• Published 28th Feb 2014
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Tales of the Oppressed - Terran34



Follow the journey of a young cynical man as his world is turned upside down. Without anywhere to turn, can he learn to set aside his preconceptions and learn to accept friendship for what it truly is?

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83. Love Grows

I throw open the door and immediately take to the skies, mentally berating myself for being as thick as I have been for the past month or so. But at the same time, I can't help but feel a little...happy. It's difficult to explain, but it feels like I've finally been relieved of some great burden that's been holding me down for years.

If Vinyl is right, then that whole time I was friends with Amaryllis, I wasn't secretly lusting for her like all of the other worthless men that have set their sights on her over the years. I wasn't just going to be one of the others that she ditched and left behind once she discovered their intentions. Knowing that I was really in love with her really makes me feel a lot better, even if its slightly tempered by the wish that I could have told her at least once before I was transported here.

And even after I discovered her fate, despite my fervent vow that I would never feel like that towards anyone else again, I've gone and fallen in love again...with a goddamn pony. The very idea of something so absurd makes me laugh aloud. This stupid fucking pony that I've been hanging out with practically every day since the moment she saved me has made me soft...though I guess that's not really a bad thing, provided I don't lose my wits.

Honestly, every since I met her, I've spent less time staying awake at night cursing the life I've had, or spending each and every day bitter about the shit I've had to deal with. I won't let myself forget the lessons I've learned over the years of course...but when I'm with Rainbow, I feel like none of them matter.

Orienting myself in midair above the town hall, I look around for Rainbow's house. It's mobile, so finding it may be a challenge if she's moved it again. I can't see it anywhere close to town. Maybe I should have asked Vinyl where her house is currently before heading out. I guess I was so eager to set things right that I overlooked that detail. Heh, that's just like me.

The low lying stratus clouds just above me split like the ocean before a speeding boat as I soar towards the last place I saw Rainbow's house. Maybe if I'm lucky, it'll still be near Whitetail Woods where I told her about my brother and Amaryllis.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that's the case. When I near the area where it should have been, it's just completely empty, causing me to come to a halt and hover in midair.

“Okay, where the fuck did you go?” I muse aloud, turning back to town. She can't have gone far. I mean, it's rather hard to hide a house like that. Or maybe I went the wrong direction entirely.

Once I reach town, I notice that there are some weather ponies cleaning up the stratus clouds from the sky, so that the night will be clear and open. Maybe some of them will know where Rainbow is.

Much to my luck, I run into some familiar faces that I haven't spoken to in a while, like Flitter and Cloud Chaser. Flitter, hilariously enough, practically jumps right out of her fur as I streak to a stop just in front of her, my magic slightly disrupting the clouds around us.

“S...Seth? You scared me,” Flitter gasps, holding a hoof to her chest. Once she composes herself, she gives me a small smile. “It's been a while. How are you doing?”

“Hard to say. Sadly, I don't have the time for talk right now. Tell me, do you know where Rainbow's house is right now?” I ask, getting right to the point. I'll apologize if I'm coming off as rude later.

“Rainbow's house? She's always moving it around, so I'm not sure. Let me think...” Flitter muses, rubbing at her chin with her hoof. Behind her, Cloud Chaser, who's been listening in, starts snickering for some reason. “I think I may have seen her moving it somewhere near the cliffs on the edge of town near the Everfree Forest. Why, is something going on?”

“Nothing important. I just need to speak to her and she'd being reclusive. Thanks Flits,” I tell her quickly, and then I immediately zoom off, leaving the poor mare mouthing my random nickname for her incredulously.

“Go get her, lover colt!” Cloud Chaser calls after me with a teasing grin.

“Fuck you, Cloud Chaser!” I yell back at her, once again reminded of how oblivious I must have been, if everypony I meet seems to know exactly how Rainbow felt. Cloud Chaser's reaction is to barrel over backwards, laughing her ass off.

Flitter said over the cliffs near the Everfree. That's the complete opposite direction from where I've been looking. No wonder.

