision to go to bed. Every so often, the witless betters would look my way, trying to gauge me, and it was excruciatingly difficult to keep a straight face. Eventually, the time arose, and Twilight was the one to ask, wishing to know if I would be joining her tonight.

“I thought you might want some space.” I told her, “You were quite upset with me this morning, and understandably so of course, so I thought I ought to sleep somewhere else tonight.”

For what it was worth, I was being totally honest in what I said; for as much as my decision was driven by the insensitive betting, I was also legitimately anxious about going to bed with Twilight after what had happened. Still, it was clear that she was disheartened, as her ears very subtly began to droop, and she dipped her head with reluctant understanding.

“Oh, I guess that makes sense…” she muttered, “Well uh, I suppose you’ll be… staying with Rainbow then?”

Looking over to the cyan pegasus, I watched as she flexed her eyebrows and smirked, believing that she had won her gamble. Her eyes twinkled with the confident presumption that she was to have another night with me, receiving all the ‘stress relief’ she could ask for. As clear as day, she was already fantasising about what we might get up to, and she licked her bottom lip with anticipation. Narrowing my eyes, I returned the expression, wordlessly egging her on to climb up this hill of salacious expectation, only to unexpectedly trip and tumble down into the fiery pit of failure. With a sly look, I took a big stretch and shattered the mare’s prospects, a punishment well-deserved for treating my predicament like a game.

“Nah, I’d rather not put up with her snoring tonight.” I answered Twilight with a nonchalant shrug, “Fluttershy, you feel like bunking up?”

“Ooh, I’d love to!” she exclaimed triumphantly, knocking her front hooves together.

She got up, and the two of us made a quick escape, refusing to stick around and be subject to questioning. However, just before leaving the room, I turned to Rainbow Dash and smirked.

Winking, I fled the room and scampered upstairs with Fluttershy, where we quickly entered her room and shut the door. We looked at one another for a split second, before we both broke down into a fit of giggles.

“She didn’t know what to do!” I cackled, “Her face dropped like a sack of spuds!”

Flopping onto the bed together, we laughed and laughed, until we eventually settled down and switched off the light. Still chuckling every so often, we made a little bet of our own, speculating over just how grumpy Rainbow Dash was probably going to be in the morning.

“I bet…” I sniggered back, “she won’t even look at me until we’re on the bus.”

The two of us were like giddy children, buzzing with glee. That was when I suddenly fell silent, and kicked out no longer.

Her mouth fell open, and then she reached forward to shake my arm with her front hooves.

“Oh gosh, you’re right!” she gasped, “Especially since you made that comment yesterday!”

Rolling my eyes, I responded by saying that they could think what they liked, and that I was just glad to have blown Rainbow Dash out of the water with this little stunt. Immediately thinking of her dumbfounded face, we both broke into yet another bout of snickering. Once we had calmed down, I let out a long, heavy breath.

Deciding to honour our old tradition, we told one another a story. Fluttershy began, telling me of an old legend about a creature that supposedly lived in the Everfree Forest, a terrifying yet misunderstood being, of which was half-pony, and half-spider, the ever-elusive Arachnapony. She told me about it for a good while, until her knowledge of the story reached its end. I in turn then picked a fable for her. For almost an hour, I spouted to her the legend of Robin Hood, the fabled arrow-slinging outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Never seen without his band of Merry Men, he would travel from town to town, aiding those in need and bringing justice to the corrupt, all while evading the forces of his arch-nemesis, the tyrannical Sheriff of Nottingham.

With our stories both told, Fluttershy and I called it a night, and after shifting around for a bit to get comfy, I held the mare close to me and slowly began to drift off. However, until I was fully unconscious, I was yet again stalked by a feeling of unease. I couldn’t place it, but even now that Twilight knew where I was staying tonight, I felt as though I were committing some form of misdeed by spending the night with Fluttershy. It certainly wasn’t as intense as last night with Rainbow, but the feeling existed nonetheless. Frowning, I desperately tried to reason with myself and get to the bottom of it, but the only thoughts that returned to me echoed the same simple notion…

Come dawn, Fluttershy and I were both startled by a light knocking at the door, causing us both to sit bolt upright, unsure as to what was going on. Clearing her throat, Fluttershy asked who it was, and Twilight’s voice replied, asking if she could come in. Upon receiving confirmation, the unicorn entered the room and approached the end of the bed. She didn’t look well, not at all; her face was pale and it was clear that she hadn’t slept again. With a pained expression, she clambered onto the bed and flopped down, right in between me and Flutters.

She responded by letting out a croaky, drawn-out groan. I glanced to Fluttershy and gave her an unsure expression, to which the pegasus shrugged back at me, and then asked if Twilight was okay.

