Nurse Redheart stood solemnly, surrounded by a sea of ponies, in a field dotted by some of the most masterfully carved and meaningful stones in all of Equestria. A light fog had set in, bathing the field in a serene glow as Celestia's sun shined brightly overhead, but the morning air still held a chill of the previous night. The downcast mare was wearing a sprig of lavender in her flowing, pink mane and the most beautiful dress that she had ever seen; the pleats of its black fabric flowed gracefully over her body.

Rarity had insisted that she take the dress for no charge, stating, "No pony should have to go through this absolutely horrid event twice in their lives."

The pink-maned pony unsteadily walked up to a deep, mahogany box, placing a forehoof against its rounded lid. She stood there a moment, feeling all of the warmth of her body stolen through her contact with the object and replaced by a cold emptiness. Tears escaped her shining blue eyes, and she did nothing to stop their flow. After a moment, a blue mare emerged from the crowd, joining the white pony at the forefront. Nurse Tenderheart wrapped her sister in a hug.

A golden aura enveloped the intricately detailed wooden vessel and it slowly levitated into the air. The ever-warm voice of Princess Celestia could be heard as her magic guided the departed to his final resting place; her words fell on deaf ears as the sisters wept loudly in each other's hooves.

As the golden glow faded from the princess' horn, a loud crack and rumble of thunder was heard from above. High in the air, a group of four Pegasi flew in an offset V formation, trailing their trademark smoke and lightning behind them. Just as they pass overhead the Pegasus to the right of the leader breaks off and begins to climb vertically into the heavens. Just as the Wonderbolt passes completely out of sight, an explosion fills the sky with every colour of the rainbow.

With the ceremony over, the crowd of mourning ponies dispersed quietly, leaving only a few closer friends and relatives behind. The sisters stood silently, staring at the newly carved gravestone.

Careheart

In loving memory, we lay our dear father to rest. His life was devoted to helping all ponies, no matter their ills.

We love you dad,
Your Hope and Joy.

A deep blue Pegasus approached the sisters, limping slightly as he walked. He placed a soft kiss on the white mare's cheek and wrapped his wing around her as he quietly stood at her side.

You had watched from the front of the crowd as your marefriend's father was buried. She had asked you to give her a moment alone with him, to say her last good-bye. As much as it hurt you to stand by, watching her bear so much anguish, you did. But when the service ended, you decided that you had stood by long enough.

Your leg had been healed for several months now, but the damage had become so severe that it would never be completely problem free. You would have a limp for the rest of your life and the range of motion in that ankle would be limited.

So, you limped forward to your mare, placing a gentle kiss on her wet cheek. To this day, you were always taken aback by the warmth of her body as you placed a wing over her. The three of you stood there, silently for quite some time, and you were, by far and away, the last ponies to leave.

The carriage ride home from Manehattan was much less tense than the previous day's ride. In the regally decorated carriage, you held the white mare in your wing. The sisters regaled each other with joyful memories of their father during their childhood. From time to time, your marefriend would nuzzle your neck from her position leaning against your shoulder, and you would lean down to lovingly kiss her forehead in return.

Your carriage arrives in Ponyville just after sundown. Disembarking the carriage first, you offer a helping hoof to the sisters as they step down. The two mares share a quick hug in farewell before Nurse Tenderheart begins to trot away, home. You make your way into your shared home, your marefriend trailing just behind.

"Thank you for everything you did today, Hun," she says, taking a seat on the couch. You yawn, the long ride and emotional day taking its toll on you. Walking into the dining room, you open a small cabinet and withdraw a bottle from the criss-cross latticework. Tucking it under your wing, you grab two crystal glasses from where they hang, on the cabinet door.

Returning to the living room, you uncork the bottle and fill the glasses with the dark, purple liquid. The room is filled with the scent of grapes and blackberries, along with the sharp tinge of alcohol.

