A Broken Warrior

by Stonehearth

The time we have left.

It was six in the morning. Skystrike's body was back with it's internal clock. The first thing he asked himself is 'What am I willing to deal with today?' The second was 'What the fuck happened last night?' All he remembered was the weed he had. He looked at his surroundings, realizing he was still in the living room. Then tried to not lose his shit when he saw the state of his friends.

Tethys was holding Fluttershy and Pinkie in her arms as they slept with the dragonesses wings around them. Rainbow was sprawled out on the couch, Zecora was using Stardust's side as a pillow. Applejack fell asleep on-... was that one of his barrels of cider? She probably tried to outdrink Tethys while they were playing. Rarity was upside down on the couch opposite to Rainbow Dash. But the funniest was Twilight. She was yamcha'd, lines of ash around her as she laid on the ground with a burnt horn. She used the 'explode everything including yourself' spell. And it was very hard to stifle his laugh.

He decided to do his morning workout of a run through the Everfree and lifting his boulder, it was only 7:30 when he finished and came back. And they were all still asleep. He chuckled and went to the kitchen. It's Sunday, so they can afford to sleep in a bit. Deciding to be nice, Skystrike got everything together to make a whole breakfast. Pancakes, eggs, haybacon, and fruits. Well, Tethys was here too. He'd go fishing later for her diet. It took a little while, preparing all the ingredients and cooking enough for 10 beings, but he knew they'd appreciate it.

Rainbow Dash was the first to wake up to the smell. She groaned as she rolled over. "Uuuhg... Last night was... a night of all time. What time is it?"

"Quarter past eight." He said, flipping a pancake in the air. "And the bathroom is down the left hall to the right."

As if on queue, the pegasus mare went to the bathroom, coming out a few minutes later. "Thanks... I didn't realized how hammered I got... Are you ok, by the way?"

"I'm super drowsy, and I had the weirdest dream." He chuckled. "I was... I can't even remember it besides it was being weird."

"What're you making? Smells good."

"Pancakes, eggs, haybacon, and various fruits. Hopefully it'll help you all get over your hangovers... How much did you all drink?"

"Well not including you, I was the second out after Twilight. She lasted through two shots, and I lasted through 3. But by then, the only ones who weren't at least tipsy were Applejack, Tethys, and Zecora."

"Still going to get you back for those edibles." He chuckled. "When you least expect it. And it won't be small. Breakfast is almost done, so go wake everyone up for me while I set the table."

She smirked. "You know, for someone who barely knows social norms, you really know how to be a stallion." She said as she went to wake everyone.

After about twenty minutes for Skystrike to wait for them all to finish using the bathroom. Everyone had bags under their eyes as they drowsily began eating. They thanked him for the food before the small talk began.

"So, what's the plan today, Skystrike?" Tethys asked.

"I told Spike I'd hang out with him in the afternoon. He was a bit bummed he couldn't hang out with us on my birthday. I plan on flying a good hour out to Ghastly Gorge and hope to find some ores. I'm going to do an overhaul on the armors I make."

"Thinking of a new look for your armor?" Pinkie asked. "Oh! You should add glitter!"

He chuckled, taking a bite of his food. "Heh, actually, I plan on my new set looking the exact same. Comes with my line of work."

"...I don't get it."

"Well, two things mainly. First, my armor is like a brand. When you see it, you know it's me. And if I have my swords on my side, you know what I'm there for. Second, on the strategic side, say we get into a fight, and you did your homework on me, so you know what my armor could be weak to and its weak points. Now, what if I have a completely visually identical set that counters what you studied for?"

"Makes sense." Pinkie said before chomping down on a whole Pancake.

"I also plan on going to the mayor, as I have some paperwork I need to do, as well as get Tethys marked as a resident." Skystrike took another.

"The taxes on that must suck, huh? Taxes kick me in the flank from my business I can tell you that." Rarity sighed.

"Actually, I can file most of my business expenses under public service, since I help ponies, and sometimes the government. And that sounds good on paper, but I don't get paid much compared to the risk I take each mission. Dont get me wrong, I got money. I can do like, two to six missions a year depending on what the payout is, but many times it isn't worth it. I'm called for the most dangerous or the most suspicious missions, so the risk most often out weighs the rewards. Then I have to pay for the materials I used, the prep work, and the upkeep on my equipment. As a group, most times we spent 40-60% of the reward money. Even alone, it's about half of that. If they took out taxes, I'd be broke most of the time."

"Jeez. Then how do you make a profit?" Applejack asked.

"I can charge almost anything I want with the given information as you saw with the princesses a couple weeks ago. On top of that, anything that wasn't disclosed before the mission that I find out about during the mission, I can charge extra."

"Well... I get why you can do that, but what's stoppin' somepony from just lying?"

"Well, if you're naïve and have money to waste, nothing. Most times, it requires proof. For example, since I couldn't transport dragons back to Canterlot as proof, I had to bring one of the ponies from the village who was a witness to what we did. Bought in a pretty good haul."

"Wait, you had to kill dragons? As in several?" Twilight was making sure she heard things right.

"Yeah, six juveniles, one adult. Tethys helped me out with the adult. Just waiting for the bodies to be transported here so I have some materials to work with with what I also got from the princesses. Luckily, I got better over the years. Costs this time is less than 10%." He smiled and pumped his arm.

"Well, congrats on that. I'm just glad you came back alive!" Applejack bit into one of her apples. Damn, she likes apples. Where did she get those apples?

"Any... any idea when your next mission is?" Fluttershy spoke this time.

Skystrike leaned back in his chair and thought. "Depends. The next one is more personal, so it's more on how much I want to prepare. It'll take me at least six months. I'll tell you more about it once the plan is finished. But enough about me. What about you all?"

"I have some prep work for the animals. I left Harry in charge of everything last night." Fluttershy rubbed her eyes. "And maybe try to shake off this hang over.

"Just real quick, how much did you all drink? I saw you got into my cider." Skystrike chuckled.

Tethys laughed as Applejack groaned. "Well, Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and myself were the last ones awake, and we decided to have a drinking contest. Not knowing that dragons can hold their liquor quite well. I was more surprised the quiet one is the better drinker than the one who makes the alcohol."

"Damn, that is surprising." Skystrike chuckled.

"Yeah. Anyway, Rarity said she'd make me some outfits and underwear so I won't be going commando all the time. Maybe get those rings you spoke about yesterday." Tethys ditched the fork and knife and used her claws to eat.

"Make sure you get a copy of the measurements. Gotta make you new armor. And while I couldn't really see last night, I remember something about... bonkhonagahoogs? If you want me to make your armor fit your actual body, It's no problem."

She shook her head. "Thanks, but not that confident yet. I'll stick to this form for now. Zecora, Stardust, mind coming with me? I don't exactly know what clothes would work on me."

"Count me in, my dragon friend. I have nothing to do until days end." Zecora nodded.

"Yeah, I can write my reports later." Stardust nodded as well.

"I got some work on the farm. Then I gotta make sure Applebloom does her homework." Applejack finished her food.

"The cakes and I have to prepare for the week. But I'll be free tomorrow!" Pinkie squirted syrup in her mouth.

"I don't have much to do. I'll find something."

"Same here... Maybe I'll reorganize all the books in the library by title instead of author." Twilight was still using her hooves to pick up the utensils instead of her magic.

Everyone finished their meals as Skystrike put everything in the sink to deal with later. "Welp, thanks for last night. It was fun. I'm about to start flying."

"Actually, Skystrike..." Tethys stood up and put a hand on the table. "We haven't sparred in a while. And I want to see how strong you've gotten over the years apart. What do you say we go a round?"

He smirked. "At least ask me out to dinner first. But sure, why not? Zecora, you wanna help her out?"

"My touch has waned, it's true, no rush, Can you handle both of us without a hush?"

Skystrike stretched and shrugged. "Probably not, but it's all in good sportsmanship. Like always!"

"Wait, you've been... playing during our sparring sessions each time?" Tethys clenched a fist.

"...Were... were you not?"

That slightly pissed Tethys off. "Skystrike, we dragons take pride in our strength. It's in our nature. And you're telling me you weren't even fighting against me seriously!?"

"I fought you seriously. It's just easier on my mind if I act like it's a game and not a fight I actually have to win." Skystrike got a bottle of water and began drinking.

"So you've been holding back!?" Tethys asked angrily.

Skystrike stayed silent for a moment. "Of course I have. I prefer you alive. But if it pisses you off so much, I'll... let lose a little." He said with some hesitation in his voice.

They stared out eachother in silence before Tethys pushed herself off the table. "Get your gear, and meet me outside. I will be able to tell if you're holding back. Zecora, you'll have to spar another time. This is between me and him."

---

Skystrike and Tethys stood across from each other in Naga's arena. His friends, and Naga who slithered out of her cave decided to watch too. Skystrike sighed. His smirk fell, his facial features showing that this was serious. He looked down at his armor and stood on his hind legs. "You sure about this, Tethys? I'm telling you now you don't know what you're really asking for."

"Cut the worrying and bring it, Skystrike." Tethys spread her wings, ready to fight.

Skystrike dropped his armor's metal tail as a counter balance. He looked in her eyes one last time before his collar folded out into his iconic helmet. "Don't say I didn't warn you..." Skystrike knew he was going to regret this eventually.

Tethys wasn't even able to process his tone before her eyes went wide from his rapid approach. He wasn't even that fast, but he just ran straight at her. She planted her feet and shot a ball of ice at him. A loud boom was heard, but not from the ball of frost, but from Skystrike moving so fast, a small blue circle of fragmented light radiating behind him. Faster than she could blink, Skystrike was behind her and landed a kick to her back.

Tethys flew forward a few feet before flipping and maneuvering her body to face Skystrike with a growl. She was barely able to stop the next attack. Another boom came from Skystrike's burst of speed, going for a left jab at her head. Tethys just barely caught the hoof with her left claw, but couldn't stop the hook from his right hoof. Tethys was staggered, but still holding on to his hoof. Realizing she wasn't letting go, Skystrike twisted his body to get Tethys into a lever arm grapple.

