Travel to a New Country

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This story is written from two peoples perspective. Odd chapter numbers are written from Robbie's point of view and even numbers are from Matt's.
Enjoy everypony!

It was a bright and sunny day as I stepped out of work, tired but happy that this day had finally arrived. In just a few short hours I would be boarding a flight to Canada to see my friend who claimed he had something amazing to show me. He refused to share any further details other than the fact that I would love it and probably never want to leave his house again. Although doubtful of that fact as I get homesick, I was curious to see what he had to show me so I had bought a ticket over as soon as possible.

It had been a tough few months for me but the holiday would surely cheer me up. Plus getting to meet Matt for the first time would be an amazing and most likely, extremely fun experience.

My girlfriend of 3 years had recently left me and work was just driving my motivation and spirit into the ground, but there was always one thing which would cheer me up after being screamed at by chefs and bullied by superior members of staff; My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Matt and I had met on a chat site both answering a question about which pony was the best pony. I had chosen Fluttershy, and he had chosen Applejack.

From there we started chatting on Facebook and we developed a friendship discussing our favourite characters, episodes and reviewing the newest episodes as they came out. But today would be different. We wouldn’t just be chatting online or over Skype, it would be real face to face conversations and hopefully my first ever real-life brohoof!
The excitement got the better of me slightly as I drove my way to the airport, nearly wrecking my car a few times as my foot got too heavy on the throttle but after arriving and getting myself checked in for my flight and making my way to the waiting area, the boredom took over. I had the full 2 seasons of My Little Pony to watch on my laptop so I would be content for the entire journey.

I flipped open my laptop and was greeted by the familiar sight of Ditzy Doo as my wallpaper which always made me smile. Matt had sent me many fimfics about the clumsy little mare and I have to say I had developed quite a fondness for her character. I loaded up the first episode and drifted away into the world of Equestria where I imagined life would be much simpler and more enjoyable. The characters were amazing and kind, nothing like the people I dealt with on a day to day basis. All sour from life’s experiences and just plain horrible people to deal with.
As the first two episodes came to a conclusion my flight was being called so I quickly packed away my laptop and made my way to the gate to board my flight. Butterflies in my stomach soon started as the reality of going to see my friend hit me once more. I smiled as the ideas we had discussed about when this finally happened flashed through my head once more. Pony marathon, some alcoholic beverages, the list went on and on.
I greeted the flight attendant with a cheerful “Hello” as I handed over my boarding pass and passport and was met with the usual:

“Have a nice flight sir” with the big smile and upbeat tone that I wish everybody would speak with, even if it was just an act for their job it was always nice to hear. After slowly making my way to my seat, avoiding people struggling with their hand luggage into the overhead compartments, I got myself comfortable. I took a long drink of the juice I had packed and smiled as the plane made its way to the runway.

I always enjoyed take-offs when flying. The feeling of speed, being pushed back into your seat and that odd feeling in your stomach when the plane finally lifts off and takes to the open air. I began to relax into the flight and thanked my lucky stars that I hadn’t been sat next to the usual sweaty fat guy or screaming infant. And then I heard the sound I had been waiting for. The fasten seatbelt sign turned off and I pulled out my laptop and pressed play to begin watching the series again. The flight was going to be a long one, at least 7 hours, so I had plenty of time to watch most of season one before I needed to put my laptop away again. I sat there content, and ignored the funny looks I was getting from the woman seated next to me and drifted away slowly into the world of Equestria again.

As I sit and watch the colourful characters I begin to notice the pieces of me that I see every time I sat down to enjoy the show. I related most with Fluttershy, the timid, yellow Pegasus that lacked assertiveness, just like me. But then you had Pinkie Pie, who I became more like after I had had a few drinks in me. I enjoyed a good party and Pinkie was definitely an expert in that field! Her parties reminded me of my childhood years; I didn’t have many friends and was bullied through most of primary and secondary school but the few friends I did have were the ones worth keeping. We had the best times and even when things were bad for me they were always there to pick up the pieces. My best friend reminded me of Rainbowdash. She wasn’t really an athletic person but would never abandon me in my time of need. I loved her for that very reason.

My mind wandered further into the episodes I was watching and all my worries and cares of my life from home were pushed to the back of my head where they eventually disappeared. I, as always, kept an eye out for my favourite grey coated, blonde haired Pegasus that I tried to spot in every episode. I was a rather clumsy person. Seemed that I couldn’t go through a day without hurting myself at least a few times or at least breaking something like a plate or glass, so I related to her in that way. Also I have a huge taste for double chocolate and blueberry muffins, which Matt had promised to buy for my arrival.

The fasten seatbelt sign flashed back on as I thought to myself
“Wow landing already? Shame I was really enjoying A Bird in the Hoof”
I fastened my seatbelt and took another long gulp of juice. It felt like hours since I had last had a drink. It probably had been. I get easily lost in the episodes so I could go for hours without moving and not even get uncomfortable. The excitable feeling returned again and I tried to calm myself a little as I felt the plane start to descend into its final approach. I stretched my legs as much as I could in the cramped rows of seats. They had gotten very stiff from not moving around much. I let out a groan as I felt my tense muscles begin to relax, apparently deserving another nasty look from the woman beside me. But I didn’t care. Soon I would be relaxing with my buddy with some cold beers and plenty of pony time.
I gazed out of the window beside me. Night time already, I must’ve been too engrossed in my episodes to notice it get dark. The night sky always held a fascination for me. So beautiful but so scary at the same time, just an endless void with little specs of light to let you know something was out there. The moon and stars looked amazing from above the clouds. Better than the view you got even on the clearest of nights from the ground. I was reminded of Luna and how she turned into Nightmare Moon when the Ponies slept through her beautiful nights. I loved to stargaze so I liked to think I would get on with her.

Soon the plane began to drop through the clouds, interrupting my daydreams and bringing me back into the real world. I was about to land and finally meet my buddy who I had spent many a night just chatting to online and having a laugh. The ground became ever closer as the plane started its descent towards the runway. I could see the lights of the city below, and soon the runway lights as if from nowhere appeared. The sound of the tyres screeching as they touched down and the bump let me know that this was real and not a dream. A huge grin spread across my face as the plane slowly pulled up to the gate and people began to stand up and gather their belongings.
Slowly I managed to squeeze my way to the exit and took my first step onto Canadian soil. The excitement was unbearable. I just wanted my luggage so I could get out the gate and get enjoying myself more than I had the journey. My bag was, of course, one of the last to come off the conveyor belt but at least by then it was quiet and not many people would be waiting outside the arrivals gate. I briskly trundled my suitcase along to the passport control desk and from there out into the main terminal building. I had definitely arrived, but where was Matt? Quickly I scanned the building for any sign of him but couldn’t see any.

“ROBBIE! YO! OVER HERE BUDDY! YOU DEAF OR WHAT?” I heard a voice shout from behind me. I quickly turned and looked over to see my friend standing in the Fluttershy T-shirt I had sent him waving frantically. I smiled at my own silliness for missing that obvious sign as I walked over and greeted him.

Meeting Robbie

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Waiting at the arrivals gate was a bore. Especially when Robbie’s plane had been delayed for half an hour so the time seemed to drag by. My mind slipped back to the taxi I had waiting outside and the amount it was going to cost me for the ride back home. I pushed the thought to the back of my head and glanced at the arrivals board to see that his plane had finally touched down and he was probably collecting his baggage at that very moment. A steady stream of people started to walk through the gate as I excitedly looked for Robbie in the crowd. But after 10 minutes I had not seen him yet. I found myself wondering if he had missed his flight, or if something had happened I was not aware of. Surely I would have been informed though.

Another 5 minutes later I saw him walk through the gate with suitcase in tow. I laughed a little when I saw the Rainbowdash toy I had sent him hanging from his strap. He described it as his “Good luck Rainbowdash”. I smiled and waved frantically at him.

“Robbie! Over here man!” He obviously hadn’t heard me as he walked a little further away so I increased the volume.

“ROBBIE! YO! OVER HERE BUDDY! YOU DEAF OR WHAT?” I shouted over towards him. He turned with a slight look of confusion on his face which vanished when he saw me waving at him. He casually walked over and we shook hands and greeted each other before making our way to where the taxi was waiting.

After getting Robbie’s slightly awkwardly sized case into the admittedly small boot of the taxi, we settled in for the ride and discussed how his flight had went and what the plan was for the night ahead. Robbie decided to stop off and grab some beer and cigarettes from a local shop. I waited with the taxi as Robbie struggled to get into the car with a large crate of beer and multiple packets of cigarettes. Before long we were back underway with not far to go until we arrived at my place.
Upon arriving at the house I paid the driver and we made our way up to my bedroom after introducing Robbie to my parents. Robbie immediately threw himself onto a comfy looking chair in my room and I took up my usual place at my computer desk. Before long Robbie had placed a beer in my hand and he was drinking his at a rather alarming pace. I opened my bottle and took a long swig but before too long Robbie asked me the question I bet he had been dying to ask me the entire way over. I had been vague about details to him as to not ruin the surprise for him but I couldn’t hold off much longer now that he was actually here.

“So, what was it that you have to show me that was so important that I had to fly over here so soon?” He smiled expectantly at me but I would not ruin it just yet.

“You will find out soon enough, but first let’s have a few beers and relax then later I will show you. Sound good?” I hated to tease him like this but it was too good to not carry it out a little longer.

“Okay, cool!” Robbie said while tucking into his crate to get another beer. I had to admit that boy could drink. I had only drank my first beer and he was on his third. He opened his beer swiftly and asked me to put on a song called “20% Cooler” and started to do a funny little dance after I put it on. His dance would probably look a lot less funny if he had actually bothered to stand up to do it but he was having a good time so I muffled my slight laughs and moved across the room and threw the muffins I had bought for him to where he was sitting.

“MUFFINS!” Robbie exclaimed in his best Ditzy Doo imitation and promptly dug into a blueberry muffin. I laughed at his bad impression and it was easy to tell who his favourite pony was. Turning to my PC to select a new song I smiled at the little Rarity and assorted ponies that were wandering around and socialising on my desktop
.
After listening to a lot more pony related songs, watching episodes and drinking beers, I turned to Robbie and admitted I was tired and it was probably time to hit the hay. He agreed and made his way to the makeshift bed I had prepared in my room for his arrival. He had obviously forgotten about what I was going to show him but that could wait until morning. I flicked the light switch off and hopped into bed and soon heard Robbie start to breathe more heavily. My eyes felt heavy with the effects of the beer becoming apparent. The room started to spin slowly as my eyes closed and I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke in the morning feeling a little under the weather but not entirely bad. I was keen to get started on the day and show Robbie my creation. I stretched and rolled over and saw that Robbie was still asleep and snoring slightly. I slowly dragged myself from bed and got myself dressed. Fluttershy T-shirt and jeans on I made my way downstairs to the kitchen and opened my fridge to see what was available for me and a possibly very hungover Robbie. I selected bacon sandwiches as they were easy to make and oh so good. I placed the bacon in the pan and sat down to wait on it cooking. My mind wandered slightly and I found myself thinking of how Robbie would react to my creation. I assumed he would be overjoyed and almost giddy. But the smell of burning snapped me out of my thoughts pretty quickly.

“Shit!” I ran over to the pan and quickly put the bacon into sandwiches and took them upstairs. Robbie was beginning to stir quite possibly from the smell of bacon so I placed his sandwich beside him and gave him a sharp prod to wake him up.
“Morning man” he said, rubbing his eyes groggily. His eyes lit up when he saw the sandwich though. I sat down across the room and tucked into my sandwich. It was extremely delicious despite being slightly on the crispy side but neither me nor Robbie seemed to mind. I exhaled deeply as I finished my food and placed my plate on my desk.
“So!” I started up the conversation I knew Robbie had been waiting for all night, heck I bet he even dreamed about what I had to show him. “Today is the big day where I will show you my creation and I hope you are going to be as excited as I am to show you.”

“I hope so to man. From your E-mails you sounded pretty excited about it so I can’t wait man. Let’s see it!” He said excitedly with a spark of excitability in his eyes. He obviously wasn’t being affected by the hangover too much, so that was a good thing. I made my way across the room and reached under my bed and pulled out a large silver case with 2 combination locks and a padlock on it. I walked back across the room to my desk where a small silver key was hidden in the back of a drawer. The padlock popped open and I entered the combination for the locks and the top of the case popped open slightly. I pulled out my creation and Robbie’s eyes filled with both confusion and excitement at the same time.

First day in Equestria

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I watched excitedly as Matt opened up the case. It wasn’t big enough to be a robot pony, or if it was it must be a very small one. Then Matt pulled out something that looked like the portal gun from Portal and Portal 2. A blanket of confusion fell over him. Was it a toy? Or was it something else?

“This is what I had to show you” Matt proclaimed in a proud voice “This took over 7 months of development and a lot of money for the parts and tools to make it functional.” I was more confused than ever now and I had a strange feeling of anticipation and other emotions flowing through me.

“So you made a portal gun?” I asked him moving closer to inspect all the different mechanisms and buttons it had.

“In a way, yes.” Matt replied obviously proud of what he was holding “It is a portal gun but probably doesn’t do what you’d expect it to do.”

“And what does it do then?” I said while examining it even more closely. I had no idea what he was holding. It definitely wasn’t a toy. But then again what could it do?

“Watch this” Matt said with a smile on his face that told me I was about to find out exactly what it did. There was a loud crack as he pointed it at a blank wall and fired. An orange circle had appeared on the wall except it didn’t look solid. I walked cautiously up to the strange orange circle and held my hand out towards it. I turned to look at Matt.

“Is this a portal?” I asked him with disbelief I couldn’t hide even from the most unobservant person in the world.

“It is indeed a portal” Matt replied with even more pride in his voice this time. “I have tested it a few times before just to get the whole thing correct and it is perfectly safe.” He smiled at me with a look in his eye that could only be the look of a genius that had accomplished something great. Reluctantly I pressed my hand against the orange portal and watched as my hand disappeared through what had once been a solid wall. It felt odd, like pushing my hand through jelly or something similar.

“Take a step through, I promise you it’s safe.” Matt said confidently from behind me. He had a tone to his voice that I knew I could trust. Reluctant once again but with the curiosity overwhelming any other feelings I had at that point, I took a step through the portal and landed with a slight bump on some soft, lusciously green grass. I blinked a couple of times to allow my eyes to adjust to the bright sun. Another soft thud told me that Matt had arrived too.

“Where are we?” I asked him nervously. Looking around at the lush forest to my left and the fields of apple trees to my right gave me a slight idea but I didn’t want to say in case I was wrong.

“Turn around and look at me and you will know” I heard Matt’s calm voice say from behind me. Slowly I turned and my jaw dropped as I saw a light blue unicorn with a light brown mane and a psychology cutie mark standing in front of me.

“M-Matt? Is that you?” I could feel my eyes almost popping out of my head as I looked at him. He simply smiled.
“I told you that you would love it” The smile spread wider across his face as I tried to take all this in.

“So that would be-“ I trailed off in shock pointing toward the apple trees in the distance.

“That would be Sweet Apple Acres” Matt said calmly as if it was a normal thing for him.

“So how are you a unicorn? I mean how is that possible?” I asked more confused than ever before in my life.

“Well I’m not too sure about why we get transformed but I am trying to figure that one out.” This had to be the only thing he didn’t know about what was happening.

“Wait! We? We get transformed?” I looked at my hand but instead of a hand it had been replaced by a hoof. My eyes popped out of my head once more as I ran towards the nearest pond to admire my reflection. I looked into the pool of crystal clear water and my jaw must’ve nearly hit the floor. Looking back at me from the pool was a light grey Pegasus with bright red hair and hazel brown eyes. I felt my legs buckle underneath me with the shock of all this. Hoofsteps behind me informed me that Matt was coming over and I heard him chuckling to himself.

“I reacted pretty much the same way. It’s a lot to take in so just take a moment to breathe and then we can go for a little explore if you fancy that?” Matt’s voice calmed me a little and I turned to look at him.
“So can you use your magic yet?” I asked him in an attempt to stop my mind from racing at 100 mph. A small rock hitting me in the side of my head answered that question.

“Only a little. It’s easy once you get used to it though. Just feels natural you know?” He smiled reassuringly at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. I slowly rose to my feet… well hooves and concentrated hard on extending my wings. Slowly the rose and spread to their full wingspan and I had to admit I looked rather impressive. I turned and smiled at Matt feeling proud of my accomplishment and then he laughed because I suppose compared to actually flying it was a little lame.

“You be quiet!” I said jokingly “Let’s go explore a little yeah? I’m excited to meet some ponies”

“Okay well the nearest town is Ponyville so let’s start there yeah?” Matt started to lead the way as if he already knew his way around the area. I followed and took in all of the sights, maybe getting a little too excited over seeing the odd Pegasus flying overhead and little things along those lines. Everything seemed so much more colourful than on earth. Trees seemed greener, the grass seemed softer and the sun seemed to shine a lot brighter. It was beautiful, just like a dream.

“Oh, something you need to know” Matt said stopping before they reached the outskirts of Ponyville, “For every week in Equestria time only advances one day on earth. Another thing I cannot explain but maybe we can ask the Doctor if we run into him?”

“So we could stay here for a few days and time would only have advanced by about 12 hours on earth?” I asked rather confused again. “Can we find somewhere to stay? I want to hang around and meet some new ponies!” Matt smiled at my enthusiasm and continued walking towards Ponyville.

“I’m sure we could manage that” He replied with a little smile on his face. “Although I don’t think we need to find somewhere to stay as I rent out a small cottage towards the edge of the Everfree forest”

“So how many times have you been here exactly?” I asked a little more excited now. The thought of meeting all of my favourite ponies was getting to me a little. Learning to fly was also on my agenda for the next few days. If I was going to be here for days I would need to work so I considered joining the weather team.

The rest of the walk was spent with some light hearted chat and discussions of what to do with the day. I was excited to get out and explore and Matt was more than happy to oblige me, obviously remembering how excited he had been when he first arrived in Ponyville. As they walked into town it was obvious Matt had already made a few friends. He was greeted by a few ponies as we walked through a residential street towards his cottage. I caught a glimpse of myself in a window nearby while Matt was chatting to a pony I had never seen before. I took a moment to adjust to seeing myself as the grey Pegasus. I admired my wings, stretching them out to again get a full idea of my wingspan. And then I saw it. My Cutie Mark, a small cluster of musical notes on my flank, suited me perfectly! But then Matt began to move on up the street saying farewell to the pony he had been chatting to and turned into a small but well-kept garden. There were all sorts of flowers and herbs growing around the edges in flowerbeds and a light coloured sandstone path led up to the front door which was blue with a big brass door handle and matching letterbox. The thatched roof added a lot of character to the small cottage and it was built of a slightly red stone. It really was a beautiful house, the kind that only exists in fairytales and stories.

Using magic to turn the key in the door he entered the cottage and I quickly followed pushing the door shut with my back leg. It wasn’t a big cottage but it did have 2 bedrooms upstairs, both with a comfortable double bed, dresser and en-suite bathroom. The bed sheets looked like they were made of very soft cotton and looked extremely warm and soft. The pillows were very fluffy and it seemed like they might swallow you up if you lay your head down for too long. Hardwood floors were all there seemed to be, no carpet just a couple of rugs spread around here and there. In the living room there was a comfortable looking sofa with plush looking cushions sat in front of a large fireplace with a painting of Canterlot Castle at sunset hanging above. An old grandfather clock sat beside the large window where it merrily ticked away. Unlike the grandfather clocks I had experienced back home, which had a tick that creeped you out in the middle of the night, this one ticked almost soothingly. The kitchen was all what looked like pine wood and there was a lovely little wood burning stove which I presumed was for cooking on. A rather large fridge sat just to the left of the door leading out of the kitchen. A reasonably large, round table sat in the middle of the room and was surrounded by four matching wooden chairs. On top of the kitchen counters sat an old looking radio, much like a wireless from back on earth except it looked a bit easier to tune. Matt had a few possessions around like a pair of boots and a raincoat, something I probably needed to pick up. It was a cosy home. I loved it.

Matt returned from storing the portal gun in his room and asked me if I was ready to go and explore a little. I gave him an enthusiastic nod and trotted over to the door. It was around mid-day so we decided to go and get some lunch in a small café in the town square. It was a brief walk to the café and we took our time to enjoy the sunshine, greeting the passing ponies as I was fixated on the occasional Pegasus that would fly overhead or seeing unicorns carrying bags of shopping with their magic. I felt more peaceful here than I ever had back on earth. Nopony seemed to have a care in the world and everyone was cheery and gave you a smile as you walked past. It was a perfect society and I was content. Matt showed me a few places I might want to visit or hang out at. The park caught my attention as particularly amazing. Filled with tall, bright trees, lots of fragrant flowers that you could almost smell from outside the gates and ponies playing blissfully in the hot summers day. He pointed out Sugarcube Corner as we passed by and I was disappointed that Pinkie Pie had not yet noticed that I was a new pony and rolled out the welcome wagon, But I already had a great big smile on my face that seemed to radiate through every pore of my being. I couldn’t believe that all of this was real and that I was lucky enough to befriend the one person able to access this amazing and wondrous place.

We arrived at the café shortly afterwards. It was nicely named “Dandelion Deliciousness” and had tables outside and inside so Matt and I decided it was a better idea to have a seat outside. The waiter came over after a brief period of time and gave us both menus and took our drink order. Matt ordered an apple juice and I decided that would be the perfect drink as well so I set about looking at the menu. It was weird seeing things that back on earth would normally never appeal to me but everything on this menu looked delicious. I decided on the house special, which was a dandelion salad with apple, cucumber and lettuce. Matt took his time and eventually ordered an apple fritter with cherry sauce and a side of orange wedges.

Time went by with idle chat over the table as we waited on our food. We discussed where I would like to see and if I would like to meet anyone in particular. I asked if we could stop off at Sugarcube Corner to pick up some desserts and treats for the night ahead. Matt agreed that would be a great idea and as the waiter arrived with our food we had pretty much the rest of the day planned. I looked at my salad and I have to say nothing on earth ever looked this appealing! I tucked in and didn’t care that I probably looked like a pig. It was just too good to care. Matt sat across the table and looked like he enjoyed his apple fritter just as much as I enjoyed my salad. We finished up our food and drinks, paid the bill and went on our way once more. I had to prevent myself from squealing with delight when I saw background ponies that I knew and loved walking past. First Lyra and Bon Bon, then Octavia but no Ditzy Doo.

Slightly disappointed that I hadn’t seen her I opened the door to Sugarcube Corner and expected to be greeted by the hyperactive, pink pony that always seemed to be behind the counter in the episodes. Instead we were greeted by Mrs Cake as I began to browse the selection of treats and wonders that were in the glass cases around the shop. I had never seen anything like this before! Cupcakes with multi-coloured icing and sprinkles that looked mouth-watering, Caramel chocolates that looked like they would give you an intense sugar rush. But then I spotted what I had come in for. Sitting on the counter beside Mrs Cake was a batch of fresh Blueberry and chocolate muffins. The smell permeated the room and I found myself almost drooling over them as I made my way over.

“How did I know you would be straight over to the muffin section?” Matt jokingly said from behind me.

“Well I guess you know me too well” I said back as I turned to face him “Anyway I have decided what I would like so you getting anything?” Matt took about 5 minutes browsing the shelves and we purchased some muffins, caramel chocolates, cupcakes and a variety of sweets.

“Thank you! Come again soon!” Mrs Cake said to us cheerily as we left the store with our purchases.

“Trust me when I say I will!” I smiled back at her. Walking out into the square we decided to have a walk around the market and see what was on sale there. There was a selection of food stalls where we bought supplies for the next few days. I was disappointed that Apple Fritter was manning the Sweet Apple Acres stall for the day but I was still excited to introduce myself and purchase some apples. After browsing more stalls we decided it was probably time to call it a day when the stalls started packing up and the sun began to lazily set behind the range of mountains in the distance.

Before making our way back to the cottage Matt picked up a copy of the Ponyville Gazette so I could look and see if there were any jobs I could do while staying in town. After the short walk back we arrived back in the cottage where Matt put the shopping away while I tried to light the fire with no success as I wasn’t entirely used to using my hooves to hold things just yet. After struggling for roughly quarter of an hour I gave up and Matt came through and helped me out. I sat down lazily slouched on the couch with a muffin and slowly started to take small bites, savouring every last one. Matt went to bed shortly afterwards and I decided to stay up for a while longer. I sat and watched the fire for what seemed like hours just thinking about what had transpired today. I mean, I was in Equestria! I still couldn’t wrap my mind around that, but then again that was a pretty big thing to take in.

I reached over and managed to pick up the newspaper and turned to the job section. Nothing on the weather team unfortunately. Sweet Apple Acres were looking for somepony to help out a few days a week. All I had to do was speak to Big MacIntosh and hopefully I would be able to help out. It was then when I realised how tired I had become. Slowly I made my way up to my room and climbed under the covers. The feeling of wings beneath me would take some getting used to but the bed was so comfortable I could hardly complain. I breathed a heavy sigh as slowly I drifted off to sleep.

Job at the Library

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I woke in the morning with sun beaming through my window. I stretched and sat up and opened the curtains. It was still early and I knew Robbie wouldn’t be up so I ran myself a bath while thinking about my plans for the day. I levitated my toothbrush to my mouth and admired my wild morning mane in the mirror. After rinsing my toothbrush I sank into the warm water of the bath. It relaxed me as my muscles felt tense and sore from all of the walking the day before. I sighed and wondered what Robbie’s plans for the day were. He had mentioned something about getting a job so he would probably be out doing that most of the day which meant I had a day to myself. I also needed to find work so I might as well do the same as Robbie and just ask around all day. Maybe Rarity needed some help at Carousel Boutique? Or even better maybe I could work with Twilight over at the Library. I would have to see though. Jobs were rather scarce in this part of Equestria.

Pulling myself from the bathtub I pulled the plug and brushed my mane. Turning off the light on the way out, I made my way down to the kitchen. Robbie was still asleep by the looks of things. I opened a cupboard and looked at all the sugar filled treats that we had bought yesterday. The amount of sugar would make me feel sick at this time in the morning so I opened the fridge and chose to have a couple of carrots and an apple. I always enjoyed Sweet Apple Acres apples, they were always so juicy and full of flavour. Clearing up after myself I spotted the paper over on the sofa and decided to give the job section a little look over.

“There really isn’t much is there?” I said to myself while browsing the small amount of ads placed. But I couldn’t get my hopes down too much. It was a weekly paper after all so maybe some new jobs had come up and the ad hadn’t been printed yet. I folded the paper and put it on the kitchen table. Still no sign of Robbie, maybe he had got an early start to find a job? Interrupting the thought was a clear knock on the front door. I turned the key and opened the door to see the cheery grey Pegasus that Robbie loved so much standing in front of me.

“I brought you a letter!” Said Ditzy happily handing over a large, white envelope addressed to me.

“Thanks Ditzy” I smiled at her and took the envelope from her. I had had a couple of previous interactions with Ditzy but none that really lasted that long.

“So did your friend arrive yet? I remember you saying he would be arriving within a week last time I saw you” She asked him fastening the muffin shaped clasp on her mail bag then turning to look at me.

“Oh yeah!” I had forgotten that I mentioned that to her “He’s here right now although I think he’s still in bed. Kind of early for him to get up after such a long journey you know.”

“Ah yeah I get like that after making long distance deliveries, well I’ll see you later Matt, I have a lot of letters that need delivered!” She cheerily said as she turned to make her way down the front path.

“See you soon Ditzy! You should come by soon to meet Robbie he’s looking to make some new friends here.” I knew Robbie would love to meet Ditzy and that it would probably make his day or in fact, maybe make his year!

“Sure I’ll drop by again sometime. Bye Matt!” She spread her wings and a little less that gracefully took to the air to continue her day. I closed the door and made my way to the sofa to see who would be writing me. It was only the lease contract for renting the cottage so I carefully signed it and put it somewhere for Robbie to add his signature to later. There was a loud thud from upstairs that let me know that Robbie had finally woken up and had probably forgotten about being a pony. A few moments later he emerged from upstairs with his mane a mess and looking rather groggy.

“Forget you were a Pegasus now?” I asked him as he walked over to where I was sitting.

“Yep, tried to stand on 2 legs and fell face first onto the floor” He replied rubbing the side of his face. He trotted through to the kitchen and I heard him rummaging for some breakfast and before long he had returned with a blueberry muffin and an apple.

“You need to sign this contract for the lease of the house. Just a basic contract but the house is in both our names so we both need to sign it”

He looked up from his muffin with crumbs all over his muzzle and took the contract and signalled for the quill and ink with a mouthful of muffin. He swallowed the mouthful and began to sign the contract in a horrible scrawl with his mouth.
“Guess I need to practice my writing a little bit” he sighed looking at his horrible signature. “What’s your plans for today anyway Matt? I’m going job hunting and will probably try to learn to fly a little bit.” Taking another bite of his muffin he browsed the job section of the paper again sighing slightly at what little jobs there were.

“I was planning on doing the same, except not learning how to fly.” I replied jokingly as he gave me a look as if to say “Well duh.”

“Well I’m going to speak to Big Mac about this helper they need at Sweet Apple Acres. You seen anything that takes your fancy?” He began to tuck into his apple and looked over at me.

“Nothing in the paper but I’m going to just ask around and see if anyone knows of anything and I’d better get started soon its nearly 10 O’clock” I said standing up and heading to the front door.

“See you later man!” Robbie called from the kitchen with a mouthful of apple.

“Good luck at Sweet Apple Acres!” I called back as I closed the door behind me. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. It seemed so much cleaner and crisper than anything back on earth. Trotting to the front gate I turned and headed towards the centre of town. I passed many ponies going around their business and greeted a few that I had seen before as I walked towards the Library. This was the first time I had ever met Twilight and I have to say I was nervous. I opened the door and entered. It was eerily quiet and there was no sign of Twilight or Spike.

“Hello? Is anypony there?” I called out hoping she was about.

“One moment please!” I heard from the other room followed by some loud bangs and thumps. A moment later I saw the purple unicorn step out through the doorway levitating several books above her head.

“Oh! Hello there! Sorry I was busy finding books for somepony. Can I help you with something?” Twilight asked me politely. She had a slight smile on her face as she placed the books down on the centre table in the room.

“Yes actually I was wondering if you needed an assistant around the library, I love reading and I could organize the books very well” I replied walking over to the central table. Twilight had stacked the books neatly in a stack and was magically tying some string around them to hold them together.

“I could use a little help but it would only be for a few days a week to give Spike a few days off… Oh I’m sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Twilight Sparkle” she held out a hoof towards me and I shook it.

“I’m Matt and I just moved into town and was looking for work so I thought I would try here” I smiled at her and she wandered over to a shelf and started to compile another small collection of books which she stacked neatly on the table.

