//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: Forgiveness Pending // by Kiroberos //------------------------------// Staring out the barn window, I watched the overcast sky drifting overhead. It was peaceful, really. I kept a lookout for any rainbow specks, but there was no sign of her. Maybe she had today off? She probably handled the weather during the winter, too. I shifted myself in the hay, deciding that the loft was rather comfortable. My ears twitched and rotated around to face partially behind me as I heard the conveyor start up again. This was the third test, now. So far it had been working flawlessly, much to her enthusiastic delight. Even Big Mac seemed quietly impressed by it as his sister tried heavier and heavier loads. I didn't hear anything straining, so I took that to be a good sign. She was trying a full crate on it, filled with apples this time around. Twilight sat a good half-dozen meters away, ready to try operating the lid lift from the loft. Last night had been, well, awkward for all accounts. I'd ended up going home with Twilight again, at her insistence. I was going to stay with Rarity instead, but the lavender unicorn looked one part horrified, another guilty at my suggestion, and had specifically requested another 'chance', whatever that had fully implied. Mares were so complicated. Of course, once we got home, things were a little better for a while. She left me alone for the most part, and I just read up more on Equestrian history. Although she did ask me a few strange questions about Fluttershy. How was I supposed to know if she was acting overly strange or not? It made me wonder what they had talked about yesterday for so long. No, the real awkwardness came when it was time to go to bed... * * * * * It took a certain level of finesse to brush your teeth when all you had was a hoof. They made almost everything imaginable with loop attachments for proper use without magic, of course, but it took practice to use them. This was a nightly event, however, so even I was getting better at it. Twilight hummed as she wandered about the room outside of the bathroom. Several books were out still, and she had moved the wood samples upstairs, it had seemed. That meant the mess surrounding them had migrated alongside, and now she was busy putting books away, probably out of fear that I'd trip on them and break something. Spike snored quietly, curled up in a loose ball in his little bed, residing at the foot of Twilight's much larger bed. I smiled over at him as I brushed. Tonight had been more pleasant than anticipated. I had expected to be grilled by Twilight upon returning, but she was overly pleasant instead. Idly, I wondered exactly what Rarity had said to her earlier. It certainly wasn't anything I had done. Satisfied that every minute surface of my teeth was scrubbed down, I placed the toothbrush back in its spot and ran a little water into the sink to properly wash away any remnants. Twilight kept the bathroom immaculate, and I certainly wasn't going to be the one to break that trend. She gave me a warm smile upon my exit, sitting down oddly next to my makeshift bed. I hesitated slightly, wondering if I was yet to be questioned tonight after all. "How are you feeling?" she quietly inquired, smile not faltering. While a question, that was hardly the one I had expected. "I'm tired after today and a little sore still, but better. Or did you mean mentally?" I returned, restraining all snarkiness from my voice and trying to keep a calm, stoic expression. Her ears lowered slightly alongside her brow, but she shook her head carefully. A moment later, after seemingly considering her words, she answered, "No, I know you're not fully recovered from everything you've been through. That's to be expected, however. I, um, regret not taking your feelings into consideration over it. Rarity opened my eyes to that." "What did she say to you, exactly?" I finally asked, voice softening as I walked over towards the end of my bed and sat down next to the corner, a meter away from her. "It was a lot of shouting, but I think you've guessed the most of it. She fed me my own words back about how important trust is. I kinda forgot that in my defense of my teacher, I admit," she explained, unable to meet my eyes any longer and looking down instead. I chuckled weakly. Yeah, I really had guessed as much. Still, it wasn't entirely as predicted. "It's understandable. I mean, comparatively speaking, the amount of time spent with Celestia is an ocean to my bucket. It makes sense that she'd be a higher priority," I reasoned. That was a mistake, it would seem. Twilight's ears dropped all the way down, eyes starting to shiver as she looked back up at me again. "No, Mender. I'm just not used to this. Please, I know trust is important. Can I have another chance?" she requested, edging closer to me suddenly. Huh? Another chance? I didn't know what she was referring to, in all honesty. "Um, what do you mean, another chance?" I decided to just straight up ask instead of attempt to guess. A break from character for me, but there were way too many possibilities this time. "To keep your trust in me. I know it's asking a lot at this point, but I really want you to trust me; to know that I'm not going to hurt you," the lavender unicorn expanded upon. Her eyes locked onto mine solidly, and I couldn't look away for a moment. I wasn't so much talking about the physical pain, but the emotional when she didn't acknowledge my concerns and just passed it off as me being crazy. Still, she seemed extremely sincere, and I didn't want to mention that lest she be further hurt by the memory. Finally, I just decided on