“Do I look okay?” she huffed bitterly, raising her head out from the gap in the pillows.

Sighing, she answered Fluttershy by admitting that she was very much not okay. With a pensive breath, she asked for permission to get inside the pegasus’ saddlebag, as she was direly in need of some sleep.

“Oh Twilight, you poor thing…” Fluttershy sighed, wrapping her friend a tender cuddle, “Of course you can, go right ahead!”

Quietly uttering her thanks, Twilight slithered miserably off the bed and staggered over to the bag. Despite the early awakening, I was glad that she had come in to make the request. This way, she could finally get the rest she so-desperately needed, and when it was time for us to leave, I could simply carry the bag onto the bus with her still inside, without having to wake her. Crawling out of bed and emitting a lengthy yawn, Fluttershy sheepishly professed that she needed her morning wee and left the room. The second she was gone, Twilight turned to face me, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” I retorted, shaking my head, “It’s Fluttershy, I would never.”

“Hmph.” she huffed, sniffing, “Well, either way, it for sure pissed off Rainbow.”

Tilting her head, the unicorn asked what I meant, and I enlightened her on the ‘betting’ situation while I got dressed. Rolling her eyes, Twilight couldn’t help but scoff with mixed annoyance and amusement.

“Ugh, that is so Rainbow Dash.” she muttered, “Wait, so are you telling me that you didn’t spend last night with me because of that?”

Shrugging, I told Twilight that it was partly that, but also because I was genuinely still worried that she was still secretly mad at me. Looking away, she admitted that she in fact was still mad at me, but she didn’t want to be. She didn’t want something so incredibly silly to come between us, and nor did I. Helping her into Fluttershy’s bag, I apologised once again for my dishonesty, and for the whole ordeal getting so blown out of proportion. Giving me a hug, she properly forgave me and then receded into the bag. I watched as she curled up into a ball, and slowly began to fall asleep.

Upon hearing those words, a sense of peace washed over me, now knowing that she truly wasn’t mad at me anymore. Smirking, I closed the flap and allowed her to finally get the rest she needed. I then left the room and went downstairs for breakfast with Fluttershy. After that, I decided to have a shave while we waited for the others to wake. It had been a long time since I had been clean-shaven, and it was nice to look in the mirror and see a much younger self when I was finished. The others eventually came down to join us, and once they had all eaten, we were on the road again for the last time. Our next stop would be the airstrip in California, where we would part ways with Josh, of whom despite his temporary role, had very much become a beloved member of our troop. For almost an hour, Rainbow Dash scowled at me from the other side of the bus, blatantly annoyed that I had shown her up in front of everyone. Rarity eventually forced her to pack it in, and the pegasus apologised for orchestrating the betting. Forgiving her, as Twilight had forgiven me, we ended up having a laugh over it, with Dashie admitting that Fluttershy had well and truly out-pranked her by stealing me for the night, denying her of a good lay.

We all laughed, and mercifully decided to change topics, sparing poor Mel from a subject that was understandably very over-personal for a newcomer in our group. For the rest of the journey, we chatted and bantered, and just as we had on the way to Owosso, we even had a little singsong. We made for good time, and by the late afternoon, we were approaching Stallion Springs, where the private airstrip lay in waiting, and with it, our seaplane. With the next leg of our journey being in a confined cabin, hurtling through the air, we took one last stop by some woodland for a toilet break. Just as before, the girls took a little longer to return, with Rommel being the first one back and heading into the bus to take his seat. Taking the opportunity for our last one-on-one, Josh approached me tentatively.

With a solemn expression, as though he already knew the answer, he asked me if there was ever a chance that the ponies could come to Earth again, after the Titans’ Orb had been recovered.

“Like, I know we’re not allowed to visit Equestria,” he muttered quietly, haunching his shoulders, “but is there any way I could see Fluttershy again?”

Raising my eyebrows at the very direct usage of Fluttershy’s name, I thought about the life-sized plushie, along with the sealed letter he’d given the pegasus yesterday, and I very quickly guessed its contents.

Nodding, he professed that he had always gravitated towards her as a cartoon character, but now that he had laid eyes on her in person, in the flesh, he was totally and utterly captivated by her. The poor lad was smitten, and I rapidly tried to find the words to gently let him down. But before I could speak, he continued, very humbly acknowledging that his feelings were born of an unsound fixation, one that had stemmed from a lack of any real people paying him affection. Alas, one way or another, he felt how he felt, and regardless of how bleak or pitiful it may have come across, he desired Fluttershy. Without so much as a hint of judgement, I huffed fondly through my nose. In truth, I felt nothing but sympathy for his predicament; I was a hopeless romantic myself, falling hard for Bunnie back in Portugal, and even just a fortnight ago, I had felt an abnormally potent spark with Phoenix. With an expression of melancholy, I decided that it would be best to give Josh an honest answer.

