//------------------------------// // The Warmth of Life and Love // Story: Dark Matter // by moguera //------------------------------// Chapter 24: The Warmth of Life and Love "Do you know where Perlin went?" asked Kombu as he approached Wight Shade as the dark-tan stallion was looking over some notes in the study. "I'm afraid not," said Wight, looking up from his research, "I think he went out sometime last night, something about today being a big day." Kombu blinked as he recalled what day it was. "Really now? He hadn't told me anything about a fillyfriend." "There was something he was troubled over when he was working for Elderflower," said Wight calmly, "I think a filly was involved." Already, many of the details concerning his collaboration with and use of the Baron had faded in Wight's memory, as they had little to no bearing on his current work. He couldn't even be bothered to remember why Perlin had suddenly changed his mind about having his wings altered. "Hmm..." mused Kombu, "I'm a little surprised. I didn't even know that Perlin thought about things like that." "Ponies change," said Wight with an indifferent shrug. Kombu nodded. However, in the back of his mind, he noted, Although, some don't seem to change nearly as much, as he looked at Wight over the desk. Dawn's stomach growled loudly as he settled onto the blanket Scootaloo had laid out. His fillyfriend had through of everything, it seemed. In front of him was a small tower of bamboo steamers, from which wafted the scent of the onion soup dumplings that Dawn liked so much. Arrayed around the steamers, which stood proudly, like the artful centerpiece of a dining arrangement, were a variety of other foods and treats, many of them savory, rather than sweet. Dawn had been surprised to learn from Scootaloo that Pinkie had apparently prepared a special menu just for him. He made a note to thank Pinkie profusely the next time he saw her. Set off to the side was a small black box from Bon Bon's sweet shop (where Caramel worked). "Are you waiting for the dumplings to go cold?" prodded Scootaloo as she settled in next to Dawn, "Let's dig in." Needing no more prompting, Dawn used the tips of his feathers to lift the lid of the steamer and separate the individual pieces of the tower, which he settled in front of himself and Scootaloo. The two then used their primaries to delicately pluck the dumplings from their spots and pop them into their mouths. Dawn relished in the flavors of caramelized onions and melted cheese as it spread through his mouth and hummed in pleasure. The two of them slowly made their way through the spread, taking the time to enjoy each bite, letting the warmth of the peaceful afternoon wash over them. One of Dawn's wings draped itself over Scootaloo's back, his feathers brushing down her sides, prompting happy shivers from the filly as she tried to focus on her meal. After they finished eating most of the food and had packed what they hadn't finished away, Scootaloo opened the box she'd gotten from Bon Bon's. Inside were a number of small truffles. These had been ones that Bon Bon had made especially to suit Dawn's palate, having cut back on the sweetness and richness and using flavors that appealed to the colt, like tea and chile peppers. They were delicious, but, more importantly, Dawn could stomach them with relative ease, especially compared to how he normally reacted to such rich and sweet dainties. For his part, Dawn was amazed at the consideration that Scootaloo had shown him in planning out their date. She'd gone out of her way to arrange for foods and treats that would appeal to his rather particular sense of taste, something he knew sometimes caused difficulty for his friends and family. As he and Scootaloo helped themselves to the truffles, one at a time, he leaned against her, resting his cheek against hers. "Thank you for doing all this for me," he whispered softly, his breath gently tickling the filly's ear. "Hey," said Scootaloo, even as she blushed, "It's your first Hearts and Hooves Day. I had to make it special." "You didn't have to," said Dawn, "But I'm glad you did. I'm so lucky that I get to be with you." Letting out a happy sigh, Scootaloo lowered her head, rubbing the top of it along Dawn's chin as she moved under his head and rested her own across his forelegs. "Heh," she snorted, "You've got to be the sappiest coltfriend I could ever have." "But still yours," said Dawn, lowering his head to rest on top of hers. "Yeah," agreed Scootaloo, letting her eyes drift closed as the two of them basked in the warmth of the sun, "Still mine." Dawn lazily surveyed the park as his eyes drifted closed...only to shoot open again as he abruptly lifted his head up to look for the pony that had caught his attention. To his shock, he spotted a familiar-looking dark-gray mare making her way through the park, her eyes scanning all the ponies present. Dawn tensed, the slight motion rousing Scootaloo in the process, as his eyes locked with Shade Steel's. However, she blinked and then slightly inclined her head towards him before continuing on her way. Dawn watched her as she made her way to a nearby hill, where Dawn could see Big Macintosh and Ditzy Doo cuddling together as they watched Dinky frolic in the grass. "Something wrong?" asked Scootaloo in a concerned tone. As Dawn watched as Shade stopped a short