a nod. It earned a quiet exhale as she slumped sideways onto my bed. "Thank you, Mender. It's been bothering me all day," she muttered. I bit my tongue again, not wanting to sound bitter or anything. "You don't need to thank me, Twilight. Even if you're scary sometimes, and don't often believe me, I still really, really like you. You've done a lot for me and are really kind. I can't imagine where I'd be if it weren't for your help so far," I redirected, ending up thanking her instead, technically. I almost chuckled at her flustered reaction and pink cheeks. "Mender. I haven't done that much, plus I've been a terrible fillyfriend," she groaned, sitting up fully again and brushing her bangs aside with her right forehoof. I snickered before reaching forward and straightening the side of her mane for her. She watched me, expression softening before she smiled. "Well, I'd like to make it up to you, regardless. I also promised you some more experimentation earlier, if you're up for it," she suggested, surprising me by running her left hoof along the top of my bed while smirking. My brain did a flip inside of my skull as it suddenly became my turn to blush. Wait, what?! "What brought this on?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. She momentarily looked delighted in my reaction before shaking her head rapidly. "Again, I want to make it up to you. I was also reading up on a few kissing techniques that I would like to test. Thoroughly." There was a long, awkward moment as I broke eye contact with her, face now beat red as I stared at her hoof on the bed. Oh, how I wanted to, I suddenly realized. Warm, fluttering sensations were filling my stomach as I considered it. Still, something didn't feel right about accepting her offer. Then it suddenly dawned on me. "I don't think I'm comfortable with applying some part of the relationship as a reward or payment. It feels wrong, I guess," I tried to reason. I was paying her in forgiveness instead of bits. Her eyes widened significantly, and I realized she hadn't anticipated a negative answer. She hesitated, then gasped further and covered her mouth with her free hoof. "Oh! I hadn't even realized it could be taken like that! I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to buy your forgiveness as much as simply trying to say that I was sorry. But you're right, of course. It should probably be split into two separate aspects. Maybe we can experiment tomorrow night instead," she offered. I contemplated the fact that I'd just technically ruined my chances at what I had really wanted, but decided a moment later that it was indeed for the best. I wanted to embrace her because she wanted me there, not because she felt guilty. I managed a smile and nod, which seemed to relieve her further. "Honestly, I'm surprised. I saw the look you gave the bed right after I suggested it," she added before I could say anything. There was a certain amused tone to her voice that I didn't feel like placing. I averted my gaze as rapidly as possible, causing the mare to giggle in amusement. It was a whimsical, adorable noise that I decided I really should hear more often. "Ah, you caught me. Trust me, I just suggested exactly what I didn't want to do," I admitted, blushing again. Dang. The heat had just died down, too. Still, I had a feeling she'd appreciate the honesty. Instead of being annoyed, she looked further amused instead, with just a hinting of relief. "Well, I'm glad that you're definitely interested in me. I've been doing a lot of reading on the subject to try to improve myself, but this is really different from anything I've studied up on before. There's not exactly a lot of concrete data," she complained, sighing wearily and glaring over at her personal bookshelf on the other wall. I tried not to laugh. "Maybe you should just ask me instead? I know that I've never done this before, but if we're testing compatibilities, it would make sense that the best source of likes and dislikes would be the other pony," I pointed out, smiling gently towards her. She seemed to consider it for a moment before smirking again and nodding. "Interestingly enough, that's what most of the books said, too. I guess it really is a good idea, then," she agreed. I was suddenly glad the books supported me. Celestia forbid that the books suggest covering me in tar and feathers before lighting me on fire... "Well again, you can ask me anything you want. I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities," I promised before yawning tiredly. She stepped aside as I idly climbed up onto my bed before flopping over. Well, technically it was Applejack's bed, but that sounded wrong when I mentally said it. Rainbow would kill me if I climbed into the farm mare's bed! Actually, there was a long list of ponies that would kill me should that happen. I was in the same room as one of them, too. Twilight oddly didn't move away and just gave me a curious, thoughtful looking gaze as I settled myself in. I was about to ask her what was wrong when she pointed out instead, "You're technically my coltfriend now. That gives you obvious privileges, you know. You don't truly have to sleep there, alone, if you don't want to." Oh. * * * * * Like I said, last night had been intensely awkward. Regardless, she definitely got the point across that she was willing to open up more to me. I tried to gauge my own opinion on the aspect, but in all honesty, I didn't know what to think about it. I knew next to nothing about Equestrian 'Dating' or relationships, so I didn't know what to expect, or what was expected of me. It was a little frustrating. "It's a sound success, Mender! It has no problem with three