“Oh I thought I hadn’t seen your face before. Do you stay nearby or are you across the other side of town?” She turned to face him and sat down on a nearby cushion.

“I’m quite near, only a 15 minute walk away or so.” I took a seat near Twilight and we spent a long while discussing the organization methods and what my job would entail. I have never seen anypony be so organised. The books had to be arranged first by category, then sub-category and finally alphabetically. It was difficult to get the hang of but I’m sure that once I had it mastered I would be fine. Twilight even gave me a trial run with a couple of customers. Carrot Top visited to see if Twilight had any books on how to make her carrots bigger and juicier and I was allowed to help her find what she was looking for. I have to say I think I did a rather good job of it as well.

In between bits of training we talked about the cottage that Robbie and I rented, Twilight knew the street as it was on the way to Fluttershy’s cottage. Twilight was even kind enough to make me lunch when the time came. It was a hearty lunch of apple pie and some form of salad which was delicious. After a few hours of learning the system and getting everything in order it was time for the library to close. We sorted out all the returned books and I swept up the floor then said my goodbyes and thank you to Twilight.

“Can you come back in tomorrow to help out? Spike hasn’t had a day off in quite a while” I was asked before I left and I said that I would and would be there bright and early. Then I set off towards home as the sun began to set. The walk home was uneventful and I wondered if Robbie had had any luck at Sweet Apple Acres. I’m sure I would hear all about it when I got home but right now I felt like taking a walk through the park, which wasn’t a long detour home but it would occupy a little more time. Plus I enjoyed walks in the park and the night time here was so beautiful. As I made my way through the wrought metal gates into the park it was getting slightly late and parents and foals were leaving to go home and the only people left were older ponies enjoying the warm evening in the company of friends. Some ate picnics and some were just playing and having fun. It was such a peaceful place amongst all the trees and flowers. The air was almost fragrant with the smell of flowers. It was refreshing and I enjoyed the feeling of the soft grass under my hooves. I decided to have a lie down on the grass and enjoy the evening a little more. I watched the sun set over the mountains which was a sight to behold no matter how many times you had seen it, such vibrant reds and oranges, with not a single cloud in the sky. The grass was soft beneath me and I saw a few ponies that I knew walking past but none stopped to chat. They were probably on their way home to get a good night’s rest. I figured it was probably time to do the same as the sun had now set and Robbie would probably be wondering where I was.

The rest of the walk barely took any time at all. Seemed like it took only a few minutes but I knew it had been longer as it was night time as I got home. Stepping through the door I was greeted with the smell of cooking apples and other assorted vegetables and fruits. I walked through to the kitchen and Robbie was cooking a meal that looked fit for Celestia herself.

“That smells amazing!” I said as I walked over to the wood burning stove to admire what he was cooking. A pot full of vegetables in a tomato sauce with herbs blended in was a treat to the nostrils and would most likely be a treat to the taste buds as well.

“I managed to find a stall owned by an Italian sounding pony at the market today that was selling pasta so I bought some with the money I earned at Sweet Apple Acres today.” Robbie said obviously proud of what he had managed to prepare with a lack of hands. “But Big Mac said all though I was a hard worker I probably wasn’t cut out for working on the orchards but he did put me in contact with a regular customer who owns a local Radio Station and I went and asked in there and they were looking for someone to help out in the studio with certain programmes!”

“Wow been a busy day for you then.” I said taking a seat at the table as Robbie served up the pasta. He placed the bowl down in front of me and we both tucked in to a very filling meal. It tasted as amazing as it smelled. Onions, peppers, carrot and many more vegetables made my mouth water as I was eating it. And it seemed like he had prepared dessert as well. He fried up some fresh apple fritters with berries and orange zest through it and boy were they delicious! I would have asked for seconds had I not been so full. Robbie quickly cleared up all the plates and had them washed in a brief period of time after we had finished and we settled down in the living room for the night. Robbie had also bought us some cider and we spent the night having a few drinks and discussing our day. I told him all about my day at the library with Twilight, how I was expected to organise things and what my main job would be in general. Robbie told me how after he had gotten the trial for the next day at the radio station, he had gone to a wide open space to practice flying. He had managed to fly a few feet and he felt more confident that soon he would be able to fly with ease.

After a short while we both decided to go to bed as we both had a long day tomorrow. I said goodnight as Robbie stayed downstairs to finish his cider and I climbed up the staircase and practically leapt into my bed. The warmth of my covers and the softness of the mattress engulfed me and soon I found myself drifting off to sleep.

Ponyville FM

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Waking in the morning I felt a little groggy from the cider last night as I rubbed my heavy eyes and dragged myself out of bed. I would have breakfast and a bath and be sorted for my first day at the radio station. I still had a couple of hours as I was learning with the lunchtime show which was apparently the easiest as you just played music and didn’t do much talking. Matt would most likely be away to the Library by now as it was mid-morning. I dragged my heavy hooves through to the bathroom attached to my bedroom and awkwardly turned the taps on my bath and watched the crystal clear water begin to fill the tub. I still wasn’t accustomed to using my hooves the way other ponies did but I was getting there. I could hold things but that was about as far as I had gotten so far. I couldn’t wait for the bath to finish running as I slipped into the warm water and relaxed. My muscles were very sore from yesterday at Sweet Apple Acres. Big MacIntosh had pushed me hard to get as much work done as I could and with the hot sun beaming down on me it was tiring work but I managed to get through the day. I was mostly in charge of collecting the baskets of apples and carrying them to the wagon.

I had had a brief conversation with Applejack over lunch when she asked me how my day was going with Big Mac. It was hard work but I told her that I was getting along just fine and we were on schedule with everything. She reassured me that Big Mac probably wouldn’t be so hard on me if I actually got the job and it was just to test me and make sure I was an honest and hard worker. I had laughed nervously at that thought but she gave me a smile that made me feel better about the whole day. I had to hold back a lot of excitement when I heard her southern accent greeting me from the table. I hadn’t met any of the mane 6 yet and when I met her I was almost starstruck. Applebloom and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had made and appearance to pester Applejack for some items to help them with some complicated plan to get their Cutie Marks. If only they knew that I knew what there special talents were. Telling them wouldn’t help them find out who they were though so I kept my mouth shut and mostly filled with some of the most delicious apple flavoured treats I had ever tasted.

The rest of the afternoon had passed quickly with Big Mac and I getting all of the work done for the day and I was glad to be heading home soon. I was informed that I would not get the position and that I would be paid for the day I did but also that there was a position available at the local radio station. For a moment I wondered how Big Mac knew this but then I remembered that the Apple family were all very sociable ponies who probably spoke to everyone they bumped into and that Big Mac often made deliveries of apples all over Ponyville, so getting that information would not have been difficult. I said farewell to Big Mac and set off home after that, tired but satisfied that I had done a good days work.

I quickly snapped out of reminiscing about the previous day and climbed out of the bath and dried myself with a white cotton towel that was hanging beside the door. After brushing my mane, I wandered down to the kitchen to grab my late breakfast and turned on the old wireless looking radio that was on the kitchen counters. A soft song filled the room as I began to raid the fridge for something that would give me some energy for the day ahead. As I sat down with some leftovers from last night’s dinner, I listened to the sound of the cello and violin emitting from the speakers and it was a beautiful composition. Such raw emotion almost brought a tear to my eye as the song reached its peak and slowly faded out to a calm sounding colt announcing the weather for the next few days. It was going to be sunny. Not much of a surprise there, but then again the Pegasi could have been planning a storm at some point. I sighed as I washed the dishes while the colt moved on to recent news stories. They were nothing like back on earth where the news was filled with nothing but content that either depressed you for the day or made you fear the threat of terrorism, but they were lighthearted stories about an excellent street performer in Ponyville Market today or that the Cakes were having a sale on at Sugarcube Corner in the afternoon and that there would be free samples of experimental goodies. It was uplifting to say the least. No worries about wars or anything near as bad as that, just harmony between everypony.

Finishing the dishes I put them back in the cupboard and began to make myself look presentable for my first day at Ponyville FM. As I was brushing my teeth I began to get both excited and nervous. I would have loved to work in the music industry back at home but here it was actually coming true. Sure I wouldn’t be performing as the drummer for my band on a stage in front of millions, but playing some great tunes for the people of Ponyville was a start and I would have the opportunity to meet some of Equestria’s finest musicians. Giving myself a final check over in the mirror, I almost skipped to the front door. The excitement brewing up inside of me even stronger I locked the door and began to make my way to Cherryblossom Avenue, where the studio was located. It was along a quiet road so I stretched my wings and gave them a powerful flap which lifted me up around 3 feet or so into the air. The practice yesterday had paid off as I allowed myself to glide to a less than perfect landing but aside from the stumbles I’m pretty sure I was getting along just fine. I trotted along merrily towards the studio enjoying the sunshine and I greeted everypony I came across with a smile and a cheerful “Hello”.
As I rounded the corner onto Cherryblossom Avenue the studio came into sight. A white building with double glass doors and lacking a few windows but all the same a very bright and cheerful looking place. I trotted up to the doors and made my way into the reception area to tell them that I had arrived. There were a few potted plants dotted around as well as some wooden chairs for ponies who were waiting for something. Directly in front of the doors there was a large desk with a sign above it with large colourful letters saying “Ponyville FM” and a grey maned pony sitting behind it wearing a flowery cardigan and some half-moon glasses perched on the end of her nose. She was leaned back in her chair and casually filing away at her hoof with a file as if she had nothing really to be getting on with.

“Good morning!” I said cheerily as I walked up to the desk and she turned to look at me, giving me a look up and down before replying.

“Good morning Sir, welcome to Ponyville FM. Is there anything I can help you with today?” She asked as if she had said that line over a thousand times before.

“Yes actually, I was here yesterday to fill a job I had heard about on the lunchtime show and I was asked to come in today to help out and get started on my training” I gave her a smile and she seemed to brighten up a little. I was asked to take a seat and she disappeared through a door to the right of the desk. I took the time to familiarise myself with the reception. It was brightly lit and like the exterior of the building, mostly white. Dotted around there were some pictures of ponies I assumed were the DJ’s here at the station posing with some famous artists including Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. A couple of frames housed shiny golden records which left me wondering if they were also a recording studio. A few moments passed and I began to grow more anxious about being on the air for all of Ponyville to hear, although I’m sure they wouldn’t throw me in at the deep end on my first day. The time spent waiting seemed to drag by and I grew ever more anxious about starting. I wonder if Matt got this nervous about working a new job.

A few more minutes past and then the door swung back open and the receptionist and another pony walked into the room. He was a light brown unicorn with a dark purple mane and bright blue eyes. He walked over to me and offered me his hoof.
“Hello! You must be Robbie here for your first day” I shook his hoof as he introduced himself as Record Spins, the DJ I would be working with today. He took me into the back of the studio and there were other ponies sitting around at desks and getting on with what seemed like a mountain of paperwork for a radio station. I followed him through another door with a red light beside it into a room filled with mixers and an earth pony with a large set of headphones on playing a pre-recorded show that was for the mornings. He opened up a door with a lot of padding and soundproofing around it and I followed him into the studio. There was a large wooden desk in the middle of the room with chairs on both sides and a microphone sat on either side of it. He motioned for me to take a seat and I sat down on one of the comfortable looking chairs and Record took a seat across the desk from me. He sat and went through a drawer for a second and handed me a pass that would hang around my neck and a contract for me to sign. I admired the pass I had been passed and it had “Ponyville FM” in large letters across the top followed with by my name and a square where I would need to place a picture of myself.

There was still an hour to go until we went on air so we spent that time going over everything in the studio, how to activate the mics after a song had finished and how to start a song playing on air. There were 3 red lights on the wall and one green light to countdown to when we were on air and as soon as the green light turned on we would be live for everyone to hear. Record told me that I would have to work on pronouncing words a little better than I did because of my accent. I hadn’t realised my accent had come across to Equestria before this point. I wonder if anypony else had had trouble understanding me?

After getting the ropes down it finally reached twelve o’clock and it was time to begin the show. Record told me that he would do the introduction and I would be given a few lines to say in between songs and give some introductions. As the lights counted down to the green I began to get very nervous and Record just seemed so relaxed but then again I guess he had done this for years.

“Hello listeners! This is the Lunchtime show with Record Spins and Robbie on Ponyville FM, the only stop you need to hear your favourite songs and local news!” Record announced as I began to spin up the first record and placed the needle to the disk. A delightful song filled my headphones and I got a little carried away listening to it, bobbing my head to the rhythm. The Lunchtime show only lasted until two o’clock so it was a relatively short show. A few songs were played until Record covered his mic with his hoof and whispered over to me that I was to introduce the next song. My nerves flared up once again knowing that I would be speaking to a lot of Ponyville after only arriving a few days ago. It was scary but exciting and I was loving my first day. The song gradually came to an end and that was my queue.

“Alright that was an absolutely brilliant track there by Dr Neigh and up next we have “Hooves Grooves” by DJ Pon-3 so get your dancing shoes on for this sweet electro beat!” I announced as clearly as I could, given my accent, and I began to spin the record, placed the needle down and pressed the button to have it play on the air. The beat began to film my headphones and I saw Record give me a smile and a nod to say I had done well. The rest of the show went just as well as the first half had gone and two o’clock arrived very quickly. The green light switched off and I stood up and shook Records hoof.

“You did well for your first time and we will be glad to have you working here with us on the lunchtime show and who knows! Maybe because you’re young you might get to cover a couple of concerts in a couple of months” Record said to me with a smile on his face. I smiled back and we made our way out of the studio and back down to the reception area where I said goodbye to Record and the receptionist then made my way back out into the bright street.

I took a deep breath and a large smile erupted across my face. It was obvious I was proud of how my first broadcast had gone and I wondered if Matt had been allowed to listen in at the Library. Walking down the street I decided that I would enjoy the weather and go for a walk around Ponyville and maybe meet some new ponies or even just relax in the park. The hottest part of the day was over and the ponies who had finished their work early were filling up the marketplace. I made my way through the crowds of ponies and browsed a few stalls, stopping to greet Applejack and Big Mac at the Apple stand before making my way over to Sugarcube Corner to get myself a milkshake to enjoy on this marvellous day. I opened up the door to the shop and made my way inside, other ponies had obviously had the same idea as me and some were already drinking their beverages while others were standing waiting to order. I joined the queue of ponies waiting and observed Mr and Mrs Cake seemed to be rather busy with baking treats and trying to serve all these ponies at once. I was in no rush though so I didn’t mind a wait plus it was nice to be in the shade after being out in the sunshine for a while. I looked around hoping for a glimpse of Pinkie Pie helping out but once again she seemed to be out and about probably just being, well, Pinkie Pie. I was nearing the front of the queue and I realised that I had better decide what I would like. Looking over the menu everything looked tempting. There were so many flavours to choose from that I was having a hard time deciding and by the time I had made my way to the front of the line I had decided to go with a classic Chocolate with sprinkles and marshmallows. I watched as Mr Cake mixed up my shake and when he placed it down on the counter I was almost drooling. It looked delicious, served in a tall glass with marshmallows placed artistically into the cream and sprinkles generously poured over the top. I paid for my drink and made my way outside to one of the round tables outside with a parasol shading it from the hot sun and sat down. I took a long sip through the straw and It tasted as delicious as it looked. The chocolate flavouring was strong but not sickly at all and it cooled me down almost instantly.

I watched as everypony went about their business while I enjoyed my shake. Groups of friends passed laughing and smiling, vendors were having good business days and everypony seemed to be upbeat. I couldn’t help but smile when everywhere I went ponies were happy and so friendly! Although I hadn’t really met anypony yet but I’m sure I would meet some friends soon. I finished off my milkshake making sure I got every last drop and vacated the table to continue my walk. Matt wouldn’t be leaving the Library until five so I had a few hours or so to play with. Feeling refreshed I made my way to the park to lie in the sun for a while. I walked through the gates and was greeted by the fragrant smell of flowers and freshly cut grass. I chose a nice spot by a nearby tree and lay down on the grass and closed my eyes. This was the life for me. All of those years of being victimized by chefs and managers just melted away here. There were no worries like that to keep me up at night, no worries about not having a girlfriend and definitely no worries about wars and terrorism. I was at home here and I wished I never had to leave but it had been a few days and Matt and I would have to return to earth soon. I pushed that thought away to the back of my head and thought about who I would like to befriend if it was possible. Ditzy doo was high on the list as well as Fluttershy and Rainbowdash.

A short while passed and I was starting to feel the heat of the sun getting to me so I decided that I would need to go and get another drink. I purchased a bottle of water from a nearby stall and took a walk around elsewhere. It was starting to get quiet around town now. The hustle of the days business was dying down and ponies were beginning to head home. I decided to meet Matt from work and took a brief stroll to the Library. It was a lot bigger than it looked in the TV show. The trunk was thick and tall with many sturdy branches stretching out in every direction with vibrant green leaves all over the sticks and twigs. I walked up to the door which divided into two parts and entered the Library to see Matt up a ladder with a stack of books levitating beside him.

“Careful you don’t fall Matt” I teased and he dropped a few in surprise. I doubt he had heard me enter as he turned around and gave me a slightly frustrated look before climbing down to pick up the books he had dropped.

“Please don’t ever do that to me again! I almost had a heart attack” he said mockingly, giving me a smile while placing the books carefully back on the shelf. Once again he climbed down the ladder and approached me. “So what brings you here anyway?” He asked looking at the time.

“Well I decided to come meet you from work seeing as I didn’t really have much better to do because I finished at two.” I answered with a jokingly offended tone. “Also I was wondering if I could borrow a Daring Do book. I’ve wanted to read one ever since I watched the episode with Rainbowdash in the hospital” I lowered my voice for the last statement and Matt seemed more than eager to help me out. Briskly walking to the other side of the room he browsed the Adventure section and pulled out a book after a moments searching.

“Here you go! It’s the first one in the series.” He said proudly holding it out to me. I took it from him and placed it on the centre table before turning to him.

“I don’t suppose you brought your saddlebags with you today did you? I don’t really want to carry it in my hoof the entire way home” He gave me a nod and quickly darted into the back of the library and emerged a moment later with his bags levitating in front of him. He then lowered them onto my back and fixed the straps for me as I had no idea of where to even start with them all. Placing the book into one of the compartments I looked at him once more.

“So are you getting off soon or will I have to walk back myself?” He quickly looked at the clock and it was quarter to five and he turned back to me.

“Will be all done in fifteen minutes or so if you can wait until then?” I gave him a nod and told him I would wait outside to enjoy the last of the sunshine before the sun set. I exited and sat on a nearby bench in the sunshine and relaxed. We would have to go back through the portal later on so I planned on enjoying the last few hours I had in Equestria. A few moments passed until I heard the Library door open and softly close and Matt approached the bench with a smile on his face.

“Ready to go?” He asked me with a glint in his eye as if he had something planned that was either awesome or malicious. I gave him a quick nod and we began the walk home in the dying sunshine. The bright colours of the flowers and trees were even more beautiful with the orange backdrop of the sun slowly sinking behind the mountains and I would have liked to take my time to enjoy the walk a little more but Matt seemed to want to get this walk over with quickly and I was almost trotting to keep up with him. He had the same smile from outside of the Library plastered across his face the entire way home. Only a few words were exchanged on the way back to the house and the closer we got the more I felt a slight sadness come over me as I knew we would be leaving this magical world soon enough even if it wasn’t for long.

“I thought you might be a little sad that we’re heading back tonight for a little while so I arranged for someone to come and meet you tonight” He said with his smirk spreading a little wider as we rounded the corner onto our street. I quickly noticed why he was smiling as I laid eyes on the blonde maned, grey Pegasus that I had grown so fond of from many fanfics and animations standing by the gate of our cottage. I couldn’t contain a slight smile as she waved to Matt and threw me a quick friendly glance.

“Hey Matt! How are you?” Ditzy asked as we walked the last few feet towards her. I took a moment to compose myself for meeting my favourite pony in the flesh. I risked a quick glance at her face and we made eye contact for a split second before my shyness made me break the glance.

“I’m not bad thanks Ditzy yourself? This is Robbie by the way, the friend I was telling you about from the other side of Equestria.” Matt replied, slightly gesturing a hoof in my direction. I wonder where he said I was from. I didn’t know the names of anywhere else in Equestria so if she asked I would be left completely stumped. I decided to make contact but all I seemed to be able to muster was a quick: “Hi how’s it going” before awkwardly pawing at the ground with my hoof. I could almost feel her eyes looking at me and I felt like I was being rude for not making eye contact so I looked back once again only for a split second until I instinctively looked away.

“Wow you must be from far away. I’ve never heard a pony with an accent like yours before!” She seemed quite excited and I felt a smile invade my face once more as I quickly looked at her again but this time my mind allowed my eyes to linger slightly longer. Her amber eyes were really quite captivating when you saw them up close.

“Yeah I’ve been told it’s quite unique around these parts anyway, I was told by my job that I needed to pronounce words a bit clearer because apparently I’m a little difficult to understand sometimes” I had taken a wild stab at humour and even though it probably didn’t deserve a laugh Ditzy still had a little giggle and the smile once again spread across my face uncontrollably. Matt had made his way up to the front door and was making his way inside and I invited Ditzy in for a drink and she accepted and trotted merrily into the living room, quickly followed by me.

“So Ditzy, apple juice or cider seems to be all that we have so which would you prefer?” Matt called through from the kitchen. Ditzy had made herself comfortable on the couch while I stood rather awkwardly beside the fireplace.
“I’ll have a mug of cider if that’s okay with you.” She replied and then looked at me again causing me to look around awkwardly before my eyes settled on the painting of Canterlot. Matt then trotted through with three ciders levitating in front of him and placed one beside each of us before settling down on the other end of the couch. I chose to just grab a cushion and find a comfortable spot on the floor beside the fire. Taking a long swig of cider I looked over at Ditzy. I had so many questions to ask her but I had better play it safe and act like I don’t know her.

“So Ditzy” I managed to muster the confidence from somewhere to start a conversation “What do you do for a living?” I took another swig of cider and tried to maintain eye contact for more than a couple of seconds this time.
“I’m Ponyville’s local Mailmare, I mostly just deliver letters and packages but I have days where I just stay in the post office and sort the mail. What about you? Have you had any luck finding work around here?” She asked seeming genuinely interested and that seemed to give me a little more confidence.

“Well I have just started at Ponyville FM as a presenter on the lunchtime show with Record Spins.” I replied giving her a smile. Matt seemed to just be sitting there content that he had managed to unite me in conversation with my favourite pony and I had to admit she was even better to hang out with than all the fics and images had made her seem.
“Oh cool! I listen to that show when I’m not out delivering mail. Although I don’t think I’ve heard you on the show yet… have you just started?” She took a short sip of cider and gave me an intrigued look.

“Yeah I just started today actually and I think it went well.” I replied shyly almost trying to hide my face in the mug of cider I was now downing. I would have to get another one if I kept drinking at this rate… I also might end up rather drunk.
“Would you like to stay for dinner Ditzy? Robbie here is quite the chef and I’m sure he would be more than happy to cook us something up” Matt chimed in after sitting in his pride of this situation for a while.

“Oh really” Ditzy answered giving me a playful look with a mischievous glint in her eye “A Pegasus who can cook AND has a job that could make him famous. You’re a colt after my own heart aren’t you?” She gave me a playful wink and I felt my cheeks growing redder by the second while Matt just tried to contain his laughter on his corner of the sofa.

“You’re more than welcome, I’m pretty sure I could rustle something up in about half an hour to an hour?” I finally replied after drinking pretty much the rest of my cider and eying up the fridge to get some more. Standing up I made my way through to the kitchen and poured myself another mug of cider and checked to see what provisions we had left in the fridge that I could make a meal from. I still had all the ingredients from the other night so I could rustle that up again and for dessert I still had a few chocolate chip muffins that I could bake until they are slightly warm again then drizzle them with a honey infused chocolate sauce. Grabbing everything that I needed I got to work on chopping up tomatoes, onions, peppers and a combination of all the other veg that we had in the fridge before lightly frying it in the pan and adding tomato juice and seasoning with herbs from the garden and some wild garlic. The pasta didn’t take long to cook so I just left it on a low simmer and it would all be ready in around half an hour as I had predicted.

“That smells delicious” I heard Ditzy say as she walked over to the cooker, almost causing me to drop the tray of muffins I had awkwardly held in my clumsy hooves. After managing to wrestle the tray into the oven I turned to take a seat and grabbed my cider and Matt was nowhere to be seen. Had he planned this to be like some form of date as a joke? Or was he just away doing something? I hoped he’d be back soon as I sat down at the table and Ditzy took a seat across the table from me and her eyes scanned over the kitchen. After a few moments of awkward silence Ditzy finally spoke again.

“So where did you learn to cook if your cutie mark is… music? It is music right?” She asked leaning in as if we were about to engage in a deep conversation. I felt quite bashful that she had been looking at my flank but I wasn’t sure if that was really as big of a deal in Equestria. After a long drink of cider I placed the cup on the table and looked back over the table in her direction.

“Yeah it is music. I learned to cook from my grandparents when I was younger, mostly just helping out with baking cakes and spreading the icing but as I grew older I just learned more about it until I eventually started messing around with some instruments in school and discovered I had talent.” I replied while fidgeting with the half-drunk mug of cider that was in front of me before I stood up and gave the sauce and pasta a stir and sat back down. I could hear Matt moving around upstairs and I presumed he was getting everything in order before we headed back through the portal again.
“So what do you play? I used to play a little xylophone back in school but I was never really very good at it. I don’t have very good depth perception you see.” She looked away almost as if she was ashamed of her eyes. I gave her a reassuring smile and she returned it and let a small giggle out.

“Well I’ve played Cello before and Piano… but my real instrument is drums or some decks and a mixer” I replied feeling like I was bragging because I had played quite a few instruments so I decided to turn the conversation around to focus on her.
“So how long have you been the Mailmare for Ponyville?” I asked her before taking a small sip of cider. She paused to think for a moment and it looked like she was counting in her head. She took a large drink of her cider and focused for another moment.

“Oh about… 7 or 8 years. You kind of lose track after working the same job for so long but I enjoy my work because I get to see everypony almost every day!” She gave a joking little salute across the table to me and it was probably one of the most adorable things I had seen since arriving in Equestria. She returned to drinking her cider as I tended to the food which was a few moments away from being ready. I trotted over to the bottom of the staircase and shouted to Matt to come down and he joined Ditzy at the table as I began to serve large portions for everyone. The smell of the muffins in the oven had filled the room and it was almost like I was sitting in Sugarcube Corner.

We all tucked into our meals and Ditzy and Matt seemed to enjoy the food which I had to admit was pretty amazing by my standards. The conversation was light-hearted and we discussed our jobs, hobbies and Ditzy told us stories of great times she had had with Dinky, some of which were rather funny and others were just plain cute. I finished before Ditzy and Matt as I had planned so I could prepare dessert and serve it when they were both finished. I carefully removed the muffins from the oven, burning myself a couple of times along the way, and waited for the chocolate to melt in the pan which filled the room with a sweet scent which complimented the aroma of the baking muffins perfectly. The chocolate eventually melted and I poured some fresh honey into the mixture and stirred it before pouring onto the muffins and serving it to the ponies that were by now focused on the creation I had served to them. The table fell silent as we tucked into the treats I had prepared and was only broken by satisfied gulps and “mmm”’s and before long all the plates were clear and I placed them in the sink to be washed after Ditzy had left. It wasn’t long until she decided to leave and she asked if she could bring Dinky around at some point to try my cooking and of course I agreed and we shook hoofs and she flew away into the night. I stood at the door and watched her fly away and I heard Matt’s hoofsteps behind me.

“I’ve done the dishes. Are you ready to go? Or are you just going to stand there and watch that flank until it’s only a speck?” I heard him mock from the doorway into the living-room. I felt my cheeks flare up into what I can only presume was a bright shade of red and I closed the door and gave him a slightly mournful nod and with that we departed upstairs where Matt had the portal gun ready.

Stick in the Wheel

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The door to my bedroom swung open with a slight nudge and I entered closely followed by Robbie. On my bed lay the portal gun and I gave Robbie a quick glance and he was looking a little sad at the fact we were heading back to earth.

“Hey man, no need to look so glum. It’s only for roughly 12 hours and then we can come back again so it’s not like you have to wait long.” I reassured him giving him a quick smile and he gave me a not too convincing smile back. I placed the portal gun on the ground in facing the only blank wall in my room and I pressed the button to power it up. A mechanical sounding whir emitted from the machine as the few lights lit up along the side to say that it was ready for use. Pressing the button there was a loud crack and as normal I shielded my eyes from the flash created. I turned to face Robbie.

“Ready to go?” I asked him and then noticed a look of confusion crossed with horror on his face and I turned to see what was wrong.

Nothing. The blank wall stood as it always had, there was no portal back to the human world. My mouth dropped open and immediately I started examining the portal gun for any signs of malfunction and could see none. I pressed the button again and the loud crack sounded out once more but yielded the same result.

“Crap” It was the only word I could muster right now and I had a lot of work to do if I was going to fix this. Robbie was still standing by the doorway looking as horrified as before with a look in his eyes that could only mean he had a million and one thoughts going on in his head at once.

“I can fix this” I reassured him once more “I just need some time to disassemble the device and find the source of the problem. Why don’t you go get us some more cider? It’s going to be a long night.” I turned and levitated the device back onto my bed where I pulled out a small box of tools from underneath the bed. Robbie slowly dragged his hooves out of the door and I heard him enter the kitchen and pour cider before he promptly returned with one in his hoof and the other in his mouth. Taking the cup I took a long sip and began working. Taking apart this machine would take time and as for finding the problem, well that could take days. I sighed in frustration and began the slow process of removing screws and bolts.

“So when do you think it will be operational again?” Robbie asked me from the doorway where he stood with most of his cider drunk already.

“Could be a few days before I know what’s wrong with it. So I would settle in for a long wait, this could take some time.” I replied not wanting to worry him but not lying either.

“Well I think I’m going to go to bed then. That way you have the space to work in peace and I won’t be grumpy tomorrow. Night Matt” He began to leave the room and I muttered a quick “goodnight” to him before I closed the door and focused a lamp on the complex series of wires and chips inside the device. Beads of sweat began to roll down my forehead from the amount of concentration I was having to put into this, one severed wire or broken part could mean we would be permanent residents of Equestria. Not a bad thought on one hand but not ideal on the other given my family would wonder where I had disappeared to and Robbie’s family would spend their lives thinking something terrible had happened. This was a lot of pressure for me and I quickly glanced at my clock as I was taking a sip of cider. It was roughly midnight which meant I had been working for around an hour now and I was starting to feel a little tired. The machine was almost completely in pieces around me and I decided to finish taking it to pieces and assess what was malfunctioning in the morning when I could be more focused. The last few pieces were the trickiest but with some slight persuasion and some mild swearing they eventually came apart and I laid them out neatly on the floor with the rest of the bits before climbing into my bed and my eyes sealed tight into the comforts of sleep.

