“Lieutenant?” I called, hurrying down the hall after the purple-clad flank.
Silent Knight turned suddenly and I slid to the a stop right beside him. “Yes?” he asked, looking down at me.
Why are pegasi so big? Especially the stallions. Silent seemed particularly big and intimidating with his dark armor and stern demeanor. It took me a moment to find my train of thought. “I need a favor!”
“I suppose that is fair. What can I do for you?” he asked, his expression blank.
Wringing my hooves I asked, “Could you arrange a meeting for Lieutenant Day in your office?”
“I can. Why?”
“She has still been avoiding me and I really need to talk to her. She’ll come if you request her to do so. She won’t for me. I need to trap her.”
Silent Knight stood silently as if considering the proposition. “That seems dishonest.”
With a squeak I replied, “I know but it is for something important. Please? Please, sir! It is really important.”
He looked me over and I put on the biggest pleading eyes I could possibly manage. I had to get through this. I had to get it done. He was the only one who could help.
“Very well. I’ll set it up. Come by my office in an hour.”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir!” I replied before hurrying off to my office to wait. An hour was going to seem like an eternity today.
I settled at my desk and started to go through the files that were on it. A bit of work would keep me busy. Keep me focused. I was about to have a fight with Sunny. A big fight where I told her to leave us alone forever.
Mr. Clockerson ticked quietly on, watching me work.
I felt like he moved his pointers slower than normal but, eventually, an hour passed and I hurried up to Silent Knight’s office. When I got there the door was open. I peeked inside and found the stallion alone at his desk.
“Come in, Azurite. She’ll be here a quarter after the hour,” he said, somehow spotting me.
“Come in? With you? For a quarter hour alone?” I asked.
Silent Knight looked up from his paperwork. “Yes. Is there some problem with being with me?”
I eased my way in and over to his desk. After shaking my head, I replied, “There isn’t a problem. You just don’t…”
“I don’t, what?”
“You’re kind of scary, sir. All due respect!”
The lieutenant set his elbows on the desk and leaned forward to look at me. “First I was frowny and now I’m scary? Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know. You’re always so serious and lately you’ve been even more so than usual. Plus you were hanging out with that super scary chief warrant officer. Then you come to apologize and ask to be friends. I don’t know!”
His expression remained stoic and betrayed no emotion. He simply leaned back and nodded. “Fair enough. The chief is gone. It won’t happen again, as I said… and I’m only scary to the enemies of the crowns.”
“Yeah… I bet that is true,” I whispered.
The air in the room felt thick and the silence became awkward. I’d only been there a minute or so and we were already at odds. Silent Knight simply went back to whatever paperwork he was doing.
I sat in front of his desk with my back against it. That way I didn’t have to look at him. I didn’t want him to see me looking how I imagined I looked. Frightened, angry, distraught, a bundle of nerves.
“Silent Knight, do you know how busy I am? Why on Equestria do you need to see—” Sunny trailed when she came through the door and her eyes found me.
Behind the desk I heard the stallion get up. He walked around it and to the doorway. “Forgive me for deceiving you, Sunny. She said it was important enough to lie and I agreed with her enough to do it.” He then whispered something to her and finished with, “Talk to her.”
The golden mare looked to Silent Knight, back out the door, and finally just nodded. Once he had left she shut the door. “Azurite? What is all this about?” She wouldn’t look at me. Her eyes were over my head.
“You wouldn’t see me so I had to make him lie,” I explained, getting up.
Sunny’s head ducked a little and she replied, “Yes, I thought it would be easier that way.”
“It isn’t!” I shouted at her.
Rage had bubbled up from nowhere. My voice stayed loud. Really loud.
“Do you know how hard that is for me? You drop off Mr. Peepers without a word? You won’t talk to me? You won’t even look at me. How can you not care! You callous crabapple!”
Sunny looked down at me with tears in her eyes. It took me aback. I was the one that cried, not her.
“Not easier for you!” she shouted back. “For me! Do you think I’m happy? I come to work early and stay late just so I don’t have to be alone with myself. For once I really connected with some ponies and then I screwed it up. I couldn’t see you because when I do you’re a constant reminder of how I ruined something amazing. You two are something I can’t have and you’re all I want. You have to stay away from me!”
I swallowed, tears starting to well in my eyes. “Why didn’t you come tell me or him!” My body trembled as I shouted at her in frustration. Pent of energy poured into it. Anger, confusion, hurt. It was all going.
“You’re better off with Soarin! He won’t walk all over you,” she replied before sniffling and wiping her eyes in an attempt to regain her composure.
