You have recently moved to Ponyville, trying to forget your past. Will your new friends be able to help? Maybe, but maybe not after the news catches you up...
Go to Ponyville, there are some very nice ponies there, and they will help you through these troubled times. Princess Celestia Princess Luna
That's all the letter said. Maybe they were right, maybe not... but you certainly were not going to ignore the chance of getting your life back on track. At least until a face from home shows up...
This is my first attempt (ever) at a second person fic, but will change to a 3rd person POV when dealing with the others when 'you' aren't around. I hope it matches what you come to expect from me... and I know, it's a non-Luna romance!! Changed to mature and added the sex tag, but those sections will be marked at the start with a **** and finish with ####.
Another piece of hard, rotten fruit hit the back of your head, adding to the mess already present. You just sighed and carried on trotting towards the city gates, all of the possessions that you wanted to take in your saddlebags and two suitcases you were dragging with your wings. It was the only thing your parents had given you, besides a verbal lashing, before they gave you an hour to get out of their house.
It was going to be a long walk from Manehatten to Canterlot like this, but as the gates slammed shut behind you, you accepted your fate. You prepared to step off when a whistle to the side startled you. Looking over you saw that the train you were due to catch was moving slower than you were, the driver waving you over with a hoof.
At first you were wary, expecting him to attack or something. Instead he hopped down, took your suitcases and threw them on board, before leaping back up and offering a hoof. You reached and took it tentatively, but no bodily harm came. You opened your eyes to find the stallion giving you a soft smile and pointing towards the first carriage, and you realised then that he was talking to you. “Hey, you ok? There's a spare bed through there, you can use that one. Not all of us are idiots, she should be getting punished, and you should be getting apologies from everypony that thinks otherwise. Why don't you go get some sleep, you certainly look like you need it?”
With a slow nod of your head, you pulled your case inside and flopped onto the unmade bed. The hay stuffing was a little coarse without a sheet, but right now you'd settle for the floor. The past few day's events caught up and you began to cry yourself to sleep.
“Now how did a handsome young colt such as yourself get into such a state?” You said nothing, avoiding the caring gaze of the mare that the guards had retrieved. You were sure she must know about you, but that didn't keep her from doing her job. She gently dabbed a cotton compress over your swollen eye, the cool liquid soothing the pain. She placed a dressing over it and wrapped a bandage around your head.
Two days was all it took. Yes, you were living off scraps from the garbage and sleeping in alleys, but you didn't have any money to use. You steered clear of other ponies as best as you could, but news about the trial caught up and you began to feel every other pony on the street looking for you. And then this afternoon, a group of young stallions surrounded you.
You tried to explain, but they weren't having any of it. You just lie there and took the beating, not crying as the arrival of the guard made them scamper off. You refused to press charges, due to the fact you didn't really get a good look at them. Which is why the Royal Guard that found you had brought you back to their guard tower, and fetched the nurse. “How about eating something, hmm?”
You felt sick being treated like a foal, but with a broken right fore hoof and a very nearly broken left fore hoof, you let the mare feed you, before she set you down on the bed and blew the candle out. Luckily the group were scared off before they went to work on your wings in earnest, and they felt just sprained.
The nurse rose to leave, but you quickly shot out your semi good hoof, catching her shoulder. Her eyes go wide for a moment before she turns to you with a smile. “T-t-thank you,” you say timidly, then felt your cheeks start to blush as she leant down and kissed your forehead. You may have been seventeen, but you hardly spent any time around mares, and a slightly older one treating you like a prince may have been one of your fantasies. Colts.
“Get some rest, and I'll check on you in the morning.” She ruffled your mane a little, then left and gently closed the door, the noise from the streets of the capital being shut out for the night. When you awoke the next morning, there was a guard standing over you. Of course, you spooked, and fell out of bed in your haste to get away, but the nurse from last night was back and gently shifted you back to bed. “Easy now, easy. He's not going to hurt you.”
“Ahem...” The mare and stallion pulled apart to reveal a well dressed mare, not one bit of hair on her immaculately styled mane out of place. “... due to recent... developments, it has been decided that you can not stay in Canterlot.” The nurse placed a hoof over yours as your ears drooped, hearing the news that you didn't want. You thought that the capital, home of the princesses, would be more tolerant, but it was just the same. “However...”
“YES?” That was the first sign of real life you had shown since your arrival, and the trio gave you ample time to calm down. With a nod to the mare, she continued.
“However, We would like you to travel to a nearby town of Ponyville, where we believe you can live peacefully.”
“This is some kind of joke, right?” The mare just stared at you confused, not understanding what you were saying. “You must have heard the news by now! Why would anypony want to help me?”
“I don't know, you'd have to ask the princesses yourself. But they would like you in Ponyville as soon as possible.” She passed over a scrolled up bit of parchment, which the nurse opened and lay in your lap for you. You couldn't believe your eyes... you had seen the writing of the twin alicorns before, and upon that standard size bit of paper showing the two royal seals...
Go to Ponyville, there are some very nice ponies there,
and they will help you through these troubled times.
Princess Celestia,
Princess Luna.
“The good sergeant here will escort you, ensuring you arrive safely, your train leaves in an hour.” With that the mare turned and left. Struggling to your hooves, you thanked the nurse once more and went to grab your stuff, but found it missing. You began to panic, franticly looking from corner to corner, until a firm but surprisingly gentle hoof was placed on your shoulder.
“Relax, it's okay.” You turned your head to see the guard stood next to you, a soft smile on his face. “Your stuff has been sent ahead of us, and will be waiting in Ponyville for you. Come on, let's get going.” It took around forty minutes to get there, a lot of angry looks being thrown your way, but not one pony tried anything with your escort about.
The train ride was about six hours long, in the opposite direction to which you arrived in Canterlot. You guessed you were getting near the terminus of the journey, due to the fact the train seemed to get quieter after each stop. You had noticed the butter yellow pegasus mare peering over at you a few times from the other end of the carriage, but every time your gazes met she would hide her luminous pools of cyan behind her long pink mane.
You were snapped out of you reverie when the train one more lurched to a stop. The guard helped you to you hooves and guided you off the train. One quick glance showed that the mare had also left the train. Your hypothesis about the journey proved correct when the station master announced that the next and last stop was somewhere called Appleloosa. You were guided out of the station and into the main street of Ponyville.
You began shaking as nearly everypony started to look at you, a hushed whisper going through the crowd. And just like it started, it stopped, the other ponies going about their business. “Wait right here, I'm going to find our contact to get you settled.” With that the guard left you sitting in the street. The crowds moving past paid you no heed, but over the past few days your paranoia had gotten worse.
Spying a alley to the side, you spread your wings and managed to get in there, finding a nice dark hole under a set of back door steps. It only had one way in, so you turned around and pressed your flank in as far as possible, watching the alleyway. “So... where is he?” You tried to see the owner of the mare's voice, but you were round a slight corner, and could only see one side of the street.
“I... don't know, I told to him wait right here!” That was your guard, and he called your name a few times, but you didn't have the courage to call out lest it bring unwanted attention.. “We've got to find him... or Celestia's gonna roast my flank.” Content to just spend the next few hours hiding, you took a few deep breaths to calm your racing heart.
“Celestia? You should be worried about even getting back!”
“Of course, Princess Sparkle, my apologies.” You heard hoofsteps moving off and began to relax further. It was all undone a moment later as a yellow hoof moved past the corner of the wall, and you could see the end of a pink mane. The mare from the train followed, looking around for something, and then she started smiling. She trotted over and mirrored your own position, looking right into your good eye.
“Um... why are you, um... hiding, if you don't mind me asking?” You averted your gaze, worried that there was going to be a repeat of Manehatten, and shifted back as she crawled closer. Out of you peripheral vision you saw a yellow hoof move closer, and you began to shake. The hoof withdrew a little, but then came closer still, coming to a gentle rest on your shoulder. “It's okay... nopony is going to hurt you. Come on out, and we'll see if you've made your injuries any worse.”
You wanted to stay there, in your safe little hovel, but the mare's kind words and gentle, timid voice fought against you, and before you knew it, she was pulling you back out. She didn't remove her hoof from yours as she led you out into the street once more, but much against your luck, into two more ponies. One was your guard, the other... “And where the hay have you been, mister? You're in big trouble for throwing off my schedule. Fluttershy, thank you for finding him. I'll see you and the girls later?”
“Okay, Twilight.” The pegasus mare, now named, turned and gave you a warm smile. “It was nice meeting you. I hope I can see you again sometime?” Not waiting for an answer, she turned and spread her wings, taking off ever so softly. You watched her for a moment until your sights suddenly changed, the ground trading places with the sky and moving away from you. Looking 'up', you found yourself to be in a lavender aura, the same a coming from the alicorn's horn.
You could see your destination, a large tree in the middle of a square. There was a house built into it, and the fact that it didn't seem to phase and other pony made you worried as it got closer.
QUICK A/N: I know I said it's going to be 2nd person fic, but the bits without 'you' will be done in 3rd person. Anyway, enjoy chapter 2.
You were glad to finally be set down from the magical aura, Princess Sparkle leaving you on a couch in the middle of the room. She trotted off to the side of the room with the guard, where they had a hushed conversation, giving you a chance to look around. If this really was her house, then she must be pretty intelligent with all these books. The sound of a frustrated sigh drew your attention to one of the corners, but all you could make out was the tip of a white horn, the shelves bathed in a cool green light. “Dumb books! Why won't you go back on the shelves?” The voice was young, and you briefly wondered if it was her sister.
“Sweetie Belle...” You watched as Princess Sparkle dropped her conversation and cantered around the table hindering your view. “...what have I said? Open your eyes.”
“But...”
“Ah, no buts! You need to concentrate, and how can you concentrate on something if you can not see it? Now... open your eyes.”
“Yes, Mrs Sparkle.” Well, that answered the question of possible siblings as the area glowed green once more, three books lifting from the floor and slotting into empty spaces. “I did it! I did it!”
“Yes, you did. Why don’t you run home and show your parents?”
“But... I thought we were going to extend our lessons?” Oh, it was Princess Sparkle's student! That made much more sense, but magic practice in her home? You had only heard of that a few times, and it had only ended badly for those involved, as the homes were not properly magic shielded.
“I'm sorry Sweetie, but I have some Royal business to attend to. I promise that our next session will double in time, and...” she was cut off as the white unicorn revealed herself, jumping around the unicorn's neck with a squeal of glee. And then she was gone out the door, not one glance in your direction.
It was then that you noted the guard had departed as well, turning your gaze back to the mare just closing the door with her magic. She turned with a fond smile on her face, sitting in a chair opposite you. “That was Sweetie Belle, I'm teaching her how to use magic. Her sister should be doing it, but Rarity gets... easily distracted. Now, I don't want to be a poor host, but I had a prior engagement this evening and do not want to miss it. Will you be okay on your own?”
You answer with a small nod, and she rose from her seat. You went to do so as well, but were once more floating in a aura of magic, the glare aimed at you telling you off for attempting to move. You were floated up the stairs behind her and into a rather unfurnished room, setting you down on the expertly made bed. “You can stay in here whilst you are with us. The only time it gets busy it's during lunch and the weekend.” Her statement confused you further, and you had to clarify something.
“Gets busy? How?”
“Well, this is a library, so ponies come by now and then to get books.” Well, that explained the amount you had seen. You then noticed your luggage in the corner, still packed away. Princess Sparkle suddenly started to giggle, her eyes shining as she looked at you. “Did you think that they were mine? My books are in my room, which is on the floor above us. Now, don't try to overstrain yourself unpacking, Spike will be along soon and will help you.”
“Another student?”
“Nope, my number one assistant! Just be warned... he's not quite a pony. Anyway, I need to head out or I'll be late. You just rest until Spike gets here.” You laid down on the cot and sank into the impossibly soft mattress, closing your eyes with a sigh.
“Thank you, Princess Sparkle.”
“Please, just call me Twilight.” With that she closed the door, leaving you in peace. You did have the notion of unpacking, but the thought of angering another mare bid you refrain from doing so. You'd just have to wait till this 'Spike' arrived, pony or not.
Twilight gave a sigh as she slipped into the hot tub in Ponyville Spa and Massage, smiling over to her friends. Her day had been filled with making sure her home was clean and ready for guests, and ensuring that the stallion now in her spare room would be left in peace. The sound of a timid voice being cleared bid her open her eyes, noticing Fluttershy was now seated next to her. “So... um, who is he?”
“HE? TELL. ME. EVERYTHING!” Twilight pushed Rarity away from her and glanced around, ensuring that they were the only three present.
“I can't tell you his name, by Royal Order. What I can tell you, however, is that he's recently been through some unjust hardship in his life.”
“You mean his, um, injuries?”
“No Fluttershy, that happened afterwards, in Canterlot. The guards are hunting those responsible. Anyway, Celestia thought it would be a good idea for us to help him in anyway possible, and that's exactly what we'll do.”
“But... um, how can we do that... um, if we don't know anything about him?”
“We'll just have to trust, that over time, he'll open out to us. Obviously I know what happened, or I wouldn't have allowed him into my home.”
“He's at yours? Can I... um, come see him afterwards?”
“Well, I dunno... he seemed tired.” Twilight smiled softly to her pegasus friend, but her gaze was returned by one of pleading, and concern for her temporary lodger. “Okay Fluttershy, but we'll make it a quick one. Yes, you can come too Rarity.” Twilight suddenly found herself short of breath as her friends hugged her tightly.
You quietly whimper to yourself as you lie on the floor. You had grown bored, and attempted to unpack. That meant moving you suitcases, a task that was impossible in your current state, but that didn't stop you. You had tried to use your broken hoof to grip them, but had put too much pressure on the other, resulting in your current predicament, splayed out on the floor like a newborn foal trying to take its first steps. Your eyes went wide as you heard hoofsteps on the stairs, the door to your room swinging open. “Whoa, dude, what are you doing?”
You opened your eyes, expecting and angry princess, but instead found yourself to be looking upon a strange bipedal creature. It approached and pulled you back into bed, tipping your upturned suitcase the right way. “Man, if Twi saw you doing this whilst injured... anyway, the name's Spike, nice to meet ya!”
You quickly tell him your name, but only the first part, hoping against hope that the news hadn't got that far. Instead, the little creature you now realised was a small dragon, having seen pictures of him before, moved both cases over to a nearby chest of drawers, and began to store your stuff away. It wasn't much, just some cold weather gear, a couple of formal suits, and a range of trinkets that you had brought with you. “Dude, what you got in here?”
You looked up to see Spike had pulled out a long cardboard tube. You cast your gaze around the wall, and pointed to one where there was enough spare space. The little dragon disappeared out of the room and returned a moment later with a ladder and some pins. You informed him that it was rolled up bottom first, so that's where he started.
At first all you could see was a fiery tail, and then the writing started to appear. “To my number one fan... SPITFIRE?” Spike then began to work faster, revealing the mare in a striking pose, a sultry look upon her face. It took a few minutes for the dragon to roll his tongue back in, but he managed it and turned back towards you. “So... you think you're her biggest fan? Dash ain't going to like this!”
“Actually, I know her quite well.”
“Really? How? What, are you a groupie for the 'bolts or something?”
“No... Fleetfoot is my sister.”
“Spike, what the hay is taking you so long? It can't be that hard to put some stuff away, can it? Hurry up, I need that book on weather formations!” He slowly raised a claw to his forehead and began to rub it, but stopped when the sound of wings fluttering got closer. “And what the buck was all that about Spit... fire?”
You looked to the doorway to see a cyan pegasus mare with a rainbow mane staring slack jawed at your poster, before she turned her gaze to you. “It's a good thing you're already injured, 'cos I'd beat the hay out of you for claiming that you're her number one fan!”
“Well, I'm the one with the poster.” You had no idea what made you say that , but you felt like challenging her claim to your given title. “I've probably met her more times than you have.”
“Oh really? Well, how many times did you see her last week? I saw her three times!”
“Three? That's impressive.” It filled you with glee as she began to smirk, but you kept it locked inside. After all, you were about to bring her down to the ground. “I saw her eight times, and the last one is when she gave me that poster.”
She dropped to the floor, mouth hanging open in shock. Spike walked over and whispered into her ear, her eyes getting wider with each second, before she ignored the dragon and zipped over to your bed, getting uncomfortably close. “What are the others like? Did you ever go flying with them? Who's fastest, Spitfire or Soarin? Can you arrange a meet...hey!!” The mare was pulled away with a lavender glow, and turned to face the withering gaze of Princess Sparkle.
“Rainbow Dash, you will not aggravate my guests injuries any further, and allow him time to rest! Now, what made you burst in here?”
“Came for a book, but he knows the Wonderbolts!” The lavender alicorn looked at your poster before throwing the pegasus out of the door, and closing it behind her. “Sorry about that, she can be a lot to handle sometimes. There's another pony outside that wishes to see you. Don't worry, she only wants to make sure you're okay.”
“Who?” You were certainly wary of more ponies in the library, but Twilight's next words melted all of you anxiety away as she opened the door and waved another in with a hoof.
“Do you remember Fluttershy?” Of course you did, she was the one that had pulled you from the gutter, the one who kept staring at you on the train. She entered the room with a soft smile, but stopped with a gasp when she looked at you, then turned to her friend.
“Twilight, I need bandages, stitches, and any other medical supplies you can find...now!” The two moved with incredibly speed, the alicorn leaving the room and the pegasus shooting over to you, pushing you gently onto your side. It was then that you felt some pain, wiping your chest with a hoof, eyes going wide as you saw the other bandages now stained red. “Just lie still, let me take care of you.”
“You'll just want to rip them out, when you find out...” You began to feel light headed, your vision swimming.
“Find out what? Can you hear me?” You tried to respond, but you couldn't say anything coherent. You vision went black as the mare squeezing you good hoof pleaded with you to stay awake. The last thing that went through your mind was how the hay did she know what hoof to hold?