Sure enough, I can see Rainbow's extravagant house hovering high above the cliffs, beneath which the river flows by steadily. Hang on, I recognize this place. This is where I tried to die, several months ago, after finding out that Sombra is dead and that this life is all I have to look forward to. In addition, it's also where Rainbow saved me, where she dedicated herself to proving me wrong about life. And she did, truth be told. Man, did she ever prove me wrong. It's weird, admitting that to myself. It's also oddly fitting, that I should speak to her about this here, where it all began.

I cast the cloud walking spell with a snap of my fingers just before I land on the walkway leading up to her door. I look up at the house, trepidation filling me inside. Well, here I am. Now that I'm here, it's suddenly an effort just to take a single step towards her door. Part of me wants to just fly away and hide in a closet somewhere, where I don't have to deal with shit like this.

“Come on, Seth. It's not like I'm coming here to fight with her,” I say, taking a moment to reassure myself. “God, this is pathetic. What, is my leg going to cramp up now?”

I chuckle at my own dumb reference, and then steadily approach her door, my pulse beating faster as I do so. If all goes well, this should be a happy meeting. There's no sense in getting all nervous about it. Of course, even though I say that, I'm nervous as fuck.

When I reach the door, I force myself to knock on it firmly. Now I know I'm locked into this course of action.

I stand there for several seconds, hearing nothing but silence from the other side of the door. I start to wonder if she's not actually here, despite what Vinyl said about her being shut up in her house. I'm not going anywhere though. If she's not here, I'll wait until she does come back.

All of that becomes unnecessary when the door opens a crack, a full minute later. Rainbow peers out at me through the small gap. Once she sees me, her eyes widen and she opens the door fully. Oh wow, she looks pretty bad. Her eyes are ever so slightly reddened, to the point where I almost didn't notice. Her cheeks look a little puffy as well. All of this makes me feel pretty shitty for letting it go this far in the first place.

“Seth?” Rainbow asks in disbelief, an air of tense hopefulness about her. That quickly changes, her eyes narrowing and her posture slumping. Her next words are spoken in that same lackluster fashion that I came here to fix. “What do you want?”

“Not to have a private conversation on your doorstep. Want to let me in?” I remark, trying to make myself appear confident. I don't think it worked though, because Rainbow doesn't appear amused.

“I don't think there's anything more to say. You made it pretty clear to me where you stood,” Rainbow tells me forlornly. I huff in irritation when she still doesn't move.

“Can we not do this here? Let me in so I can talk to you while not freezing to death,” I demand, starting to shiver as a chill wind sweeps across me. Rainbow hesitates, but I'm not having any of that. “You can either let me in, or I'm going to camp out here on your doorstep.”

“Fine. Come in. But I still don't think there's anything to talk about,” she relents, stepping aside. I rush inside gratefully and close the door behind me, shutting out the chilly air.

Because I know my way around her house, I navigate through the lower level until I find the nearest couch, which I then plop myself down upon. Sighing, Rainbow climbs up on it as well, sitting on the opposite end from me. Now, we're facing one another.

At first, nothing is said, leaving an awkward silence between us. Should I be blunt, or should I ease into it? How do I go about apologizing for the shit I made Rainbow feel, and then say that I love her too? God, this is so stupid.

“Well?” Rainbow finally addresses me expectantly, shifting around on the couch like she always does when she's impatient.

“Fuck it, I'll just say what comes to mind,” I say aloud, confusing Rainbow. No point in agonizing over the things I say when I'm already here. “First off, I want to say that I'm sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?” Rainbow prompts, perplexed. “You don't usually apologize.”

“Unless I fuck up majorly. Which I've done before, and I just did again,” I correct her, remembering the royal wedding with a little pain. “Oh god, this is going to be sappy as fuck. Look, I care about you. A lot. So I want you to know that when you confessed to me down in those ruins, I was happy...and terrified.”

“Terrified of what? There's nothing scary about me...liking you a lot more than I probably should,” Rainbow demands, blushing a little at her own words.

“That's not it. I was terrified that you'd die. Terrified that you'd disappear before I could get to sort out my own feelings. I think that's why my power responded the way it did. I was so goddamn scared I'd lose you that I almost lost myself,” I confess, a chill running through my body after saying all these things. I start feeling a little hot in this shirt, even though I know it's not that warm in here. “But even with that, I pushed you away. And that's what I'm sorry for.”