“Look buddy, I’m going to be straight with you. They won’t be coming back. None of this was ever supposed to happen. The only reason they’re here is to fix a mistake.”

Pressing on, I told him that he needed to make peace with that, and to focus on what he had been given, not what he was lacking. With how anxious Fluttershy was around new people, it was nothing short of a miracle that she had allowed him to cuddle her during that night in the bus, prior to reaching Owosso. As she had said to us privately, she knew that he was a lonely fellow, and after getting over the plushie incident, she genuinely wanted to set aside her personal discomfort to pay him that kindness. Continuing, I reminded him that he was the only person on this planet who would ever have the pleasure, nay, the privilege, of lying beside Fluttershy and holding her for the night.

“Yeah but that goes without saying.” I retorted, “I meant under conventional terms, you are the only ordinary person who’ll ever have that experience. That’s something you, and you alone will have, for the rest of your days. You need to hold onto that memory, and treasure it dearly. It won’t happen overnight, but you do need to move on.”

Dipping his chin and smiling weakly, he knew that I was right, and thanked me for hearing him out. The others then returned from the woods, and our conversation was brought to a close. We embarked on the last leg, and very soon after that, Twilight woke up, groggily clambering out the bag to join us. Remaining non-verbal, she slouched against me and watched the world go by out the window while I gently combed my fingers through her mane. From across the way, I noticed Rarity and Applejack staring at the two of us, both of them clearly in thought. I tilted my head to them in curiosity, to which they smiled warmly and then looked away.

We finally reached Stallion Springs, and after losing phone signal and temporarily getting lost, we reached our destination. Turning into the dirt driveway, we approached a large wooden cabin, and just beyond it was the airstrip.

Although still quite a distance from us, the aircraft was perceivably gigantic. When I had thought of a seaplane, I had been envisioning something along the lines of those traditional, dinky floatplanes. But here we were, staring at one absolute unit of a flying contraption.

“Well, I think the girls ought to hide in Flutters’ bag just in case, and then we’ll go meet the owner of this place.” I replied, “After that, Josh can bring the bus alongside the plane and we can offload the gear.”

Giving a thumbs up in agreement, Mel stretched and then got to his feet. The girls all slithered into the bag, and I made my way out of the bus and towards the cabin. With Josh and Rommel just behind me, I approached the front door and looked for a doorbell; without one to be found, I lightly rapped my knuckles against the door, to which I heard movement from within. A good twenty or so seconds later, a bolt lock was undone and the door began to open, followed by the emergence of a double-barrelled shotgun.

“Well hopefully, not getting shot.” I countered with a degree of nonchalance, “I’m here for the plane on your airstrip.”

“Ah, I see…” he croaked, “Then you’ll know there’s something you’re supposed to say.”

Knowing that he was referring to the passphrase Alex had set for this exchange, I looked at the glaring eye through the crack in the door and cleared my throat.

The gun was withdrawn and the door opened properly, revealing a thin elderly man with a wispy grey and white beard. His face was wrinkled and decrepit, and as the door opened wider, my nose picked up on the infamous ‘old people smell’. Looking us all up and down, he narrowed his eyes and frowned, maintaining his grip on the shotgun.

Giving an anxious wave, Josh explained that he was merely our transport. Nodding with understanding, the man beckoned me and Rommel indoors, while Josh went to move the bus over to the airstrip and privately say his goodbyes to the girls. Leaving the shotgun to rest on a mantelpiece, the man welcomed us into his home and offered us some tea. We accepted the offer, and found ourselves sat in his living room on a worn couch. When it was brewed, the man brought us our cups and then shakily sat down in an armchair.

Leaning forward, I entertained the story with a half-truth, explaining that Rommel and I were keen on finding an island that hadn’t yet been discovered somewhere out on the Pacific.

“We’ve examined flight paths and found an area which nobody’s flown yet.” I told him, taking a moment to sip from my cup, “We’re hoping to find something out there, and make our mark on the world.”

Blinking slowly, the man listened to my words with his mouth slightly ajar, revealing crooked yellowed teeth. After I had finished talking, he inhaled sharply and gave a nod.

“Few cartographers these days.” he rasped, sipping from his own tea, “Nice to see they’re still around, trying to chart this old ball of dirt.”