Whilst waking with a pain in your chest was unpleasant, the warm body pressed next to yours overwrote that stimulation, and you cracked open an eye to see the pegasus mare sleeping next to you, one of her wings across your chest. You reach out with your left hoof and try to push the wing away gently, but being one of the erogenous zones meant that... “Eep!”
You pull your hoof away, having woken the mare with your unintended stimulation. She looked at her full spread wings, then to you with a small glare on her face, which changed to one of concern as she saw you lightly shaking. Bringing her wings back to her side, she began to run a hoof through your mane, calming you down. “I-I'm sorry,” is all you manage to squeak out as the door swung open, the little unicorn filly from the day before entering.
“Fluttershy, Mrs Sparkle says breakfast is ready for her guest, if he feels up to eating.” Just then your stomach gave a rather loud rumble, reminding you that, with the exception of the ration food you had at the guard station, you had eaten only scraps for the past few days. The little filly giggled at you, before turning around. “I guess he is, hold on a minute.”
The pegasus sitting on the edge of your bed continued to let her hoof play with your mane, and you couldn't say you minded. After what had happened, you wanted to stay as far away from mares as possible, but it seemed like that wouldn't happen in this town. The sound of two ponies coming up the stairs drifted through the door, and Twilight walked in, followed by another mare. Your eyes went wide with horror as you instantly recognised her face.
“Well howdy, an' welcome t' Ponyvil...” The two of you stared at each other, before she turned and strode out of the room. “Ah'm leavin', an' the best thing you can do Twi... is hoof 'im over t' the guards!” How could she not know? Her Aunt Orange was your Aunt Orange as well, and it seemed the news had spread throughout the family even quicker. Twilight gently set the tray of food down on the table next to the bed, gave Fluttershy a concerned glance, then tore off after the leaving farm mare.
The pegasus mare pushed you into a sitting position and picked up a fork, sticking it into some fried apple slices and bringing it closer to your muzzle. You tried to to take it off her, but couldn't grip it properly. She started to giggle as you averted your gaze to the wall whilst she spoon-fed you.
Applejack was just about to enter the Mayor's office when the door slammed shut in a lavender glow, just enough force to give her a little tap on the nose. Rubbing her snout with a hoof, she turned to find Twilight glaring at her. “Ah don't car Twi, 'e needs 't go!”
“Applejack, do you know who that is?”
“Yeah, Ah do. He's mah second cousin, an' we don't want 'is kind round here!”
“Listen to yourself!! Can you even hear what you are saying? For starters, you obviously know what he's been through, and know that he was acquitted of all charges!” The lavender alicorn had to spread her wings and push them harder then Dash had ever trained her to catch the fleeing earth pony, sending them into a tumble as they rolled through the gates to Sweet Apple Acres. “What the hay is wrong with you, AJ?”
“Nothin' is wrong with me, Twi, but there is with you for lettin' that colt stay with you!”
“Applejack, get in the house, now.” The two mares turned to find Big Macintosh stood above them, and with a defeated sigh she trotted off towards her home. “Sorry about that, Twi. Now, can Ah assume that mah second cuz is stayin' with you?”
“Yes, he is. Why?”
“Ah'd like to seem 'im.”
“If you are looking to get into a fight with...”
“Nothin' like that, Ah want to make sure 'e's okay.”
“Oh... well, let's get going then.”
“Eeyup... one last thing though... Applebloom!” There was a blur of motion as the younger of the Apple sisters came charging over, leaping on to her brother's back and draping her forehooves around his neck. “Now we can go see 'im.”
You winced slightly as you turned the page of the book you were reading. Having decided you had been in bed long enough, and with copious amounts of begging towards the stern mare, she had helped you down the stairs and into the main room, where you were now reading through the latest edition of Daring Do available. “Does it still hurt?”
You looked over to the opposite couch, where Fluttershy was, grooming an owl that had been perched in the corner. Coming to the end of the next page, you gave her a weak smile as you turned the paper. “It's not so bad now, just a little twinge.”
“Oh... um, good, I think. So... um, where are you from?”
“I'm... I... I'd... rather not talk about that, if you don't mind.”
“Of course. I'm sorry I brought it up.” You went to smile at her again when the library door opened, a small pale yellow blur darting forward and wrapping it's small hooves around your chest, firmly and gently at the same time. “Applebloom, he's injured!”
You looked down, and sure enough, there was your youngest relative, her crimson bow still attached to her mane. You rolled over onto your right side and used your left hoof to pull her closer, feeling the filly relax in your grip. And then you felt it. It was hard not to, only one pony could seem to make the air want to leave the room. Looking over the back over the couch, you saw the crimson juggernaut that was Big Mac. “Long time no see, cuz, huh?”
“It is indeed, Mac. Erm... cousin AJ, is she...”
“Don't you fret about that. Ah'm gonna give her a stern talking to when we get home. But what are ya doing 'ere? Ah thought you'd be at...”
“Mac, over here please.” You silently thanked Twilight as she pulled him to the side and had a whispered conversation with him. You weren't sure if Applebloom knew, and you most certainly did not want Fluttershy to find out. Even in there was no substance to the claims, they still weighed heavily on your heart, and it pained you to realise that you wanted to push the kindness the mare had shown to you away.
“You're part of Applejack's family?” You looked over and saw the pegasus had stopped her brushing of the owl, and had moved closer, now sitting next to the coffee table. You struggled to answer, not wanting to say to much, but were saved from an unlikely source.
“Eeyup, our Aunt Orange is really our aunt-in-law, an' she's 'is actual aunt, so we're related by law.” You couldn't help but smile, Applebloom having grown since you last saw her, and in intelligence it seemed as well. “Can Ah stay with you tonight, cuz?”
“No, you can not, Applebloom.” That had come from another unexpected source, this time being the red stallion that had returned to the centre of the room. “'e's injured, and needs time t' rest. Maybe when 'e's feelin better, but not tonight. Besides, ya have chores t' do today. We'll get outta your mane now, cuz, an' Ah'll make sure AJ comes back t' apologise.”
“If it's going to cause an argument, then it can wait. And... Applebloom can come back later... if she's a good filly. Is that okay?” Mac rolled his customary stalk of hay around his mouth a few times, looking between you and his sister, before closing his eyes and nodding.
“Eeyup, but she's gotta do all 'er chores today... including 'er homework.”
“Aww...”
“Come one Bloom, Ah said you can come back later, now let's go t' work.” With one final squeeze, you let the filly go, and she jumped down, trotting out the door next to her brother. You went to return to reading your book, but found it held firmly in place by a yellow forehoof. You lifted your gaze and met with a muzzle smiling at you, Fluttershy also smiling at you with her eyes.
“Well, I think after a day of being around you, it would be nice to know your name?” You averted your gaze, staring at the floor in between you. You could see a blur moving in your peripheral vision, not knowing what it was until you felt Fluttershy's hoof on your shoulder. You turn your head slightly and look at her out of the corner of your eyes. “...please?”
It was almost heart attack inducing, the way she looked directly at you, but at the same time tilted her head away, and you couldn't find the strength to refuse her request. “I'm... Sky Runner.”
“I thought you were...” You turned to face the mare, who was now smiling at you. “Don't you remember? We met at a holiday camp south of Las Pegasus. Well... I was clumsy and knocked you from your cloud into the ocean, but...” You vaguely remembered the incident, all you were doing was napping on a cloud, and then a filly bumped into you, and you fell to the water below. Shame you couldn't swim at the time.
“It was a good job my sister was there, or I might've drowned.”
“Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know! Are you okay?”
“Well, I'm here now, and all things considered... yeah. And don't worry, I know it was an accident.” Fluttershy's hoof rubbed at your shoulder a little, then she got off the couch and trotted towards the kitchen, where you assumed Twilight and Spike were making lunch. You could see the tip of her tail flicking around through the doorway, and with chuckle you went back to reading your selected book.
“Hmm... Ah'm not sure...”
“Please, Big Mac...”
“Explain t' cycle to me.” Applebloom stopped her mini tantrum and looked up to her brother with a raised eyebrow, bidding him to expand on his request. “The weather cycle.”
“There are reser-voirs all over Equestria, bigger ones near bigger cities. They take it in turns to provide for their local weather factories, which turn t' water into whatever is needed, be it just clouds, rain, or even snow. Once t’ desired weather has hit t' ground, it drains back into t' local rivers, which lead to t' reser-voirs, and t' process begins again. Can Ah go now?”
Mac just stared at her for moment before cracking into a smile. “Eeyup.” With that the filly jumped up and hugged her brother's neck, then tore off out of the door. The stallion shook his head with a chuckle, and began to tidy up the pile of papers left on the table. His smile dropped when the back door opened, and he turned to find the elder Apple sister glaring at him.
“An' jus' where in the hay is she off to this late at night, huh?”
“She's staying somewhere else tonight.”
“Where?”
“T' library.”
“What? Ah gotta go get her! She's in trouble! Mac, come...
“APPLEJACK!” Big Macintosh never shouted at her, and to do so at this time of night... The effect he wanted was what he got, his sister shrinking away from him. “Did ya even read the full letter?” She shook her head, not meeting his searing gaze and staring at the floor between her hooves. A piece of paper was slid in front of her, and she picked up from where she had left off.
“Oh... Celestia, what have Ah done? Ah gotta do somethin' about this. Ah gotta...”
“AJ... leave it till t' mornin'. T' only other one that knows is Princess Sparkle, an' she won't tell nopony. Now come on, it's been a long day an' it's time fer supper.”
You stroked your well filled stomach with a hoof, slouching back on the couch with a satisfied smile. Fluttershy had left just after lunch, and after giving you new dressings. You had spent the rest of the afternoon reading, much to Twilight's jubilation, even though she chided you for sticking to fiction. You just poked your tongue out at her, responding with the fact that everypony has different tastes, causing the alicorn mare to giggle.
The evening meal had been amazing, and it was even more of a surprise to find out Spike had done most of the cooking. Stifling a yawn with your hoof, you glance over to the clock and note the late time. You were about to head to bed when a knock on the door caused you both to look over. “Now who could that be this late at night?” You just smiled as Twilight trotted over to the door, looking down with a gasp of surprise. “Applebloom? What brings you here this late?”
“Ah'm allowed to stay with Sky tonight!” The mare glanced back over her shoulder at you, and you just responded with a sheepish smile and a shrug, causing her to turn away with a shake of her head. “Is that okay, Princess? If not, Ah'll go home.”
“Applebloom, how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Twilight? And no, it's not a problem, I just wish somepony had thought to inform me so I could set up another bed.”
“That's okay, Ah'll just sleep in t' same bed as Sky!”
“I... don't think that's a good id...”
“Twilight...” She turned to look at you once more, concern stamped on her muzzle. “...it's okay. Mac trust's me to look after her, and that's what I'm going to do. I can understand your trepidation, but you know I'm not like… that.”
“What's he talkin' about, Twilight?” The mare's ears splayed back, realising that Applebloom had heard the entire conversation. With a sweep of her hoof she brought the filly in, turning to lock the door.
“Adult stuff, nothing for you to worry about. Now, I think it's time we all went to bed. I see you've brought your wash kit, so you can have the bathroom first, Applebloom.” With a quick salute the filly tore off up the stairs, and about twenty minutes later you were both preparing to get under your covers when Twilight popped her head through the door. “I'll be upstairs if you require anything... either of you. Good night.”
“Thank you, Twilight, good night.”
“Night, Twi.” You climbed into bed and held the covers up as the filly joined you. Once you lay down, she pressed against your chest, but it didn't hurt. Whatever it was Fluttershy had forced down your throat at lunch, no matter how much you protested, seemed to be doing a good job of dulling the pain. You wait for Applebloom to stop fidgeting before draping your wing over her, pulling up the covers and blowing out the candle next to your bed.
Outside of your immediate family, the filly beginning to snore softly was your favourite, and she held a special place in your heart. You were there when she was born, had seen her a lot when she had grown up, even though it had gotten less and less as you both grew older, but you still had that special bond.
And there was that part of the back of your mind that wanted a filly just like her someday. You gave a quiet chuckle at that. What would your friends say if they heard you say that out loud? Not that you had friends any more. With a sigh you lay you head on the pillow, ready to sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and you were in a new, seeming friendly, town... it was time for a new life.
A week in Ponyville, to you, was like a week in paradise. You soon learnt that either the ponies in town didn't hear the news, or didn't care, and were constantly friendly towards you. You had been introduced to Twilight and Fluttershy's friends properly, and they had all been very supportive of you. The unicorn Rarity had taken you to the Spa for a massage, which felt great considering your condition.
There was the pegasus mare who you had got one over on, Rainbow Dash. You had heard Fleetfoot and Spitfire talking about her a few times, and it was nice to finally put a face to the name. Then came the earth pony Pinkie Pie (who you had a hard time figuring out, Twilight explaining that 'she's just Pinkie Pie') had thrown you a welcome party, where you met with Applebloom's two friends. There was Sweetie Belle, Twilight's student you had seen around the library, and the pegasus filly Scootaloo, who you noticed spent a lot of time following Dash around. You did your best to avoid visiting Sweet Apple Acres however, and hadn't seen your cousin since that day in the library.
Today was your check up at the hospital, to see if they could remove the brace from your leg. You had learnt how to walk on three hooves, but every now and then still fell over. You didn't mind though, as each time you went out you were joined by Fluttershy. She'd manage to catch you before you hit the floor every time. But today you were on your own, as she had somewhere to be. Twilight wanted you to wait for her to return from some errands, but you gave up waiting.
Which is why you were now struggling to stand back up, having fallen for the fifth time in as many minutes. So when you suddenly found yourself weightless it was easy to understand your surprise as you flipped sideways through the air, and it only grew as you landed on somepony's back. You cracked open your eyes and found yourself staring at the back of an orange earth pony, her blonde hair tied back with a red ribbon and a dusty brown stetson on her head.
You started to panic, and began trying to squirm your way off of her, but a hoof came up and held you steady, her words calming you down. “Where t', sugarcube?” Her voice was clear of any emotion, and you weren't sure of her intentions, but there wasn't much you could do right now.
“T-the... h-h-hospital.” With that she set off at a gentle pace, careful not to bounce you around too much. After ten minutes you looked up and saw your destination, but noticed it wasn't getting closer. It was then you realised the mare had stopped. She slowly slipped you off her back, and turned to face you, but kept her eyes locked on the ground. “A-a-applejack?”
“Ah'm sorry, Sky. We got a letter from Effie... but Ah didn't read t' whole thing. Ah jumped to t' wrong conclusion, an Ah... how can Ah show you how sorry Ah am?” You said nothing, locking your gaze with hers as she glanced up at you quickly. She flinched away a little as you brought up your bad hoof, but then relented as you pulled her into a loose embrace.
“You don't need to do anything AJ, just come see me every now and then.” You pulled away and the pair of you started to walk towards the hospital, the mare leaning against your side to steady you. You knew how honest she could be, and there was something you wanted to ask about. “Hey AJ... what's Fluttershy like normally?”
“Heh, outta all mah friends, Ah thought that's who would catch ya eye if you met them. She's very much like you, all quiet and sweet, but you don't wanna make her angry, no sir. That's scary when that happens.”
“Oh... okay. Has she said... anything about me?”
“Ah... don't know. Ah refused to see any of mah friends the past week, even Flutters. Ah was tryin' to work up the courage to come see ya, but...”
“Mac forced you to do it today, didn't he?”
“...yeah. It's not that Ah didn't want to, Ah just didn't know how. Anyways, we're here. Ah'll be waitin' fer when ya finished, and Ah'll help you get back to t' library. Ah'll even tell you a little about Shy. She used to be a model, you know?” You didn't meet the smirking mare's gaze, focusing on the wall behind the reception desk, trying to stop your cheeks from burning up.
You were walking back to town with two mares, having met up with Fluttershy on the way back. All your wounds had healed well, and they put a new brace on your right fore hoof, allowing you to walk on it again. You had just entered the market square when the mares made you sit on a bench next to the fountain to rest, and went to get some treats from Sugarcube Corner.
You knew they would be a while, so just sat watching the town's daily life go by, as you had done from the library balcony. You heard the sound of three fillies giggling, and smiled as the earth pony of the group jumped into your lap. “Hey there, Sky. What ya doing?”
“Waiting for Applejack and Fluttershy to come back, they've gone to get something to eat.”
“Can we wait with ya?” You gave them a nod, and the other two hopped up next to you. You closed your eyes and listened to them talking, but after five minutes, everything went quiet. Not just the fillies, but everypony else as well. “Can we help y'all?” You cracked open your eyes to find five stallions stood over you, glares upon their muzzles. You knew then why... and you hoped they wouldn't...
“Girls... get away from him, now.” None of the three moved, so one of the stallions moved forward. “I don't think you understand, he is not the kind of colt you want to be around.”
“Jus what in the hay is goin' on here? The group separated to allow Applejack and Fluttershy access, the pair trotting over and inserting themselves between you and the stallions, the pegasus mare spreading her wings as if to shield you from them. “Any particular reason you gentlecolts are harassin' mah cousin?”
“Oh, so that's why he fled here, huh?” The one who seemed to be in charge leapt atop a box, looking around at the gathered townsponies. “I guess over the past few days most of you have met this colt, Sky Runner, correct?” The was a murmur of assent throughout the crowd, each one unsure what to make of the situation. “Well, would you like to know why he's here? He was thrown out of Manehatten... FOR RAPE!”
There was a chorus of shocked gasps as angry gazes were levelled your way from nearly every direction. Your ears splayed back and you felt your heart sink as Fluttershy turned to you, confusion in her eyes. “Is... this true?” You didn't have the will to respond, and the new group took that as an admission of guilt.