full apple crates," Twilight suddenly announced, sounding as if projecting it in my direction. I snapped out of it and smiled back at her, nodding. I'd have felt like a total idiot if it had broken on the trial run, of course. If there was anything I had any confidence in, it was my engineering capacity. "Darn tootin', it worked! This is gonna be right nice come packagin' time. Fer once, we won't need ta recruit ah ton o' help, which is gonna save ah lotta bits!" I heard Applejack exclaim from under me somewhere. She sounded significantly pleased, so I took the job as completed to her satisfaction. The conveyor slowly came to a stop as the large, red stallion let out a sharp, "Eeyup!" I got to the edge of the loft in time to see him hop off the tread, not even looking winded. Damn. He just powered the conveyors for almost an hour and he wasn't even sweating. My ego plummeted as I realized just how out of shape I was. If Applejack or Twilight noticed my crestfallen expression, they didn't say anything. The farm mare stretched next to the side of the conveyor before giving a brisk nod as she examined it. "This is one nice piece o' equipment! We'll need ta get tha gals out 'ere again ta see what they helped create," she observed, sounding happy indeed. I couldn't stay glum knowing she was so happy with the results, and quietly smiled instead. "I think Mender deserves some credit, too," Twilight spoke up, giving me a start as I suddenly realized she was right next to me, sitting down. Applejack didn't even hesitate before looking up at us and nodding, still grinning from ear to ear. "Ah reckon yer right, Twi. If ya give me ah little bit, Ah can get his pay ready. Ah don't keep that much on hoof, ya know?" she offered, shifting to a simple smile instead. That, in turn, shifted to a raised eyebrow and head shake as she saw my ears drop again. "You can just give anything I earned after the rent for your cot to Twilight. I'm sure it isn't more than what room and board would be," I groaned, lowering my head again. It wasn't just awkwardness, but almost a sense of shame from leeching off these wonderful ponies so much. "Mender, you worked really hard for this. You deserve something in return," Twilight stubbornly protested, turning towards me more fully. Sighing, I shook my head before admitting, "I just wanted to be useful. I wanted to help, so maybe you and the others would think more highly of me." Or at least give me the benefit of the doubt, I suppose. I'd never had friends before, and was rapidly realizing how much it hurt when they thought you were totally off your rocker. Twilight bit her lower lip before gently pushing into me and wrapping her forehooves around my shoulders. She was quiet, however, and didn't appear to know what to say. "Ah know we got off on tha wrong hoof, Mender. Knowin' what Ah do now, Ah know why, o' course. After all this, an' yer right proper attitude all 'round, Ah do think highly o' ya," Applejack spoke up, wandering closer to the edge of the loft and looking up at me fully now. I sighed, but nodded. "Then keep your bits. Take all this as my honest apology for scaring you and acting so creepy when we first met. I want to be useful to you mares, and this is a good start for repaying all the kindness," I explained openly. It had been bugging me since she had insisted on paying me, and it was good to finally get it off my chest. The orange mare's ears flattened back and she frowned, however. Her mouth opened to say something when a red furred hoof rested down gently on her shoulder. "Let it be, AJ," Big Mac spoke simply, yet strongly. She glanced over at him, eyes darting back and forth in mild confusion before locking with his. A second passed before she gave a frustrated clicking sound and shook her head, glancing back up at me. "Yer right stubborn, you stallions! But Ah suppose Ah can be, too. Fine. Yer ah darn good guy, though, an' Ah'm gonna tell everypony Ah can about yer skills. Ah have ah feelin' yer gonna earn quite ah lot o' bits with yer talents! At least accept ah good meal fer yer time, though. Twi's invited too," Applejack finally gave in, gesturing towards Twilight as she did so. Twilight groaned, raising her head off my shoulder to look at her friend below. "I'm not sure, Applejack. I might pop if I try another one of your home cooked meals." Whoa. I suddenly got a mental image of Twilight swelled up like a balloon, barely able to move, and tried not to snicker. Snickering would lead to me having to explain what was funny, which in turn would probably get me a fast ticket down from the loft. Applejack grinned up at her before nodding. "Ah'm serious, though. On all accounts. Word o' mouth is real strong around these parts. Yer magic an' skills are real convenient, ya have ta admit," she repeated, shifting her gaze back to me instead. "Um, I'm not sure of what use other ponies would have for technical things, but I'll help where needed," I assured, trying my best to smile for the farm mare. She rolled her eyes of course. "Ah don't think yer gonna be so lucky as ta escape without pay again. That goes fer anymore work ya do fer me, too, Ah hope ya know," she warned, eyes dancing in amusement. "He's not going to escape getting rewarded, regardless, don't worry," Twilight assured, making me blatantly aware that she was still holding onto me. I blushed, but she just kissed my cheek and grinned, eyelids lowering a little. There was something about her expression that made my heartbeat suddenly pick up, and I swallowed. "Whoa! Ah reckon that's darn good incentive, regardless. Careful Rare don't gossip on ya'all, though," the country mare teased, tossing a wink to both