Rommel and I gave quiet laughs in amused agreement, and then I decided to ask about the aeroplane; I asked what type it was, and how long he had owned it for. Upon receiving these questions, the man professed that he didn't own the plane, and that he had merely agreed to let it land on his airstrip, and to look after it until we arrived to collect it.

“I nearly said no.” he muttered on, leaning back and tilting his head, “I wasn’t sure if it was some sort of government transaction that I wanted no part in. Normally, when two men in fancy suits come knocking, it’s about something government related. I told them I would think about it and return their call, but really, I was just trying to get them off my property.”

With his mouth still ajar, the man gazed off into space, as though he was processing the question, or deeply recollecting something. Eventually, he leaned forward in his chair and pointed to the ceiling with a finger.

Stifling my inner amusement, I remained silent and gave him an expression of sceptical interest. Looking back and forth between me and Rommel, the man craned his neck and put down his teacup.

Clearing my throat, I met his gaze and took the credit for being one Mister Callum, to which he leaned even further forward and squinted at me.

My eyebrows lightly jumped at the query, and I did my best to give a reply that didn’t offend the old man.

“Err, well… I’m not a believer myself, but I’m not opposed to those who are.” I began, attempting to remain positively neutral, “My stance is that I’m welcome to the concept of a higher power in this world, but I’m simply not convinced by the beliefs currently on offer.”

Seemingly displeased with my answer, but respectful all the same, the man stared at me silently, before eventually replying.

With my sacred task being to aid the girls in ‘seeking’ the Titans’ Orb, the man was ironically quite correct. Shrugging, I said that I supposed I was in some sense.

“Well Callum, whether you believe or not,” he continued, “the Lord has big plans for you. Not many in this world are so blessed to witness the Holy Spirit assume a mortal form and act in hand.”

“To answer your question, I was visited by a divine servant of God, an angel, sent from above to guide my path, so you may continue on yours.”

“He appeared to me as a man, youthful, and kind.” he replied, looking just past me, “He was no less human than you or I, except of course for those graceful, perfect wings. Oh, and his eyes…”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I sure ain’t seen no normal man with purple eyes. They were a soft purple, like periwinkle… and even in the low light, they shone like the moon. It was truly a sight to behold. I wept for hours after he was gone. Not with fear, no… I wept with joy… such blessed, hallowed joy… for I had seen a messenger of the Lord!”

Religious theatrics aside, I was now certain. For some reason, this old man had been visited by none other than Hawnu fucking Rey’eng, and without his metal suit for that matter… This was the first real description of what the Guardian looked like, and despite his eyes being the only revealing feature, I was fascinated all the same. Once the man had calmed down from his euphoric recollection, he explained that my ‘angel’ had convinced him to allow for the seaplane to be stored here, and to have it stocked with as much fuel as it could sensibly carry. Believing the Guardian to be a literal messenger of God, he had obeyed without question.

{Just wait until Twilight hears about this…} I thought to myself, biting my inner lip.

After taking a moment to finish his tea, the elderly man inhaled sharply and pointed at my chest with his finger, which was visibly shaking.

“He had a message for you.” he rasped, “Something you must remember, for when the time is right.”

I politely gestured for him to continue, to which he beckoned me closer. Obeying, I brought myself as close to him as possible without sliding off the sofa. The man’s eyes then widened, as though he were speaking his final words, and I couldn’t help but be gripped by what he had to say.

“You may not believe, Callum, but these are the words of God. This message, and the charge I bestow upon you, come from the Lord himself, and you will listen…”

The severity in his tone unnerved me, and I found myself genuinely believing that I was about to hear the words of the divine. Although, come to think of it, it wasn’t out of the question to consider Hawnu Rey’eng as a godlike being; the underground temple in the Sahara sure had him depicted as such. So, in a roundabout way, his words were divine. With a gulp, I met the old man’s eyes and allowed him to deliver the angelic commission, and in Hawnu Rey’eng’s signature style, it came in the form of an enigma.

“As the dim of the flickering sapphire draws near, heed the plea of the fading soul.”

The phrase etched itself into my mind and I could feel my heart begin to race. What on earth did that mean? Gulping for a second time, I sat back and nervously cleared my throat.

“Nor do I.” the old man replied, “But the angel spoke those words, and they in turn, came straight from the Almighty. No matter what, you must remember them. Only in time, God’s plan for you will be revealed, and someday, somehow, those words will make sense, and you’ll know what to do.”