“You see? He doesn't even try to prove his innocence! Do you want that kind of pony living in your town?” More murmurs throughout the crowd, but there were two blurs that resulted with more ponies stood in front of you, staring at the stallions. One was Rainbow Dash, who flapped her wings menacingly, one was Big Mac, who stared down the five stallions, and then there was a crack of thunder. With a flash of lightning, Princesses Sparkle teleported in, her wings spread wide, her coat turned white and her mane looking like it was on fire. You gazed one last time into the kind mare's eyes, put Applebloom down on the bench and took off, heading out of town with tears brimming at your eyes.
“AND WHO THE BUCK ARE YOU?”
“Your majesty... we are visitors from Manehatten, and we felt it is our duty to inform the town that they had a criminal living among them.”
“YOU MEAN SKY RUNNER?” The stallion bowing at the front of the group looked up and nodded. “IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HE HAS IN FACT BEEN CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES, DUE TO THE FACT THE MARE ADMITTED SHE LIED AND HE NEVER EVEN TOUCHED HER! WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?”
“Well... h-h-he must have do something f-f-for...”
“ENOUGH! LEAVE, NOW. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU IN PONYVILLE AGAIN. SKY RUNNER IS UNDER PROTECTION OF THE CROWN, SO NO HARM SHALL COME TO HIM! GO, BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND!” The stallions quickly stood and galloped towards the train station, eager to get away from the angry princess. Twilight looked around the gathered ponies, and shook her head. “I AM ASHAMED AT ALL OF YOU! YOU WERE ALL SO EAGER TO GET RID OF HIM WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE EVIDENCE! I HOPE YOU ARE ALL HAPPY WITH YOURSELVES!” The gathering slowly dispersed, leaving just the fillies, Big Mac, Rainbow, AJ, Fluttershy, and Twilight, who let herself calm down. “I'm sorry I wasn't here everypony, I got back as soon as I could.”
“It's okay Sugarcube, you did what ya had to do. Now we gotta find mah cuz before 'e gets 'imself hurt more.”
“Applejack... what's rape?” The adults all turned to look at the fillies with horror, forgetting that they had heard everything. They had a quick hushed conversation before Applejack turned to the two pegasi.
“Flutters, Dash, can you go look for 'im? He shouldn't have got too far jus' yet.” With a nod from the pair they took off, and Twilight waved the fillies over with a wing. Ten minutes later they were sat on a couch in the library, Applejack sat on the floor in front of them. “Okay girls, this might be a lot to take in. Rape is…”
Your tears had run dry around ten minutes ago, and you just remained on your front from how you had impacted the rain cloud. You certainly couldn't go back there now, and Canterlot was no option. You briefly considered Cloudspire, hoping to bunk with your sister for a bit at the Wonderbolts headquarters, but then you pushed the notion away, not wanting to ruin her career if her connections to you ever came to light.
Your ears twitched as you heard a tomcolt-ish voice call your name, but it quickly passed. It was followed by a soft voice, one that you had taken a liking to over the past few days. And then there was a third voice, followed by another, both mares that you recognised well. One was your sister, and the other was the Captain of the Wonderbolts herself. You listened to the conversation, impressed that Rainbow Dash ignored that two of her heros were right there, solely focused on finding you. The situation was explained, and then you heard the wonderful noise of your sister laughing.
You wanted to go out and tell her that it wasn't something funny, but you also wanted to be alone. The sound of somepony shifting through your cloud disguise made you realise what she found humorous, remembering that it was your favourite place to hide as a foal. You could feel the pony getting closer, and you remained still until a hoof brushed your shoulder.
You closed your eyes for the expected beating, but instead found yourself pulled into a soft embrace, the voice you really wanted to hear coming from right in front of your muzzle. “It's okay... nothings going to happen.” You cracked open your eyes and started into Fluttershy's luminous cyan pools, a soft smile upon her muzzle. You then buried your head into her chest as you began sobbing once more.
You just lay limp across your sister's back as the four mares flew you back to Ponyville. Rainbow was up ahead, Spitfire behind you, and to your left was Fluttershy, who kept glancing your way. After ten minutes of flight the group drifted to the ground, the library door having been opened the moment Twilight saw you coming. Nopony said anything to you as Fleetfoot carried you up the stairs, and with some guidance from Spike, deposited you on your current bed.
You lazily looked over to the door when you heard a chuckle, Spitfire having noticed your poster. Your sister ruffled your mane and headed towards the door, whilst the other mare approached. She lifted your head up to ensure you looked her in the eyes, and gave you a quick smile. “Get well soon, Sky. We miss you coming up to HQ.” She leant forward and planted a kiss on the tip of your muzzle, and you looked away sheepishly as she pulled back. Both mares trotted out, seeming oblivious to the glare that Fluttershy was giving them.
“Why didn't you tell us?”
“I...”
“I mean... um, oh dear. We would have understood, and I think no less... um, of you for not telling us. Twilight got really mad when you left, and I think she is off to Canterlot tonight. She's taking Spike with her... and I... um, I don't... want you to be alone, so...”
“Thank you, Fluttershy. I'd... like it... if you stayed.” She slowly trotted over and held your face like Spitfire just did, a fire in her cheeks already. She went to kiss the tip of your muzzle, but the door burst open with Fleetfoot standing there. The shock caused Fluttershy to slip, connecting her soft lips to yours. There was the flash of a camera and you pulled away, your cheeks on fire once more as your sister closed the door with laughter. To your surprise, and joy, Fluttershy grabbed your muzzle and repeated the process, aiming for your lips this time.
She climbed up next to you, and the pair of you just lay in each others embrace, content to remain close to one another. At least until the door cracked open, and you both looked over whilst blushing at your discovery by your cousin. “Ah'll make this quick, we're headin' back to t' farm now. Sky, you do everything Shy tells you to, you hear?”
“Uh... sure. See you tomorrow, AJ?”
“Yeah, Ah'll bring some apple fritters by, Ah know how much ya like em. Night, Sky. You too, Shy.”
“Good night, Applejack.” The door closed on you and the mare, who rolled over and snuggled her back against your chest. You slowly extend your wing and drape it over her side, earning a soft sigh from her. You listened to her breathe for around ten minutes as she fell asleep, and glanced up as the door opened once more, Twilight walking in.
She slipped a piece of paper on the stand next to your bed, gave a smile as she looked the pair of you over, and then left the room. You put you head back down on the pillow and nuzzled the back of Fluttershy's head. You stopped when you heard her give out a little squeak, but considering she hadn't leapt from the bed and you weren't in pain... You gave your silent thanks to this group of mares, as nowhere else could you have that many ponies stand up for you like they did.
Especially what you had been told Twilight did in the town square after you left. You shuddered after the image of being on the wrong side of her formed in your mind, but a soft nuzzle to your chin brought you back to reality. You squeezed the mare between your forelegs gently, glad she had decided to stay the night.
It had only been a week, but you really liked her, and hoped she really liked you as well. You would give it a few more days, or at least another week, before you asked if she would like to make it official, and you drifted off as your mind settled onto what dreams you would have that night...
The door being gently closed caused the massive stallion to look up, seeing his oldest younger sister enter the farmhouse. She wordlessly sat opposite him, and he slid across a cool mug of cider. They didn't say anything, just sat there drinking before the mare spoke up. “How's Bloom?”
“She wanted to go back to t' library, stay with Sky. Ah told 'er that he needed time alone after today.”
“Yeah... well he ain't alone. Shy is staying there whilst Twi's in Canterlot. That don't bother you none, does it Mac?”
“Nnope. Me an' Miss Shy are still friends. We jus' didn't mesh, that's all.”
“Ya mean she didn't put out, right? You stallions are all the same, only after one thing.”
“Actually... it was me. Ah was the one that didn't... 'put out'.” Just the look on his face was enough to tell Applejack that he was telling the truth, and she didn't even bother trying to wipe the grin from her muzzle. “Don't matter none now anyways, Ah with somepony that's... teaching me to treat a mare right.”
“Seriously Mac? After what AB and her friends put y'all through, you're givin' it another go?”
“Eeyup. By t' way, we got guests tonight. Effie is in with Bloom, an' you're sharing ya bed with that other 'bolt. Ah'm sure ya won't mind.”
“Mac, Ah told you... that Ah was jus' curious back then. Mares don't do it for me, pure an' simple.”
“Keep tellin' yerself that. Ah'll send those magazines back an' cancel the subscription, shall Ah?”
“How the hay do you know about them?”
“Noticed ya missing a few issues yet? Best beat me to t' mail on Tuesday, or Ah'm taking it.” Applejack downed the rest of her cider and got up, punching Mac in the shoulder as she walked past.
“Ya best leave them alone, or Ah'll get yer mare to give ya detention!” She ignored the chuckle from her brother, and made her way to her room. Her brain sputtered to a stop when she saw the mare on her bed, one of her booklets held in her hoof. “Do ya mind? Those are private!”
“Well... the least they could do is get a better model. There is no way my flank is that fat! Don't you think so?” The covers were thrown from the bed, Spitfire showing her rump to the mare in the doorway, whose cheeks were suddenly pink. “Oh come on! It's just a joke! It's been a long day, how about we just go to sleep?”
The magazine was discarded and the covers thrown back over the pegasus, Applejack then lying down above them. “Aww, you're no fun! You don't expect me to stay under here all alone do you? I might get... cold.”
“Yer under t' covers. You ain't gonna get cold.”
“I'm just teasing, I heard you talking to your brother. Look, I'm not going to do anything, so just get into bed.” Applejack shuffled around until she was lying back to back with Spitfire, who was just drifting off when her eyes suddenly shot open as a hoof brushed her flank. “I thought you said mares don't do it for you?”
“Ah... may not 'ave told t' whole truth, Ah like stallions jus' as much. An' Ah don't mind a bit of... experimentation every now an' then.” The mares rolled over and faced each other, Applejack coming to one conclusion. Spitfire was hot, and not just because her mane looked like it was on fire. The farm mare let out a soft gasp as her gesture was returned.
“We... can just sleep if you want. I'll sleep on top of the covers. This is your bed after all, and...” A orange hoof was placed over her muzzle as the other one undid the red ribbon, a long blonde mane draping around the farm mare's shoulders.
“Sugarcube... we ain't gonna need any covers tonight.” Spitfire gave a happy moan as her bedfellow pushed closer and kissed her fervently.
You slowly went from dreaming to that muzzy not awake yet state. You were lying on your back, and could feel somepony pressed against your right side, feeling their warm breaths against your neck. You cracked open your eyes and glance down at Fluttershy, who was lying on her front with her head resting on your shoulder, a wing across your chest. You placed your head back against the pillow, unwilling to get up from such a comfortable position.
And then your body took over, and you tried to fight against it's reaction, but to little avail. And as if the world wanted to prove that this day wasn't going to go well, Fluttershy rolled in her sleep... on top of you. Her eyes shot open when she pressed against something you hoped she wouldn't. “S-s-s-sky. Are y-y-y-you...”
“I'm sorry! I... didn't expect... that to happen.” The mare slid off you and pulled up the covers, allowing you to remain hidden. She glanced back over her shoulders at her own wings, cheeks turning red as she saw them at half spread. “It's um... the first time... I've woken up in bed with a mare that wasn't Effie or my mom.”
“Who's Effie?” Oh right, she wouldn't know that name! The reason your family used it was so that she could go about her daily life without constant interruptions from fans of the Wonderbolts. So there was no way that... “Do you mean Fleetfoot?” Okay, you've underestimated another pony in this town, the first being your absent host.
“Yeah... b-b-but that hasn't happened since we were foals!” You grinned sheepishly as the mare giggled at you, then turned to the night stand. She picked up the piece of paper and read it over.
“Twilight said she doesn't know when she'll be back, so we're welcome to use whatever we want. She's also left some bits in case we need to buy more stuff. You just stay there and... um, 'calm down'. I'll go start breakfast.” She made her way over to the door, then looked back over her shoulder at you... catching you staring at her flanks. “Um...”
You quickly avert your gaze, but it then settled on the poster of Spitfire on your wall. You glance out the corner of your eye as you hear Fluttershy giggle, catching the mare walking out whilst swaying her hips. Calm down indeed, that just put the image in your mind. The sound of market stalls being set up provided a nice distraction, and ten minutes later you hobbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, just as Fluttershy was setting out some pancakes.
You can't help but smile at the cute little pink apron she was wearing, and with a giggle she flapped over, dragging you to the table, sliding a high stacked plate in front of you. You felt the blush rise as she kissed your cheek, turning away with a smile and started to wash the dishes. You noticed something wrong and furrowed your brow. “Fluttershy, are you not eating?”
“Oh no, I'll have something later. Those are for you.” She watched you with surprise as you grab another plate, slide half of your pile onto it and set down on the place next to you. “Sky, I'm fine...”
“Please?” You give her your best puppy dog eyes, and she sighed softly, turning the tap of and joining you at the table. You both ate in silence, occasionally glancing at each other. You could feel the heat in your cheeks and saw the blush on her face every time your gazes met, and you'd both start a staring match with the opposite wall. You never won.
Once you were finished eating, amidst much protest from the soft spoken mare, you cleared the table and cleaned up the kitchen after shooing Fluttershy out. How you managed to persuade her to let you work you didn't know, but you were thankful she did. After putting the kitchenware down on the table, as you didn't know where Twilight stored them, you trotted back out into the main room, where Fluttershy was reading the morning paper.
You glance around at the bookshelves, trying to get something to catch your eye, but there's only so much reading you can take in a week. You sit down on the couch with a sigh, eyes closed. You open them again when you feel another pony close, finding Fluttershy looking concerned at you. “Sky, what's wrong? Please, tell me.”
“I...” You knew what you wanted, but didn't think she would think it's a good idea. You were going to try though. “I'm fed up of being cooped up inside! It was either here or the hospital, only going to other places for awhile! I want to go outside for some time! Please, Fluttershy... can we go for a walk?” Multiple emotions play across her face, the main one being concern, before she heaves a sigh, and nods her head.
“Okay... but not a word to Twilight! Where... um, would you like to go?”
“Sweet Apple Acres.”
All the ponies you had passed had just given you wary stares, but a stern glare from Fluttershy and they soon gave up, letting you reach your destination in relative peace. You only slipped once, which was a plus. It had been a few years since you were last at the farm, and you marvelled at how much land it encompassed. Rows upon rows of apple trees were laid out before you, and you smiled as the memories of chasing and being chased by your two cousins with water bombs when you were foals crossed your mind.
“LOOK OUT BELOW!!!” You quickly jump to your left, hoping to avoid whatever it was. There was a splash just to your left as something blue fell from the sky and into the farm's pond. A moment later a pegasus mare's head with a rainbow mane broke the surface, smiling over at you and Fluttershy. She got out of the water and shook off, then trotted towards you. “Sky, you've gotta go back to town!”
“Um, why?”
“It's a surprise, but a good one! Come on!” You didn't want to, there was a reason you wanted to go to the farm, and that was to see your family. Dash seemed to know what you were thinking, and started to tug you into the air. “Everypony is waiting for you!” With a small giggle from behind, you felt hooves push into your flank, Fluttershy getting you airborne.
It took awhile, as before yesterday, you hadn't flown for two weeks, but eventually you touched down in the town square. It was as busy as the day before, but the gathered ponies looked more scared than anything, and they weren't looking at you. It was then you noticed gold glinting amongst the crowd and from the rooftops, and with a glance you spotted at least twenty Royal Guards.
You met the gaze of Applebloom in the crowd with her friends, who pointed behind you with a hoof and smile. Well, it couldn't be that bad, and you fell to your flank in shock upon seeing the pony behind you. Taller than Big Macintosh, with wings more powerful than even Spitfire, and a magical ability that was rival by just three other ponies. She leant down her long neck, and gently bopped the tip of your muzzle with a hoof. “Good morning, my little pony.”
You got one good look into Princess Celestia's eyes before yours snapped shut, and you felt the ground come up and meet your muzzle.
“..y, wake up. Sky, it's okay, you're safe now.” Your eyes fluttered open to reveal the familiar ceiling of the library, and the smiling face of Fluttershy appeared in your view, her hoof still running through your mane. You sat up with a groan, looking around the mostly vacant library, hearing a conversation from upstairs, but you couldn't quite make out who it was. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now.” Before she could ask what you mean, she blushed hard in surprise as you nuzzled her cheek, her wings slowly spreading wide. You then decide to go for it, here and now, to tatarus with the consequences!! “Fluttershy, I know we haven't known each other long, but in the short time that we have... I've really come to l...” Her eyes widen when she hears that 'l' word forming, but you're not sure if you can say it to her just yet. “...ike you.” Her face droops a little, and she shifts her gaze away from you, but you shift it back with your bad hoof. “Fluttershy, would you... be my marefriend?”
It's your turn to be surprised as she pushes forward into a very deep, very passionate kiss, more so then you'd ever expect from the demure mare. You feel your own wings spread as she presses you back down to the couch, lying on your chest. She pulls away and leaves you gasping for breath, the kind of kiss being one leaving a stallion wanting more. You then feel a strange sensation, looking to your side at the same time as the mare, finding your feathers now entwined with hers. You freeze, having never been in this position before, and not knowing how to get out of it. “Well, that kind of thing is normally reserved for the bedroom, but if you want do that down here...”
You whip your head towards the stairs, where Princess Celestia is stood with a grin on her face. You could feel yourself blushing hard, but turn confused as you hear Fluttershy giggling. Her cheeks are pink, true, but she doesn't seem bothered by the fact one of Equestria's rulers is a mere ten hoofs away. “Oh Tia... we're not doing that!” Your mouth drops open in shock at how candid she just spoke, but the Solar Alicorn just brushed it off.
“A pity, I do not know much of pegasi mating rituals.” You then blushed even harder at the idea of being watched by Her Majesty when you were... with Fluttershy. The image then formed in your head, and you felt your body take over, the mare looking down at you with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “Oh dear, I did not think to that happening! Perhaps you two need somewhere more... private.”