“You're...sorry for pushing me away? What does that mean?” Rainbow questions, looking at me with interest and veiled hope.

“It means I'm a dumb fuck. I was telling the truth that I didn't know what love felt like, or if I could truly make you as happy as you deserved,” I continue, throwing aside all of my mental barriers for the first time in my life so that I could finally tell someone how I truly feel. “But...I had time to think.”

“And...?” Rainbow seems to be getting even more hopeful with everything I say. There's no way I can turn down those puppy dog eyes she's giving me. And that's fine, because I don't want to. Rainbow squeaks when I suddenly reach over to her and grasp her just beneath her front legs, lifting her right up off the couch and over to me. “Yaah! What are you doing? Put me down!”

I open my arms and let her fall into them, deciding that the only way of letting her know of my decision is to show her. Rainbow scrambles around a little on my chest, scraping my skin with her hooves. She tenses up when she feels my arms wrap around her back, but she slowly starts to relax when she realizes what I'm doing. She snuggles up against me and drapes her hooves over my shoulders. “Seth...?” Rainbow whispers into my ear.

I can't help but chuckle drily at this situation. “I can't fucking believe this. I'm in love with a goddamn technicolor pony,” I say, both to myself and to her at the same time. Rainbow gives a little gasp, and then she squeezes me tightly with her hooves. “If my family could see me now, they'd be laughing until they cried.”

“Stupid Seth,” Rainbow returns, a tone of happiness entering her voice. “You're making a bad habit of breaking my heart...and then telling me exactly what I need to hear. How do you do that?”

“It's a gift, I suppose,” I reply with a hint of humor. One of my hands starts to stroke the fur on her back gently, because it just seems right to do. “The better question is, how the fuck did you get me to fall in love with you? I hated everything so much...I hated you, back when I first met you.”

“I'm just that awesome,” Rainbow brags, but this time, instead of annoying me, it's actually a little endearing. Seeing her in my arms like this, feeling her heart beating against my chest, it's surreal. I never thought I'd be with my best friend like this. “Now c'mere! It's time we do this right.”

Rainbow releases me, squirming around in my grip until she's curled up in my lap almost like a cat, her side facing upwards and her cutie mark on full display. She cranes her head up to look at me with a half-lidded gaze, her lips curling into a coy smile. Hold on, is she about to...oh god, is this happening again? Am I ready for this?

Rainbow starts to lift her head to mine, her eyes closing in the process. Yeah...this is happening. But...you know what? As weird as this is, nopony in this time is going to judge me for it. Anyone that would is gone, leaving only me...and this amazing pony that wants to kiss me.

Thus decided, I meet her halfway, our lips meeting at last in a display of mutual feelings. Heat floods my body from the contact, blowing away any other thoughts or sensations in a wave of passion. Unlike the first time we kissed, this one feels so much better, almost electric. Unlike the first time, this feels like how a kiss is supposed to feel.

I breathe in through my nose and reach a hand around behind her head, my fingers intertwining with her mane and holding her close to me. Rainbow shudders in delight, giving a soft sigh. The contact feels odd, because our lip shape is so different, but it doesn't seem like that matters to either of us.

Rainbow is the first to break off the contact, both of our faces flushed and hot. When she opens her eyes, she smiles at me with such joy that I don't regret doing this for an instant.

Suddenly, Rainbow pushes down on my chest with her front hooves, knocking me over so that I'm lying on my back. She climbs on top of me and sits on my chest. “One more time,” she whispers, and then once again her head snakes down and claims my lips for her own.

Fucking hell...I don't know what's worse: the fact that I'm kissing a pony, or the fact that I'm actually enjoying it.

When Rainbow and I finally part once more, we right ourselves, sitting side by side. Despite how incredible that experience was, there's still more to talk about.

“Wow...it's so much better when you're into it,” Rainbow admits, flushing and chuckling. I nod breathlessly, agreeing whole-heartedly with her. Just this one moment defines how much this world has shaped me. I've gone from hating everyone and everything, to kissing this goddamn pony and loving every second.