I awoke the next morning in a state of mild confusion and feeling rather rested although my dream was what was mostly on my mind. It had been based around the episode where Scootaloo had wanted to hear Rainbowdash’s cutie mark story so badly and how all the friends had that special connection before they even met. Which brought on a theory which he had not even began to think of because I was thinking about this universe as if it were the human universe. Everything happens for a reason. This thought was heavy on my mind as I made my way to the kitchen to prepare myself a light breakfast, nothing too heavy for this time in the morning, just an apple and carrot or something along those lines. Robbie was already downstairs and was tucking into an apple at the table and his eyes lit up a little when he saw me enter.

“So any progress with the portal gun?” He asked with a hopeful look on his face. I grabbed an apple and sat down across the table from him.

“Not so far but I will keep working on it today. Also I had this weird dream last night that has been playing on my mind slightly.” I took a large bite of the apple and allowed the flavour to fill my mouth before swallowing and continuing.
“I had a dream about this universe and ours and this might sound crazy but what if in this universe things actually do happen for a reason and it’s not just people saying that to help you through your day? It seems like an odd theory but I just have this feeling that it failed for a reason and that we are still here for that very same reason.” I glanced at Robbie to make a quick judgement on what his response would be by the look on his face. It was a thoughtful look much like a philosopher would have as he pondered the mysteries of life and the universe.

“I guess that sounds plausible but we can’t know for sure. You need to keep working and if your theory is true then we either will never go home or we will go home after a certain event has taken place.” He stood up and placed what remained of his apple in the bin and sat back down in the chair. The room was silent for the rest of breakfast and I quickly finished my apple and Robbie looked deep in thought. I began to wonder whether he actually took the theory seriously or not. I excused myself from the table and wandered back upstairs to inspect all of the parts to find broken or malfunctioning pieces. This would take some time and I was certain I would be inside all day even though the weather outside was once again absolutely stunning. I got myself comfy on the floor and began to thoroughly inspect parts.

After a couple of hours I hadn’t managed to find any malfunctioning parts and I was getting slightly frustrated. The theory of everything happening for a reason was looking more and more plausible with every part that worked perfectly. Eventually my labour came to an end and I couldn’t find anything wrong with the device as far as I could see. I would have to rebuild it and give it a test and hopefully that would have solved the problem but for now I would take a break and enjoy the sun for a little while. I trotted my way downstairs and grabbed a cold glass of apple juice as the cider was running low and Robbie liked to have a drink on hot days like today. I made my way into the front garden and lay down on my back on the grass. The sun warmed my coat and it felt amazing just to be able to not have to concentrate on fixing the broken machine that was spread over my bedroom floor. I began to doze off in the warmth of the sun and my worries seemed to drift away with the sounds of the birds chirping and the fresh air filling my lungs and soon I was taking a well-deserved nap in the sun.

“MATT LOOK OUT!” I abruptly woke with a less than dignified “ooft!” as Robbie landed on me. He rubbed his head as he stood up and immediately started apologizing.

“Oh my Celestia! I am so sorry! I was trying my first extended flight back home and I didn’t exactly nail my landing.” He offered me a hoof and I stood up and brushed myself off.

“It’s fine don’t worry.” I checked myself over and there appeared to be no damage done so I was content with that. I rubbed my eyes in the light and glanced around to get an idea of how long I had been asleep for. It couldn’t be later than 3 o’clock now and it was still sunny and bright. Walking inside I washed my glass and put it back in the cupboard then proceeded to think about dinner. I was hungry having not eaten any lunch and I thought about going out for a meal but I wasn’t sure if Robbie would be alright with me leaving him tonight. He still looked worried about why the portal gun hadn’t worked and although he was putting on a pretty convincing face, I could tell it was on his mind. I then realised I had to re-build it and have a test run tonight so eating out would have to wait. Robbie could rustle us up something for dinner that would do both of us just fine.

Making my way upstairs to the neatly organised parts and mechanisms on the floor of my bedroom I began to feel slightly nervous. What if it didn’t work this time, how would we get home? I would have to see if it worked first and worry about that later. Reluctantly I began to re-assemble the parts. It was slow work and working on the device for so long in twenty four hours was beginning to hurt my head but I would soldier on because of the importance of the situation. Time passed relatively quickly as I was working away and when I looked up the sun was beginning to set. I could hear Robbie speaking to someone downstairs but I didn’t have the time to go socialise. Beads of sweat from pure concentration dripped down my forehead and the portal gun was nearly complete again.

“Matt! You coming down for some dinner?” I heard Robbie shout from downstairs even though I had completely forgotten to ask him to make some. But it seemed like he had already prepared and cooked something that smelt deliciously aromatic. The smell filled the hallway as I made my way down the staircase and joined Robbie in the living room.

“Wow that smells good. What have you made tonight?” I walked past him and he stood proudly smiling and I entered the Kitchen to see Ditzy sitting at the table once more but this time she was joined by a small light purple unicorn I knew as Dinky. I took a seat at the table and greeted Ditzy and introduced myself to the young foal as Robbie served up what could only be described as a feast of roasted vegetables. Carrots, Peppers in tomato sauce, celery, broccoli and many more delicious looking treats were all set out on the table in front of us with Robbie burning his hoof on the hot roasting dishes a couple of times but he was used to this from working in a kitchen and managed to refrain from swearing.

“Well guys help yourself!” Robbie said looking proudly at his meal he had obviously put a lot of time into. We all served ourselves generous portions and after some protests from Dinky about having to eat broccoli Robbie managed to convince her that it was good when he said she would grow up to be big and strong like her mum and it turns out that she loved broccoli.

Dinner conversation was initially light hearted and we discussed Dinky’s schoolwork and how Ditzy’s day had been and what we had planned for the next couple of weeks. I had never felt as full as I did after that meal and it was delicious. Robbie could really cook for someone who had no hands anymore. Then Robbie brought up some events that were coming up soon in the music world that we might want to attend. Octavia and her quartet were playing in Ponyville town hall in a week and he suggested going to see her perform. I agreed and Ditzy seemed quite keen as well but would have to see what her plans were for that night.

“Dinky and I are actually planning on going to the Grand Galloping Gala this year aren’t we?” She smiled at her daughter and Dinky’s eyes immediately lit up.

“Yeah! And it’s going to be the best and most magical night ever! I’m going to meet Princess Celestia and the Wonderbolts!” Dinky exclaimed obviously extremely excited at the ideas she had of how the night would go.

“What do you reckon about that Matt?” Robbie looked at me across the table. “Could be a good night, plus we might be able to find you a marefriend.” He burst into laughter at that last part and I blushed a little and Ditzy gave me a smile from across the table.

“Ew why would you want that” Dinky chimed in while sticking her tongue out and the laughter coming from Robbie spread to both me and Ditzy. It was beginning to get late and Dinky had school tomorrow so both Ditzy and Dinky excused themselves and bid us farewell before trotting off into the night. Robbie knew what was coming now as he turned to me after shutting the door.

“Test time?” he asked me and I gave him a nod and I headed upstairs to attach the final few parts while Robbie washed the dishes and put them away and shortly he joined me in my room to see whether it was successful or not. The tension in the room was extremely high as I powered up the device and aimed it at the blank wall before firing once more. A loud crack emitted from the device with a blinding flash of light and we both turned yet again to see nothing but a blank wall in front of us.

“I don’t think there is anything else I can do.” I said dropping the gun to the floor with a loud thud and my head dropped with the sorrow that overcame me. I felt a hoof on my shoulder.

“It’s okay man. I knew this was risky when I first stepped through the portal. But I never thought this would actually happen and even though it has I’m sure we can figure this out together. People will be worried about us but if we make it back it will all be great again.” His calmness and understanding of the situation was comforting but I couldn’t help a tear from rolling down my cheek. I had brought my friend halfway across the world to show him something truly magical and now he was stuck in a different universe with no way back unless I could figure out the answer. I turned to face him now and all I could muster was a simple:

“I’m so sorry. Do you mind if I have some time alone? I don’t mean to be rude but I feel like I need it” I needed some time just to think and get my head straight before I could decide on my next move. Robbie gave me a sympathetic smile and a nod and left my room before closing the door. The room was still with only silence and the feeling of guilt inside me felt like it was filling the room and pushing its walls to the limits of breaking. The front door shut and it seems like Robbie had gone out for a night time walk and then I couldn’t contain it any more. A flood of tears began to flow from my eyes as everything that had occurred in the past few days came back to me. The amazement in Robbie’s eyes as he first entered this world, the first amazing day we had spent out in the town, and now it all seemed like it was slightly ruined by the fact that my device had failed and now they were trapped here forever. Although that might not seem such a bad prospect with the current state of the world back on earth but my family, Robbie’s family, would all be so worried when we never came home. I had failed my friend and I don’t think I could ever make it right. I crawled my way onto my bed and buried my face into my pillow trying to suffocate the thoughts that were circling in my head but to no avail. This just wasn’t going to go away and I knew it would hang over me like a dark cloud for the next few days.

The tears seemed never-ending and time seemed endless until I finally began to run out of tears which just left me with a red, puffy face and sobbing into my pillow. It was very late now and fatigue began to take its toll. I slowly drifted out of consciousness and fell asleep with my face still buried in the damp pillow. At least I wouldn’t have to feel any guilt while I was asleep. I would tackle this situation tomorrow and hopefully it would be a better day.

Bass Drop Nightclub

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I arrived back very late after the walk I had taken to give Matt some space. It must have been almost two in the morning when I finally made my way up to the front door and cautiously opened it to avoid waking Matt if he had gone to sleep. Letting out a sigh I walked up the stairs and decided to quickly peek my head into Matt’s room to check up on him. I nudged his door open slightly with my hoof and saw him lying face down in his pillow with the lights still on and he hadn’t bothered to climb under his blankets. I shook my head a little and walked over to where he lay and noticed the dampness of his pillow and came to the conclusion that he had probably been crying for the time I was away. It had looked like he was straining to hold back tears when I had left and I was just glad he had been able to get to sleep and get some rest. Walking to the cupboard in his room I opened it and as I predicted there was a spare blanket that I threw over him to at least keep him slightly warm before I turned off the lights and made my way through into my own room. I heaved myself onto my bed and noted that the walk had taken a lot more out of me than I had originally thought. I collapsed onto the soft mattress and pulled the blankets over me and adjusted my position so my wings weren’t being restrained or crushed and I found the comfort I had been looking for. The moon hung over the top of the cottages at the other side of the street and I found myself staring at its immense beauty as the cloudless night allowed it to light up the streets of Ponyville and after a short space of time my heavy eyes slowly drooped and finally closed into a peaceful slumber.

I awoke late the next day maybe about 11 o’clock or so and I dragged myself over to sit on the edge of my bed as I rubbed my eyes. Letting out a yawn I stretched and unfolded my wings to give them a long stretch too. I dropped to my hooves and shuffled my way through to the bathroom to brush my mane and teeth before heading out to see if Matt was up and about yet or whether he was in his room still. There was no noise from the kitchen or living room so I assumed he wasn’t downstairs and I nudged his bedroom door open slightly and found him still in bed almost the same way I had left him last night except he had freed his face from his pillow and there was the occasional snore. It didn’t seem like he would be up for a while so I decided I would go for a walk to the Horse and Hare pub that was a few streets away for a drink and a bite to eat. I quickly scrawled a note telling Matt where I was and that I would be back soon and placed it on the kitchen table before walking out onto the street. It was bright out but there were a few scattered clouds about that gave the air a slight chill to it. I shuddered slightly at the chill and decided a brisk flight to the pub would be the quickest way of getting there. Extending my wings I gave a large flap and I was pushed into the air and propelled forward and I gave them another couple of hard flaps to gain some altitude before I hurt myself on the chimneys of nearby houses. Flying took a lot of concentration from me seeing as I had just learned how but once I was in the air and heading towards my destination I would relax a little and enjoy the feeling of being seemingly weightless.

Concentrating hard I managed to land safely outside the Horse and Hare and began to slowly walk up to the door. The door creaked slightly as I pushed it open and it was made from a heavy wood which required quite a bit of effort to push open. The inside was decorated like an old British pub with lots of dark wood and green felt seats with matching stools lined up along the bar. A fireplace roared on the wall opposite a small cluster of comfortable looking sofas surrounding a large coffee table. There were not many ponies sitting around and it was nice to have found such a quiet place where I could just relax with a pint and not think about recent happenings. I made my way over to the bar and sat myself rather awkwardly on one of the available stools and looked at all the different bottles of wine and punch that were lined along the shelves behind the barman.

“Good morning, what can I get for you?” The barman asked me politely and I looked along the selection of wines but made the decision it was too early for wine and I settled on a wheat beer and paid the 2 bits and took my first sip. It was delicious and thirst quenching, much better than cider anyway but I hadn’t tried any wine or punch yet. I found myself wondering if they had whiskey in Equestria and I scanned the bar trying to find a bottle that was maybe hidden away but couldn’t see any sign of any. My train of thought was soon interrupted though by a plum coloured earth pony with a slightly darker mane that was sitting at a stool just a few down from me with a couple of empty glasses in front of her.

“Hey! I haven’t seen *hic* you around here before. Are you new *hic* in town” She asked me turning to face me and I noticed her cutie mark and realised it was Berry Punch. Her cheeks seemed a little red and her eyes looked slightly glazed over so it was obvious that she had drank a lot more than just the few glasses in front of her.

“Yeah I’m pretty new here. I only moved in about three or four days ago now.” I watched her pick up her glass and take a long drink before giving me a funny look of false recognition.

“Do I know you from somewhere? That accent seems so different from *hic* anypony else’s yet it seems familiar to *hic* me” She narrowed her eyes to try and get a good look at me through blurred vision but from the look she gave me afterwards it seemed that she had given up trying to recognise me.

“I don’t know where you’d know me from, I mean I’ve done a couple of shows on Ponyville FM in the past couple of days if you ever listen to the lunchtime show?” I hoped she didn’t listen in but after taking a sip of my beer her eyes lit up and she seemed to get quite excited.

“That’s it! That’s where I know you from! You *hic* present with Record Spins now, don’t *hic* you? Your name is… ugh it’s a *hic* funny one… Ronnie? It’s Ronnie right?” She seemed proud of herself until I corrected her but she didn’t seem too down heartened by getting my name wrong. We chatted away over our drinks for a while but she seemed to get more and more distant and the conversation eventually died out completely and I found myself eyeing up the menu which had some delicious looking food on offer. I signalled the barman over and placed an order with him for one of the carrot, parsnip and gravy pies with chips on the side then I made my way over to one of the tables to get comfortable. The door of the pub opened and the light blue unicorn I lived with walked in and looked around looking for me so I waved him over. He took a seat opposite me at the table and placed one hoof on his head and leaned on the table to support his head. He was looking glum and he didn’t make eye contact or even say a word to me for a few minutes until I could take it no longer and broke the silence.

“Would you like a drink? Or maybe you would prefer some food first” I asked him trying my best to make eye contact but to no avail, he just kept avoiding my gaze so I gave up on that front.

“A drink would be nice but then again some food would be too.” He answered with a tone to his voice that made him sound a million miles away. I called the barman over and Matt ordered a hay-bacon sandwich and a pint of wheat beer. We both sat waiting on our food in silence and I began to feel slightly awkward.

“Hey Matt” He looked up at me from the other side of the table making eye contact for the first time “you know what I think we need to do today? I think we need to forget about everything that’s happened in the past 2 days so why don’t we drink here today and hit up a nightclub tonight?” I suggested hoping that he would say yes because I was dying to go to Bass Drop nightclub that Record had told me about. It wasn’t a well-known club but it was apparently one of the best for atmosphere and ponies.

“Yeah I suppose we could do that. It might be nice to just get smashed and not worry for a night.” His answer pleased me and I held up my glass and he let a small smile creep onto his lips before picking his up and tapping it against mine.
“Cheers!” I said before taking a few large mouthfuls and slamming my glass down on the table. At that point the food arrived and it smelled good. It wasn’t as great as some of the other restaurants in Ponyville but it tasted good and it was relatively cheap so I wasn’t about to complain. We stayed silent over the course of the meal and after I finished I sat back in my seat and let out a satisfied sigh before finishing my beer and waiting for Matt to do the same. After he had finished it was approaching one so we decided to pick up some more drinks for after the nightclub even though we planned on drinking a lot while we were out.

We casually walked into the centre of town and we soon found a shop that sold all kinds of different drinks and I was excited to find out if whiskey was a drink that they had here. Upon entering the shop an older pony greeted us from behind the counter and he asked us if we needed any help but we decided to have a browse first before choosing what we would have. The shelves were stocked with all different types of wine and beer and we began to get slightly confused over the selection that was on offer. I walked slowly over to the other side of the shop and sitting on the top shelf was exactly what I had been looking for. Applejack Daniels Finest Equestrian Whiskey from Sweet Apple Acres which I had only seen in fan art before this. I asked the pony if I could have a look at the bottle and he politely agreed and fetched a tall ladder from the back of the store and passed it down to me. I held the bottle in my hoof and admired the dark golden colour of the whiskey in the bottle and the label was finely printed and had a brief description on how it was distilled and made. On the front of the label was a picture of Applejack smiling with her hat pushed back high on her head and it seemed like it was perfect. I decided to buy that bottle and Matt had chosen a couple of bottles of wine to try.

After paying for our purchases we made our way back to the cottage to drop off the bottles and decided on our next move. It was almost half past two now and we were getting impatient to just head out and start drinking. I decided to have a taste of the whiskey I had bought and poured myself a small amount into a glass. Taking a sip it tasted sweet like apples but with a strong kick from the alcohol content in it. It was one of the best whiskeys I had ever tasted and I could tell I would enjoy it in the days to come.

Once again we headed out to the Horse and Hare after getting bored in the house for half an hour and the walk was a little more enjoyable this time with the whiskey warming my insides and the company of Matt to have a chat with. The pub wasn’t far away so it seemed like no time at all until we arrived. We settled down at the bar on a couple of stools and ordered another couple of pints from the barman which we tucked into quickly. Bass Drop opened at 6 but nopony would get there until around 8 or 9 so we settled on taking it easy and relaxing into our drinks for the next few hours. We finished our first pints pretty quickly and ordered another couple and with me starting to feel the buzz from the alcohol I called Berry over for some more chat and even Matt seemed to cheer up a bit with some drink in him. We sat and chatted a couple of hours away over a few drinks and more ponies showed up who Berry knew so they came over and joined us in a few drinks and chat so the night was starting pretty well. The barman was kind enough to allow us some music to be played and I was having a blast. Although I didn’t know the ponies I was talking to they had some great stories to share and I shared some with them from back on earth but missed out the details about humans and other things.

“Hey Berry! How’s it going?” I heard a very familiar voice from behind me say after the door to the bar squeaked open and slammed shut again. I turned to see who the new addition to our group was and laid eyes on the blue Pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane and rainbow lightning cloud as a cutie mark who was making her way over to the group.
“Hey Rainbow! I’m not doing *hic* too badly thanks yourself?” Berry answered enthusiastically from my left and moving to greet her.

“Yeah I’m not doing too badly, had a pretty hard day on weather patrol and training so I thought I’d come for a cider and see you for a while” She trotted over and took a seat beside Berry and the two started chatting away while Matt was engaged in a conversation with two other unicorns that had taken a seat nearby.

“Oh! By the way *hic* this is Ronnie!” She waved a hoof in my direction “He’s on Ponyville FM and he has a funny accent that I can barely understand sometimes” I felt a little embarrassed by this and decided to start pronouncing words a little better for the night.

“Oh hey Ronnie, nice to meet you, so where are you from if you have this accent?” Rainbowdash looked past Berry to make eye contact with me and I took a sip of my drink while taking the time to think of an answer to this.

“Actually it’s Robbie but whatever” I let out a slight laugh and continued “I’m originally from Neighdinburgh in the north of Equestria where it’s a lot colder but my family moved to Manehattan when I was just a young foal so I don’t remember much about living there” I took another long sip of my drink as I judged Rainbowdash’s face to see if she had bought it.
“Did you ever go back? Like on holiday or something. Surely your parents took you back to see your friends?” She replied looking at me while taking a drink of cider.

“Actually my parents aren’t exactly… around” I said before finishing what was left of my beer as the events of the previous couple of days flooded back into my head.

“Hell I know that feeling” she raised her glass to me and I picked up my empty glass and clinked it against hers. I introduced her to Matt shortly afterwards and it was almost time to head out to the club for the rest of the night out. I invited Rainbow and Berry along with us and they seemed more than happy to come. We all finished our drinks and made our way out into the now quite chilly street. I was beginning to notice my speech slurring and my walk was becoming slightly erratic as we walked into town to join the other ponies who were all out for the night. After searching a street for the club we eventually found it down a set of stairs leading into a basement and we made our way inside to continue the rest of our night.

I awoke the next morning with a groan and opened my eyes slightly to avoid my head feeling like it was going to explode. It was bright outside and I sighed and laid my head back down on my pillow. I could get some more sleep before having to get up for the day as it was still reasonably early. My head was feeling like someone had hit a bass drum beside my ear all night and even my eyes felt heavy and sore. I sighed and let out a slight groan as I rolled over to get comfortable. I took a deep breath to try and stop the room from spinning and I noticed a faintly familiar smell, a mixture between alcohol, a rather sweet smell and a slight hint of sweat. I figured it was probably just me until I felt something tickle my nose and move beside me. I slowly opened my eyes and gave them a moment to focus on the rainbow coloured mane that had been tickling my nose. I let out a small shocked gasp and quickly jumped away from her while still managing to stay on the bed. She let out a small groan and sat up slightly before confusedly looking around my room then she slowly turned and looked at me.

“Morning” Said Rainbowdash and she lay back down into the pillows and let out a satisfied sigh.

“Eh.. Morning Rainbow” I replied not really knowing how to handle this situation. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure thing but make it quick because I’m going to pass out again soon” She yawned and turned to face me briefly.

“Did… Anything happen last night? Like…” I timidly asked her not knowing what the answer was going to be. I was raking my brain for any hints of what had happened after we got to the club but nothing was coming to mind, the whole night was a blur.

“Well not technically…” She said and I breathed a sigh of relief “but I don’t know if you count curling up to sleep together anything though so yeah.” She then rolled back to lie down.

“So you going to join me because you can’t of had enough sleep yet” She patted the bed beside her and I didn’t see why not so I lay back down facing her and then she did the unexpected by moving closer to me and placing one of her forelegs around me and still being a little drunk from the night before I did the same before she pulled herself up against me. Soon she was breathing lightly and I could tell she had fallen asleep again and my eyes were beginning to get heavy again and the grips of sleep took me once more.

A few hours of comfortable sleep past which seemed like the most restful and fulfilling sleeps I have ever had, but whether or not the company helped that was a different story altogether. I opened my eyes and it was a lot later than the early morning incident. Rainbowdash had pressed her muzzle to mine and we were still in the exact position we had been earlier in each other’s forelegs and I didn’t exactly hate the experience. She was warm and her coat and mane were extremely soft and I couldn’t resist running one hoof through her messy morning mane. She began to stir with this and I placed my leg back where it had been before across her body. Her eyes slowly opened and she gave me a small smile and nuzzled my nose a little which made me give a weak attempt at a smile. It was an odd experience seeing this side of Rainbowdash, she never seemed like the type to cuddle up or be anything like this. She looked so sweet when she was lying in this drowsy and yet approachable state.

I decided it would be time to get up and get on with the day and I gave her a final little nuzzle and pressed my lips to her forehead before I sat up and slowly rose to my hooves. I heard Rainbowdash sit up behind me and she gave a light groan with the bright sunshine that was beaming between the curtains.

“So what’s for breakfast Mr Chef?” I heard her tease from behind me. I didn’t remember telling her I could cook but then again I couldn’t remember most of the previous night so I just gave a weak laugh and ran a brush through my mane and brushed my teeth.

“Well let’s go and see what we have in the kitchen shall we?” I opened my door and stepped into the hallway and Rainbow closely followed me down the stairs. The living room was a state, the picture above the fireplace was askew and there were a few empty bottles lying on the floor along with about quarter of a bottle of Applejack Daniels. I strained to remember arriving home but nothing came to me as I wandered through and heard some light snoring from the sofa. Berry was passed out on her back with her mouth wide open, and saliva running out of one side of her mouth. I shook my head slightly and made my way into the kitchen which had remained relatively untouched apart from the glasses that were on the table and a couple of knocked over chairs. Rainbow seemed as much dazed by the mess as I was and I cleared away the glasses before opening the fridge to see what we had for breakfast.

“Well let’s see… We have some apple pie left over from dinner a couple of nights ago, some apples, carrots and some bread if you fancy a sandwich.” I turned to face Rainbow to hear what she would like and she opted for a slice of apple pie and I agreed that sounded best. After cutting 2 slices and setting one down in front of Rainbow I sat on the chair next to her and we tucked in. We ate breakfast silently; the only sound was coming from the sofa in the living room where Berry was passed out and snoring quite loudly. Rainbow and I exchanged a few glances across the table which resulted with us smiling and looking down at our breakfast once again. Eventually we finished up and I took the bowls and placed them in the sink before turning the taps on to get them washed.

“I’ll give you a hoof with that, after all I did help create a lot of this mess” I heard Rainbow say from behind me before she stood by my side at the sink. She did her best to dry the dishes as I washed them but for Pegusi it is a little difficult to hold a towel and a dish but we made it through with the occasional splash of water being aimed at Rainbow or the towel whip to my flank for a bit of fun. I picked up the towel and began to dry my hooves rather awkwardly and I felt Rainbow’s head nuzzle into my neck and I leaned my head to the side to rest on hers.

“So you two had fun last night then?” I heard a mocking voice say from the doorway which made me jump slightly. I turned and Matt was standing in the door looking a little bedraggled but otherwise seeming his usual self.

“I would tell you if I could remember” I said back to him giving him a smile but I was feeling a little awkward because I didn’t know what he actually thought about “liking” ponies in that way. But I guess now that we were ponies we could just go with what feels natural so I doubt it would be that big of a problem.

“Well we made a great mess of the place DJ Rob-B” Matt gave me another one of his infamous mocking looks.
“DJ Rob-B?” I asked very confused now and Rainbow let out a laugh because she had obviously remembered something from last night that I had no recollection of.

“Do you not remember? Oh this is going to be priceless! Well you see, when you were at Bass Drop last night you kind of invaded the DJ’s booth at one point and asked if you could play a mix and you did play a pretty decent one. But all the same you looked like a proper idiot with those massive headphones on as if they were a beard.” His eyes lit up as I groaned and placed a hoof to my face in embarrassment.

“Please never let me drink that much again.” I groaned at Matt and he mockingly said that he would let me get that drunk again but only because it was hilarious. I sighed and Rainbow gave me a look that made me stop caring and instead made me fall in love with her eyes, they looked so deep yet almost surreally beautiful. It sent shivers down my spine and I then realised that I had been staring for quite a long time so I broke my gaze and stood there feeling rather awkward. The awkwardness was not to last however as a loud snore, snort then groans informed us that Berry had woken up. Slow heavy hoofsteps made their way over to the kitchen door where Berry emerged holding her head in one hoof and groaning like a zombie. She sat down at the kitchen table where Matt had made himself comfortable while eating an apple and I sat a glass of water down in front of her.

I decided that it would be a good idea to clean up the living room so we had somewhere comfortable to sit and just relax through the hangover. Apparently someone had brought more alcohol with them last night because there were quite a few more empty bottles than we had originally bought for after the night out. I sighed and began the clear-up and started with the bottles and putting the Applejack Daniels back in the cupboard. Then I had to get the cushions straight on the sofa again before adding the final touch by lighting the fire and almost collapsing onto the sofa. The curtains were still drawn as I think it was too bright outside for anyone to cope with right now, and I put on some quiet orchestral music on the radio. Rainbow, Matt and Berry soon joined me in the living room with Matt taking a seat in the armchair, and Rainbow sitting next to me on the sofa with Berry managing to squeeze in on the end beside Rainbowdash. We sat not saying anything for quite a while just being content with that and my head was pounding so I didn’t mind. The orchestral music was suiting the feeling of the room perfectly and Rainbow rested her head on my shoulder, and I leaned my head on her once again feeling slightly better with that.

It seemed like hours went by before anyone said anything and my headache started to fade away the longer I rested my head on Rainbows and she gave me the occasional nuzzle to make me smile and it worked very well. I gave her a few nuzzles back and she also smiled, and gave a small giggle sometimes, it was very cute to say the least and seeing her smile also made me smile. It was comfortable sitting on the sofa curled up with Rainbowdash, she was so warm and it was comforting that she was there even though I was feeling terrible. I definitely hadn’t expected this to happen yesterday at all but I was happy that it had happened and I was okay that I was sitting curled up with a pony that seemed to like me.

The day went on with us all sitting in silence broken up by a few small conversations but nothing that lasted more than 5 minutes. I had needed to make a couple of quick dashes to the bathroom to vomit but Rainbow was there to hold my mane back and comfort me afterwards so I was perfectly content with the way things were going. Matt although he didn’t seem to be suffering admitted that he felt terrible and returned to bed rather early and Berry had left to go home and relax so that left me and Rainbow alone which I was quite anxious about but it turned out to be absolutely great. We curled up in front of the fire and had some light conversation about what had happened the night before. It turns out that nothing had been happening between us for almost the entire night until we arrived back at ours after deciding that it would be best if Rainbow didn’t fly home. When we arrived back home we drank a lot more and Berry had wandered off with Matt to pick up some more drink from her house and that is when things started to happen between me and Rainbow. I was drinking my whiskey with her and we were having some normal drunken chat and we were sitting rather close together on the couch and after a few accidental bumps and some flirty jokes Rainbow had rested her head on me so I wrapped my foreleg around her and she had pulled in closer to me. Rainbow telling me what had happened made a strange mix of emotions brew up in my head, I was mostly happy but there was a strange tang of nervousness that I had never felt before like it was almost too good to be true. But for now I was happier than I had ever been on earth and we sat for hours just talking and having a laugh. The sun was starting to set on this hung-over but otherwise great day.

“So what are your plans for tonight?” I asked her looking into her eyes and giving her a smile. She looked thoughtful for a moment then answered.

“Well I’m still not feeling too great so would it be alright for me to spend another night here so I can get myself back to normal?” She gave me a slightly nervous look and I gave her a reassuring smile to relax her a little.