As the tears trailed down my cheeks I stormed over to her. “I came here to tell you to leave us alone. To never bother us! Since you just walked away!” I poked her in the breastplate with a hoof. “... But I can’t! I can’t!”
I grabbed her by the shoulders and tugged her down to force her to look at me. “You’re not going to walk on me! You’re not going to cheat. Stop pretending like you are. You broke a promise but you didn’t cheat before.”
The words just kept coming out, loud and angry. “You’re just running because THAT is what is easier. It’s easier to sit alone and feel like you’re the broken little mare than to actually do something about it. Classic Azurite! You’re not me though, you’re better than that. Act like it.” Then I slapped her. I actually slapped Sunny. Not hard and it was also on the helmet… but I slapped her.
Sunny lifted a hoof and leaned back. For a moment in her eyes I saw the royal guard instincts kick in. That is when I knew I was going to die. Instead of murdering me, however, she just blinked and stared. “You… you slapped me!”
“Yes!” I screamed back at her. Then my voice dropped. “Please don’t kill me.”
Sunny softly chuckled and wiped her eyes. They were red. “For a minute there I was going to.”
“Yeah… don’t slap House Guards. Unless they’re being stupid.”
“Sure. Sure. Soarin, though. He isn’t as accommodating as you.”
“Yes he is! He is! He still cooks for you every time he makes dinner. I thought he was just hungry but there is always enough for three. You’re going to have to apologize and smooth it over. I’ll help you, but you have to have your heart in it. I can tell you want it but for some reason you don’t seem willing to fight. Why? This isn’t like you at all! Why am I not worth fighting for!”
The mare rubbed a hoof along the opposite foreleg. “You are! I just want you to be happy! You can be happy with Soarin.”
“No, Sunny, I’m not complete without you. I’ve been thinking about you, pretending Pink Pony was you, and I’ve even been sending apology gifts to Soarin in your name. I can’t just write you out because most other ponies just end up in a couple. That doesn’t work for me. I came here to tell you off and I still can’t stop loving you!”
She stood silently before forcing a bit of levity into her voice. “One pony just isn’t enough for you?”
I looped my hooves around her neck and hugged her tightly. The sound was excruciating as our armor collided and scrapped. “Not now that I know you’re here sad. I could never be happy again. Please, come home with me.”
Sunny hugged me back. It was tight and even through the metal I felt the warmth. “Okay,” she whispered.
The golden mare then let me go and wiped her eyes. “I still have a House Guard to run for the rest of the day though and I can’t do it looking like this. All you have to worry about is upsetting your clock.”
“Be nice to Mr. Clockerson. He was the one that convinced me to fight for you.”
Sunny turned and set a hoof on the door handle. She looked back at me and said as she pulled the door open, “We may need to talk to your therapist about all of these voices you hear.” Turning back she squawked in surprise.
Silent Knight was standing right outside.
“Were you listening the whole time?” she asked, dread creeping into her voice.
“You two were shouting… a lot. It was drawing undue attention. I stayed and kept other ponies away,” he replied.
“Why?” Sunny asked.
He looked at her, perplexed. “It was none of their business and might impact your career.”
“But you heard.”
Silent Knight shook his head. “Since when have I cared about what you do off duty or who you love? You’re my partner and a good officer but you’ve been slipping up lately and covering it up with extra hours. You’ve been sad, drunk, and not prancing. I notice that kind of thing.”
He reached out and softly patted her on the shoulder. “Since missing Azurite and Soarin seems to be why you’ve been down you’d better listen to her and fix whatever needs fixing. If I noticed a difference I’m sure other ponies would and I would personally be sad to see you promoted to some obscure command.”
Sunny’s head tilted and she asked, “You’re actually sweet under all of that dark armor and muscle, aren’t you?”
He nodded. “Yes. Now get out of my office so I can do some work.”
“Of course,” Sunny said, cracking a smile. She lightly kissed his cheek, on the helmet of course, and hurried out.
Silent Knight came in and pointed a hoof. “You too, out please.”
“You know it's perfectly natural for thr—”
“Still not my business. Out!”
He didn’t have to tell me again. I hurried out and down to my office. That had not gone the way I’d expected it to. Not at all. All of our scheming and plans paled in comparison to just trapping her and talking. That never worked in the filly flicks! That just shows what those writers know.