of us. Twilight snickered and nodded before tipping us sideways off the loft. It caught me totally by surprise, and I just started to inhale in shock when her magic gently caught us both and we drifted to the floor. Neither Applejack nor Big Mac so much as batted an eye at the display, which probably shouldn't have surprised me. Magic really was commonplace in Equestria, after all. "Yer welcome ta help out on tha farm as well, when ya want. Ya mentioned wantin' ta get back inta shape, an' apple buckin' would do ya real good. Ah wouldn't turn down one o' them magic massages at tha end o' tha day, either," she added upon us fully settling on the ground. Oh yeah, I had wanted to get back into shape again. If it helped my magic improve, I was all for it. Twilight's ears perked at the admission, though. "Magic massage? What do you mean?" she asked curiously. "Hoo boy! Yer coltfriend is right good with his hooves! Adds magic ta tha touch, gettin' in real deep and tweakin' tha muscles with heat an' shakin'. It felt like ah slice o' paradise!" Applejack revealed, closing her eyes and releasing a pleased clicking sound as she seemingly remembered when I'd used it before. Twilight rose an eyebrow and glanced over at me, curiously. I swallowed and rapidly shook my head. "Her shoulder was sore after working on the conveyor last night, so I just gave it a little rub," I assured, just in case she was suspecting me of anything. She laughed instead, however. "I trust you, Mender. Actually, I was thinking of asking for a sample when we got back to the library," she informed, smiling warmly instead. My heart skipped a beat and I felt heat grow in my chest when she said that. Maybe things really were taking a turn for the better? "Darn tootin'. Ah know ya wouldn't cheat on yer mare. Or mares, as tha case may be," Applejack chipped in, voice dripping with mirth. I blushed and gave her a deadpan stare, causing her to burst out into hearty laughter. I couldn't keep up the stoic expression, and snickered myself at her rather contagious display. I started to notice that all six friends had different mannerisms to almost everything they did. Twilight was more prone to quiet giggles and smirks, whereas Applejack just openly and honestly laughed when she felt like it. Both were appealing in their own way, and I started to really appreciate all the differences between them. "Well, Mender and I will probably stop by tomorrow before the trip. We'll be gone for a few days, so we have to say our goodbyes before leaving. For now, however, we need to get back home and pack," Twilight reminded gently, nodding back to her friend who finally composed herself. Big Mac stretched in the background before swapping out yokes that hung on the side of the barn wall. There appeared to be a lot of variations of them, probably for different purposes. "You have to pack, anyway. I don't own anything yet, remember?" I added, giving her a skeptical yet amused glance. Twilight rolled her eyes and gave me a light shove before smirking again. "I'm still going to pack things for you. I figure the three of us will largely be hanging out together anyway once Rarity gets done with her show and socializing," Twilight reasoned, quickly catching me in her magic as I tipped over from her shove, unable to re-balance myself upright. "Iffin that don't take her all night, anyway. Ya know how she likes ta schmooze with tha frou-frou crowd," Applejack warned, rolling her eyes yet retaining the smile. Nopony batted an eye when I tipped over either, I noticed. Twilight didn't even glance my way before catching me. Did that technically mean that my blundering was more commonplace than magic? Twilight let out a light giggle before nodding and standing again. "I'll try to keep her on a tight leash. You two take care, of course. We'll see you tomorrow before we leave," she assured yet again. I took my cue to stand up again, shakily making sure I remained balanced this time. "Good. Ah'll hold ya ta yer word, o' course. Take it easy, then, an' have fun with that 'reward' later, ya'll," Applejack returned, throwing a wink in at me as I blushed once again. Twilight took it in stride this time and just smirked before hauling me back towards the barn door with a series of nudges. "Oh, we will. Don't worry," she tossed back as we left the barn. What had I gotten myself into? * * * * * Reality continued to surprise me, however. I stretched gently as I watched Twilight dance from shelf to shelf, peeking through each one's contents. Occasionally she'd levitate an item or two down into the third bag we'd packed. Regardless, I simply sat there, watching her while holding the bag open with my forehoof. The room was dimly lit by now, the sun having sunk below the horizon about an hour ago. Eight o'clock, maybe? Twilight had instead insisted on getting to work on the wood samples when we got back to the library, rather than any prior hinting of 'experimentation' she had mentioned. This caused mixed feelings of both relief and disappointment in me, surprisingly. I guess I always got so anxious when she started acting like that. I started second guessing my own actions. A pleasant aroma drifted into my nose from the kitchen as Twilight lightly hummed. Spike was making supper, I knew, and I had been relieved of my active kitchen duty by him at the moment. Well, when I refer to 'relieved', I actually meant conscripted by Twilight instead. Apparently she can't hold the bag open and still focus intently on fretting over what to pack. Of course, I just got a stiff glare when I mentioned she might be overdoing the whole preparation thing. Not that it mattered. The scenery was infinitely