Her horn flashed and you find yourself teleported to another room and on to a bed, but the ceiling was unfamiliar. It would be foolish to think that it was Twilight's room, and it wasn't until Fluttershy looked around that you found out where. “Oh my... she really sent us far. We're not even in Ponyville any more!”
“What? W-w-w-where are we?” She gently bops the end of your muzzle much like Celestia had that morning and giggles at you, kissing the tip of your muzzle.
“Don't worry, silly. We're on the outskirts of town, in my house. And we are... all alone.” You couldn't help but stare at the lustful look in her eyes, once more surprising you with a passionate kiss. You were now fully unsheathed, and you felt Fluttershy happily hum into your mouth once she felt it. You quickly push her away and roll over, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at the floor to try and calm down. “Sky? Did I do something wrong?” You felt a hoof land gently on your shoulder. “Please, talk to me...”
How to break it to her? You certainly weren't a coltcuddler, you loved the mares. It's just... that was as far as you had ever been with one, being the shy colt you were. You decided to just come out with it, peeking back over your shoulder at the mare. “I... well, I've never... been with a mare like that. I haven't even slept in the same bed as a mare that wasn't from my family, even if that was when I was a foal...”
Her hooves wrap around your chest and pull you backwards, leaving you lying with your back against her side. You feel a hoof come up and start to run through your mane, helping to calm both you and your body down. You smile as Fluttershy starts humming, and next comes... “~Hush now, quiet now, it's time to lay your sleepy head. Hush now, quiet now, it's time to go to bed.”
Your eyes start to droop, your body relaxing quite far. You manage to turn your gaze up at the mare, a mutual smile between you as she continues to sing. “~Drifting off to sleep, exciting day behind you. Drifting off to sleep, let the joy of dreamland find you.” Your eyes close one last time, and you feel Fluttershy kiss your forehead, before she shuffles down and over your other side, slipping between your hooves. A wing automatically comes out and covers her, and she nuzzles once against your cheek before lying still. The last thing you hear is her soft, light breaths.
Your eyes crack open to find an unfamiliar ceiling above you once more. The morning's memories came back to, and you sat up with a smile. Fluttershy wasn't present, but there was a tray with a glass of water, some fruit, and some more painkillers on the table next to the bed. You selected a juicy looking red apple, the scent causing your stomach to crumble in eagerness, and it was soon reduced to just to core. You ate a few more pieces, but then picked up the pills. You grimaced as the horrible taste graced your tongue, and you quickly followed them with some water, muttering obscenities to yourself.
You couldn't sit around here all day, so flapped your wings and went from the bed to the floor, trotting into the hallway. You could hear the sound of the mare's humming drifting up the stairs, and the graceful noise pulled you towards them. You stood on the lower steps as she flapped around her lounge, a feather duster strapped to her fore hoof. And then her voice caught your ears. “~What is this place with so many wonders? Cast it's spell that I am now under?”
“~Squirrels in the trees, and the cute little bunnies. Birds flying free and bees with their...” Her singing descended into laughter as you flew over and wrapped her in your fore hooves, nuzzling the back of her neck. You slowly lowered to the floor and she turned around, a soft smile on her and she planted a quick kiss on your cheek. “Good afternoon, Sky. How are you feeling?”
“Much better, those horrible pills actually work.” She just giggled again and dragged you over to the couch by your bad fore hoof, sitting you in it. She went to continue with her chores but you pulled her with you as you fell backwards, giving out a cry of surprise. Once settled she looked up to your eyes, snuggling down against you chest, sighing daintily as you started to run a hoof through her mane. “Nope, you've been busy this morning. Time for you to rest.”
“But... my house needs cleaning.” You look around at the gleaming surfaces, trying to spot an ounce of dirt. You gaze is drawn to the table, where a rabbit is polishing it with a cloth in it's paw, a glare on it's face as he stares at you. You just poke your tongue out at him, Fluttershy giggling against your chest as she followed your gaze. “Doesn't seem to like me, does it?”
“Oh, just give Angel bunny some time, he'll get use to you. Or he'll be sleeping outside.” The little rabbit shot up straight, quickly darting off to the kitchen. He came back a few moments later with two glasses of juice, passing them to you and the mare. You both took them, letting the cool liquid refresh your throats. “See, he's getting to know you better already!” The bunny gave you another glare when she wasn't looking, hoping back over to the table. Fluttershy settled against your side with a soft sight, and pretty soon you were both dozing lightly on the couch.
There was a knock on the door that drew you awake, and instead of rising to answer it, Fluttershy just pressed closer against you, nuzzling against your shoulder. There was another knock, followed by a voice on the other side. “Sky? You in there? Twilight said this is where I could find you.” Angel turned from the table and hopped over to the door, cracking it open a little. “Well hello, little rabbit. Is my brother here?” He opened it a little further, and Fleetfoot drifted in lazily, smirking down at you and Fluttershy. “Heh, didn't take you long, did it?”
“What do you want, Effie?” She dropped to the floor and pouted at you, causing the mare on your chest to giggle once more. You could see how someponies would find that annoying, but it was like music to your ears, a sound you could never tire of hearing, and Fleetfoot dropped her pout for a grin instead.
“I thought I'd just come by to let you know we're heading back to the Academy. Oh don't look like that, you knew I wouldn't be able to stay.”
“Sky?” You turn your gaze from your sister to the mare upon your chest, frowning slightly as you see some worry in her eyes. You squeeze her gently with your fore hooves, prompting a soft smile from her and a snicker from your sister, who you glared at briefly before returning your gaze to Fluttershy. “Would you... um, could you see your sister to the train station? I'm... um, I'm in...”
Her tail swished around at the air, and a new scent hit your nose. To you, it was wonderful, filling you with a sense of longing... and then your body started to take over once more. Fluttershy quickly rolled off you as you sat up, both of your gazes to the floor as your cheeks burned, prompting another bout of laughing from your sister. “Yeah, he can escort me! Don't think he should be here right now!”
“I think that's a good, um... idea.” You look at Fluttershy in slight horror, but then again, if she's in heat, she might not be able to control herself. You give a nod and slide off the couch, walking towards the door next to Fleetfoot. “Sky, you forgot something.” You turn around to ask what but your mouth is invaded by hers as soon as you open it, and you feel her tongue pushed past your lips.
After a few moments she pulled away, leaving you breathless as the door slowly slid shut, and your gaze lingered on nothing. Until a hoof jabbed into your side and you turn to glare at your smirking sister. “Come on, lover colt. I think it should be me escorting you, make sure you return to the library. Now let's fly.” You both spread your wings and take to the air, but you pause slightly to look at the cottage one last time. “Sky, you coming or what?”
You flap your wings and pull up alongside Fleetfoot, and the pair of you are soon heading towards the town.
A/N: It's that time. If you want to skip that section, search for '#####'.
You make it about halfway to town before you notice others in the air with you, turning your head from side to side, a small smile playing at you lips as you recognise the main line up of the Wonderbolts gliding along in formation with you. But then you notice somepony else and drift back a little, coming up next to them. “Hey, you're a pretty good flier! Probably not as good as me, but still good.”
No wonder that didn't look like a Wonderbolt outfit, because it was the trainee variant, and Dash's coat made it look like a full suit. You smirk at her before tilting your right wing a little, going up and above her, flipping upside down as you do. You complete several revolutions like that around her, and the effect forms a wind tunnel, leaving the mare wobbling as she tries to keep level. An orange face appears and cuts off your laughter before it starts, Spitfire glaring at you.
You knew what that meant, so flew around Dash in the opposite direction, stabilising the air once more. She just glared at you before shooting straight up, and you hear Spitfire mutter something, but not loud enough for you to make out. The next thing you know, a rush of air passes you as it drops to the floor, leaving you flapping like a maniac to stay airborne. Once you're again in level flight, you look down to see the mare flying lazily below you on her back, fore hooves behind her head and eyes closed.
You couldn't think of anything to say about that, her skill being way above your level. The only ones you knew of that could manipulate the air was the Wonderbolts themselves. With a little more discipline and less of an ego, you were pretty sure she'd pass the class with no problem. You heard snickering from above, turning to find Fleetfoot and Spitfire hovering just behind you, a hoof pointing ahead.
You follow their indication, seeing that Soarin and Rapidfire had gathered a drifting rain cloud, positing it above Dash's intended flight path. This was one of their favourite pranks, and as soon as she was underneath it they turned around and bucked it, sending the water down to drench the mare. The three of you started snickering as her surprised shriek reached your ears, and carried on as she began to chase the two stallions through the air.
You all eventually touch down in the town square, where all the ponies milling about eyed you wearily. It made you nervous being under so much scrutiny, but a large wing was wrapped over your back, and you looked up to see Soarin wink at you. He started to walk you towards the library, where Princess Celestia was just leaving. You and the Wonderbolts bowed down in front of her, and to your shock she trotted to you, bending down so that she could nuzzle your cheek.
You instantly felt them burning up, glancing up at her before back to the floor, a sheepish smile on your face as she giggled. She stood to the side and motioned you to the library with a hoof, and you nervously walked inside. Spitfire and Fleetfoot followed, your sister pulling you into a quick embrace before she picked up her saddle bags. You muzzle was turned to face the other mare by her hoof, and she was smiling at you. “So then, wanna a private showing of that poster?”
You swallow the air in your mouth in surprise, having wanted that for a while, and you worked your mouth trying to think of what to say. You close your eyes with a deep breath, and the image that comes to mind gives you your answer. “I... have a marefriend now. So no, thank you for the offer.” You open your eyes to see slight disappointment in hers, but instead she just wraps her hooves around your neck, whispering into your ear.
“Shame... we could've had some fun.” Her hooves run through your wings causing them to shoot out, and she flicks her tail over your muzzle. Your met with the similar scent, albeit different, as from Fluttershy not to long ago. Spitfire just pulled away with a giggle, kissing the tip of your muzzle and walking away, you gaze on her flanks as she swings her tail from side to side.
“How am I supposed to break it to Fluttershy? This is going to leave her heartbroken, you know?” You shake your head and look over in horror at Twilight, who is poking her tongue out at you. Your face changes to a glare, causing her to giggle, and you stalk off upstairs, a steady stream of mumbles from you mouth. The painkillers were making you drowsy, so you hopped onto your bed, smiling as you notice a yellow feather on the pillow.
You pull it to you nose and take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of your marefriend. You keep it clutched to your chest as your eyes droop, and pretty soon you're asleep.
********
Your eyes flutter open to find that the room is dark, just a hint of moonlight coming in through the window. Those pills really did the trick, removing the pain for nearly all afternoon, but now you chest was feeling quite tight. You tried to breathe in deeply, but felt resistance. And that was followed by a soft kiss to your lips. You then realised that Fluttershy was lying on your chest. You glance to the table and make out the luminous clock hands, noting that it was just gone one in the morning.
You raise a hoof to stroke her cheek, but it's taken by one of hers and placed upon her flank. You try to removed it, but it is just placed back there, slightly more firmer than last time. Her lips were pressed to yours, and you wrapped your other hoof around her back. You pull away with a gasp of surprise as one of her hoofs slips somewhere a mare’s had never been before. “F-f-f-fluttershy?”
“Do you... not like it?” Her hoof pressed down firmer, and you saw her head raise up, her cyan eyes shimmering as they reflected the moonlight. “Sky?” You pulled her back down into a passionate kiss, and you could feel her hum into you mouth as you pressed against her flank. She pulled away and spun around, flicking her tail across your muzzle. You were again assailed by her scent, and didn't retreat from her this time.
You could feel yourself growing, but she didn't shy away from it. Instead you closed your eyes as she licked your slowly expanding length, coaxing it along. The next thing she did, which confused the hay out of you, was to wrap her tail around your neck and pull you closer. The smell of her marehood was even stronger, and you could feel the heat on the tip of your muzzle. “F-f-f-f-fluttershy, what do I... do I do?”
“Just do what you feel is natural, but I'll give you a hint, tongue.” You gave another gasp as you felt her lips form a seal around your cock, and she began to slide it in and out of her mouth, humming happily. You focused your eyes on the glistening just in front of your muzzle, and you followed her advice, slowly pushing your tongue against it. The result was Fluttershy's rear legs wrapping around your neck and holding you in position as she moaned in pleasure around your shaft.
You pressed your tongue as far in a possible, drawing it up and down, the mare grinding on the tip of your muzzle, her scent overriding all other senses and rational thought. It was only a few minutes but your eyes snapped shut as your cock twitched, and your rear legs tensed up as you release your seed into her mouth, feeling her swallow every drop. She rolled over your chest and spun around once more, kissing your cheek. “See, Sky? It's not that bad...”
“Yeah, I suppose.” She kissed your burning red cheek again and giggled as she settled against your shoulder. One hoof was slowly stroking your chest, and you quickly realised that the mare hadn't reached her release, and the hoof that was running through her mane slid down her back and you began to massage her flank. She gave a small gasp of pleasure before rolling on top of you and wrapping her fore hooves around your neck. Your head was pulled close against her chest and your other hoof came around. “Fluttershy... do you want me to...”
“YES!” It was the quietest shout you'd ever heard, but you eased your bad hoof around her back to hold her steady, and your good hoof slipped between her legs. You began to rub the outside of her wet entrance, and she tilted your head up so that she could lean down and passionately kiss you, moaning into your mouth with pleasure as you started to rub faster, feeling your fore hoof become soaked. She slowly pulled away and stood, grinding against your crotch with a rear leg. “Sky... um, could we?”
You knew what she was asking, but she was in heat. You couldn't do that to such a sweet mare. “Are you sure? I mean, you're in heat. Won't you... you know.. I mean... I'm a little young to be a fathpphh!” You were cut off as she pressed her lips against yours, a line of drool between her mouth and yours as she pulled away.
“There's something that Redheart told me about, a new item. You, um... cover yourself, and it catches your, um... secretions. It's supposed to be more effective then the pills you can get for mares.” You could see her cheeks blushing pink in the dark, and you could feel yourself start to rise once more. It had only been about week since you met her, and less than a day since you started dating, but she wanted this, and you couldn't say no, not repay the kindness she had shown you. You nod your head against hers, and she pulls away, clicking the light on that was on your bedside table.
She picked up a foil package, holding it between her fore hooves, tearing it open with her teeth. A piece of what looked like rolled out rubber fell out, and Fluttershy picked that up, discarding the foil package, inspecting it. She gripped a bit of it between her teeth and slid down the bed. Fluttershy began to rub a hoof across your partially exposed cock, helping it back out. It wasn't even a minute before you were at your full length, and Fluttershy placed the piece of rubber on the tip of your shaft, steadying it with her hooves. She then slid her mouth down your shaft, almost to the base, and drew back up.
This left a slight discolouration to your dick, and you could feel it biting into your skin. She picked something else up from the table and offered it to you on her hoof. It was a small blue pill, and you frowned at the mare, who withdrew her hoof a little. “This... is a, um gift from Nurse Redheart. It'll... um, help you... um, last longer.” She had obviously spoken to the other mare during the afternoon, mean she had been thinking about this all day. You bend your neck down and let her place the pill in your mouth, with you then swallowed and followed up with the glass of water the mare offered to you.
You give her a nod, and she slowly laid down on her back, pulling you with her. You share a fair amount of soft kisses, your good hoof returning to it's task of pleasing the mare. Her fore hooves squeezed against either side of your muzzle, her warm, fast breaths blowing across your fur. A rear leg came up and shifted your fore hoof out of the way, and you feel Fluttershy's legs spread wide beneath you. Her fore hooves wrap around your back and pull you close, and you feel your tip press against her folds.
You push forward slowly, Fluttershy whimpering slightly as you entered her. You kept the pace, stopping once your crotches met, and you felt your wings entwine with hers. You didn't even know that they had spread, but you ignored it when you felt the mare shift below you. The feeling was completely new to you, and you remained still as you got used to it. “Sky, you kinda have to move as well, you know?”
You felt your cheeks flush in embarrassment, but remembered back to your sex ed classes, and began to slowly rock your hips, small squeals of pleasure coming from the mare. Her noises encouraged you, and you started moving faster, the squeals replaced with louder moans. Her hooves pulled your chests together, your fur meshing with hers as you slid up and down her body.
Her moans were now coming faster and muffled as well, due to the fact her muzzle was buried against your shoulder. The feeling of her walls clamping down on you was amazing, her breathless groans spurning you on. Her head fell back against the pillows, and you bent your head down, starting to train kisses along her neck. Her rear legs came up and wrapped around your pelvis, squeezing tightly. A now familiar feeling inside you was building up, and you knew it wouldn't be long.
The moans coming from the mare intensified, all of her limbs pulling tightly at you. She pulled her head back up so you could kiss her passionately again, and that's when you felt your cock twitch again, and you tensed up as you released your seed. Whilst doing so, Fluttershy's head landed back on the pillow, her eyes closed. You suddenly began thrusting during the last of your orgasm, bringing the mare to her own. “OH CELESTIA!”
Her body writhed about beneath as she rode through the pleasure, head tilted to her side and tongue hanging out. You felt your limp self slip out, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down. You couldn't help but giggle at the piece or rubber hanging off the end of you shrinking stallionhood. You grip it between you fore hooves and then stop. “Uh...Fluttershy? What do I do with it now?”
“Erm... out it in the bin, I think.” You just shrugged and flapped your way over to the door, dropping it in with a splat. Upon turning around you found Fluttershy sitting on the edge of the bed, and you landed on the floor, trotting over to her. The scent of both yours and her sweat filled the room, and you noticed the mess on the sheets. “Sky... do you think Twilight would mind me getting a shower this late?”
#####
Twilight lay awake, but with a pillow over her head in a desperate attempt to keep the noises out. It didn't help that Sky's bed was against the same wall as her was on the floor below, and she could 'feel' the thuds. There was only one activity she knew of that could be going in there, and her cheeks began to heat up a little as she imagined her demure friend and the young pegasus... She gave a groan as the pegasus mare's moans negated the pillow's silencing abilities.