distance away from Macintosh and his family and raised a hoof in greeting. At this distance, there was no way to know what they were talking about, but he saw the nervous and angry looks on Macintosh and Ditzy's faces fade as Shade continued to speak. The frightened look on Dinky's face was fading into a more sympathetic one. Dawn found himself smiling and he relaxed again and lowered his head back down. "No," he replied to Scootaloo's question, "Nothing's wrong...just watching somepony keep a promise." "Are ya feelin' better now?" asked Apple Bloom as she leaned up against Spike, the two of them both dripping wet after a dip in the lake. Spike now felt silly for fretting so much over his outfit, considering that Bloom had chosen to wear nothing and that he'd ended up stripping out of it so that the two of them could enjoy an afternoon of splashing and frolicking in the cool water. They weren't the only ones. While the season was still in transition between spring and summer, the afternoon heat was nothing to scoff at. The Weather Team had arranged for a nice breeze to blow through town and set up plenty of clouds for shade. But taking a dip in the clear waters of the park's lake was still a pretty popular idea. All around them were numerous other ponies, both individuals and couples, lounging on towels or playing in the water. Mares tossed their soaked manes and gave their companions sultry winks. Couples wrestled playfully, splashing or dunking one another, occasionally coming up for kisses as often as they came up for breath. Spike nodded in answer to Bloom's question and tightened his arms around her as she squirmed up against him to press more of herself against his body. "Yeah. I'm back to sending letters again. The Princess and Twilight both think that, so long as I don't try helping to coordinate a Guard operation again, I should be fine now." There was no trace of the gravelly hoarseness in his voice that had followed him in the days after Celestia had led the Royal Guard against the Cult Solar strongholds across Equestria. "Ah'm glad," said Bloom, tucking her head under his chin and nuzzling into his neck. Now that they had come out of the lake and were nicely damp, the cooling breeze was practically chilling as it teased her wet fur. Normally, she would have wrapped herself up in a towel. But she had something better than a towel right now. She had a dragon. Spike's scales were damp as well, but the cold bothered him much less than it did Bloom. In fact, the fire that burned inside him made his scales pleasantly warm to the touch, his embrace staving off the wind's chill and making Bloom feel pleasantly sleepy in the wake of their vigorous play earlier. "What about you?" asked Spike, "Are you feeling better now?" "A lot better," said Bloom, thinking back to how upset she had been in the weeks after her grandmother's death, "Ah think Ah've come to accept it now." She sighed. "Ah still have mah moments, though. Ya come down the stairs fer breakfast and expect to see her there, already up and makin' stuff, but she ain't. The house feels a little empty without her in it." Spike reached up with a clawed hand and used it to gently scratch behind Bloom's ear, eliciting an almost catlike purr from the filly. "I guess losing somepony who was such a big part of your life takes some getting used to," he said. "Yeah," said Bloom, "But Ah'm lucky to have mah drakefriend to help me through it." She kissed Spike on the lips, smiling against him as she felt his tail curling around her and pulling her closer to him. Sweetie Belle took a long pull on the straw, relishing in the chocolate and strawberry flavors of the milkshake as she swallowed. On the table across from her, Rumble sucked on a second straw, the two of them working together to finish the thick, creamy beverage resting in a tall glass on the table between them. All around them, other couples were doing much the same thing at their own tables. Sugarcube Corner was bustling with customers coming in and going out. The tables were crowded with ponies, frequently in pairs, chatting and giggling with each other as they shared pastries or beverages. The two foals had been quite lucky to score a table of their own. Given the nature of the holiday, ponies generally lingered at their tables a good bit longer than usual, slowing down the cycle of customers in and out of the shop. Even setting out several umbrella-covered tables in front of the establishment had barely made a dent. A few times, scuffles had nearly broken out between frustrated customers who wanted tables of their own and couples who wanted to linger at their tables a little longer. Only the continuous efforts of Pinkie Pie and Mayweather managed to keep things under control, with Pinkie doing her absolute best to broker compromises between aggrieved parties before their bickering could ruin the spirit of the day and Mayweather occasionally shouldering the burden of the customers' agitation as she urged those couples who had clearly finished eating and drinking to take their leave so that others could have a chance. Thus, despite the occasional raised voice, things inside the bakery were peaceful and happy. "By the way, have you heard from the Academy yet?" asked Rumble, looking over the milkshake at Sweetie. Sweetie smiled and nodded. "I did. They got Vinyl and Ms. Octavia's