The first hit Tethys got on the stallion was her frost breath to get him to release her arm. The two stood up, back to their starting positions. Tethys rubbed her face. "...Got anymore in you?"

"More than you know... Normally, this is where I'd give you pointers, but you don't care about that, huh?" Skystrike said with a hint of annoyance. "You just have something to prove."

"Damn right I do." Tethys spread her wings and inhaled sharply, before shooting a ball of ice at him once more. Skystrike punched through it and stared up at her. The dragon was right behind it, and bared her jaws as she grappled him. He pushed against her with his arm in her jaws. Even with the armor guarding him from the teeth, the pressure still hurt. She used her weight to push him into the ground and onto his back. Skystrike sent her back by using his back legs to buck her in the stomach and into the air. Tethys spread out her wings to catch herself in the air. "All this time, I thought we were equal in strength. I was fine with my leader being my equal. But seeing you having that power and not using it pisses me off..."

Tethys inhaled, then shot out a blast of ice nearly twice Skystrike's size. Again, Skystrike punched through it. "It's exactly because I have all this power that I don't use it." Boom. Skystrike grabbed Tethys by the feet before spinning around and throwing her into the ground, then landing heavily next to her. "You couldn't know the pain of having your power go beyond your mortal form... Let alone what it can do to others if you let loose a little." Tethys got up and tried to land a roundhouse kick on Skystrike, only for him to sidestep and grab her leg, flipping her and slamming her into the ground once more. "So, let me get once thing clear with you, Tethys..." Skystrike drew one of his swords and stabbed it into the ground next to Tethys's neck. For the first time in a while, she felt fear. "...I hate this. The taste of blood in my mouth. The vibrations in my hooves when I clash with another. The look of fear on my opponents as they think back over every action they took to meet me in the eyes... I hate it." He crouched down, his armored hoof still on the grip of his blade. "I wish each day that I could leave this life of battle behind me. To rid myself of the reminders of my past. But if I do, there won't be others to take up my mantle..." He stood up and sheathed his sword. "Did you ever stop to wonder why I disassociate during fights? Let alone notice? Wonder why I always try to think of it as a game when I spar? Because from my very first battle, I had to kill those I care about. And I don't want to imagine you in that situation. Now, are you satisfied?" He seethed at the dragoness.

Tethys didn't say anything. Her look of anger from earlier changed to a look of regret. She stood up, brushed herself off, and looked down at the stallion, trying to say something. But she couldn't get the words out.

"Great." Skystrike said in a monotone voice. "I'm going to Ghastly Gorge. Potions are in the cupboard next to the entryway." Skystrike let out a sigh before beginning to walk towards his destination.

Zecora was the first to break the minutes of awkward silence. "Tethys, while I am not putting the blame on you, after everything he told us, I thought you knew."

Tethys limped over and stopped, realizing what she'd done. "O-oh..." Tethys rubbed her horns. "I messed up, didn't I?"

Applejack nodded. "From what he said and how quick he left, I'd say so. But nothing a good talk can't fix. But what I'm worried about is what he said about... killin' those he cared about? I was hoping he was jokin' about the child soldier thing."

"You and me both..." Twilight sighed. "Everything new I learn about him, he just... makes more sense."

"Wish he'd tell us about it..." Pinkie huffed. "It sucks to keep things in all the time. By the way, Tethys, are you ok?"

The dragoness nodded. "Yeah, just... gonna be sore fore a bit... And he was still holding back..." She sat down to catch her breath. "Man, he has a hook..."

"What do you think he meant by 'power going beyond his form?'" Rarity jumped down from Naga's back.

Twilight thought for a moment. "Well, this is all hypothetical, but it might be down to his biology. Nearly all of our biological functions as ponies depend in part on magic. Sure, we can live for a while without it, but by then, our body would generate the magic we'd need to be back to normal. Somepony like him, who was born without any magic would already have a stunted growth."

"...He was quite thin as a colt..." Fluttershy remembered back.

"We can assume that he has to work a lot harder than others to keep his physique. Despite being twice our size, I noticed from what he said that he's had to constantly push himself to be at his current strength. I'd be willing to bet that without the training, he wouldn't even be as strong as a normal pony... His body is straining itself just to keep up with everybody around him, and yet he's making himself surpass his piers... That means that his body is destroying itself from the inside... Hypothetically... Lets hope I'm wrong..."

"No... no way..." Tethys shook her head. "Skystrike always thinks two steps ahead. No way he doesn't know about what's going on in his body. He would've told us!"

"Like he told us about the metal hoof? Or his parents? Or why he faked his death?" Applejack raised an eyebrow. They all cringed at that. "Well, like he said, we didn't ask... Might just have to to get it out of him..." At that, Rainbow Dash's brow furrowed and she flew off into the air in Skystrike's direction. "...Wonder what that's about?"

---

Skystrike walked for a few minutes by himself in silence. He really didn't want to say that to her, nor did he mean for it to come out like that. But... it had to come out eventually. Just not like that. He sighed to himself thinking on it. He knows he messed up, and he hates himself for it. But what he hated more was the voices in the back of his head telling him 'good job'. Like he should've done it a long time ago. He'd have to apologize once he got back. But for now, he needed time to cool off.

Echo spoke for the first time in a while. "Skystrike, is this a bad time?"

"I'll be fine. What is it?" Skystrike tried his best to compose himself as he walked.

"I recommend you sit down for this. I've run some simulations on how your body works, like you requested a few days ago... I've checked the simulations several hundred times. I've allocated most of my processing power to make sure that every variable was correct and accounted for... The information I have is not favorable. Knowing you, you'd rather know as soon as possible, rather than putting it off."

Even through the monotone of the robotic voice, he could tell Echo was serious. Skystrike sat down. "Alright... tell me the news."

"Bad news first, or worst news?"

"Well fuck..." He leaned back. "Bad? I guess?"

"The data processed at the laboratory in the north has all but verified our past theories. Under no uncertain circumstances, you've been groomed to be the perfect warrior. Specifically to counter any possible threats to humanity in this world. You, along with the other projects, were originally created to fight a threat in your original world, but that is both unknown and does not matter as of now. Sometime during your captivity at the laboratory, funding was cut, and a new project was given. They couldn't afford to keep you all around, so they made sure to keep the strongest. You are the product of that decision. Your mind has been tampered with due to the humans experiments on you. You've felt it too for a while, haven't you?" Skystrike nodded as Echo continued. "Your distain for every being in this world. It wasn't until you met Tethys and Zecora that we realized it wasn't just ponies. Changelings were the exception... for a time. But it seemed that was part of their plan too. Breaking any and all pillars of support. So you'd have a justification for hating this world. Luckily, you're able to ignore that feeling.

"Whoaaa whoa whoa whoa, hold on." Skystrike stopped Echo and clenched his head. "The whole part about hating all the beings in this world, I kinda figured, but... you're telling me that the whole thing with the changelings was planned? How much-"

"I do not know the extent to what was planned, only that something was planned... Remember, any information that was left was left on purpose for you to find out. But, given what you've been through, the chances are not negligible."

"But... then that means that... That Khrusalis's death could have been faked!?"

"It is a possibility. But I would recommend you not focus on that for now. What you should focus on is your mental state. They know that they cannot beat you physically, so they've been chipping away at your psyche. I would recommend a therapist, as well as coming out to everyone. You hiding yourself is not a benefit to yourself. Even if you think otherwise."

Skystrike grit his teeth. "Just give me the worst news..."

Surprisingly, Echo seemed to hesitate before doing so. "You're dying, Skystrike. There are many factors as to why, but I will explain the main factors. First: Your body was made to stay in it's prime for as long as humanly possible. Because of this, whatever experiments that were ran on you could completely ignore long lasting effects. You can not only build strength and magic that surpass human limits, you can surpass the strength and magic of the beings your physique was modeled after. This puts a strain on your human body, and it compounds with the second factor: Your mimicry of changeling magic is on the physical level, not illusionary, changing your biology. It puts another strain, not only on your body, but your mind as well. Changelings transformations are more of a physical illusion, but yours goes down to your very cells. But your brain is still human. It has to account for any added organs and hormones that humans don't have. And you've been in this form for years on end..."

"Meaning?"

"Your brain is overloaded, put simply. With what is had to do subconsciously, as well with the mental strain you put on yourself, whether from your actions or your trauma, it won't last long, relatively speaking. Third: As I've stated during your venture into the lab. You intake 20 times the mana the average human does... That was during your captivity. In this world, where the source of your mana is, it's heightened. Essentially, in the lab, you absorbed all the mana in the lab because that's all there is to get, and you were constantly expelling your mana reserves. In Eques, there is no known limit to how much mana you can store. Your right arm is able to fend off the ticking time bomb of mana that you are right now. If this limit is ever met, you will undergo extreme symptoms of mana poisoning. The best ways to slow down these problems are to either stay in your human form, deal with your mental health, and begin converting your mana into magic. There is no way to reverse the damage done."

Skystrike tried to control his breathing. "Echo, be honest with me... How long do I have?"

"As of now... your projected to live until 40. If you are lucky. Delaying the problem will increase your chances you reach that age."

Skystrike's breathing got heavier. "...and if I am unlucky?" His voice was wavering.

"The time you will live spans between 30 and 35. But that is if your situation gets worse... I am sorry, Skystrike."

Skystrike couldn't even force out any words of fake affirmation. He just... kept breathing. Hard. He collapsed to the floor and just... laid there for a few minutes. It was one hell of a bullet to take, and it hurt. His heart beat faster and faster... Time seemed to move slower and slower... His vision blurred as he tried to force himself off the ground, only to fall on his side.
He heard Echo call out his name, but it was muffled. He couldn't feel his hooves. Skystrike tried his best to control his breathing, but could barely even get the air into his lungs.