“Of course you can. You can either crash on the sofa or you can bunk with me again, it’s your choice” I gave her another smile and from the way she curled in closer to me I could tell that she had made her choice to stay in my bed again. The night dragged on and Rainbow started to yawn and her eyes looked heavy and I suggested going to bed. She agreed and made her way up the stairs closely followed by me and I hopped onto the soft mattress and held the blanket open for her to climb in. She slid herself under the covers and wrapped one of her forelegs around me and I made sure she was nicely tucked in before doing the same. I let out a sigh of comfort and she half opened one eye before leaning in and giving me a peck on the cheek which made both of us blush a little but I returned the peck before smiling and moving closer. Lying there with her in my embrace was comfortable and warm. I was enjoying her company more that any person I had embraced like this before and I was truly content. Then, once again, the unexpected happened. As I was lying lost in my thoughts about the day I felt pressure on my lips. I opened my eyes slightly to see Rainbow had pressed her lips against mine in a firm but gentle kiss. I happily returned the kiss and after what seemed like an eternity of perfection we finally broke apart and fell asleep. Today had truly been a perfect day for me.

Outfit Planning

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Sunshine was beaming though my curtains as I awoke feeling less groggy and sore than yesterday but still a little drained of energy as I rolled out of bed and shuffled my way into the bathroom. I looked a state with bags under my eyes and my mane completely out of control. Sighing slightly I levitated the hairbrush through my mane and began to run a bath to, hopefully, ease my aching muscles and set me up for the day. I watched as the hot water slowly filled the tub and my mind drifted back to the night at the club. Robbie taking control of the DJ’s booth was quite an awesome thing to do and the mix he came up with really got mine and Berry’s hooves moving, even the resident DJ had seemed impressed. The club hadn’t been too crowded which was nice and everyone was friendly and I made a few new friends when I was waiting for drinks at the bar. Robbie’s plan to take my mind away from the portal gun had worked a treat and this was the first time I had thought about it since before the Horse and Hare.

I sighed heavily as I slipped into the warm water and allowed myself to relax completely, closing my eyes and my mind travelled back into the nightclub. I remembered buying a lot of drinks and dancing with somepony but I could not remember for the life of me who it was. I was curious to find out but Robbie had no recollection of that night and I didn’t really speak to Rainbow that much so I would be nervous about asking her. Letting out another sigh I was reminded of walking Berry to her house to pick up more alcohol after the club. It was a small apartment towards the centre of Ponyville about a five minute walk away from the Horse and Hare, where I imagined she spent a lot of time drinking. I was slightly shocked when I arrived home and we found Robbie and Rainbow curled up together on the sofa, giggling and exchanging jokes but when we made our arrival known Robbie had quickly jumped up and ordered a round of shots of Applejack Daniels. In my drunken state I did not refuse and we drank a few rounds then moved over onto the wine and punch which was extremely delicious. It was very fruity and didn’t leave a horrible after-taste like most wine back on earth. The only problem I had was that I drank it far too quickly and before long my head was spinning and I had to crawl my way up into my bedroom where Robbie and Berry helped me into my bed with some minor difficulties as they too were extremely intoxicated.

I hauled myself out of the tub and quickly dried myself and gave my teeth a brush. Heading downstairs it was quiet and nopony was up yet so I trotted through to the kitchen and switched on the radio. I was greeted by some quiet Lyre and Viola music which seemed like the perfect complement to the morning that was greeting me. It was early, earlier than I usually woke up anyway but then again I had gone to bed very early the night before but that just meant I had more of the day to enjoy. I needed to go and speak to Twilight to find out when she next needed me in. Not working for a few days had taken its toll and I was beginning to feel a little lazy but that would be solved with some hard work.

Taking a seat with an apple at the breakfast table, I began to plan my day out. We needed more food otherwise we were going to run out before long so some groceries would be a must for the day. Having a quick glance in my saddlebags to see how many bits I had left I discovered my coin satchel was still reasonably full considering the night out we had been on. I threw my apple core into the bin and put on my saddlebags to head out. It was still early but I figured if I got there early then there would be more selection at the market and it would be less busy. I made my way to the front door and unlocked it but upon opening the door I found I had accidentally startled a grey Pegasus wearing a hat with the emblem of the Ponyville Post Office upon it.

“Oh sorry Ditzy, I didn’t expect you to be here this early” I said slightly awkwardly offering her an apologetic smile but fortunately she didn’t seem too put off by the shock I had given her.

“It’s okay Matt, I just thought I’d pop around quickly to see you before I started my rounds because when you mentioned you wanted tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala the other night I remembered that I had a friend who was selling a couple of tickets. I put in a word for you and they’re being offered to you if you want them?” She gave me a genuine smile, looking pretty pleased with herself but I didn’t remember speaking to Ditzy about that. Could it have been after the nightclub we bumped into Ditzy and I mentioned it to her in the state I was in? That was probably what had happened but I did actually want to go but Robbie might not be so keen, after all he was a drinking party kind of guy, not a formal person at all.

“Sure that would be great! I just need to find out how much they are and I’ll buy them. Also what date is the gala on so I can get everything ready for then?” Ditzy looked thoughtful for a couple of moments and gave her chin a quick scratch with her hoof.

“I think he said he would sell them both for fifty bits or thirty bits if bought separately, but he’s a good friend so I could maybe push him down to forty for you” She gave me a quick wink and continued “The gala is actually next week so you’re lucky you even have a chance to get these at this short notice. I know loads of ponies that are dying to get their hooves on tickets.”

I was really grateful that Ditzy had gone to all this effort for us and I couldn’t help feeling that she was a better friend than I had gotten the impression of over dinner.

“Well tell him to hold those tickets for me and I’ll buy them even if you can’t get him down to forty bits, it will still be worth going.” I gave her a smile and she brightened up and said she would tell him when she saw him later that day on her rounds. I thanked her for her kindness and we parted ways at the end of the path, giving each other a wave and a smile she took off into the air and soared off towards her first stop.

I was now trotting towards Ponyville marketplace and it was a little busier than I expected but a lot quieter than it would be later that day. I wandered around and picked up the necessities first before moving onto things that we didn’t need but would want, remembering to stop at Sugarcube Corner to pick Robbie up some muffins. It was a glorious day to be out in the morning and I was enjoying the sun warming my coat and a slight breeze made sure I was kept at an almost perfect temperature. The market was starting to get busier as I made my final purchases and made my way out of the crowds towards the quiet part of town where the Library was located. It was a fairly long walk to the library so I took my time and enjoyed the sunshine that was beaming down on me. I became lost in my thoughts along the way and before long I was at the Library. The door creaked as I entered and looked for some sign of Twilight around but Spike was up a ladder locating some books for somepony so I could always ask him.

“Hey Spike, Twilight around at all?” I asked him cheerily as I walked past the centre table to where he was perched on the annoyingly unstable ladder.

“Yeah she’s here somewhere, I think she’s upstairs reading about legends of an ancient Equestrian Secret Society or something… I’ll fetch her in a moment for you” He replied before pulling a book from the shelf and wobbling precariously on the ladder and managing to regain his balance before he crashed to the ground. Slowly he climbed down and placed the book on the table and quickly jogged upstairs to find Twilight. After a brief wait she finally emerged from the top of the staircase and trotted her way down to greet me.

“Hey Matt you here to find out you’re days for next week?” She asked me, producing a well organised rota from out of thin air with a small puff of smoke and I took it from her and placed it into my saddlebag. “Those will be you’re permanent days from now on so the rota won’t change but it’s there just so you can remember” She added seeming quite pleased with her organisational skills.

“That’s great, thanks Twilight” I gave her a small smile and she offered me a drink and on a warm day like today I wasn’t going to turn down an offer like that. We sat down in her kitchen and she poured me a fresh glass of orange juice and laid it on the table in front of me where we both took a seat.

“So did you enjoy you’re night out with Rainbow and Berry the other night?” She asked seemingly knowledgeable about the situation.

“Yeah it was great actually! Had a really great time and made a lot of new friends, not to mention got extremely drunk.” I laughed slightly remembering the events that took place “Robbie got slightly more drunk than the rest of us though, he took over the DJ’s booth in the club for about ten minutes and made a mix up on the spot.”

Twilight let out a small giggle at the mental image that conjured up and we chatted about the night and I didn’t mention anything about Robbie and Rainbow because I didn’t know whether she knew about it or not. After a short period of time I decided I had better head back to the house and I said my farewells to Spike and Twilight and began to make my way back to the cottage. She had seemed a little bit awkward as we chatted, but it might of just been my imagination, or maybe she was just having a bit of a stressful day, but I decided not to think too much into it. Once again I decided to take my time and enjoy the sunshine. It was getting close to eleven, and Robbie would surely be up by now so I picked up the pace a little and quickly found myself back on our street.

I entered the house and was immediately greeted by laughter coming from the living room and I walked through to find Robbie tickling Rainbow relentlessly on the ground with Rainbow almost crying with laughter.

“Don’t mind me guys, just making this slightly awkward.” I teased slightly as I walked past into the kitchen. Robbie quickly stopped what he was doing, looking a little bit embarrassed and Rainbow quickly took the opportunity to get some revenge by inflicting the same torture upon him. Robbie was rolling on the floor almost begging Rainbow to stop as I put the groceries away.

“You did this to me for ages so prepare for the worst time of your life!” I heard Rainbow proclaim from the other room. She wasn’t one for losing so Robbie was in for it now. Sighing I grabbed an apple and called Robbie through for a second.

“Hey man got some news for you” I said giving him a small smile which he returned with a slightly worried glance “We’re going to the Grand Galloping Gala next week in Canterlot.” His face lightened up a little and he sighed.

“Awesome but you realise we have nothing to wear right?” He replied casually.

“I’m sure my friend Rarity could put something together for you. She’s a great designer” Rainbow chimed in from the doorway.

“Do you have kilts here in Ponyville at all?” Robbie asked Rainbow “I’d like to wear something that shows off my heritage”

“Kilts? Never heard of one of those before, but Rarity is the fashion expert so you would probably be better asking her that question” Rainbow made her way to the table and took a seat and Robbie joined us after a moment of silence.

“I think I’ll just wear a tux, it’s formal but in no way out of the ordinary” I said thinking about what Rarity would probably put together if I asked for a tux and it would probably involve a lot of gems so I would have to ask for something plain.

“If you want we can take a fly” Rainbow quickly remembered that I was a unicorn and corrected herself “Well… walk over if you like?”

“Sure let’s do it!” Robbie chimed in rising to his hooves and making his way over to the door. Rainbow and I closely followed him and once again I stepped outside into the sunny street and began walking towards the centre of town. Robbie and I walked at a casual pace while Rainbow flew alongside us keeping her pace slow even though we could tell she just wanted to take off and fly to Carousel Boutique as quickly as she could. But even with the relaxed pace we arrived at our destination after around fifteen minutes of walking and Rainbow was the first to enter the shop and was followed rather awkwardly by Robbie and I. Rainbow told us to wait in the shop and she darted into the back to see if she could find Rarity and before long Rainbow returned with a fashionable looking white Unicorn in tow. She was just a little shorter than Robbie and I and her purple mane was styled to perfection.

“Hello and welcome to Carousel Boutique, my name is Rarity what can I do for you two gentlecolts today?” Rarity asked us in a well-spoken and polite manner.

“Nice to meet you Rarity I'm Matt, and this is Robbie. I’m just looking for a simple tux for the Gala in Canterlot next week” I replied while looking around at all of the shining dresses and smart men’s jackets that decorated the shop walls.

“And I would like to know if you have ever heard of a kilt?” Robbie asked obviously a bit worried that nopony would know what he was talking about but fortunately Rarity knew of kilts.

“I haven’t heard of anypony wearing a kilt in Equestria for over 200 years, most ponies from outside the Neighdinburgh area don’t even know about their existence but I’m sure I could put one together for a handsome colt like yourself.” Robbie smiled a little uncomfortably at the last comment made by Rarity and he shot a nervous look at Rainbow but she had her eyes fixed on Rarity in some sort of malicious glare.

“And as for a tux” Rarity continued turning to face me “I will need to take your measurements and I can have one made for you in the next few days but shall we get on with the measurements for now?” She asked magically floating a measuring tape from a drawer on a nearby dressing table. She started with Robbie noting down every measurement on a small notepad that floated beside her. He was looking slightly nervous and I probably had a face to match when she started taking my measurements but soon the ordeal was over and we could relax again but Rainbow had moved closer to Robbie now as if she was worried that Rarity was trying to make a move.

“Now,” Said Rarity sounding much like a teacher about to lecture a class “We need to talk colours, Matt you’re tux will obviously just be a simple black and white tux as requested, and Robbie, kilts are normally tartan if I am correct?”

“You are correct, and I would like it in my family tartan if you could manage that? I’ll describe the design to you and see if we can get it right” Robbie answered obviously knowing what he was talking about now.

“And as for the shirt and jacket to match, would you like a button up shirt or one you can just slide on over your wings?” Robbie looked thoughtful at that question for a moment.

“Just one that can slide over will be fine and probably a lot easier for me to put on” Robbie answered confident in his decision and I knew he was probably right. Buttons had to be difficult to use when you didn’t have fingers or magic.

“Right well I think that’s all I need apart from the tartan design, Robbie could you come here while I sketch and you can tell me if it’s correct?” Robbie nodded and trotted over to her dressing table where he gave her a detailed description of his family tartan and he seemed pleased with the first sketch that Rarity had produced. She was indeed a talented designer if she could nail a complex design like that straight off the bat.

It didn’t take long for Rarity to get to work and we were all shoo’d from her shop while she began the rough drawings and prototypes. She seemed excited to be making a kilt and Robbie was pleased she had heard of one so we all happily chatted on the way back to the cottage while making a stop in the park to relax for a while. Rainbow of course wanted to stretch her wings and Robbie and I sat and watched her perform all sorts of aerial manoeuvres which should have surely granted her a place with The Wonderbolts. Robbie and I chatted while watching the spectacular feats she managed to achieve while remaining composed and professional looking. She finished showing off her moves in the most stylish way possible by flying up high into the clouds until we could barely make out her figure against the light blue sky and she dived down at a spectacular speed. She pulled out of her dive about one hundred and fifty feet from the ground with an ear-splitting boom followed by a ring of spectacular colours from all ends of the light spectrum causing many gasps and rounds of applause from ponies that had stopped to watch this intense display of aerobatic abilities. She landed nearby and trotted over looking very pleased with herself and she sat down beside Robbie and rested her head on his shoulder. All we could talk about was that amazing show and we could tell Rainbow was enjoying the attention but she wasn’t being her usual cocky self about it.

After chatting in the park for what seemed like hours the sun started to dip behind the clouds and I decided I would go home and make some dinner for Robbie and I. Rainbow said that she was going home for the night and Robbie said he would like to watch the sunset for a while longer. I bid farewell to Rainbow and told Robbie I would see him back at the cottage whenever he was back. As I began to walk away I noticed Rainbow move closer and Robbie wrapped a foreleg around her. I hadn’t taken Robbie as a romantic when I had first met him but it seemed he had a soft spot after all.

The walk to the cottage was brief and when I arrived home I dove straight into the fridge and started rummaging for something to eat. I was no chef but I knew I could prepare myself something to get me by so I decided to make something simple and made myself a small salad to eat while I listened to the radio. Robbie arrived home shortly afterwards and tucked into a muffin and we discussed the Gala and our day’s events over the course of dinner. He seemed to really like Rainbow and she was definitely taking a shine to him.

“So is she you’re very special somepony?” I teased him slightly over the table and gave him a wink which made him look away and turn a light shade of crimson.

“Well we haven’t exactly spoken about that yet, we’ve just been letting what’s happened happen, you know.” He said still not making eye contact to avoid further embarrassment.

“It looks to me like you might have a marefriend” I gave him a sly smile across the table and he blushed even more before taking a bite of his muffin and setting it back down on his plate.

“Well I found out something interesting about you today” He said returning the smile I had given him “Do you remember dancing with a certain mare at the nightclub?” He asked with his smile getting wider and I did not like where this was probably heading.

“I remember dancing with somepony, but I can’t remember who or for how long” I replied trying to stay calm but I had to admit my heart was pounding in my chest. Who had it been? Surely he’s bluffing just trying to get a reaction out of me but from the look on his face I wasn’t sure.

“What if I told you” He said calmly taking a bite of his muffin “That you got extremely drunk and danced with your boss?” He continued through a mouthful of half chewed muffin. My heart skipped a beat as his words sunk in.

“With… Twilight? I danced… with.. Twilight?” I managed to say but I could add nothing else. I had either made my work life very awkward or things would be fine and she would understand that I was drunk.

“You went to her Library at around eleven and made her come out for some drinks and dancing” He said slowly across the table to guarantee maximum impact through his words “How do you feel now Mr Joker?” I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that I had gone to my bosses’ house at eleven pm and probably woken her up to make her come and dance with me for a while. I had probably made my work life very awkward or maybe she would just think that I was drunk and acting stupid. But the latter was a preferred option of the two.

Robbie sat across the table looking smug with himself for a while before finishing his muffin and trotted merrily through to the living room. I just sat at the table with a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment running through my veins. I thought she had seemed to know quite a bit about our night out but I didn’t twig that maybe she had come out at some point. Why didn’t she mention it? Maybe she likes me, but how would I find that out? I was so confused at this point I broke out what was left of the wine from after the clubs and poured myself a glass. Robbie had obviously heard a glass bottle being produced and shouted through to me to ask for a glass of his whiskey. I poured the two glasses and made my way through to the sitting room where I placed the whiskey beside Robbie and I sat in my usual place in the armchair with my wine. We discussed what we remembered of the night and Robbie admitted that he only knew it was Twilight because Rainbow had told him so earlier that day.

After a while of discussing my situation with Robbie, and him giving me some sound advice to speak to Twilight about what had happened rather than just ignore the situation I decided I was going to hit the hay. Saying goodnight to Robbie I trotted upstairs and jumped into my bed and curled up under the sheets and deciding that tomorrow I would talk to Twilight about what had happened and see what she said from there. I began to feel my eyes droop and soon sleep took me into its warm embrace.

Flying Lessons

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Two days had passed rather uneventfully in our lives in Equestria. Rainbow and I had been spending some more time together, she had come to dinner one night and we had a few drinks with the food and once again we had spent another perfect night curled up in each-others embrace. When we had awoken Matt had gone to work and over breakfast I told her that I was going to the Gala. She became rather excited and told me that she had also received a ticket from Princess Celestia. With the information that I had been hoping for fresh on my mind I plucked up some courage from somewhere and asked her if she would accompany me as my date for the night. With a slightly embarrassed look she accepted and we spent the day discussing clothes and I tried to describe what a kilt was to her but she didn’t seem to understand so I guess I would just have to show her when it was done. We had spent the day together and we mostly just hung around the house, being playful with each other and I was having the time of my life with Rainbow. I found her so enticingly beautiful with her prisma-coloured mane and those gorgeous eyes. I could tell I was already infatuated with her and I hoped she was feeling the same way about me. There was a feeling that I could not describe every time I ran my hoof through her mane, or gave her a peck on the cheek that just let thousands of butterflies loose in my belly.

Matt had arrived home that very evening with a smile on his face and I could tell he had some good news for me. He had spoken to Twilight about the evenings events and she had admitted that after that night she had been having certain thoughts about him that she wasn’t sure how to manage. Matt had done the right thing and talked to her about her feelings and apparently she gave him a long hug and thanked him for his understanding. He had then made the ultimate move by biting the bullet and asked her to come over for dinner the next night. I was happy that he had finally made that step into being a more confident colt and he seemed extremely happy with the way things were going.

I was in the kitchen eating my breakfast and Matt had already departed for work and I was on at lunchtime with Record so I still had some time to kill until I had to leave. It was another beautiful day and I was eating a chocolate muffin and listening to the radio while dancing around the kitchen in a rather stupid fashion but I didn’t care. I was in the mood of my life with the Gala approaching and Rainbow had agreed to be my date for the night. Matt had hit things off with Twilight and they were seeing each other now and she had been over for dinner the previous night and as far as I was aware she had stayed the night but I went to bed too early to know for sure.

It was late morning before I was interrupted from my terrible dancing by a knock on the door and I answered and Ditzy stood there holding a letter addressed to Matt and I, which I took from her and we discussed meeting up for the Gala and she said she would probably be leaving early because Dinky got tired quite early so I probably wouldn’t see that much of her there. After a cheery chat I wished her a good day and waved her off as she trotted merrily down the street to her next delivery. I inspected the envelope and the writing was beautifully neat, almost written in calligraphy. After tearing into the envelope and producing the letter I sat on the sofa to get comfortable.

“Dear Matt and Robbie

I have finished your outfits for the night of the gala and I would

like you to come down to the Boutique for a fitting and to make

sure that everything is to your liking.

I look forward to seeing you soon,

Rarity”

I smiled and could not wait to see my kilt for the gala. I placed the letter on the kitchen table and made the decision to go for my fitting after I had finished work. Work.

“Oh buck! I’m running late!” I quickly darted out the door after grabbing my pass, which now had a terrible photo of me pasted onto it, and spread my wings and took off after one powerful flap. Flying was certainly a lot quicker than walking but with the amount of time I had left myself I was lucky enough to arrive 5 minutes early. I briskly walked through reception and showed my pass to the receptionist who didn’t really look too interested and she just waved me through after briefly looking at my ID. Trotting briskly through the office I wished a few ponies I had met good morning and made my way into the studio and sat down in my chair with a few minutes to prepare myself and I put my headphones on quickly. I apologized to Record for being so late and he said it was fine and that it happens to the best of us at one point or another. I was to say the introduction announcement today and I began to feel nervous when the red lights began to turn on and finally the green one flashed brightly on.

“Good afternoon Ponyville! You’re listening to the Lunchtime show with Robbie and Record and to start off your afternoon we have a track from Slim Haydy and Dr Neigh entitled: Forgot about Neigh.” I pressed the button on the record player and music began to play over the air and Record gave me a simple nod and a smile and I was glad my professionalism was not affected by my flustered appearance. Together Record and I played tracks and reviewed some events happening in Ponyville soon. We seemed to be a great team in the studio and we were getting along like a house on fire that afternoon and before long we were introducing the next show and playing our final song before we packed up and left.

Walking out of the building it was still sunny but not too bright to warrant the sunglasses the pony walking towards me was wearing. She stopped briefly and looked at me before walking into the studio behind me and it took me a moment or two to realise that I had just been passed by Vinyl Scratch and I almost burst with admiration for the great musician I had just encountered. I had played a few of her tracks on the show now and I really enjoyed her music because she was a great DJ, her bass drops were unbelievable and she was truly a genius on the decks. My day was slightly brightened up by this event and I decided it was now or never to go and try on my kilt. Taking a deep breath I extended my wings and took to the sky. I lazily glided over the tops of the cottages and shops of Ponyville until my destination came into view.

“Hey stranger!” A voice called from behind me. I turned and laid eyes upon Rainbowdash flying at a rapid pace towards me.

“Hey there Rainbow, how are you today?” I asked her before turning to keep an eye on Carousel Boutique. I wasn’t far now so I would have to land soon.

“I’m not too bad thanks yourself? The weather team is all done early today so I was hoping to see you so we could hang out or something?” She gave me a smile as I began to drop down to street level and placed my hooves on the ground.

“Yeah I’m in a very good mood today actually, I’m just about to go and try on my kilt for the gala if you’re interested in joining me for that?” I was now walking at a steady pace towards Carousel Boutique and Rainbow was gliding alongside me.

“Yeah that sounds cool! I’ve never seen a pony in a kilt before so will be an experience anyway” She landed softly beside me and we made our way to the door of Rarity’s shop and being a gentlecolt I held the door for Rainbow to enter first. Rarity’s eyes lit up as soon as I entered the shop, she trotted over to me with a slight skip in her step.

“Here to try on your kilt? I think you’ll be happy with the result, it is truly fabulous, if I do say so myself” She said merrily before pushing me into a dressing room with a bag containing my outfit levitating out from behind the counter before being placed on the floor beside me. I closed the curtain, which I thought was slightly pointless but I still felt the need to do it, and I opened the bag before pulling out the shirt. It was finely made indeed, I couldn’t tell what material it was made from but it was very soft and I slid it over my head and wrestled my wings through the holes in the back. After the shirt was correctly on I pulled out the kilt and my eyes immediately lit up with excitement as I slipped it on and admired myself in the mirror. Rarity had obviously put a lot of time into researching the fashion that was kilts, and the tartan was absolutely perfect. Although the shirt didn’t have any buttons it did have a slight V-cut at the top with a piece of string fed through some small holes in case the neck needed tightened and I looked very good indeed.

“Well, let us see then!” I heard Rarity excitedly say from outside the dressing room and Rainbow soon chimed in as well so I drew back the curtain and stepped out before turning side on so they could get a good look at me.

“You’re wearing a dress?” Rainbow managed to say before bursting into hysterics on the ground “That is hilarious! You are a laugh Robbie, you know that?” I blushed slightly but still felt proud to be probably the only pony in Equestria wearing a kilt.

“Rainbow! That’s not very nice, he looks very dashing if I may say so” Rarity took a long walk around me to make sure everything was in proportion correctly and she seemed pleased with her work. I gave her a huge smile and she returned it before I changed back and paid for my purchase. I was surprised she gave me a discount for all of this, it must have taken her hours to make but I didn’t complain and I left with my outfit, proud to have such a brilliant and unique thing to wear to the gala.

The flight back home was pleasant as the cool air breezed through my mane and I had to hold the bag in my mouth so I couldn’t speak much but Rainbowdash took this as an opportunity to mock me some more for wearing a “dress” as she put it. After we arrived back home I hung up my outfit carefully in the wardrobe in my bedroom and I admired it once more. The tartan was light blue mainly, with green, yellow and purple which patched across in thin lines. It was my family tartan from back home and I was proud to be wearing it in Equestria for all of the finest ponies to see.

“I hope the gala doesn’t go as badly as it did last time we all went, the main hall in the palace was completely wrecked, and I’m sure Pinkie offended quite a few ponies with her singing and dancing.” I let out a little chuckle at Rainbow’s remark and I took a seat on the bed and patted beside me and soon enough she joined me and I embraced her in my forelegs. I had missed the warm, comforting feel of hugging Rainbow so I dragged it out for as long as I could before she let out a slight giggle and broke the embrace before giving me a little kiss.

“Do you fancy going for a fly, seeing as Matt isn’t around.” She asked me with a twinkle in her eyes that I couldn’t say no to.

“Sure thing, but I have to warn you, I’m not a very strong flier.” I said kind of embarrassed that as a grown Pegasus I was having to admit that to possibly the greatest flier in Equestria.

“Well I will have to fix that won’t I?” She said with a tone of determination in her voice before she quickly gave me a peck on the cheek and practically dragged me out of the room. We both flew away from the cottage and over towards Sweet Apple Acres where we found a large, open field that had nothing in it so Rainbow decided this would be the best place to start my flying lessons.

“So what can you do already? Can you do any aerial tricks at all or is it mainly just flying to get around?” I answered with the latter and she gave me a nod and said we should probably try and increase my speed first before me moved onto anything else. I agreed and we flew up to a reasonable height before I got a rundown of how to increase my speed while in the air.

“First when you start moving forward give your wings hard pushes, like you’re taking off but to propel yourself forward. Then extend your forelegs out in front of you and your back legs straight back to increase aerodynamics, and if you keep that up your speed should increase by a lot in the next hour.” I listened to Rainbows instructions carefully while keeping myself in the air before giving it a try. I pushed myself forward hard with my wings and stretched my legs out like Rainbow had told me before I began to flap my wings harder and harder, and I began to feel like I was achieving some decent speed now.

“Not bad but keep it up! With enough training you will be able to do this.” Rainbow shouted at me before flying past me like a missile set dead on its target. That put me off slightly and I faltered and nearly drove my face into the dirt, but thankfully I managed to save myself from that humiliation. We flew around for hours playing some simple games to increase my wing strength and before long I needed a rest and took my first perch on a nearby cloud. I lay down and it didn’t feel like I had expected it to. Where I was expecting a cloud to feel fluffy and soft, it felt like there was nothing underneath me at all, like I was just floating in the air with no support. Rainbow kept flying while I was resting and I enjoyed watching her have fun, plus I was a bit beat from the games she had me playing, so watching her practice her moves was awe inspiring.

After watching her for what seemed like hours she finally flew over and landed beside me on the cloud. I wrapped my foreleg around her and rested my head on hers as I looked out into the distance and the sun was beginning to set on this glorious day. I loved watching the sun set and Rainbow didn’t seem to mind it either as this was the second sunset I had enjoyed with her and both times it had been absolutely magical, but it might just be the company that I was loving so much. Rainbow shuffled herself closer to me and I pulled her against me and she let out a slight sigh in comfort. I kissed the top of her head and turned back to face the sunset. Truly a sight to behold as the orange orb slowly began to disappear behind the range of mountains in the distance, with a faint outline of Equestria’s capitol city which clung to the side of the centre mountain. Before long it was getting dark so the decision was made to fly home.

The flight was brief with the extra speed I had gained from Rainbow’s training and we shortly arrived at her house which was floating above Ponyville with a great view of a lake which at that moment had the reflection of the moon and stars perfectly reflected like a mirror. I thanked Rainbow for the flight training and we had a small chat about seeing each other next but I had to be going soon as I had never really flown in the dark and I was nervous about it. She placed her hoof on the back of my head and pulled me in for a gentle kiss which seemed like absolute bliss at that moment in time. I couldn’t say how long it lasted, could have been mere seconds or it could have been hours, but all I knew is that I was beginning to fall for this mare and I had never felt so comfortable in admitting that to myself. After the kiss was broken I gave her a quick cuddle then started my flight back to the cottage. I landed not too far away but I didn’t fly all the way to the cottage because my nerves got the better of me and I decided to play it safe.

As I walked the last couple of streets towards the cottage my mind was racing with different emotions all at once. On one hoof I had a great marefriend who loved to spend time with me and was the element of Loyalty, but on the other I was confused with how within a couple of weeks of me arriving in this amazing place, I could have fallen for somepony so quickly. It seemed unreal and I hoped she felt the same way but there was no way I could be sure without simply confessing it to her. The thought of that sent chills down my spine more than the thought of having to lie in a bathtub full of maggots. I had always had trouble admitting my feelings for people due to years of bullying through primary and high school, but I felt sure that here I would not be criticized for my feelings. I would just have to take that step and bite the bullet. I let out a sigh as I walked through the gate up to the cottage and the living room light illuminated the small garden slightly, and sitting on the sofa in front of the fire was the silhouette of Matt eating his dinner.

I walked through the door and greeted Matt before making my way into the kitchen to grab a quick something to eat. A simple apple would have to do. I gave a sigh of relief for being home and able to have a quick wash before getting to bed. The apple certainly did the trick for satisfying my stomach and I felt a little more energetic after having a snack. Walking through the sitting room I informed Matt that I would be heading off to bed after I had taken a bath and asked him whether he had seen the letter from Rarity which I had left on the table. He had seen the letter and taken a quick gallop to Rarity’s to have a quick fitting and everything seemed perfect so his tux was now neatly hung up in his wardrobe. He also handed me my ticket for the gala and I became extremely excited just to hold that golden ticket in my hoof. I gave him the twenty bits I owed him for the ticket and made my way upstairs and began to fill the tub with water. The warmth soothed my aching muscles and relaxed me after the evenings exercise, and I could feel that I would be unconscious as soon as my head hit the pillow that night. I quickly dried myself off, brushed my teeth and made my way over to the bed. I allowed myself to simply fall into my bed and I wrapped myself in a cocoon of the blankets before I closed my eyes and sank into my mattress before I began my dreams of a Cyan Pegasus with a rainbow coloured mane.