recommendations and they want me to show up for an audition. According to Vinyl, it should be easy for me to get a full scholarship." "When's the audition?" asked Rumble, returning Sweetie's smile. "In a month," she said, "Rarity's already making plans for us to head down to Trottingham. She's trying to see if our parents can meet us there so we can make a vacation of it." "Do you think they'll make it?" asked Rumble. "I don't know," Sweetie admitted, "Last I heard, they were still somewhere up in the Horseshoe Bay area. It's hard to get ahold of them sometimes." "I'll bet," said Rumble, raising an eyebrow. Sweetie and Rarity's parents were rather notorious for what someponies considered to be a rather cavalier attitude towards raising their children, namely by seeming to strive to be absent from their lives as much as possible. In recent years, Sweetie had spent more time staying at the Boutique with Rarity than with the house she was technically supposed to be sharing with her parents. Given the recent disaster with Terra Heart, that had worked out in their favor, as it allowed Rarity and Sweetie to move into the house while they waited for repairs on the Boutique to be finished. Nopony seemed to be quite sure why Rarity and Sweetie's parents were abroad so often or for so long. Some ponies speculated that the pair were enjoying an endless series of vacations, one after another, whilst others speculated that their travels had something to do with their work. Theories ranging from them being criminals on the run to being secret agents of Celestia abounded. Most mares thought that pushing Sweetie onto Rarity when the older sister had her own business to look after was negligence of the worst sort. Those ideas had been whispered much more frequently when Sweetie's parents failed to show up for her cutecenera. For her part, Sweetie had never expressed any dissatisfaction with her and Rarity's situation. It helped that she idolized her older sister and loved spending time with her. Rarity had originally seemed frustrated with the arrangement, especially when Sweetie went from staying days to staying months at a time, long enough for Rarity to register her as a dependent on her tax forms. However, she seemed to have come to terms with Sweetie's continued presence and had basically become something more akin to Sweetie's mother than her sister. "I'm sure things'll work out," said Rumble, "Even if your parents can't make it, I know you and Rarity will have a good time." "Yeah," chirped Sweetie, not seeming the slightest bit troubled by the possibility of her parents being no-shows. "What about you?" she asked, "Have you thought about where you'll be going when you get out of school?" "Well...I was originally planning on going into the Weather Team," said Rumble, "But..." "But what?" asked Sweetie, leaning forward. Rumble scratched his head, "Storm Front and Arkenstone have been talking to me. They think that maybe I should look into working for the Ministry of Welfare. Storm's even been writing to Softhoof to help figure out a career path for me. You remember her, right?" "Uh huh," said Sweetie, nodding. It would have been hard to forget the paradoxically named mare who'd come to evaluate Fluttershy's suitability as Dawn's mother. Stern, but fair, Softhoof had investigated Fluttershy and Dawn quite thoroughly. After the whole debacle at Diamond Mountain, Softhoof had ascended to the position of director of the Department of Foal Protection Services after the previous director had resigned due to his part in the whole affair. "Is that what you want?" asked Sweetie. "I'm not sure," admitted Rumble with a shrug, "But Storm Front and Arkenstone seem to think it's worth looking into. Even if I don't want to go into Foal Protection, working in the ministry might be a good idea." He frowned thoughtfully and looked down at the table. "I think it would be a great idea," said Sweetie, beaming, "You really like helping ponies, especially ponies that are having a hard time. Imagine all the good you can do for foals around Equestria if you did that." "That would be nice," said Rumble with a small smile, "You'd be okay with it? It's a job that would probably have me going all over the place." "Sure," said Sweetie, "If you can handle me going to school in Trottingham, then I think I can handle you helping ponies in different parts of Equestria." Rumble smiled to himself. "I guess I'll look into it." He sighed. "But we don't have to worry about that right now. Let's just have some fun." He noticed their milkshake was almost completely drained. "Let's finish this and get out of here." "Okay," said Sweetie. "Missed me!