His life was on a time limit now, put simply. Why him? He just opened up. Just began to start fixing the mistaks he made. And now he had to rush. Just to make sure that he could complete everything before his inevitable death. Was this another one of their experiments? Maybe-... no, he hoped that Echo is wrong. Having 5 years left was too short to live. His mind jumped from thought to thought as he spiraled downward into his darkest thoughts as they clouded his mind. He laid there for what felt like hours.

In actuality, only a few minutes passed. And he felt something shaking him. He couldn't see, or even move. He just... laid there as the unknown body shook him. The shaking became more frantic, and he heard muffled yelling... worried yelling. He tried to give some sort of response, but only quickened breathing came out. Someone flipped him over on his back. He could barely see the pony who flipped him over, only making out the shape of a mare and their cerulean hooves grabbing his helmet.

Rainbow Dash took of his helmet in a hope to get him to breathe better. Getting a better look at Skystrike, her worry only grew. His eyes were wide, his mouth was dry, and he was twitching from some muscle spasms in his hooves. But what surprised her most was that... tears were running down his face. "Celestia, Skystrike, are you ok!?" Skystrike wasn't able to respond, his attempt at speaking was only met with his breathing getting heavier. He began coughing up a little blood. "Buck, Sky, breathe! Deep breaths! In and out!"

He tried his best to do so. In... Out... In... Out... In... Out... In... Out... It took a long, long while, but he was able to slow his breathing. And once he was able to, he finally let it out... Every emotion he bottled up for the last 15 years... he let out in a sea of tears. Skystrike eyes burned white as he screamed into the wilderness in contempt, anger, and regret. "IT WASN'T FUCKING WORTH IT! EVERYTHING I FOUGHT FOR! EVERYTHING I SACRIFICED! WORTHLESS!!!"

Rainbow Dash let him scream to the world for a few more moments. "...Are... you ok? I don't think I've ever seen you cry, let alone hyperventilate..."

Skystrike wiped his tears with a hoof, then slowly turned to look to Rainbow Dash. "I-... honestly? I'm... not. I've always... put others before me to make sure they don't have to worry but... I've been keeping things in too long. All it took was some bad news and I just... broke down." He sat down and looked to the horizon. "Rainbow... I'm sorry."

She tilted he head. "Sorry for what?"

"I've been harder on you compared to the others." He gave a sorry chuckle. "To be honest, I think it's because I see a part of you in me... I didn't really realize the affect of the words I just say in passing had on ponies around me, and how I treated ponies. I thought it would turn out fine, but... it just sowed distrust in those around me. I shouldn't hold you to the expectations I have for myself... I'm sorry. I just wanted to say this while I still can..."

"...Well thanks? It's no big deal to me, you had your points when it happened. But where is this all coming from?"

Skystrike patted the grass next to him motioning for Rainbow to sit. She did so. "I've-... I don't know how to say it. Or if I want to say it. I don't I don't want to see my friends sad anymore."

"...I assume something bad happened since I found you on the ground like that. But I'm not no crybaby." She smirked, trying to make him smile a bit. "Go ahead and tell me."

It didn't work. He let out a sigh. "I just recieved the... worst news I could've probably gotten... Man, I'm a shit friend..." He laughed sadly to himself. "You know how I'm bigger than most ponies? I guess I should start by explaining why."

"Twilight gave us her hypothesis. I wasn't paying attention too much, but she said something about your body destroying yourself from the inside or something?" Rainbow looked at him.

"As smart as ever, that mare... She's right. Not going deep into the details but... my body doesn't use magic, so all the functions that would need it are running without, and overworking itself. My body can't keep up with the constant demand... Among other things."

Her heart sank. "...You... you're dying?" Skystrike nodded. "...Do you know how long you have?"

"At best, 15 years... at worst, 5."

"Oh... shit! That isn't that long!"

"Yeah... And now I need to... close up a lot of loose ends..." He crossed his hooves.

"What do you mean? Like, write your will and stuff?" Rainbow Dash asked, trying her best not to cry.

Skystrike looked at her. "I'm... not the pony you think I am, Rainbow." He gripped his metal arm. "I'm... I try to live my life the best I can, but problem after problem just piles on my back... Wouldn't be an issue if I didn't get others caught up in them. And I always think that... removing myself and my problem from the situation would save others the hassle." He sighed, then leaned back. "But that doesn't solve anything... only creates more problems... Problems that I just... keep running from. Keep going around something, you end up walking in a circle. But even if I wanted to, I can't anymore. I'm out of breath and... there's no more road for me to run on. And I'm just so... angry. At myself... at my situation... at the world. And I don't know how to stop it."

Rainbow hugged him. "Skystrike, it'll be ok. I... don't know what else to say besides that it'll be ok..." She wiped some tears out of her eye. "If you need help with anything, you have us... you have me."

Skystrike hugged her back, his anger fading as his eyes dimmed. "Thank you Rainbow. I appreciate it." The two held each other for a few more moments before the two pulled away. "Well, since you're already here, it's about 30 minutes to Ghastly Gorge. We can make it in ten if you wanna ride my tailwind."

Rainbow blushed. "Dude! That's the first thing you ask after you pour your heart out!?"

"...I feel like I'm missing context." Skystrike raised a brow and he put back on his helmet.

"You don't know?"

"Know what?"

Rainbow Dash laughed a bit. "Sky, 'Ride my tailwind' is a sexual innuendo. It's an invite for somepony to look at your flank."

He blinked. "That... makes sense I guess? But now you know what I actually meant."

She chuckled. "Heh, yeah." She stretched her wings and gave a few flaps.

"If you need me to slow down, just say so. I don't want to overwork you." Skystrike stretched, flapping his wings and taking into the sky. Rainbow Dash joined him shortly after. Soon the two began flying. Starting off at a slow speed, then slowly accelerating. Rainbow was going about half her max speed, but it was still comfortable.

"Hey, so... you said something about you not being the pony I think you are. Sure, you explained it, but it felt like there was more to it than that." Rainbow hinted for him to explain more.

"That's... something that's very hard to explain. Well, not hard... but more like I cant. Outright at least..."

"Have you tried... this is going to sound cringe, but I already saw you cry your heart out, singing it?"

Skystrike turned to look at the mare, then chuckled. "Fine, but only if you do it with me."

Rainbow chuckled back. "Sure."

Like magic, the instrumental to what he was about to sing came in slowly. Magic Bullshit... Skystrike chuckled to himself in thought before starting.

"So you just want my story? Tell my tale, share my glory?
Don't know what your asking for, you sure you can handle what's in store?"

Rainbow Dash quickly picked up on the rhythm and sang along. "Bet I can, This will be nothing! Pour your heart out, make it something!
You can tell me if you choose, just wanna walk in your shoes!"

"That's a dangerous game, filled with heart break and pain."

"I'll listen if you talk, spill the tea, why'd you up chalk?"

"Wasn't my choice, I admit. Those bastards forced me, so I did it."

"Who do you mean? Was it those guys?
Playing with your life like a game of dice?"

"Was like magic, like a curse!
They used me and that hurt a lot worse!"

"So, how did that all happen, your life 'fore it got rotten?"

"Made my escape, stardom or bust! Made it out with no one left to trust!"

"You had a will of iron. What changed for that thought to turn?"

"When They found me, I was nobody..."

"You weren't winning in the beginning."

"Took me in under their wing, inspired me to live and sing with them!"

"Sounds like they were really nice!
So what did they do give you bad advice?"

"Put me in charge, said my strenght'd put me at large!"

"So your big break was just a giant mistake?"

"They both pressured me into it, gave my best but then I blew it!"

"Tried to pull your weight but it was baited,
so what happened? Did they hate it?"

"That's the part that shocked me, everyone was cheering for me!
Mom said I had style, my sis said none could stand before me
"...............Ooh, go on!................What else?" Rainbow sang at the same time.
Musta covered up the awful end I gave em,
Then before I knew it, I fell in, I couldn't live without em!"
"................No way!.......................By yourself?"

R "So let me get this straight, they gave you everything you had?"
Gave you a platform, and helped you out when things went bad?
"...................That's right............................That part too..."
Gave you a second chance at life, made you a new home, what a deal!
After all of that, they stabbed you in the back- are you for real??"
"..........................Careful!......................Or they'll trick you!"

"Suddenly the deal went south. I should have trusted my own doubt.
Mother came to see me, and the plan I planned didnt work out!"

"Oh no... but what happened... To make that good story end?
If you three were close mend. What made your bonds end in rend?"

"Had to save mom, but failed to do it..."

"Can tell where this goes, your sis had to know..."

"Barely got a chance to speak, was met with hurting eyes of doom blazin'!"

"They made you take on the job, but it went wrong? Wow that's so brazen!"

"She started yellin' at me! Put me in a state of fury!
Muscles started tensing up, vision getting really blurry!
".....................Oh no.................................How could she!"
Screamed and SCREAMED 'til screamin' finally reached it's end!
Eyes a burning white, knew our feelings could never be mend!"
"..........................That's rough....................What an end..."

"Must've been a heart break, to see your fam betray ya!
Blinded by grief, lost a mother, sister blamed ya."

"Now I blame my self, I should be able to save those close to me! Tried to be bigger, so no one could take them from me!"
"Now you blame yourself, should be able to save those close to you! Tried to be bigger, so no one could take them from you!"

"So, did you?"

Skystrike laughed a bit, enjoying the little duet they had. "I'd like to think so."

"Well... you know that all wasn't your fault, right?"

Skystrike slowed his speed as their destination was in sight. "I've said that to myself more times than I can count, but it doesnt make the pain any different... We're here." The two landed in the middle of the chasm, large quarries dotting the sides of the cliffs. "Stay close... If you see anything odd from the quarries, say it." Skystrike drew one of his swords and pulled Rainbow Dash to his side.

"Why? And what are you here for anyway?"