"You're welcome, Red," you say, offering up a glass of the soothing liquid to your marefriend. "I was just happy to be there in case you needed me." The white mare accepts the glass, swirling the liquid around before taking a short sip. Sitting next to her, you take a sip from your glass as well. The cool liquid tastes like berries and has a hint of black tea as you swallow. The two of you sit for a time, simply drinking the wine in a comfortable silence. After a number of glasses, you lean against the arm of the sofa and pull your marefriend over to you, resting her back against your chest and wrapping your forehooves around her stomach. The sensation of her coat up against yours still makes you feel like your heart is on fire. You continue drinking in this position until you finish two bottles.

"I love you, Hun. Please, don't leave me like the others in my life have," the white mare says weakly, rolling over to face you while she speaks. For a moment, you're mesmerized by the shining of her breathtakingly-beautiful eyes. Regaining control of your mind, you raise a hoof to her cheek.

"I won't ever leave you." With your reassurance, she dives in, pressing her lips against yours sloppily. A few cool drops of liquid fall on your face, dislodged by her sudden movement. You open your mouth as you feel her tongue slide along your lips; running your tongue over her warm, wet appendage, you can taste the lingering berry flavour of wine on her. Her hooves make their way to the side of your face, pulling you deeper into her kiss, and her breath washes over your face in deep, powerful waves. The gentle lavender you know so well is completely replaced by the stinging of alcohol.

Too lost in the pleasure of such an emotional kiss to keep a steady breathing pattern, you're left gasping for air when she finally does break the embrace. As you lay there, the intense, burning sensation in your lungs is only matched by the longing of your lips to be against hers again, the heat of your heart beating furiously against your chest, and the ardour in those blue eyes. You pull her closer to you, and with your free hoof, you stroke her mane gently. A gasp of pleasure escapes the white mare's lips as you ever so slightly brush her ear with your hoof.

She leans down once again, placing her lips against yours. This time, her ministrations are determined and precise. You slide your tongue against her lips, savouring the lingering flavour of wine. Parting her lips, the white mare's tongue emerges, moving slowly and sensually around yours. Her kiss lights a fire in your chest that isn’t easily quenched and from the look in her alluring, half-lidded eyes, she knows it. Too soon, the embrace ends as she bites down on your lower lip roughly and pulls away; there is an audible pop when your lip breaks free of her grasp. The pain was bearable, and the sadistic smirk she flashed afterwards was always worth it. The pink-maned pony plants another quick kiss on your lips before extricating herself from your hooves and climbing to the floor.

Walking past the arm of the couch, she drags very near the entirety of her silky tail across your face. Instantly, you are enveloped waves of sweet lavender; another familiar, musky scent makes your heart beat harder against your ribcage. You watch as your lover saunters down the hallway, swishing her tail seductively. You feel your face burn as you blush deeply at the surprising show. Climbing to your hooves, you trot down the hallway, following your mare into the bedroom. You're left completely slack-jawed and stammering by the sight before your eyes as you close the door.

The sensation of the world around you slowly slips back to you. The quiet tones of a radio are barely heard over the rhythmic breathing of two ponies. Your body is encased in a cocoon of warmth, and the uncomfortable bed in which you lie is only offset by the relief of the warm pony you are pressed up against. As you open your eyes, a sea of pink envelops your vision; the sweet scent of lavender is just barely recognizable over the stale odour of sweat.

Carefully, you roll away from the caring mare, rubbing your eyes with your uninjured forehoof as you stare up at the white ceiling. The full-length cast adorning your dominant foreleg has been a hassle since you woke up in the clinic three days ago. Yesterday, the nurses let you use a set of parallel bars to try to walk on three hooves. It was quite difficult to keep your balance with the extra weight of your cast, and you found yourself using your wings on the bars to keep from toppling onto your face quite often. It was slow, discouraging work, but the beaming smile you received, from a certain nurse, after walking a full length of the bars without faltering made it all worth it.

A tired groan from the mare beside you pulls you from your thoughts. Sensing that you were no longer cuddling up against her, she pats the small space in between your bodies a couple times with her hoof. The worried mare then rolls onto her back and her hoof comes to rest on your chest; you place your hoof on hers, gently holding it to your heart.