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she darted away from Soarin's reaching hooves, mischievously letting the very tip of her tail brush playfully against the tip of his nose. "You've gotta try harder than that, boya!" "That so?" growled Soarin' playfully as he pumped his wings, putting on a burst of speed as he tried to overtake Rainbow, his eyes glued to her toned haunches as she flew ahead, just barely out of his reach. Giving him a teasing glance over her shoulder, Rainbow went into a roll then banked sharply to the right at such a tight angle that she almost completely reversed directions in the air, shooting right past Soarin' before he could even think about reaching out to catch her. Gritting his teeth, Soarin' pulled to the right, putting all his weight into the motion, turning as tightly as he could manage, swerving around to see Rainbow casually flying away from him with a smirk on her face, looking almost as though she was lounging on her back even as she sped away. Soarin' put on a fresh burst of speed in an effort to close the gap between them. it worked and Rainbow was soon in his reach. However, just as he was about to extend his forelegs and wrap them around her barrel, Rainbow changed directions again, zipping upwards out of his reach. And on it went. The two of them darted through the skies, twisting and rolling, turning and banking as Soarin' tried hard to catch his fillyfriend whilst she taunted him by hanging just barely outside of his reach. His mind went back to the last time he had done this with her. The last time had been much more serious. Back then, she had also been at the limit of her strength and endurance and had still forced him to use all of his strength and skill to keep up with her. Now that she was in prime form, especially after her heavy training with the Wonderbolts and Firefly, Rainbow was making it quite clear that she could fly circles around Soarin' on his best day. She was in complete control of this game, tantalizing him with feathery brushes of her wings and tail, but not allowing him to get ahold of her. I think I'm gonna need to step up my training regimen if I wanna keep up with her, thought Soarin' soberly. He tried to think of what it would be like if all of the Wonderbolts were trained up to her level. Of course, once she finished her training under Firefly, Rainbow's flying would probably be on another plane entirely. Soarin's eyes were glued to Rainbow as she pulled up to loop over him. With her namesake mane and tail dancing behind her and the sun shining through the gaps between her feathers, she had an almost angelic look. The look she gave him with those magnificent cerise eyes of her made Soarin's heart thump in a way that had nothing to do with their current activities. He was almost completely consumed with the desire to take her in his arms, hold her tightly, and never let go. Their little game had begun simply enough. They'd spent a little while touring the town, seeing what kind of activities there were and what fun was to be had. Unfortunately, Rainbow's patience with sappy stuff had quickly wound down, despite her new appreciation for the holiday and what it stood for. So instead, she had looked for something she and Soarin' could do that they would both enjoy. Naturally, her mind had settled on one activity, flying. And so their one-sided game of tag had begun. It had only taken a minute to make it clear that Rainbow Dash was simply toying with Soarin'. But he found himself enjoying it anyway. He always relished the opportunity to see Rainbow in her element, doing what she did best. He only hoped that he could catch her at some point. Rainbow Dash pulled up into a steep climb, Soarin' charging up after her. The two of them surged upwards, leaving Ponyville far below, climbing up well past the altitude that Cloudsdale rested at, shooting higher and higher with each passing second. The air grew colder and thinner, noticeable in spite of their pegasus physiology. Soarin' wondered just how high Rainbow planned to go. Maybe she's planning on breaking Estelle's record, he mused idly as he pumped his wings harder in an effort to keep up with her. His shoulders were burning, his wingtips and hooves were starting to feel numb. The bite of the cold was sharper than ever and he strained for each and every breath. Up above, he saw Rainbow shoot a glance back before she suddenly stopped, flaring her wings out wide as she slowly began to fall backwards. Soarin' strained to put on one last fresh burst of speed to close the last few meters between them, turning his flight so that he came up under her back, matching her posture. He wrapped his forelegs around her barrel, sliding them up to hug her chest and pull her up against him. Rainbow's wings folded as Soarin' wrapped his own around her, enshrouding her with his feathers as the two of them began to fall. "Gotcha," he whispered into her ear. Rainbow didn't answer with words, but instead twisted her head around so that she could plant her lips on his. Soarin' kissed her back with all of the vigor he possessed, teasing her lips with his tongue before she opened them to grant him entrance, their tongues dancing together as the two of them stayed locked in their kiss, the ground looming up below them. Soarin's wings spread out and he turned their fall into a glide that carried them to a vacant cloud. The two of them skidded to a stop, throwing up puffs of white mist. Rainbow giggled as she squirmed a little in his grip, but Soarin' refused to let her go. "That was awesome," she said breathlessly. "It sure was," agreed Soarin', "Wanna keep going?" Rainbow grinned playfully at him. "You bet," she said before kissing him again. Coco Pommel took her time ambling through town, watching the various couples mingling with each other with envious eyes. She sighed and felt a disappointed shiver go down her spine. She knew better than to think that she would see Perlin today. It wasn’t as though he could just come waltzing into town to visit, particularly when so many ponies who had