better in here, and I didn't have to be concerned about lopping off a hoof and adding it to the meal at any point. My eyes traced over Twilight as she worked, earning warm butterflies in the rest of my body at each movement they caught. She was absolutely gorgeous and she didn't even try to be. Maybe it was just my perspective, but I certainly didn't mind just watching her pack things. I might be a little biased, but at least I knew I wasn't the only one who would think that way. It was surprising to realize that Fluttershy definitely liked Twilight as well, but I saw her reasons easily enough. Not that feelings like these really needed a reason in the first place. The lavender unicorn glanced back at me again after dropping yet another item into the bag. Her gaze caught my own once more, and she immediately blushed; a light shade shift that was almost imperceptible in the dim light. She let out a light, groaning sound and looked away slightly. "I know I said that I don't mind you looking, but I think I'd actually find it easier if I caught you eyeing my flanks instead, or something, " she muttered in a somewhat pointed fashion. I chuckled in amusement. "Well, they're very nice flanks, I agree, but I like a whole lot more than just them," I reminded, sticking out my tongue afterwards. She smirked at my impish reply and expression and relaxed a little. "Your flattery only works because I know you're honest. Most would get a magical boot to their flanks instead if they'd said that," she warned, snickering a little herself. I coughed lightly, painfully aware of how popular she was and not needing the reminder. "Oh, I know. I'd be the first to wallop them," I agreed, keeping a close check on the wicked green monster that was busy snarling inside of me. Twilight's smile softened and she nodded, adding, "A little possessiveness is a good thing in a relationship, I feel. The books I've read on the matter warn to not let it go too far, but I don't think you're anywhere near that." The statement was accompanied by her shifting closer and softly brushing her cheeks against my own. The heat drifted into my face again, and I looked down. It still surprised me that Twilight herself wanted that kind of attention from me. She could probably have any stallion she wanted, too. Still, I was too close now to treat her as anything other than just Twilight. She'd been introduced to me not as a national hero and student of the practical goddess ruler, but just as a skilled magic user and kind mare. First impressions stuck hard. She didn't appear to mind, however. "I feel kind of badly that I have all of this packing to do, but you don't have anything," she muttered, breaking me out of my contemplation a few moments later. I raised an eyebrow before the impish smirk returned. "I'm telling you, you probably barely need half of this stuff." As predicted, she shot me a dirty looks before visibly scoffing. "I must be prepared, no matter what. I might be called upon to do practically anything, so it helps to be ready. I might need to help organize or set up for the party, even," she reasoned, flailing her forelegs up and about as if partially panicking already. I averted my eyes and coughed. Of course, I could practically feel her piercing glare bore a hole through my head. "So the telescope and orrery are going to help with that?" I inquired curiously, if not a little sardonic in tone. "Those are for entertainment after the party!" she defended sharply after a moment's hesitation. "Didn't you say that about the mortar, pestle, and alembic, too?" I reminded, raising an eyebrow towards her incredulously. Twilight gave me a frustrated, pouting stare before I started laughing and she flailed at me. "Oh, you! You're so frustrating sometimes. Fine, I'll leave the telescope and orrery here, but I absolutely cannot afford to leave behind my alchemical equipment," she insisted. I shielded my face from her flurry of playful swats with a foreleg while continuing to snicker. "All right, all right. Princess Twilight wins. Your loyal servant shall carry your alchemy supplies along as well," I conceded in as theatrical a manner as I could muster. Of course, it was just to poke a little more playful fun at her. Twilight gave me a curious raised eyebrow before a smile danced onto her expression. "That's Princess Twilight Sparkle, thou must remember. We must be addressed properly," she insisted a moment later, playing along with it and shifting to a strangely familiar speaking mannerism. I tried not to laugh, and continued along with, "Many apologies, my Princess. Is there anything this humble servant could do to earn forgiveness?" "Pending any further transgressions, we have already forgiven thou. However," she began, before her eyelids lowered a little and that grin returned. Uh oh. I found myself on my back before I could say anything. Apparently, one needs a certain threshold of air in one's lungs in order to properly formulate vocal noises! It was a fascinating discovery. Learned at the same time was the fact that for kissing, one definitely did not require that same threshold. Twilight broke contact a few seconds later, her lips still hovering over mine and a light flush on her cheeks still. "If thou keeps being so adorable, surely we can spare a pleasant reward," she followed up, assuming from her prior sentence. Okay, now she was just screwing with my head. I rolled my eyes while smiling still before reminding, "Surely, Princess Twilight Sparkle remembers that she shall be very busy with her duties all night and won't have time for such." Her eyes lit up with amusement as I continued. Suddenly, I started to question just how much