♦♦♦
“Okay, so the plan is I’ll go in first, soften him up, and then you come in and we’ll sit down and talk. He thinks I was coming to break up with you forever. This is the opposite of that. I’m sure he’ll be happy but this is a surprise. A big surprise. A really big surprise and opposite of what I told him I was doing.” I said, having to trot fast to keep up with Sunny. She had longer legs and was walking with purpose.
“Okay?” I repeated. “Sunny?”
Sunny Day just kept on walking. She was looking more like her old self with every step. Determination was plastered on her face as she stormed the Wonderbolts’ campus like a hurricane coming up the coast.
“Hello? Sunny!” I called, chasing after her. “Sunny, wait! I told him I was going to give you the boot. He thinks you were sending gifts and making light of the situation!”
We reached the door to the dorm I was sharing with Soarin and she set her hoof on the handle, pushing it open.
“Wait, Sunny, wait!” I squeaked before wrapping my hooves around her waist and trying to hold her back.
As usual given that I’m fun sized and Sunny is a royal guard officer she just kept walking in, dragging me.
Soarin looked up in surprise from the couch. “What in Celestia’s name is this about?”
“We’re going to talk,” Sunny said forcefully while I dangled from her middle.
The stallion stood up and retorted, “We talked before.”
Sunny shook her head. “No, you and I talked. That isn’t we, that is us and ‘us’ grossly underestimated Azurite.”
I held onto Sunny and chirped, “This is not me softening him up!”
Soarin just stared at her. “Look, I appreciate that you sent all of those apologies but you’re completely missing the point.”
“My new belt sent all of those apologies. I haven’t lifted a hoof since we made the decision,” Sunny corrected.
“What?” He blinked in surprise before peering at me. “Azurite, why would you do that?”
I let go and flopped onto the floor. “Please don’t be mad! I wanted you to forgive her.”
“Why?” he asked.
“She isn’t over us,” Sunny said for me. “She isn’t happy.”
The stallion held up a hoof. “Let her answer. This is exactly why we made the decision we did. Azurite?”
“It isn’t that I’m not happy with you, I am. I love you, I honestly do. I just can’t be happy knowing she is miserable… I miss her.”
He blinked again and looked from me to Sunny. “What does she mean miserable?”
Sunny had her royal guard face on still. “Exactly what she says. I haven’t done anything but work since we called it quits. Evidently I wasn’t even doing that well. The moment I was on that date I knew I’d messed up royally. Instead of just acting like an adult I ran. I convinced myself that I was no good and ran because, as Azurite reminded me, that is just easier.”
Soarin rubbed his face with his hooves. “When we talked you said you didn’t think we should trust you.”
Sunny shook her head. “It was a stupid thing to say. I’m not denying I messed up. I did. Then I messed up again because I couldn’t face you or Azurite. Running is easier on the short term but long term it is painful. I made a mistake. I can’t fix the first one but I can fix the second.”
“And we all make mistakes and have to accept the consequences but it was just once in almost a year. They just danced and had dinner,” I put in quickly.
Soarin stood quietly looking from Sunny to me.
“Tell me you don’t miss me and we’ll figure something else out. Tell me you feel so strongly that I’m untrustworthy that you can’t try again. I can accept that but I need to hear it from you.”
The stallion shook his head. “I can’t tell you those things because I do miss you. I miss you a lot. It isn’t that simple though. This isn’t just about you and me. I can get past a little mistake. You slipped up, it happens. As much as I love you, though, I couldn’t stand the look on Azurite’s face. It was too painful.”
Sunny stiffened and then her expression changed. “You’re upset that I upset Azurite.”
He nodded and came over to loop a protective hoof around me. “Of course! I can handle a rocky road now and then but I love her too much to see her hurt over and over. You made one mistake, I can forgive that. Only a pony without a heart couldn’t. That isn’t the problem, though.”
Soarin sighed. “When you told me yourself you weren't to be trusted what else could I do? Not believe you? You’re you!”
The golden mare came over and nestled against us. “The same thing I would have done. Protect Azurite even if it meant being less happy.”
I blinked and looked between them. “Why?”
Soarin and Sunny exchanged looks, the silence between us growing awkward.
“Do you both think I need to be protected? That I’m not able to function alone? I did before I met you two.”
Sunny leaned in and replied, “Yes, you did. Sometimes we just…”
“Underestimate you?” Soarin put in.
I crossed my forehooves and pouted. “Now I’m not sure if I should be happy because I think this means we’re all getting back together or angry because I’m some sort of little burden to you two.”
“You’re not a burden. You’re just little,” Soarin said.
“Fun-sized,” Sunny corrected.