"The quarries are home to Quarray Eels. Fairly aggressive, and very territorial." Skystrike inched towards one of the quarries. "What I'm here for are the ores that the Eels guard... on second thought, I shouldn't have bought you here... My bad."

"Don't worry about it. I know you need the company... Hey, back when we were singing, all of that happened before you went to your orphanage right? How old were you?"

"Actually, it was during my stay at the orphanage. About a month and a half after I moved back from Cloudsdale. I was 14."

The two kept inching forward, taking the long way around the holes. "Wait, so... how were you living at an orphanage when you had a family that took you in while there?"

Surprisingly, Skystrike was able to get his words out. "My mom wanted me to live among ponies so I wouldn't be bias against them. It worked, apparently."

"...Your mom wasn't a pony?"

Skystrike picked up a rock as he heard a rumbling from one of the walls. "No, she was a changeling if you even know what those are." He threw a rock in front of one of the holes, but there was no response.

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah, I know what they are. Actually one of the few parts I enjoyed during history class... Wait, so are you saying that... you're a changeling?"

He shook his head as they continued walking. "Not quite. Remember, I said they took me in."

"...Ok now im confused. What do you mean 'not quite'? Are you not a pony?"

"Getting closer..." Skystrike smiled. He could feel the mental block in his mind on the verge of being broken. Maybe... just maybe, he'd be able to tell her. But that'd have to wait. The two stopped in their tracks. "Hold. This one should do. Take to the skies, Rainbow. Above the gorge. Don't want you to get caught up in this."

Rainbow did so, flying straight up to get a view from above the gorge. Once Skystrike made sure she was a safe distance, he drew his other sword and walked in front of one of the quarries. A rumbling was heard as two orange eyes stared back at him. A crimson eel lunged out in an attempt to eat Skystrike alive in one bite. The stallion jumped and flew above the snapping jaws, then dove down to land a punch right on the forehead of the beast. It fell unconscious. "Alright, Rainbow, it's clear!"

Rainbow flew down, landing next to the body of the Quarray Eel. "Wow... you made that look so easy... Going back to what you said earlier, are you like... an alien? From space or something?"

Rainbow followed Skystrike down the body of the Eel into the cave. "Close, but not quite." And just like that, the lock broke. He'd have to make a note of this later. "I'd perfer you don't tell the others yet, but yes, in the simplest terms, I am an alien. Not from another world, but a different dimension." They stopped further in, seeing a large pile of various ores. "Perfect!" He pumped a hoof before piling the ores in his bag.

"Real quick, where did these metals come from?" Rainbow looked to see the ores he was grabbing at.

"Oh, Quarray Eels eat the stones, and anything that's dumb enough to fly through this place. All the metals and stuff they eat, they spit out. Real easy to grab if the cave is empty, but there are barely any if the caves are abandoned."

"Huh, neat. Back to the alien thing... I have a hard time believing you but... it would explain a lot. Like your arm, your lack of understanding of social norms, how where you're from stallions do what mares do... Actually, wow, that explains everything."

He finished gathering the materials. "You're taking this better than I thought you would be."

"I could say the same about your terminal sickness."

"That's fair." Skystrike said as they both laughed. "Man, I am not gonna sleep well tonight..." He said under his breath.

"So... what are you exactly?"

Skystrike turned to her, then took off his armor. Neon flames surrounded him, and as they fell, revealing his human form. Skystrike didn't realize how big he's gotten. The mare only came up to his thigh. He sat down to be at eye level and took off his helmet. Rainbow Dash stepped back a bit. "I'm a human. Like I said, I'm not he pony you think I am."

"...This is... a lot to take in right now... So let me get this straight." Rainbow sat down and grabbed her head with her hooves. "You're... an alien from a different dimension, and was raised to be a child soldier... but escaped and came here. Then the changelings took you in, your mom died, and you were blamed for it... all before you turned 15... then you faked your death at 16, was a mercenary from then on... then you came to Ponyville about a year ago?"

"When you say it like that, it sounds like a lot... and kinda stupid." Skystrike leaned back.

"It is a lot, you buckin-..." She contained herself. "I have questions, and you're going to answer. First off, how old were you when you came here? To this world I mean."

"Eight."

"How in Tartarus are you still sane!?"

"No fucking idea."

"Moving on... how do I know you aren't just some changeling? For all I know, this... form you have is just magic... and I thought you couldn't use magic!?" Rainbow slammed a hoof on the stone floor.

"I can use magic, but the way your race detects it makes it seem like I can't. They detect magic itself, not the energy that your bodies use to make magic. You all make it naturally..." Skystrike conjured a snowflake on the tip of his finger. "I make it consciously. And to answer that first part, the memories I have from our childhood should speak for itself."

"Then... how do I know that you haven't been one since we were kids!?"

"Well... you don't. But even if I was, it wouldn't matter, since the Skystrike you know has either been a changeling pretending to be a pony this whole time, or a human pretending to be a pony this whole time. Either way, from the moment you and Fluttershy met me, I wasn't a pony."

She made a look, then thought about it. "...Yeah, I guess you're right... So... why didn't you go to the princess when you came to Eques? I'm sure she would've helped."

Skystrike's small smile fell a bit. "I don't know if you heard about 'the attack on Canterlot'? Probably not, you were like, six at the time."

"...If you mean the meteor that landed in Canterlot, yeah... You're saying that's how you got here?"

Skystrike nodded. "Turned myself in, then was held in their dungeon for a few days. I just gained my freedom, but Celestia wanted me under lock and key. So, I escaped."

Rainbow tilted her head. "...Then... why did you end up being adopted by her?"

"It'd be the last place she'd look." He shrugged. "And it's been working."

"Well... thanks for telling me. Honestly I got the feeling you didn't like me, but you trust me this much to be the first out of the girls to open up about it." Rainbow moved herself to sit next to Skystrike.

Skystrike smiled, then began petting her. "Well, sorry if I came off like that. But know my dislike isn't specific to you. We all have our flaws, but despite them, you, and the other girls, are still my friends. Even if we annoy each other."

"Well now I'm a bit curious..."

"Oh, it's nothing major. Ironically, if you all fixed your flaws, you'd all be able to reach your dreams."

"Really? Then what's mine?" Rainbow leaned into his petting. "Man, your claws hit the spot..."

"Hands. And Rainbow, you aren't a team player. You like having the attention on yourself, and only yourself. Not a bad thing, you'd be great if you were a one pony show, but you want to be in the Wonderbolts. It's the main thing they want you to be."

"...That makes sense, I guess... Just wish I had someone to fly with. Nopony can really keep up with me." She laughed. "Suffering from success."

"If you want, I can fly with you. Can't do tricks or anything fancy, but I'd be willing to learn to help you out."

Rainbow looked up at him. "You'd do that? Really?"

Skystrike nodded. "Of course. What are friends for?"

---

Skystrike and Rainbow Dash talked bit more before making their way back to Ponyville and parted ways. He stopped at his house to change out of his armor. Now in his pony form, he made his rounds around town, getting some greetings from a few ponies as he walked. Vynil Scratch gave him a hoof bump, asking when they're going to do that collab. The two set up time for two weeks out. Then he stopped at the flower sisters, Roseluck slightly annoyed but laughing at his order of flowers. He ate them on his way to his next stop, Town hall.

He entered just in time to see Mayor Mare. "Oh, Nebula! Good to see you again! What can I help you with today?"

"You probably saw the dragon that came in yesterday. Her name is Tethys, and she just moved in with me. I just need to know what she has to do become a resident and eventually a citizen."

The mayor gave a tired smile, and she put down the boxes she was carrying with a thud. "I'd be more than happy to help... It's just my schedule is... very busy right now..."

Skystrike walked over and picked up the boxes the mare was carrying. "Seems like you need a break."

"Thank you for the help, I'm just moving files to my office. And admittedly, I do need help. Time Turner is out sick for a few days. Happened right when Raven went on vacation." Mayor Mare sighed and straightened her glasses. "Just gotta get through the week."

The two entered her office. "Well, in that case, I'll save what I came for today for next week." Skystrike said as he sat the files down next to her desk. "If you want, I can come help you out with anything you need. I did a lot of paperwork during my time as a merc."

"Well... I would appreciate the help, but I cant have you help out an old mare like me."

Skystrike leaned on her desk and gave her a confused look. "We went-... Well I know I hide my actual identity, but you aren't even old. You're like... twenty eight. I know this because we went to school together. Same year as Shining Armor, Cadenza, and Cheerilee."

"...Wait, we went to the same highschool?" She sat down at her desk. "Wow, that takes me back... but I feel like I'd probably remember someone like you." She smiled.

"You probably do, but I hide my identity for a reason. You'll find out if you look hard enough, or if you have a year book. I wasn't able to stick around to get mine." He shrugged.

Mayor Mare chuckled a bit. "I remember prom like it was yesterday. Remember when Poindexter walked in with a dress and make up? It was so hard to stop myself from laughing!" The two shared a laugh. "And that jock, Buck Withers... Gosh, he- wasn't a good pony, just flaunting around how his dad was a congress pony. I will say, it was very satisfying when everypony stood up to him being crowned prom king."

"Honestly, I wasn't expecting everypony to stand up to him like that. But it was a welcome surprise. I love seeing ponies get their comeuppance."

"I don't know about you, but the part I wasnt expecting was that pegasus knocking him on his flank after he tried to go for Shining Armor." Mayor Mare sat in thought for a moment. "I can't remember his name for the life of me... or his colors. He was a pretty quiet kid. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Skystrike feigned ignorance. "I think so. Sounds familiar. Can you try and remember other things about him?"

"Sure. He... always wore long sleeves. He, Shining Armor, and Cadenza were all close friends... Oh! This should jog your memory! You know how our Highschool focused in military and political science?" Skystrike nodded. "The pegasus was part of the Royal Guard course, and won the tournament against all the other students. When the princess asked what he wanted as a prize, he wanted to spar with her!"