she was enjoying this verbal exchange. It didn't help that she was pressed right up against me, chest to chest. Focus, Mender! "We shan't be busy all night, of course. Much, hmm, rewarding shall be done upon retiring for the evening with thou,”Twilight informed before slowly starting to inch closer. “All. Alone. Together." My breathing caught as I felt hers gently against my chin. She was just teasing me again! Why did she like doing this so much? Regardless, I kept forcing myself to remember that. I started to playfully scoff and resume the acting, regardless of how my blazing cheeks probably shifted me out of character. She interrupted further, however, by ducking down suddenly and pressing a heated kiss directly to the side of my neck. My eyes flew open in shock at the same time my body locked up at the new, entirely unexpected sensation! It was like a light switch got turned on, and I was suddenly all too aware of all the intermingling fur between our bodies. She was so soft and warm that I couldn't help but lift my forelegs up and wrap them around her back, pulling her closer against me. Her kiss pushed higher up my neck, and she added a light lick before lifting her head up again, smiling down at me with a victorious grin. "Oooh, someone has a sensitive neck. I'll have to remember that," she observed slyly, causing me to swallow. I couldn't manage to say anything as I just stared up at her in shock, cheeks feeling like they could fry eggs if given the chance. "I can still hear you, ya know!" was suddenly shouted from the direction of the kitchen. Twilight's mischievous grin melted into embarrassed shock in less than a heartbeat. I coughed lightly, seemingly reminding her that I was still here and currently underneath of her. She gave a guilty smile and awkwardly stumbled sideways off of me, trying to untangle her legs from mine. I fought down stirring feelings and managed to get onto my hooves again, unable to push back the blush. "Ah, we should probably keep packing up," she finally excused awkwardly almost ten seconds later. That might not seem like a lot, but when blushing furiously in a supposedly active conversation, it's an eternity! Sighing, I nodded weakly and stood up fully again, feeling my back legs crack in a somewhat pleasant manner. "We've almost got everything packed now. Can you get the drawings and notes I made about the wood samples as well? They're in the sample cabinet over there," she requested, gesturing with a hoof before peeking over the shelf in front of her, gathering up what appeared to be official papers. Oh yeah, she had wanted to present her findings to Princess Celestia the day after the party. She had indeed been working hard on it, not that I thought whatever it was in the forest was still around at this point. I wandered over to a series of three wooden cabinets, all in a row. She sure kept a lot of samples. Pity she didn't specify which one the wood notes were in. I mentally decided that was also on my list of things I'd never thought I'd be looking for. Notes on blocks of wood. Mentally shrugging, I just decided to metaphorically bite the bullet and opened the first cabinet closest to me. The moment of peace and tranquility before utter horror sets in just serves to make the effect worse. Maybe it was because I wasn't expecting to panic so suddenly, or maybe it was the mundane outer appearance of the cabinet that threw me into a false sense of security. Regardless, my eyes widened and almost popped free of my skull after I opened the first cabinet and came face to face with three hellish rocks straight out of my nightmares. My first distinct thought while stumbling backwards and falling away from the cabinet was wondering why she had kept them. After what they had almost done to both myself and two of her closest friends, the rational solution would have been to find a place that could obliterate them. A lava flow or tectonic shift came to mind almost immediately. So why were they here, in an unassuming cabinet all of thirty feet from where I slept at night?! "Mender?!" Twilight asked immediately upon hearing the crashing noise of me tripping over my own hooves and landing on my back. I rolled once and slid to my hooves again, carefully lowering myself against the direction of the rocks, ready to dodge in case any eldritch tentacle lashed out at me or something. There was no movement from them at all, however. I distinctly noticed that the shifting, distorting effect that had given me a headache when I looked at them the first time was also absent. Twilight moved into my vision and quietly closed the cabinet again, not meeting my gaze. She hastily opened the third cabinet instead and pulled out a stack of paper notes. That was it? She was just going to stash them away and pretend I hadn't seen them? She knew exactly what I'd seen in there. "Twilight," I warned, eyes narrowing a little as I stared at her. She halted, sighing before putting the papers into the folder she was still holding. "I know. I said I got rid of them," she admitted, lowering her head before looking back over at me in a guilty manner. It had been discussed prior, after they'd finally caught me up as to what happened after I lost consciousness. She told me they had deactivated after the explosion and she'd disposed of them. "Why?" I asked, relaxing a little bit. A part of me expected the cabinet to burst open again, pulling us all into the inky darkness no matter how much we screamed. She still refused to meet my gaze. "They're important, Mender. If something like that happens again, having samples might be the only thing that stops disaster," she defended, distinctly interested in her