A Ray of Dusk

by AlphatheGriffin17

Hearts and Hooves Day: The Sequel

Love was most certainly in the air in Ponyville. Various heart shaped decorations hung from houses and street lamps. Couples sat under trees, outside cafes and walked side by side in the streets. The flower sisters Lily, Daisy and Rose were out in the square selling their finest flowery produce. The smell of specially made treats wafted from Sugarcube Corner. Hearts and Hooves Day had come again, that was certain.

While on his way to the library, Dusk stopped by the square at Rose's flower stand. He'd managed to catch her yesterday and asked her put some flowers on reserve. He picked up two dozen of her finest to present his marefriend, along with an actual card this year.

The first thing he saw when he entered was a box of chocolates on one of the tables with a pair of roses on top of them. The second was Spike. The now teenage dragon came to meet him and banged his head against the top of the door frame. Again.

"Darn it!" he grumbled. "I keep forgetting I'm not as small as I used to be."

"I'll be honest, I'm still finding the sight of it rather surprising," said Dusk. "Are you adjusting well?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he dismissed. "Least I'm not the only one."

"Indeed. Though I'll say your strength has definitely improved. You had Applejack in a close stalemate in that hoof wrestle last night before she beat you."

"Yeah, that was pretty intense," he chuckled. "And Pinkie can really bake a gem cake."

"I gathered from how long it was between when she brought it out and when it was all gone. Also, was Fluttershy that excited when she first saw you as a baby?" he asked.

"Pretty much," nodded Spike, checking himself in a mirror. "I didn't have as much to tell her this time around though. I know as much about what my new body's like as she does. But it was still nice of her to be interested."

"I think we're all interested about how things will be now," said Dusk.

"She wasn't even scared though." Spike had stopped, staring at his reflection. "Not even a little bit. None of them were."

"Of course not, Spike." With a bit of difficulty, he placed a hoof on his shoulder. "You might be in a teenager's body, but everypony knows that you're still the same little dragon you were same, pudgy little dragon."

Spike nodded absently, until he realised what Dusk said. "Hey! I wasn't that pudgy!"

"Not anymore, but even then, I'm not entirely sure," chuckled Dusk. "Now, I think you have somewhere to be?"

"You don't need to tell me. Okay, I'm heading out. Twilight's just finishing with Ray downstairs. You two have fun."

He turned to leave and smacked his head against the door frame again. With a sheepish smile, he hurried out.

Just as one door closed, another opened moments later. Dusk looked to see Ray emerging from the door that led to the basement, followed closely by Twilight. Though she seemed a little tense, her demeanor changed when she saw Dusk.

"There you are!" She hurried up and hugged him, levitating the nearby chocolates and flowers to him. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day! I know the stallion usually gets the mare these, but I thought I'd mix things up."

"You're certainly good at that. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day," he returned. "All done here then?"

"Pretty much," she answered. "Nothing unusual to report. Well, anymore unusual anyway. I'm yours for the rest of the day."

"Always a good thing to hear." He briefly kissed her and looked at Ray. "Any plans for you today, my friend?"

"I, ah…" Ray rubbed his head awkwardly. "I'm… really not sure, to be honest."

"You haven't talked to Fluttershy about your relationship since your confession, have you?" asked Twilight.

"Well, no. Not really. I mean, we've talked here and there, but that part never really came up…" He frowned slightly. "There's also the fact that I've been kind of scared to bring it up. Seeing her has been… well, a bit awkward, ever since…"

"I can understand that. But you will have to talk about it at some point," said Dusk. "It won't get less awkward the longer you leave it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. It's just… trying to figure out the right words to say after something like all that is pretty tough. Heck, I don't even know if there are right words to say." He smiled sourly. "Listen to me. I used to be the kind of guy who'd say whatever the heck he wanted in any situation regardless of consequence. Now I'm worrying over what to say to my marefriend…"

Twilight seemed to be considering something. "I never told you the individual views of our conference on the matter. But I think it's only right to tell you now. Fluttershy… she was on your side. Even though she was scared, she still wanted you here."

Ray looked at her. "Huh… well, I'm glad for that, at least. I knew Dusk said he'd advocate for me, and I was hoping she would too… Just haven't really been able to talk to her about it."

"There's no time like the present. You won't do yourself any favours keeping it to yourself," said Dusk.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Way to take your own advice, Dusk."

"It's a work in progress," he returned. "Fluttershy is still nervous, even if she's more assertive now. Some personal issues take a while to overcome completely."

"You're telling me," she muttered, then to Ray. "But he is right though. There's no easy way to do this, Ray. You're just going to have to sit down with her and talk about it. I can't guarantee the outcome, but it'll be a lot better sooner than later."

"Also better than sitting around worrying about it." He sighed again. "Right then. Time to face the music. I'll probably have to do this with the other girls too, at some point. For now though…" he looked over at the door.

"Once more unto the breach," quoted Dusk. "Good luck."

"You really like saying that, I've noticed," Ray remarked. "Alright then, you two have fun. Imma go to Fluttershy's and probably have a minor panic attack on the way there. See ya." His body flashed yellow and vanished.

"I hope they'll be okay. So, are we ready for the day?" he asked.

"You bet we are!" she replied excitedly. "It really was a lovely idea of yours to base our day around places and things we've done since we met."

"Thank you. I was hoping you'd like it," he said sincerely.

"I do and I've already organised everything we suggested yesterday into a schedule." She pulled out the parchment in question and beamed.

Dusk blinked. "Um, is a schedule really necessary?"

Twilight stared at him. Then, she burst out laughing. "Oh, Dusk. You and your silly jokes."

"But… I wasn't-"

"Anyway, first item on the schedule. Breakfast at nine after Ray's gone. Come on, chop chop!" she urged, almost dragging him into the kitchen and sitting him at the table. "The next one's only in half an hour."

"Well… alright then." He decided it was best not to question it when Twilight was in organisation mode. "I'm rather looking forward to breakfast," he said.

"Good that you're hungry, because I'm cooking it," she announced proudly. "Spike left me the recipe and all the ingredients, so I'll get started."

"Really?" Dusk was surprised. "I didn't know you could cook."

"Well, um, funny thing. I uh, haven't actually. Before," she confessed awkwardly. "But if I can master the kind of magic Princess Celestia sends me, cooking should be no problem."

Dusk decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Thirty minutes later, he was starting to regret that decision. What Twilight ended up cooking wasn't really an egg omelette. It was…. well, Dusk wasn't completely sure what it was.

"Well… it's not too bad, right?" asked Twilight. "I mean, it's okay if it's a little black in places. O-Or a lot," she mumbled. "A-And I think I gave it enough salt and pepper to add some flavour. Maybe I didn't use enough butter?"

Not wanting to hurt her feelings, Dusk gave it a small bite. His taste buds were immediately assaulted by a myriad of unpleasant sensations. His mouth felt dry from the salt. The overdose of pepper made his eyes water. The blackened parts audibly crunched when he bit into them.

"Oh." Twilight glanced at her own food and pushed it away. "I… think I'll pass on mine."

"It could have been worse," Dusk managed to say when he'd forced it down his throat. "At least... the eggs weren't overcooked."

"Yeah. I guess I'd better leave the cooking to Spike in future," she said dejectedly. "Sorry."

"Your heart was in the right place, Twilight," he said in assurance. "At least you can't say you didn't try. Maybe ask Spike to give you a little instruction and try to do better next time."

"You're right. Thanks." She managed a smile. "How about we do toast instead?"

"Sounds much more simple," he agreed. "Come on, let's not let a simple case of poor cooking spoil our day. I'm not exactly the best in the kitchen either. Remember when I tried at Sugarcube?"

"Oh yes." She took a moment to recall. She started to smile. Then, she started to laugh. "I'm… I'm sorry, Dusk," she said between laughs, "but that really was awful! I still wonder how you managed to get it to expand so much and have it taste like nothing!"

"Yes, please let yourself feel better at my expense," he chuckled. "Your attempt was hardly gourmet cooking worthy of Canterlot either."

"At least I got it the right size," she giggled. "But maybe we should both stay out of the kitchen from now on."

"Or we could both try and cook something," suggested Dusk. "Perhaps our awful talents combined will cancel each other out and produce something fantastic."

Twilight pretended to think about it. "I don't think that'll help. I know you like to put your faith in things, but that is literally impossible."

"You may be right," he agreed. "Come on, let's get some toast going. At least that's supposed to be crunchy."

That earned him a swat on his shoulder.

After managing to get something edible for breakfast, the two of them moved on to their next activity, referring to a checklist Twilight had made. They left at nine thirty, as she wished, to go to White Tail Wood for a walk.

It wasn't autumn as it had been last time they'd come, but the woods were still as lovely as they had been on the Running of the Leaves. The trees were alive with lush green leaves. Flowers bloomed across the land. The sounds and sights of animals scurrying across branches, birds singing in the trees or rummaging in the undergrowth made it seem tranquil and relaxing. Walking with Twilight, tail in tail, made it simply perfect.

"A hallmark to one of the greatest discoveries of our time," remarked Dusk.

"Which is?"

"That reading about running is better than exercising."

Twilight giggled and nestled her head in his shoulder. "We still didn't come first, remember?"

"Obviously. For one thing, it would be impossible for both of us to come first," he said with a small smirk.

"Hey, don't get clever with me," she warned.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He bowed to her. "I wouldn't want to usurp your position as Ruler of the Library."

"Yes, always remember that your place is beneath me, servant," she said imperiously. "As it should be."

"I don't know about that." He looked up at her. "Not everything stays the same forever."

She gasped. "Is that treason I hear from one as lowly as you?"

"Well, Spike was the one who suggested a contest between the two royal students," he reminded her. "Perhaps we should put it to the test."

Twilight laughed in a manner of an evil villainess. "What a folly to even begin to imagine you could best my magnificence!"

"I will see you brought to justice, evil one!" he declared. "Your days of knocking out innocent assistants and ruining a perfectly good breakfast must be brought to an end!"

"I think not, petulant fool!" she countered. "You could never even hope to match my power!"