Clenching my jaw, I fixated on Hawnu Rey’eng’s message, desperately trying to decipher what it meant. Knowing that Twilight would be the best one to ask, I thought it best to wrap things up and think on it during the flight. Promising that I would remember what I had been told, I asked the man if we could see the plane now, to which he dipped his head and got to his feet. He retrieved the seaplane’s keys from an empty fruit bowl and took us outside, where we found Josh leaning against his bus. Upon reaching him, I noticed that he had tears in his eyes, indicating that he had given the girls a less-than-stoic farewell. Exhaling through my nose, I gave him a kind smile. The man then showed us to the side hatch of the plane, opening it up and then passing me the keys, which I immediately tossed to Rommel.

Answering the old man, Rommel professed that while he hadn’t flown this particular model, he could handle it. Apparently, once you had flown one of these things, you had flown them all. I didn’t know how accurate that was, but I trusted in Mel and knew that he wouldn’t let us down. Asking more about the plane itself as we clambered inside, I came to learn that this was a Consolidated PBY Catalina, and a heavily modified one at that, designed specifically for long-haul flights. Rommel and Josh were both eager to explore the innards of the impressive craft, meanwhile my enthusiasm had been totally extinguished, for I simply could not take my mind off Hawnu Rey’eng’s message.

{As the dim of the flickering sapphire draws near, heed the plea of the fading soul.}

I repeated the phrase over and over in my mind, but try as I might, I couldn’t even begin to fathom what it meant. The sooner I could ask Twilight, the better.

“Well then,” I began, clearing my throat, “I suppose we’ll be going now.”

Laughing faintly, the elderly man could tell that I was rattled, seeing straight through my attempt to remain composed. While Josh and Rommel moved our supplies across, he took me to one side and rested a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t be afraid, child.” he rasped, “The path is already laid for you, all you need to do is walk it.”

Regardless of his personal faith, the old man had a point; if Hawnu Rey’eng had left me with instructions for something yet to come, then I had no choice other than to move forward and tackle whatever came my way. Thanking him for his words, I shook the man’s hand and he bid me farewell, shambling back into his cabin and closing the door behind him, his part to play in ‘the Lord’s plan’ for me, now finished.

With all the gear onboard, I wrapped my arms around Josh and thanked him deeply and sincerely for everything he had done for us.

“You’ll let me know how things go, right?” he asked, “Like, when you find the piece on the island and make your way to somewhere civilised?”

“Of course.” I told him, “As soon as I have internet again, I’ll ping you a message.”

After giving him a firm pat on the back, I stepped away and clambered aboard, where I found the girls crawling out of Fluttershy’s bag and taking in their new metal enclosure. Rommel said goodbye to Josh as well, and then we closed the hatch. Hopping into the pilot’s chair, Mel accustomed himself to the dashboard in front of him, and after a few minutes of noting where all the switches and buttons were, he got the engine started and the aeroplane rumbled to life.

“So, how exactly does one learn to fly one of these things?” asked Rarity.

“Well, you normally have to take lessons from a flight instructor.” Rommel explained, “It’s pretty hard getting a licence that way though, as it’s a bitch to pass the tests. Thankfully I know the right people, so I was able to get a licence forged for me.”

With my eyes widening, I asked if that meant that he didn’t actually have a real licence.

“No, it’s a real one!” he quickly replied, chuckling, “It just found its way to me in a slightly less legal manner.”

Fiddling with the controls, he was able to get us moving, and as we began making our way down the runway and picking up speed, I had just one thing to ask.

Laughing nervously, Rommel chose not to reply for a moment until we were moving fast enough to prevent an emergency stop, and just as we began leaving the ground, he answered.

“A FLIGHT SIM?” I shrieked out loudly, “YOUR ONLY EXPERIENCE IS A FUCKING FLIGHT SIM!?”

The plane tilted upwards and we all slid back, followed by it rattling from side to side until Rommel was able to regain control and keep us steady. Livid beyond words, I reached forward and grabbed Mel by his shirt, glaring at him intensely.

“Do you have any idea how far we have to fly!?” I barked, “If we crash because you can’t really pilot this thing, I swear to the Titans, I will fucking kill you!”

“Well if you don’t let go of me and let me focus, we will crash!” he yelped, clearly taken aback.

Releasing him, I stumbled back and gripped onto a nearby metal bar. Letting out an aggravated sigh, I accepted that there was no choice now. We were in the air and picking up speed with every passing second, well beyond the point of no return. Mel’s sketchy promise of being a capable pilot was all we had, and despite being utterly furious with him, there was little else I could do but trust that he wasn’t going to send us to the bottom of the sea as soon as we hit the first patch of inclement weather.

At least he had come through with the weaponry; permitting that we actually made it to the island, I had a pretty bad feeling that we were going to need it…

The Titans' Orb: Breaking Dawn

by Mister Horncastle

Chapter Twenty-Five: Dash Away