She got off her bed and left her room, trotting down the stairs. Her throat was slightly dry, so she wandered into the kitchen for a drink, finding her dragon assistant sat at the table, staring at the ceiling. “Spike, where have you been?”
“Er... with the CMC. Got back about twenty minutes ago.” The mare made her way over to the sink, filling a glass with cool water and lifting it to her muzzle... “Twilight, what's going on upstairs? Fluttershy sounds pretty happy!” And she promptly sprayed it back out, turning to the young dragon with a blush on her face.
“Well... she and Sky are... they...”
“OH CELESTIA!!”
“...they're finished.” Spike just stared at her, confused as to what she meant. Five minutes later and there was the sound of uneven hoofsteps on the stairs, and their guest's head peeked around the corner.
“Hey Twilight... where do you keep the bedding, and can Fluttershy use the shower?” The glass in her magic smashed on the floor as her mouth dropped open in shock.
“Sky, what are you doing? It's half six in the morning.” You ignored Twilight for the moment, pouring the yoghurt over a dish of fruit. Placing it on a tray next to a glass of orange juice, you then slid it onto your back with a wing, slowly turning to face the mare, who was staring at you with a raised eyebrow. “Well?”
“Breakfast, Fluttershy's a little hungry.” Her features fell into a soft smile as you trotted past, your hoof feeling much better now. A small grunt escaped from your mouth as you began the ascent up the stairs, which took a few minutes. You took a deep breath when you reached the first floor, and continued with a brisk trot, smiling as your gaze fell upon the dozing mare on your bed.
You slowly slipped in, gently sliding the tray on to the bedside table, lowering your muzzle to the mattress, gently blowing against her neck. There was a small moan, and the mare rolled over, her eyes opening, a smile forming on her face when she saw you. You made her giggle and wrap her fore hooves around your neck as you kissed the tip of her muzzle, and she nuzzled against your cheek. “Good morning, Sky.”
“Morning, Fluttershy. I brought you some breakfast.” She raised her head, looking over to the meal you had provided. Sitting up with a yawn, which you found to be adorable, Fluttershy leant against your side as she ate. You turn your head as you heard her giggle, and then a dollop of yoghurt was placed on the tip of your muzzle. Your eyes went cross eyed as you stared at it, but then you let out a chuckle as the mare licked it away.
You waited patiently for her to finish, then took the dishes away and to the kitchen, where Spike took them from you and placed them in the sink. You nodded your head in thanks, returning to the main floor and finding Fluttershy waiting by the front door. You were both looking forward to and dreading this day.
It's when you would find out whether you needed more treatment or if you could go back to walking on all four hooves. Not that it mattered to you.
“...and back down again.” You only winced slightly, whilst the nurse jotted something down in you notes. “Now, please hover and then land with that hoof first.” This was the part you were fearing, but you slowly flapped your wings, and your body lifted from the floor. You met Fluttershy's smiling gaze, and pushed your right fore hoof down, slowly fluttering back to the floor. You didn't take your eyes from her as you touched the tiles, and the nurse gave you a big smile. “Okay, now take it easy. Your hoof is fixed now, but you still need to rest it. I'll go get the doctor.”
Fluttershy got up from the seat and walked towards you with a grin. You didn't know what she was doing, until she flapped her wings and began to hover, placing her fore hooves on your cheeks and pressing into a passionate kiss. Your wings began to flap as well, and you were soon both off the floor with your fore hooves around each other...
…until you were forced apart by a clearly unamused unicorn stallion in a white coat. He set Fluttershy down on the chair at the back of the room and you on the one in front of the desk, walking behind it himself. “Well, it's good to see you're doing well. Now, your treatment here is over, but I am putting you on a course of physiotherapy. I understand you know where the spa is?”
“Yes, Miss Rarity got me a massage there.” The doctor just raised an eyebrow at you, then went back to looking over your notes.
“Well, I don't see any reason to keep you here, and your fees have been paid for...”
“By who?”
“Princess Celestia, apparently. I want you to continue with the painkillers Miss Shy has been providing for you for at least another week. I know they make pegasi drowsy, so no flying for two hours after taking them, is that clear?”
“Yes, doctor.”
“Very well. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Ponyville, Mr Runner, and please try not to make a habit of coming here like a certain Wonderbolt hopeful.” You smiled as you heard Fluttershy giggle, and the both of you left the room. You thanked the nurses at the reception as you headed out of the main entrance, and you draped a wing over the mare's back. At first she jumped away a little in shock, but then pressed close against your side.
It brought a warm feeling knowing that she was there, even as you walked into town square and noticed something stuck to one of the houses on the wall. Your eyes went wide in fear from what you saw, and you heard a surprised squeak from you mare as you pulled her close. You had to say the words out loud to believe them. “Bounty offered for the pegasus Sky Runner. He is wanted on charges of rape and failing to attend court. Signed, Manehatten Police Force.”
“Oh, Sky, can't they leave you alone?”
“I... don't know, Shy, but I think it best that I get back to the library as soon as possible.”
Going back to the treehouse proved to be a bad idea, what with the rather angry mob outside clamouring for an explanation. Fluttershy’s cottage was a bad idea as well, the only thing stopping the ponies from just barging in was the defensive line of animals. The two of you still couldn’t get there without being seen, which is why you decided to hide up on a cloud, the mare covered by your wing. “Excuse me, Mr Sky Runner, but you must come with us.”
Your head snapped around to your left, and your eyes widened upon finding several guards and a prison transport carriage. You proudly, but slightly defiantly stood, the mare following. You cupped her cheeks in your hooves and kissed the tip of her muzzle, then turned to the guards and flapped towards them, stopping when one points behind you. “My apologies, sir, I meant the both of you. It’s for your own protection.”
You took another glance at the carriage and realised it was not a one bound for the dungeons, but simply had had a roof placed on top for privacy. You took Fluttershy’s hoof with your own and glided past the pegasi stallions, all of whom were looking around, as if expecting danger, and the pair of you sat down in the carriage. “Are you comfortable? It’s the best we could do at short notice.”
You glanced at the mare next to you and she smiled back, so you nodded to the stallion. You were soon under way towards the capital, Fluttershy pressed against your side, and your combined warmth soon had you drifting off to sleep. You were jolted awake as the carriage landed, and you looked around, finding yourself in Canterlot Castle’s gardens. After hopping down and assisting your mare, you looked around for guidance. “This way please, Mr Runner.”
Behind you was the same mare that gave you the note from the princesses. She briskly turned away, trotting towards a set of double doors. You draped a wing over Fluttershy’s back, and the pair of you were led through the corridors, up some stairs, and into a large apartment. “Both Princess Celestia and Luna are indisposed at the moment, but should be with you soon. If you need anything, there will be a guard in the hall at all times.”
You thanked the mare and she left, but not before glancing at Fluttershy and winking at you. Your mare had pulled away and was now stood looking out the window, so you trotted over to join her. She gave a small giggle as you nuzzled the back of her head, then gently nibbled on her ear. She turned around and passionately kissed you, moving you back to the room.
You broke away with a gasp as you backed into the bed, and the mare roughly shoved you onto it, quickly jumping atop you. Your hoof instantly reached for her flank, the mare doing the same, but then you remembered something important. “Shy… we didn’t bring any.”
“Oh… oh, we didn’t!” She pulled away for a moment, her eye closed as she thought. They snapped open a moment later and she bent down past your head, her warm breaths blowing past your ear as she whispered to you. “I don’t care.” With those words you were instantly fully unsheathed, and you flipped over, so that Fluttershy was on her back.
“Are you sure?” You got a nod for an answer, her fore hooves coming up and wrapping around your neck, pulling you into a deep kiss. You felt your wings entwine with hers, and then she moaned into your mouth as your bodies became one.
A pegasus stallion and mare walked through the streets of Ponyville, looking for the colt from the posters. They weren’t there for the bounty, but a much more important reason. They watched as a royal chariot left towards the capital, and noticed a pegasus mare staring after it, before turning to the gathered crowd below.
They approached as she landed, and her she immediately rounded on them with a glare, knowing something was up. “If you’re here for Sky Runner, then tough. You’re gonna have to go through me first!”
“We have no intention of fighting, we just want to do the right thing… for our son.” The mare’s eyes went wide at that, before she ushered them into an alley away from the crowd, looking over her shoulder to ensure they weren’t followed. “Do you know where he is?”
“Yeah... he’s just left for Canterlot. A train leaves in about an hour, and he’ll be staying at the castle.”
“Thank you, we’ll leave right away.”
“Just don’t hurt him again, or you’ll have me to answer to!” The brash mare glared at them for a moment, then took off into the sky. The stallion and mare casually walked out of the alley, then turned in the direction of the station.
You shrank back from the shouting, and the accusations. You didn’t want to believe what was happening, but it was anyway. Princess Luna started stalking down the throne room, glaring at you the whole time. “Well? Answer us! Why doth the Manehatten Police still want thou?”
“I-i-i-i don’t know, your majesty. I didn’t do anything!” A choked sob escaped your mouth, and you could feel the tears almost ready to fall. As soon as you and Fluttershy entered the throne room, the Lunar Alicorn had began her interrogation demanding to know the truth behind the fliers. You closed your eyes, and then felt yourself pulled against a pony’s chest, recognising the scent of your mare.
“Luna, that is enough! Can’t you see he’s telling the truth?” You felt another set of hooves wrap around you, and glance to see Luna no longer scowling at you, but instead looking down with a soft smile.
“I am sorry, Sky Runner. It was merely a means to determine that you told no lies, of which I’m glad to say I believe you. Now, you may return to your chambers. But there is somepony I wish for you to meet first.” The two mares pulled away from you, and you turned around, having felt somepony watching from behind.
The pegasus mare in the doorway slowly trotted forward, and lifted a hoof to your cheek. You met her eyes and she began to smile, tears started to roll down her cheeks. “Oh, my little colt, I am so sor…” You closed your eyes and knocked her hoof away with a low growl, sliding your wing over Fluttershy’s back.
“I am not your ‘little colt’ any more. Just leave me alone… mother.” You give her a withering stare, and trotted past her, your mare still by your side. You ignored the pegasus stallion that had just entered and sat on the floor with his mouth open in shock, and quickly returned to your castle apartment. Your anger had bubbled to the surface, and before you knew it, you had bucked the table into the wall, causing it to break. “WHAT THE BUCK ARE THEY DOING HERE?”
“Sky… they wanted to see you. Your mother seemed genuinely sorry, so I think that you sho…”
“Oh, of course you’d think that! Everypony deserves a second chance, right? Wrong! You don’t know what they put me through before I left Manehatten!”
“But… um…” Instead of listening to the mare, your anger increased, and you turned to face her with a scowl.
“Of course, being as naive as you are you’d believe just about anything! It’s no wonder you fell for me after my sob story! It just shows what a pushover you are! Two weeks is all it took for us to reach the most pure form of love, and if I could go back and change anything…” Your eyes widened as you saw your hoof pointing at the mare, tears freely flowing from her eyes. She gave a choked sob and you stepped towards her, but she flinched, then turned and ran from the room.
You sank to the floor, realising what you had done. “...if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing.” You remained on the floor, and cried yourself to sleep.
After a restless night with no sleep, you had caught the early morning train back to Ponyville, hoping to attract as little attention to yourself as possible this way. You had hoped that the others would be with Fluttershy at her cottage, but were only partially right. They were with the mare, but in your destination. You carefully slipped into the library through an open window, which led to your bedroom. Spike was in there, and his eyes went wide when he saw you, his mouth opening. You quickly flapped over to him, pleading with your eyes as you shook your head, and shoved your hoof into his mouth.
He glared at you as you went about packing your things up as quietly as possible, trying to not let the mares on the floor below know you were there. You had managed to fill one suitcase, and were about to start on the other, when a sigh from Spike caught your ear. “Why are you doing this? Fluttershy is…”
“Because it’s… what I need to do. I don’t even deserve to look at her any more.”
“Do you know how stupid that sounds?” You just ignored him, emptying the next drawer down. You stopped when you heard a large intake of breath behind you, turning to stare at Spike with horror, with no way of stopping him. “TWILIGHT, SKY IS HERE!” There was the sound of thudding immediately on the stairs, and you panicked, leaving your suitcases behind as you escaped through the window, which slammed shut in a lavender aura a moment later.
You didn’t care, ignoring the voices calling after you and flying across the town. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, and you pitched down just in time, a rainbow blur shooting past. The mare started a quick turn, and you knew you wouldn’t escape, so you dropped to the ground. It didn’t take long for Dash to skid to a stop just in front of you, a glare on her face. “And where do you think you’re going, huh? There’s a mare in that tree that wants nothing more than you right now!”
“I’ve hurt her! I’m doing what’s right, and getting out of her life!” You tried to fly off, but she just intercepted your path, causing you to scowl at her. “You do know that the Wonderbolts have to do two years of Royal Guard service first, right? Well, Fleetfoot gave me a little training. So get out of my way, or I’ll get you out of my way!” She didn’t move, so you changed stance to the one shown to you by your sister, angling your wings back in a threatening manner.
Dash seemed to pause then, before she shook her head with a sigh, then stepped out of your way. You quickly flew past and towards the train station. You had dropped your coin bag in the mad dash for freedom, so snuck into the baggage compartment before the train left. You didn’t even know where it was heading, but as long as its destination was not here, you were fine with that.
The door to Fluttershy’s cottage opened slowly, the orange coated mare walking in. The owner of the building was fast asleep on the couch where she had been left last night, lying on her side. Applejack trotted over and placed the basket of apples down next to the floor, then started to run her hoof through Fluttershy’s mane, the mare’s eyes fluttering open from the contact. “Applejack, I thought I said…”
“That ya don’t need any help. Well, yer ain’t been out much since ‘e left, an’ we’re gonna do our best to get yer back to t’ mare that we know. We’re all still ‘opin’ for some sign of him, but we can’t promise anythin’.”
“APPLEJACK!” The mare in question turned back to the door, frowning at the urgency that Twilight Sparkle’s voice was wrought with. The alicorn was soon inside the cottage and gasping for breath, before trotting over and smiling down at Fluttershy. “They’ve found him!”
The pegasus mare groaned as she sat up, her eyes filled with both hope and anger. “Is he okay?”
“He’s… alive, but… he’s in jail.” The two mares helped Fluttershy down and she began walking towards the door. “Shy… he’s in Baltimare.”
“Then… I’m going to Baltimare. You’re all welcome to join me.” She stopped in shock when she saw her other three friends waiting as well, bags already packed. Applejack came alongside her, letting herself be used as support for the long, slow walk to the train station…
“...unner, get up! Come on dude, the boss won’t like it if you’re not out of here soon!” You gave a groan as you sat up, trying to ignore the pounding in your head. Cracking open your eye, you discover that you decided to sleep in some random alley, more than likely near the bar you were in. “Come on, boss has called us in.”
“Buck off, I’m a freelancer.” Your speech is still slightly slurred, a testament to how much you drank last night. You tried to roll back over, but the pony nearby stopped you with a hoof. You stood up and groaned, the noise from the busy market place pounding in your head. You stumbled forward whilst moaning, squinting to block the daylight that invaded your vision. “Why does he always have these meetings in the morning?”
“It’s three in the afternoon.” You just grunted in response, following one of three ponies who had helped you when you first came to Baltimare. You became desperate after the first two weeks of being in the city, but nopony helped you. It was that night you saw the pony now walking along next to you, seeing him sneaking from a building with a rather expensive necklace in his mouth. You followed him and found a group of ponies about your age, all sat around a fire near Baltimare’s docks.
Your nose picked up the delicious smell of food, and the group spun around when your stomach let out a loud rumble, attracting the attention of a stallion in the shadows. He looked you over and ushered you nearer the fire, where he wrapped a blanket over your back and passed you a bowl of soup. It took a few days, but you were back to your usual self. The only problem was you now had to repay the debt you owed to them.
It turned out you had a knack for it, being able to fly into a pony’s home through an upper window, silently making your way to the front door, where you’d let the others in. That was your job, you never took anything, but were still fed and paid your share. You’d then return to the docks with your goods, which were normally selective orders.
The scent of the sea hit your nose, and you just groaned as you started down the steps that led underneath the warehouses, a stallion’s voice just trailing off, but you couldn’t catch what he said. You and your friend walked around a few barrels, seeing other young ponies heading out in different directions. “About time you got here! Sky, Cage, I’ve got a good one for you. Some rich pegasi have just bought a fair sized house on the east side. They’re moving in tomorrow, but their things are here now. Scout the place out and let me know what you find.”
The two of you give him a nod, spreading your wings and heading across the river. There was only one estate of interest there, so it wasn’t hard to find the building with a moving carriage outside it. You settled onto a cloud, watching for your opportunity to get inside.
Night was falling when the last work pony left, the carriage moving away. You nodded over to Cage and dropped from the sky, immediately taking the highest floor. You found an open window and slipped in, silently landing as you saw two ponies asleep on a bed in the room. You were in now, and had a job to do, so you slipped out of the bedroom door and into the hallway, where you flew down to the front door, opening it and glaring at the other pony. “He said tomorrow. They’re here now!”
“Well, let’s be extra careful then.” You gave him a nod and stood to the side, then locked the door, just in case they came down and noticed it open. The pair of you split the house into two separate halves, taking a side each and looking through the rooms. You snagged an apple from the kitchen, then found yourself in a large private library, and sat in the large plush chair, looking at the desk as you swiveled from side to side.