"So you say, but I know your weakness!" He quickly kissed her on the lips.

"Nooooo! Curses, foiled by the power of love!" She affected a faint and Dusk caught her in his forehooves. An eye opened. "This is so silly."

"That didn't stop you doing it," he noted.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing." She smirked now. "You know, I don't think my malevolence is completely purged. I may need another of my 'weakness' just to be sure."

"I think so too." He leaned in to capture her lips again.

"Hey, mind taking that someplace else?" A familiar voice snapped from above.

"Rainbow?" Dusk looked up to see her peering down from a cloud, his face going red. "Um… how long have you been there?"

"Enough to hear all of that and before you say anything, I was here first," she added. "Do your egghead stuff if you want, but do it somewhere I'm not."

Her head vanished behind her cloud again. Dusk caught her muttering something about coming out all this way. He shared a look with Twilight, who shrugged.

"Rainbow?" she called up. "Is there something wrong? How come you're all the way out here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm resting on this cloud," she called back. "Or at least, I was till somepony came by."

"There's no need for that," replied Dusk. "If you want us to leave, we'll be on our way but you don't have to be rude."

"Whatever," she snorted. "Like you two have got anything to complain about."

Twilight glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Doesn't matter," she muttered. "Just get outta here, leave me alone."

"Rainbow, is this about something we've done?" asked Dusk. "If it is, tell us and we'll try to make up for it."

"I said it doesn't matter!" she snapped. "Get lost!"

"Well fine then!" retorted Twilight. "If that's how you're going to be, we'll just leave. Come on, Dusk."

Dusk silently agreed with her and started to follow her off.

"Wait." They stopped and looked back. "Sorry. That wasn't cool of me. It's just… something I gotta deal with."

"Which is what?" asked Dusk.

"It's hard to explain. Let's just say that today isn't really helping with it," she murmured.

"What do you mean by…?" Twilight paused for a moment, then asked. "Wait, is this because of what happened with Phoenix?"

"Kind of, yeah." She flew down from her cloud to join them. "Not really the first time I've lucked out with a guy, huh? Like when I uh… with you…"

"Did you really have to bring that up?" asked Twilight pointedly.

"Right, right, sorry," she said quickly. "I just don't get it. How come, when it comes to stallions, I never seem to have any luck?"

Twilight took a moment to consider. "It might be something to do with your approach. I mean, your only passes at stallions have been Dusk and Phoenix. The latter case probably wasn't done under the best of circumstances either."

"Huh?" Rainbow looked confused.

"Well, your only real basis for choosing Phoenix from what I can tell was how he immediately appealed to you, his fighting prowess and strength. That's fine, but from what I've learned there always has to be more to a relationship that just immediate appeal. There has to be understanding and chemistry. Something I don't think you really developed in the short interaction you had with Phoenix and the letters you sent each other," she explained.

"I think I get what you mean," she said, frowning thoughtfully. "I mean, it was still cool hearing about his work and all, but it was usually just his work. That was all I ever really got back when he wrote to me, now I think about it."

"It is very time consuming," put in Dusk. "Perhaps if you had more regular contact, things might have turned out differently. But you always prefer instant victory and results, Rainbow. I really don't think any long distance relationship would work out for you. I mean no offense when I say that," he added.

"No, you're right," she agreed and sighed. "I never really liked the distance thing. Still sucks though."

"I'm sure it must be difficult, but we're here for you if you need us. We all are" assured Twilight. "But really, you don't need a relationship to be happy."

"Indeed," nodded Dusk. "Before I met Twilight, I'd have considered myself lucky just to be her friend. Then, I did become her friend and I got five more too. You're all wonderful, remarkable mares but I wouldn't have even begun to consider pursuing a relationship with any of you. I would have been happy to just be friends with you all and the fact I'm together with Twilight is just a wonderful bonus."

"Exactly," agreed Twilight. "Pinkie's fine being single and Applejack didn't let what happened with Soarin' get her down. You still have your friends and your own goals in life to fulfill. You don't need a stallion to make you happy and you don't have to be miserable because you're alone on Hearts and Hooves Day. Just because you don't have a special somepony doesn't mean you're not loved."

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." A familiar boldness returned to her face. "I'm Rainbow Dash! The only pegasus who can do a Sonic Rainboom and helped save Equestria more than once! Any stallion has gotta have serious street cred to even think he can be good enough for me."

Twilight rolled her eyes a bit. "Well, that's one thing to take out of this."

"And I got some pretty awesome friends too. Especially ones who can snap me out of my stupid funk," she added sincerely. "Thanks guys. I needed to hear that."

"Our pleasure, Rainbow," said Dusk, inclining his head. "What are you going to do now then?"

"Well, I still got the rest of the day off, so I'm not gonna spend it moping," she replied. "Might catch some Zs on that cloud, do a little flight practice, maybe re-read Daring Do again. Ooh, wonder if AJ's up for a little friendly competition."

"As long as you're having fun," said Twilight. "Just enjoy yourself, Rainbow. Being miserable doesn't suit you."

"Hay yeah, it doesn't. You two have a good one too and thanks again." She flicked a hoof in a salute and sped off.

"One has to admire her spirit," remarked Dusk. "So, shall we continue our stroll, Miss Sparkle?"

"Sounds good to me," replied Twilight. She rested her side against his and the two of them went on their way through the woods.

---

"Spike, this really is very sweet what you're doing," began Rarity. "I haven't had anypony make me breakfast since Sweetie Belle's uh… valiant attempt."

"But?" he asked while he gathered everything up.

"But…" She bit her lip. "Eggs and hay bacon are an excellent meal, I won't deny but… it's rather fattening, don't you think? I have to make sure I maintain my figure."

"Aw, come on." Spike smiled at her. "You’ll be fine for one day. Indulge yourself a little! It’s Hearts and Hooves Day! Show yourself some love."

"Oh, very well. You’ve twisted my hoof. Bring on the bacon then, Spike!" she declared.

He grinned. "You got it!"

Spike returned his attention to the stove. Since neither of them had any plans for the day, they had both agreed to spend it together (as friends, they’d both been very clear on that front). But regardless, Spike was happy. He was still getting used to his recent growth spurt, so spending the day in a familiar, normal way in the form of spending time with Rarity was very welcome.

"It must feel rather strange cooking now you're bigger,” she went on.

"Well, at least I don't need to have something to stand on anymore." He reached for a frying pan. "But it's fine apart from that."

Both of them tensed at the sound of an audible creaking noise. Upon reluctant inspection, Spike discovered he'd applied too much grip to the pan's handle. His fingers had practically indented themselves into it.

He looked back at Rarity with an apologetic smile. Her rather horrified expression was plastered over with a strained smile and a nod. Feeling a little ashamed, Spike returned to his work. He was still learning the capabilities of his teenage body. Twilight had nearly shrieked when his claws almost pierced a hardcover magic book the day before. He really needed to learn his own strength. He was careful while he was cooking from then on. The only other problem he had was when he flipped the bacon with a little too much force. He managed to catch it in the pan though.

Rarity's reservations about her figure didn't last very long. Spike glimpsed her licking her lips while he was cooking and almost the minute the food was on the table, she was tucking in to it.

"Do I know how to cook a breakfast or do I know how to cook a breakfast?" grinned Spike.

She swallowed her mouthful. "You've made your point. This is absolutely delicious, Spike. I can see that's one thing that certainly hasn't changed is your cooking abilities."

"Thanks. So, you're decided on what we're doing throughout the day?" he asked.

"As long as you're decided on what we're doing in the evening," she replied. "I'm expecting great things, Spike."

"Trust me, my lady won't be disappointed," he promised. "What's the plan then?"

"Simple really, the best kind of plan. Once we're done with our lunch, I've booked us a long session at the spa. It's been so long since you've been and with your new teenage growth, I'd say it's high time you made another visit. My treat," she added.

"Rarity, I can-"

"Ah-buh-buh-buh!" She silenced him with her hoof. "Not another word. I insist on paying for your treatment, Spike and I won't hear no more about it."

"If you're insisting."

"I am. After that, we shall get some lunch at that delightful little cafe we've visited a few times. Oat Meal, I believe the name is. Following this is a little trip to the cinema."

"Are we gonna see that movie that got released recently?" asked Spike. "It's based on a book, I think. Something to do with grey or-"

"No! Absolutely not! I am not wasting good bits to expose you and myself that piece of utterly depraved…!" She realised she was shouting and calmed down. "What I mean is, we'll instead going to be seeing an old favourite of mine."

Spike looked at the leaflet she handed him for current movies. "Mean Mares, huh?"

"I know what you’re thinking, but it’s more than just a filly flick, it’s very good."

"I’ll take your word for it." He saw an advert for the movie he mentioned. "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." Rarity said no more of it and Spike didn't ask.

Once they were done and had cleared everything away, they set off for the spa. It was still a new experience for Spike, walking so much taller than he was before. Everything in Ponyville just seemed a little bit smaller. It felt kind of cool to be a dragon astride ponies, but he couldn't help but feel that he stuck out a little bit more.

This feeling wasn't really helped by the odd looks he was getting. Almost everypony they passed held him in a lingering, scrutinising looks. He supposed he couldn’t blame them. Last time he’d suddenly grown, it hadn’t exactly ended well. Even so…

"Don't worry, darling." Rarity had noticed too and walked a little closer. "Just act like you don't see them, ignore them."

"I’m trying to…” He hung his head. “I mean, I know most of these ponies. I've lived with them for a long time and they've never looked at me like this before."

"Ponyville is a small town, Spike. Anything new always causes something of a stir. Pay it no mind," she replied.

"You’re… you’re sure?”

“Completely. Look at that whole Gabby Gums affair. A few weeks later and everypony has already moved on to the next thing. It’ll be the same with this, never fear. Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, you're right." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Rarity."

"Anytime, Spikey. Just walk with me and try not to notice them staring."

"I'm sure it's not so bad." Both of them jumped at the sound of Pinkie's voice right next to them. "They're probably just suuuuuper jealous because of how big and strong you look, Spike!"

"Pinkie?!" Rarity cried. "Where did you come from?! How long have you been there?!"