Scooting your way back over to the waking mare, you nuzzle her face affectionately. "Good morning," you say, just above a whisper. In response, she places a small kiss on your cheek and rests her head up against yours. You spend an indefinite amount of time like that, savouring the warmth in your heart and the peace in an otherwise hectic world.

Your ears perk as the door opens, and a surprised gasp can be heard. Openning your eyes, you are just in time to catch a glimpse of Nurse Tenderheart. She wears a devious smirk as she begins to speak.

"Oh my Goddess! Red, how could you take advantage of a poor, helpless patient like this?!" Startled, Nurse Redheart immediately rolls out of the bed and lands on the floor in an unceremonious heap, from the sounds of it. You quickly scurry to the edge of the bed, and look down at your marefriend, worried she was hurt. Your fears are assuaged, though, when she climbs to her hooves, looking a little shaken but none the worse for wear.

"Good morning, you two," the blue mare says, still fighting back giggles from her prank.

Nurse Redheart sighs, as she runs a hoof through her dishevelled mane, trying to control what she refers to as 'hospital hair'. "Did you really have to ruin such a beautiful moment in such an uncouth manner?" You feel heat surge to your cheeks at the thought of her enjoying it as much as you did. Chuckling, the periwinkle pony approaches your bed.

"You two have all the time in the world to cuddle with each other," she says, grasping a blood pressure cuff in her mouth and motioning to stick out your foreleg. When you oblige, she pumps it up and takes a reading. Jotting down the number on your chart, she continues, "It's already quite late in the morning, and we need to get you breakfast and your morning painkiller before it's off to physical therapy."

"Oh, dear. It is late," your marefriend states, glancing at the wall clock. Looking at the device yourself, you can't seem to focus on the clock's hands. You shrug and chalk it up to the constant haze of the painkillers they have you on.

"The last few days have been hard on you guys," Nurse Tenderheart says, wrapping her sister in a soft hug. "I did all my other rounds before I came here, so you could have some more time try and catch up on your sleep." The blue nurse retrieves a wheelchair from a corner of the room and brings it over to you. As you climb down from the bed and into the wheelchair, your marefriend is there to steady you and guide you into the chair. "Alright, looks like you're all settled in. First stop, the cafeteria."

The pair of nurses and you leave the room and move toward the clinic's small food court. Entering the cafeteria, the smell of hot maple syrup prevails on the air. As the three of you move over to the serving area, your marefriend speaks to a portly tan unicorn with a short-cropped, curly black mane, "Good morning, Short. What's on the menu today?"

"Today, we got alfalfa pancakes or Prench toast, both served with a lil' bit of my own special seasoning to give'em a lil' kick," the pony said, holding a spatula in his magical aura.

"You got it, ladies," the cook answered as he levitated some batter over to the griddle. "Go 'head take a seat, I'll have 'em out in a minute."

You're rolled over to a circular table not far from the cook. The mares take a seat across from each other, leaving the three of you placed in a triangle around the table. You catch a glimpse of Twilight Sparkle at a neighbouring table, as always, reading from a large tome that hangs in her magical aura. Curious, you squint, trying to pick out the title from the book's cover. Even after blinking a few times, you can only see a blur of unfocused text on a perfectly focused book.

"So…" the periwinkle pony says, looking directly at you. "Ponies normally try and stay out of the clinic, but this is the second time in two weeks that we've had you in here in critical condition. What happened this time?"

"The short version is that I clipped a brick chimney while flying really fast. Red stitched up the gash I had from the impact, and we thought it could wait until the next day to be fully treated. It probably would have, but I kept forgetting about it and using the hoof like nothing was wrong.

"BAM… BAM… BAM…" the shouts of the chef interrupt you. But sure enough, your food is delivered via magic right afterwards. Taking a deep breath, you are rewarded with a sinfully delicious smelling breakfast. All three ponies at your table dig in with varying degrees of dignity in their method of eating breakfast.