The drawers were not locked, and a quick glance showed that the top one was full of legal documents for the building. They would be useless, as a copy was kept at city hall. You moved to the next one, giving a low chuckle as you read the pony’s name, now revealed to be quite a famous writer of books on pony history. And you were sat in his private collection. You checked the other drawer and found a draft edition of his next book, and swiped it, knowing it would be valuable. There was a sudden crash from another room, and then a thud from upstairs.
You quickly ran to the other room to find Cage just getting out from under a smashed statue of Princess Celestia, and shook your head at him. You were about to head back out into the hall but a flash stopped you, a unicorn stallion standing at the front door. “Hmm, it’s still locked.” He turned your way, and you pointed to the window, ushering Cage towards it.
You managed to get it open and let him out first, but stopped when you noticed a picture on a table. You slowly trotted over and pulled it close, tears starting to form in the corner of your eyes. There was the unicorn stallion stood next to an earth pony mare, with a pegasus filly stood in front of them. You’d recognise that trio of butterflies anywhere. “Fl-f-fluttershy?”
“Who’s in there? Show yourself!” You panicked and ran for the window, attempting to jump out of it, but it was slammed shut in an amber glow, and you impacted the glass… hard. You fell to the floor in a daze, your vision swimming as the stallion stalked towards you, his horn glowing. His gaze then dropped to your hoof, where the photo remained. He turned away and opened the top drawer, rifling through it.
He slowly trotted back over with another picture in his magic, holding it next to your face. He then dropped it to the floor and turned his back to you. Your vision then exploded with stars as his hooves connected with your muzzle, and you slumped to the floor. You managed to catch a glimpse of the picture, which was revealed to be the one taken by Fleetfoot of you kissing Fluttershy. Another hit to your head knocked you out cold.
You awoke with a gasp as water was thrown over you, the pounding in your head not alcohol induced for the first time in… you couldn’t remember, but it still hurt like hay. You sat up with a groan, holding a hoof to your head. Your vision slowly came back, and you could just make out the unicorn stallion on the other side of the room, glaring at you. You went to move closer, but the jingling of chain made you turn around, finding your rear hooves shackled to the wall. The stallion just gave a grunt and walked away, and that’s when you noticed the bars… and the Baltimare Guard watching over you.
You could hear a muffled conversation from beyond the cell, and then came the sound of hooves on the stone floor, different to the angry stomps when he left. Your eyes went wide as Princess Sparkle appeared, looking you over once and shaking her head, letting her horn glow a soft purple. You averted your gaze, then gasped in shock as your shackles popped open, followed by the cell door. “Follow me, Sky Runner.”
You did as told, having no right to refuse, and you were led into a small room, with two chairs in it. The mare pointed one out to you and you took it, still refusing to look. Another pony joined her, and you felt your head turned to look at the newcomer. It was forced away again as Applejack punched you on the muzzle, then turned away. “Buckin’ idiot.” With that she swept out of the room, and third pony entered, your ears twitching.
There were no hoofsteps, leaving just two mares from the group, both of whom had wings. You closed your eyes as she got close, waiting for a beating either way. Instead, a set of hooves wrapped around your neck, pulling you close. You immediately recognised Fluttershy’s scent, and slowly returned the embrace, still not looking.
You felt your hoof being taken from around her back and placed on her stomach, frowning at feeling nothing. You then let out a gasp and your eyes shot open, looking down to where you had felt the kick, seeing the mare’s swollen stomach. You could feel the tears pooling, and pulled away from her, feeling nothing but shame.
You heard wood scraping on the concrete floor, before a hoof slid over your shoulder, and you were pulled against her side, her other hoof starting to run through you mane. “It’s okay, Sky. I’m not angry, I just want you to come home.” Hearing those words broke the floodgates, and you sank your muzzle in to her shoulder, sobbing loudly. “Shh, it’s going to be okay.”
“You’re very lucky. If it wasn’t for my Shy, you’d be straight off to prison.” You fearfully glanced at the stallion now stood in the doorway, scowling in your direction. Your muzzle was turned away from him as the mare next to you gave him one in return, and he slowly disappeared. You finally managed to find your voice, which cracked as you spoke, dropping your head to face the floor.
“Fluttershy, I’m so sorry! I… I didn’t mean anything I said! I was just so angry… but that’s no excuse. And then I did this… I’m guessing this is goodbye, right?” Your head snapped back up as the mare started to giggle and she held your muzzle still, leaning forward to kiss you softly.
“No, silly. You’re coming home. Twilight got them to agree to a deal. You tell them where the others are, and you’re free to go.” You were then in the middle of a moral dilemma. The ponies they wanted you to rat on were your only friends in the city… but they hadn’t even tried to find you. Still, one thing had to be clarified.
“How… long have I been in here?”
“Three days.” If they really cared, they would have come looking for you. You looked Fluttershy in the eyes, realising how much you missed those shimmering cyan pools. You gave her a nod, and she wrapped her forelegs around your neck with a squeal of joy, then went to get up. You were instantly by her side as you noticed her struggling. She gave a happy hum when she felt you pressed against her side, and you slowly stretch out a wing, draping it over her back.
You trotted out of the room together and headed to the front desk, where the guard commander was watching you with a raised eyebrow. You swallowed nervously under his intense scrutiny, but a nuzzle from the side gave you all the courage you needed, and you stood proud as you began to speak. “Look under warehouse fifty seven at about six o’clock tonight. That’s when most of them will be there.”
“Hmm… fifty seven, huh? We’ve been having reports of problems from there. We’ll check it out.” Before you could leave, a flash went off around your foreleg, and you brought it up to find a band around it. The guard wasn’t a unicorn, and you turned around to find both Twilight and the stallion glaring at you, the alicorn stepping forward.
“That is going to make sure you don’t run away from Fluttershy again, and is linked to the one on her hoof.” You glanced down to see a matching one around your mare as well. “If you get any more than five miles from her without her express permission, you’ll fall unconscious. Do you understand?” You didn’t, but with a mare that was both the living embodiment of magic and an alicorn, you weren't going to chance it, so just nodded your head. “Good. Now, I believe you have a lunch to attend.”
“Come on, Fluttershy, your mother is waiting. You too, colt.” You lowered your head as the stallion trotted towards the exit, and you followed the mare as she caught up to him. You followed through the streets of Baltimare, when you realised you were being followed yourself. You looked up to see Cage peeking over the edge of a cloud, nodding in the direction of the docks.
You shook your head in reply, pointing a hoof at the mare in front of you, then back towards the guard station, where a steady stream of armoured ponies was pouring from. You met Cage’s gaze again and he nodded, taking wing in the opposite direction. You caught Fluttershy waving at you and scrambled to catch up. Your walk took you back to the estate on the east side of the city, and back to the house where you were caught.
This time you entered through the front door, even though the stallion slammed it shut with his magic right after. Fluttershy nuzzled your cheek and pushed you into a lounge, and then onto a couch. She climbed up next to you and pressed against your side with a happy sigh, and you tentatively slipped a hoof around her shoulders.
You went to take it away when another mare entered the room, but Fluttershy held it there with one of her own, gently stroking yours. The earth pony smiled softly at you, then set the tea tray on her back onto a small coffee table. “Sky Runner, correct?” You just gave the mare a meek nod, not sure what you should say. “My name is Posey, and this is Parchment Dust. As you may be able to tell, we’re Fluttershy’s parents.”
“Well, I can tell where she gets her good looks from.” You slapped your free hoof over you traitorous muzzle, eyes wide with horror at the first thing you said to her. The two mares started giggling, whilst her father just stood in the doorway, growling lighlty.
“Listen here, colt. I don’t like the way you’ve treated my daughter. But I can see she really cares for you, and her happiness is what matters most to me. The only reason you’re still alive is because she is carrying your child, and it will need a father. But if you step out of line once more…”
Fluttershy nuzzled your cheek, and you shot her an appreciative smile before facing the stallion once more, doing you best to draw strength from your mare. “I assure you, sir, never again. What I did that day was stupid and immature… and I have regretted it since. I promise you, I will do what I can to make your daughter happy until I am no longer able.”
“Hmm, you spoke well. Now comes the hard part, building trust between us. You did break into my house, after all. But for now, the easy part; lunch.” The stallion finally gave a chuckle as your stomach let out a large rumble, and he turned towards the hallway. Fluttershy turned your muzzle to face her, pressing into a passionate kiss.
“So then you two, when is the wedding?” You looked to the other couch, the mare daintily sipping on a cup of tea as she smiled over at you. “Do you really think I would let my daughter have a child first? No, you must get married as soon as possible.” Her father had returned then, four plates of food in his magic, and he was scowling at you once more.
“I hope you’re going to ask for permission to marry my daughter, colt.”
“Oh Parchy, leave him alone! Can’t you see how happy she is, now that she has him back? If all you’re going to do is be hostile, then you can go do it in your study, whilst I sit here with our beautiful daughter and this charming young colt.” You and Fluttershy looked at each other, and then averted your gazes as your cheeks burned in embarrassment. A knock on the door caused the stallion to put the plates down.
You watched as he left the room and heard the door open, but couldn’t quite catch his conversation. Your eyes went wide as two Royal Guards walked in, fixing their gazes upon you. There were followed by a third pony, who trotted over to you and smiled down with the regal motherly look you had seen her use a few times. “Well, my little pony, you certainly are hard to track down.”
You sat staring out of the train window as the scenery rushed past, Fluttershy dozing against your side. You didn’t dare turn to the other seat, where Rainbow Dash was scowling at you intensely. If it wasn’t for Princess Celestia being in the next compartment, you guessed you’d be black and blue by now.
After explaining the full situation to your mare’s parents, their attitudes turned around and they gave you their full support. Parchment Dust even apologised for bucking you that hard as well. And then the solar alicorn made her request, which was why you were now travelling back to Manehatten.
It was the last place in Equestria where you wanted to be, but that… that whorse had done it again, and you had been asked to testify against her. If this happened, laws would have to be re-written. The train started to slow down, and you gently nuzzled Fluttershy awake, the mare stirring with a groan. “Mm, just five more minutes?”
“I’m sorry, but no. We’re here.” Her eyes slowly fluttered open, and you helped her down from the seat, ignoring the growling from behind you as you slipped a wing over her back. You stepped from the train into a throng of angry ponies, who all locked gazes with you. You just drew strength from your mare and held your head high, then began to trot through them.
They started to back away and bow, so you looked behind you with a raised eyebrow, then started chuckling as you saw Celestia scowling at them. You got to the streets where there was a rank of taxi carriages, and trotted over to the first one. “Hey, I remember you!” Your eyes shot wide as the driver stalked towards you. “You’re that colt she accused in the first place, right? Glad you’re here for this, this colt is one of my son’s friends. And I see you’ve found a cute little mare for yourself. Hop in, this one is on the house.”
You just smiled at him as you helped the brightly blushing Fluttershy up and then joined her, the stallion hitching himself to the wagon. A quick glance showed Celestia and the others following in taxis of their own, and you sank back against the seat with a sigh. There was only one place you could go in the city, and you really didn’t want to.
Your mare had started to doze again, so you just lay your head upon hers and let your eyes flutter shut. They shot open when the carriage jerked, changing directions, and you caught a blue and gold blur of a pegasus disappearing over the rooftops. ‘The Wonderbolts?’ After a few minutes, you found yourself outside the Mareiott, one of the most prestigious hotel chains in Equestria.
A well dressed pony opened the taxi door for you, and you climbed out, helping Fluttershy soon afterwards. You just stood on the plush red carpet with your mouth open in awe, until a hoof to your flank made you shake your head. “It’s a good job some ponies are awake. You left your luggage on the train!” You smiled sheepishly over your shoulder, seeing Dash behind you with a smirk, your bags held in a golden aura.
Celestia deposited them on a waiting trolley, and motioned you forwards. Your path seemed to be set out for you, leading to the technologically advanced steam-driven elevators. You and Fluttershy entered, the bellhop immediately pressing the penthouse button whilst holding a key in the panel.
It didn’t take long for you to reach the top floor, and you gave a nervous sigh as the doors started to open. Fluttershy let out a small giggle and flew in front of you, covering your eyes with her fore hooves and moving you into the room. You felt her shift around to your back and then her hooves shifted, your eyes going wide in surprise. “WELCOME HOME!”
There was the entire front line up of the Wonderbolts, all clapping at you. A yellow blur darted over and you felt yourself hugged tightly against the pony’s chest, before Spitfire pulled away and lightly slapped your muzzle. She then closed her eyes and pressed into a passionate kiss, your eyes going wide. You tried to pull away, but all your body did was repeatedly slam a rear hoof into the ground, much like a dog’s tail wagged when it was happy.
The mare pulled away with a gasp, then smirked towards the sound of low growling. “My, my, quite territorial with your stallion, aren’t you? Want some too?” Fluttershy didn’t have time to move as Spitfire shifted from your muzzle to hers, and your mare soon replicated the action, happily humming into the kiss as her wings spread wide.
They both pulled away with a gasp and then started giggling, until Fluttershy noticed your dopey grin. She sat to the floor and placed a fore hoof over her stomach, the other on your cheek as she leant close and whispered into your ear. “Maybe later…” She gently stroked your cheek as she pressed into a soft kiss, and then motioned behind you as she pulled away.
Your turned around and you felt tears brimming, then shot forward and wrapped Fleetfoot in a tight embrace, sobbing into her chest. The mare started to rock you from side to side, and you remembered all the times you were scared by a thunderstorm when you were a foal, and the way she’d sooth you when your parents were not home. “It’s alright, Sky, everything’s going to be fine. Now let’s get this out of the way first. Mom and dad…”
You pulled away and shook your head at her, then trotted back over to Fluttershy, sitting next to her and draping a wing over her back. “No, I’m not ready to face them. I know why I am here, and want to go back to Ponyville as soon as it is done.” Your sister worked her mouth a few times, then just gave you a short nod, turning towards a table set out with refreshments.
You gave a small chuckle as the mare next to you gasped in her surprise, her stomach deciding to tell her to get some food. You led her over and sat her on the couch, then piled a plate high with various things. She raised an eyebrow at you when you returned and set the plate down, then placed a hoof over her stomach. “You’re eating for two now, remember? I want my filly to be healthy.”
“How do you know we’re not having a colt?”
“Well… I don’t, I just want… would like a filly.” Her forelegs came up and wrapped around your neck, pulling you close as she nuzzled your cheek. You then chuckled as your ear was gently nibbled on, followed by another whisper from the mare.
“Even if our child is a colt, we can always try for a filly, right?” You pulled away with a smirk and nodded to her, then kissed the tip of her muzzle. You motioned to the food and she instantly fell upon it, not bothering to even see what it was. The elevator pinged once more and you turned to see Princess Celestia and your mare’s friends enter the penthouse suite.
Rainbow Dash just gave you a weak smile and headed over to join the Wonderbolts, the two alicorns, one earth pony and the unicorn giving you an encouraging nod as they moved inside. That left a single mare stood staring at you, her expression unreadable. You then noticed movement under her legs, and an earth pony filly appeared. Her eyes were teary, and as soon as she saw you, she darted forward.
You moved away from the couch a little and spread your forelegs wide, Applebloom crashing into your chest, and knocking you to your back. You couldn’t help but chuckle as her small legs wrapped around your neck, and yours moved around her back. She struggled free from your grip and stood on your chest, your eyes moving down to meet hers… and then she punched you in the muzzle. “APPLEBLOOM! Ah said ‘no hittin’, didn’t Ah?”
The filly just ignored her sister and glared down at you, a hoof resting on the tip of your muzzle. “Ah don’t care, Ah’m gonna show him what’s gonna happen if ‘e runs away again!” Applebloom was pulled away by her tail, your elder cousin’s strong foreleg holding her still. “Let me go! Ah’m gonna give him a whupin’ ‘e ain’t ever gonna forget!” You rolled over and crawled the short distance to where she was struggling to break free, and you took hold of one of her hooves with your own.
“Applebloom, I’m sorry. I promise that I’ll never run away again.” You nod up to Applejack, who slowly let the then still filly go, and the young earth pony trotted forward, wrapping her forelegs around your neck and nuzzling your cheek. “I promise.”
“Ya better.” You slipped the filly onto your back and stood once more, turning to find Fluttershy had finished her plate and was now starting on her second one. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the mess smeared around her muzzle, and hopped on the couch next to her. Applebloom slid from your back as you sat down, pressing against your side tightly. Your mare then yawned loudly and moved back slowly, giving you enough time to slide your wing around her.
She shifted until she was settled against your side, her head resting on your shoulder, and you eased your foreleg around her back, your hoof resting on her stomach. You couldn’t help but grin as you felt her… your foal kick again, and Fluttershy’s hoof was placed over yours. You heard soft snoring and looked the other way, seeing Applebloom asleep. You eased out your other wing and wrapped her in it, leaving just her head exposed. You then noted all movement in the room had stopped, and glanced around to find the others staring at you.
Fleetfoot was at the front of the group, a camera in her hooves. You just leant back against the couch and smiled, nodding towards your sister as she raised the device up to her eyes.
“The court calls the pegasus Sky Runner!” You took a deep breath and stood from the bench, Fluttershy giving your hoof a small squeeze. You favoured her with a smile and then took your place on the witness stand, facing the judge. “In the presence of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, do you swear to tell nothing but the truth to the court?”
“I do.” Your eyes briefly flicked over the mare sat in a separate area, surrounded by guards.
“The last time you were here, you were standing accused of rape, against the mare Serpent Dew. You were cleared of all charges when it was revealed she gave a false testimony. The reason you are here today is to provide testimony regarding the matter of Serpent Dew’s credibility. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Firstly, do you know the stallion who stood accused of the same crime two days ago?” You glanced over at the stallion sitting at the front of the court, and could see tear streaks down his cheeks. You were in that same position once, so knew exactly what he was going through.
“No, your honour. I saw him around town when I lived here, but never spoke to him.”
“My next question. It is rumoured that you have been spending time in Baltimare, where you took part in criminal activities. Is this true?” The whole court went quiet, and you could feel everypony’s eyes upon you. Your head dipped a little as you glanced at Fluttershy.