"About a minute or two," she answered brightly. "I didn't think you guys would mind if I came up and said hi."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" asked Spike. "You nearly gave us both a heart attack!"

Her smile faltered slightly. "Sorry. You guys were talking and I didn't want to interrupt you."

Rarity took a deep breath. "That's quite alright, Pinkie. How is your Hearts and Hooves Day? Have you found yourself a special somepony?"

"Of course I have! You!" she replied happily.

"Oh wonderf-" Rarity blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

"And you too, Spike!" she added. "And Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Dusk, Ray, Fluttershy. All of my friends are special someponies to me, I can't choose just one."

Rarity and Spike exchanged a smile with each other. Of course that would be how Pinkie would view Hearts and Hooves Day.

“Yeah, we’re kind of doing the same thing,” said Spike. “I mean, who said your special somepony can’t just be a good friend, right?”

"Exactly! And because of that, I’ve brought you both these!" She pulled two cupcakes out of the basket she was carrying. "They’re made from your favourite flavours. I even put some gems in your one, Spike."

"Sounds delicious," said Spike. "Thanks, Pinkie."

"You're welcome! Now, I gotta hand out the rest of these and get started on preparing my Don't Be Sad You're Single party later this evening. Have a hip-hip happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

Humming a random tune to herself, she pranced away.

"If I had a bit for every time that mare pops up like that…" Rarity laughed in spite of herself. "Come along then, Spike. The spa is calling us!"

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'm really looking forward to a clawcure and steam room session." Spike was feeling relaxed just thinking about it.

The walk to Fluttershy's was a long one and not just because of how out of the way it was. He would have normally teleported, but he needed this. Time to think about how he was going to do this.

---

Ray would have felt unsure under normal circumstances. He'd never been one for Hearts and Hooves Day. A life on the road didn't leave much chances for dating. Apart from that one mare he'd met on his travels. She seemed nice enough, but when Ray had woken up in their shared campsite to find most of his belongings gone and the mare absent, he'd decided it wasn't going to work out. He knew that the day involved the exchange of gifts, but he'd been under the impression it was voluntary. He'd been sure to remind her of that when he eventually found out where she'd gone.

Wrath had felt his frustration that day too. He'd been rather active those days tracking her down. There had been some intimidation involved when he found her, but Wrath had felt the need to try and egg him on a little further. He'd managed to ignore him. The mare wasn't worth it. He didn't want a count of three to be made. Well, it had now but...

Ray stopped for a moment, shaking his head. How was he even supposed to start? It had been hard enough to admit to everyone what he'd done and it would be enough of a challenge to maintain friendships following that. How could he even continue a romantic relationship after that?

Fluttershy had avoided him when she'd learned of Wrath. The knowledge that he was murderer as well as the host of an all powerful millennia old demon... would she even be able to handle that?

"Really, what else would you have expected? Just because I don't understand why you ponies become so riled when you take rightful vengeance on those who have wronged you doesn't mean you don't."

Ray did his best to ignore Wrath. He wasn't in the mood to be antagonised by the Beast today. He kept in mind what Dusk had said to him, that their deaths were more Wrath's fault than his, of Twilight saying Fluttershy had supported him. The words of his best friends helped to keep him focused, but it didn't do much to soothe the creeping feeling of dread with every step he took.

His dread only grew at the sight of her cottage appearing over the hill. Time to face the music. He trudged up the path, only vaguely acknowledging the animals that either scurried to get out of his way and hide or glare and hiss at him. He raised his hoof, hanging over the door. Finally, he knocked.

For ten, very slow seconds, he waited. When the door creaked open, it was only by a small crack. Enough that he could see Fluttershy's wide, fearful blue eyes peering through.

"R-Ray?" Her voice was barely above a murmur.

Ray responded how he often did: with a joking retort.

"Actually, I'm his long lost twin brother." He chuckled awkwardly, but couldn't see her reaction. "Uh yeah, it's me. Hi, Flutters."

"H-Hello."

Ray waited for more, but nothing came. Her eye shifted away from him to the ground, now and again flickering back to him.

"Can I uh... come in?" he asked.

Again, her reply wasn't immediate. "Yes..."

Very slowly, she opened the door and allowed him inside. Ray muttered his thanks as he stepped in. He glimpsed the other animals scurrying away to hide. The only exception was Angel, who glared at him in a manner he didn't think any rabbit could.

He turned to look at Fluttershy, who remained by the door hidden behind a lock of her mane. Her eyes were still shifting about, only remaining on him for brief moments at a time. He stood in his spot too, casting around for something to talk about.

"So uh..." He jumped at the first thing. "Where's Discord? I mean, you know, he's uh, kind of rooming with you."

"I-In Canterlot," she murmured. "H-He said h-he had a um... a hot date."

"Oh. Good for him." He paused and added, "I mean, somepony's gotta be into weird, chimera dragon things right?"

"I suppose." Another silence passed. "Would you um... like to sit down?"

"Sure. Thanks."

They moved to the couch, with Fluttershy putting a noticeable space between them. Again, Ray waited for her to say something but he had a feeling he'd need to do the talking.

"Anyway, um... you look, uh... nice."

"Oh? Um... thank you," she said unsurely. Nothing followed.

The awkwardness, the quiet. It was torture to Ray, almost worst than anything Wrath could do. He wanted to attempt more small talk. Ask how she was or something. But there was no point putting this off any longer.

"Look, Flutters... it's no secret why you're acting like this," he said slowly. "I think we both knew this was coming. Even if we'd prefer to avoid it."

Fluttershy nodded faintly, but said nothing.

"Look, I know it was bad. What I did. I should know, I'm the one who has to live with it. Telling you guys... it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I just... well... what I mean is..." He sighed, at a loss of how to add to that. "Twilight told me that when you were all talking about... you know... that you were on my side. You wanted me to stay. Is that true?" Still, she said nothing. He growled in frustration. "Look, can you just say something? Please?"

She recoiled slightly and Ray began to regret his outburst. He shut his eyes, turning his head away. He was almost considering just up and leaving now. It didn't look like there was any hope here. Until...

"It is." It was quiet, barely above a whisper, but he heard her.

"Really?"

She nodded. "I even said um... it's a little silly, but... if we decided to um... l-lock you away, oh my that sounds so awful..." She glanced down again. "I said... th-that you could st-stay here. With me..." Her cheeks blushed.

"That so?" He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe you guys should have made that choice. I wouldn't mind that."

She laughed a little. "I'm glad we didn't though."

"Me too. I don't think we're quite ready to move in with each other yet." That earned another little laugh. "So... how did you feel about it? Or still feel, even?"

Fluttershy contemplated her answer. "Well... I won't deny I was shocked. A-And scared. I mean, something like that it's... well..." She trailed off, but went on. "But... you're not the only one who's lost control. I-It's happened to me too..."

"Yeah, I remember the whole Iron Will thing," recalled Ray.

"N-Not just that." She shifted uncomfortably. "I n-never told you this but... you know the Grand Galloping Gala?"

"You mean that annual celebration of decadence the snobby social elite who don't care about anything but their own shallow lives?" he asked.

She gave him a deadpan look. "I went there. So did everypony else."

"Oh um... I mean that delightful, magical time of sparkle and wonder where dreams come true?" he corrected hastily.

"That's... not quite true actually. You see, I wanted to go to the Gala but not for the party or the dancing. For me, it was a chance to visit the Canterlot gardens and see all the unique animals that live in them, to make friends with them."

"I can see that. I'm guessing that's not what happened?" he asked.

"No. The animals weren't used to being around ponies. No matter what I tried, th-they all ran away. Eventually, I just got so frustrated and angry with it all that I..." She shook her head shamefully. "Even today, I'm still ashamed of myself for it. But I know what it's like. T-To be pushed over the edge. I know it's not as bad as doing w-what you did but... I do understand." Now, she looked at him. "I don't blame you for what happened in your past, Ray. Of course you would have been angry and having Wrath must have made it a thousand times worse."

"No arguments from me," agreed Ray. "Then... where does that leave, you know, us? Are we still... t-together?"

Fluttershy smiled in a way that made Ray's heart leap. She closed the distance between them and nuzzled his cheek. "Yes, we are. It doesn't change how I feel about you. If you still want to be w-with me."

"Yes," said Ray at once, relishing her embrace. "You really want to still be with me?"

"I wouldn't have said I do if I didn't," she replied.

"Then I guess there's only one more thing to ask." He hopped off the couch and knelt down before her. "Fluttershy, will you be my Special Somepony?"

She giggled at his display. "Do you really have to ask it like that?"

"Hey, it's a very important question and must be asked with the appropriate weight," argued Ray. "So, is that a yes?"

"You can be so silly. But yes, I would very much like to be your Special Somepony." She giggled and blushed even more. "Goodness, my first Special Somepony."

"That's the first time anypony's asked you to be?"

"A-Actually um..." She fiddled with her mane. "There was one colt, i-in Flight School when I was a filly. H-He asked me and um... I kind of ran away."

"Nice of you to let him down gently," joked Ray.

"I panicked!" exclaimed Fluttershy. "I-I wasn't expecting anypony to ask me!"

He held up his hooves. "Okay, okay. Just glad I didn't get the same reaction."

"Me too," she giggled, nuzzling him again.

"Mortals," he heard Wrath snort. "Enjoy your pointless fornication, then."

Ray took some satisfaction in his reaction. It looked like it really was going to just be the two of them. He laughed at that.

"What is it?" asked Fluttershy.

"Eh, it's nothing. Hey, so wanna go get breakfast in town?" he asked. "I don't know about you, but I'm kinda famished. Heart to heart conversations really take it out of you."

"No doubt about that," she giggled. "Yes, I'd love to get some breakfast with you. I fancy pancakes, if that's okay with you?"

Ray matched her smile. "That sounds perfect."

---

The sandwiches Dusk and Twilight had at the former's home were simple. But, as Dusk teasingly pointed out, at least they were edible. Twilight's retort was to ask him what starts with 'come here' and ends in 'ow'. Dusk got his answer shortly after.