Moving your muzzle out of the mapley mountain of masticated mush, you continue, "Well, I tried to lay down in the shower, and I guess I put too much weight on it. I felt something pop and something rip. I could barely keep from collapsing on top of Red." The green-maned pony's quirked eyebrow leads you to believe you might have said too much; you nervously look away, trying to find something else to focus on.

"As I was saying!" you proclaim, much too loudly. Your eyes almost naturally lock onto your marefriend's beautiful sapphires. "After that, I was pretty out of it. I remember being so scared at first, the pain was just so terrible I couldn't think." You reach your hoof across the table, where it is joined by hers as she gently rubs your fetlock. "And then, she carried me out of the shower and kept me from seeing what I can only assume was a large amount of blood. She made me feel so safe, like nothing could ever happen to me." You force a smile. "I felt like, as long as I could look into those eyes, and as long as I could see that glimmer they have when they look back at me, I had something that would keep me going to the ends of the earth."

You pull your hoof away and rest your head against it; the latent warmth of her touch still seeps into your being as you rub your hoof against your forehead. "I failed her, mis…" You falter as your ragged breathing interferes with you speech.

Nurse Redheart uses a hoof to pull your face up to look at her. "Ssshhh… you did fine," the white mare coos, gently rubbing her cheek against yours in tiny motions. Like a siren's song, she's washed away any doubts you had, and after a few moments, the warmth in your chest has you feeling like you could take on the world single-hoofedly.

Just as your marefriend pulls away, you could swear you saw her sister staring wistfully at the two of you. Before you could act on your suspicions, the green mare speaks up, in her normally teasing tone. "So, should I drop you off in your room for a quickie before PT?" If the heat in your cheeks is any indication, both you and your marefriend blush brightly. After a chuckle, the green-maned mare continues, “You two are too easy, really. But it’s adorable, and I’m happy for you, Red. ” The two mares share a smile. “Now, enough mushy stuff, time to get to work.”

After a quick stop at the clinic’s pharmacy for your painkiller, the three of you make your way into the physical therapy room. The white on white room is littered with all sorts of training and weight lifting equipment. You’re pushed over to the parallel bars once again, where Nurse Tenderheart addresses you. “I’m going to go check on some other patients. I trust you can take care of yourselves?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine. Thanks, sis,” your marefriend responds, helping you out of the wheelchair. The periwinkle pony begins to leave, but halts at the door, calling back to you.

“And try to stay out of my sister’s flank long enough to get some training done, will you?” Before the nurse can be caught in your lover’s glare, she’s already made her way into the hallway, laughing.

"Ok, Hun," the white mare states, as you move into position at the end of the bars. "Yesterday you got accustomed to having the weight of the cast on your leg while walking on only three legs. I want you to do a couple trips down and back while I get the next portion of your training ready." You begin to shuffle your way forward steadily. The first length, you stumble a few times. If it wasn't for the extra support that you received from your wings pressed up against the bars, then you would have fallen face first onto the ground. But, by the end of the second lap, you feel comfortable enough to walk without the support of your wings.

As if on cue, Nurse Redheart returns to you with what appears to be a set of saddle bags. "The next step is quite a simple process. You'll carry these weights just like normal saddle bags, and as you get more comfortable with them, I'll move them forward more and more until they are directly above your shoulders. Once you are comfortable walking with the weights in that position you should be ready for anything you'll encounter over the next six weeks in that cast." Your nurse carefully places the weighted saddlebags onto your flank, fastening it securely. When she's finished, she climbs under the bars and positions herself just in front of you. Without hesitation, she presses her muzzle gently against yours. Your eyes reflexively slide closed from the beauty of her silky lips sliding over yours, but all too soon, she pulls away, hovering her muzzle just barely apart from yours.

Your eyes slide open, taking in the dark room around you. A nuzzle against your side has drawn you from a dreaming memory that feels so real, you hadn't realised you were even dreaming. Looking through cracked eyes, you see the source of your disturbance. Your marefriend has her face buried into the side of your torso, sleeping soundly. You lean down and kiss the top of her head before allowing yourself to return to the dream state from whence you've come.