Ladders and Bandages

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I awoke on the fine Equestrian morning with the events of the past few days fresh in my mind. I had my ticket to the Grand Galloping gala pinned to the wall above my bed and it was only a few days away now. Excitement was brewing in all areas of my body as I thought about that night. It would definitely be a night to remember, and the opportunity to meet Canterlot’s elites would be a one in a lifetime experience. I opened my wardrobe where my tuxedo hung neatly to one side, and I inspected the fine hoofwork on the stitching. The shirt was the purest white shirt I had ever seen and the buttons looked like they were made of bronze, which was a bit flashy but then again, Rarity wasn’t known for making things look bland. A matching, black bowtie was neatly tucked under the collar of the shirt. The jacket was black with matching black buttons, and had neat tails at the back which complemented the look of the entire ensemble perfectly.

I was working today so I quickly ran a brush through my morning mane and made my way down the stairs to grab myself some breakfast. The fridge was relatively well stocked considering that Robbie had given me a pretty complicated recipe to cook for when Twilight had come to dinner. He hadn’t hung about that night to give Twilight and I some privacy to speak and just have a good time in general. I quickly decided that, although there were plenty of healthier options in the fridge, I would have one of Robbie’s muffins. I had opted for one of the blueberry muffins, that Robbie favoured, and I could see why. The spongy goodness of the small cake, with chunks of blueberry baked all the way through, was absolutely delicious and would definitely set me up for the day. I levitated my saddlebags onto my back before securing the straps underneath my body to keep them balanced and steady. Heading out the door the sun had only risen recently, and there were few ponies around at this time so the walk to work was always quiet. I was feeling a little groggy, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary, and the walk always seemed to wake me up before I arrived at Twilight’s Library. The morning air was crisp, and the grass and leaves were damp with dew which would evaporate before long.

It wasn’t long before I arrived at the Library, and as usual the door was locked and I knocked gently to signal to Twilight that I had arrived. The tired looking purple unicorn answered the door after a brief moment and I greeted her happily before giving her a hug and entering the Library. My eyes were immediately drawn to a pile of boxes that sat on top of the centre table.

“They arrived last night,” said Twilight trotting her way over to the table before opening one of the boxes, and producing a brand new book, “I just love the smell of new books, don’t you?” She turned to look at me while taking a large smell of the book that was levitating in front of her.

“Yeah, it is a great smell” I trotted over and the smell of freshly printed books was strong in the air “So I take it we’re sorting these all day then?” I asked pulling out a few volumes on obscure Equestrian history before laying them carefully on the table to be sorted. It was quickly confirmed that the books would all need to be taken down in the library’s inventory, and I would be spending my day sorting and shelving them.

I got started as quickly as possible, and after retrieving the inventory book I began taking note of the books titles and giving them a serial number. It was a long process but ultimately a satisfying job to get done. Twilight and I spent the time we were doing this discussing the gala that was coming up, and I decided to pluck up the courage that Robbie had managed to find, before biting the bullet and asking her if she would be my date for the night. She immediately dropped the book that had been hovering in front of her and gave me a slightly shocked stare.

“I don’t know what to say, I mean, I have been doing some reading on what couples are supposed to do and dates are one of them, but I never expected you would ask me to the gala!” I was slightly taken aback from this response and I was beginning to feel a little silly for asking her so quickly into starting to see each other, but she continued “But I suppose it could be fun, so I happily accept your invitation Matt” She gave me an excited smile, which I eagerly returned, and she trotted her way around the table to give me a hug, which expanded my smile from a possibly quite charming grin, to a quite odd looking, full blown smile.

We quickly got back to work and soon the morning was beginning to press on as most of the books had been given a serial number and placed ready for sorting on the table beside the empty boxes. Spike made the occasional appearance during the day to get himself something to eat or to ask Twilight a question, but before long he had joined us to have a chat. The rest of the morning had passed quickly and before long Twilight disappeared into the kitchen to prepare some lunch for both me and her. I was grateful that she would take the time out of her day to prepare something to eat for her employees, and it was certainly a whole lot better than any job I had managed to get back home.

The peace and quiet of the morning was quickly interrupted by the Cutie Mark Crusaders bursting in looking for a couple of books on hairdressing, and I assisted them in finding the books they were looking for, but at the same time felt sorry for the unfortunate pony who would be their test subject. They quickly thanked me for the help and galloped excitedly from the library onto the street. Twilight called my name from through in the kitchen and I trotted my way over to the doorway and was greeted by the smell of a delicious looking apple fritter with ice cream on the side. I licked my lips and trotted my way to the table and took a seat beside Twilight and tucked into the delicious looking treat she had prepared. She admitted to me that she hadn’t been the one to cook them and that it was Applejack’s home cooking that she always got samples of every now and again. I quickly finished my meal and I was feeling satisfied from the great food she had served.

I got started on my afternoon’s work of sorting the books into their relevant categories and then alphabetically. It was a tedious job but it was passing the time quickly, although I was beginning to get a little tired of the unstable ladder which I spent a lot of time on. Twilight soon joined me after clearing up the dishes from the kitchen and she gave me a hoof with putting the books away and we started chatting again while we were working. I quickly glanced at the clock and noticed it was around half past twelve and I immediately asked Twilight if we could put the radio on quietly for a while. She didn’t think that was a bad idea, so she trotted off and quickly returned with a small radio from where I assumed her bedroom was. Turning it on a familiar voice filled the room as Robbie introduced a song by an up and coming artist from Canterlot. I laughed as he tried his best to keep his accent under control but unfortunately he was still a little hard to understand over the airwaves. With music on in the background Twilight and I propelled through the work at an alarming pace and before long we were ahead of schedule. All of a sudden, a guitar I was all too familiar with started playing in the background, as Robbie spoke over the airwaves.

“Okay everypony! This next song goes out to my friend Matt at Ponyville Library. It is entitled Jennifer, by My Little Comets; remember to get your hooves moving and Matt I hope you are listening!” The rhythm of the song soon flowed through my body, so being rather spontaneous, I grabbed her hoof and gave her a small spin before beginning to dance to the beat of the song. She gave me a smile before beginning to dance with me and we were having an absolute blast, and at one point she even began singing along and she had a beautiful voice.

Before long the Lunchtime Show with Record and Robbie was drawing to a close, and Record began to announce the final song which came as a little bit of a shock.

“Finally today we have a song which was first played to a small crowd in a Ponyville nightclub only a few nights ago by none other than Robbie himself! Robbie I would like to say that this is a pretty great mix and I have enjoyed this song more than once since I first heard it.” Record announced proudly over the air, and I could just imagine the look on Robbie’s face right now. His jaw would probably be on the floor, with his eyes wide and full of shock at this latest development at his work.

“Thanks Record it’s great to know you enjoyed it, and I hope all of you Ponyville citizens will too!” Robbie said with an obviously different than normal tone in his voice, probably from the shock of having his song from the nightclub played over the air. I laughed slightly to myself as the familiar song he had played began to flow through the speakers, beginning with harmonic strings and a build-up of electronic sound effects before dropping into a heavy beat. The bass line continued and Twilight and I couldn’t help but begin to dance once more. The song lasted the full ten minutes, the same amount of time that it had lasted in the club, and Twilight and I danced the whole song through before we noticed that there was an awkward looking cream coloured earth pony with a purple and blue mane standing just inside the doorway. Twilight looked bashfully at me and I returned the look before her cheeks turned a light shade of crimson. I quickly got back to work and Twilight assisted Bon Bon finding the books that she needed for her confectionary business. Sorting the books into their category was beginning to become boring but the time I was spending with Twilight was great. We seemed to get along so well and I wasn’t regretting inviting her out to Bass Drop the night we went clubbing.

As the day was drawing to a close the pile of books had been reduced to just a few on the table and I was happy that the tedious job was almost over, but I was satisfied with the day’s work I had put in. I climbed the ladder to put away a small stack of books which I levitated up beside me as Spike ran down the stairs. He let out a large burp and a scroll of parchment materialized itself in a puff of green flame and purple smoke, and I had not really been paying attention, and caught off guard I tumbled from the ladder backwards before landing with a significant thump on my back, and my head collided with the floor with a sickening crack. I let out a groan and my eyes were sealed shut as I tried to sit up, rubbing the back of my head with my hoof. Twilight was immediately by my side, worriedly helping me to my hooves and I was pulled through to the kitchen to take a seat while she checked me over for any injuries. I was feeling woozy and the walk through the kitchen was slow as I was a little shaky on my hooves, but Twilight was as patient as ever with me as she supported me until I could sit myself down. Immediately she began to rummage through a cupboard and returned shortly afterwards with a first aid kit which she placed on the table beside me. Thoroughly checking my head she made a few concerned sounding “Hmm”s and she informed me that I had hit my head pretty hard and there was a lump and a small amount of blood from a small cut on the back of my head. I sighed and she began to clean the wound with some antiseptic which made the already sore area on my head sting even more, before she wrapped my head in a bandage and suggested that I go home.

She asked Spike to run to the cottage and fetch Robbie to escort me home as I was still very wobbly on my hooves and would probably fall on my face before I got back to the cottage. We chatted quietly while we waited for Robbie and Spike to arrive back and I thanked her for looking after me.

“It’s no problem at all Matt, but I’m not sure that bandage will go very well with your tuxedo.” She gave me a smile and I let out a small laugh before she trotted over and gave me a hug and kissed my forehead. Robbie and Spike arrived back sooner than expected, having obviously flown with Spike on his back, Robbie was looking rather out of breath and he immediately asked how I was feeling and asked what had happened. I explained the story to him and he had a small laugh at my clumsiness before helping me to my hooves and making sure I was okay to walk home. We departed from the Library and began the slow walk home but Robbie didn’t seem to mind the slow pace as he was probably enjoying the last of the sunshine for today.

We made it back to the cottage after the slow walk and it had been rather uneventful, but Robbie had needed to support me for the last few streets as I had lost my balance and almost fell down. He had placed my foreleg over his shoulders and I had to improvise an even slower three-legged walk. Arriving in the cottage Robbie sat me down on the sofa and brought me some chocolate because something sugary would be good for me right now apparently. After eating the chocolate I began to feel slightly better and the shakiness was beginning to wear off so I could stand now without such a large risk of falling. But even though it was early I was beginning to feel tired and Robbie said I should get some bed rest, and if I needed anything I was just to shout on him and he would help me out. I was grateful for the help he was giving me but then again he had had many head injuries over the years and he knew exactly how I was feeling. After helping me into bed and bringing me a glass of orange juice he left me alone before quickly returning with the copy of Daring Do book that he had borrowed from the library before.

“I haven’t had the chance to read it yet, so I thought you could read it while you’re stuck in bed and give me a review after you’re done.” I thanked him and he pulled the door almost closed on the way out, but left it slightly ajar so he could hear me if I shouted on him. I placed the book on my bedside table and turned off the lamp before rolling onto my side to get comfy, and take the pressure off of the painful area of my head which was still throbbing. The sun was only just beginning to set now and even though it was so early I felt sleepy so before very long I passed out and began to dream the night away.

Robbie had checked up on me a few times during the night but I hadn’t needed anything while I was asleep but when I woke up in the morning he had made me some breakfast and presented me with a fresh orange juice to start my day. He said it would be best if I stayed in bed all day and I was more than happy to oblige him and before long I began to read the book he had left me on the bedside table. It was a brilliant book which conjured up an excellent image in my mind as I was reading it. Adventure books weren’t really my thing but this was definitely an exception, and before long I had read the first few chapters completely unaware that the time was passing so quickly. A knock on my bedroom door quickly snapped me out of the trance I had gotten into and Robbie entered closely followed by Rainbowdash.

“Hey heard you had a fall off of Twilights slightly broken ladder.” She said to me giving a sympathetic smile and sitting on the floor beside the bed.

“Yeah was a pretty bad one, I swear I was seeing double for most of the walk home” I replied honestly and Rainbow seemed to sympathise with me, being an athlete she was bound to have had her fair share of bumps and scrapes over the years. She quickly spotted the book that was sitting on my lap and we went into a conversation about the series, and I had only read a few chapters so I asked her not to ruin anything for me. She agreed to keep her lips sealed and we discussed the chapters I had read and the time passed quickly before her and Robbie headed out to get some lunch. He asked me if I needed anything before they went out, and after a quick think I told him that I would be fine and that he was just to go and have fun. He gave me a smile and I said farewell to Rainbow knowing that she would probably be back after they had eaten, but for now I would continue the book.

The day passed quickly as I read my way through the book, which I had reached chapter fifteen by now. Twilight had dropped by for a quick visit and to make sure that the bandage was still clean and attached firmly to my head. We had had a brief chat before Robbie served me some dinner and offered Twilight some, which she gratefully accepted and he left us alone to eat dinner while he had some with Rainbow downstairs. But once again my day was cut rather short by me becoming tired reasonably early and Twilight agreed to stay the night because we would be getting the train to Canterlot tomorrow in preparation for the gala. She didn’t mind going to bed so early thankfully and she curled up under the blankets in my forelegs and I felt completely at peace at that moment. This was definitely a mare I would like to get to know more and I could feel her warmth spreading through my body like an antidote to a terrible poison. Soon the pain in my head slipped out of all knowledge and all I could focus on was who I was lying with, and I wanted nothing more than for this moment to last forever, but I only had the night to enjoy this feeling so I would be content with that. My eyes began to droop slowly and eventually they closed, allowing the warm embrace of sleep to overcome me, and I felt Twilight kiss my forehead tenderly before I drifted out of consciousness.

The Big City

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I awoke early in the morning and stretched my forelegs out in front of me. Rubbing my eyes I sat up and yawned while stretching my wings before I hopped out of bed. I trotted through to my bathroom and quickly brushed my mane and teeth then trotted out into the hall to see if Matt and Twilight were up yet. There was some hoofsteps emanating from behind Matt’s door, so I walked over and knocked gently on the firm wood. I was called in and I entered to see Matt sitting on the floor while Twilight unwrapped the bandage from his head, and you would never have been able to see that he had taken a tumble a couple of days ago. He turned to face me with a smile on his face and I could tell that he was as excited as I was for today. I had been waiting for this day ever since Matt had informed me that we were going to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot. Although the Gala wasn’t until tomorrow evening, we were heading across tonight so we wouldn’t be tired for the evening and also to check into a hotel for the two nights.

The three of us made our way down to the kitchen to make ourselves some breakfast and the discussion was mainly based on the Gala, and our plans for after we arrived in Canterlot. Twilight still needed to go back to the library and pick up Spike and her dress, so we would meet her at the train station, where I would also be meeting Rainbow for the journey. We all sat around the breakfast table with a selection of muffins, apples and other assorted food to give us the required energy for the days travel. The train we were all boarding left Ponyville train station at 12 o’clock and the journey took about 3 hours or so. I couldn’t wait to get there and the excitement brewing inside of me was at risk of causing me to hop on the spot. Breakfast was finished soon enough and Twilight announced her departure to us and Matt walked her to the door. I decided to head upstairs and pack my kilt for tomorrow night, and that would also give them time alone to say goodbye properly, even though it was only until later today.

I carefully folded the shirt and kilt before neatly tucking them into one of the pockets of Matt’s saddlebags. I really needed to get my own set of saddlebags at some point, and taking a mental note of that I slipped my toothbrush in beside the clothes and fastened the clasp. I was ready to go now but it was still far too early to be heading out, not to mention Matt hadn’t packed his things. I found myself getting far too excited, so to calm down I trotted my way into the kitchen and poured myself a small measure of Applejack Daniels to ease my nerves.

“Bit early to be hitting the drink is it not?” Matt asked from the sitting room as he began to make his way towards the staircase.

“Not if you’re Scottish and can handle your whiskey like I can” I shouted back at him before taking a sip and savouring the sweet taste. A new edition of the newspaper had arrived through our letterbox so I decided to give it a browse while I enjoyed my drink. Nothing really sprung out as interesting, but I read a couple of articles about some amateur musicians that had played locally within the past week and the reviews on a couple of them seemed rather good. I vowed to go to a couple of their shows next time they were in town and I placed the newspaper down as Matt trotted down the stairs carrying his saddlebags. I offered to carry them seeing as he had hurt himself recently and he seemed more than willing to let me take that weight for him. They weren’t exactly heavy but it was a slight burden on me, but it would be worth it.

We left the house at around eleven to begin our walk to the train station, and to stop and pick up some juice and food for the train journey. The walk was pleasant as we chatted idly towards Ponyville marketplace which was bustling with life by this time of day. We slowly worked our way through the crowds and stopped at a couple of stalls to buy some apples and other snacks. We picked up a small bottle of juice each and after packing all the provisions into the saddlebags we began the walk to the train station.

The walk was brief and as we arrived there was a small queue at the ticket booth, so we joined the line and patiently waited and before long it was our turn. We managed to purchase our tickets and make our way to the platform see an old fashioned steam locomotive. It was a beautiful piece of engineering much like a Steam engine from the early 1900’s back on earth, it gleamed in the sunshine. Matt and I were so caught up in admiring the train that we almost didn’t notice the two mares calling our names and waving from the other end of the platform. We happily trotted over and I greeted Rainbowdash with a hug and as usual I gave her a small kiss as well. Matt greeted Twilight in much the same way, and before long we were discussing where to sit on the train.

“Well we were thinking we could take a booth in the back of the train, that way we can all sit together” Twilight said happily and we all agreed that it was the best idea so we could spend some more time together. The conductor then began calling everypony on board for Canterlot and being a gentlecolt I carried Rainbow’s bag onto the train for her and she blushed slightly as we found an empty booth to sit in. We were soon joined by Matt and Twilight who sat opposite us and we began chatting excitedly about the sights that Matt and I wanted to see, and also getting some dinner out on the town in Canterlot seemed like a good plan for the four of us. As the journey began to set in properly, Matt and Twilight had started to read while sitting close to each other, and Rainbow and I started to quietly discuss how similar they sat while they were reading. Matt obviously hearing a small excerpt of our conversation shot a slight look at Twilight, then at himself, before adjusting his position slightly.

“So Twilight!” I said trying my best to start up a conversation “Where is good to eat in Canterlot?” Her ears immediately perked up and she closed the book she was reading to turn and face me.

“Well if you are only in the mood for something along the lines of a snack you could always go to Joe’s donut shop, but if you would prefer an actual meal Fancy Pants owns a restaurant, which is more expensive, but serves amazing food.” She replied obviously searching her brain for anywhere else that we could go to later.

“What would you prefer?” I asked Rainbow and Matt, who until now hadn’t been paying much attention.

“I wouldn’t mind either to be honest, just as long as I get a decent meal I’ll be happy” Matt replied keeping one eye on his book, and Rainbow felt the same, so we were back at square one. I sighed and turned to look out the window. Ponyville was now a small silhouette on the horizon, and Canterlot was drawing ever closer. Taking a sip of juice I was wishing I had brought a book to read but it was too late to get hung up on my boredom. I decided to seek some comfort from the mare sitting next to me and I attempted to be sly as I edged my way closer to her. She picked up on what I was trying to do reasonably quickly, and she confidently slid herself over beside me and sat forward a little so I could wrap my foreleg around her. Not so slyly, she then gave my side a slap with her wing playfully and, slightly amused by the game she was trying to start, I light-heartedly tapped her side with my wing. This continued to escalate over the next short while before a full blown wing war broke out between us, but I knew there was no way I could win, what with the wingpower advantage she had over me, but she liked to win so I would let her have the satisfaction this time. Eventually the playful fight was brought to an end by a synchronised look from Matt and Twilight which made me feel slightly childish, but I was having fun so I didn’t care.

“I won” Rainbow whispered into my ear, teasingly, like a child who was trying to hide a secret from her parents.

“Only this time” I whispered back, with a mockingly challenging tone and we both let out a small giggle before we curled up together on the seat. As the train steadily plodded along the tracks towards Canterlot, the city which had appeared so small from back in Ponyville, was beginning to appear larger and larger with each passing moment.

Before long we began to pass through the series of tunnels leading up the mountain to the city of Canterlot, and the realism of the situation soon hit me and I began to grow excited again. Rainbow seemed to be getting a little bit impatient with the train ride, and she was impatiently adjusting her position then re-adjusting, and I could tell she just wanted to stretch her wings and legs a little more than had been manageable in the small, but not cramped compartment of the train. However, soon enough the train exited the final tunnel and began its approach into Canterlot train station. I felt the excitement brewing greater and greater as we passed some grand looking, almost marble coloured towers topped with pointed, magenta roofs. Most of the buildings we passed were built to the same styling, with the exceptions of a few, mostly cafes and other businesses. The streets were bustling with life, much more than the simple streets of Ponyville where quite a few of the roads were just simple dirt. All the streets here were paved and shone brightly in the sunlight.

“You look like a simple country colt who’s never been to the big city before” Rainbowdash mockingly said from beside me, obviously having seen the amazement in my eyes, and the truth was, I was just a simple country pony. I had never visited a proper bustling city before, and all of this hustle was kind of intimidating for someone who had spent most of their life in a village of less than two thousand people.

“Yeah I guess it’s just been a while since I visited a city” I replied after a long pause, mostly because I was still in awe at the beauty of this city. There didn’t seem to be one run-down building, or dodgy looking pony to be seen, but then again with a city that had large stallions patrolling around at all hours of the day, clad in armour, I wouldn’t want to be a criminal in a place like this either. In what seemed like no time at all, the train pulled into the station which was much larger than the one in Ponyville, Mostly marble and sandstone, with multiple platforms with trains departing to all ends of Equestria. I quickly strapped the saddlebags on, with a little help from Rainbow as the train pulled into its final stop. With a boyfriend who was as uncoordinated as me I found myself wondering how I had even managed to convince such a well-polished, and altogether perfectly coordinated mare to even consider dating me. I pushed these thoughts out of my head as the train stopped with a slight jolt and we all made our way out into, the now quite cramped, centre aisle of the train.

Eventually we managed to squeeze our way through the crowds onto the platform and I immediately got separated from the group in a clumsy moment of misdirection. I sighed and began to search for Rainbow, Matt or Twilight anywhere, but after a moments searching they found me rather quickly. As we exited the train station, I was having to bear with a relentless mocking from Matt and Rainbow for getting lost as soon as I stepped foot in Canterlot, and some jokes were made about needing to put me on a leash, but in my usual timid way, I gritted my teeth and simply blushed slightly before we made a move to the hotel. It was only a couple of blocks away but the walk seemed to take forever. Working your way past large groups of ponies every few minutes was beginning to get a little tiresome, and trying to not get lost was even harder. I had only turned a few corners since arriving and I already felt like I was in over my head. Rainbow managed to keep me on track though as she knew her way around these streets now from multiple visits and she stayed close to me at all times, to avoid me embarrassing myself further.

After what seemed like almost an hour of walking we finally arrived at the hotel. It was a bright building just like any of the others I had seen so far. It was a tall building, maybe about three of four floors high, with large golden lettering on the front spelling out “The Cloudsdalian Inn.” Upon entering the foyer it was apparent that it was one of the more upmarket hotels in Canterlot, with everything in white, sparkling marble once again. In the centre of the room sat a round fountain with a statue of a Pegasus spitting out water on a small podium. Some classical music was playing quietly in the background and it suited the atmosphere perfectly. On one side of the room there was a fireplace with some comfortable looking sofas and chairs gathered around, and on the other side, was a bar that looked stocked to the brim with all kinds of fancy wines and ales. I would have to enquire about their whiskey selection later that night.

We walked up to the reception desk and were immediately greeted by a young Pegasus colt, with a blonde mane and a sandy coloured coat. Rainbow and I decided to share a room to keep costs down to a minimum, and Matt and Twilight obviously saw the sense in that as well so we checked ourselves into two double rooms which, quite coincidentally, were right next door to each other. After one of the ponies wearing a red waistcoat with gold trimmings, and a matching hat, took our bags we made our way into a slightly cramped, but nicely decorated elevator. Our destination was on the third floor and we were soon shown to our rooms by the young colt, who placed our bags on our beds. I thanked him for the help and slipped him a few bits for carrying our bags. I had done his job in a hotel before and it wasn’t easy getting by on the wages they got, so it was always a little boost during the day to receive a tip or two.

The room was stunning to say the least. A four poster bed was located in the centre of the far wall, with a fireplace that was ready to be lit. The bed sheets were a fine cotton and were extremely soft to the touch, and the mattress was even softer than any I had experienced before, which caused you to sink into it when you lay down. At the other side of the room there was a large wooden wardrobe with a full length mirror built into the doors, and to the right there was a mini bar, which I hoped was complimentary. A small radio was located on a dressing table beside the large glass doors which allowed light into the room and lit up the soft cream carpet, and a balcony with a small table and chairs was a nice comfort to have in a place as sunny as it was here. Matt and Twilight’s room was pretty much identical to ours, down to the finest detail, and I was impressed with the quality of the service and accommodation that we had somehow acquired.

Rainbow and I decided that an afternoon nap would be a great idea after travelling for such a long time and Twilight and Matt said that they were going out so she could show Matt some of the sights of Canterlot, and Rainbow and I had both had a good laugh at the fact that she had tourist pamphlets protruding from her saddlebags. After Matt had given me my kilt to hang up in the wardrobe, they departed and Rainbow and I were left alone in our room. I quickly hopped onto the bed and Rainbow wasted no time in joining me. We lay together for some time, I couldn’t say how long it was until we both finally fell asleep but it seemed like an eternity.

When we awoke I gave Rainbow a small smile and we embraced even tighter than we had when we were sleeping and I decided it was now or never to get some feelings off my chest.

“Rainbow, can I speak to you about something quickly?” I asked with a slight crack in my voice from sheer nerves. My heart felt like it was beating so hard it was beginning to crawl up my throat.

“Yeah sure what do you want to talk about?” She replied coolly, while brushing my messy mane back and looking me in the eyes with a soft expression that told me this was probably the right time to say this.

“Well over the past while we have been seeing each other, I have been having these, feelings, towards you that are getting stronger every single time I see you” I trailed off a little to judge her reaction to this statement and she seemed rather unaffected by it, apart from her eyes becoming a little softer and she had stopped toying with my mane, so I continued, “I just feel like, I don’t know, I feel stupid for saying this but, I think I’m falling for you” I bit my lip slightly nervously awaiting a response. There was quite a long pause but her eyes stayed soft and she began toying with my mane again before she pulled me in and gave me a long and tender kiss.

“You’re the first colt who’s ever said those words to me,” She said with her eyes tearing up slightly “And I’m glad it was you to say them, I feel the same way, I’ve just been struggling with how to tell you.” She looked away obviously ashamed that she had let a tear trickle down her face and I gently wiped it away with my hoof and gave her a comforting smile before we embraced and shared a passionate kiss once more. We were interrupted by a knock at the door and I trotted over to answer while Rainbow sat on the bed and frantically wiped her eyes trying to get rid of the tears. I answered the door and Matt greeted me with a slightly awkward look. I questioned him about the look he was giving me and he simply pointed to my wings which were bolt upright and Rainbows were much the same. I bashfully tried to retract them back into my sides but to no avail. Ignoring the rather awkward situation I asked Matt what was up and he replied saying that him and Twilight were heading out to dinner if we cared to join them, but he quickly added that we didn’t have to. I asked him to give us ten minutes and we would meet them in the foyer to find a café or restaurant.

Rainbow was still sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her eyes and laughing slightly at how bad she must look right now. I trotted over and reassured her that she looked great and ran a hoof through her mane, before planting a kiss on her forehead. I quickly brushed my mane and Rainbow did the same and we decided that we just wanted something light for dinner and we departed to the foyer to meet with Twilight and Matt before we set out into the city. We were greeted with an awkward, embarrassed look from Matt, but Twilight was a lot more cheery giving us a large smile and greeting us before we walked out into the now dark streets. Gas streetlamps lit up the bright streets and even for night time it was still busy out. Making our way through the streets towards a small café that Twilight recommended, we chatted about Matt’s sightseeing and I expressed some interest in seeing the Museum of Ancient Equestrian Culture. Rainbow mocked me slightly for being boring enough to go to a museum, but as always I took it on the chin and had a laugh at my own expense.

We arrived at the café shortly afterwards and it was a quaint little place, tucked neatly into a side street leading off of the main road through Canterlot. As we entered we were greeted by a young unicorn wearing an apron with the café’s logo stitched into the front and we were quickly seated to a table for four. The café was small but very cheery and smelled of delicious food, the walls were white and decorated with paintings of flowers and meadows which brought so many colours to the room. The waitress handed out menus to us all before taking our drinks order and then she trotted away to prepare our beverages while we browsed the menu. There was not a large selection to choose from but everything looked appetising. Before very long the waitress returned with our drinks levitating on a tray beside her, and as she served them we all decided on what we would have to eat. I settled for a hayburger and chips, Rainbow took a lighter option and went for the dandelion sandwich, Twilight ordered the same and Matt ordered some chips with a lettuce and tomato sandwich on the side.

We started to chat as the waitress hovered around, cleaning various tables and making sure everything was alright for us, and after quite a short wait she returned with our food, which all looked delicious. I took my first bite of a hayburger and it tasted nothing like a hamburger, but oddly tasted just as enjoyable. I happily sat and ate as everyone discussed tomorrow night cheerfully and it was almost like we had all known each other for years as we sat talking, laughing and just hanging out. This life was perfect for me. No problems whatsoever, no personal life worries for me and especially no professional worries. As long as I was surrounded by great ponies like this, I would be set. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, and we tipped the waitress before we left for the great service and we slowly walked our way back to the hotel. I made the decision to have a couple of drinks at the bar and Rainbow joined me. Matt and Twilight however decided to get an early night so we bid them goodnight and they departed.

After I discovered some rather nice whiskey at the bar I settled myself down on a chair opposite Rainbow who had ordered some form of multi-coloured cocktail. We sat over a few drinks and had a pleasant chat, watching the world go by and managing to come up with some observational humour based on the snobby looking ponies that passed by every now and then. It was beginning to get slightly late and the whiskeys I had consumed seemed to be having some effect on me as my speech was slightly slurred now and Rainbow seemed to be getting to the same point, so we decided to call it a night. We half-drunkenly shuffled our way to the elevator and as soon as the doors closed she immediately embraced me and pulled me in for a passionate kiss. I was slightly shocked by this behaviour but I was too tipsy to put a stop to it, and we shortly arrived at our floor, getting some odd looks from a couple of ponies that had been waiting for the elevator. We rather bashfully made our way past the group of ponies and made our way to our room where I promptly collapsed onto the bed shortly followed by Rainbow.