Once they'd eaten and Dusk's leg was no longer stinging, they went to the next part of their day. One they'd been really rather lucky to arrange at all. They'd literally bumped in one who'd be giving them the opportunity on a whim and made the arrangements.

When they left town, arriving in a small field, their transport was waiting for them. A familiar blue box with a brown earth pony stallion leaning against the door.

"Ah, so I was on time," the Doctor remarked when they reached him.

"You're a time traveller. Isn't that always the case?" asked Dusk.

"You'd be surprised." He pushed open the door for them. "After you two."

With some trepidation, they once again stepped in through the TARDIS doors. The feeling of stepping through into another world overcame Dusk when he gazed around the impossibly large interior of the time machine.

He and Twilight were also surprised to discover that they weren't the only passengers on board. A grey furred, cross eyed pegasus mare beamed at them from around the console.

"Hey Twilight! Hey Dusk!" waved Derpy. "It's really nice to see you both again. Have you had a nice Hearts and Hooves Day?"

"It's been lovely, Derpy, thank you. How's yours been?" asked Twilight.

"Well, pretty crazy but just about every day in the TARDIS is," she replied brightly. "The Doctor and me just came from Trottingham. There was a weird alien gas that infected a poor mare and made her act… well, weird."

Dusk cocked an eyebrow. "Weird? Weird how?"

"It was an intergalactic parasite, rather like a drug junkie." The Doctor joined them at the console. "It enters a host, then develops a special pheromone inside their body so as to make them irresistible to the opposite sex. It would then feed off of the energy that is manifested in the climax of the ensuing biological process between the two ponies to keep itself alive."

While Twilight gasped and blushed, Dusk was a little confused. He had an idea of the implication though.

"So, basically…?"

"It made her act like she was in heat," supplied Derpy. "Times, like, a billion."

"Ah." Now, Dusk blushed.

"Indeed," nodded the Doctor. "Not really so much of a problem, aside from that it resulted in the death of the unfortunate stallion participating in the act. You can see how that would be especially bad on Hearts and Hooves Day. A perfect opportunity for it to feed."

"I can imagine," shuddered Twilight. "Did you manage to stop it?"

"Oh yes," said the Doctor. "We managed to track down the mare in question and purged the parasite from her body before it could try its luck on anypony else and released it into a far off sector of the universe."

"That's a relief." Twilight hesitated. "Was anypony hurt?"

"The mare it inhabited was fine. She'll feel groggy, but that's all." A sombre look crossed his face. "It had already targeted two stallions before we got there though. We couldn't do anything for them."

"But we stopped it before it could do the same to another one," reminded Derpy. "I think it's sad we couldn't save those other two, but there's no point being sad about it. Just be thankful everypony else was okay afterwards."

"Yes. Yes, you're right." He smiled warmly at Derpy. "Thank you, Miss Hooves. You always know just what to say."

She blushed a little. "Happy to do it, Doctor."

"So, it's again thanks to you that ponies are safe," said Twilight. "It must just be an average day for you."

"You and your friends aren't exactly lacking in the saving the world department either," the Doctor noted.

"Fair point," she agreed. "So, can your TARDIS do what we suggested?"

"Of course she can!" he said proudly. "Just a simple orbital placement, not even remotely taxing."

His hooves began to dance across the console with an almost childlike fervour. The column in the centre started to rise and fall in time with the groaning sound it made. Dusk felt the floor shake a bit as the TARDIS came to life before his eyes.

"That does certainly sound like a strange way to spend Hearts and Hooves Day," Dusk said to Derpy.

"I've had stranger days," she giggled. "But that's what's so wonderful about travelling with the Doctor. Every day is seeing new worlds, new places, new ponies. Sometimes not even ponies. And I get to be the luckiest mare in the universe to have the chance to travel to them with one of the most amazing ponies I've ever met."

"He is quite remarkable." Dusk noted how both of her eyes were focused on the Doctor as he danced around the console. "Does he know?"

"No. I don't think he even notices," she sighed. "But that's okay. I still get to be with him and see the universe. That's amazing all on its own. You and Twilight really missed out on a chance to see it too."

"Well, perhaps one day we might take him up on his offer. For now, I think we're content where and when we are. Our normal lives have quite enough excitement," chuckled Dusk.

"Yeah, Ponyville does get pretty crazy enough as it is," agreed Derpy. "At least it's got you, Twilight and all your friends to protect it."

"We do our best." A loud thudding sound got his attention. "Have we arrived?"

"We have indeed," replied the Doctor. "You two just step through those doors and see for yourself. But don't step out of them, that'd be disastrous."

"You're sure it's safe?" asked Twilight.

"Absolutely. The TARDIS projects a small forcefield around herself to protect us from the vacuum. Just sit on the edge and you'll be fine," he promised.

"Alright then." Twilight stepped towards the doors, stopping in front of them with Dusk. "Ready?"

"When you are."

Reaching out together, they pushed open the doors. What they saw robbed them of any clear thought or clue of what to say.

Space. They were in space. Outer space. What they'd only glimpsed from looking up at the sky or through Twilight's telescope now stretched before them in its infinite majesty. Thousands of stars multiplied into billions. Like a magnificent canvas, colours of black, blue and violet were painted in the most vibrant way possible. Even Dusk felt that his own magic were just fairy lights next to this.

And there, floating right in the middle of it all, was their home. The planet Equus. A giant blue and green sphere, with swirls and groups of white cloud across its surface. Like an enormous marble, Dusk thought. The light of their sun was creeping out behind it. Orbiting close was their planet's moon. It looked so small from Ponyville, but from here… he couldn't even tell where Ponyville was.

Suddenly, their past deeds seemed so much more significant. Dusk may have known that if they'd failed to stop the many threats and enemies they'd faced the world might be in peril. Seeing just how vast their world truly was made the stakes seem so much higher, but the causes they fought for so much more important.

"It's… incredible," he whispered.

"I know." Twilight too was in awe. "All the books I've read about our planet told me a lot. But now I actually see it… I feel like not even all the books in the world are nothing compared to this."

"I don't think that's entirely true. I'm sure you must have read a fair bit about geography." He lay down on the floor and patted the spot next to him. "Can you see any continents or countries you recognise?"

"Hmm, let's see." She sat down next to him and looked across the planet's surface. "Well, there's Equestria." She pointed to the largest continent. "If we go east of Manehattan, which I think is roughly there on the north eastern seaboard, across the sea is the Griffin Kingdom. The Loveless Lands of the Changelings are on that same continent too in a series of mountain ranges. The dragons in the Burning Badlands are south east on the same continent as Equestria, but they also have a small set of islands called the Dragon's Teeth off the shoreline. West of Equestria, we have Zebrica, relatively small compared to the others. That's Zecora's homeland. The majority of diamond dogs share the same home with them too, but they're a lot more scattered."

"And where's Ponyville roughly, do you think?" he asked.

"Um…" She gazed intently at Equestria. "In around the middle area. Canterlot's in that same region too and it's very distinctive on maps."

"Perhaps that's why we end up seeing so much trouble. We're literally the centre of everything," remarked Dusk.

"There might be some truth." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I'm glad we decided to do this. This is truly amazing."

"It is at that." Dusk looked back. "Thank you for this, Doctor."

The time traveller smiled. "Believe me, it's my pleasure."

"Right, my all-knowing marefriend, what else can you teach me?" he asked.

"If you wish to learn, my curious coltfriend, I will tell," she said smartly. "Ooh, since we're in the perfect place for it, let's see what star constellations we can see."

Dusk didn't really know how long they sat there, with Twilight giving her mini-lectures to him on whatever came to mind about what they could see. In a way, it didn't matter. For one thing, he was spending time with her. For another, they were in a time machine. It was hardly an issue.

But because she desired to have consistency to their schedule, Twilight asked the Doctor a few hours later to take them back. The stallion then suggested that he return them to five minutes after they left. Twilight decided to accept the idea because she wanted to take the chance to write about what they'd seen when they got back.

Dusk had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, but in a more endearing sense. Even now, his marefriend was ever willing to document all of this. However, they received yet another surprise when they stepped out of the TARDIS doors and saw that Luna had replaced the day with her night. At first, Dusk had thought they were still in space and had stepped out of the TARDIS right into it.

"Hold on, it was the middle of the afternoon." Twilight looked at the Doctor. "I thought you said we'd be back five minutes after we left."

"Is it? Oh." He ran back inside. "Ah." He came back out. "Slight misentry in the time/space coordinates. It happens. Five minutes, five hours, same difference."

"W-What?!" Twilight was flabbergasted. "We've been gone for five hours?!"

"Like I said, you'd be surprised how often I don't arrive on time for things. Or in time. Sorry about that," he said with a quick grin.

"You should be sorry! You've almost thrown our whole schedule off!" shouted Twilight. "What kind of time traveller are you that you can't even fly your own time machine right?!"

"Hey! Making precision landings has always been a little hit and miss!" argued the Doctor. "It could be worse. At least it wasn't five months. Or years. Or decades. Or cent… this isn't really helping, is it?"

Dusk shook his head. "Not really, no."

"I didn't think so. In that case, I shall bid the both of you a good night and a Happy Hearts and Hooves Day. Onwards and upwards!"

"Bye Twilight, bye Dusk!" called Derpy from the console room. "Have a nice night! It was great seeing you!"

Before Twilight could make any other kind of protest at the Doctor, the TARDIS door snapped shut. The light on top flashed, the ancient machine groaned and faded out of their time.

---

"I feel fantastic!" Spike announced on leaving the spa.

"I do too!" Rarity sighed. "Oh, it's absolutely divine to have a good massage and mud bath."

"Yeah and Aloe and Lotus really worked wonders on my claws." He showed them to her. "What do you think?"

"They certainly look a lot less sharp. Very fine, Spike. For now, I do believe it's time for our lunch. A perfect way to follow up the spa."

"Fine then. Hey, what's Sweetie Belle up to today?" he asked. "I remember you said there'd be guaranteed no interruptions from her today. That because she has a special somepony?"

"Well, she won't admit it in that way, but I firmly believe she is," she replied. "She gets so flustered whenever I bring it up, what else could it be?"