The world around you seems so familiar, yet completely different than expected. You are still in the physical training room, but the mare in front of you is wearing her mane in a different style than you remember. And yet, none of this causes you to think twice.

"You can do this," she states just above a whisper. Her lips graze yours with every word, it's something that she's learned over the last six weeks, and she knows it drives you insane. As the mounting need to press your lips against hers reaches a fever pitch, you press forward, expecting to meet her lips and extinguish the fire in your chest. But, she deftly retreats, leaving you in a perpetual advance, that is, until you realise how off balance you feel. Reactively, you tense your wings in order to keep yourself from falling, but when you find that you aren't plummeting towards the floor, you look quizzically at your marefriend. Upon her face is a proud, yet somewhat smug, grin.

"That’s one," she says, motioning to your front hoof. Looking down, you see yourself standing with most of your body weight on a scrawny, wobbly forehoof. It was strange; you had almost forgotten that it was there. After a month and a half of trying to remember that you couldn’t use that leg, it was just as hard to remember to use it again. "Now, just 29 more before we're finished for today." The white mare backs away a few steps. "Ok, Hun. Make your way over to me using both forehooves, but take it easy."

You reset your hooves to a normal standing position before taking a tentative step forward onto your noticeably weak hoof; shimmying forward, the next four steps you go smoothly, and leave a slight burning sensation in the muscles of your leg. With the two of you smiling at your accomplishment, you're rewarded with an affectionate nuzzle on your cheek.

Giving you only a few seconds to rest, the pink-maned pony moves to a point three-quarters of the way down the bars. Without waiting for further instruction, you begin to slowly shuffle your way forward. The burning sensation in your leg builds into a raging wildfire by the time you reach the waiting mare. For no reason other than the struggle of walking, you find yourself taking deep, powerful breaths as your heart beats furiously in your throat.

"That was perfect, Hun. Now, the last few steps will be harder than all of the others combined."

"I don't think I can," you choke out between breaths. "It feels like my leg is going to give out if I put any weight on it."

"I know you can do this." Again, she moves her face in, brushing her lips over yours ever so slightly as she quietly speaks. The combination of her silky lips running lightly over yours and her lavender laced breath overwhelm your mind with desire. But once again, when you press forward, she expertly maintains her distance as she continues speaking.

"I watched as the light faded from your eyes, but you came back to me. Defying fate, you came back to me from the end of all things, and seeing the spark return to those eyes…" Trembling, she halts your advance by gently placing her hoof against your cheek, and looks deeply into your eyes. The fear and despair of your first meeting and the emotional tempest of those fleeting memories edges its way into your mind, but they are quickly quashed by the mare's next words. "– Those amazing golden eyes – it lit a fire in my heart, a fire that becomes an inferno every time I see you." She removes her hoof from your cheek and you unconsciously try to close the gap between your lips. Much to your dismay, this never happens.

The entrancing mare continues, "And when I see that fire in your eyes, I know that you can do anything." As she finishes, your lips finally meet and the result is explosive. Sliding your eyes closed, you pour all of the pent-up passion into your kiss; your tongue immediately darts past your lips, where you find hers eagerly waiting. You notice a hint of her lavender toothpaste still lingers in her mouth as your tongues slide along each other. Using her tongue, she toys with one of the sensitive spots in your mouth, and her constant attention draws a gasp from you. As your diaphragm reactively contracts, you try and pull away, to avoid inhaling your lover's tongue, but she presses forward, keeping your muzzles firmly locked together. The resistance to your provoked inhalation fades as you feel her breathe into your mouth slowly; her sweat, warm breath passes over your tongue and into your lungs. When you feel like your lungs are going to burst, you gently exhale into her mouth, refilling her lungs with life giving air.

You break away from her, letting your eyes slide open. The sight you are met with is none other than the icy sapphires that you treasure so much, burning with passion. They draw you back in for a set of increasingly shorter lingering kisses.

"Red, that fire that you see in me, it's you," you say shakily, your unsteady breathing during the entire event has made you a little light-headed. Nurse Redheart smiles softly.