marked him as a threat were here. On top of that, even with the black cloak he wore to keep them from showing, there was always the risk that his mithril wings would draw plenty of attention on their own. Besides, it seemed as though Perlin had decided to give up on any idea of a relationship with her, just when Coco was feeling that she might actually be willing to reciprocate his feelings. That night, at Elderflower’s manor, the last time she had seen him, it had felt so much like he was saying goodbye to her, like he didn’t plan on seeing her again. Even if that was true, Coco desperately hoped that Perlin had taken what she had said to heart about what he needed to do, about how he needed to grow. She’d gotten the impression that he’d left her because there was something he needed to do that she wouldn’t like, not because he simply wanted to go back to doing things the way he had always done them. Lost in thought, she barely noticed her meandering path taking her through the park and out into Whitetail Woods. Out here, there were fewer ponies, most of them being more interested in picnics out in the open or in the activities available in town. It was a bit of a shame. The woods were beautiful this time of year, the trees all decked out in their finest greenery, enshrouding the area with dappled light that seemed to dance with every stirring of the breeze. Out here, Coco was alone with her thoughts…as well as just plain alone. She’d never thought there would be a time where she’d miss having Perlin drop in on her from out of nowhere without a single warning. She let out a disappointed sigh and pondered heading back to the Boutique for the evening. There were some projects she could work on to keep herself busy at least. “I didn’t think you’d be alone today,” said a soft, familiar voice from behind her. Coco gasped, jumping in surprise before whirling around to see none other than Perlin Bluestreak standing behind her, an uncharacteristically nervous smile on his face as he observed her with his hawklike eyes. “Perlin!” she exclaimed, “You came!” Perlin’s smile quivered and threatened to widen. “Well…I thought it wouldn’t be wise, but…I guess I just couldn’t stay away.” He seemed surprised, tensing slightly as Coco threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. “I was worried about you,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, “You never came back.” Raising a foreleg of his own, Perlin returned the embrace somewhat awkwardly. “There were things I needed to do. I needed to make sure that you wouldn’t be bothered again.” Pulling back, Coco gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?” Perlin averted his eyes and Coco was surprised to see something that looked like shame in his expression. “I don’t think you’d want to know.” The bottom dropped out of Coco’s stomach and she had a fairly good idea of what Perlin had done. Whatever it had been, it had probably involved killing, maybe even a lot of killing. Knowing that Perlin was a killer was frightening enough. But knowing that he might have killed ponies for her sake made Coco feel sick to her core. Part of her wanted to turn and run, to never look at Perlin again. She knew by now that, if she did, he wouldn’t make any effort to stop or pursue her. He would probably back off entirely and never try to contact her again, especially now that he no longer worked for Baron Elderflower. The part of her that she hoped was the better part took that other part and quashed it mercilessly. For all that he’d done, for all that he might do, she felt in her heart of hearts that she couldn’t simply run away from Perlin Bluestreak…not anymore. “Maybe I don’t want to know,” she said in agreement after a long silence, “I don’t know if I can ever like how you did it, but I’m still glad that you were looking to protect me.” She reached up with a hoof and gently brushed it against his cheek. “I thought I might not ever see you again.” “There was a time where you’d probably have been overjoyed at that thought,” said Perlin, glancing off to the side. “There was,” said Coco, “But not anymore.” She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his, holding it there for a few seconds before pulling away. “I know that you can be a better pony. I want to help you be that pony…if you’ll let me.” Perlin’s cheeks were flushed from the kiss as he looked at Coco. “I suppose I could.” “Good,” said Coco, “Part of being a better pony is not running away from the things you’ve done or the things you need to do.” Perlin nodded. “So now what?” Her heart quickening, Coco gave Perlin her brightest smile, “We enjoy what’s left of the day,” she said, “I want to show you something…” "What do you think?" asked Rarity, looking pointedly at the pasta with mushroom cream sauce that Flaxseed had ordered. "It's delicious," said Flaxseed as he used his fork, held delicately in the grip of his magic, to gather up another mouthful of noodles and bite down on it. He chewed for a few seconds, relishing in the flavors as they spread throughout his mouth, the fragrance of the mushrooms and the spices they''d been cooked with seeping up into his nose. When he swallowed, Flaxseed let out a contented sigh before taking up his wine glass and taking a sip. "What about you? Is that any good?" He nodded towards the slice of quiche that Rarity had on her own plate. "As