“Rainbow? I need to ask a question,” I tell her, still tasting her on my lips. It's a weird feeling, but not an unwelcome one. Rainbow nods, looking at me expectantly. “Why me? There must have been so many other stallions out there better and easier than me to fall in love with. Take Soarin, for example. That guy even asked you to dance, and you turned him down for me. Why?”

Rainbow thinks about that for a second before turning back to me. “Why? Well, I'll start by saying that I wanted a stallion that could fly with me. And all of the pegasi stallions in town are either too boring, too dumb, or just utterly uninteresting, at least in a romantic sense,” she begins, as I listen attentively. “As for Soarin? Maybe at one point I might have liked him...because he's a Wonderbolt and all, but it felt nothing like this. It was probably just a celebrity crush, and that's all.”

“As for why I like you, I've told you a few of the reasons already. You're just, you're Seth,” Rainbow attempts to explain, comically gesturing with her hooves.

I comically check myself. “Holy shit, say it isn't so. I had no idea I was Seth! I need to go somewhere and have an existential crisis...” I tease her, only for her to buffet me in the face with her wings. “Hah!”

“Oh, keep quiet, you jerk,” Rainbow returns, hiding a smile. “No, I mean, there's nopony out there like you. You're a total jerk at times, but you're also as witty and mischievous as I am. You're willing to do things with me that nopony else will. Like when you went to the airshow with me.”

Rainbow looks a little somber then, telling me she's about to talk about something more serious. “You've also given up a lot for me. You could have gone home to your family and Amaryllis, but you didn't. You stayed behind and gave all of that up for me. That's not something I can just forget,” she tells me fervently. “You fought Chrysalis even though she almost killed you...all for me. I already liked you a lot before those things...that just made me fall for you...and dear Celestia I'm being sappier than maple syrup!” Rainbow complains the moment after she finishes speaking. I choke with laughter, haven't expected her to say something like that after such a heartfelt speech.

“I think that's a given in this situation. How do you talk about this shit without sounding sappy?” I reassure her. Rainbow opens her mouth, and then shuts it while nodding ruefully. A wave of happiness strikes me now that I see Rainbow acting like her usual self. “But...I guess I understand. You really don't care that I'm a human?”

“Not at all!” Rainbow declares, rubbing up against me. There's a small silence as the two of us enjoy one another's company, this time with a sense of contentment unrivaled by anything I've ever felt falling over me. Is this what it's like to care for someone, and know that they're caring for you right back?

“So...” I say awkwardly. I'm entering new territory here. I have no fucking clue we're supposed to do. “What happens now? Are you like...what's the word you ponies use...my 'marefriend?'”

Rainbow puts on a grin at my question. “Don't be stupid. Of course not,” she teases me. I blink and look back at her, confused. Was that the wrong phrase? Did I say something stupid? Rainbow then reaches up and nuzzles my cheek affectionately. “You're my coltfriend. You hear me? You're mine.

“Oh goddammit, you're one of those,” I complain in mock resignation, and then the two of us chuckle. I guess I don't mind being hers, so to speak. “Though seriously, what happens now? I don't know how this works.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I don't really know either,” Rainbow says with an uncaring shrug. My jaw drops. Seriously? “Really, I don't think much should change. I mean, you're still my best friend. Only now, I can kiss you.”

“Well then. I guess that makes things easier to handle,” I say, looking a little awkward. Are relationships really that simple? Or is Rainbow just unique in that she doesn't expect anything other than what we already have? Because I've seen some girls act ridiculously clingy, or expect their partners to go out of their way to please them. But...if all Rainbow wants is to keep doing what we've been doing, only with occasional added affection, that makes things much easier to understand.

Suddenly, a thought strikes me, and it fills me with such horror that I freeze noticeably. “What?” Rainbow asks, noticing my change in posture.

“We can't let Pinkie know. Oh god,” I state with horror. Rainbow blinks and stares at me for a few seconds, and then she bursts out laughing, falling onto her back. “I'm being serious! If she finds out...can you imagine the size of the party she would throw? It would never end!”

“You had me freaking out there for a moment, and it's just about Pinkie?” Rainbow exclaims, slapping the couch with a of in an attempt to contain her laughter. “It's probably best to get it over with. There's no stopping Pinkie when she senses the opportunity for a party, and she's been craving one ever since we got back. Besides, Rarity will figure it out in less than a second after seeing me.”