"Is it that colt you said she's been hanging around with quite a bit?"

"Button Mash, yes," she nodded. "He's been to visit a few times. A bit of an odd boy, but he seems a decent sort and Sweetie enjoys spending time with him. Playing computer games, I believe."

"Really? Huh. She didn't strike me as a gamer mare," he admitted.

"Indeed. Never saw the enjoyment in those silly things. All of those flashing lights and buttons and whatnot," she said haughtily. "However, my sister is at liberty to spend time however she wants with whomever she chooses."

"With some of the stuff she and the Crusaders get up to, you might wanna think about that," quipped Spike.

Rarity tittered. "A fair point."

They arrived at Oat Meal. Spike saw a fair few ponies he knew. Lyra and Bon Bon were sitting at a table together, immersed in conversation. Big Mac and Cheerilee were at a table too, this time without the unbearable gaga talk. The flower sisters, Lily, Rose and Daisy were there too. The latter two were at the counter while the former looked to be walking around selling flowers.

They ordered their meal, a helping of hay fries and a shake for Spike and some cucumber sandwiches and lemonade for Rarity. Spike got a prickly feeling like they were being watched, but he did his best to ignore it. It was easy mostly, for soon he and Rarity were also absorbed in talking and in each other that everypony else didn't matter.

That is until Spike accidentally tripped up Lily with his tail as she walked by.

"Hey Lily, you okay?" Spike went to help her pick up her flowers, but stopped when she shrieked. "Whoa, hey! What's the-?"

"No! No, get away!" she shrieked. "Don't eat me!"

"Eat you?" murmured Spike. "W-Why would I…?"

"Stay away from her!" Daisy stepped between her and Spike. "Don't even think of trying anything!"

"I-I'm not trying anything!" he insisted. "I was only helping pick up her flowers."

"Helping her or helping yourself?" she accused. "You're not getting any of mine either! What else have you stolen?"

"Nothing! I've stolen nothing!" he cried. "Why do you think I've stolen something?"

"Because you're bigger again!" she retorted. "We all remember what happened last time you had a growth spurt!"

"Yeah!" Rose had come to back her up too. "Don't give him an inch or he'll be trying to squash us again!"

"I won't, I swear!" Spike saw ponies around him were looking scared and he tried to approach them. "Look, I'm really not-" He stopped when most of them backed away a little more. "H-Hey, don't be scared. It's just me, Spike..."

"The same Spike who tried to steal everything and flatten our town?" spat Rose. "Because that's what it looks like to me!"

"What on earth is going on in here?" Rarity had come from outside to see what the commotion was. "Spike? Ladies, what is the meaning of this?"

"Isn't it obvious? He's going crazy from greed again!" cried Daisy.

"Y-Yeah, look how big he's gotten already!" pointed Lily. "He won't even tell us what he's stolen!"

"What? Don't be ridiculous," dismissed Rarity. "This has nothing to do with his greed. It's just his natural maturation."

"Oh and I guess that other time is just one of those unnatural growths that everypony has?" remarked Rose sarcastically.

Rarity shook her head. "This is absurd. These accusations are completely unfounded. You should be ashamed of yourselves."

"Maybe it's her!" Lily pointed wildly at her. "M-Maybe he stole her!"

"What?! That is completely-!"

"No, no, you might be right." Daisy glared at her. "He came for you last time. He tried to take you from your Boutique, that was the way he was going. Maybe he's using you to grow and he's controlling you through some weird dragon magic!"

"Yeah!" agreed Rose. "Why else would you be hanging around with him?!"

"Because he's my friend!" she shot back.

But there were increased murmurings from the crowd.

"He's really got her under his spell," noted Rose. "How do we know we can trust anything she says?"

"Especially since it looks like she's practically letting him do it too," put in Daisy.

"Now, you see here-!"

"Yeah!" chimed in Lily. "She's just as bad as he is!"

The murmurings were growing steadily louder, like a buzzing of angry hornets. Rarity looked to be losing her composure. Spike was almost on the verge of tears. He couldn't believe they were saying things like this, that they thought things like this about him.

But everypony stopped when they all heard a very out of place sound. Laughter. Coming from a very familiar source.

"Come on, girls, don't be so silly!" Pinkie pranced over to them. "Spike can't do magic like that. If you wanna spell that'll make you go crazy for the first thing you see, we can always ask Twilight to cast her Want It, Need It spell again. You both okay?"

"Better now, I think," said Rarity with a grateful smile.

"I… I…" Spike tried to speak, but every time his voice broke.

"Awww, come here." Pinkie pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, it's okay."

"Pinkie, get away from him," warned Rose. "He's dangerous."

"Sorry, but that's not funny anymore." When she spoke to the flower sisters, her voice lost some of its usual bubbliness. "Were you three bullying him?"

"W-What?" stammered Lilly while the other two looked stunned.

"Because when I see three ponies making somepony or dragon, cry, that means they're bullying them. There's not a lot of things I don't like in this world. Baked bads. Oatmeal. But bullying is something I really, really don't like." Suddenly her face split into a grin. "Because why should be doing silly things like being mean when it's so much better being friends?"

"We're not being mean!" Daisy finally found her voice. "He's the one who's being dangerous! He's growing again, look!"

"Yeah. Everypony grows, duh," said Pinkie, rolling her eyes. "Unless you were born as big as you are, Daisy in which case I feel really sorry for your mom. That must have been a long labour. Good on you for being such a big healthy baby though!"

"But what if it's like last time?" Rose demanded.

"Well, has he tried taking your things?" asked Pinkie.

"No, but-"

"Has he been saying 'Spike want' or anything like that?"

"Not really, but-"

"Has he burst into your store and tried to run off with all of your cakes?"

"I don't even sell-!"

"Then it's not like last time!" She patted Spike's back. "He's just a big growing dragon."

"But he might be doing it differently this time!" Lily wailed hysterically. "He's put Rarity under some kind of spell so he can grow big and wreck the town again! Look!"

"Yep, he's got her under a spell alright," agreed Pinkie. "I've seen loads of ponies around town under a spell just like it."

"He's done this to others? Is he going to make a hoard out of ponies?" Rose glared at Spike. "You disgusting-!"

"Not just with him, with everypony! It's friendship!" announced Pinkie happily. "Come on! You haven’t forgotten the name of the show, have you?"

"Stop talking to us like we're dumb! You're being dumb here!" snapped Daisy. "Last time he grew, he almost destroyed the whole town! He's dangerous!"

"And that Dusk too! How he's related to that monster, Doom!" added Daisy. "Twilight just willingly keeps these two despite all of that? Here in Ponyville?! Why?!"

"Because they're her friends. They're mine and your friends too." Pinkie's tone was that she was done being tolerant. "Yeah, some bad things may have happened because of them. But those things were also stopped because of them too. Every time we've had to save this town from some big meanie like Doom or Discord, Spike's been there with us too. He might not be an Element and he might not be a pony, but doesn't mean he's not my friend or that he's not protected this town as much as we have. He didn't get those big nasty scars from falling on a rake while gardening, you know."

The onlookers were starting to look shamefaced. The sisters didn't seem as convicted in their accusations either. But Pinkie wasn't finished.

"As for why Rarity is with Spike, it's because she thinks the same as me and all my other friends. Just because she's a pony and he's a dragon doesn't make their friendship weird. It makes it special." She gave them both a warm smile and looked back at the sisters. "And you're not dumb. You're scared. You're not the only ones. Spike's scared because he doesn't wanna be a big scary dragon like he was when he was greedy. But he’s showing how brave he is by just being out here, with his friend and everypony else. Maybe you can be brave too and just accept that it's still the same old Spike. Please?"

Rose, Lily and Daisy all had their eyes downcast. They glanced at Spike and Rarity, but none of them made any eye contact. Lily hurriedly grabbed her basket and quickly left, not bothering with the other flowers. Rose gave a quick, awkward apology and followed. Daisy seemed torn between what to think. Eventually, she just groaned in frustration and left too.

"Wow…" Spike watched them go and looked to Pinkie. "Thanks for that."

"Don't worry about it. Those three are always the first to lose their heads whenever something bad happens," assured Pinkie. "Just a good thing I'm here to help find them again."

"Aren't you often the first to panic too?" asked Rarity.

"Yeah, but only when it looks like fun to run around screaming. There's nothing fun about ponies getting scared of my friends though," she said. "Will you two be okay?"

"I think so, although… Spike?" Rarity turned to him. "Would you mind if we forgo the movie and return to the Boutique? I think I'd rather be there right now."

"Sure we can," said Spike at once. "See you later, Pinkie."

"Don't let it get you down!" she called after them. "Have a happy Hearts and Hooves Day!”

Spike smiled a little at that. He opened his mouth, but Rarity didn't look to be in a talking mood. They walked in silence back to the Boutique, where Rarity practically threw herself onto her favourite couch. Spike stood not too far off, unsure as what to do.

"Rarity? Are… are you okay?" he tried.

She was quiet for a bit. "I don't really know. Please, sit with me Spike."

"Okay." He joined her a little awkwardly on the couch. "You uh, wanna talk about it?"

Again, she said nothing. She stared at the ground, lost in thought. She closed her eyes and sank a little further into the cushions.

"I won't deny… that was difficult for me," she admitted. "I knew that your recent growth would cause a stir but… a confrontation like that is not something I thought I would have to face."

"Yeah, I get it. It was hard for me too." He glanced at her. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, me hanging around with you?"

She whipped her head up to face him. "Don't even begin to ask that question, Spike. While I admit that image is important to me and the idea of being subject to gossip like this is far from comforting, I am not willing to forsake our friendship because of a little bad gossip."

Spike gazed at her in amazement. He felt truly touched that this was how she felt. It was hard to believe that he would have considered himself lucky to just spend time helping her. He never imagined her saying anything like this to him.

He gave her the only response he could. He opened his lanky arms and embraced her. She returned it, wrapping her forelegs around his neck.

“Hey, I got an idea!” said Spike suddenly. “How about instead of going to the theatre, we just set up the projector at the library and play a movie there?”

Rarity beamed. “That sounds utterly divine.”