right forehoof. I exhaled quietly, finally deciding that she had only half lied. They certainly didn't look the same as they had, so maybe they truly were deactivated? The cold sensation slipped into me again as I remembered the feeling of having one of their tendrils attached to my chest. It was so cold that it burned, creeping into my body as it tore through tissue and wormed its way into my very being. The worst part was knowing what it actually was; a hole in reality going back through to the very place I so wanted to avoid. I doubted any living thing would survive the transfer via that method, however. Regardless, I finally gave up. Really, it wasn't that big of a deal, I guess. If they were deactivated, they were only rocks. Sighing, I nodded to her and lowered my head. There was nothing I could do, anyway. I could hardly force her to get rid of them. This was her house and they were technically her property, after all. My ears twitched and I frowned, remembering that I technically didn't have any property in the first place. "Mender, are you okay? I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth. I didn't think you'd understand my wanting to keep them," she apologized, edging closer to me carefully. I held my ground and didn't shrink back this time as best I could. Surprisingly, she smiled and edged closer yet before gently pecking me on the forehead. "Thank you, Mender. I'm not going to hurt you." She'd said it before, but I guess it was just a matter of convincing myself of it now. "I know, Twilight. It just surprised me, is all," I muttered slowly, looking back up at her again, unsure of what exactly I was supposed to say. Thankfully, Spike saved me the awkwardness. "Hey you two! Dinner is ready," the little dragon called out from the kitchen and dining room area. Twilight peeked past me towards the sound of his voice before nodding and smiling further. I took my cue and turned around, heading towards the glowing doorway that led to the fully lit kitchen. It was always so much more peaceful at night, I decided. Hoof steps slowly followed me, indicating my fillyfriend was coming along too. That still felt weird to even think about. Spike had produced a rather simplistic dinner obviously made for three ponies. Well, two ponies and a drake? I didn't exactly know what to call him. Regardless, it was more than pleasant, even if I was the last one to finish eating. It was a mistake to attempt to learn how to use the utensil loops for my hoof, I decided. Twilight's magic and Spike's opposable thumbs easily beat my clumsy attempts at eating using just my hooves. Twilight even choked back a couple giggles after I poked myself in the muzzle with the fork the second time. Who knew spaghetti could be so frustrating to eat?! By the time I finished, Twilight had migrated to finishing up the packing, and Spike was already washing the dishes. He was more than a little surprised when instead of just dropping my plate in with the rest, I set it in and proceeded to help him clean everything that was left. He was an earnest little guy, that much was for sure. I felt bad that he worked by himself all the time, though. It took us another ten minutes or so to finish drying the dishes, and I saw his eyes starting to slowly droop by the time he put the last one away. Admittedly, I had no idea where to put them once they were dried. "Getting a little sleepy there, Spike?" I asked in amusement, obviously already knowing the answer. He sighed and nodded before smiling warmly again. "Yeah. It's almost my bedtime. But thanks to you, I got that last chore done twenty minutes early and can get some extra sleep tonight!" he exclaimed, sounding as if he were a little kid in a candy factory. I snickered as he wobbled and tried to get off the counter. In order to reach the upper cabinets, he had to climb up and stand on the counter surface. Afraid he was going to fall, I walked up next to the counter, right where he was set to get down. He gave me a happy nod before stepping down onto my back instead and flopping forwards. He was still light as a feather, even after eating, so I proceeded out of the kitchen and towards the stairs up to the loft. Twilight, who was sitting on the couch and sorting her bags, smiled up at me escorting the sleepy dragon and nodded in approval. I perked and gave a single nod back before slowly making my way up the stairs, careful to watch where each of my hooves were going. Now that would have been ironic. I was worried he'd hurt himself so I carry him up the stairs, only to trip and fall down it myself; both of us ending up in the hospital. Thankfully I made it safely to the loft and deposited him near the bathroom door. "Thanks, Mender. You're so, uh, totally awesome. Yeah, that's it," he thanked sleepily, seeming to struggle with his words. "Don't worry about it, Spike. Just brush your teeth and enjoy the extra sleep time," I waived off, smiling pleasantly at him. I was kind of glad he was taking Twilight and I so well, actually. Making myself useful around the house was one way to ease any transition time as well. Plus, he seemed seriously overworked, and I liked helping the little guy. He grinned and saluted me before turning and promptly running straight into the yet closed door. I winced as the wood shook and he stumbled backwards slightly. "Ow! Uh, that was just a fluke. I'm fine!" he rapidly informed before quickly reaching up and turning the doorknob this time. I fought back any snickering as he rapidly ducked inside and closed the door again without making eye contact. Poor little guy. I decided to keep it my secret and headed back downstairs. Twilight sat the last bag down