"And you did something that you didn't think was possible, without even knowing you were doing it." Confused, you look around and find yourself a couple steps past the end of the training bars. After a moment of stunned surprise, your marefriend wraps her forehooves around your neck in a tight hug; rising to your rear hooves, you return the gesture. "I'm so proud of you, Hun."

"I love you so much, Red," you say, blinking back tears of joy and nuzzling against the warm mare's cheek.

"Whoa!" Nurse Tenderheat's now familiar voice calls out, a set of choking coughs racks her body afterwards. Surprised by her odd entrance, you mutually break your hug and look to the coughing mare. Her face is lit in a bright red blush as she continues, "So, it must be pretty… uh, mind blowing, eh Red?" You're completely lost, and from the look on your marefriend's face, she's just as confused.

"uhm…The sex. It must be pretty good?" the nervous blue mare explains, trying furiously to look at anything but you.

"What?!" your lover screams, blushing a couple shades lighter than her sister. "That's completely out of the blue, even for you, Joy."

"Out of the… Wait a second, are you telling me you didn’t notice the wet, sticky spot just above your belly button?" the green-maned sister prods. Nurse Redheart's face contorts in a confused scowl – which is completely adorable – and her forehoof travels down to her belly. When it returns to your view, there is a small build-up of a viscous, clear liquid on the tip. The white mare brings her hoof up to her nose, gently sniffing. "And don't tell me you didn’t notice that?" the periwinkle nurse continues, waving a hoof at your legs. As the white mare's gaze shifts towards you, her tongue slips out of her mouth and towards her hoof.

"Oh goddess, are you…" Everything seems to move in slow motion for you. Within an instant, the pink-maned pony's eyes lock onto your hind legs, her tongue touches the unknown liquid, and her pupils shrink to a nearly non-existant size when her mind processes what she sees. The expression on your marefriend's face is one of morbid mortification as she quickly pulls her hoof away from her face. "I can't believe you did that, with me watching!!" her sister yells, turning away and unsteadily galloping out of the room, nearly hitting every piece of equipment on the way out.

Still completely oblivious to what is going on, you twist your head around, trying to find what is so surprising about them. That's when you find the biggest embarrassment of heavily impassioned kissing in public places. Too little, way too late, you snap all four of your legs closed and lower your tail to the floor in an attempt to hide your shame. Nurse Redheart is standing completely motionless, her jaw agape. Your mind reels, and your breaths come in quick pants. Soon, your head begins to spin, and you quickly fall from your awkward standing position to the floor.

Quiet, feminine giggling overtakes the silent room; it gives way to the uproarious laugher of your marefriend. Looking over to her, she's got her – other – hoof nearly shoved into her mouth in an effort to stifle her amusement. It's not long before you are chuckling and eventually you lose yourself to raucous laughter, as well. It is some time before the two of you can quiet down enough to speak.

"Oh, goddess," the white mare states, wiping a tear from her eye. "After that, she won't be able to make any more sex jokes for months."

"I don't know… if I'll ever be able to look her in the eye again," you add, still battling rogue laughs and chuckles.

"I think it's worse for her. She always talked the talk, but she was quite prudish in practice." Ambling over to you, the mare offers you a helping hoof up to a standing position. A sticky hoof, in hindsight.

"Hey, I'm just giving back what is rightfully yours," she responds, playfully wiping her hoof off on your back.

She winks. "You're welcome. Now, it's back to walking on three legs for you until it's time for more training, tomorrow."

You follow her to the door in the manner of walking you've become familiar with over the last six weeks. You can't help but notice your inability to focus on the clock above the door.

"Red," you call out, as you pass through the door. She turns back to you, smiling. "I just want you to know, I really did mean what I said earlier. I love you, more than anything." She walks back to you.

"Hun, you can call me by my first name, I think we're well passed that phase by now."