“Yes.”
“I see. In that case, I do not see how…”
“Sky Runner’s dealings in Baltimare have no bearing on this case. He is being punished for those activities, I assure you. Please, get to the point.” The judge just nodded weakly at the clearly impatient alicorn.
“Could you please tell the court what you were doing on the night of the action with which you were accused?” Your ears splayed back, not wanting to reveal what it was, but you could see Fluttershy watching you with worry.
“I… um… I was um… doing what most colts do when alone.” Your mouth dropped open in shock as you heard dainty giggling, seeing Fluttershy hiding her head under her hooves, trying to regain control. “I… had never spent a prolonged time around mares, except in school.”
“Hmm, we’ll forget about that for now. Before your previous attendance, what was your relationship to Serpent Dew?”
“I had never seen her in my life.”
“That’s not true!” You just faced the mare with an uninterested stare, a raised eyebrow bidding her contine. “We went to school together! Did… did you not see me?” You just cocked your head as you gave her a good look over.
“No.”
“Thank you, Sky Runner. You may now return to your seat.” You did as asked, your mare nuzzling against your cheek, then pointedly stared at the mare in the dock, ensuring that her swollen stomach was in clear view. “Serpent Dew, stand.” She did as told, her muzzle dipping low. “How do you plead to falsely accusing not one, but two ponies of rape?”
“Not guilty! They really did!” The whole room erupted into shouting, until a golden shoe-tipped hoof slammed into the tiles, a bright flash coming from Princess Celestia. She started walking forwards, stopping in front of the mare with a scowl. A golden aura swept across her, and the alicorn then turned around. “YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE ME! LOOK, HE EVEN GOT HER KNOCKED UP! I BET HE FORCED HIMSELF ON TO HER!”
“How dare you…” You looked around and saw Fluttershy scowling at Serpent Dew, and she then slipped from the chair, standing in the middle of the court. “How dare you! Sky Runner has been nothing but the perfect gentlecolt to me! And he did not force himself onto me! In fact, I encouraged him along!” There was a succession of surprised gasps throughout the room, focused on your mare until Celestia stepped in front of her.
“I shall make this simple. What I just did was a basic medical examination of a pony. Has she been seen by a doctor after this latest… attack?” The judge looked to his aids and they started rifling through the folders on their desks, before they looked up and shook their heads.
“No, your majesty, she has not.”
“Then I suggest you take a look at your last update of your law books. It has been standard Equestrian law for the mare to be examined by a doctor after such an assault. That is what I just did. Serpent Dew is a virgin.” The room erupted into chaotic noise once more, and you got out of your seat, trotting over to Fluttershy and holding her close. The sound of the judge slamming his hoof down silenced everypony, and they all turned to look at him.
“We will do so, your majesty. However, I ask you to take your seat or I will have to expel you from the courtroom for contempt of the court. That is twice now you have interrupted proceedings, and that is all I will allow.” The mare’s eyes went wide with shock, but she nodded to him and returned to her place in the corner, her guards surrounding her. “Serpent Dew, for the crime of accusing two ponies of rape within seven months of each other, one of which caused harm to a innocent pony, I am sentencing you to seven years in prison. You will have the chance at parole when half of the sentence is served! Court dismissed.”
With that he slammed his hoof down, the town guards then escorted the sobbing mare away. You caught movement out of the corner of your eye, turning to see the young stallion standing sheepishly nearby. “I… uh, I’d like to thank you for helping me today. Now I can get on with my life.” He held a hoof up to you, but instead of shaking it you moved closer and wrapped your foreleg around his neck, both of you chuckling at the awkward stallion-hug.
“No problem, it was my pleasure to see justice finally served. If you ever find your way to Ponyville, come say hello to us.” You both pulled away and nodded, the young pony turning and running to his family. Your grin fell a little when you noticed them, and you suddenly felt a hoof on your cheek. “No… I’m not ready for that.”
“Okay, Sky. Let’s go home.” You nodded at Fluttershy and made your way towards the exit, proudly trotting past the ponies watching you. Celestia was trotting along behind you, and it wasn’t until you got outside that you noticed the massive crowd of ponies, having entered the courthouse from the back. Two of the guards moved in front of you, motioning for the crowd to split.
You then found yourself escorted by them to the train station, where you helped your mare board the one bound for Ponyville. Celestia had requested a carriage to be privatised for the journey back, and you had a separate compartment with just Fluttershy. Soon the train was underway, and you gave a small chuckle as you felt her hoof firmly massage your thigh. “Fluttershy, wait until we get home.”
“Why?”
“Because… besides, we can’t do that in your condition!” She just gave a giggle and slipped from the chair, her forehooves attempting to spread your legs, which you resisted as best as possible. “Fluttershy!”
“Just relax, Sky.” Your eyes went wide as she dipped her head down, a sly grin on her muzzle.
Celestia had sent the letter on your behalf, and you hoped they’d be there when you arrived. The train ride back to Ponyville after that was quiet, Fluttershy snoozing against your side once more, and you just watched the scenery go by as you ran a hoof through her mane. The things outside began to get familiar, and you couldn’t help but smile as an orchard of apple trees appeared, slowly getting thicker.
Your compartment door opened and a little yellow blur hopped up next to you with a giggle, and you ruffled Applebloom’s mane with a hoof. The train started to slow down, so you woke your mare with a gentle squeeze, and she gave a groan as she shook her head as it was buried against your shoulder.
Applejack appeared and grabbed your things and her sister, leaving you to help Fluttershy from the seat and carriage. You were soon trotting through the town’s streets towards her home, but you suddenly stopped, realising something. She noticed you had stopped, turning around and nuzzling your cheek. “Sky?”
“I... don’t have a home. I mean, do I need to get my own place?”
“You do have a home, silly. It’s just outside town.” She giggled at your blank expression, then nudged your side to get you moving again. You shook your head clear and slid a wing over her back again, letting her lead you this time. It didn’t take long for you to reach the outskirts of town, smiling as her cottage came into view. “There’s your home, now come inside.”
You flapped ahead and opened the door for her, her tail flicking over your muzzle as she trotted by. You chuckled when you heard her gasp, Applejack placing the case on the ground outside and winking at you, Applebloom motioning you closer. You bent down and she wrapped her forelegs around your neck, then kissed your cheek. “Good luck, Sky. Be sure to come tell us how it went, ya hear?”
You gave her a nod and a nuzzle in return, then pulled your elder cousin into your embrace, the mare giggling. She gave you another wink and then swept her sister onto her back, trotting towards the farm. You grabbed your suitcase and dragged it inside, closing the door and turning to find Fluttershy still staring at her lounge, standing like a statue.
A gentle hoof to her flank got her moving, and she shot forward, wrapping her forehooves around her parents’ necks, her mouth open in shock with no sound coming from it. Parchment Dust broke free of his daughter’s grip and got up, motioning you to follow as he moved to the back yard, and you obeyed, making sure to close the door behind you. “Listen here, colt. I still don’t fully trust you, but you make my Shy happy. But I happen to agree with her mother, and don’t want her to have a foal out of wedlock. Call me an old-fashioned pony if you want, but we would like to see her married first.”
“I… have a ring.” The stallion turned towards you, and you brought out a small box, opening it to reveal a large gold hoof band inlaid with a ring of topaz. You shut the box and then placed it on the floor, nudging it towards the stallion. “I… think it’s perfect for her, but… I bought it with bits earned through ill gains. I guess a part of me always wanted to return. I’ll understand if you don’t want me to use it.” You closed your eyes and turned away, but they opened again when you felt the box against your hoof, staring at Dust in surprise.
“That may be the case, but I agree, it is perfect for her. You have my permission.” You gave a small cry of joy, and he started to chuckle as you jumped up and hugged him. Then he pushed you away. “Come on, coltcuddler, let’s get you in there to ask.” You nodded happily at him and headed back into the cottage, where Posey was sat with a large smile on her face, her hoof over Fluttershy’s stomach.
She glanced over at you and gasped, then left her daughter on the couch, who turned her gaze upon you, a soft smile on her muzzle. You trotted over and sat in front of her, taking ahold of one of her hooves in yours, and her eyes suddenly went wide. “Fluttershy, I know… that I haven’t been there for you during this difficult time, and I am so sorry. But I don’t want you to continue alone. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, then I have a question for you.”
“YES!”
“...I haven’t even asked you yet.” The mare just gave you a sheepish giggle, and smiled at you with a small blush. Tears started to fall as you brought the box from under your wing, placing the band over the tip of her hoof . “Fluttershy, would you… give me the honour of being your husband?”
“YES!!” You slipped the band up to her ankle and she suddenly jumped forward, pushing you to the floor. She had pinned your forehooves to the floor with her own, and her muzzle met yours in a passionate kiss. Her hoof moved to stroke your cheek, but then her head shot up and her cheeks got very pink. You tilted your head back at her smiling parents, then stood up and softly kissed Fluttershy on the tip of her muzzle “Um…”
“Shall we eat out tonight? Our treat for our daughter and her future husband?” You glanced at Fluttershy and she nodded at you, so you quickly took the case up to your new permanent bedroom, remembering to collect your personal belongings from Ponyville Library at some point. Your gaze briefly flicked over the magic bracelet still on your ankle, and you couldn’t help but smile.
You wanted to never be more than a mile, let alone five, from her again. With that thought to fill you with a warm feeling, you glided down the stairs and met your mare outside, closing the door behind you and slipping a wing over her back. The four of you then started the trot back into Ponyville proper.
You pranced in place nervously as Rarity gave another small growl, her forehooves gripping your muzzle tightly and forcing you to look at her. “Sky, will you calm down!”
“But it’s tomorrow!” The mare just rolled her eyes, then went back to making sure your suit fitted perfectly. Mac just stood opposite you with a smirk on his muzzle, his features as calm as ever. “This will be you soon! You’ll understand then!”
“Eeyup, reckon Ah will. But Ah don’t mind.”
“And finished! Now you look like a proper gentlecolt!” The unicorn stepped away and allowed you to move once more, so you hopped down from the podium and approached the mirrors, your mouth dropping open in shock. The mare had made you a tuxedo that fitted perfectly, with slits cut in the back to allow your wings freedom. You turned around with a chuckle as Mac’s grunting caught your ears, the earth pony having taken your place. “The best stallion needs a suit as well! I trust you’ll stay still?”
“Eeyup.”
“Good. Sky, go ahead and take that off now, then place it on the counter.” You did as instructed, slipping out of your beautifully crafted suit. It was traditional black with a white shirt, but that had a trim of butterfly-esque pink lines to match your partner. You hadn’t seen her for two days now, the mares being kept in another part of the castle, and you gave a heavy sigh. “Don’t worry, darling. You’ve spent the past few months almost glued to her side! Some time apart will do you well.”
“I know, I just…” You saw Rarity and Mac grinning at you, so you just huffed in annoyance, then trotted towards the door. “Make his outfit frilly!”
“Say what?”
“Very well, Sky, it is your wedding after all. Ah, naughty stallion!” You glanced over your shoulder at Mac, who was now being held in the air by a blue aura, having tried to break for freedom. His eyes begged for help, but you just turned away with a chuckle, heading towards your suite. It felt strange to have such a large room to yourself, so you gently closed the door and moved over to the balcony, looking over the gardens.
There were two groupings of seats being set out, and you cocked your head as you noticed a pink alicorn next to Pinkie Pie, both ensuring things were set out perfectly. You then glanced around as you felt a pony next to you, finding a white unicorn stallion with a two tone blue mane. “Hey there, looking forward to the big day?”
“Uh… yeah, but I’m just looking forward to seeing Fluttershy again.”
“Tell you what, she looks amazing in her dress, even being several months pregnant. Hey, look down there.” You followed his outstretched hoof, seeing an alicorn filly jump at the mare, who caught her with her forehooves, holding her close. “That’s Princess Cadance and her daughter, Skyla.”
“They look really happy together.”
“Yeah… wanna meet her?” You gave the stallion a nod and his horn glowed lavender, then the sound of giggle hit your ears. The filly left her mother and started to fly up to your balcony. “You might wanna step aside for this…” You did as the stallion suggested, just in time for the filly to slam into his chest and knock him back into the room.
You followed as his chuckles came through the door, and found him trying to stay still as not to hit the filly as she tickled his chest. She finally let up and moved to wrap her forelegs around his neck. “Daddy!” Your eyes went wide as she said this, and the stallion sat up with a grin as the filly slipped around to his back. “Still no wings, daddy!”
You dropped to the floor, bowing low to the ground, until he pulled you back up, a smirk on his face as he shook his head. “Just because both my wife and sister are princesses, doesn’t make me a prince. The name’s Shining Armour. Twily is my younger sister.”
“I’m Sky Runner.” He gave you a nod and shook your hoof, before heading back onto the balcony. You went to follow but gasped in surprise as you felt somepony land on your back, glancing over your shoulder and seeing the grinning filly staring at you. You returned her smile and caught up to the unicorn, seeing his sister in the garden now.
You both chuckled as the duo of alicorn mares shared a strange little dance, then hugged each other whilst giggling. “Want to go say hello?” You nodded at the stallion again, and he just hopped up onto the rails. “Race ya!” With that he jumped from your balcony, the filly giving a squeal of joy as she followed her father, yourself in the air soon after.
The stallion was falling calmly, his forehooves behind his head as he fell backwards, his eyes closed. You did your best to catch up and stop him from dying, but a blue glow just started to form around him, slowing him down. His movement was stopped a metre above the ground, and the aura disappeared.
He gave a grunt as his back hit the ground, but the three of you just started giggling, until a shadow fell over you. You turned around to find both the new mare and Twilight looking down at you with an equal glare, forcing you to restrain your mirth. “Uh…” The other alicorn started to walk around you, and you could feel her magic sweeping over you. She then returned next to Twilight, her face now neutral.
“So, he’s the groom? Hmm. Follow me, colt.” You glanced at Armour and he nodded at you, so you followed her across the gardens, where she stopped at the end of the red carpet, turning to face you. “I know you have been rehearsing, but this is how it will go. Fluttershy’s guests will be on the left, your’s will be on the right. Your parents will be on the two seats closest to the carpet.”
“Uh…”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are your parents no longer with us?”
“No. I just haven’t spoken to them in over nine months. I’ve invited them, at Shy’s insistence, but haven’t gotten a reply.”
“I see. Well, if they come, that is where they’ll sit. The ceremony is due to start at midday, so be here for eleven. There will be a marquee up, so do not worry about the weather, which is planned to be clear anyway.”
“Of course.” The mare nodded at you, so you turned and trotted over to where Twilight was giving Skyla a lesson on magic, even though the filly couldn’t quite get it. You got starry-eyed looking at the interaction between niece and aunt, looking forward to the day Fleetfoot would be in that position.
“BIG MACINTOSH, GET BACK HERE NOW!” You turned to see your cousin galloping to the other side of the castle, a frilly white shirt around his chest, his mane shorter than usual. Just behind him was an angry Rarity, who had scissors in her magical aura. “Your mane is a mess, and I will make it presentable!”
“Nope!” You just chuckled as he led her in a circle around the garden, until she ran out of energy, collapsing to the ground and breathing heavily. Twilight shook her head with a sigh and picked her up with magic, then started to walk towards the nearest entrance.
You stood with your eyes closed, your back to the ponies now seated. Your parents had come, but you hadn’t spoken to them, despite Fleetfoot’s best efforts. You may do so at the reception, but only time would tell. There was a small part of you that was happy they came. You took a deep breath as your cousin’s hoof gently brushed your shoulder. “How long?”
“Ah’m not sure, but it can’t be too much longer. Ah reckon… Sky, open yer eyes.” You did as instructed, seeing Princess Celestia standing at the top of the step. You were stood on the next step down, Mac just below you. A quick glance and he tapped his pocket, where the hoof band was safely deposited. He gave you a nod and a small grin, then pointed at the alicorn once more. You took another deep breath and then looked at her with a smile, the mare lifting a hoof, signalling the start of the ceremony.
The first sound was a fanfare of trumpets from the castle walls, followed by an organ sending its music from somewhere inside the building. You couldn’t help but swallow nervously as you recognised the wedding march, and your primal instinct screamed to run, but then the door opened.
At first, Applebloom and her two friends appeared, skipping along with baskets in their mouths, spreading pink and yellow flowers over the red carpet. And then she appeared, your mouth dropping open in awe as Parchment Dust escorted her along. Everypony stood and stared as she passed them. You were snapped back to reality as they approached, Dust taking her hoof and passing it to you.
Even behind the veil, you could see Fluttershy blushing brightly, and you noticed her white dress with its trim of light blue, matching your coat colour, You just smiled softly at her and turned to Celestia as she began. “Mares and gentlecolts, please be seated.” She gave it a moment for the shuffling to stop, and then did something you didn’t expect. She knelt down so that she was at your height, looking you right in the eyes. “We are gathered here today to witness the union of Sky Runner and Dame Fluttershy.”
You were slightly taken aback at that, and your mare just shrugged sheepishly as you glanced at her. “Whilst they have not known each other as long as other couples, they are truly in love with one another. They have even worked through some difficulties, which will remain private to them, to come together for this day. This is a ceremony of love for another pony, and this young couple has more than enough for each other. Before we begin, is there anypony who objects to this union?”
“Yeah, I do!” You spun around in shock as a blur darted over to you, pulling you into a passionate kiss. Fluttershy just giggled at your dopey expression as Spitfire pulled back and gave you a wink, then smiled sheepishly up at Celestia. “Sorry, just wanted to do that one more time.” The pegasus quickly moved back to her seat next to Fleetfoot, who shot her an annoyed glance. You turned around and shook your head, nodding for the grinning alicorn to continue.
“Very well, we will now hear the vows.”