---

It was one of the best breakfasts Ray had ever eaten. One thing he was happy to have staying in Ponyville was having regular square meals. Having one of the most special mares he'd ever met there as a date was a massive bonus too. He eagerly shoveled pancakes into his mouth, then became aware that Fluttershy was staring at him.

"What?" he asked with a mouth full of pancake.

"You really shouldn't eat them so fast like that," she advised. "You'll give yourself a tummy ache."

He managed a massive gulp. "I've had worse things happen." He let out a hearty belch, making a few sitting near them give him looks of disgust. "What? In some cultures, that's a compliment."

Fluttershy shook her head. "And I thought Twilight had messy eating habits. Not to say bad things about her, but she kind of does."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Take her out to Hay Burger sometime and you'll see."

"Yeah, I don't think Dusk would be too happy about that," said Ray. "Not to sound like a sap, but you're the only mare I'd ever want to take out anywhere."

"That's sweet of you to say." Fluttershy ate some more of her pancakes before speaking again. "Can I ask you something?"

"I was young and needed the money!" Ray said at once.

"I won't pry into that," she tittered. "I'm just curious... were you ever um... attracted to any other of our friends?"

"Honestly? No," he answered. "Call at a cliche, but it was sort of a first sight thing with you. Just the instant I saw you, I felt something inside me that has nothing to do with you-know-who."

"Really?" She blushed but she still smiled. "I think... i-it might have been the same for me too."

Ray smiled too, gazing into those beautiful blue eyes. He leaned across the table with the intent to give her a nuzzle. She shyly mirrored the action, their noses almost touching... but belched in her face before he could stop himself.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I guess you're reconsidering now, huh?"

"I think I can look past-" She coughed a little. "Some burping. This time."

"Okay, point taken. I'll try and eat more sensibly." The bites he took from his pancakes were still sizable. "How's that?"

"Better," she answered.

After they finished their breakfast, the two of them took a walk through the town square. It amazed Ray that, despite the town's grossly out of proportion male to female ratio that a fair few mares still found a stallion to spend the day with. There were some same sex couples too. That weird human pony and her sweet making friend for one. But he and Fluttershy were just part of the couple crowd, laughing and talking.

Dusk and Twilight had been right. Now that he'd actually talked to her, the feeling of relief was heavenly. He loved just being able to talk with her again like this. It was amazing how much she just didn't care about what had happened with him. She still wanted to be with him. That was enough to put a spring in his step he felt rivalled Pinkie.

Until a certain somepony snapped him out of it.

"Strike!"

Ray froze. He put on a huge grin and turned around.

“Hey, Applejack!” he greeted in a strained voice. “Happy Hearts and-“

“Don’t y’all try an’ be cute with me!” she cut off, staring him down. “Jus’ what do ya think yer doin’? Or, better question, what are ya not doin'?”

Fluttershy looked at Ray uneasily. “Ray, you did ask Applejack if it was okay to take the day off. Right?”

“Ehhh… kind of, sort of… no,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “But I thought about doing it and it’s the thought that counts, eh?”

Applejack didn’t seem to appreciate his humour. She continued to glare at him.

“Applejack,” Fluttershy tried to interject, “is there really any need for this?”

“Yes,” she said simply. “Honestly, I cannot believe the nerve of you! Jus’ what did you think was gonna happen?”

“Well-“

“Did ya really think I wasn’t gonna catch up ta ya at some point? Don’t matter if you can jus’ zap yerself someplace else, I’d find ya!”

“Uh-“

“Because if you thought I was jus’ gonna let you walk around town without gettin’ yer specially made Hearts and Hooves Day apple pie, then you need ta think again mister!”

“I’M SORRY! DON’T LASSO ME TO A TREE AGAIN!” Then he processed what she’d actually said. “Wait… I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard!” She shoved the food stuff in question right into his face. “Baked this mornin’! Even Apple Bloom had a hoof in makin’ it. She added the lil’ love heart right there!” She pointed to it in the middle. “You should be ashamed-a yerself.”

She managed to keep her serious glare for another five seconds. Then, she snorted and burst out laughing. Ray spluttered incoherently, looking from Applejack to Fluttershy, the latter barely suppressing her own laughter.

In the end, Ray joined in. “Do you just enjoy tormenting me?”

“Ah like ta keep ya on yer hooves. Don’t want ya gettin’ too complacent or anythin’, am Ah right?” she said pointedly.

“Yes boss,” he said quickly.

“Here’s yer pie then.” She handed it to him. “You were supposed ta get it at work today. Which ya didn’t show up for. Least Ah can see why.”

“I’m sorry, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. “I assumed that Ray had probably checked with you first.”

Applejack barked a laugh. “Now wouldn’t that be a fine thing. Don’t worry, ‘Shy, it ain’t yer fault. Zippy on the other hoof…”

“Okay, okay,” Ray said. “I’m sorry, I guess I should have said something about this.”

“You guess?”

“Okay, definitely should have,” he corrected. “But honestly, after what I… confessed to, I’m a little surprised that I still have a job.”

“Oh, sugarcube.” Applejack’s expression softened. “Far as Ah’m concerned, ya still got a seat at my family’s table.”

Ray was stunned. He hadn’t yet spoken to Applejack about what he’d done all those years ago, but to say he was surprised would be an understatement.

“Really? Just like that?”

“Yep,” she replied. “Not sayin’ that what you did was right, but Ah can’t really fault ya fer it. Regardless of what ya said, that couple was prob’ly the closest thing you’ve had to a family. If Ah were in yer shoes, Ah can’t honestly say I wouldn’t have reacted in the same way.

“I hope you never have to be,” Ray murmured.

“Me too. But as far as this is concerned, Ah’ve got yer back Ray,” she vowed. “We’re yer family now and we’re gonna take-a ya. Ah promise.”

Her smile was as sincere as her words. He glanced at Fluttershy, who nodded like she was confirming what she said.

“AJ… would it be weird if I, as your employee, gave you a hug?” he asked.

“As an employee, yes. But as ma friend, nope. C’mon you.” She pulled him into a strong embrace. Ray winced a little, but returned it.

“Okay, that’s fine. I didn’t need my ribs anyway,” he croaked afterward.

“Oh buck up, ya softy,” she dismissed. “Now, Ah’ll let ya have taday off. But tomorrow, Ah want ya workin’ extra hard.”

“Yes ma’am,” he saluted.

“And if ya even think about tryin’ ta take another day off without ma permission again, I can give ya the proper experience of what it feels like ta be an apple. Complete with buckin’ ya out of the tree when Ah’m done,” she warned.

Ray gulped and nodded in silent terror.

“Glad we understand each other. Y’all have a good day now,” she wished before heading back towards the farm.

“How is it that you even still have your job at the farm?” asked Fluttershy shaking her head.

“I ask myself that question every day,” chuckled Ray.

---

Because of the Doctor's miscalculation, Twilight had been rather rushed to get them ready to be on time for their dinner at Chez Delicious. Determined to arrive on time, she teleported Dusk to his house, gave him five minutes to get changed and teleported away. Not wanting to exacerbate the situation, Dusk had whipped on the suit he'd worn for the Canterlot Wedding and quickly combed his mane.

He'd just finished when Twilight teleported back wearing her dress she'd worn for the wedding. Dusk barely had time to comment how lovely she looked before she grabbed him and teleported them a short walk away from the restaurant. At that point, Dusk felt like he'd be swiftly returning whatever food might be given to him there from the sensations.

"Oh, get over it," she said impatiently. "Come on, I don't want us to be late."

Dusk opened his mouth to reply, but closed it when he started to feel a retching sensation. He let Twilight drag him into the restaurant where Horte Cuisine, their usual waiter, nodded at their arrival.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Twilight and Monsieur Dusk. Right on time," he greeted. "So glad you could make it with a reservation zis time."

Twilight laughed awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. This time..."

"Come, your usual table is prepared. Are you quite alright, Monsieur? You seem rather queasy," he noted as they walked.

"I'll be fine," Dusk managed to say. "I was just a little… rushed to get here."

"Ah, I see. So, Miss Sparkle can be just as harrowing to you as well?" Twilight glanced about awkwardly again whilst he sat them down. "I will return to take your orders once you decide."

"Thank you." He looked across at Twilight. "What exactly happened for you to leave that kind of impression on him?"

"Um. I guess I got a little… short when he told me that they were fully booked on our anniversary," she muttered.

Dusk smirked. "Did you knock him out too?"

"What?!" she groaned. "I thought you'd finally let that go!"

"You thought wrong."

"I'm sorry, what Dusk?" She craned her ear. "It's hard to hear you from so far away. You've run off again because talking about your problems is a foreign concept."

"I'm so sorry," he retorted. "Should I wait until after you've enchanted the whole town because of a deadline or before you've blown up the library because of a test?"

"I'm not sure if you'll have the time. I thought you'd be too busy throwing yourself in front of unspeakable danger out of complete disregard for your own life," she countered.

"In my defense, I've only recently done that out of more noble reasons like the protection of my friends," he argued.

"That doesn't make it any better." She dropped her sarcastic tone. "Seriously, the next time you get the urge to do that, actually stop and think first."

"I do," he insisted. "There have just been times though when my personal sacrifice has been the only solution."

"That should never be a solution. Your needs and life are important too and I don't want you throwing them away on a whim like that. Ever." She placed a hoof on his. "We go together. You, me, all of our friends. That's what we do."

"I know," he murmured. "I sincerely hope I never have to be in a situation like that again."

"Me neither," she said in a quiet voice. "I… I don't even want to think about losing you."

"Nor I you." He shook his head. "This took on a dour mood rather suddenly."

"Yeah, how did that happen?" she said, reluctantly. "But you are really important to me, Dusk. Don't ever forget that."

"I won't. You're important to me too. We've had a whole year together to prove it and we'll have another to strengthen it further. I know it," he said with conviction.

"Of course we will," she agreed. "It's all there in my relationship schedule I've drawn up for us."

Dusk blinked. "You've… really made a schedule for our relationship?"

"No, but would you like me to try?" she asked teasingly.

