Nothing Is Set In Stone

Nothing Is Set In Stone

Have you ever met anyone that loved you so much...and yet you knew that you could never be worthy of their affection, of their love for you?

Be it by money or personality confliction...or my case a timeline that I refused to interfere with.

Well...I suppose I better start at the beginning.

Have you ever read any my little pony fanfictions? Or more specifically have you ever read the unbelievable amount of Human in Equestria stories?

Well I used too...so long ago.

We all know how they tend to start. The Human would be at his house or walking through a convenient forest when all of a sudden he would fall or sneeze or blink...and like that he wakes up either in the Everfree Forest or Twilights library.

Cliché right?

Yeah well it wasn't for me. You see unlike the wide amount of teenagers entering Equestria by some unknown means, I was barely into my teens at the time...or so I was told.

I wish I could be more specific but when I did come to Equestria...I found some memories lacking. Not all of them but mostly the important ones like my family and age and name...you see where I'm going with this?

Well perhaps if I actually start explaining how I got here then you'd understand a little better.

It all started when I opened my eyes, only to find myself in broom closet. I was naturally confused and to be honest still thought I was asleep. So imagine my surprise when I open the door only to find myself being stared at my numerous multicoloured ponies.

Multicoloured ponies I couldn't help but recognize...

Most of whom were wearing armour.

At the time I was only around five foot six, but in comparison to these small creatures I was quite tall. They made up for this quite well however by being both highly trained and as I said before, quite numerous.

Oh I should probably tell you what I look like shouldn't I? Well at the time I had short spiky brown hair that has never really changed over the years. I had and obviously still have bright green eyes, and I think at the time I was wearing a pair of blue jeans, a black t-shirt and white trainers.

Anyway I was dragged kicking and screaming by about three of the guards. One of which was grinding his teeth in frustration as his horn flickered on and off. After about fifteen minutes of pulling, yelling and cursing, the latter being from the ponies believe it or not, I was thrown into a dank and dark cell.

I still haven't told you my name or age at the time have I? Forgive me, I can be quite forgetful...and given what has happened...well by the end of this you might understand why.

Anyway back then I was only fourteen and my name...well I only remembered my first one and that made me more fearful than anything else that had happened to me that day. I mean to have forgotten really important parts of my life...

I knew I had friends but couldn't remember their names. I knew I played rugby but couldn't remember for what team. This and many more were forgotten...except for one ironic thing.

The show I now resided in. I could remember the names of all the Mane Six, the Princesses, the background ponies and most importantly...every episode and the plot that came with it.

As for my name...

I waited in that cell for what felt like days, hiding myself as best I could whilst I merely rested against the furthest corner.

I was only a kid...and I was terrified, despite knowing where I had to be.

Believe it or not I never actually wanted to go to Equestria. I mean come on I was still a kid with a decent amount of friends and some good grades at school.

The door to the dungeon opened after what must have been a good hour or two. And who else could have stepped inside but...

Twilight Sparkle?

Except...she was little. She was just a little filly that couldn't have been any older than she was during her exam.

This was not going the same way as I thought it would have.

Twilight walked as close as she could get to the bars and peered inside at me. I saw all of this through my fingers. Said fingers being on my face in order to give me some sort of security.

"Oooh what are you?" She asked excitedly. "I've never seen anything like you in my books before."

I didn't say anything back to her. I was simply too shocked...too frightened and wary of what was going to happen to me. Despite not being able to remember their faces or names...at that moment all I wanted was my Mom and Dad.

Say whatever you like. Yeah I know I was fourteen...but I was so scared and alone in a world that shouldn't have existed.

After a few minutes of non stop talking/questioning from the purple filly, she was eventually interrupted by a rather sweet sounding voice.

"Twilight there you are! I've been looking all over for you."

I looked behind the small filly to see none other than Princess Cadance. She looked exactly as she did in the show. Her coat was a bright pink and her mane and tail consisted of three different colours.

Purple, pink and golden highlights, all tied up in an ironic ponytail.

But she was much younger than she was in the show. In fact I could of sworn that at that moment she looked about the same age as she did in Twilights flashbacks, where she was foalsitting her.

She instantly noticed me huddled in the corner and walked over to the bars to join Twilight in her staring.

"Oh my...what in the world are you?" She asked rhetorically.

I didn't say anything to her either. It wasn't that she frightened me or anything like that...I was just afraid I'd say something that would give my knowledge of this place away. I mean if someone knew about the future in my world then he or she would be arrested and interrogated until the day they died.

I was pulled away from my thoughts by a rather large form coming up from behind the pair.

"That is the question, is it not Cadance?"

Both Cadance and Twilight jumped in surprise and turned around to see Princess Celestia smiling down at them. Said Princess looked at me with the same kind smile and used her magic to unlock the bars, before she walked inside and stopped a short distance in front of me.

Her horn glowed yet again for a few seconds and I was instantly surrounded by a golden aura...only for it to instantly fade away. She tilted her head in slight confusion at this and lit up her horn again, only for the exact same thing to happen.

"How interesting..." She muttered quietly, so quietly in fact that only I managed to hear her. Cadance and Twilight merely sat at the entrance and watched.

I still hadn't removed my hands from my face...I was even more afraid and needed some sort of comfort, no matter how mediocre.

Celestia suddenly moved forward and touched my leg with her hoof, surprising me and making me jump as a result. To my utter surprise however, it was Celestia herself who was most affected. Her ethereal mane instantly stopped blowing in the nonexistent breeze and rapidly turned a light pink colour.

She then removed her hoof from me and like...well magic, her mane instantly regained its flow and colour.

"I thought so...you're completely immune to magic." She told me, a touch of nervousness to her voice. "But I could feel my magic almost work...perhaps..."

"Princess what's wrong with your magic?" Twilight asked curiously, her eyes sparkling at the anticipation of new knowledge.

Cadance was merely looking at me strangely.

Celestia looked at her student and smiled reflexively at her, something that seemed to have an instant calming effect on the Unicorn.

"I believe that this creature is completely immune to any magic." She explained calmly.

"B-But there's never been a creature completely immune to magic." Twilight stammered nervously, showing her intelligence despite her young age. "Even Dragons aren't completely immune."

"Indeed Twilight...which would mean that this creature is not of this world." Celestia mused, half to herself and half to her student.

"Really Aunty?" Cadance asked, apparently deciding to speak up now that she had stopped staring at me. "Is it an alien then?" She continued excitedly.

As they spoke to each other, my mind was racing to find some sort of solution to my problem. A part of me considered asking Celestia if she could send me home...but by the sound of it this type of thing had never happened before, so what would she know in terms of sending me back. No, if she learned that I could speak then she might not ever let me go...especially if her magic was completely useless against me.

The other part of me was highly considering making a run for it. Because if I was immune to magic then Celestia had no way of stopping me, and despite her guards being stronger than me I doubted they were as fast.

I could still remember my place on my team...whoever they were.

And it was the wing...which according to what little I could recall meant I was quite possibly very quick and agile.

I didn't need to speak, just run.

I suddenly became aware of Celestia looking down at me again and looked back at her, my hands still on my face protectively. The Princess then did something quite...peculiar. She laid down on her stomach in front of me and merely looked at what little she could see of my face.

"Can you understand me?" She asked softly.

I blinked at the question instinctively and shuffled almost unnoticeably. Celestia smiled at this and continued to look right at me.

"Ahh so you can then." She continued calmly. "I am Princess Celestia and ruler of Equestria, which is the world you now reside in...could you perchance let me look at you please?"

I honestly didn't know what to do. I kept looking at the open door and tensing my legs as I considered making a break for it. Celestia apparently noticed this as she put her forehoof on my leg, distracting me and causing her mane to lose its magical properties.

"Please, I promise you that I mean no harm." She pleaded gently.

Despite a rather large part of me screaming at me not too, I took my hands off my face and allowed everypony to look at it properly.

Celestia smiled at this and put a hoof on my cheek, turning my face in different angles so as to get a better look at me.

"You're quite young aren't you?" She mused absentmindedly. "If I were to guess then I'd say about the same age as Cadance, perhaps older...perhaps younger."

As though the magic word was somehow spoken, Cadance trotted over to me and peered at me curiously, smiling the whole time. Twilight walked behind her and clung to her left hindleg as she also looked at me inquisitively.

Celestia then stopped moving my head and gave me a motherly smile...it gave me the weirdest sense of da-ja-vu that I have ever recalled.

"Can you speak?" She asked me softly, smiling at me still and almost electing a small smile of my own in return.

I considered the consequences of speaking...but to be honest she already knew that I was intelligent, so I was doomed either way really.

"Yes." I replied nervously, my voice breaking halfway through the word.

The Princess let loose a rather large smile as I spoke, apparently quite happy that she was making progress...or just happy that her scientific find of the millennia was capable of speech.

I was that frightened at the time that this possibility had already run through my mind.

"Your voice is breaking." Cadance giggled musically, making me go red and glare at her irritably.

She didn't seem to care.

"Yeah it happens." I muttered quietly. To be honest I was surprised that I remembered what my voice breaking actually meant.

"Well that means you're going through puberty then, which would make you about...thirteen or perhaps fourteen." Celestia explained smoothly, although she did chuckle a little herself.

"I'd say fourteen Aunty." Cadance added helpfully. "Some colts at school are thirteen and none of their voices are like his yet."

"The same age as you then." Celestia declared cheerfully, before looking back at me and adding, "Unless you'd care to tell us your age yourself?"

"I don't know." I replied nervously.

Celestia frowned at me curiously and took her hoof off of my leg, something that I didn't realize until she did so and her mane returned back to normal.

"What do you mean?" She asked questioningly.

"I don't remember my age...or much else to be honest." I informed her sheepishly.

Celestia blinked in surprise at this, as did Cadance who looked at me with a rather sad expression.

"So you don't remember anything?" She asked morosely.

I scrunched up my face in concentration and tried to recall all that I could...but it wasn't much.

"I remember my...first name, my school...I play rugby as well and...not much else apart from blurs."

I was lying of course...I still remembered the show and what was going to happen to Cadance when she eventually married Shining Armor. As well as Luna returning, Twilight eventually becoming a Princess and everything else.

"What's rugby?" Cadance asked curiously, snapping me out of my thoughts and causing me to notice Celestia and Twilight looking at me expectantly.

"It's a type of sport which involves two teams, a really weirdly shaped ball that we pass around and...actually that's all I remember."

Cadance frowned at me worriedly for all of about five seconds before she smiled and began to bounce on the spot.