I glared up at both of them. “New rule, this relationship cannot be built on protecting Azurite. It has to be built on love.”
“Agreed,” Soarin replied.
Sunny nodded. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry we sometimes treat you like a filly. There is only one more thing left to do.”
“What?” I asked.
“Apologize.” Sunny smiled weakly. “I’m sorry I broke my promise to the two of you. A date is a date even if nothing happened. I shouldn’t have been so flippant about it either.”
“I never should have listened to you. I should have put up more of a fight,” Soarin replied.
“Next time, if you do go all the way and cheat, cheat with a stallion,” I blurted out.
The pair blinked in surprise and Sunny said, “There won’t be a next time.”
“Why a stallion?” Soarin tilted his head.
I squirmed and stared at the floor. “It bothered me she picked a mare because it was like she was replacing me. I know she won’t replace you. Plus I went to go fight the mare and now we’re friends. Like really good friends. So as penance you all get to deal with that awkwardness.”
Soarin’s ears shot up. “Wait, what?”
“You’re friends?” Sunny gasped.
I huffed. “Look, I know you two have big fancy jobs and think I sit around here all day talking to things. That is only like half of what my day is. I have a life outside of that. If you like we can all sit down and I can explain the whole story.”
Soarin replied, “I’m pretty sure you’re going to have to.”
Sunny nodded. “Why don’t I go make dinner and we can hear all about Azurite’s tale, then?”
“No!” Soarin and I said at the same time.
Hastily I added, “You can go reheat some of the many leftover meals we need to eat through. I’ll go get my journal.”
The mare nodded and replied, “Sure, that makes sense. We wouldn’t want them to go to waste.”
“Exactly,” Soarin agreed before exchanging glances with me. Sunny was a terrible cook and I didn’t want our happy ending to get mixed in with food poisoning.
♦♦♦
The little bell that hung above the door jingled sweetly. “Welcome to Sapphire’s Hoard, how can I help you?” my dad called, looking up with his loupe still on. “Oh, hey, kitten. Not that I’m not happy to see you but shouldn’t you be at work?”
I wandered over, my horn lighting up to gently take the magnifying tool off of my father’s eye. “You shouldn’t stare through that all day and usually yes! I took a half day because I have something really important to do!”
My father crossed his lanky forelegs on the counter and leaned over to nuzzle me. “And what is that?”
“I am looking for something very special. Custom, of course, and it needs to include diamonds.”
“Oh?” he asked before teasing, “You know I don’t give discounts to family.”
“That is true but I happen to know you give cute fillies and mares a discount. So unless you want me to tell Mom I suggest you make an exception.”
He laughed and winked. “You are quite the negotiator. Your father must be really proud.”
“I like to think so. Can you help me?”
“Of course, miss, if you’ll just step over here I can show you all sorts of diamonds.”
♦♦♦
Alright Azurite, we’re going to do this. We are going to do this, right? Yes, we’re going to do this. They won’t think you’re weird. They care about you, you want them in your life forever, so it is time to be clear about it.
I took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into Sunridge Sweets. Mr. Pepper Ridge was behind the counter and smiled when I came in.
“Hello, Azurite,” he said.
“Are they here?”
He smiled and nodded. “I set it up exactly how you asked. They’re in the back and don’t have any idea why."
I winked at him and went behind the counter. After he leaned down so I could kiss his cheek I said, “Thank you. Truly.”
“Any time,” he replied warmly.
My hooves didn’t immediately work when I looked at the door to the kitchen. This was a big step. I’d never done anything like this before. I fought down the tremors and finally went through.
Velvet Step, Sunbeam, and Sandy all looked my way from the table. None of them looked surprised at all to see me.
“Surprise?” I grinned sheepishly.
Sandy shook her head. “Sorry, Azurite, it was sort of obvious that you’d arranged this.”
Velvet nodded. “Even to me.”
Sunbeam lightly glared at her daughter and then smiled. “So, what is this all about sugarlump? Why so formal?”
I settled into a chair at the table and said, “So, it seems Sunny was really sad without me. I went to go tell her off but she had only been pretending to not care. It was rough on her. Then we talked to Soarin. It seemed he was more upset about me being upset than about her breaking her promise.”
Sandy’s head tilted. “Okay… you’re killing me, partner. What happened?”
I grinned. “We’re back together!”
The assembled mares cheered and drummed their hooves on the table.
“That is wonderful! A complete turn around!” Sunbeam exclaimed.
Velvet nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
“So all's well that ends well?” Sandy asked.