“Right, because Rarity reads minds. Ugh, but still. Pinkie's going to go nuts with party preparations. I just know she's going to find a way to surprise us even though we know it's coming,” I express, rubbing my forehead. I know I'm just being difficult for the sake of it though. It's going to be embarrassing as fuck once this gets around, so I think it would actually be a better idea to have a party so that everypony figures it out all at once.

Rainbow suddenly looks at me oddly, as if she'd just remembered something important. “Speaking of Rarity...I've told you my problem now. It's time for you to tell me yours now, right? At least, that's what you promised to do,” she reminds me. I freeze, that promise coming back to me.

“Shit, I completely forgot about that, what with falling in a hole and fighting everything from zombie Broly to something right out of a Drakan game,” I emit with bitter humor.

“Sooo...” Rainbow prompts, looking rather pleased with herself. Wait, she wants me to do this now? I...don't think I'm prepared to relive that time of my life just yet. But, I did promise, and I'm not one to go back on my word.

“You mean...Janna. You want me to talk about her, don't you?” I ask, my voice in a low growl, memories of that time already starting to flood to the surface. Just thinking about it makes me shake and clench my hands into fists. Rainbow notices the sudden change in my demeanor, and the smile drops from her face.“Let's not do that tonight. I'd rather just enjoy this time with you without the thought about that bitch bringing me down.”

“Okay, I guess we can put it off. When will you be ready?” Rainbow relents after seeing how agitated I am just thinking about the past.

“How about after we finish dealing with Celestia tomorrow? After that, if I can help it, I'm coming right back to Ponyville. Then I'll tell you everything,” I suggest. I try to calm down. Once I tell Rainbow, I won't have to think about Janna ever again. I shared it with Amaryllis, and that was difficult. I'm hoping it'll be easier with Rainbow, especially since we're...together, I suppose.

Just thinking that makes this whole situation seem surreal. I can't believe I'm in a real relationship for the first time in my life, and it's with a pony. With luck, After Celestia and I deal with the issue of the Oppressed down in the ruins, the threats will at last be over, and I can find out exactly what a relationship means.

“Got it. I'm holding you to that, you know,” Rainbow warns me, waggling a hoof in my face.

“Yeah, yeah.” With that, we fall back into a comfortable silence, until I look out the window to see that the sun's already gone down. “Christ, how is the day already over? It felt like it was dragging on forever earlier today.”

“I know, right? Why is it that time decides to be as fast as me right now?” Rainbow agrees, while at the same time managing to stroke her own ego. Goddammit, Rainbow. “I guess if we're going to see Celestia tomorrow, I should get to bed. You can take the couch in my room again if you want.”

“Don't mind if I do. It's cold out there, and the wind chill from flying gets pretty bad,” I say gratefully. Once Rainbow hops off of the couch, satisfied with the situation, I follow her up the stairs to her room, the sight of which I've only seen once before.

“It's not that bad. You just don't have any fur,” Rainbow teases me, earning a groan from me. “Hang in there though. Winter Wrap Up will be soon, and then it'll be warmer from then on.”

“Winter what the fuck?” I question, finding that phrase to be rather odd. The way she said it makes it seem almost like an event rather than a turn of nature. Oh, you've got to be kidding me...

“Winter Wrap Up. It's when all the ponies in each town clear up the wintry weather and get spring ready,” Rainbow explains as if it's the most commonplace thing. “We weather ponies clear away the snow clouds, and then the other ponies do things like slice up the ice on the rivers, wake up the animals, and...”

“Stop!” I interrupt her in the middle of her senence. Rainbow cuts off and looks at me curiously. I then heave a long and drawn out sigh of exasperation. “Winter Wrap-Up means that ponies literally wrap up winter, doesn't it?”

“Pretty much!” Rainbow replies cheerfully, and then she heads towards the bathroom as I groan once more. Somehow I keep forgetting that this world is beyond fucked up, thanks to Discord. “I'm going to take a shower!

“All right.” I hop onto the couch and stretch out on my back, the cloudy surface of the furniture making me feel extremely comfortable and relaxed. I forgot how amazing these clouds are to lie on. Though I bet it sucks to fall through them. I make sure to cast an extra strong cloud walking spell over me to keep me from falling to my death in my sleep.