We embraced once more, only this time we simply nuzzled each other, enjoying the feeling of warmth that spread through my body at the points where our bodies touched.

“So, what were you saying earlier before we were interrupted?” She said lying back slightly, but still close enough to stay within my forelegs.

“I was saying that I was falling for an amazing mare that I had met in a small pub in Ponyville by the name of Rainbowdash.” I replied slightly slurring my words and moving myself closer to nuzzle her neck a little.

“Oh yeah I remember now. You’re really sweet, you know that?” She replied nuzzling me back slightly and I couldn’t help a smile from spreading across my face at that moment.

“Well it’s true. I think you are truly an amazing mare and I’m glad that we got together like this.” I gave her a smile and she returned it before leaning in and kissing me once more. I felt like electricity was coursing through my veins at that moment. Every sense seemed heightened, and I could not have wanted a more perfect moment.

“You know I actually think I’m falling for you too, and I have been rather afraid to admit that until today, but it feels right so I feel comfortable telling you that.” She pressed her head to my chest and I was sure she would be able to hear my heart pounding to escape from my ribcage. I wrapped my forelegs around her tightly and not long after I heard her lightly snoring, and I felt liberated to have told her after such a short time, that I was indeed falling for this beautiful, intelligent mare that lay so peacefully in my embrace, and after giving her a quick kiss on the head I too felt sleep take me and before long I would be waking for another perfect day.

Waking the next morning I yawned deeply and laid eyes on the sleeping mare beside me. Her multi-coloured mane was a mess and most of it was strewn across her face, her eyes were closed, and her mouth was curled up into a slight smile which looked absolutely adorable. I almost wanted this moment to last forever but as with all great moments, they are fleeting and she began to stir and slowly her eyes opened. She took a moment to focus on my face and all I could do at that moment was smile as she shuffled over to close the gap that had formed between us as we slept. I let out a satisfied sigh as she curled her head into my chest, and I laid my head on top of hers, giving her a small nuzzle in the process. The only word to describe the moment was bliss. Complete and utter bliss, and no matter how long we lay in each other’s company like this, the more surreal it seemed, but the electricity flowing through my veins was showing no sign of letting up. She slowly tilted her head up towards me and I leant down to give her a tender peck on the lips before giving her a final squeeze and getting up to begin the big day. I walked through to the bathroom attached to the room and it wasn’t the largest but it was very bright and nicely decorated. A large mirror surrounded by lights occupied one of the walls while along the end of the room there was a large bathtub, easily big enough for two ponies to fit in comfortably and it was then that I noticed that it also doubled up as a Jacuzzi.

I slowly ran a brush through my tangled mane, and it was a bit of a struggle but with some mild persuasion I managed to wrestle it under control. A slight knock on the door sounded out quickly after I had finished, and I heard that Matt and Twilight had entered the room, with Twilight making a comment about how we hadn’t bothered to make the bed. I wandered back through into the bedroom and greeted Matt and Twilight, who was now busy magically making the bed for us. I suggested breakfast before Twilight then tried to organize anything else in the room and everyone agreed and we made our way down to the hotel’s restaurant, and laid eyes on a long buffet table laid with almost anything you could ever want for breakfast. Different types of cereal and juice lined the left side and further down were some hotplates stocked high with hay-bacon strips and fresh morning rolls, some warmed muffins also had a place on the hot plate and I spied my breakfast immediately when I saw a pile of blueberry muffins.

Grabbing a plate each, we all stood in awe at the feast laid out on the table in front of us and I decided that I would have a hay-bacon roll and a blueberry muffin. I quickly spotted a free table with four seats and made my way over to claim it before somepony else did. I took a seat and Matt was next to join me with a bowl of what looked like cornflakes and a glass of orange juice. The mares soon joined us and Twilight had opted for a healthy bowl of fruit salad and cream, and Rainbow had chosen an apple and some form of pastry that I couldn’t quite identify. Although it was quite late in the morning to be eating breakfast, the waiters didn’t seem impatient for us to leave even though we were the last table still eating, but before long our hunger was satisfied and we decided what to do for the day. I decided to do a little shopping nearby for some after Gala drinks and Matt said he would accompany me after he had learned the immediate area yesterday and Rainbow and Twilight were meeting up with their other friends later to get ready for the gala.

After leaving the table we parted ways and Matt and I wandered out into the busy street to find some shops. After around twenty minutes of walking we found a liquor store where I managed to find another bottle of Applejack Daniels. It was a bit more expensive than back in Ponyville but I loved it, so I purchased the bottle and we wandered around the streets aimlessly for a while before I stumbled upon a small florist and I had the sudden urge to make a random romantic gesture towards Rainbow. I entered the shop, sheepishly followed by Matt and I purchased a single rose to pin to her dress, even if Rarity wasn’t too keen on that idea. I was careful to remove the thorns and after jagging myself a couple of times in the process, I had eventually managed to remove them all, I placed it carefully in the bag beside the bottle of alcohol and we began to walk back to the hotel. We had been aimlessly wandering and chatting for at least an hour and a half now and it was early afternoon so we planned to get back to the rooms and take a bath then have a couple of drinks while we got ready. The girls had asked to use Matt and Twilight’s room to get ready, so Matt and I would spend the rest of the time hanging out in mine and Rainbow’s room before getting ourselves ready for the night out.

We arrived back at the hotel at roughly two o’clock and made our way up to the room. Matt knocked on his room’s door and it was answered by a flustered looking Rarity who handed him his tux and then we both made our way into my room. With it still being relatively early in the afternoon, we decided to take it easy and relax before we had to make ourselves presentable. The gala began at six and we wanted to be there on time, but colts took a lot less time than mares to get ready, so we still had plenty of time. I decided to have a bath before it got any later so I had nothing to do before putting on my kilt and heading out for the night. I began to fill the tub with hot water and Matt had turned on the Radio to the local Canterlot station, which today was buzzing with news of the Grand Galloping Gala and everything revolving around that. They were playing a selection of songs to get everypony in the mood for a good party and I found myself being sucked again into the fantastic music that the musicians of Equestria were able to produce.

After a short while of soaking in the tub and making sure my mane and tail were clean, I dried myself off on the soft, white towels that the hotel provided and trotted merrily back through to the room where Matt was drinking a wheat beer that he had ordered on Room Service. I joined him with a small glass of whiskey and we sat and discussed our hopes and plans for the evening, before he too decided that he needed a bath and departed into the bathroom. I pulled the large glass doors open and took a deep breath, before I took a seat on the garden furniture that was placed on our balcony. I was having a great day with the anticipation of the Gala beginning to well up inside me once more. I enjoyed my whiskey in the sun and before long I was joined by Matt, with his mane still slightly wet, he sat beside me with his beer and the chat picked up again, only this time the topic was our dates for tonight. Matt admitted he had been extremely nervous in asking Twilight to the Gala and I admitted that I had been the same way with asking Rainbow.

Unfortunately though, the cheerful conversation didn’t last long, as the long forgotten subject of the portal gun was brought up. Matt was concerned about having been away from his family so long, and I eased his worries by saying that we had plenty of time to think up an excuse before we got back. Matt and I had both fallen on the conclusion that things in this universe happened for a reason, and that us getting stranded in this distant and magical place, had in fact been no mere coincidence. The only problem we were having was what were we here for? I couldn’t begin to imagine what event would have to take place before we were able to go back but hey, we could be stranded somewhere a lot worse.

Time was pressing on now and we decided it was the best time to get dressed. I awkwardly managed to slide the shirt over my head, and one again wrestled with it for around five minutes trying to fit my wings through the holes. After that battle was over I slid the kilt on and proceeded to try and tuck my shirt in, which with hooves is a much more difficult task than it first seemed. Matt, however, was having a seemingly very easy time getting himself dressed using his magic to do almost everything for him. I admired myself in the mirror, making sure everything was perfect; although I’m sure Rarity would find something to fuss over with both of us. My mane was still slightly messy, so I quickly ran a brush over it, but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. Maybe ponies would appreciate the rugged Scotsman look, but I would have to wait to get an answer. Matt proceeded to brush his mane and teeth, and I had to say, he cleaned up good.

After I pointed out that his bowtie was slightly askew, we made our way down to the foyer with plenty of time to spare before we would find a taxi and head to the palace. I ignored the funny looks I was getting from other ponies that walked by, and once we arrived in the foyer, it became apparent that our dates were still not ready. I suggested another pre-drink and Matt said he wouldn’t turn one down, nerves were obviously getting to him a little, so I suggested some Scotch courage. I made my way to the bar and ordered two whiskeys while Matt found us a table to sit at, and I promptly returned with the drinks. Taking the first sip, I noted that we had been served some of the finer whiskey that was behind the bar, one of the top shelf bottles if I wasn’t mistaken, which tasted a lot different to the Applejack Daniels. Matt was letting his nerves show a little, and even though I was feeling nervous as well, I tried my best just to get him to relax. He was almost constantly looking over his shoulder towards the elevator and sighing when he turned back around.

“Nervous?” I asked him, already knowing the answer and he gave me a quick nod while taking another sip of his whiskey, before inhaling sharply.

“Yeah, is it really that obvious?” He replied with an ever so slightly panicked tone to his voice. I reached over the table and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

“You’ll do fine” I reassured him before continuing, “Twilight seems to really like you, and she agreed to be your date for the Gala, so what do you have to worry about?” I tried to give him a smile that would put his worries at ease but he still had a slightly worried expression to his face.

“I just hope everything will go well tonight, I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of the Canterlot elite.” He glanced down before sipping from his drink once more. I thought for a moment before replying with a mischievous grin plastered across my face.

“Well I could always just get really drunk again, if that would help?” He couldn’t help but laugh at that comment and I laughed along with him.

“We’ll see how the night goes and if I make a fool of myself, I’ll give you the signal” He smiled at me and I began to laugh again. We toasted to the night and finished our drinks, seemingly with perfect timing as the elevator arrived at the foyer with the first three of our date’s group. Pinkie Pie hopped from the elevator closely followed by Rarity and Applejack chatting away with smiles across their faces. We stood as if on cue, and we greeted Rarity and Applejack, before I introduced myself to Pinkie Pie. As I predicted Rarity had found something to fuss over, my shirt was slightly ruffled where I had tucked it in and she quickly corrected it, before turning to look at Matt and straightening his bowtie. I took a moment to inspect what the three were wearing, and the dresses were very similar to the ones worn at the Gala in season one, but they were a little different. Pinkie’s dress was, once again, pink, and decorated with balloons, candy and streamers. Rarity was wearing a darker pink dress that looked extremely fancy, jewels shimmered from all angles, and she had a headdress to match, with a few peacock feathers to finish the look. Applejack was wearing an orange ensemble, with a few apples dotted around and some very swanky looking country boots to match the whole style.

With a second ping from the elevator, Matt’s nervous demeanour returned, and our dates made themselves visible, walking towards us. Rainbow looked absolutely stunning and I was at a loss for words. Her mane was neatly styled into ponytail at the back, with her fringe still visibly wild at the front with a lily neatly to one side of her parting. Her dress was, as expected, rainbow coloured, it flowed from her shoulders down to the floor behind her back hoofs, her tail only just visible from underneath the gown and on the front of her body was the image of her cutie mark. Matt was equally stunned by his date; she was dressed in a deep blue gown, decorated with multiple stars with shimmering glitter trails behind them. In her mane was a purple hairband with glitter generously spread over its entirety. Fluttershy was the final pony I laid eyes on as she was standing towards the back of the group looking rather daunted. She was dressed mostly in light green, with yellow hems in her dress. Some darker green leaves and several flowers were spread over the flowing end of the gown; her mane was curled slightly but still reasonably straight at the same time.

I could do nothing but stare as Rainbow walked up to me and gave me a warm smile. Taking a few, reasonably shocked steps forward I gave her a peck on the cheek.

“You look, wow, you look beautiful” I said to her rather bashfully, and awarding me with an “aww” from Pinkie Pie before Rarity gave her a quick nudge. Rainbow responded by blushing and giving me a small peck on the cheek.

“I still can’t believe you’re actually going to wear a dress.” She said back, not too flattered by the compliment to stop her from making a joke, but then again, she probably knew she looked amazing. I quickly laughed and remembered about the rose that I had tucked into my kilt. I produced it from my waistband and she blushed once more as I attached it to her dress, warranting a worried look from Rarity. Matt still stood there in shock and Twilight stood awkwardly, before I gave him a small kick to remind him that he should be speaking by now. He laughed nervously and complimented Twilight on her dress, and how she looked so she seemed to lighten up pretty quickly. Shortly afterwards we were on our way and as I began looking for a taxi I heard a voice from behind me.

“Oh no you don’t!” I turned to see Rarity looking at me, “We, are in Canterlot, we, are travelling in style.” A large horse drawn carriage arrived which was about the length of a limousine. I was stunned by the elegant gold and royal red carriage that was parked in front of us. Soon we all began to climb in and it was extremely roomy inside. We had a few drinks of the local Canterlot Champagne as the carriage made its way up the busy road towards the Palace where the gala was being held in the Grand Hall. Pulling into the long driveway through the garden was incredible, the flora was beautiful and the hedges and trees that surrounded the gardens were well trimmed, full and green. A fountain marked the end of the driveway as it circled around and back the way we came. Fireworks exploded above the roof of the palace, filling the sky with colour as we exited the carriage.

The Palace was huge, made entirely of white marble, with magenta roofs on the white towers that stood above all else in Canterlot. A wrought iron gate stood as the entrance to the palace grounds and as we walked through we were greeted by a pair of large stallions wearing the armour of the royal guard. We showed our tickets and were allowed to pass, I was still in awe at the size of the palace. Rainbow walked alongside me as we ascended to stairs to the great wooden doors that stood open to all the guests of the evening, and as we made our way inside I exchanged a quick smile with Rainbow. I had the feeling that this was going to be a night I would never forget.

The Grand Galloping Gala

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The carriage was filled with excited voices as we made our way towards Canterlot Palace, and I was beginning to feel very nervous. Princess Celestia would surely be greeting everypony at the entrance to the Great Hall, and meeting Canterlot Royalty was making me feel a little squeamish. Twilight gave my hoof a small squeeze; my nervous look must have been more obvious than I thought. I smiled at her and she gave me a reassuring smile back before my eyes wandered and I found my eyes focusing on the Palace which was now within throwing distance. It looked beautiful, fully illuminated against the night sky and fireworks began to shower the starry night with beautiful colours as everyone exited the carriage. I gazed upon the Palace, stunned by its size and beauty. The main doorway was almost daunting in size as we approached, after showing two royal guards our tickets.

Upon making our way into the entrance hall the size of the palace made itself known as the ceiling was as high as the hotel we were staying in. White pillars rose up from the floor to the ceiling that were as thick as trees, decorated with banners of royal red and gold. Massive paintings occupied the walls, the face of Celestia on one, with Luna on the opposite. The others were all scenery of Canterlot and the surrounding countryside. A large stained glass window took up most of the wall above a grand staircase where Princess Celestia stood at the top, greeting the guests who then made their way to the right into where I presumed the Grand Hall was. A grand red carpet was laid from the front door, to the top of the stairs where Celestia stood and it was indeed a very formal occasion.

Robbie looked slightly underdressed and was attracting a lot of attention for what he was wearing, but Rainbow stood proudly by his side, smiling and greeting the ponies that looked her way. Walking slowly through the hall we eventually joined the queue of ponies waiting to be greeted by Celestia and the nerves once again began to well up inside me. Twilight stood by me obviously excited to see her mentor again and the casual way she spoke of the Princess slightly calmed my nerves. Robbie was looking just as nervous as I was, he and Rainbow had stood ahead of us in the line on ponies he was definitely attracting a lot of attention from the other guests now. I could overhear the few ponies behind me exchanging whispers, commenting on the odd apparel, and I was certain Robbie could hear too, but if he could, he was definitely not letting it get to him. The line quickly shortened in front of us and soon Robbie and Rainbow were next in line, to be followed by Twilight and I.

“Good evening Rainbowdash.” The Princess addressed her in a formal fashion and both Robbie and Rainbow bowed in almost perfect synchronisation.

“Good evening Princess” Rainbow replied while rising out of her bow. I noticed the Princesses eyes fall on Robbie who was looking rather awkward at this point.

“And good evening…” Celestia trailed off now addressing Robbie.

“My name is Robbie, your Highness.” He replied in a slightly shaky voice while bowing his head slightly.

“Well Robbie, interesting choice in attire for tonight, I don’t think I have seen anypony wear a kilt to the Grand Galloping Gala in almost two centuries now.” She said not in the bit put off by his choice in clothing, but then again she had been there the last time one was worn so it wasn’t really a surprise.

“Thank you, your Highness, I feel proud of that fact” He was sounding rather awkward so Rainbow quickly excused the two of them and they made their way into the Grand Hall where I could hear music playing, and a lot of ponies talking. Twilight and I were next and I felt a lump beginning to form in my throat as we stepped forward.

“Ah Twilight, it’s good to see you again, my pupil.” The Princess said now addressing her student who had almost bound up the stairs in excitement.

“Hello Princess, I would like to introduce you to Matt, my date for tonight.” She said holding out a hoof slightly to make my attendance known.

“Hello Matt, it’s nice to see Twilight has good taste in colts anyway, you chose a handsome one Twilight” I blushed slightly at this and proceeded to bow at the princess addressing me.

“Thank you, your Highness, it is an honour to be here with the Princesses star pupil” I gave Twilight a smile and she returned it timidly before having a small chat with the Princess, and then we departed into the Great Hall. Octavia’s quartet was set up on the stage, playing some very calming music. The hall was larger in size than the entrance hall with a taller ceiling and a large crystal chandelier hanging from the centre. Pillars stretched from the doorway we had just entered from all the way to the other end of the hall where the stage was set up, and a great stained glass window occupied most of the back wall, with doorways on either side leading to a balcony area. Many ponies were already in attendance as Twilight and I slowly shuffled our way through the crowds to find Robbie and Rainbow, and we didn’t have to look for long until we spotted the only pony in a kilt standing at the temporary bar that had been set up for the night. The drinks were all complimentary, which could spell disaster for Robbie, who was very fond of alcohol, but I would have to try and get Rainbow to keep him from embarrassing himself once more. We made our way over, greeting a couple of ponies on the way, and eventually I came to stand beside Robbie at the bar. He had ordered a whiskey, no surprise there, and a rainbow coloured cocktail which I presumed was for Rainbow, unless he was also a fan of cocktails.

“Twilight, what would you like” I asked turning to the unicorn that was engaged in a conversation with a red earth pony, also wearing a tux.

“Just get me a glass of punch please” She answered politely before turning to continue her conversation. I ordered her punch and decided to get myself a glass of wine rather than beer.

“So what do you make of this so far?” Robbie asked from my side while his eyes explored every corner of the room.

“It’s incredible, like nothing I have ever seen before.” I replied with my eyes beginning to scan the room and admire its beauty. Banners of multiple colours were draped from the pillars, and in one corner of the room stood a statue of Celestia with a matching Luna placed in the opposite corner for symmetry. Twilight soon broke off the conversation with the pony she was talking to and she trotted over merrily and took a drink.

“So what would you like to do Matt?” Twilight asked me and I thought about that for a moment before realising I had no idea what there was to do.

“Well what would you like to do,” I asked back with a smile “It’s your night as much as mine” Twilight returned the smile at the last comment and I was quickly pulled over to the dance floor where we began to, rather awkwardly, dance. I had no idea how to waltz back on earth, never mind with four hooves to get in each other’s way. Twilight was perfectly patient with me and she seemed to take the lead as we rotated in slow circles, matching the rhythm of the music. Other ponies were dancing to, not many though and Robbie and Rainbow had joined us. Robbie was looking just as confused as I was with trying to dance but Rainbow had him covered and was whispering instructions into his ears. As the song wound down I thanked Twilight for the dance, and for her being as patient with a terrible dancer, such as myself, and we departed back to the bar. I took a sip of the fruity glass of wine and Twilight tried to teach me some simple dances, but it would probably have been easier to do with some practice.

After we finished our drinks, we took a small walk around the hall, and met a few ponies here and there, having a small chat with the Princess again before making our way over to where Fluttershy and Applejack sat. I excused myself to fetch another couple of drinks for Twilight and I, and as expected, Robbie stood at the bar awaiting drinks.

“Back at the bar already? I thought you would be taking it easy tonight.” I mocked slightly as I joined him and he laughed a little. .

“Well Rainbow’s over there talking to Spitfire and Soarin, so I saw this as a perfect opportunity to get myself some refreshment.” He retorted while picking up the fresh whiskey that had been laid down in front of him “You’ve got some impressive moves on the dance floor anyway” he continued with a slight joking tone about his voice.

“Yeah well Twilight was leading, so my skills were bound to be hindered slightly,” We both let out a laugh at this “Anyway I believe I saw you receiving instructions while you were dancing, I didn’t think you were that bad.” We both laughed as Rainbow joined us with an almost giddy look in her eyes.

“Having fun?” Robbie asked her before giving her a peck on the cheek.

“Yeah, it’s great. Man, I swear those two get more awesome every time I meet them.” She took a sip of her cocktail and before long Robbie was being swept away to meet them, and it was about time I returned to Twilight with the drinks. I meandered my way through the crowds to the table where Fluttershy, Applejack and her were sitting, and I overheard the conversation come to a quick end with Twilight saying “shh” a lot and looking slightly embarrassed.

“Hope you weren’t saying anything bad about me” I said teasingly as I placed the punch down beside Twilight and took a seat.

“Nothing bad at all” Twilight said with her cheeks starting to glow crimson slightly. The room was now buzzing with ponies talking, and the music was beginning to get a little faster and more energetic as more ponies took to the dance floor. Princess Celestia was wandering around the room, as a good hostess does, speaking to everyone in turn and making sure that everything was alright. The night seemed like it was going to be a blast and it was still early, so we had plenty of partying left to do. I found myself wondering if Luna would be making an appearance because she hardly ever seemed to show her face at public events.

“Hey Twili!” A voice sounded out from behind me which made my stomach curl into a knot. I slowly turned and watched Shining Armour trot over to our table and Twilight greeted him, “I was hoping I’d get the chance to see you while you were in Canterlot, how are you?”

“I’m great thanks, yourself?” She asked after giving him a quick hug. I tucked further into my drink and prepared for the inevitable first member of her family met. They chatted away for a few moments and I thought I might get away without meeting her big brother for a while yet.

“Well actually I’m here with Matt tonight, he’s, well, kind of my date for tonight” Well there went my plan for lying low. I rose to my hooves and decided to make the first move and introduce myself.

“Hey there, I’m Matt” I said rather daunted at the stallion’s size. He towered over almost everyone at the Gala and I had to say he was slightly intimidating. I held out my hoof towards him and he gave me a quick glance up and down, before bumping my hoof with his.

“I’m Shining Armour, Twilights big brother. Jeez Twilight if I had known you were here with a date I would have brought mom and dad along to embarrass you too.” He chuckled slightly, and I let out a small laugh as well. Twilight, however, began to turn slightly red again and Shining Armour joined our small table to socialise, and I was praying at this point that Robbie would show up soon.

“So, Matt, how did you meet my lil’ sis here?” Shining asked me across the table and I took a long sip of wine before answering.

“I actually inquired about work at the Library, and fortunately she had a job position going, so we work together now.” I took another sip of wine. Where the hell was Robbie? This was so awkward. Twilight obviously sensing this chose that moment to ask me for another drink. I was more than happy to oblige as my glass was running low. I meandered my way through the crowd once again, and found the bar was reasonably crowded. I was more than happy to wait for the drinks though as I once again scanned the room for any sign of a kilt, but saw none. A little dismayed that Robbie had disappeared, I turned to order the drinks. I chose a whiskey this time because I was going to need something a little stronger to cope with the situation back at the table. I sighed and began to make my way back with the drinks, and to my delight Robbie and Rainbow had joined the group.

“Aw you got me a drink, you shouldn’t have” Robbie said in a mocking voice obviously seeing that I had a whiskey levitating beside me. I took a sip of it and gave him a smile before giving Twilight her punch. Robbie then trotted over to stand close to me.

“So was it awkward meeting a family member?” He whispered to me, careful not to be overheard, but in the hustle of the crowded room I doubt anyone would hear him.

“More than you could possibly imagine, it’s not just the fact that he’s her big brother, it’s also the fact that he is captain of the Royal Guard. He’s scary” I replied taking a look in Shining’s direction. Robbie risked a glance too and saw him laughing away with Twilight.

“Yeah he looks real scary” Robbie slightly joked and I shot him a defensive look. He wasn’t the one dating his little sister. I pushed the thought out of my mind for the time being, and proceeded to drink my whiskey at an accelerated pace. Robbie warned me to go easy on the whiskey because apparently “My Canadian system wouldn’t be able to keep up with his Scottish resistance to it”. I was slightly amused by this comment and we had a good laugh. Robbie and I moved on to discuss the quartet on stage and how the songs they were playing were brilliant.

“If I was a better dancer I would have dragged Rainbow to the dance floor a long time ago” Robbie commented while having a small chuckle, and Rainbow had obviously overheard his comment and proceeded to drag Robbie up to dance. “Here comes the carnage” he shouted back to me as he was pulled by a hoof through the crowds. I laughed before turning back to the group. Robbie was still getting some awkward stares from ponies for wearing a kilt, but most weren’t even bothered by it anymore. I took another sip of my whiskey and looked around the room. Celestia had now made her way around a lot of the ponies who were having a blast by the looks of things, and was slowly but surely, making her way towards us. As much as I tried to avoid talking to Shining, the thought dawned on me that I probably wasn’t making the best first impression, so I took a seat beside Twilight once more and joined in with the conversation.

Some time passed and as it turns out, Shining was not the type of big brother that I had originally imagined, he knew Twilight could take care of herself and I no longer found him as intimidating. His stature was still a little off-putting, but I was now a lot more relaxed. He seemed to pick up on this and we began to talk a lot more freely, but it wasn’t long before he had to leave and attend to his duties. I turned to face Twilight and she reached her hoof towards me. I sheepishly took it and she led me once again to the dance floor. The songs were a lot faster paced now, and I had to admire the skill it took to be able to play the cello, or even the piano with hooves.

Twilight was really getting into the music, shaking her head to the rhythm and pulling me around the floor while I timidly tried to dance along. She didn’t seem to mind my horrible dancing, and Robbie wasn’t having much more success with learning, but we were having a great time anyway. Before long, with the ecstatic dancing from Twilight, I was in need of a drink and I made my way to the bar. Robbie had also had the same idea and was standing with a whiskey on ice. Twilight and Rainbow had been joined by Rarity and Applejack so they would be dancing for a while still. I decided on something a little more refreshing than whiskey this time, so I settled down with a wheat beer and started up a conversation with Robbie. We happily chatted away for around ten minutes, and before long we were taking stabs at each other for our terrible dancing, but it was all in good humour. Robbie’s train of thought was however, interrupted by a dark Alicorn appearing at the bar to the left of the two ponies to our left. She wore a fine gown, decorated in moons and stars, with matching shoes and a small moon on her head.

The two ponies, who obviously had not come to terms with the fact that she was no longer Nightmare Moon, moved away from her and towards us, but upon seeing Robbie in his kilt, they turned their noses up and left. Obviously too proud to be in the company of someone who was dressed a little differently, Robbie took this upon himself to make a snide comment.

“Aye, too proud tae be seen near a colt in a kilt ya numpties.” He said putting on his strongest Scottish accent and the two colts let out a rather dignified “Hmmf” before mingling with the nearby crowds. He turned and winked at me, I had to give it to him, that was rather funny. The Princess of the Night seemed to think so too as she let out a small giggle and introduced herself. Robbie and I bowed low to the Princess who immediately told us to not bother with the formalities of meeting a royal. We quickly obliged and relaxed, it was nice to meet somepony of the upper class who did not care for the whole “stand at attention” act.

“So where, pray tell, did you get such an attitude?” She asked Robbie, who I could see was secretly ecstatic to be speaking to Princess Luna.

“Well, when you grow up around the people I did, you learn to have a laugh at everything, even though it may not exactly be funny.” He replied with a slight tone of amusement in his voice. Luna, Robbie and I continued to chat, and eventually Twilight and Rainbow made their way from the dance floor to where we were standing. They both immediately joined in our conversation and we began to order round, after round of drinks. Admittedly I was feeling slightly drunk by this point and I decided to take it easy for the next little while.

Before long though, the Princess had to move on and mingle. She gave a slight exasperated sigh at the thought before she put on her socialising face and trotted off to chat to some nearby ponies. The night was going well and it was still only around ten, so I invited Twilight to dance once more and she smiled and accepted. I said that I would see Robbie later and he gave me a nod before returning to his drink. Twilight and I began to dance and the night just got better and better. Nothing could ruin this for me, and I planned on enjoying the company of the amazing mare I was dancing with for as long as possible. My mind was entirely focused on Twilight now, she moved so gracefully and every one of her movements seemed significant. I was almost stunned to the point of simply watching her dance, but the rhythm of the music kept my hooves moving, as if on autopilot.

The night was drawing later and Twilight and I had adjourned ourselves to the table where her friends sat, and we proceeded to converse over the events of the evening. Then I noticed something odd happening beside the door, behind where Pinkie Pie was rambling on about some piece of the evening that had gone extremely well. Princess Luna, Celestia and Shining Armour were all gathered around a guard with slightly stern expressions plastered on their faces. I gave Twilight a quick nudge and quickly pointed out what was happening, and she expressed some concern as to why they all looked so serious. The next move they made was even more unexpected as they all, quietly, left the Gala un-noticed by anyone. Word spread around the table quickly, and concerned expressions began to emerge everywhere as the odd nature of what we had just witnessed set in. Robbie and Rainbow had joined us once again, and we informed them of the brief moment we had noticed, they both shared some concern with the situation. It was weird that not five minutes ago, we had all been dancing, socializing and just having a great time and now the atmosphere in the room had changed to one of tension and unrest, which was all explained a moment later, when all hell broke loose.

Loud crashes echoed through the hall, accompanied by bright flashes of green as gaping holes were punched through the grand ceiling. The hall was immediately filled with the shocked gasps and screams of startled ponies, who began to flee the chaos that was raining down before their eyes. Robbie’s expression quickly hardened as he moved to the front of Rainbow to protect her from any projectiles that might head in her direction. I quickly made the same move to defend Twilight but immediately our hardened demeanour shifted as, out of the craters now formed in the ruined floor, emerged changeling drones, only a few to begin with, but surely more began to crawl their way through the ceiling. The shock of the moment began to set in, but I didn’t let the fear coursing through my veins paralyze me. That was until a few larger, flying silhouettes came into view, and the image of several large Griffons made themselves known.