“Yup, almost,” I replied.
“Almost?” Velvet raised her brow.
I looked at her and smiled. “Almost. Thanks to you.”
“Me?” Velvet replied. “What did I do?”
Sandy put in, “Besides taking Sunny out on date?”
Velvet huffed and corrected, “What did I do besides taking Sunny out on a date?”
“You were a great friend to me.” I shifted. “But I haven’t been a good friend to any of you. Over the last few weeks I’ve been so absorbed in the problems I was having with my relationship. Despite that all three of you stuck by me and put up with the whining, crying, and scheming. Why would you do that? Sandy, you were just my partner at work. Velvet, you were just the mare who got caught up in my drama. And Sunbeam… well you’re just a momma mare who saw a hurt filly.”
They all went to speak but I held up a hoof. “At least that is what I thought. I couldn’t see it at first but somehow I’d made friends without realizing it. I just sort of assumed that once this was over Velvet and Sunbeam would go their own way.”
“And me?” Sandy asked.
“I just kind of thought we were therapy buddies. That once our issues were worked out we’d part ways, too.”
“That is awfully sad, honey,” Sunbeam said.
“I know. I’ve never really had friends so you have to understand it was difficult to see. Velvet pointed it out to me the other day. Then when we were at the show I realized I rarely paid much attention to your lives and that is why I set this up. Friendship goes both ways.”
“I did do that,” Velvet said, nodding.
My magic flipped my saddlebag open and I levitated three small boxes out of it and set one in front of each of the mares. “I don’t want to go my own way. You’ve been my friends when I’ve been at my worst. I’d like you to be my friends when I’m at my best and I’d like to know about your problems and hopes.”
“That goes without saying Azurite,” Sandy said.
“Sandy is absolutely right,” Sunbeam agreed.
Velvet opened the little box immediately and gasped, “Holy Celestia, is this a diamond?”
The other mares blinked in surprise and pulled the lids of their boxes off.
“This looks an awful lot like a diamond to me,” Sandy replied.
“Oh, sugarlump, this is too much…” Sunbeam murmured as she lifted a cupcake-shaped pendant from the box. It was made of white gold with three small diamonds set in the top of the cupcake as sprinkles.
“They are diamonds. Just like the three of you.”
Sunbeam lightly wiped the corner of her eye. “Well, that is probably one of the sweetest things that has ever been said to me. Thank you so much, Azurite.” She reached over and hugged me.
Sandy admired her pendant. It was the seal of the city guard with a diamond in the center. “I guess I can’t call you partner anymore.”
“No,” I said happily. “Friend sounds good, though.”
“This was the best fight I was almost in,” Velvet said, slipping her open heart pendant around her neck. “I’d have been your friend either way but the bribe doesn’t hurt.”
We all laughed at that.
Sunbeam shook her head. “I swear she gets her mouth from her father.”
“I heard that,” Pepper Ridge called from out front.
I smiled up at Sunbeam. “Well, just think, if she hadn’t taken Sunny out on a date we’d have never been friends. So mouthy or not it all worked out. I just have one more question though. Who sent the singing ponies to Soarin’s place?”
The mares looked at me in confusion. “What singing ponies?” Velvet asked.
“The other night. A singing telegram showed up to apologize for Sunny after we all agreed to stop sending gifts. Who sent them?” I asked.
“Not me,” Sandy said.
“Me either,” Velvet put in.
Sunbeam shook her head when we all looked at her. “Nope.”
“Huh… well that is odd. Oh well. I’m glad somepony did. It made all the difference.”
♦♦♦
Mindful Soul sat quietly taking notes. When she finally set her pencil down she looked up at me. “That is quite a story. It sounds like you were on a rollercoaster for a few weeks. I’ll also be honest, you threw me for a loop there in the end. I wasn’t expecting you to go in that direction.”
“Sometimes things go wrong so that good things can result from them. That is what ponies say, isn’t it?” I asked.
“It is. I’m just more impressed that you were able to see it with all that was going on. Most ponies couldn’t do that and you can sometimes obsess over things.”
I gasped. “Me? Obsess? Never!”
She smiled. “Now, tell me, how do you feel about your relationship? Are you still stressing?”
I shrugged. “I was and I don’t know. How should I feel?”
She shook her head. “I can’t say. Did you get what you want?”
“We’re all back together. Things are a little weird but it is smoothing out finally.”
“When you say weird…” she led.
“It is just… sometimes I think they’re only together because of me. Like they both feel bad for me.”