on the floor at the base of the couch before looking back up at me, smiling again. She seemed really happy tonight, which was definitely a good thing. After how awkward yesterday had been, I figured her transition to pleasant moods would have been a more involved process. "Spike getting ready for bed, then?" she inquired as I sat down on the other end of the couch from her, circling once on the cushion before flopping over onto my right flank. I stretched before giving another brief nod, adding, "Yeah, he's brushing his teeth, then turning in early. He did look really tired." "He works really hard on all of his chores. I'm really thankful for such a dutiful and proper assistant. That's why he's number one," she explained, closing her eyes and giving a cute head nod as if to agree with herself. She really did seem to appreciate him, plus he seemed more than happy with his position. With that, I decided all was indeed well. "Still, I'm really glad that you're helping him so much. I worry a lot that he tries to do too much by himself," she admitted a moment later, causing my chest to warm up a little bit. Yeah, she honestly did care about him. A lot. That made me feel a little better about things. "He really is like a little brother to you, isn't he?" I asked, smiling at her from across the middle cushion that separated us. The urge to slide over and hug her was still there, but I didn't want to take a risk and destroy her good mood. Twilight nodded pleasantly before looking over at the crackling fireplace instead. "I've been with him since he hatched. He knows I'm not his Mother, obviously, but I'm somewhere between his sister and surrogate mother instead. I'm glad you two have been getting along so well. You'll be spending a lot of time here, obviously, and I was a little nervous," she admitted, frowning. We thought fairly alike on that topic, then. "Well, things are working out all right. Does this mean I shouldn't plan on getting my own place in the future?" I questioned, smiling again. As predicted, that drew her attention back to me, wearing a frown. It disappeared when she saw my smirk, and she rolled her eyes, chuckling. "I wouldn't let you leave even if you wanted to. Now that I have the extra company, going back to just the two of us here would be really depressing," she informed, getting that impish grin again. I coughed and averted my eyes, earning a snicker. Twilight rolled her eyes before adding, "Oh relax. I just don't want you to leave. We can obviously keep separate beds. I suggest getting an actual one soon, however. Applejack will probably want her cot back eventually." "Heh, don't remind me. I really do want to earn things for myself, don't worry," I assured, lowering my ears are little. She didn't falter and scooted over a little, resting her forehead and horn against my right shoulder. "I know. You're a good stallion. Part of me was afraid of the relationship thing because I was worried about expectations and being controlled, not just because it's new and unfamiliar. I should have known better, of course," she revealed, pushing a little harder with her snout. Sighing, I wrapped a foreleg over her shoulder softly, needlessly assuring, "You know I'd never do that. I just want you to be happy. Fillyfriend is just a convenient label. It doesn't come with any particular duties or requirements apart from just being you." That much I didn't need to learn about dating. Sure, the terms were new, but my sense of integrity wasn't. She nodded against me gently before raising her head up again and pecking my cheek. "I know that now. I'm way more comfortable with this than I was before. It's just like being friends, only, um, closer," she tried to explain, tracing her free right hoof in a simple triangle on my chest. Of course. Most would use circle patterns to their movements. Twilight, however, uses perfectly formed, one hundred and eighty degree triangles. "A lot closer," I agreed before placing a kiss right above her horn. She made a murmur as her horn lit up to my touch, shuddering after I withdrew. Well that was an interesting reaction. Was her horn sensitive or something? I had assumed it was just bone with a light layer of skin over it. She swallowed and shivered slightly. "Mmm, easy there. I'm, uh, actually a little tired tonight. Do you think we could hold off on the 'reward' thing until tomorrow night?" she requested softly, opening her eyes finally and looking up at me. I raised an eyebrow, but shook my head, ignoring the sudden pang in my chest. "Twilight, I had figured you were just joking anyway. Of course we can just go to bed," I pointed out, unsure of why she was insisting on rewarding me to begin with. Her expression suddenly made me uncomfortable and I couldn't help but look away. I saw her ears flatten back out of the corner of my eye. "Of course I want to reward you for doing such an amazing job helping out my friends. It's kind of a reward for me, too. Um, I'm just, well, tired tonight," she furthered, lowering her head a little. I nodded absently, eyes drifting carefully to the cabinet again. "Come on, Mender. Let's go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow. We can enjoy each other's company tomorrow night when it's just us in my castle room," she reminded, standing up and sliding off the couch. My mind drifted back to her before I gave her another nod and stood as well. Ultimately, I wasn't looking forward to the crowds and stuffy suit Rarity had no doubt finished by now. I'd be happy when tomorrow night was over, I had a feeling. Dawdling slightly as I went after Twilight, I gave the cabinet one last uneasy stare before scampering up the stairs.