"Well then I suppose you'll just have to make new memories!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

Celestia smiled at her enthusiasm and nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, perhaps time spent doing other activities will help you remember your forgotten past." She pondered outloud, before shaking her head and standing up quickly. "On another note we've been talking in this dungeon for a while now so let us depart to a more comfortable environment."

She looked down at me and offered her hoof out for me to grasp. I hesitated and bit my lip nervously...and then I was literally pulled awkwardly onto my knees by Cadance.

"Whoa!" I proclaimed loudly. I certainly didn't expect that to happen.

I remember frowning unhappily at the young Alicorn, but she was merely smiling cheerfully whilst she motioned for me to stand.

"Come on stand up, or do you prefer the dirt?" She asked teasingly.

I just rolled my eyes but smiled at her and stood up to my full height, which as I mentioned earlier wasn't very tall back on Earth...but here I was only an inch smaller than Celestia and could easily look at her face without straining my neck.

Said Princess was running her eyes over my body almost questioningly before she finally focused on my face and smiled comfortingly.

"It is not often that I meet an individual who can talk to me at eye level." She told me, a small smirk on her muzzle. "Although if you are only fourteen then I would imagine that you have yet to reach your full height."

Celestia just smiled and shook her head, before walking out of the cell with Cadance and Twilight in tow. Cadance looked back at me and gave an exaggerated groan. Then before I had a chance to so much as blink she had grabbed my hands and was pulling me with her.

She was still pulling me when we entered a large bedroom ten minutes or so later.

"Well then, I suppose we should arrange where you are staying." Celestia said randomly.

"Staying?" I replied questioningly. I didn't want to stay, I wanted to go home...

"Is there no way for me to just...go home?" I asked desperately.

Celestia's calm smile dissolved into a rather sombre frown as she shook her head.

"I don't even know how you arrived my young creature...and if you're really from another world then I don't believe there is a spell in all of Equestria that can help you go home."

And like that...my hopes were crushed.

I felt tears creeping their way onto the corner of my eyes whilst my hands started to shake. But before I could completely break down, I found myself being pushed down onto the bed in a sitting position and embraced by the bright pink Alicorn.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I asked her questioningly.

Cadance looked at me bemusedly albeit with a sad smile...and then she said one thing I'll never forget.

"Making you smile again."

And to my disbelief...she was right. Despite the soul crushing fact that I could never go back home...to my family, my friends and whatever else I had yet to remember...her display of affection however unwanted it may have been...made me smile.

"Alexander." I muttered thankfully.

"Pardon?" Cadance asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Alexander...my name is Alexander, or Alex to my friends."

"I think..." I thought unsurely.

Cadance smiled at me and replied in kind.

"I'm Princess Mi Amore Cadenza...or just Cadance just my friends."

Her magenta coloured eyes met my own and twinkled playfully...something that made me forget about my sadness for a moment.

"It's nice to meet you then...Cadance." I quipped bemusedly, holding my hand out for her to shake.

"Likewise...Alex." She replied, shaking my hand and smiling humorously.

And that was how we met...

It took a few weeks but Celestia pulled some strings within her court and I was eventually given the all clear to go out and meet the locals without the fear of inciting a massive panic. Cadance and Twilight had been keeping me company at the time, minus whenever Cadance had school and Twilight had a lesson with her teacher.

Cadance...was absolutely hilarious. I still don't remember having met anyone with her attitude. She was witty, kind and not afraid to speak her mind. But she was also really good with Twilight. She knew how to make her smile and knew how to wipe away the tears and cheer her up.

Not to mention they had a very familiar and adorable dance.

She was also very supportive during my time of distress. Despite having been told of its impossibility...I still ached to go home.

I missed my parents terribly and the dreams I had of them only served to increase my depression.

But Cadance helped me. And when I was allowed to leave the palace and venture around Canterlot she stuck by me and showed me the more exciting things in the otherwise boring city of nobles. She was also seriously competitive. We visited a really retro arcade where she kicked my ass at nearly every game there...minus Pac-Mare.

I still don't think that anypony has beaten my high score yet.

We also visited a really nice ice-cream parlour that gave both of us a massive scoop of the dairy goodness. Cadance had rum and raison whilst I had hazelnut...it tasted like chocolate spread.

And when I eventually had to return to the castle, where to my surprise she lived as well, she promised to find a way to basically hang out more often.

"It'd be nice if we could see each other more." She said wistfully.

And to my utter surprise...she did find a way on exactly the next day.

She came into my room and more or less yanked me out of my bed with nothing more than my boxers on and took me into the throne room. I think it took a good hour for Celestia to stop laughing.

But once she did, she explained to me that she could enroll me in the same school as Cadance. I would have to take extra lessons in order to bring me up to speed on stuff that most foals learned in what was honestly called Pre-school. But simple stuff like Equis which was basically English, and Mathamatics would be available for me to learn...if I wanted too.

I wanted too.

And so began a life of school, friends, bullies and homework...so much homework. Celestia had done a public announcement in which she more or less said that she was my guardian and to hurt me was to hurt her.

Not that she actually needed to say anything. Cadance was a huge help for me during my first few months, acting as what I think every best friend would act like. She steered me away from the bad side, where all the whorses and jocks stood, rutted and smoked.

Yeah I was shocked too...I would have thought that smoking would be nonexistent here but there you go.

Anyway it wasn't just them that I had to worry about. There were a few times where a rather arrogant Unicorn would try to pick a fight with me...only to realize that his magic had no effect whatsoever and run with his tail between his legs...literally. But at other times it was an Earth pony or Pegasus that felt like they had something to prove.

And apparently I had a temper, as some of the idiotic ponies came to realize. But as I got older my temper lessened and with Cadance's help I learned to keep my cool.

As for Cadance herself...

Well to my absolute surprise she was treated quite badly by some ponies. I would have thought her to be one of the popular ones but she was more akin to nerdy girl then I thought. Not that it bothered me, she was my best friend and always had my back. Not to mention the amount of times where she warded away the "I want to fight the Human" ponies.

And with nothing more than her quick and quite sharp tongue.

Now I bet you're wondering where Shining Armor comes into this. Well...he's one of my friends too. Cadance introduced us on my first day here and to my surprise he was actually a lot more pleasant to me than I thought him to be. Unlike Cadance however he tended to help me beat the shit out of anypony who got way too much in my face.

We were good friends. Not as close as Cadance and I but still...I wouldn't trade his friendship for any other. Cadance and he got on quite well too. She teased him endlessly with her witty humour, whilst he took it all in his stride and rebuffed her with his own jokes. It wasn't hard to see why they would start to fancy each other.

School was brilliant...so much more than any fragmented memory I recovered from home.

I learned quite a bit too...much more than I would ever learn by simply watching the show.

Like I said before, eventually the days began to meld into each other and the next thing I knew I was seventeen and in my last day of school. Yeah apparently everypony finishes school at the age of seventeen here. Which would make the Mane Six twentyish in season three...huh how about that.

Twilight apparently still took school lessons with Celestia, the latter being very capable of teaching her more than just magic.

Anyway it was the last day, which was fantastic news right?

Well...there was a slight problem. One that I had tried my absolute hardest to ignore, especially over the past few months where it had become more apparent.

Princess Cadance...liked me.

And when I say liked, I mean she liked me and not Shining Armor.

It was small and innocent at first. Like the time when I had just gotten out of a fight with a rather pompous Unicorn. He had managed to cut my cheek shallowly with his horn...which was quickly rectified by my fist nearly breaking the thing in two. Anyway after Cadance had pulled me off him, took me into an empty classroom and scolded me to near death, she slowly began to clean the cut.

She was really gentle too, wiping it ever so tenderly with a damp cloth before she put a small plaster over it and pecked it quickly with her lips.

"It'll heal better." She explained, a small but noticeable blush on her cheeks.

And then there was the other time when we were just laying under the shade of an oak tree, talking about whatever we could think of to pass the time. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I didn't really notice how close she was lying next to me. It was only when she rested her head on my shoulder that I realized, but even then I didn't think anything of it. The ponies here were quite affectionate at times and so getting nuzzled by Cadance was nothing new to me. But looking back at it now I really feel like a fool for never really paying attention to her soft moans of happiness as I absentmindedly stroked her back...or the playful twinkle in her magenta eyes as she stared at me innocently.

I honestly just thought that she was being plain old friendly Cadance.

But then the small things become more noticeable.

There were a couple of days where Cadance had come down with some sort of magical cold called...well, Magicold. A Magicold is basically the same as a really bad cold, except instead of snot you sneeze and dribble out magical sparks that can have various effects on other ponies. But seeing as magic had no effect on me, Celestia and most of the Doctors asked if I could watch over the sick mare and help her when she needed it.

I was sixteen at the time, as was she. My birthday was unknown and so Celestia decided to mark my arrival as the day I was born. Cadance's birthday was only a couple of months after my own, so we were more or less always the same age.

Anyway I got a few days off of school as a result whilst still being able to talk to Cadance, so I saw no reason not to. And besides she was my best friend...and friends take care of each other. Anyway I spent the next few days taking care of the sick mare. Her Magicold was making it almost impossible for her to do the simplest tasks like making herself something to eat or focus on her homework.

Washing herself was also something that she found difficult...and so I helped her with it, albeit blushing like a tomato the whole time. But Cadance found it relaxing and with her aching joints my touch must have felt like a godsend.

I did leave the more intimate parts of her body alone however. No amount of persuading would have convinced me to wash that.

And like I said before...the small things escalated and become quite noticeable.

It was just after I had helped her get into bed. I was tucking her in when she put a hoof on my hand and just stared at me intently.

"I...I need to thank you for looking after me." She said sweetly, sniffing back whatever sparks were dying to come out.

"It's been no trouble Cadance, honestly." I replied truthfully.

The mare just smiled and blushed faintly as she bit her lip, staring up at me still with her kind eyes.

"Could you...could you stay with me tonight?" She asked nervously.

I blinked at this odd request but smiled and nodded.

"Um...okay, I'll take the couch."

I was about to make my way over to said couch but was stopped by Cadance gripping my right hand with both hooves.

"I didn't mean the couch Alex." She admitted shyly, her blush darkening as I finally realized what she meant.

"Oh..." I mouthed quietly.

"Y-You don't have too." She exclaimed quickly.

I didn't even get a chance to say anything back.

"It was a silly thought Alex." She ranted rapidly.

"Cadance."