The water starts to run in the other room, filling the room with a soft ambience. Rainbow ruins it by abruptly poking her head out of the bathroom and gazing at me mischievously. “I don't suppose you'll join me this time?” she asks. I immediately give her a sharp look, not taking her bullshit for an instant.

“You know EXACTLY why I'm not going to do that!” I yell at her, causing Rainbow to nearly fall over laughing. She retreats back inside of the bathroom. Yeah that's not something that's happening. I don't think she was serious at all.

I should probably shower myself...but I can do that in the morning before meeting Celestia and Twilight. For now, the sound of the water in the shower is lulling me to sleep. It's been a long day, after all. It started off horribly and I didn't get a chance to relax until just a few minutes ago, but I think I can say that it ended well.


The next morning comes a lot sooner than I would have liked. As usual, I'm the first to wake. I've been waking up very early every morning for the past month due to the expedition, so my infernal biological clock wakes me up at the exact same time. I think it will take a while for it to get back to normal.

Well, as early as it is, I think I'll go and get my shower now. Maybe that'll give Rainbow some time to wake up.

When I step into Rainbow's bathroom, I realize I've never used her shower before. It looks...weird. It's made of clouds. There's a tub, toilet, sink, and shower head made entirely of clouds. So if I turn on this nozzle here...technically it's raining in the bathtub. Fucking magic.

A quick shower later makes me feel refreshed and ready to take on the day. Glancing at my reflection in Rainbow's mirror, I look at my hair critically. Hm, I could use a haircut. A month of working has it growing down past my shoulders again. I guess I should pay the spa a visit, because they know how to do my hair.

Rainbow is still asleep when I'm finished, despite all the noise I'd been making. Not for long. I approach her, and as I walk past, I casually shove her and her blankets off of the bed. “Yaah!” Rainbow yells, hitting the ground with a thump. “Aw, come on, I thought we were done with this!”

“Bitch, we're never done with that. It's the most entertaining part of the morning,” I joke, resting my back against the wall. “You sleep like a rock. How can you ignore all that noise I make when I get ready?”

“I'm just a deep sleeper!” Rainbow protests, climbing to her hooves. “Why are we up so early? Can't Celestia wait for like, five more minutes?”

“No, she can't. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can come back,” I tell her firmly...and then I ruffle her mane, which was already messy from sleep. “Now go get ready. I'll be here.”


When Rainbow returns from getting ready, we head down the stairs and start to leave. However, just as I'm opening the door, Rainbow surprises me by leaping up and hovering at eye level for a second before she plants a gentle kiss on my lips before I can react.

“Uh...” I trail off, taken by surprise. Much to my chagrin and Rainbow's amusement, a light blush colors my cheeks, making me look away from her and cover my face with my hair. Rainbow snickers at my reaction.

“Hah! You're turning all red! How adorable!” Rainbow teases me, poking my chest with a hoof.

“Fuck you,” I respond, amusing her further. Once Rainbow finishes laughing, she looks at me seriously.

“Okay, one thing before we go out. In my house or yours, that kind of thing is fine,” Rainbow explains to me. “But out in public, not so much. I gotta...”

“...keep it cool out there,” I complete her sentence for her, getting Rainbow to nod. “Right, I got it. I actually prefer that as well. I was never a fan of public affection. It always seemed like bragging to me. 'Hey, look at what I have and you don't!'”

“Well, pardon me if I want to brag about my awesome new coltfriend,” Rainbow retorts. She then puffs herself up and speaks in a hilariously cocky voice. “Oh hi, Cloud Chaser, did you know my coltfriend beat up Chrysalis in the royal wedding? What did yours do?”

“Hah! I don't know what's worse: that statement, or the fact that I could see you saying something like that?” I return, causing Rainbow to swat at me playfully. “Besides, that's not even true. It's more like Chrysalis beat the everliving shit out of us until Celestia showed up.”

“You could beat her now, though, right? What with the cool cracked face thing you do?” Rainbow inquires. I pause, remembering Celestia's words that appraised my strength. She said I had the power to rival Chrysalis.