marvelous as could be expected from an establishment like this," said Rarity, dabbing at her lips delicately with a napkin. While she'd been worried at first, it was clear that Flaxseed was enjoying himself. When they had set out, she'd noticed that he'd hardly glanced around him, his worries seemingly forgotten for the evening. Instead, she'd caught him glancing repeatedly at her, averting his eyes and blushing like a shy young colt whenever their gazes met. She'd prayed to herself that they wouldn't be interrupted by any loud, sudden noises, even as she relished the looks that Flaxseed was sending her way. As they ate, they enjoyed pleasant conversation, mostly about the different orders Rarity had received recently. Ponies' ideas for how to dress for their Hearts and Hooves Day dates ranged from the elegant to the downright absurd. As always, the ponies with the most absurd ideas were the ones who tended to reject the suggestion of any modification the most strongly. Despite the fact that Rarity was the master artisan who had earned the Royal Warrant for herself, it seemed that a great many ponies still believed that they knew better than her how to do her job. As the evening wore on, Rarity noticed that she tended to be the one doing most of the talking, while Flaxseed listened attentively and chimed in on a few occasions. She realized it was probably due to the fact that he didn't get out all that much, even if he was feeling better about living in Ponyville, he still had yet to find activities that he wanted to do on his own or friends, aside from her, Sweetie, and a few others, that he might want to do them with. He could probably tell her about all the numbers he'd been crunching recently or the financial affairs that he'd sorted out on the behalf of Mayor Mare. But that would have made for tedious conversation at best. However, she also noticed that Flaxseed was wearing a pensive frown as the conversation wound down. "Is something the matter?" she asked. Flaxseed looked up at her, startled by her question. For a moment, he seemed to be seriously considering just dismissing her concern and deflecting the conversation in another direction. However, seeing the look in her eyes instead made Flaxseed sigh and look away. "I...I just..." "Are you feeling uncomfortable?" asked Rarity, "I understand if you feel a bit too vulnerable here." "Th-that's not it...Well it is...sort of..." Flaxseed lowered his head so that his muzzle was nearly resting on his plate, hovering just inches over the recently emptied piece of porcelain. "I'm...pathetic..." "Pathetic?" asked Rarity, aghast by the mere suggestion of the idea. "I'm a mess," said Flaxseed, still staring morosely at the remains of his meal, "After everything you've done for me, after all of that, I'm still afraid to even leave the Boutique. I'm such a panicky mess that those thugs actually used it to their advantage. They got away with foalnapping because I can't handle myself." "Flaxseed...that's not-" Rarity was cut off sharply as Flaxseed looked back up, his eyes meeting her. Rarity saw them flicker red and catlike for the briefest of seconds, but then they were back to their normal shape. "I'm such a paranoid fool that I can't even go out with you unless you find us a table in the corner, like I'm some kind of picky child." He closed his eyes and shook his head vigorously. "I think I understand what you're trying to do, but you shouldn't. I'm just the broken shell of a pony whose pieces you've put back together I...I fixated on you because you're one of the few ponies whose truly cared about me or tried to help me in a long time, even though you know what I am. But we shouldn't...It's just...You can do better than me...You should do better than me." "That's enough!" The plates rattled as Rarity pounded both of her hooves onto the the table, the sudden outburst and the noise accompanying it causing Flaxseed to let out a startled yelp and jump backwards, his eyes flaring red again and staying that way this time as he gaped at her. Rarity's first instinct was to immediately backtrack, calm down and go to his side, soothe his worries and get him relaxed again, lest she trigger another of his violent panic attacks. However, that was exactly the problem. She had tread so lightly with Flaxseed that she'd forgotten that, sometimes, even a pony like him needed somepony to be firm, even stern with him. Some of what he had said was true. Rarity had put a great deal of thought and effort into helping Flaxseed recover from his traumas, coming to care for him as a result of that. He saw her affection as merely an extension of sympathy and pity for him. To be honest, it had certainly started that way. However, it had begun to change into something more earnest when Rarity had looked past Flaxseed's issues, to the stallion he could be if he wanted. Despite all the obstacles poised between them, Rarity had fallen for that stallion. Perhaps it wouldn't work out between them, maybe they would figure out that they were better off seeing other ponies. Relationships sometimes went that way. But Rarity was determined that they would end such a relationship on their terms, not because Flaxseed was unable to overcome his fears and neuroses. She refused to give up on him that easily. She flinched, feeling the pressure of eyes on her from all directions. Looking