"It really doesn't matter anyway so don't worry about it." She continued, almost falling over her words at the speed in which she said them.

"Cadance!"

"It must be the Magicold, it's making me say things I probably shouldn't and-"

"CADANCE!"

The teenage Alicorn stopped her ranting and merely looked up at me nervously, her eyes wide and doe-like whilst her cheeks were tinged between pink and red.

"Should I keep my top on or off?" I asked cheekily, prompting an even greater tinge of red from the mare.

"Off is fine." She replied sheepishly, a small smile worming its way onto her muzzle.

I did as she asked and took my t-shirt off. I wasn't wearing any footwear and so I had no need to worry about that. Anyway I climbed into her bed and laid down a short distance from her, unsure whether or not to get any closer. Cadance it seemed was not as unsure. She wiggled her way over to me and rested her head on my chest, sniffing back a few magic sparks whilst the others landed on me and fizzed out of existence.

It kinda tickled actually.

"You don't mind me doing this do you?" She asked nervously, lifting her head from my chest with an concerned look in her eyes. "I mean I just get kind of cold sometimes. And with this Magicold it's a bit hard to get warm but I can move away if it's making you uncomfortable and-"

I shushed her by placing my finger on her lips, surprising the mare into incoherent mumbles as she tried to continue talking.

"If you're cold then get close, we can share our body heat." I advised uncertainly.

Cadance blinked in surprise at this and ducked her head in an attempt to hide her smile.

"O-Okay." She stuttered cutely.

The Alicorn snuggled her head back onto my chest and sighed happily, still sniffling somewhat from what I think was the Magicold. I put my arm around her and stroked her back soothingly in an attempt to ease out any of the aches that were bothering her. This resulted in a half asleep "Mhmm thanks Alex..." before she began to snore very quietly.

Believe it or not she got better the next day.

And if I was still in any way uncertain of her affections towards me, then what happened on what was literally called Pony Prom Night changed that forever.

Said prom being a dance that celebrated our last day as students.

Celestia had taken me into her chambers where she instantly began to fuss over my suit and hair.

I haven't really explained much about our relationship have I?

Well despite being my guardian, Celestia tended to act more like my Mother than anything else. There were dark days in my first few months where I would have truly terrible nightmares. So terrible in fact that I would wake up screaming and crying uncontrollably. You have to understand that even though I was fourteen I was still just a kid lost in a world without anything familiar, let alone my parents.

But Celestia would always hear my cries. No matter the time she would come into my room, get into my bed and cuddle with me until I fell asleep with her brushing my hair softly. There was one night not a year later when I had woken up screaming for my Mother, the horrible picture from that dark dream still staining my vision. Celestia came into my chambers and rushed over to me, pulling me into her embrace and shushing me soothingly.

I was nearly fifteen and had been crying out for my Mother...except I hadn't.

Celestia had realized this too...for when I called out for my Mother the first thing I thought of was Celestia, not my nameless and faceless Mother back on Earth.

"Mom..." I whimpered pitifully.

"Shhh it's okay, I'm here." She soothed gently.

Needless to say, Celestia and I have a really close bond. And even though she's never officially adopted me, we both know how we see the other.

She's even called me her little colt numerous times, despite me having grown to a good five foot eleven, as well as being seventeen.

Anyway Celestia was pretty much making sure I looked decent enough for the prom. I was wearing a black suit, white shirt, black trousers and some rather shiny shoes. I had no idea where Celestia had managed to get the measurements and materials from, but the Princess was actually very sneaky when she wanted to be and had a habit of sometimes spoiling me.

Said Princess also liked to ask me the most embarrassing questions sometimes.

Which I swear she does deliberately.

"Okay are you sure you've got everything?" She asked me.

"Yeah I'm positive." I sighed overdramatically, prompting a small smirk from the Princess.

"What about protection?" She teased mercilessly.

"I'm Human." I deadpanned.

"And if what I've heard is anything to go by then they could have a disease." She replied dryly.

"I'm not interested in one night stands Celestia, you know that."

Celestia smiled happily at this before proceeding to give me a warm hug.

"And glad I am to hear it." She admitted cheerfully. "I don't really want my little colt bringing home a foal of his own, especially not from some random mare."

"If it ever happened it wouldn't be from some random mare." I muttered to myself.

"Just my Niece then?" Celestia quipped amusedly, laughing when I pushed her away and spluttered for some form of speech.

"Cadance? I don't even, I mean I think-"

"Calm down Alexander, I was only teasing." She cut me off humorously.

I scowled at my Mother figure and proceeded to make sure my bowtie was on properly.

"Who knew bowties were so cool."

After making doubly sure that I looked at least a bit decent, I made my way towards the door but was stopped by Celestia's hoof. I looked at her and cocked an eyebrow confusedly at her stern yet concerned expression.

"Are you sure you're okay, you've been acting a little...strange recently." She asked worriedly.

I suppose at the time I had...because after discovering Cadance's possible feelings for me I had pretty much realized something truly depressing.

I could never allow myself to return them.

You see I knew what was going to eventually happen in Cadance's future. She would at some point start a relationship with Shining Armor, he would eventually propose and they would get married...after sorting out the Changelings. But if I returned Cadance's feelings then none of that would ever happen. I would completely mess up the timeline and destroy a happiness that had every right to come true.

They were good friends already...all it would take was a little push in the right direction and I could probably hook them up with each other. I could probably even do it at the prom...so why wouldn't I?

Because to my absolute disbelief...I truly felt something for her.

Maybe even love...

She had been there for me right at the start. She became my friend and showed me the fun side to Canterlot. She pleaded for Celestia to pull some strings and enroll me in the same school she went too...all because she really wanted to hang out with me. We have both had our disagreements make no mistake there. But we always apologized and made up, usually with a big tub of ice cream between the two of us and a brand new copy of Daring Doo.

Shining Armor and I tended to hang out at the arcade and challenge other ponies to whatever game they had working. And if we weren't doing that then we would be hoof wrestling or shooting the breeze about the hottest mares in the school...which was something that took a year or so for me to get used to. All in all we were best buddies and had no secrets.

And I had no right to strip from him a future I know he had coming.

Because it certainly wasn't a secret that he liked Cadance. And despite him patting me on the back at the knowledge of Cadance possibly liking me instead of him...I knew he still fancied her. And the fact that he wasn't jealous about it only served to increase my guilt.

He truly was and still is a really decent guy.

"It's nothing Celestia, I'm fine." I lied convincingly.

The Princess just stared at me with a scrutinising glare, as if she was trying to figure out whether or not I was telling the truth. She thankfully moved her hoof out of the way a few moments later, which was good seeing as I was almost starting to sweat.

"You know you can tell me anything right?" She said softly.

"I know Celestia, but I'm honestly okay." I replied, grinning somewhat as she narrowed her eyes knowingly.

She thankfully didn't pursue the topic any further however, choosing instead to kiss my cheek and hope that I had a good time.

The prom was being held in my school obviously. Said school was about a five minute walk from the palace, but with Celestia being the doting Princess she was I ended up being taken there by a carriage.

I arrived at my school not a minute later, and after thanking the guards for taking me I quickly made my way inside. The prom was taking place in the assembly hall which was filled with my fellow students. All of them were wearing some form of clothing, ranging from a simple bowtie to a full blown suit that to this day I have no idea how they got on.

I spotted Shining drinking some punch a short distance away and waved him over. The Unicorn made his way over and grinned at me cheerfully as he eyed my clothing.

"Nice suit." He complimented simply.

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." I replied bemusedly. His attire consisted of a bowtie and the pony version of a black suit. It was simple yet enough for him to gain some looks from random mares.

"I didn't expect so many ponies to actually come." He admitted, looking around at the massive amount of ponies flooding the room.

"Me neither." I agreed, looking around the room myself. "Hey do you know where Cadance is? I haven't seen her since yesterday morning."

"Nope, I haven't seen her for while either...maybe she's too nervous to show up or something."

I cocked an eyebrow at Shining's reply, causing him to grin sheepishly and drink some more from his cup.

Cadance...nervous? If I had ever learned anything about that mare, it was that she had nerves of steel. She stood up to all the bullies and snobby nobles who looked down at her, a Princess, for hanging around with what I learned they called Celestia's pet.

Namely me.

"Hey you got a date?" Shining asked randomly, interrupting my thoughts.

"Uh no, I didn't know who to ask." I reply unconvincingly, prompting Shining to raise an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?" He asked incredulously. "Even a blind Stallion could see how much Cadance wanted you to ask her."

I grimaced guiltily at this...because I knew he was right. Before Cadance had disappeared the previous morning, she had joined me for breakfast and had spent about twenty minutes subtly hinting about her not having a date for prom.

"So...I haven't got a date, what about you?" She asked innocently.

"Uhh no, no I haven't." I replied sheepishly.

"Oh...well that's unfortunate." She continued, tracing her hoof over the table in small circles and looking over at me with doe-like eyes.

"Yup." I agreed, using whatever meagre acting skill I possessed to appear oblivious.

This had continued for about another ten minutes until Cadance had sighed sadly and left the table with a half assed "See you later".

"She'll understand one day..."

This was something I had to remind myself often...because I feared so greatly that I would just give in and tell her how I feel. It's so strange seeing as she is the literal Princess of love, but with my magic nullifying abilities I suppose she never managed to sense just how much I cared for her.

"What about you?" I asked quickly, simultaneously moving the heat off of me.

Shining blinked but rapidly gained a small smirk as he looked past me and nodded. I turned around to see a white coloured Pegasus with a long blond mane trotting over to us happily. She was wearing a rather pretty pink dress that covered up her Cutie Mark, so unfortunately I was unable to specify her special talent.

The mare reached Shining and to my utmost surprise kissed him briefly before pulling him onto the dance floor. Shining gave me an apologetic smile at his abandonment of me, but was quickly sidetracked by the mare nibbling his neck playfully.

Hmm I distinctly remember thinking three words. Three simple yet powerful words...

"What the fuck..."

It didn't add up. Shining was supposed to date and eventually marry Cadance, not whoever this random mare was.

Had I already messed up the timeline by simply being there? Or was this mare just another of his conquests?

I was drawn out from my thoughts by the sound of numerous ponies gasping and whispering to each other suddenly. I noticed that they were all looking at the entrance and so I followed suit and looked in the same direction.

I distinctly remember my mouth opening slightly and yet despite my meagre efforts I was unable to rectify that problem. For you see all the whispering and gasps were the result of one mare...and who else could it have been but her...