You and Fluttershy turned to face each other, and you flipped her veil over her head, taking her hoof in yours. The first part was written on your own volition, whilst you had agreed on adding the traditional ones at the end, just like she had. “Fluttershy, I never thought I’d ever meet a mare like you, let alone find love. At first… I thought it was just a crush, but after spending time with you, I knew it was something more.” You could see tears forming in her eyes, and continued with a soft smile.
“The circumstances of our meeting, whilst painful in some aspects, are something I would live through again, if it meant I would never lose you.” You turned to Mac and he passed the hoof band to you, which you then gently slipped over Fluttershy’s hoof. “With this band, I take you to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part… and even that won’t stop my love for you.”
She nodded as the tears started to drip down her cheeks, and she then took one of your hoofs in hers, her eyes shimmering as you stared into them. “Sky Runner, that day I found you hiding from everypony… and your condition… It was just my nature to want to help you, and I was happy to have a new friend. The day things were revealed and we helped you back to the library… even though I had only known you for a week or so, I knew I had a deeper feelings for you when I witness another mare give you a kiss. My love only grew for you the longer we spent together.”
She turned to Rainbow Dash, who was stood at a higher step than her other four friends. The grinning pegasus presented her with a cushion, on which lay a gold hoof band and your mare took it, then slipped it over the tip of your hoof. You couldn’t help but notice it was the same one Twilight had put on you in Baltimare; the inlaid gem, which you had only seen a few days ago, was now cyan instead of blood red. “With this band, I take you to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part… and even that won’t stop my love for you.”
You remained staring into her eyes as Celestia stood once more, spreading her wings wide and smiling down at you. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may… oh.” You couldn’t wait any longer, pulling your mare close and kissing her passionately, the guests erupting into a thunderous applause. You pulled away from your new wife, wiping away her tears as you smiled at her. You kept hold of her hoof as you turned and escorted her along the carpet.
You stopped at the first row of seats and glanced at your parents, then felt yourself nudged towards them, and you resigned yourself to the task with a deep sigh. You moved closer and sat in front of them, staring at the ground. “Thank you for coming. I can’t forgive you, not yet, but…” You glanced back at Fluttershy and smiled at her encouraging gaze, then turned to your parents. “We can work on it.” They gasped as you stood back up and wrapped your forelegs around their necks, and they slowly returned your embrace.
You held if for a few moments, then nodded and pulled away, returning to Fluttershy and draped your wing over her back, her head resting against yours as you headed towards the castle dance hall, where Celestia was allowing you to hold your reception.
It was the usual affair, lots of drinking and merrymaking, along with a few rather embarrassing speeches from your family. A meal had been laid out for you, and about an hour later the floor was cleared of the central tables, and you stepped out with Fluttershy as the curtains were closed and a spotlight shined on you. You had managed to get a favour with the Canterlot Orchestra, and the lead cellist was here to play for your first dance, one that you had decided would be a much slower than usual piece, due to your wife’s physical condition.
Other ponies joined you about halfway through, and you felt a hoof tap you on the shoulder. You stopped moving and looked around, seeing your father glancing up awkwardly from the floor. You had promised Fluttershy not to start any trouble, and to keep with tradition as best as possible. You gave her a quick, soft kiss, then passed her hoof to your father. Another tap on your other shoulder and you saw Posey grinning at you, so you offered her your hoof and took to dancing once more.
By the end of the evening you were exhausted, and Fluttershy was even more so, snoozing on a couch in the corner of your suite. You didn’t want to disturb her as you slipped from your suit, folding it neatly and placing it next to her dress on the bed. Her, and now your, friends had said they would take the wedding gifts back to Ponyville for you, leaving you the stuff you had packed for the honeymoon.
You jumped up behind Fluttershy and wrapped her in your hooves, covering her with a wing. Your left hoof dropped down to her stomach, and you chuckled as you felt your foal kick. You nuzzled the back of your wife’s head as you settled down behind her. The mare shifted in her sleep and then lay still.
You’d be on the train in the morning, heading towards your surprise destination, courtesy of the Wonderbolts.
You chuckled as you felt a hoof brush your shoulder, tilting your head to see Fluttershy lying on the deck chair closest to you, her eyes half lidded as she dozed in the afternoon sun. A shadow fell over her and you glanced over your shoulder, finding one of the resort’s staff holding a tray in her magical aura. The mare set it on the table next to you with a wink, then moved over to the next group of ponies, a mix of young mares and stallions, taking their drinks orders.
You passed your wife her soda and took your cocktail, sighing as the fruity taste graced your tongue. Fluttershy gave a small groan as she brought her drink up, gazing longingly at your own. you had allowed her some wine at the reception, but no alcohol since. Still, the resort in the mountains of Yellowstallion National Park provided an almost perfect place for the pair of you to relax.
It was your second week there, and whilst you wouldn’t consummate your new union just yet, to which Fluttershy was a bit frustrated, but you still did other things with her. Even the group of youngsters were relatively quiet when they saw her condition, going so far as to help if she looked like she was struggling. You finished your drink and got up, standing next to Fluttershy whilst she sipped the last of hers, then helped her up.
It was time for her daily exercise, a gentle swim in the pool. The resort was fairly empty right now, so you had arranged with the resort staff to use the shallow end for this purpose. They immediately said yes once they checked your booking, and it was when you asked the receptionist later on that you found out you had been given the same perks as the Wonderbolts themselves.
Which meant not just a clear shallow end, but the whole pool being empty for about an hour. You jumped in first, then turned and helped Fluttershy gently ease herself into the water. She moved to where her hoofs almost touched the floor, then turned to nuzzle your cheek. “You can go swim on your own if you want, I’ll be fine.”
You cupped her cheeks with your hooves and kissed the tip of her muzzle, smiling softly at her as she giggled. You pulled away and started to swim towards the deep end, ensuring to keep glancing over your shoulder at your wife. You had almost made it to the deep end, preparing to turn around when you heard panicked splashing.
You got your wings above the water and flapped over to Fluttershy, pulling her to the most shallow part of the pool. The mare wrapped a hoof around your neck and squeezed tightly. Then you saw the pained look on her face. “Fluttershy, what’s wrong?”
“T-t-t-he foal! I think i-i-it’s coming!” You dropped a hoof to her stomach, finding that it did seem to be tensing and untensing rapidly. You pulled the mare from the water and helped her back over to the deck chairs, setting her down on one, then immediately looked for a member of staff. One of the younger stallions, a unicorn, came trotting over with worry.
“Excuse me, is there something I could help wi… oh. Er, I can assist to make her comfortable. My father is a doctor.” You nodded to him, and he moved closer to your mare, his horn glowing softly. A bundle of towels were floated over and he gently pushed her down, your hoof held in hers. “She’s only just started. Just remain with her whilst I go get somepony more qualified.”
With that he turned and galloped towards the resort’s main building.
You sat with worry outside the hospital room, your mare having been inside for over five hours now. The door cracked open and you jumped out of your seat, the nurse appearing and smiling at you. She beckoned you inside and you quickly followed, immediately moving next to the bed and placing your hoof over Fluttershy’s.
Her eyes fluttered open slowly and she smiled weakly up at you. There was a tube going into her leg, a line leading up to a bag, which you assumed was full of pain medication. A unicorn stallion entered and nodded to you, then lifted up the blanket covering Fluttershy’s rear legs. He pulled back out and lifted up her chart, making some changes with his magic. “Well, Mrs Runner, you’re coming along nicely. We’re going to take you to the delivery room now.”
An orderly came and moved to the head of the bed, beginning to wheel it away, and you slowly let go of Fluttershy’s hoof. “Sky… don’t leave me.” You weren’t going to do that anyway, falling into step behind the earth pony as he pushed her along the corridor. It didn’t take long for her to enter another room, where a small trolley was placed next to her bed.
“Mr Runner, have you been told where to go?” You nodded to the doctor and climbed up onto the bed. He used his magic to help Fluttershy sit up and you slid behind her, then felt her back press against your chest and wrapped your hooves around her, resting them gently on hers. “Perfect, it shouldn’t be too long now. I just have to get a few more things and we’ll be ready.” The doctor slipped out of the room.
“Sky, I’m scared.” You nuzzled the back of your wife’s head and squeezed her gently, showing her that you were there for her, no matter what happened. She suddenly tensed up and let out a loud scream, before falling back against you, breathing heavily. “Sky…”
“DOCTOR!” The door burst open and the stallion returned, taking the situation at a glance. He turned to the corridor and said something you couldn’t make out, then entered with two nurses. They were immediately around the bed, the stallion spreading Fluttershy’s legs apart.
“Okay, Mrs Runner, on the next contraction, I need you to push.”
“But… that’ll hurt!”
“Shy…” She tilted her head back up, finding you smiling softly down at her. “...it’s going to hurt, but I’ll be right here with you, all the time.” She started to nod, but then scrunched her eyes up tight, and you could feel her stomach muscles tighten. They loosened again and the mare screamed once more, her forehooves now gripping yours tightly.
“Very good, Mrs Runner, I can see the head. Do the same on the next contraction.” She was breathing heavily, and her head dropped towards her chest as the next one came, your forehooves almost being crushed as she seemed to transfer the pain to you. “Okay, the shoulders are free, one more and that should be it.”
Your ears then twitched, the sound of a foal crying finally registering with you. Fluttershy took a few deep breaths and then tensed up, pushing the foal out the last little bit. The nurses immediately cut the umbilical cord, one cleaning the foal whilst the other cleaned the new mother. Once that was done, the nurse with your foal approached the bed with it wrapped in a blanket, the doctor next to her. “Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Runner. You have beautiful, healthy pegasus colt.”
He was passed into Fluttershy’s waiting forehooves, the crying stopping almost immediately as he sensed his mother, whose head rolled back against your shoulder with a giggle. “And you thought we were going to have a filly!” You couldn’t help but chuckle at that, looking down to see your wife’s face, both a happy and exhausted expression upon it. You leant down and kissed her cheek, then felt something moved towards you.
Your forehooves came up instinctively, both holding onto your colt firmly and gently. His rolled back from the disturbance and his eyes fluttered open, revealing irses of the same shimmering cyan as his mother’s, and you couldn’t do anything to stop the tears from starting to fall.
You turned your head when you felt a kiss on your cheek, which Fluttershy followed with one to the tip of your muzzle. “Okay, we’ll leave you in peace now, and come back to check on you soon.” You nodded to the doctor who smiled back at you and turned to leave, but stopped by the door. “Oh, I almost forgot! A rather brash mare by the name of Applejack demanded to know where you were. I had security keep her in reception for now. What would you like me to do?”
“It’s okay, she’s my cousin. You can send her in.” He nodded at you and gently closed the door, and your colt suddenly started crying again. You weren’t sure why, not until his small stomach made a quiet grumble. You chuckled as Fluttershy took him back from you and slipped him under the blanket, where the crying stopped immediately. You shifted in the bed so that Fluttershy was to your side, and turned to look at her. “Mrs Runner, I love you.”
“I love you too, Mr Runner.” She brought up a hoof and wrapped it around your head, pulling you into a passionate kiss.
“Ah hope y’all are gonna get some rest before ya do that again.” You pulled away with with a chuckle, looking to the door to see Applejack grinning at you. “Ah can see the youngin’s hungry, so Ah’ll be back in awhile. Ah just wanted to see if Applebloom could come with me.” You gave the mare a nod and she closed the door on you again.
The lump under the blankets began to shift about, and then the fabric lifted into the air. It dropped down once more, but you were quick enough to catch your colt, and took the blanket off of him. He blinked at you once and then yawned, his eyes starting to droop. You dropped back to the floor and placed him in the clear plastic basket next to the bed, which was lined by a few soft blankets.
You wrapped him in them and then climbed up next to Fluttershy, who snuggled down against your side, both of your gazes locked on your foal. “Sky… can I name him? I… have one ready… um, if you don’t mind, that is.” Even after all the time you had spent with her, she was still that shy mare you met in Ponyville on your first day.You made her giggle as you kissed her forehead, then nodded to her. “I want to call him… Freedom Bolt.”
You blinked a couple of times, trying to work it out. Then your eyes went wide as you realised he was conceived the night before you ran away. You smiled at Fluttershy and nodded in agreement. The door cracked open slightly and you heard a pony enter, but couldn’t see them. The pony then jumped up onto the chair, butter-yellow forehooves resting on the plastic cot as she stared down in wonder. “Aw, ‘e’s so cute! Can Ah hold ‘im?”
You just gave a chuckle and ruffled Applebloom’s mane, pulling her over to the bed and close to your side. “Once he wakes up, yes. Right now, let’s just let him rest. Fluttershy too.” She gave a little nod and then you noticed Applejack leaning against the door frame, smiling at the scene in the room. She trotted in and sat on the chair, placing a hoof gently on your shoulder.
“Well Sky, looks like yer gonna have yer hooves full fer a few years now. Ah guess y’all wanna head back to Ponyville soon as. Ah can go start packin’ yer things up at the resort, if ya’ll want me to?”
You gave a nod and she slipped from the chair, motioning the young filly to follow. She just gave a groan as she went to move, but giggled as you nuzzled her cheek. She turned around and kissed the tip of your muzzle, then hopped down from the bed and joined AJ as she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Never did you think that either of the royal sisters would have nothing to say, but Luna was proving you wrong right there, her mouth open in awe as Freedom Bolt stared up at her from between her forelegs, happily chewing on her mane. You were sat opposite her on the library’s other couch with a massive grin, Fluttershy pressed close against your side. Celestia was pouting at the Moon Princess from her place next to her sister. “Come on, Lu! You’ve had your turn!”
“Hush, Tia. The little one is resting.” You chuckled, amazed that ponies who had lived for millennia could descend into bickering siblings over a foal. He let her mane go and began to giggle as Luna bent down and blew raspberries on his stomach, his tiny hooves flailing against her muzzle ineffectively. He suddenly wriggled quite hard and fell from her grip, a golden aura surrounding him and gently lowering him to the floor. “Oh my, I am sorry, I did not mean to drop him!”
You just smiled at Luna as Bolt started to crawl across the floor to where Applebloom and her friends were sat reading books on foals, you and Fluttershy having agreed to let them foalsit with supervision from an adult. He caused them to giggle as he climbed over them, and finally stopped when he bumped into a massive leg.
Big Mac looked down to see Bolt looking up at him, his forehooves stretched out wide. The stallion lowered his head with a chuckle, lifting it back up with the colt laying between his ears, his inquisitive eyes roaming over the room, before they settled on you. You stood from the couch and got ready, having done this with Applebloom when she was younger. You closed your eyes and ‘felt’ Mac move, Bolt giggling as he was thrown through the air.
Your eyes snapped open and you jumped up, catching him in your forehooves, and then gently flapped back to the floor. Your ears splayed back when you saw the glare Fluttershy was giving you, her forelegs crossed as well. You smiled sheepishly at her, then passed Bolt to Celestia, whose grin only got wider as your colt decided it was time for a nap, snuggling close against her chest. Your features dropped as there was a knock on the door, the young dragon making his way over. “Spike… stop. I’ll get it.”
He gave you a nod as you slowly trotted to the portal and opened it, glancing over the ponies stood there, then stepped to the side. You heard Fluttershy give a small gasp as your parents walked in, their heads bowed low, Fleetfoot following. You had promised your wife that you would slowly start to let them into your life again, but didn’t tell her you had invited them for that day.
You trotted over to her and nuzzled her cheek, then pulled away with a smile. “Are you ready?” She gave you a small nod and got up from the couch, and the pair of you made your way over to the three fillies, who looked up at you with innocent smiles, which caused you to chuckle. “Right then, listen to what Mac tells you, and everything will be fine. Understand?”
They all nodded at you, and you noticed both Fluttershy’s and your parents following you towards the door, the other ponies getting ready to leave too. Applebloom hopped up next to Celestia and accepted Bolt from her, the two alicorns standing up to leave as well. You said your goodbyes as the ponies started making their way to their destinations, leaving just Spike and your cousin in the library with the trio. Twilight had decided to head to Sugarcube Corner with the other four mares, where she would more than likely spend the evening.
You turned from the door and draped your wing over Fluttershy’s back, smiling at the two older couples and your sister. “Well then, shall we?” They nodded at you and you began walking through the town, heading towards the restaurant where Posey and Parchment Dust were taking you in celebration of your first foal.
“Daddy, where are we going?” You just gave a small chuckle, feeling your colt's hooves hold tightly around your neck as you flew towards the hospital, a sense of completeness flowing through you. It didn't take you long to reach the building, and you shifted Freedom Bolt to the floor, ushering him through the door. “Is mommy hurt?”
“No, she's fine, now come along.” You led him along the corridors, greeting the ponies as you made your way to your wife's room. You could hear her beautiful humming through the door, and slipped Bolt onto your back again. You took a deep breath and entered, seeing your mare lying on the bed, a bundled up blanket in her forehooves. “Go on, take a look.”
Your colt hopped over to the bed and slowly made his way closer, gently peeling the blanket back, revealing a sleeping pegasus filly. Fluttershy was smiling softly down at him as he stared googly eyed at her, then reached up and prodded her on the cheek, making her squirm. “I... have a sister? Can... I hold her?”
Fluttershy shifted a little, sitting up and pulling Bolt against her. The colt's forehooves slowly accepted the precious package, the filly squirming around until she settled against his chest. Your muzzle was lifted away from them and you found yourself in a passionate kiss, then climbed up alongside your mare. Nurse Redheart had said you could stay as long as you wanted, until Fluttershy was ready to go home. “What’s her name?”
You nodded to Fluttershy, who bent down and nuzzled the top of your four year old’s head, causing him to giggle. “Her name is Amber Sky.” Bolt repeated the name under his breath a few times, then pulled her closer against his chest, nuzzling her cheek.
“Welcome to the Runner Family, Amber Sky. I’m your big brother, Freedom Bolt.”