“Citizens of Equestria” The largest of the griffons announced in a booming voice, “We have formed an alliance to tear apart your disgusting, peaceful society. The strongest will reign supreme, and anyone who stands in our way, will be removed from the picture. Do you understand?” He looked around the room at the cowering ponies that remained and his eyes landed on our table where we stood as firm as ever. The room was suddenly beginning to fill with armoured royal guards bearing spears, and a sickening clash sounded out in the depths of the hall as sporadic war broke out. I quickly grabbed Twilight and began to pull her away from the fray that was spreading around the hall. I frantically looked around to find everypony else, most had gathered by the door ready to leave but Robbie was galloping around in a panic screaming Rainbow’s name. Then all of a sudden he made a dash forward, planting his head firmly into the side of a changeling’s ribs, causing it to fall to the side, before he grabbed a cyan hoof and pulled Rainbow from a small crater before pulling her towards the door. Robbie was fast approaching the door, so the group immediately took off at full gallop to escape the ensuing horror of the assault on the palace.

Outside was a horrific sight which none of us had been expecting. The buildings of Canterlot were beginning to crumble, one by one they fell, and I felt almost helpless against such a destructive force. We didn’t have the time to hang around though. We had to get out of there and find some form of safety.

Swan Song

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I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The peaceful city which I had gazed upon in awe only a few hours before, was now in the clutches of all-out war. Buildings were crumbling in the streets around us as we galloped past, careful to avoid hordes of changelings and griffons, which were basically the tanks that the changelings had called in as support. Fear and panic was thick in the air and I could almost taste it as I struggled to keep up with Applejack and Rainbowdash, who were now at the head of the pack. Matt was following me closely, with Twilight in tow, babbling about where the Princesses and her brother were. We had no time to focus on that now though as we avoided changelings colliding with buildings and panicked ponies galloping through the streets screaming. We needed to find some form of safety and nowhere seemed suitable with the destruction that was brought on by the large army. I fought back all other emotions other than determination. I had to be strong now, and I wasn’t going to falter at the expense of having my friends hurt.

Eventually we found some ruined buildings away from the fray of the main assault and we took a moment, hiding in the shattered remains of somepony’s house, to catch our breath and come up with a plan. The room was filled with a mixture of shocked and fearful expressions as the events that had just taken place began to set in. We were all panting heavily and the sounds of the vicious attack continued for what seemed like hours. Eventually Twilight spoke, disturbing the silence of the room.

“We need to find the Princesses,” She said with a worried tone to her voice, “I know Celestia and Luna have a safe room to retreat to if anything like this ever happened, but I doubt they thought they’d ever have to use it.” A slightly mournful tone faltered her voice and Matt was quick to put a foreleg around her as tears began to slowly seep from her eyes. I looked around the room and the group of friends that had been partying and enjoying themselves not twenty minutes ago were now sat in a ruined house, fearing for their very lives. I felt myself fill with pity and anger for my friends who were obviously terrified, with the notion of war being completely new to them. We all agreed that finding the Princesses would be our top priority, but we should wait for a small while to, hopefully, let things die down a little before venturing out into the open. Even Pinkie Pie was looking down heartened, and that was a truly sad sight by itself.

After a short while of waiting, the sound of the battle that was raging on didn’t get any closer to sounding resolved, and with that we decided to make a move to the safe room, which was located in the centre of Canterlot. A risky move given the current situation, but a risk we had to take, rather than waiting in a ruined building waiting to be discovered. We gathered what little courage we had left as I quickly checked the street to make sure the coast was clear. We departed down the street at a slow pace, not wanting to gallop, in case the noise attracted any unwelcome attention, and if it did truly hit the fan, we would need the energy to run away. As we neared the end of the street I pressed myself against the corner of the building, and peered around to quickly scout. A small group of changelings were gathered in the street but before very long they grew bored of seeing no action, and departed leaving the ruined street in an eerie silence that was only broken by the sounds of buildings crumbling in the distance. I began to slowly make my way down the street followed by a line of our friends, all walking slowly along the walls to reduce the chances of being seen. The walking and checking corners seemed almost endless, but it was a precaution that needed to be taken to ensure all of our safety. Talking was kept to a minimum and we only really spoke when someone had spotted a changeling or griffon flying by, and we needed to take cover. This had happened a few times but the group seemed undaunted by the mission we had embarked on.

Twilight informed us, after about an hour of walking, that we were nearing the safe room. It was underground, so we would have some difficulties finding it, but we pressed on with our objective in mind. The harsh sounds of destruction were growing ever closer as we approached the final few streets to find the entrance. The patrols became harder to avoid, and it was almost heart breaking to see a pony being chased by a swarm of changelings and know that you were almost powerless to help. More pressing matters were at hoof though, and we knew our initial goal. Surely the Princesses would have something up their sleeve that could pull Equestria out of a full blown war. I was still shocked with how quickly the night had deteriorated to this, it was horrific. So many homes torn apart, so many lives ruined all in the space of a few hours. I was beginning to grow ever wary though, as the swarms slowly increased in size and Royal Guards rushed around the streets to attempt to fend off the attackers. We were drawing close now and the area surrounding the bunker was swarming with Changelings. I began to feel tense as the risk of getting caught grew ever larger. I looked back at the line of ponies behind me, Matt had managed to shake off the initial shock by now, obviously being used to seeing images of war and terrorism. But the rest of the mares that accompanied us all looked utterly terrified. There was nothing I wanted to do more at this point than take Rainbow in my embrace and comfort her, tell her that everything was going to be alright. But I couldn’t guarantee that, so it would have to wait for later.

As we all huddled together in an alley protruding from the edge of the main street of Canterlot I laid eyes on a large force of Royal Guards, defending a certain building as if it was the final stronghold of Equestria. I knew this had to be the place and I turned to share the good news.

“Right I think we’ve found it. It will be a bit difficult getting over there but…” My face dropped as a changeling let out an almightly screech from behind the rest of the group. They all turned, faces emblazoned with fear, as a loud buzzing started up and multiple more joined the lone figure that had exposed us.

“Run! Into that building across the street, Go!" I commanded and began to hurry them all across the street. The mares all entered the building first with Matt and I following closely before slamming the door shut and pushing some items of furniture into the path of the door to allow us some more time.

“Hey there’s a back door here!” I heard Pinkie call out from down a narrow hallway. It was firmly locked and bolted so immediately Applejack and Rainbow started bucking the door, trying to smash it loose. The changelings had thought of the same plan however, noting that the door was probably the weakest point on the structure. It was then when the feeling came to me. I turned to Matt and pulled him aside quickly.

“Look by the time you all get that door open, they will almost surely be in and we will not be able to escape them.” I whispered quietly to Matt before glancing over my shoulder to make sure nopony was listening in, “I want you and the rest to make a break for it. Don’t worry about me, I can take a few of them out and it will give you all the chance to escape.”

“I can’t let you do that, not after everything we’ve been through.” He said back in a slightly panicked voice. A large thump at the front door reminded me of the severity of the situation.

“Look I don’t care whether you want to let me or not, the fact is I’m staying and I need you to keep the rest safe, do you understand?” I probably worded that a little harshly but it needed to be said. Matt’s eyes began to soften and I rested my hoof on his shoulder. “Don’t go all soft on me now; I need you more than you could ever know at this moment. I have a favour to ask you” Another loud thump and the slight cracking of wood reminded me I needed to be quick.

“Look after Rainbow for me, make sure she doesn’t come back for me until this is all over, understand?” I looked into his eyes and he gave me a look of understanding. “Thank you Matt. I really owe you one” I gave him a quick hug and I toughened up my demeanour to be ready for what I was about to do. Rainbow had noticed us talking, and the hug I had given Matt, and she began to wander over before she was stopped in her tracks by Matt.

“We need to go” he said to her in a calm voice but immediately her eyes were focused on me.

“Robbie we’re nearly through the door, come on we’re almost there.” Her voice sounded hoarse and desperate, but I could not take any heed.

I solemnly walked over and placed a hoof on her cheek, “Rainbow, I’m staying so that you can all get away. I know I can take a few down, but the main objective is just to let you all get away.” I said softly, looking into her eyes I could see tears starting to form.

“No, I won’t let you! I’m staying too! You can’t stop me!” She almost shouted at me through the steady stream of tears that had now begun to pour from the corners of her eyes. I allowed my demeanour to falter slightly before tilting her head back up so I could look into her eyes once more.

“Please Rainbow, just do this for me. I’m not asking anything too much of you, only that you stay safe, and I will see you soon.” I said, trying to ease the suffering of the mare I had come to fall for over the past couple of weeks.

She sniffed loudly and looked me dead in the eye. I almost couldn’t bear to look into those eyes stained with the red puffiness of tears and knowing that I was the cause.

“Promise me, that if things get too bad you will try and get out of here, please…” She trailed off once more into another fit of sobs, and now I had to do this. I leaned in and planted a single, gentle kiss on her lips before letting a tear escape my eye.

“Now please, go.” I said to her with tears on the verge of escaping from my burning eyes. She gave me a quick nod and the door once again was hit with a splintering crack, revealing the now quite large horde of Changelings that had gathered. I turned to face the door and put my demeanour back on to prepare for what I was about to do.

“Robbie!” I heard Rainbow’s voice call to me from the narrow hallway, “I love you” she said timidly from around the corner with tears still streaming down her face from the sound of her broken voice.

“Love you too, Dashie” I replied another tear betraying my eyes, and rolling down my cheek, while never taking my eyes from the increasingly damaged door in front of me. It dawned on me what I was doing this for; I loved the mare that I was defending right now. This wasn’t for me, it was partially for Matt and the others, it definitely wasn’t to be a hero, it was to defend Rainbow, plain and simple. I would not let her down; I would not let myself down by failing her. I began to feel the adrenaline kick in at this point, and it gave me the rush I needed to prepare. I would be cold on the floor before any changelings or griffons managed to lay a hoof on her. I snorted angrily at the changelings now beginning to tear through the door and digging my hooves into the ground, preparing to charge.

“This is for you, Rainbow. My final stand to protect you from evil,
I will not fail you. Just… stay safe.”

The back door finally splintered open and the ponies I had become friends with began to escape out the back just as the Changelings broke through the front door. With a deep breath and a final cry to release my fury, I charged towards the changelings, no fear holding me back, reaching full gallop before the final moment.

“Goodbye Rainbowdash… I love you”

Canterlot Infirmary

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The crash alerted me that the back door was now open, and the mares all ran into the street at the back and making their way towards the platoon of Royal Guards guarding the bunker. But Rainbow stood with her eyes on Robbie until the final moment. He charged forward with a fear-inducing cry before the sound of a harsh fight broke out in the small room.

“Robbie!” Rainbow let out an anguished shout from beside me, and tried to rush to his aid, but I grabbed her and pulled her away from the fray. The fight sounded intense, screams of pain and anger echoed through the desolate house, and it was obvious that Robbie was managing to hold his own. Another large crash emitted from the small room that Robbie was managing to hold, as a large griffon plummeted through the ceiling behind him, before making an advance.

“No! Robbie! Let me go! I have to help him! Robbie!” Rainbow cried out and once again struggled to get free of my grip, but I had made a promise to Robbie, and I wasn’t about to break it. Tears were still flooding down her cheeks as I pulled her away from the house and down the street where the others were waiting for us. Rainbow was in hysterics, barely able to walk; I had to almost carry her towards the bunker. She wasn’t making it easy for me though, she kept trying to break away and run to the aid of her colt who was probably by now, although I hate to think about it, overrun. After getting inside the protection of the Royal Guard I set Rainbow down and knelt beside her.

“Rainbow, I know this is hard for you, and you may not like me for dragging you away when he obviously needed the help, but I was only keeping my promise.” I sympathetically said to her while trying to look her in the eye.

“What promise?” She sniffed and wiped her runny nose with her hoof, “The promise to let you drag me away, while he got himself killed?” she spat that last statement with a little bit of venom behind the words and I was a bit taken aback by her hostility.

“I promised him, that I would keep you safe. That I would not let anything happen to you as long as it was in my power to do so.” She gave me a slight glare through her puffy eyes and another flood of sobs and tears came flowing from her. Applejack and Twilight soon joined her and began to try and comfort her a little; Robbie had obviously meant a lot more to her than anyone else. The tears seemed endless as we convinced her to enter the safe room where the Princesses awaited us.

“I’m glad you all made it!” I heard Princess Celestia’s voice say in a calm tone as we entered the room and I simply looked her in the eyes and shook my head slightly before returning my gaze to the floor. Her confusion was put to rest as soon as the sobbing Rainbowdash was led into the room by Twilight and Applejack. Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity were in the corner, obviously in shock from the last turn of events. Celestia then approached me.

“Where is your friend who was wearing the kilt? Did he get separated?” She asked me in a quiet and calm manner while trying to stick to a level that Rainbow wouldn’t hear her.

“He stayed. We were in a house, under siege by a horde of changelings.” I felt myself begin to well up as I told ever so recent story to the Princess. “He told us to escape while we could, that he would hold them off while we made our getaway. Last we saw of him, he charged the swarm himself, and then he was set upon by a griffon, and we made our escape at that point.” My head bowed solemnly as a few tears dropped to the floor and Celestia looked around mournfully at Rainbowdash who was still sobbing heavily in the corner.

“Were they close?” She asked, once again turning to face me.

“He was her coltfriend; the last words he said to her, were that… he loved her. After she had said she loved him.” It was now pointless in fighting back the wall of tears as they proceeded to flood from my eyes to the floor where they formed a pattern in the dust. I was beginning to get annoyed that my voice was failing me and I kicked the dust in frustration. I shouldn’t have let him stay on his own. I could have helped. We all could! But it was no use dwelling on these thoughts now. Celestia had made her way over to where Rainbow was curled up, crying into her, now tattered, gown from the gala. She knelt beside the weeping mare and began to speak.

“Rainbowdash” The distraught mare could only offer a small muffled “mmm” as a response and the Princess continued; “Your coltfriend made an amazing sacrifice to allow you to be here, do you know that?” Rainbow once again just made another muffed noise between sobs and she began to cry even more.

“By letting you all escape, he has brought the Elements of Harmony to this room safely, and with the help of Cadance, Luna, Shining, Twilight and I, this plague on our fair lands will not be able to continue this reign of terror for much longer.” She spoke in a soft tone that you could see was comforting Rainbow slightly as the sobs became quieter the more the Princess said.

“We have a spell for times like this. It was last used over a thousand years ago, when there was a great war with an army from the Southlands below Equestria, and we will perform it today to clean our kingdom of this scourge once and for all.” The determination in the Princess’s voice was astoundingly encouraging, even with the sounds of the war still raging on outside. Rainbow’s sobs were now extremely quiet as she looked up at the Princess through blurry, puffy eyes. The Princess stood up, now confident in the plan she had carefully put together over the past few hours.

“So I beg you, my dear Rainbowdash, be strong, if not for us, but for Robbie. Make him proud” Rainbow’s head raised out of the gown she had been sobbing into before slowly raising to her hooves.

“I’ll try Princess” She replied with her voice cracking, and she once again wiped her nose on her hoof before giving a determined look. My tears had now dried up during that inspiring speech and I rose to my hooves as well.

“What can I do to help?” I asked with a new found strength flowing through my veins. I had to do something to help, for Robbie.

We spent the best part of the next hour going over the plan in minute detail. The Elements of Harmony had to be called upon and then a very specific spell had to be cast at the same time. This was no simple spell and I felt a lump in my throat just looking at the instructions. The sun was beginning to rise now and we were finally ready, the Elements gathered in the centre of the room with the Princesses, Shining, and I forming a circle around the six ponies, and when given the signal the elemental symbols on each necklace began to light up, and I began to concentrate as hard as I could on the spell. I could feel that my magic would barely help, but every little counts. All the unicorn’s horns began to glow simultaneously, and I felt the will to purge these evil creatures out of this land for good, when memories of times Robbie and I had shared came flooding back. The first day in Equestria with him, the dinners he cooked for Ditzy and I, the night we went to Bass Drop, and the preparations for the Gala. I was filled with emotion as the memories flooded my mind all at once, and I let out an angered cry as I felt magic seep from every pore in my body. My eyes were blinded by a white light and I felt my hooves leave the ground, magic now flowing through me with a power I wasn't aware I even possessed, before there was a deafening boom and as quickly as the fit of rage began, I fell to the floor, with a wave of peace engulfing me. Panting heavily I sat up, looking around the room. Twilight and her friends were all sat in the middle of the room, the unicorns and Princesses all looked exhausted, and I was left wondering if it had worked.

There was an eerie silence that hung in the air, no more crumbling buildings, no more explosions, and definitely no more screams of terrified ponies. Then the call came.

“All clear, your Highness” from the guard stationed outside the door. A large cheer erupted from everyone in the room and I galloped over to Twilight before taking her in my forehooves and planting a kiss firmly on her lips, which she returned eagerly. We all exchanged hugs and shook hoofs, with Pinkie going as far as high-hoofs for everypony. The joy was contagious in the room until I noticed that we were missing somepony.

“Rainbow!” I shouted, galloping into the street to see the cyan mare galloping towards the crumbled remains of the house where Robbie had made his final stand. I galloped as fast as I could towards the wreckage and the room where the original battle had ensued still stood, against all the odds. Once again the sound of loud sobs tugged at my heartstrings as I solemnly walked into the room to see Rainbow slumped over a motionless grey Pegasus with a bright red mane. Several changelings lay unconscious around the room and we would have to inform the guards soon, but for now my main concern was Rainbow. She sat hunched over the limp figure of her boyfriend with his head in her forelegs, her head pressed to his, tears spilling off her face to the dusty floor. I placed a hoof on the weeping mare’s shoulder and I could not imagine how she was feeling right now, any words of mine would have been fruitless, so I maintained the silence of the room. I knelt beside my fallen friend, and tears once again began to flow from my eyes. Even though Equestria was a land of happiness and joy it became apparent that tragedy did strike every now and again. My friend would not be forgotten though and I would personally make sure of that. Rainbow rested his head back down on the floor and retreated to be alone for a few moments.
I was left alone with Robbie. His form was truly horrific; one wing was bent grotesquely out of shape, his torn shirt revealed his badly bruised ribcage, his face was half swollen with a small amount of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and one of his rear legs was broken to the extent you could see the misshape of it quite clearly. I sighed at my friend, who lay motionless, and wiped away the blood from around his mouth. It was still warm… I placed my hoof roughly a centimetre away from his muzzle, with some meaningless hope in my heart, and a faint air disturbance alerted me slightly. Lowering my ear to his mouth the sound of faint breathing made my eyes pop open and my heart skip a beat. It was short shallow breaths but he was breathing nonetheless.

“Rainbow!” I called out excitedly “He’s alive! Rainbow get through here now!” Rainbow galloped through and slid to a halt beside Robbie. She too heard the breathing and I gently draped him over my back.

“Rainbow, fly to the hospital and tell them that they have a seriously injured pony coming in.” Rainbow gave me a quick salute before taking off into the sky, and I followed her rough flight path to get myself going in the right direction, taking off and working my way up to full gallop I tore through the streets, not willing to let my friend die on my back. I was galloping hard now, my pace not slowing even for a moment as I followed the signposts for Canterlot hospital, and I found myself wondering if there would even be a hospital left. The streets were rather difficult to navigate with all of the crumbled buildings around, some confused looking ponies had bravely ventured out into the open to find out what had happened. The, admittedly short, war was over, but I was now battling against time to save my friend. I sprinted my way down a particularly damaged street, knowing it wasn’t the safest, but the hospital was in sight now and it looked like it remained mostly intact.

“Just hang on Robbie, we’re nearly there, just hang o…

”

I tumbled mid thought as a small piece of rubble collided with my head at the point where I had bashed it a few days ago, knocking me to the floor and causing me to drop Robbie in the process. I tried to stand, woozy from the impact and found I couldn’t, I was too dizzy. There was nothing else for it, if nothing else would get me through this then sheer determination would!

I grabbed Robbie by his one good leg, and proceeded to crawl my way the last couple hundred yards towards the hospital, dragging the limp form of my friend behind me. I felt a warm trickle down the back of my neck and I knew that I was bleeding once again. I let out a frustrated shout as I managed to make it to the hospital steps. I was panting heavily and sweating out of the sheer exhaustion. But finally I managed to make it through the doors of the grand building to be met by a team of doctors who were standing by. Robbie was immediately placed on a gurney and wheeled away behind a closed door where nopony but doctors were allowed, and with that I collapsed from exhaustion and I quickly fell unconscious.

I awoke to bright lights in my face and I squinted slightly at the sudden invasion of my eyes. I took a moment to adjust and focus and the room I was in came into perfect vision soon enough. My head was aching and I felt slightly woozy as I attempted to sit up.

“Here let me help you with that” A familiar, friendly voice said from beside me as Twilight Sparkle supported me and helped me up. I thanked her and looked around the room, placing one hoof on my head, which was now encased in bandages again. Twilight explained that I had been unconscious for a day or so and that I had a pretty bad concussion, so I would have to stay in bed for a few days while I rested up. I groaned slightly and looked around the room to see Shining Armour standing in the doorway before he walked over and asked how I was feeling.

“I-I’m a little, dizzy” I replied leaning back into the soft cushions, when the final events of my memory sprang back into my head. “R-Robbie, is he… okay?” I struggled to get the words out due to the head injury but I would manage for now. Twilight and Shining exchanged a quick look before Twilight took my hoof in hers.

“I don’t want to worry you too much in your current state, but Robbie is in the intensive care unit, in an artificially induced coma. His body wouldn’t cope without the relief from the pain he was in.” She explained softly and I began to tear up slightly, he was alive at least, but in a coma? Celestia knows how long that could last. I sighed and slumped back into my pillows. It was then I noticed the IV drip in my foreleg, I could be here for a while. The day slowly dragged by with me taking plenty of naps. Twilight and Shining waited by the bed patiently all day. Shining obviously cared for his sister more than anything, as he stayed to keep her company while she sat all day by my bed. The day ended too quickly and Twilight had to leave as visiting hours were over and I slumped into my pillows, exhausted even though I had done nothing all day. I was grateful that Twilight had taken the time to bring the Daring Do book in for me to finish reading while I was stuck in bed. I slowly lost myself in the book and soon I found myself extremely tired, so I turned off the bedside lamp and drifted off to sleep. It was going to be a rough few days in bed.

It had been a couple of days since I had first woken up in the Canterlot Infirmary, and today was the day I would finally be allowed to visit my friend for the first time since I had dragged him to the hospital. He was apparently recovering, but his progress was slow and I had asked to be kept updated with everything that happened. I thought it was slightly excessive that Twilight requested that she should take me along in a wheelchair, but I wasn’t really in the mood to have a discussion about it, and I obliged her. She wheeled me along the corridor towards the I.C.U, and as she rolled me through the doors I could barely contain myself. He had looked in such a bad state last time I had seen him, and I was hoping now he would at least look like he hadn’t almost had the life beaten out of him.

My hopes on his appearance, however, were crushed as soon as I was wheeled into the room where my friend lay, hooked up to a heartbeat monitor and had multiple drip feeds inserted in his forelegs. An array of tubes protruded from his mouth and his eyes were firmly closed, as if he was sleeping through a nightmare, which I guess he was. His rear leg was firmly set in a cast, as was his wing, his face still horribly swollen and bruised, his ribcage looking much the same. As I was wheeled to the side of the bed, a cyan mare with prisma-coloured hair, sat holding his only good hoof cupped in hers. She apparently didn’t move from this position all day, every day, not even to go get something to eat. I guess she thought the body contact from someone he loved would speed up the recovery, which was an extremely sweet gesture.

“How are you Rainbow?” I asked her, making contact for the first time since I had woken up after the night of the Gala. It was a silly question as I could clearly see she was hurting inside, maybe wishing that I had just let her go instead of holding her back like I did, but I said it then and I will say it again now, I wasn’t going to break that promise.

“Oh, you know… awesome.” She replied, her voice hoarse and distant. She looked terrible, bags had appeared underneath her eyes, her mane was a mess and she obviously hadn’t been eating much as she was thinner than last I saw her. I sighed and placed my hoof on the bed beside Robbie.

“Hey buddy, I know you can’t hear me, but in a way, I kind of hope that you can…” I trailed off as my voice began to crack. I took a moment to compose myself before continuing, “I’d just like to say thank you, for allowing us all the time to get away. It really did the trick, and you paid such a terrible sacrifice for our safety…” once again my voice was trailing off, leading to me forcing back tears.

“I’m sorry there was nothing I could do to help you, I wish I could have been there to have your back like I should have. But I made a promise… and I kept it.” A lone tear now meandered its way down my cheek as I spoke to my friend. “I’m glad you’re on the mend now, and I really hope it won’t take too long for you to wake up and be your normal self again… I’d like to tell you the story of how we all pitched in at the end… and how you made that possible.” My voice was seriously starting to falter now and I could restrain my eyes no longer as floods of tears trickled down my face.

“Once again, I’m sorry for not being there for you, and I hope that when you come around, you will be proud of what we achieved that day. Unfortunately I can’t hang around for long, the doctor says I should really still be in bed, but I feel fine so Twilight here brought me along to see you.” I patted the hoof on my shoulder which Twilight had placed for moral support. “Anyway I’d better be going to back to my room now; the doctor said I was only to be away for twenty minutes at the most. So until I see you next. Goodbye my friend.” I began to shed yet more tears as Twilight wheeled me back to my room where the doctor was waiting patiently for me. He immediately went into a lecture on why I shouldn’t have been allowed to go and see Robbie while I was in such a fragile condition, and Twilight tried to argue with him but he would see no reason. I was in no mood to be putting up with people arguing around me after what I had just witnessed in that room, and I snapped slightly telling the doctor to leave. He walked out of the room looking rather angry, but at this point in time I didn’t care. I just wanted to have my friend back the way he was, not hooked up to a dozen machines and in such a terrible condition.

After I climbed back into bed, Twilight took a seat beside me on the mattress and wrapped her forelegs around me, and I broke. Tears once again flooded from my eyes as the horrid image of my pal was permanently etched into my mind. Twilight just sat patiently with me while I let it all out, gently running a hoof up and down my back in a comforting manner. Before long, I felt exhaustion take me and I fell asleep in Twilight’s embrace.

“He looks terrible” I heard a familiar voice say much later, I decided to keep my eyes closed to see where this conversation was heading. Rarity had obviously dropped in to visit me and noticed the state I was in.

“Yeah, he saw Robbie for the first time today, and he took it pretty hard, it’s easy for us now that we’re accustomed to it, but Matt was in complete shock.” I heard Twilight reply and most likely throwing a worried glance over towards me, “He was utterly devastated, and all I could do was try and comfort him, I feel so helpless”

“Well you know Twilight, some things just take time, and he is lucky to have someone like you who will sit by his bed with him all day, and comfort him when he needs it. It is truly remarkable what you two seem to have.” Rarity replied calmly before trotting over and placing something on the bedside table. “Well when he wakes, tell him I stopped by and that I will be back soon to check up on him.”

“Bye Rarity.” Twilight said, sounding a little disappointed that her friend wasn’t sticking around for longer. She quietly returned to her seat beside the bed and began to read her book again, and my heavy eyes dragged me back into a deep sleep.

When I awoke, Twilight was gone and I sat up to see if visiting hours were over. There was still a couple of hours left and I wondered where she had gone, but I didn’t dwell on the thought for too long. I picked up the Daring Do novel once more and began to read. I had almost finished it by now and the tension was unreal as it was drawing towards the climax, but before I could get too far engulfed into the book, Twilight returned and apologised for not being around when I had woken up. I told her that it was fine and that she didn’t need to hang around all the time if she didn’t want to, but she was quite insistent that she did so I didn’t argue the case any further. I was happy for the company to be quite honest, and I was glad it was the mare I had developed feelings for. I had almost forgotten about the item that Rarity had placed on the bedside table, I spied it from the corner of my eye, reminding me of its existence. It was a large yellow envelope with my name written in beautiful lettering. I proceeded to open it, and inside was a card, decorated with glitter and many other shiny items that spelled out “Get Well Soon” on the front. I opened it and the inside was covered in signatures from residents of Ponyville, Ditzy had signed it, as well as Berry Punch, Mr and Mrs Cake, Pinkie Pie had signed it twice, and lots of other names I didn’t recognize. A smile spread across my face knowing that people were concerned for me, but I shouldn’t really be the one they should be concerned for, although the gesture was greatly appreciated, and the card was displayed proudly on my bedside table.

Twilight left to go back to her accommodation as visiting hours ended, and she bid me farewell with the usual hug and kiss before she trotted out into the hallway. I began to read my book again as the day drew to an end. I was getting pretty bored of just sitting around all day now but tomorrow I would try and get myself up and about. I switched off the bedside lamp and laid my head on the pillow and soon, sleep took me once more.

Awakening

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For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt some sensation, other than being completely numb. A feeling of slight awareness washed through every limb of my body, before I wished that it hadn’t. Throbbing pain was all I felt now, and a small amount of pressure on my front left hoof. My back right leg felt stiff and was throbbing with pain almost as bad as my ribs, which were definitely the source of the highest amount of pain. This was not how I imagined death to be. I had imagined peace, no more pain or suffering, but I guess this was as good as it was going to get. I wonder, could I move in death? I tried to move the one hoof that had no pain, but I could not force it to budge even a millimetre. Well I guess an eternity of lying still in the dark was better than an eternal punishment. It was beginning to peeve me slightly that I was now aware of myself, but not able to move, nor even open my eyes.

Time slowly passed and the sensation coming over my body, shifted once again as I felt my muscles begin to gain some energy, as if some invisible source was supplying me with the means to move. I now began to hear things, voices to be precise, and I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. I could also hear an annoying high pitched beeping, that sounded every second or so. Where the hell was I? The voices died away now, getting further away. The pain I felt all over my body subsided slightly, but the slight pressure on my hoof remained the same. I tried once again to relieve the pressure by moving my hoof, but all I managed was a tiny twitch. To my surprise the pressure removed itself for a brief moment, before returning once more. I then took the next logical step forward and tried to find out where I was. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt as if they were glued shut. Putting a lot more effort into this attempt, a small slit of bright light appeared, and stunned my system momentarily. The slit of light continued to grow wider, but everything was extremely blurry. The pressure on my hoof immediately disappeared and the sound of hooves galloping away echoed around wherever I was. After what seemed like a huge struggle my eyes were finally open, but everything was still a complete blur. Slowly but surely my surroundings came into focus, and I laid my eyes on a pure white door and matching wall.

I still could not move, and my body was completely engulfed in a throbbing pain as my eyes scanned the room, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Hoofsteps approached the door at a rapid pace before it opened and a blue Pegasus entered, followed by an almost matching blue unicorn and brown pony with a white coat on. A little more energy now coursed through my veins and I felt myself able to move my head slightly to watch the ponies approach me. The brown one shone a bright light in my eyes which caused an instinctual blink, before he wrote something down on a clipboard he held in his hoof. I was extremely confused now as to where I was and before long the brown pony looked me dead in the eyes and began to speak.