She was wearing a rather saucy black dress that parted slightly by her hind legs, revealing her Cutie Mark and brief snippets of her flank to any lucky Stallion that happened to catch a glimpse. Her mane had been set free from what I had believed to be her eternal ponytail. Said ponytail was gone, having been removed and thus allowing her mane to hang loose over her left eye. Her right eye wasn't even looking at any of the gossiping ponies, half of which were in shock from the fact that the nerdy teenage Alicorn was actually...rather hot. But like I said, she wasn't even paying them a second glance. No...Cadance was walking with a purpose right towards me, her gaze focused solely on myself while her muzzle held a small yet confident smirk.

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza looked drop dead gorgeous and by God did she know it.

She swayed her way over and stopped not a few inches in front of me, running her gaze over my attire. I wasn't particularly the strongest guy out there, but with all the fights and running around Shining and I got into I was fairly fit. Not that it stopped me from becoming slightly anxious about my appearance for a few seconds.

But whatever, we all have our moments.

"Hey..." She said simply, her gaze now focused on my face.

My mouth was still partially open, something that Cadance was smirking at ever so slightly.

"Uhh, hey..." Was literally all I could respond with. You see ever since I met Cadance she had always had her mane tied up in a ponytail. And she certainly never put on some form of eyeshadow.

I figured out right there and then why she had it down all the time in every episode that featured her in it.

"You look quite handsome." She admitted, grinning up at me cheekily.

"You don't look to bad yourself." I quipped humorously, having finally regained control of my voice, jaw and pretty much every other part of my body.

Cadance cocked an eyebrow at my reply but kept her bemused grin and pulled a cup of punch over to herself magically, sipping on it absentmindedly.

"Shining's having a good time with Scripture isn't he?" She said conversationally.

I looked over at my friend and the mare he was dancing with. Said mare was smiling at him with the utmost happiness whilst he began to nuzzle her neck affectionately.

"Ten bits say's he ruts her silly later." I replied amusedly.

"Fifteen." She disagreed, her familiar competitive smirk gracing her muzzle.

"Done."

Yeah I may have forgotten to mention this. But Shining Armor wasn't exactly the lovable gentlecolt he was portrayed as in the show. He was actually a well known badcolt that loved to have one night stands. I always imagined that it was Cadance's love for him that pulled him from his emotionless rutting...but from the looks of it I had already screwed that up.

So was there really any harm in a bit more damage to the timeline?

"Hey Cadance." I said randomly, catching her attention as she looked back at me.

"Mhmm?" She replied questioningly.

I took a deep breath and walked closer to her, took her cup out of her magical grasp, put it down and looked right at her with the utmost seriousness.

She actually looked a bit nervous.

"Wanna dance?" I asked cheekily, breaking the nervous tension in the air.

The young Alicorn's expression broke into an extremely wide and joyful smile...something that I couldn't help but return in kind.

"I'd love too." She replied shyly.

I grinned and took her by her right hoof, leading her onto the dance floor where as if on cue a really slow and romantic song had started to play. All around me, every couple were holding onto each other, either by their necks or their hooves.

Either way it was really lovely to look at.

However even though she had grown by quite a bit, Cadance only just came up to my chest and if you add her horn then my bottom lip. So to my dismay a part of me was stumped on how to dance with her properly.

But the Alicorn was always far cleverer then myself. She merely smiled up at me and carefully stood up on her hind legs, placing her front hooves around my shoulders to both balance herself and allow us a position familiar to the other ponies dancing. I was slightly unsure on where to place my hands, but settled for the middle of her back and just a touch above her right Cutie Mark.

Cadance blushed a little at this but hummed happily none the less.

And so we started to dance, something that I had no idea how to do and yet somehow managed to pull it off. I suppose my having feet and her having hooves helped a lot here.

"This is really nice." Cadance muttered happily, gazing at me with ease now that she was more or less my height. Her magenta eyes seemed to shine with joyful pleasure, as if this was what she had wanted for so long.

"It's perfect." I admitted quietly.

Cadance's ears folded back as I said this, her blush deepening as she sighed contently and placed her head on my chest.

To my surprise the song being played was instantly followed up by another slow and romantic one. It was almost as though somepony didn't want us to stop dancing...but I wasn't complaining. I just held the Alicorn tightly, something that she responded to in kind as her hooves gripped my neck just a little more.

"Alexander?"

I blinked at her voice and looked down at her as she pulled her head back from my chest, gazing up at me with such...emotion in her eyes. I had seen this before but only in brief snippets...and never this powerful.

And as if on cue...

As the song came to a slow end and the other ponies around me gazed into each other's eyes, their muzzles nearing the other...

Cadance moved her own small muzzle forward, closing the gap between my lips and her own...

Only for me to turn away, causing her lips to brush against my cheek instead.

Cadance seemed almost comically surprised by this for a moment...until her expression became hurt and saddened.

"Why?"

Such a simple question, yet it tore at my courage to answer it.

"Because we weren't ever meant to be..."

She blinked at this in mild shock. Perhaps it was the bitterness in my tone, or how tightly my eyes were closed in their refusal to shed any tears...but the young Alicorn picked up on what I had said and knew that it wasn't a simple denial.

She knew I had a reason for it...and I damn near cursed her for being so clever.

"Who told you that?" She asked questioningly. My eyes were still closed and I couldn't see her expression, but I could almost feel her eyes searching my face for answers.

"No one did." I confessed bleakly.

And it wasn't a lie either. Nopony had told me that I wasn't destined to be the target of Cadance's love...but I had seen how happy she and Shining looked in the future. And although I had toyed with the idea of ruining this for them...I simply just wasn't that selfish.

Perhaps I never had been or perhaps Celestia's benevolent influence had affected my personality...I still don't know...

"Alex...look at me."

Her tone was pleading, begging almost...and I complied.

I couldn't help but comply.

I opened my eyes to see her own mere inches away, shining with such raw passion that I was rendered silent.

"Please..." She pleaded quietly, her lips centimetres from my own...her warm breath caressing them ever so gently.

Everypony else around us was oblivious to us, yet another slow song influencing the ponies into a blissful dance.

I put my right hand onto her cheek, softly brushing my thumb against her silky fur. Her eyes switched from their passionate gaze, becoming tender and loving at my touch.

"Cadance I've never wanted you as badly as I do right now." I whispered, my voice sounding so tortured and strained as I confessed the feelings that I could never act on. "But no matter what I've seen and no matter what I've done and influenced to the future...I can't ever have you, no matter how much it hurts me inside."

I had no idea where this confession of hurt and self inflicted loneliness was coming from. It was as though every emotion and secret that came with it were bursting from within me simultaneously.

Cadance's eyes were blurry with unshed tears, her confusion and longing unbelievably apparent as I confessed how I felt.

"The future? What are you talking about Alex? I don't understand..."

Ohhh...how I wanted to just kiss her, to take away the hurt in her voice and consume it with my feelings...no.

My love for her...because that's what I felt and felt in abundance.

"I'm so sorry..."

And that was all I could say, my hands leaving her face and body despite her pitiful attempts to keep hold of me.

"No please wait, I don't understand!"She whimpered tearfully, said tears falling from her gorgeous eyes and staining her fur with liquid eyeshadow.

I couldn't look at her anymore. If I did then I feared that I would give in and allow her to hold me once more, to place her lips on mine as I returned her passion with my own. And despite numerous ponies having finally become aware of Cadance's despair I still ran as fast as I could out of there. And I didn't stop there either. I continued running the short distance back to the palace...my home.

I ran through the double doors and the maze of corridors, not even paying the slightest bit of attention as I practically flew past Celestia and down the final path to my door.

"Alex? Alex what's wrong?!" I heard her ask, the familiar sound of her hooves clopping on the marble floor signalling just how close she was. I looked at her as she stopped a short distance away, her expression deeply concerned as she took in my distressed appearance.

I hadn't even noticed the tears until then.

"Sweetie you're crying, what's the matter?" She continued, concern laced within her voice.

What was the matter?

I had just sacrificed my love for Cadance in order to keep the timeline right. And despite the damage that I was sure I had already done...I was still certain that Shining and Cadance could happen...would happen, as long as I stayed away and stopped interfering.

So how did I answer Celestia's question?

"Nothing's the matter...just my own happiness."

Without waiting for her to reply I entered my room and shut the door behind me. I then walked into the centre of the room and for a few moments merely swayed on the spot, looking down at the floor without really seeing anything.

And then I took of my suit and bowtie, chucking them over and onto a chair near my bed. My shoes came off next, followed by my socks and an unbuttoning of my shirt.

After all was said and done I more or less collapsed onto my bed and merely laid back against my pillow, staring up at the ceiling as I had done the floor.

I refused to think about Cadance...yet my mind betrayed me with flashes of her hurt face as I left her alone at the dance. Said flashes kept up for what felt like hours...at the least.

My brooding was interrupted by a series of knocks on my door...followed up by the sweetest of voices.

"Alex...can I come in?"

To Be Continued?

Nothing Is Set In Stone - The Conclusion

View Online

Nothing Is Set In Stone

(The Conclusion)

So there I was lying on my bed, looking up at the ceiling with no real interest as flashes of Cadance's hurt expression haunted my mind.

Until...

"Alex...can I come in?"

"Oh no...Why did she follow me back here?"

I remained silent to Cadance's question. My door had a peculiar magic recently weaved into it that made it automatically lock itself and stop ponies from teleporting in. So unless I actually opened the door then she wasn't coming in. She would need to have power rivaling Celestia herself to get in, which I seriously doubted she did.

"Alex I'm so confused, just let me in please," she continued to plead, her voice tight as she did so.

The door handle moved but stopped when it hit the resistant lock, making me sigh in relief as well as despair. I never wanted to hurt her, I never wanted to hurt anypony...but it seemed like it was too late for that.

"Why won't you let me in?" Cadance whimpered sadly.

"She's...whimpering? Cadance never...oh what have I done."

I had never heard her whimper before. Cadance was always such a confident mare with a competitive streak to boot. She wiped the tears away...she was never the one crying. But she was...I could hear the muffled sniffles and held back hiccups from the other side of the door.

And I think that was what made me speak.

"Cadance...just leave me alone please." I asked pleadingly, my own voice strained as I forced the words out.

I heard her gasp at the sound of my voice which was followed up by her scrabbling at my door, the handle moving again and again only to hit the lock every time.

"Cadance please-"

"No I'm not going away, let me in right now!" she demanded, interrupting me before I had a chance to finish.