around, Rarity realized that her outburst had attracted the attention of all the other ponies in the establishment. Now every customer and waiter was staring at her and Flaxseed with looks of worry and confusion. Rarity blushed as she realized she was making a spectacle of herself and Flaxseed. Lighting her horn, she conjured a shimmering, azure field that settled into a dome over her, the table, and Flaxseed, enclosing the entire space. The ambient noise from outside was cut off and anything she or Flaxseed said inside its boundaries would not be heard without. With a sigh, she turned back to Flaxseed, who was still watching her, his body tense, his crimson gaze was possibly inches away from flinging the plate on the table in front of him at her head. Rather than apologize or settle down, Rarity instead narrowed her eyes. "I don't recall saying anything about needing or wanting better. Better is not the issue here. You're upset because you see yourself as weak and unable to move beyond your own pain, but I know that you're better than that. You're afraid to step out on your own. You feel you can't overcome that fear, but you're wrong. It's not that you can't...but that you won't." Flaxseed opened his mouth to protest, but Rarity quickly cut him off before he could utter a single syllable. "And don't tell me that I'm overestimating you. I know you're a stronger pony than this, Flaxseed. I know this because, if you weren't, we would have never met at all. You survived all those attempts on your life, cultists hounding you ceaselessly. And, on top of all that, you found the courage to come here, when, by all rights, you had no reason to expect anything more than another elaborate trap." Now her expression softened and she gave him a warm smile as she navigated around the table and took Flaxseed in her arms, maneuvering him so that his face was pressed into her shoulder. "You're a stronger stallion than you realize. I know because I've seen it and that's the pony I fell for. That's the Flaxseed I want to go out on dates with, the stallion I want holding me at night. I want to hear the fun things you did with your friends, the life you have outside of me and my Boutique. I want you to have those things and I know that you can. You just need the same courage that kept you alive until now." Pulling away from him slightly, Rarity used one forehoof to tip Flaxseed's chin upwards. His eyes were back to normal again. "You've survived, Flaxseed. But it's time to stop worrying about survival. You need to live." With that, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. It was a light, chaste touch, but Rarity and Flaxseed both felt as though a spark, like a burst of static electricity, had jumped between them. Rarity's nerves hummed with pleasure as she leaned in and kissed him again, holding it a little longer this time. She felt Flaxseed's own forelegs come up to reciprocate the embrace and pull her tighter against himself as he began to return the kiss. Finally, they pulled away again. "Do you feel better?" asked Rarity. "I-I think I do," said Flaxseed, blinking before averting his eyes again, "What you suggested...I'll try..." "That's all I ask, dear," said Rarity, gently brushing his mane out of his eyes, "Nopony said that this would be fast or easy. But it is very necessary. And, like I said, it's what you need." "Thank you," said Flaxseed. "You're welcome, darling," said Rarity, letting him go and returning to her seat. Lowering the sound dampening spell, she turned and beamed at their waiter, who had been standing outside the dome, at a loss to figure out what was going on inside. "Check please." "Arky," said Twilight, a hint of warning in her tone as she narrowed her eyes at the stallion across the table from her, "you're doing it again." Arkenstone flinched at Twilight's deadpan tone, his ears going flat against his head. "I'm sorry," he said contritely. Letting out a sigh, Twilight forced herself to calm down. It was perfectly understandable that her coltfriend was still jumpy and wary after what had happened. Many times during the day, she caught herself looking over her shoulder, envisioning Swift Stride creeping up behind her, his blade out, aiming right for her neck or some other vulnerable portion of her body. After the issue with the Noble Court had been taken care of, Twilight had dared to hope that she might not have to live with as much stress as she had before when both the Noble Court and the Cult Solar had been active. All she should have had to worry about was Morning Star or Wight Shade, as he now called himself, planning an experiment that could threaten Equestria and the rest of the world with total annihilation. While the Princesses in Canterlot searched for any sign of Wight/Morning's presence, Twilight only had to worry about researching the Dark Matter he had created and how it could be used to achieve his aims and how those aims had been thwarted. Business as usual, in other words. But, of course, the stallion acknowledged as the most powerful of the Celestial Knights just had to come in and decide that her work had actually made her a threat, rather than a boon to Celestia's efforts and try to kill her as a result. That Swift was so skilled that he'd incapacitated Arkenstone without much noticeable effort only added to the issue. Having a pony like that aiming