Skystrike chuckled. "Oh, yeah, I know who you're talking about. Skystrike Nebula."

"That was his name! I remember now! White coat, blue and black mane and tail... And he was a few years younger than us. The few times I talked to him... he spoke about wanting to fight for the ponies around him..." Mayor Mare began putting the pieces together. "Nebula... how old are you?"

"Twenty five." He smirked under his helmet.

Mayor Mare stuttered as she realized who he was. "Y-y-you're... I thought you..."

"Died? Yeah, had my reason to make it seem so." He quickly took off his helmet to show her his face, then put it back on. "I'm... trying to be more trusting on who knows who I am. Just hoping I'm trusting the right ponies. But just in case you do tell anyone..." Skystrike got closer to Mayor Mare, her leaning back in mild panic. "I'll tell everypony you dye your hair."

The two stared at each other in silence before laughing. Mayor Mare wiped a tear. "Ah... it is good to see you again, even with how little we talked... I'm surprised you still remember me."

"Heh, good to see you too. But if you do need help, you can just say I volunteered."

"I might take you up on that offer... You know, if you want, we can talk about it more later tonight. Cherilee and I are meeting up at the bar. It'd be nice to catch up more. Maybe... tell two old mares about your adventures?"

"Hey, you two aren't old." Skystrike nodded. "But sure, I'll be there. And for real, don't tell anypony about my identity."

"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

"What?"

"It's a Pinkie promise. I won't tell a soul."

---

Skystrike entered the tree library, seeing Twilight using her magic to do what she said earlier: Rearrange the entire library by author. Progress seemed to be going well for her. But then he noticed she got too into it, and while not paying attention, she picked up Spike in her magic and put him in one of the book shelves.

Skystrike saved Spike by flying over and pulling him out. "Hey Spike, how's it going?"

Spike shrugged. "Twilight's in the zone. Not much I'm doing here."

"...Wanna go to the spa?"

"Yeah!" Spike pumped his fist.

"Twilight, we're going to the spa!" Skystrike yelled to her, but she didnt even respond from how focused she was. "Have you been before?"

"Yeah, Twilight and I go every once in a while. Have you?"

"Only time I went was when the poison joke thing happened. Always wanted to check it out, but wasn't until relatively recently that my reputation was good enough where I could walk around town without getting stared at." Skystrike put Spike on his back as they left the library. "Speaking of, Tethys told me about what happened. Thanks for sticking up for her, and being the only one to talk sense."

"I just did what I thought you'd do."

Skystrike felt his heart tingle at that. "Never change, Spike."

"Hey, what did you mean by your reputation wasn't good? Everypony around town likes you!"

He shook his head. "Maybe now, but it wasn't until that fight with the Ursa Minor that the ponies here realized I was 'on their side' and not some monster slayer that lived at the edge of the Everfree. Plus, adding to my line of work and my unknown past, I'm still surprised that many ponies even came to my... well Naga's party."

"What do you mean, your line of work? And speaking of the Ursa Minor, how's the scars?" Spike pulled at his right wing, seeing the edges of the scars left by the claws of the bear.

Skystrike flapped his wing and put it back in place. "Still aches sometimes, but I heal faster than the average pony. Just waiting for the scars to fade. As to your first question, I guess I didn't tell you exactly what I do. But you're still a kid, so I can't tell you everything... Just don't tell Twilight?"

"Is it really so bad?" Spike turned and laid on his back. "I mean, you teach me how to fight, and you go and fight bad guys! Twilight's fine with it!"

"Twilight isn't fine with it. In fact, she doesn't like it. I was just able to convince her that this would be helpful for your growth."

"What do you mean?"

"Spike, you're a dragon. Eventually, your instincts will challenge your beliefs. My hope is that through discipline, you're better able to fight those instincts. And I'm not teaching you to fight so you can fight bad guys, I'm teaching you to fight so you can protect those you care about. Me, Stardust, Zecora, Tethys, and you, all have our own reasons to fight. I just hope the reason you find is the right one."

"Oh, uh... ok. I didn't think of it like that... well, can you tell me why you all fight so I know what I should fight for?" Spike flipped over again and sat up straight.

Skystrike hummed in confirmation. "Well, Stardust is a guard. She fights for her country, and the ponies living in it. Zecora, she's from a foreign land, but despite that, she fights for those she holds close. Tethys, in a way to quell her instincts, and for her own pride and culture, fights because she believes that her strength should be used, not hidden." Skystrike then paused before deciding how to say it. "I have two reasons. I fight to inspire. I came from a place where I was expected to just serve, to be used. It was only because I fought back that I am here now. I just wish I did it sooner. Point is, I fight because it gives hope to others that things can change for the better. My hope is that they stand up and fight for themselves. The other reason is a bit more personal. Not going into details, an old friend of mine was... wronged and... no one stood up for him. Only I did, but it was too late for it to make any difference to him."

"What was his name? Do you still talk?" Spike asked all too innocently.

"Steel Ace... and I wish we did. He... passed away about 7 years ago."

"I... I'm sorry. I think I get it though. Well, you all have good reasons. I guess that... I don't know what I fight for yet."

"And that's ok. I didn't either until after Steel Ace passed. There will be a moment where you realize. Most times, it's the middle of a fight. But again, I taught you to protect yourself and others, not to look for them." Skystrike looked back at Spike.

Spike nodded. "Ok! I'll only fight to protect others!"

Skystrike pushed open the door to the Ponyville Day Spa. "Sounds good." He said, but he couldn't help but think that he was going to regret this later.

Aloe Vera and Lotus Blossom, the twin owners of the establishment, greeted them in a Swedish accent... does... does Sweden exist? What's the pony equivalent? "Good afternoon, gentlecolts! What can we help you with today?"

"Spike, you chose. I don't know what I'm doing."

The baby dragon jumped off of the stallion's back. "We'd like to use the sauna, then get facials and massages, and finally hooficures."

Skystrike nodded at the two sisters as they bought up the price. A bit hefty, but it wouldn't hurt his pockets. He paid the fine. "Right this way!" Aloe began. The three walked down one of the hall ways before stopping at their destination. Aloe opened the door while Spike and Skystrike took of their clothes and put on the robes they were given and stepped inside. "The bucket of water is right next to the coals. Pour it on to increase the heat to your liking. Call if you need anything!"

And with that, the boys were left in the sauna. Skystrike could already feel the heat trickle into his body. The two sat down on opposite sides of the coals. Luckily they had it all to themselves.

"You know, we don't have many chances to hang out, just us guys." Spike leaned back.

"Yeah, with my work and now you going to school, there isn't too much time for us to hang out. Well, besides training." Skystrike leaned over. "I do hope you kept up with the routine while I was gone."

"I have, just a bit hard to find the time for it. From helping out Twilight, doing homework, and making friends, I can't put in as much time as I want." Spike sighed.

"That's life, dude. I know exactly how you feel... How about we cut back on the training a bit? I prefer you didn't miss out on your childhood. Besides, you got the basics down of combat anyway. Now, all you need is to keep up the routine, spar a few times. Think you can set aside about... an hour or two in the afternoon a few days a week? I'll even make you dinner. With fish and meat!"

Spike's eyes glittered with excitement. "Really!? You're the best!"

Skystrike poured some water onto the coals, the hot steam rising, increasing the temperature a few degrees. "Heh, I try to be. But how's school going for you? Part of me was hoping while Twilight enrolled you that you'd make some friends. Friends of your own, not Twilight's that you more see out of convenience... Not that we aren't your friends... just... kids your age."

"I know what you mean, and yeah! Yesterday, I actually made friends with Sweetie Belle. I'll probably hang out more with her in and afterschool." Spike poured some water onto the coals himself. "I think school is going well. Thanks to all the books I read when I get bored, Miss Cherilee says I'm ahead in the class, and is making me take some higher level stuff."

Skystrike smiled as he raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Like what?"

"Umm... Algebra and Equestrian History. She actually gave us all a project to do a presentation on things we do in our life, says she wants us to be creative."

"Any ideas so far?"

"Well... I can't write about how boring it is to help out at the library... Wow, I don't really do much here in Ponyville... I guess I can write about the training with you and Stardust..." Spike thought aloud.

Skystrike poured water. "Well, if you want help, just ask us. I got plenty of stories to share."

The two sat in a comfortable silence as they let the heat into their bodies. Skystrike could feel it do wonders on his body. The pain in his scars were fading as he felt his blood flow better. Then Spike spoke up. "Hey, Skystrike... can I ask you a serious question?"

"Sure. Go for it, lil man."

"...Do... do you... like Rarity?"

Skystrike paused before answering. "Spike... first, my answer to that is that I don't know. I'm barely honest to those around me, let alone myself. I don't know what I feel. Second, and try not to let my own thoughts influence you, but... I don't think... well, put bluntly, its puppy love. It seems like you like her because she's pretty."

"That's... that's not true! I-I mean... I don't like her."

"Spike, I know you like her, and I wont tell anypony. And I'm not accusing you of anything. just saying my perspective on this. But let me ask you this, and you don't have to answer, but how much do you actually know about Rarity? Her hobbies, her interest?" Skystrike leaned forward. "I'm not saying these things to discourage your feelings for her. I just want to make sure you're sure of any feelings you have for her." Skystrike leaned back after he poured on some more water on the coals. "Besides... even if you are sure of your feelings for her, and who she is as a pony... you're already way behind anypony that's into her."

"...What do you mean?" Spike asked.

"You're a child, Spike. Over a 10 year age gap. Even if she liked you back, she couldn't reciprocate those until you turn sixteen. Then she would also have to deal with the judging eyes on her... And this is all assuming she doesn't find somepony until then... You're playing a game that others have been playing for a while. You'll need luck, and commitment."

"...Are you saying that I shouldn't try?"