There was the Cadance I went to school with.

The confident, no nonsense mare that wouldn't take shit from anypony. And by that I don't mean she beat them up, she just humiliated them verbally if they refused to back off. To be honest I had no idea she was really like this. I always thought she was kind of...meek, shy and a lovesick puppy for Shining.

At least in the show. In real life she couldn't be more different.

"I swear if you don't let me in then I will eat all of your hazelnut ice cream." She continued, albeit with a more humorous tone then before.

"It'll go straight to your ass." I quipped bemusedly, simultaneously hoping for her to just give up and leave.

"Then you'll have more to stare at." She replied cheekily.

I closed my eyes briefly and let out a rather tired sigh. You see I always loved it when we flirted like this. It made me feel...so happy inside, to know that somepony actually found me interesting enough to flirt with. I mean with me stuck in a world that had no Human other than myself...it felt good to treated more or less like everypony else.

It made me feel normal...she made me feel normal, real...wanted.

These were just one of the many reasons I came to love her.

I stood up and made my way towards the door, reaching for the handle but hesitating as I gripped it firmly. In an instant the magic weaved into the door vanished with a rather peculiar sucking sound.

Cadance must have been able to tell that I was practically right next to her, save for the magical door that separated us. And thus I heard her breathing deeply, as if she were right in front of me. My hand stayed on the handle as I rested my head against the door, creating an audible thump as it connected with the hard wood.

It was only then that I heard a softer thump on the other side, exactly where my own head rested. I could hear her breath a lot easier...and although I believe it was my imagination...I could feel it touching my skin, warming it slightly.

"Alex..."

I shivered ever so slightly. The longing in that one word...it made my breath catch in my throat, my heart skip a beat...my brain remind me that we could never be.

But none the less...I drew back from the door and pulled the handle down, opening it fully...revealing the young Alicorn to me.

She was still in the same black dress as before...but her once picture perfect face was stained with purple coloured tears. Her eyes were slightly red, signifying just how many tears she had shed because of me.

And her expression...she looked so hurt.

But none the less, the moment her gaze met my own a smile wormed its way onto her muzzle.

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly, her eyes imploring me to agree.

I nodded once and moved to the side, allowing her to slip past me and into my room where she jumped onto my bed and laid down on her front. I breathed deeply and closed the door, before making my way over to my bed and sitting down on it.

I made sure to sit as far away from her as I could...I didn't want to find out what her touch would make me do.

"So..." I said randomly, looking over at Cadance without meeting her gaze.

Said mare breathed in deeply for a few moments, as if she were trying to collect her thoughts.

"Because we weren't ever meant to be." She said suddenly, momentarily snapping my eyes onto her own inquisitive ones.

"Pardon?" I asked questioningly.

"It's what you said when we were...when we danced." She replied, her words catching for but a second before she regained control of her speech. "What did you mean by that?"

I looked down at my bed covers blankly, not really seeing them as I thought of every lie I could to keep my secret safe.

"Don't lie."

I looked back up at her in surprise as she said this, only to find myself held under her intelligent glare.

"I can tell when you're about to lie," she explained. "Don't...if you're my friend then don't lie to me."

How she was able to tell this, I had no idea. At first I suspected it was because of her inherent ability to sense emotions, rather than just love like most ponies believed. But my brain kicked in and I remembered that magic didn't work on me, whether it was passive or not.

"Then I don't think that I can tell you Cadance," I replied quietly, my head hanging in shame as the reality of those words hit me.

I had just told my best friend, the only pony in this world that I loved...and loved me back, that I could never explain my reasoning for us to not be together. To me it felt horrible...but to Cadance it must have been like a buck in the face.

"Why?" She asked pleadingly.

"Because...because I don't want to ruin anything." I replied tiredly.

There was a moment of silence between us that seemed to go on forever. But...then she spoke once more, another question...another clever question that kept me silent.

"You said you've influenced the future, but how do you know that?"

Like I said I kept silent, unable to meet her gaze as I turned away and placed my head in my hands.

"How do I answer that?" I thought wearily.

I had no idea why I felt so exhausted. Perhaps it was because of all the lies and secrets I made were catching up to me. Or perhaps it was the bitter fear I possessed that kept reminding me of the consequences should I reveal my greatest secret.

I felt the bed creak slightly as a certain somepony made her way over to me. I saw her hooves wrap themselves around my stomach...I felt her nuzzle her face into the crook of my neck, her warm breath tickling my skin.

"Do you remember that promise we made under the Benzivlian oak tree?" she asked quietly.

The Benzivlian oak tree was the largest oak tree in Equestria and was found in the Palace's private garden. It was said to have been the first of its kind, planted by the first Alicorn under an eclipse.

Cadance and I had laid under its comforting shade on a hot summer's day. We didn't do much, just talked about whatever was on our minds at the time.

We were both sixteen.

"Hey Alex...do you think we'll always be friends?" Cadance asked curiously, turning on her side to look at me.

I blinked at the question in surprise, but quickly regained my senses and turned over as well.

"I don't see why we wouldn't be." I replied honestly, smiling at her comfortingly.

Cadance gained a rather large smile herself and held her hoof out to me. My own smile widened a touch as she placed it in my open palm, her smile turning into a sigh of satisfaction as I wrapped my fingers around her hoof and squeezed gently.

"Then let's promise right here to always be friends, no lies and no secrets."

I felt a stab of guilt for a brief moment, but nodded at her and closed my eyes happily.

"I promise."

It's so strange...but what I remember most about that memory is the last few moments where Cadance attempted to tickle me, only to get a dose of her own medicine as she laughed hysterically...musically almost.

"I remember," I replied honestly.

"Then tell me...please," she implored, pulling her muzzle out from my neck and nuzzling my cheek hopefully.

I...I almost couldn't do it anymore. Not after that, not after she was near begging me for answers...but even as my resolve began to crumble, I still held onto whatever willpower I had left.

"Cadance please don't make me tell you," I begged, tears beginning to form in the corners of my eyes.

The teenage Alicorn apparently noticed my despair and instantly turned my head around to face her, to look right into her eyes...her warm and loving eyes.

"I'd never make you do anything you didn't want to Alex," she soothed softly. "But this is different, I need to know this...can't you understand why?"

Oh I understood. I understood perfectly why she desperately wanted to know...to know why I refused her affection for me when I had blatantly told her how much I adored her at the dance.

Except it ran much deeper than that...as I was about to understand.

"Because you care for me a lot?"

At this Cadance's eyes actually flashed with obvious anger. Her loving hooves left my face and she backed away awkwardly until she was a few more inches away from me.

And of course I had the all the common sense of a doorknob...because otherwise I would have kept my mouth shut.

"Or I've seriously misread the signs." I added cleverly.

As if I had pressed her angry button, Cadance moved over to me as quick as a flash and slapped me.

"Yes I think you really have Alexander!" She snapped furiously, not an apologetic bone in her body as I rubbed the oncoming bruise tenderly.

"What was that for?" I asked incredulously.

Her glare was actually getting kind of scary.

"You think that I merely care for you?" she asked rhetorically.

I opened my mouth to respond but was quickly silenced by another harsh slap.

"Cadance what the fuck!"

I was about to complain about the pain but from the thunderous look on her face I decided it was wise to remain silent.

"I don't just care for you Alex!" she continued, albeit not as angrily as before.

She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, before opening them again and gazing at me tenderly. She moved a hoof to my cheek and began to slowly rub the now quite visible bruise. And despite it being there because of her...I couldn't deny how nice it felt when she soothed away the stinging pain.

She smiled when I relaxed and began to lean into it.

"I want to be your mare Alex," she confessed longingly. "Do you have any idea how long I've ached for you?"

"A year and a bit..." I thought sadly.

"A while I guess." I replied sheepishly.

Cadance cocked an eyebrow at my reply, but merely shook her head and leaned her forehead against mine, mindful of her horn.

"I didn't understand why at first," she began to explain. "But one day I looked at you and my breath caught in my throat, I couldn't stop staring at you...and I didn't understand why."

Oh why was she telling me this...The emotion in her voice made me feel weak.

"And then there were all those times where you were there for me," she continued happily. "You looked after me when I was sick. You comforted me when I was upset...and you never spoke behind my back, you never once abandoned me."

She put her hooves on my cheeks and moved her face back a few inches so as to let me see her properly...and her me. Her expression was near tearful, something that until that day was quite a rarity. And yet...she was smiling softly at me, her tears running down her cheeks and onto her muzzle ever so slowly.

I moved my right hand to her cheek and gently wiped away the tears with my thumb, a flash of my similar action at the dance flickering through my mind before it vanished just as quickly as it came.

Cadance's smile widened at my touch and she sighed blissfully, leaning into my hand and closing her eyes whilst she began to nuzzle it absentmindedly.

I smiled at this...but suddenly remembered just why I had ran away from her.

To stop myself...us from getting any closer. And by the looks of it that was exactly what we were doing. Cadance was nuzzling my hand, smiling and cooing ever so quietly as I rubbed her cheek...Oh my touch was obliviously so much more than just friendly. And as for her touch...

She tenderly explored my face with her tender hooves. She was so loving yet so...desperate, as if she was trying to make a point.

My thoughts bombarded me with this dilemma as they fought for dominance.

"I shouldn't do this, I'll mess up the timeline!"

"But it's already messed up. Shining's with some other mare."

"It's probably just a one night stand...there's still hope for them!"

"Look at her...does it look like she wants somepony else?"

"I..."

"I should tell her, I can trust her to keep it to herself...she loves me, she hasn't said it but I know she loves me."

"Alex?"

I snapped out of my thoughtful tirade and focused back on Cadance. Said mare had inched herself over to me ever so sneakily, her face being close enough for me to feel her breath on my lips.

"Cadance...please, we can't..." I tried to explain, but only ended up leaving the Alicorn with a tired yet confused expression.

"Why?" she asked. "Please...just tell me why."

"I...I can't."

I quickly got off the bed and stood up, walking away from Cadance who had almost comically fell on her front. The Alicorn huffed and sat up, and although I wasn't looking at her directly, I could still feel the familiar glare aimed in my general direction.

"Why won't you tell me? What have you been hiding from me all this time?"

All this time? Heh, I told you she was clever.

"I can't tell you Cadance," I replied, my voice surprisingly steady for all the guilt eating away at me on the inside.

"Can't or won't?" she asked sternly.

"Both."

"Why?"

"Because you're not supposed to know," I replied yet again, finality heavy in my tone...not that it helped me any.