“Honestly, I'm not sure. Even though Celestia said I was as strong as her, Chrysalis is a tactical genius. She outwitted even Celestia; outwitting me might well be an easier hurdle for her to mount,” I surmise, much to Rainbow's disappointment. “Anyway, let's get going. Celestia is waiting.”

As we walk out onto the walkway and take to the skies, Rainbow turns to me. “Do you even know where Celestia is?” she asks pointedly. I'm about to respond when I realize that I have no clue.

“...Shit. I really wish I'd learned to sense magic like she and Luna do. Let's go to Twilight's instead. She should know.” I confess, altering my course for Twilight's library. Yeah, I can feel magic when it's right up close, but I can't sense “disturbances in the fabric of magic” like Celestia can.

“If she's even awake!”

“Of course she's awake, it's Twilight! The day she oversleeps is the day that hell freezes over,” I shout back at her over the wind.

As we draw close to the library, my suspicions are confirmed when I see the lights of the library on. The door opens, and Twilight steps outside, wearing saddlebags filled with notepads and textbooks. Though why she's bringing them along is beyond me.

“Spike, look after the library while I'm gone, okay? I shouldn't be gone too long,” Twilight calls back inside the library. I hear Spike's sleepy response just before Twilight shuts the door behind her. When she turns around, she almost falls over out of surprise when both Rainbow and I land right in front of her. “Yipe! You two! Could you give a mare some warning?”

“Nope,” I respond petulantly. Twilight sighs in exasperation, but then she sighs and addresses the both of us. “Anyway, good morning, Seth, Rainbow. Are you ready to go meet Princess Celestia?”

“That's why we came here. Seth forgot to get the location of the meeting,” Rainbow replies, nudging me and snickering.

“Hey, I didn't hear you asking for it either!” I shoot right back. Twilight sighs again and shakes her head.

“I did. I met her just before she left for the excavation site. She said she'd likely still be there,” Twilight reveals to us. Shit, that means I have to go back to the ruins, doesn't it? Hopefully I won't be there long. “So let's hurry. I don't want to keep her waiting.”

“Shit, you can't fly. Does that mean we have to go on foot?” I complain, looking between Twilight and Rainbow. The latter doesn't look too enthused by that prospect either.

“Yes, we do. You'll just have to walk like me,” Twilight answers, making the both of us groan. It's funny. I've gotten so used to flying everywhere, that the prospect of having to walk like a normal human is a hassle. Nothing for it I guess. The three of us walk through the morning streets of Ponyville, the sound of the morning birds filling the air. Twilight glances at Rainbow curiously. “By the way, Rainbow, you look happy this morning. Did something happen?”

Rainbow blinks, and then she and I look at each other. Rainbow starts to snicker, and I just let my face fall into my hands. “You know, I should have expected this,” I remark. Twilight looks at our reactions and raises an eyebrow, perplexed. “Out of all the ponies that knew, Twilight would be the one who didn't!”

“I think she may be more oblivious than you!” Rainbow chortles, nudging me. I prod her right back, glad that we can go back to our stupid bullshit after that fiasco in the ruins. “We love you, Egghead.”

“I am not an egghead,” Twilight mutters, puffing her cheeks out in frustration. With that, the three of us continue down the streets, making our way towards the Everfree Forest.

Celestia is waiting.

Author's Note:

Okay, I've got a few things to mention in this author's note, some of which may be happy news for some of you, and bad news for others.

I will not write clop. Rainbow and Seth may be together, but similar to what Vinyl said, you don't need clop to have a fulfilling romance. Therefore, there will be no clop scene in the main story. Sorry about that. It took me forever to be okay with writing a humanxpony romance in the first place. It's a bit of a stretch for me to consider writing clop.

Secondly, the story will not be ending soon. I know that seems self-explanatory to some of you, but I've had some concerns as to that regard. Yes, there's one more arc left. However, I have so much planned for it that it will likely be a massive one.

Now then, I've concluded the romance chapter! I may settle down and take a chapter or two around here to develop their relationship or have some slice of life, but the main plot has the focus now.

Anyway, I'll stop prattling on and stick the typical sentence on the end of this thing. Leave your comments and tell me what you think!

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