Fearing the worst, you cringe a little as your soon-to-be ex-marefriend speaks, "Oh, sorry. I guess I'm not used to getting close enough to other ponies to remember." She nervously rubs fidgets with her mane a bit. "Hope, my first name is Hope." You let out a quick chuckle at the irony of the memory running through your mind, something that seems to annoy your nurse, if her scowl has anything to say about it.

"That’s a beautiful name." A sincere smile spreads across your face, easing the mare's discomfort. "It's ironic… do you remember that first day I left the clinic, when you sent me to the spa?" She nods. "Well, Aloe and I struck up a bit of a conversation about my wings when we discovered they didn’t hurt anymore. I sort of had an epiphany there. I figured out what I felt I needed most in my life was." You look down at your hooves, nervous this will sound weird.

"It was hope. And now, I know that means much more than I thought it did." You bring your eyes back up to your mare, and to your delight she's smiling that smile that you noticed she never gives to anypony else, not even family. The sight warms your heart and calms your nerves.

A clatter rings out from the room behind you. Spinning around, the therapy room is completely empty and everything seems to be in place. Except for one tan brick, laying in the middle of the floor. Curious, you trot over to it; flipping it over with your hoof reveals a deep red stain surrounding a cracked hoof imprint. You shiver as the cool night breeze shuffles your mane soothingly. Sighing, you turn, taking in the beauty of the nighttime in Ponyville Park and completely unaware that you were just in a totally different place. You limp slowly over to a park bench overlooking a small brook.

A cyan Pegasus is waiting for you, sitting quietly and staring idly at the small stream that bisects the park; her white and blue mane drifts lazily in the wind.

"Hello, Birdy," she says warmly, without moving her eyes from the gently flowing water. You take a seat next to her.

"Echo, how are you?" You fight to keep the emotional turmoil, that seeing her again has wrought throughout your entire being, out of your voice. During a moment of silence, you turn and watch as she idly stares.

She sighs, and then she answers, "Better, now. I can't sleep on my back or stomach anymore, but I don't feel sick when I wake up in the mornings anymore. Mostly, I just feel like a bloated cow." You take a moment to take in the sight of the cyan mare. Her frame is just as toned as the last time you saw her, but a large round bump protrudes from her lower abdomen. She's every bit as beautiful now as she was, then. Over the months, you've told yourself that the feelings you felt all that time ago were just from the stress you were under, but the warmth in your heart proves otherwise. You move your eyes back to her face, and she returns your gaze; the repressed longing in her eyes is clearly evident. You decide to address the elephant in the room.

"Since a few days before your accident. I was about 12 weeks into the pregnancy and you scheduled me a doctor's appointment because I had morning sickness."

"I had already been devastated by what happened. I had already lost you; I kept it secret because I feared that the one pony who unconditionally loved me would reject or resent me. If that would have happened, I might have just jumped off Cloudsdale without opening my wings." That hits you like a stampede, and you have to fight back tears.

After a long moment of silence, straining to control yourself, you're barely able to mutter out, "I'm sorry, Echo."

"Don't say that, Birdy," she says, pulling your face back up to look at her. You're not even sure when you looked away. "You've given me the most beautiful gift a mare can receive. I was afraid at first, but I realised how much I love the little filly growing inside of me. I knew I would have to be strong for her, just like you were always strong for—OH!" The cyan mare jumps a little, startled by some unseen force, and immediately, she starts to smile like a madpony.

"Give me your hoof!" She excitedly motions for you to come closer, something you do without hesitation. As you reach a hoof out to her, she quickly grasps it within her own and places it on her swollen belly; the warmth of her skin against your hoof is amazing. Your next thought is interrupted by a thump against your hoof, a feeling that makes you gasp and pull your hoof away.

"Echo, I can't just let you do this alone." You slide off the bench and stand up. "I've got to—"

"Birdy, stop." She grasps your foreleg firmly with her hoof, causing you to turn to face her. "I wish that you could share this with me, but you know as well as I do, that as soon as you go back to her, your feelings for her will eclipse anything you feel for me. I'm just a ghost of your past. You need to move on."

"Please, do it for me, because I can't." the cyan mare gazes deeply into your eyes; the way her emerald jewels shimmer in the moonlight cause you to stumble over your words.