Quicker then I could blink Cadance was off the bed and right in my face, breathing hot air through her nostrils whilst she looked at me angrily.

"And who are you to say what I should and shouldn't know?" she demanded icily.

I distinctly remember my slight shock at her beginning to lose her temper. I mean yeah she took no nonsense from anypony but she never spoke to them with such venom in her voice.

"Do you really think that I'd want to know my future?!" I blurted out furiously, my own anger taking root.

Although in my mind I groaned in despair...for what I had just said...

Cadance blinked and moved back slightly, staring at me in shock.

"You know my future?" she asked incredulously.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I couldn't believe that I had allowed my anger to make me blurt out one of my biggest secrets.

"Yes." I replied with difficulty, looking right at her face and grimacing when her expression became temporarily excited, only to twist into a betrayed and hurtful one.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice sounding so upset. "I thought we promised to keep no secrets from each other..."

"I know...but I had no choice."

To be honest I was actually surprised with how quickly she believed me. The fact that she actually did believe me was nothing short of incredible...but then again she was apparently able to tell when I lied.

She got off of my bed and slowly trotted over to me, stopping only to put a hoof on my leg to get my attention. And my attention she got as I looked down at her, taking in her concerned expression as she looked back at me.

And then she told me something that I remember even now...

"We all have a choice Alex," she said comfortingly.

I smiled at this but shook my head none the less. How did I have a choice with this?

"Not with this Cadance...not with this."

There was a pregnant pause between us, until she breathed in deeply and stood on her hind legs, wrapping her hooves around my neck, much like she had done only a short time earlier. I should have pushed her off, I WANTED to push her off, to show her that I didn't want this...want her...

But I did want her...and I hated that she could make me feel this way.

I had tried to ignore her hints of affection. I had deliberately appeared oblivious to her adoring touch and loving words. I lied to her and broke our promise...just to keep the timeline safe and secure.

And even when I wanted to hold her and show her just how much I ached for her...I still sacrificed my personal happiness for the future she was supposed to have.

She was supposed to eventually love Shining Armor...not me.

"Tell me my future."

I blinked, once, twice...I couldn't believe that she had just asked me that.

"What?" I asked intelligently.

Cadance's expression was still full of concern, yet her eyes radiated confidence and firm certainty.

"I want to know why you won't let yourself love me," she replied determinedly.

Love her? I hadn't actually mentioned love to her at all. My feelings sure...but I hadn't used the L word when I confessed to her on the dance floor.

But then again neither did she...and yet her love for me was unbelievably apparent.

As Shining had once pointed out, even a blind stallion could see how much she cared for me.

"If I tell you then the consequences could be astronomical," I told her warningly. "The whole timeline could be affected."

To my utmost surprise the mare simply smiled at me and giggled musically when I said this. She then looked back up at me with a small grin plastered on her muzzle.

"Do you not think that with you here it hasn't already been affected?" she asked questioningly.

That...actually shook me slightly.

The show never once mentioned anything even remotely connected to a Human, let alone me. And Cadance's wedding never had a Human as best man...or stallion.

I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it before...I mean I was so focused on trying to keep Cadance's timeline on track that I never stopped to think that it may already be too late, especially with Cadance, Shining and I being really good friends.

But even so...there was something that could still happen.

Cadance apparently noticed the sudden apprehension in my expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously. "You look...Alex why does my future make you like this?"

I closed my eyes briefly as she said this, moving my hand back onto her cheek for but a moment.

"Because you were never meant to feel this way for me." I confessed.

I opened my eyes and looked back at her face. She looked...confused, annoyed and curious all at once. I could tell that she was about to say something...but I interrupted her and continued before she could. Because if I stopped then...I would never be able to work up the courage to tell her again.

"I shouldn't even exist," I continued sadly. "You were never supposed to care for me as you do. You were never supposed to spend almost all of your time with me."

"Why?" she interrupted quickly, her voice laced with some emotion that I failed to recognize.

I blinked at this question in sheer disbelief, hadn't she heard what I had just said?

"Because I'm not supposed to exist here Ca-"

It was the third time that night she slapped me.

Cadance had pushed herself off of me angrily but kept her stern glare locked with my rather angrily one.

"How you dare say that!" she growled dangerously. "Don't you dare tell me that you shouldn't exist here when you have every right to. You belong here!"

"How dare I?" I replied furiously, my anger laced within my tone as everything I had held back began to pour out of me. "No how dare you tell me where I belong, do you have any fucking idea what me being here is doing to your future?!"

"Oh stop it with the future excuse Alex!" she yelled back, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "It's not the future and you know it. You're just too frightened to admit that you feel something for me!"

"It's not that at all!"

"No?" she asked almost mockingly. "Then what is it hmm? Tell me and be bucking honest for once you coward!"

And that was the moment I snapped.

I rushed over to Cadance furiously, picked her up almost effortlessly and pinned her against the wall harshly, causing her to yelp in pain. She tried to talk but before she could say anything I slammed my lips against her own aggressively.

The Alicorn gasped in surprise at this and for a few seconds simply remained motionless. It was only when she began to return it that I wrenched my lips from hers and merely held her against the wall firmly, both of us panting shallowly.

I moved my lips back over to hers but stopped just short of touching them again, something that caused Cadance to squirm and quietly moan in desperation.

"I want you so badly Cadance," I growled deeply, a small smirk worming its way onto my face as I noticed her eyes darken slightly. "Did you think that I didn't notice all the signs, all the hints and so called innocent touches you gave me?"

I moved from her lips and affectionately nibbled her left ear, causing the young Alicorn to growl quietly herself.

It surprised me actually.

"Because I did. I noticed every single one of them, all the way back since we made that promise under the Benzivlian."

I noticed Cadance's chest rising and falling rapidly, and wondered absentmindedly whether it was my touch that made her like this or my words. Unfortunately for her I had no intention of progressing any further past that point, and thus made it so by removing my grip and allowing her to slide down the wall.

"You wanted to know your future?" I asked rhetorically, gaining her attention however dazed it was.

"Shining Armor." I said bitterly. "You fall in love with him and eventually get married."

Cadance's eyes widened in surprise as I finished, which I suppose was to be expected. If someone ever told me that I eventually fell in love with someone I knew then I'd be surprised too.

"I suppose I'll just have to move away," I muttered tiredly. "I'll be out of your way and one day you start to feel something for him...and that something will save Canterlot from the Changeling army."

Feel something was all I could say...I couldn't muster the strength to say that she'd love him.

It just hurt too much...but I'd savour that one kiss we had just shared. After all it would be all I had to remember her by for a long time.

I waited for her to say something but the Alicorn merely stared into space...and so I took this as my cue to leave and find Celestia.

Although I really wasn't looking forward to that chat.

It was only as I turned away and made to move that Cadance finally said something.

"Don't leave me."

I blinked in surprise and turned back around. Cadance was slowly climbing back onto her hooves...but her eyes were trained solely on me...and their expression.

She had tears running down her cheeks, albeit a lot slower than before.

"Please Alex..."

She held out her right hoof as she made her way over to me at a snails pace, her eyes imploring me to take it and pull her into my embrace.

How I knew this I did not know...I just did.

"Cadance I...Shining Armor, I can't..."

She either wasn't listening or simply refused to, because she still made her way over to me...her hoof now close enough for me to grasp it.

"Please..." she repeated yet again.

Her voice sounded so...hollow and sad...but why?

I was so enveloped in my thoughts that I failed to notice just how close Cadance was too me. It was only as she wrapped her hooves around my legs that I snapped out of my trance and looked down. The Alicorn had ensnared my legs so tightly with her hooves that I feared falling down if I dared to move. She had placed her right cheek on my foot and was looking up at me so...pathetically. Her tears were falling onto the foot she was resting her head on, but she seemed not to care as she absentmindedly nuzzled it.

I have to admit that I was in shock.

Where had the angry, confident mare that had slapped and yelled at me gone?

"Was it what I said?"

"Cadance...let me go," I asked quietly, only for her to shake her head as best she could and tighten her hold around me legs.

"Cadance ple-"

"Do you have any idea what you just told me?" she interrupted quietly, keeping her teary gaze locked on mine.

"You wanted to know Cadance," I reminded her bitterly. "And now you know that you and Shining will-

"NO!" she yelled loudly, actually using the Royal Canterlot Voice for the first time.

She let go of my legs and stood on her hind ones so quickly that I barely had enough time to blink. Her hooves pressed against the side of my head and pulled my face towards her...and then her lips were suddenly pressing against my own as she caressed them with everything she had. I tried to pull back but her hooves moved to the back of my head and kept me still. I felt her tongue flicking against my teeth and instinctively opened my mouth, turning our once innocent kiss into a passionate fight for dominance.

And I let it happen...what else could I do?

After what felt like forever Cadance slowly removed her lips from my own with a soft squelching sound, a small string of saliva still linking us together before it broke. I wiped her mouth gently with my thumb, whilst she licked the slight drool away, uncaring of how distasteful it may have been.

She sniffled sadly and looked into my eyes, her twinkling nowhere to be found as I stared back.

"I don't love Shining," she whispered truthfully.

"Maybe not yet," I replied. "But without me to interfere it can still happen."

Cadance merely smiled and shook her head slowly, looking at me all the while.

"I don't love him," she repeated.

"But he's your future."

At this she actually giggled and gave me a quick but intense kiss, before pulling back and sighing happily.

"No he's not Alex," she denied fervently. "I don't care who told this and I don't care if it's true...because right now all I want in my future is you."

I actually felt my eyes becoming moist as she confessed this. Never in all my life had I felt so...wanted. And the way she sounded and looked so sincere...

I blinked away any oncoming tears and merely stared at her. I had absolutely no idea how to respond to that. I mean...she was denying her future, but it was it really that simple?

"Cadance," I began, her ears perking up at my voice before laying flat in pleasure as I stroked her mane affectionately. "I...I really want nothing more than to be yours, but just denying and destroying a happiness that has yet to happen...I don't think I can do that."

Cadance looked down at the floor for all of about three seconds before looking back at me and smiling sincerely.

"Is it really up to you?" she asked questioningly.

"What do you mean?" I replied confusedly.

The Alicorn grinned victoriously at me, as though she had just figured out something incredible.

"What I mean is...what if I want to deny and destroy this happiness?"

I had absolutely no idea what to say.

A part of me was a tad put off that she would so easily want to destroy what had yet to come before it did so. But the other and much louder part of me was applauding and doing an Irish jig.