Skystrike wanted to say yes, for the obvious reason of the huge age gap, but didn't want to discourage him. "Not exactly... I'm a realist. I'm saying you shouldn't be surprised it doesn't work out." He finished, as he poured a bit more water on the coals. Skystrike began sweating.

This whole conversation made him think on the whole relationship between Rarity and Spike. A part of him wants to see them happy, but he just knows it wont work out in the end. It's something that Spike will grow out of. But Rarity's actions toward Spike is something that wont change until it's pointed out. He'll speak to her about it one of these days. "Honestly, Spike, I am sorry."

"...It's... fine. Honestly, I felt like that for a while. Just needed somepony to say it to me. But I'm not giving up!" Spike stood up and pumped a fist. "I'll learn more about her, and then I'll confess!"

Skystrike chuckled and gave a fake smile under his helmet. "You do you. I'll be here for you until the end either way... How long did you want to stay in here for anyway?"

"We've only been in here about 30 minutes, and it isn't even that hot. How about another half hour? With more heat."

Damn dragons and their temperature resistance. Skystrike chuckled some more as he picked up the bucket and poured a fourth of the water left onto the coals. The room instantly filled with steam, and went up in temperature a lot. Skystrike was sweating even more now. "Hot enough for you?"

"Aaaahh, that's nice..." Spike leaned back. "We should do this more often." The comfortable silence returned before Spike asked another question. "You know, you never told me what your job is."

Skystrike gave a small sigh. "I'm... a bounty hunter mixed with a detective? Mostly a bounty hunter. Mostly, I get paid to deal with some monster that's terrorizing some ponies. More times than I prefer, I end up a detective. Often because I wasn't given enough info, and the rabbit hole goes deeper."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, one of the first missions I ever took, some Noble's filly was foalnapped by somepony, and I was told it was because the filly was the successor. What actually happened, after I figured out who did it, was that the filly ran away from home, and she was being hunted down by her parents, since she was an illegitimate child. Once I learned that, I turned that information into the proper authorities, because if I sent her back to the Nobles, she would've died."

"Wow... that's like one of those thriller stories. Do you remember her name? Is she doing alright?"

Skystrike nodded. "Yeah... her name is Casta Spell. And she's doing quite well for herself." The two talked a bit more, Skystrike sharing his stories to the young dragon filled with excitement. But soon, their time in the sauna was up, and they decided to go get their facials. It felt... weird having to put some type of ointment on his face, then the cucumbers on his eyes... He did not like having his eyes closed. Luckily, they let him put everything on himself, so he didn't have to show his face. He focused on everything he could hear. The ponies walking by, the doors opening, the voices of the few other ponies in the room with them. It cooled his nerves a bit.

The two boys moved on to the full body massages. Skystrike was told to just relax, let loose of the tension in his body, but it took a little for him to do so. But once that massage started, he had to admit, it felt heavenly. Skilled hooves glided across his coat, feeling any tension he had left loosen as his muscles relaxed. The pressure was firm, yet soothing, and he felt the stress release with the knots. It was calming. His breathing slowed, becoming more aware of the sensation of relaxation spreading through his body. It ended, and he felt like was a new man.

Finally, hooficures. Well, claw-icures for Spike. Face masks washed off, he put back on his helmet. He was lucky how easy the ponies fall for disguises. He was laid on his side, and his hooves put in line as Aloe began filing his hooves. Then he heard the door open, turning his head to see Twilight and Fluttershy enter in robes. "Yo."

"Oh, hey Nebula. Didn't expect to see you here." Twilight greeted.

"I didn't think a spa was one of your interest." Fluttershy chuckled a bit.

"Well, I wasn't before, but Spike got me into it." Skystrike shrugged. "Spike, how's it going on your end?" Spike gave a thumbs up. "We coolin'."

"You know, you take better care of your hooves than I thought." Fluttershy laid on her side as she began getting a hooficure of her own.

"Hoof work is super important in my work. Gotta make sure they stay even."

"Besides... can the fellas not feel pretty?" Spike picked the cucumbers off his eyes and ate them. The three ponies laughed.

"Oh yeah, Twilight and I stopped by Rarity's to see how Tethys's clothes were going. Rarity got... really inspired from Tethys." Fluttershy sighed in relief from her spa treatments. "Tethys's was surprisingly into it, albeit a little self conscious about her body."

"I mean, I still haven't seen what she's self conscious about. I'll try to make her feel better either way. Might stop by when I drop of Spike back at the library..." He said as he looked over to Spike. "We coolin'?"

"We coolin'." Spike responded.

"We coolin'." Skystrike confirmed.

"I also heard Mayor Mare chatting about you with Cherilee... You get around, huh?" Twilight smirked.

"...I mean, they're good ponies. What are you implying?" Skystrike tilted his head.

Twilight chuckled. "You know they are interested in you, right?"

"...What? Why would they be?"

"Well, I didnt hear all the details, but they invited you to go drinking with them... and you know mares and herds."

"I don't. What? How did you pick up on this and not the tickets that Celestia gave you? How did I pick up on the tickets and not the mares hitting on me??" Skystrike asked her, then himself. He felt stupid.

"I- wh-... WHAT?" Twilight blurted out.

"Not going to lie, Nebula, I'm confused too..." Fluttershy looked at him.

Skystrike began laughing. "Well, why do you think Celestia gave me three tickets, and Twilight two?"

Fluttershy and Twilight thought about it for a few moments, then Fluttershy began giggling at the clueless Twilight. "...Because she wanted you to give one to Zecora?" The unicorn guessed.

"You poor soul." Skystrike continued laughing. "I thought so at first too, until Zecora was sent one of her own, same time as mine. Stardust too. Another hint then, I'm a stallion. You're a mare." Twilight thought some more, then tilted her head. "God, you're dense. She wants... well, wanted you to get a coltfriend. She wants me to get a herd."

Twilight's face turned bright red. "O-oh..." Then Skystrike laughed his ass off, Aloe having to stop her filing and giggling a bit as well.

"Yeah, it's real awkward. I still don't know who I'll bring... Well, Tethys definitely, now that she's here..." Skystrike sat in thought. "Well, I still got time. I need to get extra tickets anyway..."

"Preparing for a herd?" Twilight teased.

"Oh, well, during my stay in Canterlot, I met up with some old friends and family. Some of them want to go... Actually, Casta probably got tickets for herself and Maud. Then I just need some for the family... I don't know who I'll bring."

Twilight's ears perked up. "Casta? Casta Spell? As in the court magician? You know her personally?"

"Yeah, was part of my group before we disbanded. She's a bit like you two. A total nerd, rambles on in an amusing way that keeps you interested in what she says. But she's also really shy, pretty quiet, but you can tell she tries her best. You two would like her. Maybe I'll see if she can visit."

"Does she like tea?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yeah, but I dont know much about it. She does enjoy her tea time like you." When Skystrike finished, as if on queue, Spike were finished, standing up and stretching a bit. "Oh my god, I feel so... nice. Aloe, Lotus, you two have the hooves of an angel."

"Thank you, sir." Aloe and Lotus said, opening the doors for the boys. "We hope to see you again!"

"See you later, Fluttershy, Twilight."

Skystrike took the fast way to Spike's home, deciding to take into the skies and fly there. Only about five minutes of flight was all it took to drop off Spike at the library before he took the short walk to Rarity's Carousel Boutique. He heard quite a lot of chatter going on inside. Girl talk probably between Rarity, Tethys, Zecora, and Stardust... Wouldn't hurt to eavesdrop a little...

He heard Tethys' voice first. "So I'm sitting there, barbeque sauce on my titties..." And then laughter erupted from within the building. And Skystrike decided he heard enough.

Skystrike waited a comfortable amount of time where he wouldn't raise suspicion to knock on the door. Then, right as he was about to knock, he hesitated. He remembered what he did earlier. What he said to Tethys, and in front of all of his friends. He stood there for a little longer, thinking of what to do next. Then he heard the doorknob jiggle. His ears went up, taking him out of his train of thought as he looked at the dragoness who opened the door. "...Hey."

"...Hey..." Skystrike awkwardly returned the greeting. "Just wanted to say sorry for this morning. Even if I was upset, I shouldn't have blown up on you like that."

"Oh... well you don't need to be sorry. I should've noticed sooner that you don't like fighting."

"No big deal. Don't worry about it too much." Skystrike shook his head.

Tethys grabbed him. "Sweet, because I need a guys opinion." And like that, Skystrike was dragged inside and put on a chair, next to Zecora and Stardust.

"...Wait, Rarity made clothes this fast?" Skystrike asked the two next to him.

"That, among other things." Stardust took a sip from her cup of water. "Came at the perfect time. We just finished looking through her underwear."

"Speaking of, Skystrike!" Rarity called from behind the dressing screen with Tethys. "You've seen her... personally, so you'd know what would work better. I have the design down for her Lingerie, but none of us can deside on the color."

Skystrike thought. "Just because you asked, I'll answer. Black and white are the easy choices. Maybe a turqoise to bring out the different shades of blue, or rose red for contrast. Now my question is how much did you all talk about my sex life? Because I don't like the way that first sentence came out..."

Stardust coughed as Zecora laughed. "When you fell asleep, the night was still young. And we had to admit, you knew how to work that tongue."

Skystrike groaned and covered his face with his hooves. "You know, your rhyming makes it so much worse."

With a thud, Tethys from behind the dressing screen took off her chestplate and put on the tan undergarments that Rarity quickly yet fashionably made for her. She had to admit though, it was a bit hard making a bra further up, and having to make space for wings. Rarity had to strain herself to even get the piece on. "Rrgh... remind me to make these a couple sizes bigger..."

"Are they that big? For real?" Skystrike was confused. Last he saw them they were what he assumed a normal size for a dragon.

"You have no idea..." Stardust sighed. "A part of me is jealous."

"Of?" Tethys asked as she began putting on her outfit.

"The attention you'd get from them. I barely get noticed by any stallions..." Stardust sighed again. "I'm kinda nearing the age where I don't have many options on partners. Need to settle down sooner rather than later."