Dusk chuckled. "As tempting as that sounds, perhaps we should go about this the old fashioned way and see what the future brings us unprepared, but ready to face it."

"With you of all ponies, I'd be happy to." They shared a brief kiss across the table. "Wow. It feels like yesterday we came here on our first date."

"I should hope not because I don't want Pinkie showing up for this one too. Remember?" he asked.

"Please, don't remind me," she said, rolling her eyes. "That was when Rainbow had that crush on you."

"Yes, that was a rather strange affair," he nodded. "Then again, it seems like that every day with you girls since I met you."

"Would you change that?"

"Not one day," he replied. "Now, I feel like the deep fried salad tonight…"

The rest of their evening went smoothly. The food was delicious, the service was swift and the company was very pleasant. And thankfully, no Pinkie was there trying to make it more romantic this time.

Needless to say that both of them were rather tired when they arrived back at the library. To wind down for the evening, the last item on their list was one they'd suggested a while ago. Dusk dug out the projector from the basement and a film reel while Twilight moved the couch upstairs in front of a large white sheet that served as their screen.

Dusk had picked out the movie himself from something he'd seen as a foal. The Princess Bride. He hadn't seen it for a long time and they'd had sent from the film archives in Canterlot University, courtesy of Twilight's parents.

"That was a pretty good movie," said Twilight once it was finished. "Good choice."

"I hoped you'd like it." He carefully put it away in its can. "I saw a fair few times when lived back in Canterlot. The very idea of only seeing it once was inconceivable."

"You keep saying that word. I don't think it means what you think it means," quoted Twilight. She yawned. "Time for bed, I think."

"As you wish," bowed Dusk. "Goodnight, Twilight."

"Wait, Dusk?" She shuffled on her hooves. "You know, Spike is staying in Canterlot tonight. So, if you wanted, you could… well…"

Dusk's cheeks felt heated. "You… want me to stay the night?"

"Um, yes. B-But we don't have to do that!" she quickly added. "We can just share the bed, like on the train to Canterlot. I mean, unless you want to… not saying you have to, of course! Or that I want to. N-Not that I don't want to, just…"

"I see what you mean," he mumbled. "I um… I'd be fine sleeping here tonight but… I don't think any of that either. That's still a bit of a way off for me."

"Me too." She sighed with relief. "Glad that's settled then. Come on, let's get ready for bed."

She let him use a spare toothbrush she had. It was here Dusk noted she had an egg timer so she could brush her teeth for precisely two minutes. He wasn't surprised.

Before long, they were both snuggled in bed together. It was a special kind of warmth they shared lying next to each other as they were now. Dusk had forgotten how nice this had felt.

"Goodnight, Twilight." He kissed her forehead while she rested her head on his belly. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day."

"You too, Dusk," she murmured, kissing his cheek. "Sweet dreams."

Dusk knew he would certainly have those and he had a feeling they would be sharing them tonight as well.

---

Spike fiddled a little with his bow tie again, hoping it was straight enough. One of the things that Rarity had done for him now he had grown was take his measurements and make him a new suit. Nothing really flashy, just a black tux, white shirt and red bow tie. Still, it was a gift from Rarity and that was what mattered to Spike.

He waited for her to finish freshening up in her room. Despite the obvious notion that there was little need for privacy due to ponies not wearing clothes, Spike still respected it. He only hoped this would go well. This last part of their Hearts and Hooves Day needed to be perfect.

"I'm reeeeeeaady!"

He whirled around at the sound of Rarity's bedroom door opening, accompanied by her dainty hooves descending the stairs.

"Well, Spike?" Rarity emerged from her room wearing her Gala gown. "It has been a while since I've worn this old thing, but I do hope it's just as fabulous as when I first made it?"

“You look fantastic as always, Rare,” he said.

"Thank you, Spikey," she tittered. "Now, not that I don’t like having the chance to dress up, but why exactly am I wearing this? It seems a little grandiose."

"Well, if they're on time, you'll have your answer in…" Spike heard the sound of hooves cantering outside. "Ah, right on schedule."

"Who are?" She followed Spike outside and gasped. "Goodness! A royal chariot?"

"Uh huh and that's just the first part." He stood at the side and gestured. "After you, my lady."

"Why thank you, my good sir," she replied cordially. He took her hoof to lift her on before sitting next to her. The pegasi pulling it carried them into the sky. "So what, may I ask, is the destination?"

"Not the Badlands this time, I promise. You'll see when we get there," he answered mysteriously.

She smiled coyly. "Very well, I shall play your little game." She looked out over the side. "This is really rather nice anyway."

"Yeah," he sighed, happy that she was happy. "Yeah, it is."

The lights of Canterlot grew brighter every passing second. Before long, the Pegasi stopped before the gilded doors where their royal host waited for them.

"Ah Spike, you're looking very dapper tonight," greeted Celestia. "It still amazes me how much you've grown recently."

"You're not the only one. Thanks, Princess," he said sincerely.

"And you look absolutely beautiful, Rarity. I hope you've both had a wonderful Hearts and Hooves Day."

"It's had its ups and downs, but I think the ups won out," said Spike. "How about yours?"

"It has been… interesting, to say the least," she replied as she led them into the palace.

"Why, what happened?" asked Rarity.

"Discord happened."

"Discord?!" Spike was flabbergasted. "You… and him… Hearts and… what?!"

"It was actually rather nice," she went on. "He surprised me with some of my favourite cakes and we had a little tea party. One with his unique flair, of course."

"With all due respect, Princess… how can Discord be your special somepony?!" demanded Rarity.

"I wouldn't say special somepony, Rarity. I think it was just his way of apologising to me for his past misdeeds and to reaffirm our new status as friends, not unlike the two of you. Or at least frienemies in our case," she added.

"I… guess that's fine," conceded Spike.

Celestia stopped at a set of double doors. "Everything is prepared for you both and somepony will show you to your suites when you're finished. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, you two."

The two of them watched her walk away, still a little flabbergasted at the news.

"Hey, Rarity?" he asked the dumbstruck mare. "You don't really think… I mean, you don't suppose… that her and Discord-?"

"Not another word, Spike," she hissed. "The very thought of an embodiment of grace and beauty like Celestia with somepony as vile, uncouth and devious as Discord… doesn't even bear thinking about!"

Spike nodded. "Yeah, I didn't really need that image in my head."

"I second that. But let's not let it distract from why we're here." Her enchanting smile returned. "Now, what have you got hidden away behind here?"

He returned her smile. "Why don't we find out? After you, my lady."

He held the door for her and she stepped inside. When he followed her in, she again stood dumbstruck at the sight that she beheld.

The room in question was one of those Celestia used for diplomatic sessions, usually kept mostly bare depending on who she was meeting with. However, it had been decorated tonight for the purpose of fine dining. An exquisitely covered table sat in the centre with a fine cloth of gold, plush red velvet cushions, fancy tableware and a shining candleholder. The curtains were closed, so the glow was made even more evident.

A small ensemble of cellists and violinists began playing a slow, atmospheric piece on their entry. Among them was the cellist Octavia, who smiled and nodded at them both while she pulled her bow across the strings and the electric violinist Frequency Stream with her too. A well dressed waiter stood at the side awaiting their arrival with menus under his foreleg.

"Come on," he whispered and guided her to the table.

"Good evening sir, madam. My name is Pennyworth and I'll be your waiter for the night," he greeted politely. "Here are your selections for the evening. I can assure that these will be prepared personally by the royal cooks and made to the highest standard of quality possible. Please, notify me if you need anything."

He bowed his head and walked a respectable distance from the table. Spike waited until Rarity was sat before he did. Her expression was still one of amazement.

"Spike… did you do all of this?" she murmured.

"Well, no," he admitted. "I just put in a word with Princess Celestia for what I wanted. She and the palace servants did preparations, but it was my idea."

"But… why? I mean, don't misunderstand me, I adore all of this, I really do," she said quickly. "But why go to all of this trouble just for me?"

"Because it is you," he answered simply. "You're amazing, Rarity. You looked out for me, you helped me when things got really bad. Even despite my dumb crush and all the trouble I end up in, you've still managed to stick by me and give me a great friend. Now tonight, I want you to feel like a princess. Because to me, with everything that you’ve done, you deserve to be right up there with them."

For the third time, Rarity was dumbstruck. But not for long. Her eyes began to shimmer and that smile became even more radiant than before.

"Oh, Spike…" She stood up from the table, crossed to his side and hugged him. "You absolute dear of a dragon. I… I don't know what to say. Nopony has ever done for me what you've done."

"Good thing I'm not a pony then," he joked. "Just enjoy this. My gift to you."

"You've given me far more than this. And that suites the Princess mentioned?"

"That's for after dinner," he said. "Cause I figured, it's gonna be late when we're done and we'd need to take a chariot back, so why not stay the night here? Give you the full princess experience! There's a suite for each of us so you can just kick back and relax."

"How very sweet and pragmatic of you,” she agreed. “I imagine it’ll be your first time sleeping in a proper bed instead of a little basket.”

He chuckled. “Not the first time sleeping, more like the first time I’ll actually be able to take up all of the space.”

"What a proud moment,” she said with a titter. She levitated her menu. "Ooh, they have griffin vintage wine! I don’t mind if I do!"

"Sounds fancy." Spike saw an opportunity and took it. "I didn't make you out to be a drunk, Rarity."

"Spike!" She glared at him. "How dare you suggest such a thing! I'm not an alcoholic! I merely… partake a little, sometimes. Only as a um… a comfort! Yes, yes."

"Fine, I believe you," he teased. "But I promise to keep an eye on you for the night too."

"Oh, ha ha,” she huffed. “Ahem, Pennyworth! Could you be a dear and have somepony send for a scarf of mine back in Ponyville? I'm beginning to think I shall have need of it."

"You mean the scarf that's got gems woven into it?" Spike licked his lips. "Thanks, Rarity. I was hankering for a snack."

"Never mind, Pennyworth." Her glare intensified. "I wouldn't want my friend to spoil his dinner."

"You're so considerate," cooed Spike. "I'll try the wine then. I just hope I won't need it for comfort."