“Maybe they do,” she said evenly.
I squeaked, “Hey! You’re not supposed to say that.”
Mindful Soul softly chuckled and leaned back in her chair. “If I think it will help I can. Do you really think they’re together just because of you? You’re that special or you’re in such need of protectors?”
“Not helping my self esteem issues, doc,” I replied.
“I’m just helping you clarify. Listen, Azurite, I don’t know your partners. You never bring them. Perhaps their relationship together isn’t as strong as yours is with each of them. Perhaps it is even stronger. Regardless, you shouldn’t be focusing on why they’re together. You should focus on why you’re together.”
“So, if I am hearing you correctly you’re saying it will all end happily ever after immediately overnight?” I asked.
She looked at me over the rim of her glasses.
I smiled and said, “I get it. They need to work on their relationship and I need to believe I’m good enough.”
“That’s right. Now, are you three being intimate again?”
My hooves came up to protect me. “Woah, woah, woah! Where is this coming from?”
“Sooner or later you’re going to have to be adult about this. Now, are you three being intimate or is it still awkward after all that you explained?”
I took a deep breath and held it.
She tapped her watch. “I’ve still got 30 minutes. We’ll see how long you last.”
My breath escaped and I grumbled, “At first it was weird. Sunny and I sort of… well… you know. When Soarin was at practice. We hadn’t been together in weeks so…” I waved my hoof.
“Of course. That is just the two of you though.”
“Yeah… we’ll work it out.” I huffed.
“A healthy relationship has intimacy. Keep that in mind.”
I wrinkled my nose and nodded. “Will do. Don’t you want to talk about my phobias or panics?”
Mindful Soul closed her notebook. “In time, yes. I think this is more important right now, though. We’ll take it one issue at a time, Azurite.”
I groaned, slumping forward. “I feel like I’m going to be in therapy forever.”
She chuckled. “Well, I do enjoy our little chats. Does it bother you that you’re in therapy?”
“I guess not. The royal guard says asking for help is not a sign of weakness but of strength. It just seems like I’m asking a lot. I know ponies who went through worse than I did and they’re still doing fine.”
The mare inclined her head and asked, “Oh? And how can you be certain?”
“Well… I can’t. I look at their files, though, and none of them read like mine.”
“Maybe they’re just not strong enough to ask for help,” she replied.
“You could be right. I guess we can’t know from just looking at some text.”
She smiled and nodded. “Now you’re getting there. It is easy to judge ourselves, Azurite. You’re a sensitive mare that just needs to work some things out but, on the whole, you’re pretty healthy. You excel at your job, you’re establishing good friendships, and you’ve managed to swing a relationship with two ponies. Always remember the positive things usually outweigh the negative.”
“I am good at my job. I’m going to get a promotion soon, too. I was on the selection list.”
“See, that is wonderful news. Tell me all about that.”
♦♦♦
My trot home was easy. Usually it was never easy after therapy. This time had been different. Life was good and it was going to be getting better.
After fumbling with the earth pony lock, per usual, I finally got in. The living room was empty and dark so I illuminated my horn. “Hello?” I asked softly.
Soarin and Sunny should have been home by now. Although where home was exactly was kind of up in the air. Then I heard it: a few soft giggles from the direction of the master bedroom.
I headed that way and poked my head inside. “Oh! Hi!” It came out more of a squeak.
Sunny and Soarin were in bed together. They were warming up for sports. All kinds of awkwardly contorted sports.
Sunny’s ears shot up. “Azurite! You were late… uh, I hope you don’t mind. Soarin and I were just in the mood.” For some reason she looked guilty. Soarin looked concerned.
My head shook and I smiled. “I don’t mind. It is kind of nice to see you two back to normal.” I pointed a hoof back to the living room. “Pink Pony and I can play cards if you two want to get reacclimated alone.”
Soarin snorted and the golden mare laughed. “Pink Pony can wait. Get over here.”
Casually I approached the bed, trying to look cool and not super eager. I was, though! It all hadn’t sunk in yet. A few days ago there had been a real risk that our three hearts would have been broken. I’d worked so hard to stop that, though, and ended up with what I wanted and a whole lot more.
Now I had three diamonds to be there for me when things were tough. Mares that knew me for who I really was but weren’t my significant ponies. They were my friends. My first true friends! You can’t put a price on that.
Of course you also can’t put a price on a threesome with the two ponies you love the most in the world and my thoughts quickly shifted to that as Sunny grabbed me by the hoof and tugged me over. This was how life is supposed to be!