Don't ask why with the Irish jig.

Cadance put her right hoof on my cheek and began to caress it tentatively, before sighing happily yet again as she started to speak.

"Alex I'm not going to lie, what you've told me is startling, incredible and at one point quite believable. But I'm really upset that you never told me about this, especially after so many years."

I lowered my head as she finished, the guilt that I had previously been trying to ignore now the foremost thought in my mind. But I was quickly snapped out of it by a hoof under my chin raising my head once more, making me look back at her.

To my surprise however she didn't look upset but rather understanding.

"However I understand why you didn't though," she continued supportively. "I actually feel sorry that you had to carry this burden all by yourself."

She wasn't mad at me...and that made me feel so much better.

"But there is one thing you need to get into that thick head of yours," she growled in annoyance.

I merely cocked an eyebrow unsurely at her, although I was secretly happy that her tears had long since stopped.

It hurt me to see her cry.

"Whatever future you may have seen for me, it's not going to happen and before you argue I'll tell you why."

She exhaled noisily before kissing my nose cutely and smiling contently.

"Nothing is set in stone Alex. Not my future or your future or even Celestia's future. I don't know much about how time works, but I'm willing to bet my life that they're different paths for us to take. And I'm fairly sure that like you say I could fall in love with Shining and end up marrying him...but I won't because I don't and won't ever feel anything other than friendship towards him."

Whoa...I had never thought of it like that before. To be honest all that was ever on my mind in accordance to the timeline was to make sure that Cadance fell in love with Shining...but she didn't love him and according to her she never would.

I didn't realize it at the time but Cadance was actually moving backwards with me unconsciously following her. It was only when I heard her hooves hit the bottom of the bed that I noticed what she had done.

"And it will always be that way...because...because I love you." She confessed happily.

Cadance let go of me and climbed onto the bed, laying down on her side and using her magic to remove her dress before placing it on a nearby chair. She then looked up at me and motioned with her hoof for me to join her.

I hesitated for a moment but gave in when I saw the calm yet imploring look in Cadance's eyes. And so I climbed on after her and laid next to her on my side, looking at her unsurely whilst she looked at me affectionately.

"I love you," she told me again, her voice tender and oh so sweet as she did so.

She wiggled her way over to me and more or less rolled me over and placed herself on top of me. We had been like this before when we had been messing around with each other, you know tickling and mock wrestling...not the other thing. However her half lidded gaze was doing nothing to cease the fuel on my imagination.

"C-Cadance I'm not sure if-"

I suddenly found myself silenced by a soft and furry hoof, followed up by a small lick on my cheek.

"Tell me what you feel for me again, I want to know," Cadance asked hopefully.

I cocked an eyebrow at her but relaxed and moved my hand to her cheek once more, stroking and caressing it ever so tenderly as she leaned into it and sighed joyously.

"I want you so much Cadance," I started smoothly, the words coming out of my mouth rather easily to my surprise. "I want to take comfort in you and I always have done...because even though I feared that it would destroy your future, a part of me didn't care."

Cadance looked at me and smiled at my words, her half lidded gaze becoming almost sultry at my need to take comfort in her. And by take comfort I meant love...making love...with her.

"I love you so much Cadance," I admitted shakily. "I don't know how long I have...but there's nopony else but you...and there never will be."

Cadance's sultry expression had long since been replaced by a tender one, tears trickling down her face yet again as she took in all I had to say.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for you to say those words," she said happily, smiling even wider as I brushed her tears away.

She quickly lowered her lips to my own and kissed me, giggling somewhat when I flicked my tongue against her flat teeth. She opened her mouth and allowed me entry, yet we did not battle for dominance like before but rather explored the others mouth. We both touched and flicked and caressed every part we could find. My hands were touching her back, massaging it tenderly without moving down to her flank, although only because I was uncertain of where we were going with this.

Cadance it seemed was not so unsure. She moved her muzzle away from me and wiggled her body until my hands rested on her flanks. Said wiggling did far more than that however, although I did try my utmost to keep that hidden. With my hands now carefully massaging her flanks, something she seemed to enjoy if her quiet moans were anything to go by, Cadance moved her muzzle away from my lips and started nibbling on my neck.

It felt...nice, weird but nice.

"That feels good Cadance..." I admitted, receiving a small giggle in response as she continued to trace my skin with her mouth and teeth.

As I continued to massage her flanks, one of my fingers accidently traced something damp and slightly sticky. Cadance instantly stopped nibbling at this and moaned a little louder than she did before. She brought her head back and stared at me rather seductively, her tongue poking out of her mouth ever so slightly.

"Alex...how far are you willing to go tonight?" she asked me breathlessly.

Okay now I was certain I knew where this was going. And although my hormones were screaming at me to continue, my head told me to calm down and ask her as well.

"As far as you're willing Cadey," I replied gently...although I had no idea where the nickname came from.

Cadance however didn't seem to mind it one bit. She was actually blushing as she held a hoof to her mouth...it was quite cute to be honest.

"I love you Alex...and I want you to be my first...and last," she confessed nervously, all traces of the confident seductress gone. "But only if you want to, I can wait for as long as you want."

I smiled up at her and pulled her down so I could kiss her. Cadance just moved with it and followed my deep and intense kissing, nibbling and blatant display of lust. It was only when we parted that she smiled albeit a little nervously, although her eyes shone with longing as they gazed down at me.

"I want you Cadance...I ache for you."

The young Alicorn smiled widely at my admittance, before she buried her face into my chest momentarily and breathed in deeply, something that at the time I found confusing. She then looked up at me, and with a rather saucy wink motioned for me to sit up as she helped me take off my shirt.

Once it was off and thrown somewhere on the floor, Cadance just stared at my admittedly toned upper body. I'm no detective but judging by her smile she was quite happy with what she saw. Before she could ogle me any further, I quickly flipped us over so that she was underneath me. Cadance yelped in surprise but was rapidly silenced when I began to kiss and nibble at her neck, much like she had recently done with me.

"Mhmm you're right Alex, this feels so good," she crooned happily.

I merely grinned proudly before moving my lips and teeth down from her neck and onto her barrel. I quickly changed my routine of kissing and nibbling to just plain kissing, not wanting to hurt her sensitive skin under the thin coat of fur. This seemed like the right thing to do if her giggles and moans were anything to go by.

And so I continued my descent onto her even more sensitive tummy. But my attention was quickly stolen by the sight of something unfamiliar yet quite obvious. All my ministrations had obviously been quite nice for Cadance, seeing that her glistening marehood was already inflamed from arousal. The mare in question looked over at me, probably wondering why I had stopped kissing her body. When she noticed where I was looking however she merely blushed and smiled awkwardly at me.

"I...I hope it doesn't disgust you," she said quietly. "I know we're not the same species but-"

The mare promptly stopped talking as I edged forwards and tentatively licked her arousal, resulting in a rather loud moan from the self conscious Alicorn. What I did was a bit bold on my behalf, but it stopped her from needlessly worrying so the result was worth it.

Anyway seeing that she seemed to enjoy what I had just did, I continued albeit a little faster.

"Ohh Alex that's so wonderful, please don't stop."

I grinned mentally at those words, having no intention of actually stopping at all until she climaxed. However I refused to quicken the pace. I wanted Cadance to always remember that it was me who had first sexual contact with her.

They say you never really forget your first, so I had a lot riding on this being nothing short of spectacular.

Eventually as I continued to lick, touch and pleasure the mare I loved, I noticed her breathing becoming nothing more than short and shallow gasps. I could see the inside of her marehood twitching and contracting as if to grasp something inside. And as though the bulb turned on, an idea came to me.

I moved my tongue upwards and began to trace her inflamed nub, something that she instantly squealed at. Then whilst she was distracted by that I ever so carefully inserted my index finger into her marehood. Cadance apparently noticed this right away as a number of rather unusual yet arousing words left her beautiful mouth.

"Oh fuck yes, that feels so bucking nice."

I still don't understand how ponies have two versions of the same swear word, but what the hell.

Seeing that she seemed to enjoy it, I pushed my finger in as far as it could go before I felt it touch some sort of barrier. I didn't have to be a genius to figure out what that was, especially when Cadance let out a pained whine.

"Sorry Cadey," I apologized.

"It's fine honey, just be careful."

And thus my pet name was born.

Anyway I carefully continued to pleasure her, whilst still using enough stimulation to keep her heading towards her finish. And so a few minutes later Cadance began to shake and whisper incoherent words. Her hind legs were twitching and her flank was rising off the bed as though to give me more incentive. I merely grinned and held her down with my hands, using only my tongue to bring her to climax.

And climax she did.

"Oh buck, oh fuck, oh buck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!"

Cadance's lower body began to shake helplessly as her orgasm hit her. Her hooves were twitching constantly and her stomach was rising and falling at a near frightening speed. Being that it was only my tongue that had brought her to climax, it was apparently my honour for it to get drenched in her orgasmic fluids.

Not that I minded seeing that she actually didn't taste that bad. In fact the taste reminded me of a lollypop I used to buy on back on Earth, but with my memory loss the name of said sweet was beyond me.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing from Cadance, she slowly began to laugh and look at me with such happiness that I was rendered silent.

"Hehe, oh Alex that was amazing. Thank you so much," she breathed joyously.

I smiled and crawled up to her, intending to kiss her only to stop when I remembered where my mouth had been. Cadance however didn't seem to care as she leaned forwards and captured my lips with her own.

Say what you like but that was fucking hot.

The next thing I knew, Cadance had sneakily turned us over so that she was the one on top of me. I looked up at her nervously, only for her to smile comfortingly in response.

"Just relax honey, it's your turn," she crooned lovingly.

I hesitated but nodded in response and received a happy smile in return.

Cadance then somehow managed to undue my trousers and slide them down my legs with almost no help from me whatsoever. This left me with only my boxers protecting my already aroused manhood from whatever the grinning Alicorn had planned.

"Is it for me?" she asked innocently, although her predatory stare contradicted her tone of voice.

I wasn't able to get more than an approving groan in response, seeing that she had already began to rub its underside through my boxers. Cadance merely giggled and used her teeth to pull my pants down, where I assisted by kicking them into oblivion.

For a few moments Cadance just stared at my arousal with interest, moving it this way and that way as she studied it intently. She then suddenly looked up at me, still stroking its underside and said one word that to this day still manages to make me shiver.

And not in the uncomfortable way either.

"Mine," she said simply, as if she were a child claiming a toy from her sibling.