"Oh no, you don’t!” she said, wagging her hoof. “Despite your recent growth, you’re still an adolescent dragon and I shan’t have you drinking on my watch.”

“Aw, come on!”

She shook her head with a smirk. “Sorry, Spike. Maybe you’ll think twice before being cheeky and calling a lady a drunk.”

Spike planted his head on the table with a groan. “Aw, man…”

---

They walked around a little more, taking a path through the woods. The nicer one, not the horrible death place. It let Fluttershy have a chance to see some more of her animal friends while Ray kept a respectful distance so he wouldn't scare them.

When she was done and they'd walked back to town to get some lunch, he had another suggestion for her. "Wanna go see if there's any good movies on?"

"That sounds lovely," she agreed.

"Although, we might end up doing what most couples do in movie theatres from what I've heard," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Really? What's that?"

Ray blinked at her a few times. Was she really that naive? He looked around, leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Oh my goodness!" She blushed up a storm and her wings sprung up behind her. "Oh my gosh! Oh dear…"

"You are way too easy to get flustered, Flutters." However, Ray would be lying if the thought didn't make him feel a little warm too. "Uh, shall we just forget I mentioned it?"

"Yes please," she muttered.

The movie had been one of Fluttershy’s choosing, after they managed to sneak in cheaper snacks that served as their lunch. Mainly because Ray wasn’t happy with the selection anyway. They were mostly really sappy romantic movies for the day. Not exactly his kind of thing, but he was willing to sit through any generic, poorly written, repetitive flick if it meant spending time with Fluttershy.

The one they’d chosen centred around a well-to-do Southern mare whose biggest problem was that everyone adored her and a poor country stallion that the camera really liked to focus on the muscles of. Her parents didn’t approve, he went off to war, she found another man but she still had feelings for him, yadda, yadda, yadda. Ray felt like following the stallion’s example of keeping a notebook of how many ways of unoriginal this was.

Fluttershy was really invested in it though. When there was a sad moment, the tears were free flowing and she clung to Ray. When there was humour, Ray was treated to her wonderful laugh. When the two characters reconciled, she’d snuggle a little closer to him. So it was worth it just for that.

They were still talking about it on the way back to her cottage. Mainly on how they disagreed on it.

“You really didn’t like it?” she asked.

He felt a little bad admitting it to her. “Sorry Flutters, but it wasn’t one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.”

“But their love was so strong for each other!”

“They had one summer fling and they were constantly arguing and saying they hated each other. She abandons him about three times!” returned Ray.

“They were meant for each other!” she insisted.

Ray rolled his eyes. “Are you kidding? The guy she went with after he left for war was way better. He was actually caring and nice to her, then she just dumps him for a guy she probably doesn’t have anything in common with. She just strings him along the whole time while making out with the other guy behind his back!”

“But…” She seemed to think about this. “I didn’t really look at it like that. I suppose you’re right.”

“Yes, I am. But it was still alright because it was with you. And wow, I think Applejack’s farm is less corny than I am today,” he remarked.

“It’s okay,” she said, nuzzling him. “I like it.”

“So,” he asked when they got back, “did you have anything you wanted to do?”

“Hmm.” She frowned thoughtfully. “There is one thing. But first, we’re going to need to make a picnic basket.”

“I’m liking the sound of this already,” grinned Ray.

They assembled a hamper of essential picnic items from sandwiches to soda to this amazing fruit salad that Fluttershy knew how to make. When he asked where exactly they were going to have this picnic, her response was a mysterious smile.

“I think I’d prefer to keep it a surprise,” she said. “Would you mind cutting those cucumbers for me? And hooves off, mister,” she added with a swat of her tail.

Ray rubbed his hoof and silently set about cutting up the vegetable.

Despite his burning curiosity, Ray decided to just go with it. By the time they got going, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Couples were still around, all heading off to go dancing or eat at fancy restaurants. It was something Ray found rather fitting that he was going to be having dinner in a natural setting with Fluttershy.

When they arrived at their destination, a tree on the outskirts of town, it only took Ray a few moments to recognise where they were.

“Wait a sec… isn’t this the tree that…?”

“The one you and I shared our first kiss under. Yes, it is.” She gave him a warm smile. “I thought it would be the perfect spot.”

Ray returned it. “Couldn’t agree more.”

They laid down the blanket and nestled on it together. Ray’s mouth was watering by the time Fluttershy opened the basket, unwrapped the salad and served them on the plates.

“Gimme, gimme, gimme!” he chanted.

“Ah, wait a minute.” Fluttershy stopped him midway to his meal. “This time, I’m going to make sure you take sensible bites.” She pulled out a fork and speared some salad with it. “Now, open wide.”

Ray stared at her. “You’re not being serious.”

“I am,” she said. “This looks like the only way you’re going to eat sensible proportions. Now come on, open up.”

Ray rolled his eyes, but he let his mouth hang open and allowed Fluttershy to deposit it in his mouth. It was worth it though, for it tasted delicious. After some time passed and Fluttershy continued to feed him, he had to admit it was kind of nice. In a patronising sort of way.

He really had feared the worst in the wake of his confession, yet here they were closer than ever he’d say. All because of Discord… the thought of it made Ray laugh.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I was just thinking…” He remembered something else Discord said and laughed again.

“What’s so funny?” she persisted.

“Discord,” Ray answered. “Really the only reason this whole thing came up was because of what he said to me when you left me to watch him.”

“That was why you were distant when I came home.” She cocked her head. “What’s funny about that?”

“Well, it’s not that specifically but something he said afterward. Well, a couple of things. The thing I just did was that we would look back on this and laugh. The other thing was that everything would be better in the long run because I was honest. That you heard about what happened from me and somepony who heard some gossip or something.”

“So, you think he was right?” asked Fluttershy.

“I don’t know about 100% right, but so far things seem to be okay. Generally speaking. Nothing I can really do about it except wait and see,” he shrugged.

“Hm.” Fluttershy was quiet for a bit, then asked, “Do you think you would have ever told us?”

“Does it really matter now?” Ray knew it was dodging the question, but he didn’t want to think about it.

“I suppose not,” she conceded. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway,” he began, “once we’re done with dinner… I believe what happens is uh… well… back to my place?”

“Oh my…” Her face turned red. “U-Um, that’s very sweet of you to offer Ray, but… I don’t think I’m quite there just yet.”

“Fair enough,” he conceded. “To be honest, I only brought it up because I thought it was some kind of protocol, you know?”

“I see. But this really has been a lovely day,” she said sincerely. “Thank you for this.”

“I should be the one saying that,” he remarked. He looked down at her, noting how close they were. “Hey Flutters? Last time we were under this tree, you said that I was your strength. Well, in a way… you’re my strength too.”

“And I hope I continue to be,” she whispered.

It was as natural as breathing. They closed the distance and, for the second time, Ray and Fluttershy shared a kiss under that tree.

Comments

[SaxPon3]

Adorable and fluffy as always, my friend.

[BarrenBaron]

Did you write that bit about Ray telling Flutrers what happens in a movie theatre in two places?

[AlphatheGriffin17]

6208775 Thank you for pointing that out, I've now corrected the error.

[Lord Zalgo]

It's back, baby.

God, it's been missed.

[Dodo Of Chaos]

OH MY GODS
I'M READING THIS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

[ALoyalAutobot]

Excellent work, Alpha! Though... I've been thinking lately... Celestia's Student becomes an alicorn in the series... and this is basically a rewrite of the series... So, I was thinking, "Dusk isn't gonna be an Alicorn too... is he?" Just a random thought.

Either way, I'd imagine what the Nobles would say if they'd see a normal unicorn...........
....
.....
...
....

Shinging Armor: Male Unicorn
Cadence: Female Alicorn
Wedded couple...

Dusk Noir: Male Unicorn
Twilight Sparkle: Female Unicorn/Alicorn...?
...
...
...
...
... Illuminati confirmed. Lol, sorry. Couldn't resist.

[Auto-Buscus]

This chapter expressed the current status of our big three couples. Being partial to Dusklight, I have to say that their parts were my favorite, but Sparity and Flutterstrike had some pretty memorable moments as well. I'll definitley be going back and reading this chapter again!

Dusklight forever, long live Dusklight!

I remember the first time reading this, I almost expected Dusk to propose, but I know that's probably not til a significant part of the story, so I didn't expect it too hard.
I have missed thee, Dusk! Glad you're back to stay! :D Lol

[SageBrony07]

An update!?!?!? YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great job, I loved all the little challenges each couple faced in this chapter. Good luck with the next one. My favorite was Rarity's and Spike's.

[X 865]

It feels good to be reading this story again.
Onwards to more!!!

[Auto-Buscus]

6239280 It would be wise to do so, actually. It is an important part of the plot. lol

[POLE7645]

Finally went through all the books and I have to say, it's one of the best fanfics I've read. Re-imagining the events of the show and keeping it's original flavor while making it distinct. I really look forward for the next part (if you're still writing, of course).

By the way, if you're going to continue using that parody of Twilight (the shitty vampire movie, of course) as a running gag, can we at least have a scene of Rainbow Dash laughing her ass off when the Michael Sheen pony does his weird laugh?

Horrible movie, but that part is still funny.

[Cereal-Killer]

Is this fiction still alive? It hasn't been updated in a good half a year.

[Workman]

Have you given up on this fiction?

[Mr_Moon]

and this marks the end of a legend that I have followed even before I had an account

[Stellar_]

Coming back here on Valentine's day, just to pay my respects.

[Silent_Knight]

CANCELLED R U SERIOUS WTF?

[Power of Six]

Hey. I was wondering. Why isn't there anything going on from here? I think we readers would like to see where this story is going. With all of this, how will this all affect the rest of the series?

[Stellar_]

Aaaand that’s it! I’ve caught myself up on all the old chapters!

I’m sure it must be strange coming back to this story after, what, seven years? Long after the site, fandom, and hell, even the show itself is over and everyone’s moved on.

Anyway! On to the new chapters, and I’m very interested to see where you take this story, now that it’s been so long! And how it, eventually, it all comes to an end…