Skystrike turned to Stardust. "You're like thirty. There's no way stallions are that picky, right?"

"Sky, from what you told me, and given where you're from, the way the stallions treat mares there is like heaven. It's why you're one of the good ones. You take everypony that approaches you at face value. The average stallion, over-inflating their worth, gets to decide on every aspect they want in a mare, just because there's that much choice for them." She said before laughing a bit. "Once I was rejected because he already had 'too many earth ponies in his herd'."

Zecora spoke next. "In my homeland, the issue's the same. My stripe patter led to a let down, a shame."

Rarity spoke as she helped Tethys into her outfit. "I was thrown away by an ex because I didn't fit the color pallete of his herd... Asshole..."

"...What the fuck, all of those are such shallow reasons!" Skystrike threw out his hooves. "Like... holy shit! There's no way! I just thought the way I acted was the norm!"

"Pssh, I wish! Darling, if you were the norm, then you wouldn't have so many eyes on you."

"What, basic respect gets me girls??" They all nodded at him. "What the hell! There's no way! They haven't even seen my face!"

"I don't know why you're so surprised. And your face only adds to your mystery." Rarity giggled. "You're good with kids, you have most of your stuff together, you're strong, you actually see us mares as ponies rather than trophies, you dress well, you have a nice build... Honestly, there's a lot of reasons. But you're dense."

"Thanks? I guess? I'm... still just... in shock of your side of the dating market. I'm sorry."

"Eh, it's fine. Most stallions grow out of it after the first few mares leave them." Stardust finished her drink. "But enough about that, let's see the outfits!"

Tethys hesitated to step out. "I'm... not sure, now that I have this on."

Rarity huffed, then got on her hind legs to push Tethys into view by her butt. The first outfit was simple, being jeans and a green v-neck t-shirt with a black sleeveless vest. Skystrike was honestly more surprised she was able to make a vest for wings like that. "Come on, give us a spin!" Rarity clapped her hooves. Tethys did so, letting skystrike see two things. One was how the holes for her arms were much wider and went towards the back, allowing her wings and arms to go through on one hole each side. That makes sense. The second was the side view of her rack. They were already kinda big, but if they were apparently bigger... he shook the thought out of his mind.

"Looks pretty good on you. Kinda reminds me of some of my clothes." Skystrike said.

"Thanks... We actually went through your wardrobe to get ideas. And Stardust's too..." Tethys admitted. "And I was hoping for more than a 'pretty good' to be honest..."

"Well, my honest opinion is that you look hot as hell, but I didn't want to be weird." Skystrike admitted, making Zecora and Stardust laugh. "But if you want actual pointers, you're putting a lot of attention on your upper body. Mostly your chest because of the v-neck, but you don't have much of a choice since your horns are in the way. Because you're self conscious about the area, the best option I can think of is to put more focus on other parts of your body, like your legs, horns, or wings."

Stardust nodded. "Going off of what Sky said, it is a good idea. Maybe a tail band, or jewelry?"

Then Zecora spoke up. "Maybe neck rings or bracelets, similar to mine. It'd be worth trying on for a time."

Skystrike nodded. "I could make some for you. Silver or platinum would be good... Maybe onyx or jade too."

Rarity quickly wrote down all the input. "Alright, next outfit!"

Tethys was pulled behind the dressing screen, then pushed out a few moments later in a grey, off-shoulder ribbed knit jumper dress with long, loose sleeves, and the dress ending just before the knees. She did a quick spin, showing an opening for her wings and tail, but making sure to cover her butt. "This one feels a bit... embarrassing"

Skystrike made the 'ok' sign with his metal arm. "Very nice. Good color. Not so much attention to the chest, but still gives a good view of your figure. The grey really brings out the shades of blue in your hair and scales, and the smoothness of the dress also puts emphasis on your muscles and horns. A jade necklace would bring out your eyes more."

"Darling, how is your eye for fashion so good?" Rarity blinked. "That was so much detail!"

"Like I said, I had four sisters who didn't want to wear the same thing. Comes with the territory."

"Then why didn't you help me when the girls had me make those revolting dresses!?"

"You didn't ask." Skystrike shrugged.

Rarity sighed, then turned to Stardust and Zecora. "Well, moving on, thoughts?"

"Well, Skystrike already said most of it." Stardust sat up. "Maybe try a few different colors? Just stay away from orange or a deep blue."

"It puts a lot of focus on your chest. maybe try an open back turtle neck dress?"

The routine continued, Tethys being pulled back and thrown out in a new outfit. "Can't I just try one of those sweat shirts? Like Skystrike?"

"Oh fine, but if you do, I'm making you wear that outfit." Rarity responded.

"...Know what, fuck it, fine! I'll wear that damn dress!" Tethys threw up her hands. "Look, now you're making me sound like him!"

"Oh hush, just get out there! Don't know what type of critique you'll get wearing that though." Once again, Tethys was pushed out, this time wearing a simple set of grey sweat shirt and sweat pants.

"You know, kinda fits you. Definitely hides everything. But yeah, it is rather plain."

"You're one to talk." Tethys quipped. "I've only seen you wear your armor and your sweats."

"Well ONE, my armor looks sick! TWO, looking plain is my intention. And THREE, womens fashion is much more complex than mens. Most ponies don't wear clothes in the first place. I just wear mine because I don't like having my balls out."

Stardust chuckled. "You're insecure about your balls?"

"I'm insecure about ponies staring at my balls. Completely different. But moving on, I guess you can get a pattern for your sweats? Stripes?"

Stardust was about to say something, but was cut off by Rarity. "Enough of that, now, dress time!"

Tethys let out a long groan as she went back behind the screen and started undressing, then putting on the item known as 'that'. In a few minutes, she came out. It was a glistening silver, crossover backless dress with a slit that started at her thigh, the full length of the dress stopping right at the floor. Tethys was obviously embarraased by what she was wearing. Skystrike however, pogged.

Zecora spoke first. "Tethys, in that outfit, you're a sight. Any guy would swoon, fall down in pure delight."

"I see you took Skystrike's advice. You look great! Maybe you can wear that to the gala?" Stardust affirmed.

Tethys turned to the earth pony. "Gala? That dance you ponies have? I don't have a ticket."

"Skystrike will probably give you one of his extras." Stardust turned, then almost choked when she saw Skystrike pogging. "Sky?" She asked between stifled laughter. "Your thoughts?"

Skystrike stood up slowly and put on a pair of sunglasses. He put out an open hoof. "Sex... NOW!" Everyone bust out laughing, Stardust falling out of her chair and onto the floor. Zecora even brayed a few times, making them all laugh harder. "I am so happy that landed..."

"Holy bucking shit..." Stardust picked herself off the floor. "I think that's the funniest thing you've said..."

"I didn't think that my thoughts while high were gonna be taken seriously." Skystrike shrugged.

"Well, admittedly, they were good ideas. Might have to use them sometimes." Rarity finished laughing. "Maybe we should get you high again. Get more ideas out of you."

"We should mix it with poison joke! See what spells of the mind we can invoke!" Zecora laughed.

"THAT IS A BAD IDEA!" Skystrike instantly denied causing them to all laugh again. "You could not handle the shit I would say! Everything in my mind should stay inside of the skull prison!"

"I think I'm with Skystrike on this one Darlings..." Rarity wiped her tears. "We all, well except Tethys, saw what poison joke does... he just does not stop talking..."

"I have seen him on poison joke before, and while it was funny the first tie, after an hour or two, it was... annoying to say the least."

"You froze my mouth closed."

"Like I said, annoying to say the least." Tethys leaned on her back leg. Skystrike pogged again as she showed off. "What, you into legs?"

"Yes." Skystrike said matter of factly.

"...Why in Tartarus are you so forward about it? Like, thanks I guess??" Tethys threw up her arms. "Good to know I have nice legs???"

"No problem. That's what friends are for!" Skystrike gave a thumbs up.

"Skystrike, I want to hit you SO bad right now!" Tethys laughed some more.

---

Skystrike was sitting at Ponyville's local bar, having a drink prepared by the owner. A plum coated mare with a raspberry pink mane and tail, hosting a cutie mark of a bunch of grapes and a strawberry. Her name was Berryshine, better known as Berry Punch, and she knew how to brew. In a few moments, she served him his drink, a simple Margarita. She even gave him the lime.

"Thanks, Berry." Skystrike raised the drink to her before taking a few sips, feeling the slight burn as it went down.

"No problem, colt." She said before going back to cleaning her glasses. It was the evening, around seven to be exact. The ponies of the town started to roll in, having a bit more fun before the weekend ended. The bar was rather small, only having about a dozen and a half booths, but it made sense for the size of Ponyville, barely breaking 100 ponies at the moment, but the village was steadily growing. Skystrike looked around the bar to see all that was going on. Some ponies throwing darts at a dart board, another few groups sitting at the booths, chatting between each other, and some even looking through the vinyl's at the jukebox.

Skystrike, however, was taking the time to think about what he learned and did earlier that day. He was having doubts about telling Rainbow Dash. Well, not truly doubts. He felt that he'd come to regret it later, but couldn't tell if that was his instinct or his predisposition against the ponies. It was the same with Tethys, Zecora, Elytra. Well, Elytra already knew, but still. He was at least glad he had one of his sisters back.

But back to the topic at hand. Maybe he could trust Rainbow... actually most definitely. But he should not have told Mayor Mare... or Minuette, Lemon Drop, or Twinkleshine... Man he fucked it up. But maybe those three were ok? They haven't seemed to reveal his identity. Or maybe nopony believed them. Moon Dancer knew for a while. Skystrike knew that she needed somepony to talk to, even through letters. Some ponies need that connection, but life doesn't let them make them. He'd make sure to read her letter first thing tomorrow morning... better yet, he'd visit when he goes to Maud's graduation.