Except she was a teenage mare and said toy being claimed was...well you know.

Then to my sheer pleasure and disbelief she began to precisely lick the tip rapidly, causing something akin to a vibration where her tongue touched. She kept this up for a few more seconds before stopping and looking over at me with a small smirk on her muzzle.

"Does it feel good honey?" she asked curiously.

"Y-Yeah it does," I replied dazedly.

Cadance merely giggled and resumed her precise flicking of her tongue. Then to my surprise she changed from merely flicking to literally engulfing the entire head. This may have lead me to let slip a number of interesting words, but seeing as they made Cadance giggle, which added even more pleasure, it was totally worth it.

The Alicorn quickly began to bob up and down on my member, choosing to stop around the middle before moving back up and repeating the motion. Eventually I began to feel my climax approaching at attempted to warn Cadance.

"Ahh Cadey, if you don't ah slow down I'm not gonna last."

Unfortunately...or fortunately for me she had no intention of slowing down. In fact all she responded with was another giggle before she increased her speed and the amount of force when she swallowed.

If you've never gotten anything like this before...well sorry but you're missing out.

With all that she was doing to me I didn't last much longer. Cadance didn't move back and show her disgust like I imagined either. She actually just hummed her approval as my climax tore through me and I finished inside her muzzle.

And when my release finally ceased she merely removed her muzzle with an audible pop and swallowed right in front of me.

Fucking. Hot.

"How was it honey?" she asked hopefully. Her hopeful tone actually surprised me, but then again I was worried that I hadn't pleased her as well, even though her moaning was a clear answer in that regard.

Still she was worried, even if she had no reason to be.

"It was fantastic Cadance...I mean...wow," I replied, my dazed mind just about steady enough to allow speech.

Cadance smiled happily up at me and made her way onto my chest once more, before moving her muzzle down and capturing my lips in a fiery kiss. It...didn't actually disgust me like I thought it would, although I was probably too aroused to tell the difference.

Being both seventeen and about to have sex...yeah, enough said really.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Cadance asked worriedly.

"I should be asking you that," I quipped, yet smiled at her comfortingly in order to answer her question.

"I know but...you were so set on the whole future and timeline thing before," she continued, gazing down at me fearfully, as though I were about to just get up and leave her there and then.

"Well yeah, but there's no point in worrying about it if you're threatening to ruin it is there," I replied bemusedly.

Cadance laughed musically and shook her head in response.

"I suppose not."

She looked into my eyes suddenly before kissing my lips tenderly, drawing back afterwards only to gaze at me affectionately.

"I love you so much," she said, sighing happily for the billionth time that night.

"I love you too," I replied honestly, smiling up at her as I caressed her cheek.

And for a time all we did was touch and caress the other. Cadance's body was so soft and warm, yet also extremely arousing, especially when she shuffled and grinded her marehood on my re-hardened member.

She let out quiet moans of satisfaction as she did so, her muzzle graced by a blissful smile whilst her cheeks were tinged with red.

"Oh Alex, I want this...please," she cried passionately, before locking our mouths together once again and thrusting her tongue into my mouth with a groan.

I kept up with her kiss as best I could, although I had to admit she seemed to be quite a natural when it came down to it. But just like Cadance my patience had reached its peak and I simply couldn't deny her any longer.

And thus I flipped our positions so that I was the one leaning over her. She seemed to like this immensely as a low growl escaped her throat, something that I couldn't help but find so damn sexy.

The Alicorn let out a low whine as I brushed the tip of my arousal against her damp marehood, looking up at me with an almost...feral grin on her muzzle.

"This is going to hurt Cadey," I said worriedly.

"I don't care," she replied with finality, surprising me at the sheer intensity in her voice.

She bit her lip as she stared up at me, before wrapping her front hooves around my shoulders, followed up by her hind legs clinging to my behind tightly. I smiled at her almost unnoticeable nervousness and kissed her comfortingly, before drawing back and looking at her for conformation.

Cadance merely smiled up at me and nodded, nuzzling her muzzle into my neck in preparation for the oncoming pain. I kissed her neck tentatively and decided to quickly thrust inside of her, instantly breaking through her barrier and causing her to yelp in pain. Her hooves tightened around my shoulders and behind as she grit her teeth.

She felt so warm and unbelievably tight. The Alicorn's walls were clenched around my member securely, her inner muscles already working their magic on me and causing me to hiss with pleasure.

But no matter the pleasure, Cadance came first.

I didn't move an inch as she breathed shallowly, a few tears falling onto my skin as she kept her muzzle buried in my neck. I carefully moved my right hand under her back and stroked it tenderly whilst I waited for her to recover. This seemed to please her immensely as she let loose a shuddering sigh and kissed my neck.

"Thanks for being so patient with me," she muttered contently.

She moved her muzzle from out of my neck and looked at me happily, her eyes shining brightly as they practically radiated with affection.

"I'd wait forever for you Cadance," I admitted shamelessly, prompting a wide and honest smile from the mare...my mare.

"As I would for you," she replied sincerely.

The mare then nodded and grinned up at me, causing me to take some infinitive and pull myself back until only the head remained. This was quickly remedied by pushing back inside her with a firm yet careful force.

"Oh buck yes," Cadance moaned breathlessly.

I took that as a good sign.

And so I continued with the motion, in and out, pull and push. Until she was literally panting and begging for me to speed up, to be harder and rougher as she pleaded with me to claim her. I never suspected in all my life that Cadance was loud, but she wasn't just that.

She was a howler, and I'd be hard pressed to believe that nopony heard her that night.

"Faster my love, take me harder, make me yours!"

Eventually her entire body began to convulse with small shakes as she purred animalistically, her climax evidently on its way.

It was in these last few minutes that she went...a little wild.

Her eyes suddenly glazed over and she began to growl gutturally. In all honesty I found it unbelievably hot to see the normally kind and slightly shy mare become feral and assertive.

And assertive she was, using the sudden moment of surprise to spin me over with my length still inside of her. I opened my mouth to say...something, but found myself quickly silenced by her lips slamming against mine, her tongue forcing its way inside my mouth and playing dominantly with my own.

And in between all of this she had begun to rapidly pound herself up and down on my arousal, not caring in the slightest on how loud and wild a mare she had rapidly become.

To be honest neither did I.

There was no warning whatsoever when she climaxed on top of me, her howling and screams nearly deafening as she slipped in and out of the Royal Canterlot Voice. I gritted my teeth as I fought to keep my own orgasm in, hoping that she would slow down and allow me to finish elsewhere.

It's not that I wanted to, but at the time I knew next to nothing about Equestrian heat cycles.

Unfortunately Cadance showed no signs of stopping and kept up her merciless pounding as she stared at me with a purpose. And even as I put my hands on her flank to stop her, she merely used her subtle muscle control to such a pleasurable extent that I found myself unable to any strength and stop her.

"Finish for me honey," she crooned lovingly, her face tantalizingly close as her eyes bored into my own. She suddenly stuck her tongue out and licked my cheek affectionately before moving onto my neck where she began to nibble and suck on my sensitive skin.

And then she stopped, moving her muzzle up to my ear and nibbling on the lobe roughly.

"I want you to come inside me Alex," she whispered seductively. "I want to feel your warmth fill me until I can't think anymore."

I distinctly remember feeling rather surprised as those words left her once innocent lips.

Who knew that the Princess of love became so dirty minded during sex.

A few more assertive movements from Cadance was all it took for my held back climax to rip through me for the second time that night. The Alicorn moaned happily as I emptied myself within her and promptly claimed my lips passionately in the heat of the moment.

Eventually both our thrusting and pounding ceased, causing Cadance to sigh into our kiss and collapse on my chest. She drew back from me with the biggest and happiest smile I had ever seen on her face. Her eyes shone with joyous tears as rested her snout against my nose, her magenta orbs becoming all I could see.

"I love you so much honey," she whispered tearfully. "I just...I love you so badly."

My heart skipped a beat at her raw confession...but it only made what I was about to say that much easier.

"Then would you do me the honour of being my special somepony?" I asked fearlessly.

To my surprise however Cadance merely laughed and bit the tip of my nose playfully.

"I already am Alex," she replied bemusedly. "Because there's no way in Tartarus that I'm letting this merely be a one night stand."

And there she was again. The bold, no nonsense mare that I'd come to know...and love.

"Good because it's not," I told her assuredly.

"Good," she said, smiling softly before she rested her head under my chin and closed her eyes contently.

I put my arms around her and smiled myself at the warm sensation I felt inside, closing my eyes in satisfaction, not really noticing a sudden glow beneath my eyelids.

What we had done was truly magical...because of all the scenarios I pictured between Cadance and I, I had never once suspected it would lead to us confessing our love for each other...and then joining as one in the oldest dance known to everypony.

There were going to be consequences...I wasn't so blinded by what we had done to have forgotten that. Cadance and I had made love and were now a couple. She had also admitted rather fiercely that she could and would destroy any notions of her and Shining falling in love, let alone marrying.

Because she only loved me...she only wanted my love and not Shining's

I had a feeling that she wouldn't tell anypony what I knew about the future, even Celestia herself...

But that wasn't the question running through my mind at that point.

The question...was how would our relationship affect what could now only be a possible future, a path not taken. Would Chrysalis simply not invade now that there was no wedding for her to ruin? Or would she just try another way...perhaps even my own wedding if Cadance and I decided to one day take that next step.

And what about Sombre? Without Shining there to help defend the Crystal Kingdom, what would become of it?

Although to be honest I hadn't been told anything more about said kingdom other than it was "Out of our reach for now".

What did that mean?

Well...at the time I didn't know.

I smiled as Cadance nuzzled my neck sleepily and decided to call it a night. I kissed her forehead tenderly, resulting in a sleepy yet happy smile from the mare. And with the satisfaction of seeing that, I closed my eyes again and merely enjoyed the comfort of both my covers and Cadance's warm body.

At least until my eyes snapped open and stared not at the now snoozing mare...but rather my covers.

What was the problem? Well...I never pulled them over us, and Cadance hadn't moved enough to give me the conclusion that she had done it for us. But then I remembered that faint glow I had seen beneath my eyelids...just before I had opened them and looked at the sleepy Alicorn.

Only one conclusion came to me...however impossible it was.

Cadance...had used magic...while touching me.

As for how...Well that's a story for another time.

For that night was just the start.

The start of an adventure that I would never ever forget.

And maybe one day...I'll tell you.

The End...For Now.