"Thank you, Birdy. Thank you for everything," she says, gesturing to her swollen belly as she speaks. A smile spreads across her face as she continues, sounding excited, "I can't wait to be able to hold my little filly in my hooves, or to groom her mane or preen her wings, just like my mother did when I was a foal." Her eyes slide closed, and she places her hooves lightly on the bulge in her lower body. You watch as her lips start quivering. Soon, the tips of her lips have turned upwards in a serene smile, and when she opens her eyes again you can see the glistening of tears in the moonlight.

The cyan Pegasus clambers off of the bench and stands with her face just inches away from yours. "Thank you, again." Her wild, white and blue mane glows brightly under the light of Luna's moon, but ultimately, the beauty of her eyes, filled with joyful tears is what causes you to lose control of the warmth in your heart.

"I love you, Echo." Her eyes shoot open wide, and her mouth forms into a cute little "o" as you slowly lean in. Your lips meet in a series of short kisses with your lips and tongues lapping over each other softly. The kisses become longer and more passionate as you go on. Soon, your tongues are dancing over each other's; her taste is very mild. It reminds you of drinking from a mountain spring.

You break away from her lips, planting a light kiss on her cheek. Dragging your lips across her silky coat, you move your way across her jawline and down her neck. Every so often, you give her a light kiss or a gentle nip. She tilts her head up and away from you, exposing more of her neck for your ministrations. You begin to run your hoof through her mane and down the back of her neck. Through the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of her wings rising to attention. Her racing heart can be felt through your lips when you plant a firm kiss on the crest of her neck. Still moving your hoof down her spine, you nip at the nape of her neck just as your hoof reaches the base of her wing. She gasps at your assault on her senses.

"No," she says, pulling away from you and breathing heavily. "I'm sorry, as much as I want to, I can't let you ruin what you have. Goodbye, Birdy." The cyan mare turns and slowly walks away, fading into the darkness.

Jarred from your sleep, you bolt upright, reaching your hoof out to grasp at the image of the cyan filly fading into the darkness around you. Your heart beats furiously in your throat, pushing icy guilt through your veins. Desperately trying to catch your breath, you clutch a hoof to your chest. The feeling of another hoof being placed against your side startles you.

"Hun, what's wrong?" Your eyes finally begin to focus on the dark world around you as you trace the white hoof down to your sleepy sounding marefriend; her beautiful eyes look up to you with concern. Before it can take hold, the shame in your heart is replaced by the fires of love.

"Nothing, Red. Just a dream." The white mare inches closer to you, running her hoof over your chest in a way that has always calmed your nerves. As your breathing returns to normal, you lie down and pull the bed linens back over your body.

"It was the dream about her again, wasn't it?" she pushes, pressing her body up against your side and resting her chin on your chest. You drape your foreleg over her body, and you place your hoof just below her shoulder.

"At first, I relived some of the most powerful days of our relationship. But then she was there, and just like the other times, I kissed her." You turn your head away from your mare and stare at the dark wall. Immediately, her hoof pulls your head back around to her.

"It was just a dream, Hun. You know that night went completely differently." As her eyes slide shut, you look down to her with a faint smile, but can't suppress a sigh as the weight of the moment is lifted off of your shoulders. Her eyes crack back open ever so slightly. "Something else wrong, Hun?"

"No. As long as I've got you, everything is fine. I realise that now." You punctuate your statement by softly pecking her on the lips. "Go back to sleep, Red." She wraps her forelegs around your body and shifts her head to the side, nuzzling your chest lovingly.

You watch her tenderly as she shifts and fidgets, trying to get comfortable; after a few minutes, the pulses of her breath across your coat become slow and steady. It always makes you smile when she falls asleep in your hooves.

You lay your head back against your pillow, and stare blankly up at the recessed ceiling, lost completely in your thoughts. Your last words really did hit home; they were something that your heart and mind finally agreed on. As long as you had Hope, your world would be perfect.

We are our Habits

by Agarwaen

From the End of all Things