He got lost in his thought again. His very being was telling him not to trust these ponies, or any being in this world. But at least he knew why, and he wouldn't let it control him. What he worried about now was the time they have left. The time Skystrike had left with all of his friends. Everything he planned on doing either will never happen, or will have to be sped up. At worst, five years left... The obvious thing is to write his will, who'd he leave his belongings too. What he actually wanted to think about was... how to tell his friends.

Rainbow, he told because she helped him out, stayed with him, listened to him, even if she wasn't obligated to. She deserved to know the truth about him. But the others, he wasn't sure what to do. He could keep it a secret, and they'd live with the pain of his sudden death. He could tell them all, but then they'd know that the time they have with him is limited. There's no happy ending for his story... He could only lessen the pain on those he cared for, and do some good before he'd go.

He always wanted to be a singer, ever since he went to a concert back in grade school. Vynil is offering to make music with him, so he could at least release some tracks. Always wanted to get a girlfriend too, but two things about that. He'd have to find one first, and one that would be ok with his inevitable death. The realistic option would be to cross that off. There are a few races he hasn't even met yet that he'd want to meet. Kirins, Deer, the beings down south, the beings in Zecora's home country, there's so much he wants to see. Five years should be enough time, but he'll most likely stay in Equestria. He should leave something behind to protect his friends and their world. Echo could help with that... if he stays active after his passing. Maybe he should reveal himself to Celestia... No, not yet. Out of the question. But the main thing he'd have to work towards is seeing his friends again. The members of 'All' that disbanded. He'd have to speed up the plans.

He sighed, downing the rest of the drink in one go. It's been a hard day, he deserves to get soft. He asked Berry to make him another, her doing so. Skystrike was about to down it before a hoof touched his shoulder. "Starting without us?"

Skystrike turned to see two familiar, and a new face. A mare with a white coat and light pink mane and tail, the former being in a bun. Her cutie mark was that of a medical cross with a heart at each corner. After looking at her a little longer, he recognized her. "Ah, perfect timing. Mayor Mare, Cherilee, and Redheart right? I remember you. Patched me up good."

Redheart nodded. "Yes, and I couldn't forget you. Stitching you up when you had claw marks that big on you wasn't easy." She sighed. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting you of all ponies to be the 'new friend' that Ivory was saying was going to join us."

Mayor Mare quickly covered Redheart's mouth, but it was too late. Skystrike fully turned to face the three. "So that's your real name? Ivory, huh? Knew Mayor Mare had to be a title." He chuckled.

"The whole thing is Ivory Scroll, now that you know, but... I perfer to keep it on the hush hush. Only close friends call me that." Mayor Mare shuffled in place, removing her hoof from Redheart's mouth.

"Trust me, I get it. I'll keep calling you Mayor." Skystrike got up and grabbed his glass. "Let's move to a booth. You ladies eat yet, or you just here for the drinks?"

"If you're offering to pay, we didn't eat yet." Cherilee smirked.

"Alright, I can do that. Just don't make a habit of it." Skystrike laughed as they moved to a booth.

They all took their seats as Cherilee continued the conversation. "You dont have to, I was joking. We can pay for ourselves."

"Please, don't worry. It's really no problem."

"Dang colt, how much do you make where a sudden outing is no problem for you to pay?" Redheart put an elbow on the table.

"Uh..." Skystrike looked up in thought. "Depends on the year, to be honest. When I first started out, I had to do simple fetch quests weekly just to get by. Wasn't until I was able to get my first real mission that I started making good money. Lowest I made in a year, after splitting rewards between everyone, was 40k. Highest year was the year before I moved here, made 430k."

"Damn, what did you have to do to get that much in one year?"

"Well, further context was that 430k was before expenses. After, it was 380k. I planned on settling down, so I took a lot of quests from the average pony, to nobles, to government officials. Ranged from missing ponies, to monster hunts, and even some things I signed some NDAs for." Skystrike looked into his drink and took a sip. "Word of advice for all of you, if you think somepony has it out for you, write it down and hide it somewhere. The guards aren't trained to look too hard, and close the case without doing much work. Your friends and family end up calling ponies like me to do the looking."

"Yeah, I had a stalker back and highschool. Still have the notes I wrote." Mayor Mare admitted.

"Oh shit, you had a stalker? Why didn't I know about it? What happened to them?" Cherilee turned to look at her friend.

"I didn't take him too seriously until it came to a peak. Normally, he just showed up at places where I went. The library, my job, things like that. It wasnt until he followed me home that I got worriedd about it. But soon after he just stopped. Completely stopped approaching me, in fact, began running away if he ever saw me in class. What was his name? Stone Journer or something?"

"Stone Journer was your stalker?" Cherilee's eyes went wide.

"What, you knew him?" Mayor Mare tilted her head, putting up a hoof to call over a waiter.

"Well... not knew knew, but we had a lot of similar classes. Some colt asked me about him during out junior year. That Skystrike kid, was the same year as us, but a few years younger. When I asked why he wanted to know so much about him, he said 'the less you know the better' then walked away." Mayor Mare turned to Skystrike. Though she couldn't tell by his face, she could tell by the eyes that he was smirking.

"Isn't that Skystrike pony the one with no magic?" Redheart joined in. "I had to do my bachelor's research project on the effects of magic on a pony, and how it differs on species. He was a big part of my research, since the average medical practices didn't work on him. Most of our medicine reacts with the magic in ponies in after all." Redheart turned to Skystrike again. "But your job sounds pretty interesting. Exciting too."

"You'd think so, and at times it is, but most completely forget about the part of the job where the ponies judge you. All four of us help ponies here. Tending to their wounds, educating the youth, serving the residents, your achievements are looked on with grace. Not many see me or anypony in my line of work as anything more than a thug for hire. It's pretty isolating."

"Eesh... Never thought of it like that... I will say, I did think of you like that for a while until you took out that Ursa Minor... and I had to stitch you up. Sorry."

He shook his head. "No big deal. The town's got... marginally more accepting so I'm over it by now. But enough about me. I barely know anything about you three." The waiter came to take their orders as the conversation paused. They quickly placed their orders. The warm glow of the bar lights reflected off the polished wooden tables, casting a nice ambience over the room. As their food and drinks came, Skystrike on his third, they clinked their glasses together, and the murmurs of conversation began.

It was interesting to him how quick the excitement and comraderie settled in between the group. Despite appearances, Redheart was a natural conversationalist, who's witty remarks effortlessly kept the banter going. As she showed more of who she was as a pony, her animated gestures and infectious smile drew in everypony. Cherilee was more of a listener, and did so to every part of the conversation, but made sure to add her opinions in as the night went on. Mayor Mare was more rowdy that he was expecting, but he couldn't tell if it was just who she was, or because of the alcohol. The ponies could handle less than him. Honestly their alcohol wasn't even strong. She was laughing pretty loud, but he didn't blame her. Doing three ponies jobs at once couldn't be easy. She just wanted to let loose a bit. Same with Cherilee. Redheart wasn't much of a drinker, but mostly due to her job. Had to be on call just in case. Didn't stop her from having a drink or two, but she had to wake up in the morning without a hangover.

Time seemed to slip away unnoticed as the group bonded over their shared experiences, discovering some common ground and appreciating their differences. As the evening progressed, the initial hesitation of talking to these ponies transformed into a genuine connection. They each bought something unique to the table, forging the beginnings of what promised to be a lasting friendship. They promised to do this again.

Alas, the night was coming to an end. Skystrike was surprised he felt better, despite how the day started out. While he, Redheart, Mayor Mare, and Cherilee weren't drunk, each one of them were tipsy. Redheart was the first to part ways, her house a few minutes walk from the bar, but they continued the conversation until the last second. Skystrike, even though he doubted he needed to, walked them home. Cherilee's place was in the opposite direction of Mayor Mare's home, so the two decided the former would sleep at the mayors home.

They walked into the mayors home, the three still laughing as he helped them inside. Skystrike didn't realize how much they drank. The mares were leaning on him in a... way that was giving signals. He was probably thinking too hard. "The... bedroom is the doorway on the right." Mayor Mare pointed. Skystrike lead them to the bedroom, Cherilee and Mayor Mare giving each other a look, unnoticed by Skystrike. "Could you help me... undo this collar?" She took of her glasses and gave him 'the look'. There was a growing blush on both her and Cherilee's face as the latter waited on the bed. Mayor Mare took of her glasses as she laid back on the bed as well.

Skystrike, the dense idiot he was, took of her collar and put it on the night stand next to the bed before tucking them both in. "You two comfortable? I can get you some water before I go. Help you work of the hangover we're going to have in the morning."

The two earth ponies looked at each other before laughing. Cherilee was the one to clarify. "Quite a gentlecolt, but I didn't take you for one to be so dense. So let me be less subtle... we'd like to have a good time, and hopefully for a long time~." Cherilee stood up and flicked his chin with her tail.

It still took a moment for it to click in Skystrike's brain. "Aight."

Author's Note:

I did more research than I thought I'd do for this chapter, and came across a lot of inconsistencies in the timeline. I plan on changing a few things depending on the ponies.

As you can see from the start in the chapter, Skystrike doesn't have long to live, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna cut his story short. I've also decided that going episode by episode was a bad idea.

I don't want Skystrike to be there as "the 7th character" I want him to be his own. Because of this, the episodes will be happening more in the background, and because of that, expect some time skips, as I don't want to have filler chapters. From here on, I plan on the chapters being original, and not some template based off the show.

I'm getting into the groove of writing these though, and they comments are helpful, so I know what you guys like, and what you all look forward to. I remember seeing one comment talking about love interest, and how I am sticking to the show's timeline. I do want to have love interests, but not sure with who yet, or if I actually will do it.

Thanks for reading, the favorites, the comments. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Already working on the next one.

Comments

[Haver]

Love it nice😀😃

[Fun1901]

11759773
Agree

[dar88]

God I hope they don't kill him off