for her life was worse than the Noble Court and the Cult Solar put together. But still, Twilight would be damned if she was going to allow Swift Stride to ruin her romantic evening with Arkenstone. Firefly was in Ponyville as well, keeping a sharp eye out for the black-clad stallion. If he did make any effort to intrude, she would hopefully catch him first. Even if Swift did make it past Firefly's vigilant gaze, there was no way he would make it past Arkenstone without raising enough of a ruckus that Firefly wouldn't notice and be on her way to help within seconds. For the time being, she wanted both her and Arkenstone's thoughts on their time together. "We can't keep our guard up all the time," said Twilight sadly, "Let's just relax and enjoy ourselves for now. Swift Stride will come or he won't. That's all there is to it." "I suppose you're right," said Arkenstone with a resigned sigh, turning his attention back to the food. Rather than go out for dinner, Twilight and Arkenstone had opted to stay in and eat a meal that the two of them had prepared together. Twilight might not have been a whiz in the kitchen, but she at least considered herself somewhat competent as a cook. After all, recipes, with their organized lists of ingredients and carefully described steps appealed to her orderly sensibilities. Arkenstone had handled most of the cooking anyways. His sensitive nose made him, among other things, an amazing pony in the kitchen, as the vegetable and apple curry currently tantalizing her nostrils attested. Instead, the two of them ate in a comfortable silence. There wasn't much to talk about really. Construction was nearly completed on the new teahouse and all of Twilight's attention had been on studying Morning Star's archives. Neither of them was in much of a mood to talk shop. That was just fine by them. Once the meal was finished, Twilight cast a special spell she'd been working on. The dishes levitated themselves into the kitchen, where various scrub brushes began to clean them as they stacked off to the side of the sink. The spell was programed to run its course without any need for further direction from Twilight. Of course, she still had a few contingencies for canceling it if she had to. A similar spell she'd tried with mops in the Royal Palace in her younger years had taught her to never develop a self-managing spell without a means of turning it off. She'd rather do the dishes herself than end up with a flooded kitchen after all. As the spell ran its course, Twilight and Arkenstone settled in front of the fire. Twilight rested up against her stallion's side, enjoying the feeling of the shiver that ran through his body as he felt the differing textures of her dress brush up against her fur. Twilight silently reminded herself to thank Rarity for repairing the dress after it had been torn off during her abduction. "You know," she said softly, resting her head on Arkenstone's forelegs, "When this is all over, we should think of going somewhere." "Going somewhere?" asked Arkenstone, resting his head over hers. "You know, like a vacation," said Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?" Giggling, Twilight leaned her head in to nuzzle against his chest and rub up under his chin. "Yeah. We should go somewhere nice, just you, me, and Spike." "I figured you'd want to bring the other girls with you," observed Arkenstone. "Normally, yes," agreed Twilight, "But, once in a while, I think it'd be nice if we could just get away from everypony, have a nice romantic trip together..." "That would be nice," said Arkenstone, "But do you really want to bring Spike along. That would make it more of a family trip, don't you think?" "I suppose so," said Twilight, "It's just...Spike gets left behind so often when the girls and I go places. I thought I'd like to bring him along on a nice trip for once, not just because we need him to send letters or something." "Actually, prehaps it might be better to arrange him to go on a trip of his own, possibly with his fillyfriend and their other friends," suggested Arkenstone. "Maybe," said Twilight, "We'd have to make sure they're chaperoned, of course. They're all still minors after all. But I think Spike would like that a lot." "As for where, I think I might have an idea," said Arkenstone with a slight smile. "What sort of idea?" asked Twilight. "It's something that Rarity's been talking to me about," he explained, "It might even be a good idea to go sooner, rather than later. I know that Morning Star is still a threat and we have no idea how far along his plans are, but it could take months or even years before he's ready to put the final phase of his plan into motion. I don't think any of us wants to wait that long. We can always hope that Celestia manages to track him down before that. But until then, all we can really do is just continue to prepare. "But, at the same time, we do need to take the opportunity to rest and recover ourselves. After everything we've been through, I think that taking some well-deserved time off will help all of us recover our strength and focus so that we're ready when the time finally comes to confront Morning Star." "Maybe you're right," said Twilight, "But where is this place that you're thinking of taking all of us?" "I think you'll like it," said Arkenstone, "It's a quaint little seaside town called Gallopoli..."