“Can you understand me?” He spoke softly and I gave a weak nod with what little energy I could muster. He wrote something else down on the clipboard before holding his pen out in front of my eyes.

“Please follow the pen with your eyes if you can” He proceeded to move the pen from left to right and I followed it as best I could. Once again he began to write on the paper and he spoke to me again.

“Can you remember anything?” I shook my head slightly and he continued with a brief explanation, “You were severely injured fighting some changelings and apparently a griffon, you are in the Canterlot Infirmary. These two ponies brought you here.” I looked to the unicorn first who smiled at me and I couldn’t say I recognized him, before turning to the Pegasus and drawing the same conclusion.

“Do you remember your name?” The brown pony asked and, again, I shook my head, drawing concerned looks from the Pegasus and unicorn. “I only have one more check to do, can you try and speak for me please?” the pony added while taking yet more notes. “Just something simple, like hello will suffice” I opened my mouth and began to strain to make any noise at all.

“H…He..Hell..o” I managed to say quietly, my throat was as dry as a desert, and I found it difficult to even draw breath. The unicorn and Pegasus exchanged yet another slightly apprehensive look before the doctor continued in a hushed voice, alerting me that I was probably not meant to hear what he was saying.

“Well I think he will be fine, his memory should return over the next few days as there is very little sign of brain damage. You may talk to him and hopefully something will cause a spark that will make him recollect something. But it seems like you all have nothing to worry about” The Pegasus let out a relived sigh at this and she slowly walked over to the bed.

“Hey Robbie, do you remember us?” She asked me slowly giving me a sympathetic look. I shook my head and answered with a quiet “No” before she looked away dejectedly. By now my throat was burning for some source of refreshment and I managed to get my voice together to utter a single word.

“W-Water” I said with the hoarse tint to my voice giving away my need for a drink more than anything. The unicorn quickly disappeared and returned shortly, with a glass of water and a straw. The glass levitated beside my mouth and he helped position the straw between my lips as I took a large gulp.

“T-Thank you” I said after quenching my thirst and my mind returned to remembering the ponies that were taking such care to make sure I was alright. The Pegasus was the most striking to me; her mane was multi-coloured and her coat a light blue. This seemed familiar, but I had no idea of where I knew her from. The unicorn, on the other hoof, was even less familiar to me. I sighed and gave up with straining my brain too much. My head was too sore for that.

I was beginning to feel more energy fill my body, and I could now move my forelegs freely, but I left my right one where it was, as it was almost too sore to move without good cause. I had been told that; my name was Robbie, the Pegasus to my left was Rainbowdash, but she insisted that I call her Rainbow, and the unicorn was Matt, my roommate from back in Ponyville. They tried their hardest to keep conversation going, but with someone who could barely string a decent sentence together, it was a difficult task. Rainbow kept my good hoof cupped in both of hers most of the time, unless I needed it to have a drink, and Matt sat on a chair to my right mostly trying to bring up topics of conversation. I had taken the time to inspect myself in the past small while; my ribs were badly bruised and when I had asked Rainbow about them she said I had broken a few, my right rear leg was firmly in a cast and I presumed I had broken it rather badly from the size and weight of it, and finally my head and face were slightly swollen, although not too badly. Mostly just bruising left, which the doctor said would fade away in a week or two.

The stress of the day was beginning to get to me now; there was a lot to take in and my mind was exhausted from the swarm of information. My eyes grew heavy and slowly I began to drift off to sleep even though I had only just woken up a few hours prior. My mind went blank once more and all view of the hospital disappeared.

&&&&
“Please Rainbow, just do this for me. I’m not asking anything too much of you, only that you stay safe, and I will see you soon.”
“Promise me, that if things get too bad you will try and get out of here, please…”
“Now please, go.”
&&&&

I awoke with a start, my heart racing and sweat rolling down my forehead. I let out a sigh and reached over for my glass of water. What an odd dream, it almost felt real, like I had actually been there. The cyan Pegasus looking so worried, so scared. I sighed heavily once more; it was not much later than when I had fallen asleep and Rainbow had obviously drifted off for a nap in the chair beside the bed. Matt, however, was nowhere to be seen, and I found myself wondering where he had gone, slightly missing the company and also I would have liked to have told him about my dream, but I guess that would have to wait. I slumped into my pillows and I couldn’t help but notice a strange feeling that the dream had something to do with how I wound up in here. Hoofsteps in the doorway alerted me that I was no longer alone though, as Matt trotted into the room with an apple in his hoof.

“Good to see you’re awake again” He said cheerily as he trotted across the room to take a seat once again. “What’s up?” He said before taking a bite of his apple and giving me a concerned look. My confusion at the dream must have been apparent, but I didn’t mind and I casually explained my dream to him before his eyes lit up with excitement.
“You remember something?” He asked me with a little joy in his voice as he quickly roused Rainbow to tell her the news and she almost seemed ecstatic. She held my hoof once more and I couldn’t help but give a slightly weak smile. Although it was only a small snippet of a memory, I guess it seemed like a victory in their eyes. But it was not to last long as I was still tired and the sudden awakening had only been due to the dream. Once more, I fell asleep, a little happier than I had been last time.

When I awoke next it was dark. Rainbow and Matt were nowhere to be seen, and I found myself feeling rather lonely as I lay in my darkened room, unable to move. I looked around my bed and located a button to call the doctor through. I was informed by the nurse that answered the call that the doctor’s shift had ended, and asked if she could assist me with anything. I asked first for the light to be turned on, and I realised I was extremely hungry. She gave me a kind smile, and said she would return shortly with something light for me to eat. I thanked her as she left, and I couldn’t help but feel a little better that I was getting some food, and who knows maybe it would help to clear my head slightly. She returned after a small while, with a bowl of tomato soup for me to eat and she assisted me with eating it, as my hooves were still not accustomed to holding small objects, like spoons, yet.

After I was done eating, the nurse kindly cleared away the bowl and tray before returning with a book for me to read while I was awake, and I thanked her for her kindness at this awkward hour before she left me in peace. I opened the book and began my attempts to decipher the words on the first page, but before long I gave up on reading and began to feel sleepy again. I could not understand why I needed to sleep so much, but I had a feeling that it had something to do with my head injuries. So once again I drifted off to sleep and allowed myself to relax completely.

&&&&

For a brief moment I felt like I was falling, but as quickly as the sensation came, it was gone, leaving me standing in a field somewhere. Rainbow was calling me from the sky and I stretched my wings to go and fly beside her, and surprisingly felt no pain as I took to the air and flew alongside her. We played some aerial games and had a lot of fun together before settling down on a cloud to watch the sunset. She curled into me, and I wrapped my foreleg around her as we sat for a while enjoying the company. It felt right being with her like this and then as quickly as all of this happened, I was falling again; Rainbow now becoming a distant and beautiful speck as I fell into the void of darkness that was now engulfing me.

&&&&

My eyes slowly opened, and I was greeted by bright sunshine beaming through the windows of the hospital room which I now occupied. I had half expected to see Rainbow and Matt waiting patiently for me to wake up, but then I realised it was probably too early for them to come around. Slowly, I propped myself up and stretched slightly, before a twinge of pain from my ribs reminded me that it wasn’t a very good idea. I let out a few swears under my breath and quickly gulped down some of the juice that had been placed on the bedside table last night before I noticed the doctor enter the room.

“Well good morning Robbie, how are you feeling today?” He asked me while glancing at his clipboard.

“A little confused, apparently I remembered something, and I think I may have remembered something else” I replied, still slightly groggy from just waking. He seemed pleased and asked what I had remembered and I told him all about the dream from yesterday, and explained my dream from which I had just awoken. He casually replied that I would probably be best speaking to Rainbow herself about that certain dream before telling me he would check back in later and continuing with his rounds. I sighed and prepared myself for a boring day in bed. Soon enough, a nurse appeared with some breakfast for me, and after eating my mood seemed to have improved. Rainbow showed up at about nine, but Matt had other things to attend to so it looked like it was just me and her today.

“Hey Rainbow,” I said after a short while of chat, causing her to look over. “I had a dream about you last night, but I’m not sure if it was a memory.” Her eyes lit up slightly at this remark and moved her chair closer to the bed in anticipation. I explained the dream to her, making sure to include all of the details.

“Well, actually that is a memory,” She said after I had explained everything, “I gave you flying lessons one day, and we were beginning to become quite… close at that point, and after we were done flying for the day we curled up on a cloud and watched the sunset together.” She looked almost giddy, I was beginning to remember things and she was obviously ecstatic at this. I decided that even though I couldn’t remember much, to begin to ask Rainbow some questions to fill in the blanks in my mind. She seemed more than happy to provide answers, and before long she took my hoof in hers, and I began to ask about my injuries. I couldn’t help but feel a little spark of electricity jolt from my hoof, through my body, and I began to feel as if this was almost right, that she was here beside me for a reason. I pushed this thought aside for the time being and we kept discussing my life in Ponyville, and how I had met her. The conversation eventually reached the first day we had truly spent together as my lunch arrived, and Rainbow offered to help me to eat and free up the nurse to go about her other duties.

The lunch was filling and I was less than impressed with the quality of the food, but then again, I couldn’t complain as it was for my own good that I ate. The nurse promptly returned to clear away the dishes and the conversation once again turned back to filling in the blanks. We had a few laughs at the events back in Ponyville that had led up to our relationship, and I was beginning to form cloudy memories from where there had once been nothing. Slowly but surely I was beginning to remember this mare that sat beside my bed, and my roommate Matt. But the conversation finally reached the gala. It was tough watching the cyan mare tearfully explain what had happened that night which led up to me being here. I was beginning to understand now, and I also understood why I had made that decision. I could almost remember everything that had gone through my head at the moment the decision was made. I had needed to make sure her and her friends got away safely, and I had left Matt in charge of that, a promise which he had obviously up kept.

The unicorn in question walked through the door at that moment, accompanied by a purple unicorn who I could now remember as Twilight Sparkle, Matt’s boss and marefriend. I greeted them both as they drew up chairs to have a chat, and I asked them to expand on what Rainbow had been telling me. Her hoof still encased mine as Matt slowly began to explain my work and the couple of days before Rainbow and I had met, and I was cheered up massively hearing of our dinners with Ditzy and the little walks around town we had taken. He also went into more detail surrounding the night where I had made the decision to keep my friends and marefriend safe. I was reminded of the brief moment, trapped in the dusty old house, where I had asked my best friend and roommate to keep them all safe. I could see his face now, one of disbelief and understanding at the same time. The cyan Pegasus had cried out in such horror, begging me to leave with her, but I hadn’t taken any notice. My mind had been set and I wasn’t going to endanger them, one pony hurt was better than all of them. My memory was definitely returning now, and the last few moments of consciousness flashed before my eyes.

“I.. can remember what happened after you all fled now.” I said in a shaky voice, the image of the fierce fight now darting before my eyes. “I charged, straight at the small amount of changelings able to fit through the doorway, before I collided with the first. I began to swing my hooves like a madpony, knocking a few more down, before I finally took a hit. It was a heavy one, from my right, It knocked me off my hooves. There was then a loud crash” I explained tearing up slightly from what came next. Looking around the group, the expressions were a mixture of horror and curiosity.

“I heard Rainbow scream through, begging to be let go of and I couldn’t let anything happen to her” I continued with tears now brimming my eyes while I exchanged a look with the cyan mare. “The cries were the motivation I needed to climb to my hooves and I decided the best way to improve my odds, was to take on the griffon before trying to fend off the changelings. It was to no avail though. The griffon grabbed me by my back leg and threw me to the floor, which I guess explains the broken leg.” It was now a battle keeping tears from flowing from my eyes, but one which I inevitably lost as the first of many began to meander its way down my cheek.

“I couldn’t stand after that, I just lay there in agony, flailing my hooves trying to defend myself while the swarm descended upon me. The last thing I remember is a hoof making contact with my head, and then it’s all blank.” My unrestrained eyes had now opened the floodgates, as I could no longer hold back the worst of my tears and I broke down. I felt Rainbow’s hoof squeeze mine ever so slightly tighter and with that, I managed to compose myself a little more. The events of the day had tired me out slightly, and I definitely needed a nap before dinner now. Rainbow told me to go ahead and that she would be there when I woke up. So with the reassurance of seeing Rainbow once more, I closed my eyes and drifted away to sleep.

&&&&

This dream was different, I found myself unable to move, almost unable to breathe. The changeling swarm was now pounding on me, hooves colliding with flesh and bone. I was silently begging for them to stop, silently screaming in pain but found myself unable to utter a single gasp or cry for help. A deafening boom from somewhere close by brought an end to my suffering quickly though, and all I could feel was the relief from having to no longer deal with any of this pain. My breathing became laboured as I lay in the dust, trying to keep myself conscious and alive, if only for Rainbow, but it was futile. A black shroud came over me and I slowly began to pass out.

“Rainbow!” The voice was familiar, almost comforting, although I couldn’t quite place a hoof on who’s voice it was.

“He’s alive! Rainbow get through here now!” The voice called out again, this time to be answered with the sound of hurried hooves. I felt the cold ground disappear from under me, and it was replaced with the warmth of a pony. He took off galloping through the streets, avoiding debris and ruins in the wake of the assault. Managing to open my eye slightly, I could see the blue unicorn was exhausted, but kept galloping all the same. A loose piece of debris then came into contact with his head knocking him down, and once again I was greeted with the cold floor and a fresh pain as I landed heavily on the street. I watched through blurry eyes, as the unicorn tried to stand and failed, but it didn’t slow him down one bit. Grabbing my hoof he began to drag me towards the large building in the distance. The pain was excruciating, but it was over quickly as I slowly passed out once more.

&&&&

I awoke with a start, and promptly gasped in pain as my ribs cried out in rebellion against sitting up so quickly. I lay down and laid a hoof on my ribs, as if that would soothe them slightly. Rainbow was by my side almost immediately, and was frantically asking what was wrong. I decided not to tell her about my dream, this time it was one for Matt to hear. Rainbow and Twilight were more than happy to leave us alone for a little while so I could speak to him and I thanked them as they left to get some food. I explained the dream that I had, and didn’t wait for him to clarify that it was a memory because I already knew that it was.

“You carried me here, even though you were exhausted and injured. I really do owe you one Matt, Thank you” I managed to say, earning a smile from Matt which I could tell meant “Don’t worry about it” but I felt more gratitude was in order, after all, he had saved my life. After what had seemed like an eternity of thanking him, he finally stopped being modest and accepted my thanks and I felt a little better knowing that he knew how grateful I was. It wasn’t long until Twilight and Rainbow returned and my mood had increased dramatically since the morning. The rest of the day was spent talking and although my memory wasn’t fully recovered, I felt like I knew these ponies again, and that was a start at least.

Visiting hours drew to a close almost too soon, and the three had to depart. Twilight and Matt had plans for tomorrow so I said I would see them soon, and they took their leave. Rainbow hung around for an extra few moments, and she tenderly, avoiding putting pressure on my ribs, hugged me goodbye, the electricity now shooting through my body once more. I was rather shocked when she pressed her lips against mine, considering my face was still slightly swollen, and I must have looked a mess. But without thinking my eyes closed and I returned the kiss, wishing that the moment would never end. As with all great moments though, it was over far too quickly. She blushed, obviously pleased that I now had some recollection of who she was, and what she meant to me. Just as she was walking out of the door I called out to her.

“Rainbow!” She turned and faced me once more, “I love you” I almost whispered bashfully. She blushed again and smiled.
“I love you too.” and with that, she departed. I felt a mixture of emotions, ranging from ecstatic happiness, to just plain excitement to get out of the hospital to spend time with her. But the doctor had informed me that I still had another couple of weeks at the least to wait before I would be allowed to leave, depending on my recovery. With the thought of getting out of hospital giving me something to look forward to, I drifted off to sleep for the night. I could feel my mind at rest, knowing that I had a lot to look forward to.

Recoveries and Ceremonies

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It had been a couple of weeks since Robbie had awoken now and I was feeling optimistic for the future, even if we couldn’t get home to earth, at least we were all okay after this ordeal. Twilight and I were getting along better than ever now, Robbie was on the mend and we could go home to Ponyville in a few days. I had been informed by Twilight that we were to attend a ceremony held by Princess Celestia in two days’ time. Robbie was getting out of the hospital tomorrow, although he would be confined to a wheelchair, but he seemed happy. He could remember everything now and he seemed happy that he had managed to escape alive. There was a new lease of life about him that I had never known before, and he was even more lively that usual.

It was still early in the day as Twilight and I made our way to the local record shop, which by now was mostly repaired. The city of Canterlot was still littered with broken homes and businesses, but the whole community was pitching in and, slowly but surely, the whole city was being rebuilt. We were trotting merrily through the streets to buy Robbie a present for when he left the hospital, and Twilight and I had settled that an album for him to listen to would be the best choice, given that Robbie had listened to no music and was now going slightly mad from the experience. Eventually we arrived at the dusty store and we entered, it was a small shop but cheery non-the-less. Records lined all of the walls and some signed shirts were framed behind the counter. We had asked Applejack and Rainbow for a recommendation on a rock band that Robbie would like, and Rainbow named quite a few, but we had decided on Applejacks choice as we browsed the shelves hoping to find it.

“Aha!” I said triumphantly, pulling the album from the shelf and holding it up to the light. The sleeve of the vinyl disk was emblazoned with the image of a small western town, with very few wooden buildings. The sun was setting over a desert and across the top was written in bold letters: “Marenyrd Skynyrd: Greatest Hits” and it featured tracks such as “Sweet Home Apploosa” and “Freehorse”. The album would surely be perfect for him, and satisfied with my find, I made my way to the counter to pay the young, scruffy colt behind the desk. His mane was black and scruffy and he wore a black T-shirt with some obscure bands name and emblem on the front of it. After paying, we departed to the hospital to give Robbie his gift, but we were in no hurry so we took our time walking through the streets to chat and generally see if there was anywhere we could eat out tonight. Twilight had agreed to let me take her to dinner and I was excited to have another date with the mare I had fallen for.

Before long we arrived at the large, sterile white building with the Red Cross built onto the wall and we entered, greeting the receptionist as usual we made our way through the maze of corridors to Robbie’s new room. He no longer needed to stay in the I.C.U, as his injuries now only consisted of a broken leg and wing. As we entered the grey Pegasus spied us, and his eyes lit up.

“Hey guys! I thought you were never going to get here!” He greeted us from his wheelchair. Rainbow had also managed to acquire a wheelchair and it seemed like we had interrupted some form of cheap destruction derby as Rainbow was consistently ramming the side of his chair. He brushed the small bashes off, however and wheeled himself over, narrowly avoiding a heavy ram from Rainbow; he laughed and told us to take a seat. As he opened his gift his eyes lit up in excitement, looking at the front cover he immediately started to browse the track list before scooting his way over to the record player that was placed in the corner of his small room. The sound of electric guitars, drums and bass filled the air as the album began to play, but he turned it down to a reasonable level so we could all hear each other.

“Thanks guys, this is really great.” He said shaking our hooves and proceeded to continue the offensive on Rainbows wheelchair.

“So, what exactly are you guys doing?” I asked looking quite confused at the game they had somehow invented while in a pretty bland room.

“We’re extreme wheelchair battling!” Rainbow answered from across the room lining up a charge at Robbie before wheeling forward and crashing into him. “We get scored based on the severity of the hit to the other person’s chair. One point for a light hit, two for a decent one, three for a heavy one, and you immediately win if you knock the other person out of their chair.”

I rolled my eyes at the measures that pair would go to just to amuse themselves, but I had to admit it was rather amusing to watch. I found myself getting drawn into the game that they were playing, taking Rainbows side as she was beginning to win, but I was soon snapped out of that thought by a pressure on my left front hoof. I glanced down to see a purple hoof resting on top of mine and I gazed into its owners eyes for a brief moment, which for all I knew could have been an eternity. A loud crash startled me slightly as my head whipped around to find the source of the commotion. Rainbow was now spinning in circles cheering loudly, and Robbie was on his side on the floor.

“Hey! No fair using your wings! That should be disallowed!” Robbie protested while struggling back into his chair, and I went over to give him a hoof.

“There was nothing in the original rules that say wings cannot be used, so therefor, you lose” Rainbow retorted with a smug look on her face that could only mean Robbie had been defeated. He muttered something under his breath about needing an independent judge, and how using wings shouldn’t have been allowed considering he only had one good wing. It was all in good fun though as they quickly got settled into round two, and this time it was a little more intense. Although his leg was broken, Robbie showed no signs of pain when Rainbow repeatedly rammed his cast, but the fun was soon interrupted by a pony clearing his throat from the doorway. Robbie and Rainbow both had the look of a child that had been caught stealing cookies from the jar plastered on their faces as the doctor came to check on Robbie. He didn’t hang around for very long though, and soon the battle raged on again.

This seemed to go on for hours, until finally they grew tired and decided to call it a tie. Twilight had retreated into a book that she had brought along with her, and I had become engrossed in the game that had been taking place but now I had to find some other form of amusement. I disrupted Twilight from her trance and she looked around the room slightly confused before sliding a book mark in the pages, and she put the book back in my saddlebags. We all began to chat about what we would do when Robbie left the hospital, and the ceremony that Celestia was holding in a few days. Robbie would, once again, be donning his kilt for the ceremony, with a brand new shirt that Rarity was making him and I opted just to wear a shirt and tie. Twilight had a simple gown picked out, but Rainbow wasn’t being so formal and was just going as her usual self. The idle banter continued throughout the day, with intermissions for air guitar from Robbie and Rainbow for the solo of Freehorse. He was really enjoying the album; it must have been killing him to not have any music on.

As the day drew on Twilight and I decided to depart for dinner and after bidding Rainbow and Robbie farewell, we departed into the busy streets of Canterlot once more. We walked casually through the busy streets, looking for somewhere to stop and have dinner, but I secretly already had a place picked out, and I guided Twilight in that direction without her noticing. We arrived outside a small building on the outskirts of Canterlot, it didn’t look like much but the mare at the reception desk of the hotel we were currently occupying had said it was a “hidden gem” of Canterlot. The entrance way had a small veranda overhanging the door, and Ivy grew, neatly pruned, around the doorway. Two large windows took up the rest of the space on the front wall, and a few ponies sat eating dinner, but it wasn’t busy at all.

“This place doesn’t look too great Matt” Twilight said eyeing up the building with a look of discouragement on her face, “I know a really great place though, we could go there if you prefer?” I thought about this for a second, but decided to trust the receptionist.

“Come on, I’m sure this place is great! Look at the menu, it has some great stuff; Pasta and tomato sauce, its proper Neightalian cuisine.” With a defeated sigh, she followed me through the door and a white mare greeted us, and quickly appointed us to a table. The inside of the restaurant was very traditional, red chequered tablecloths were draped over every table, with a small candle set in the centre of each one. Arrays of wine glasses were on display behind the small bar, and a large selection of wine arranged neatly in racks along the far wall. The table we had been sat at was in the corner, secluded almost from the rest of the dining area. The feeling of privacy made this table seem almost perfect for the reason we had come out tonight. Twilight looked amazing in the faint glow of the candle, her eyes had a certain gleam in them that I had never seen before, but the moment was interrupted by the waitress returning to hand us our menus and the wine list before she shot off to attend to some other patrons.

Twilight’s eyes scanned over the menu, almost as if she was looking for something specific, and eventually she seemed to have found what she was looking for. I too quickly browsed for something to settle my hunger, and before long, I settled on a pizza with mushrooms, peppers, onion and pineapple. My attention was then drawn to the wine list, I had no clue what to look for in a wine but I knew that red would be appropriate with dinner. I looked for something in the mid-price range, and I eventually settled on a bottle of Stablefare Rouge. Seeing that our menus were finished with the waitress once again buzzed over to the table and took our order.

“So what made you so keen on eating here?” Twilight asked me across the table, resting her chin on her front hooves which made her look adorable, yet refined at the same time.

“Well, to be honest, the receptionist at the hotel described this place as a hidden gem of Canterlot” I said with a slight nervous chuckle. I was hoping that she wasn’t just saying that and that the food would actually be worth coming for. The wine arrived at that moment, and I was asked to taste it to make sure the bottle wasn’t corked. After taking a test, and not finding anything wrong with it, she poured us two glasses and then placed the bottle on the table, before retreating back to the counter. We descended into some light chat over the candle-lit table; the atmosphere of the room definitely matched the romantic image I had conjured up in my head. The smell of delicious food wafted through from a quiet kitchen and if it tasted anything like it smelled, it was definitely worth coming to this place.

We discussed what our plans would be for when we arrived back in Ponyville, after Celestia’s ceremony. Twilight would have a lot of work to catch up on after leaving Spike in charge of the library for the past month. I would obviously be helping her out as much as I could, but my work would also be cut out for me. We had spoken to Record at the radio station for Robbie, and he would be returning to work when he arrived back home. The food arrived after a while of waiting, it had taken some time but it looked delicious. My pizza was cut into eight neat slices and picking up the first one and taking a bite, my taste buds were in heaven. The cheese was expertly blended with the sauce, and there was an even distribution of all the toppings I had ordered. Twilight’s dish looked a little more complex than what I had ordered; sheets of pasta covered in a cheese sauce with mushrooms, garlic and multiple other items of food infused. We sat in silence for a few moments enjoying our meals, before conversation was once again flowing between Twilight and I. Soon enough the wine started to seep its way into our systems and the chat became light hearted and joking. Our food had been finished long ago, but we still sat at our table, joking and drinking. The waitress was now clearing all the other empty tables, and we decided it would be best for us to take our leave at this point, so after paying we trotted our way through the semi-repaired streets of Canterlot to the Bed and Breakfast that we were staying in.

The door to our room closed with a hastened thump, as Twilight had me now pulled into a tight embrace, her cheeks slightly red from the alcohol. I leaned in and kissed her lips with a passion that only the effects of the wine could conjure up. Excitement and anticipation filled the room as the kisses became more and more passionate, our lips moving in synchronisation, almost performing a perfect dance. I was caught slightly off guard, however, when Twilight spun me, pushing me onto my back on the bed. I hit the sheets with a soft thump, and the purple unicorn climbed on top of me before our lips engaged once again. My heart was now pounding in my chest, almost threatening to burst through my ribcage and escape, her hooves were running through my mane, and my hooves had come to rest just above her flank. With a mischievous smile, Twilight sat up and used her magic to flick the light switch, plunging us into darkness, the beginning of a great night.

It was the day of Princess Celestia’s ceremony, the sun was beaming down upon the city, and Twilight and I were feeling a little rough from the previous night but the satisfaction of our night together made up for it. Twilight was up before I was, getting herself ready but I couldn’t stay in bed all day as I had to accompany Rainbow to the hospital and pick Robbie up. I said my goodbyes to Twilight, giving her a quick kiss and telling her that I would see her soon. She gave me a distracted goodbye and I trotted off into the city to meet Rainbow. I still had a reasonable amount of time until Rainbow and I were supposed to meet, so my pace was relaxed as I trotted through the streets. The business day was underway, and shops were filled with ponies browsing and the streets bustled with the noise of construction as buildings were repaired. Eventually I reached the hospital, Rainbow was waiting for me by the door with Robbie in a wheelchair. He had managed to get himself dressed, as he was wearing his kilt and Rainbow had styled her mane slightly, but other than that she looked as she always did.

We set off towards the Canterlot Palace Courtyard, where the ceremony in remembrance of the Gala Night’s events, was being held. Robbie spent most of the walk complaining that he was stuck in a wheelchair, but there was really nothing else we could do for him as his leg was still wrapped in a heavy cast and his wing was healed, but in no condition to try flying just yet. He settled down after a while, and Rainbow gradually brought up that the Wonderbolts would be in attendance today for saving the lives of many groups of ponies. Some Royal Guards were nominated for medals, mainly for acts of bravery and selflessness that had never been seen before throughout Equestrian History. I listened intently of everything she was saying, taking in as much as I could so I knew slightly what was going on once I arrived.

The crowds were growing larger around us, as ponies made their way towards the palace, and upon arrival, the security was really something to behold. Hundreds of Guards were scattered strategically around the courtyard and surrounding streets, some ushering the crowds into the correct area and others just there in case anything went down. Eventually after a long process of stopping and starting, we finally arrived at a large area full of seats. A large stage was set up at the opposite end of the courtyard, a large megaphone sat alone in the centre of it, and a few seats occupied the area behind the megaphone. I looked around at the large area, and it was quickly filling with ponies of all shapes and sizes. Lots of Pegusi had taken to hovering above the seats, and the first twenty of thirty rows were now packed. At the front I noticed Twilight waving and shouting on us, so we made our way down the centre isle to join her at the front. She had managed to save us a few seats in the V.I.P area, which looked a little comfier than all of the other seats, and Robbie was pushed to the side of the row where Rainbow sat beside him. I took a seat beside Twilight and we descended into some idle chat as we waited for the hall to fill and things to get started.

We were not waiting for very long before everypony had found a seat and a few important looking ponies had seated themselves at the back of the stage. Shining Armour had ignored the chairs and stood at attention, proudly scanning the crowd with his eyes before he gave us a quick wave and a smile. A quickened hush fell over the crowd as Celestia walked onto the stage standing in the centre, wings spread and looking very grand. To her right stood Princess Luna, looking a little uncomfortable, but still very grand and regal. The hall was now silent, all eyes focused on the stage.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts,” Celestia announced in a grand voice that demanded respect, “We have gathered here today, in remembrance of the Events of the Grand Galloping Gala this year. Although it may now seem like a horrible memory to most of you, others are still suffering the consequences of that dreadful evening. A few will be awarded some medals and awards, others, unfortunately, are no longer with us.”

A strange feeling wrenched my gut at the last statement. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly to a strong respectful tone. Glancing around, a few ponies had tears forming in their eyes. Others had abandoned trying to hold back, and were sobbing quietly to themselves. Celestia allowed a moment for the words to sink in, obviously still a little stunned that she was having to even say there words after such a long regime of peace.

“And today, we are here to thank those brave ponies who gave their lives to protect the lives of others, and the peaceful order that we uphold in our fair land.” She continued on, Shining had now bowed his head, obviously having lost a few stallions to the fray. “But also we are here to pay thanks to the ones injured, and the ones who have given up their time and helped to rebuild homes out of the kindness in their hearts.” A few ponies stomped their hooves from the back of the room, and a few others joined in as Celestia stood aside and Luna took her place in front of the megaphone. One by one a steady stream of injured Royal Guards were called up onto the stage and awarded medals, promotions and honours by the Princesses. Shining saluted every one of them, before shaking their hoof. This seemed to go on for a while but eventually the subject changed and ponies were awarded thanks for charitable acts and extreme kindness shown to all of the citizens who had lost homes and loved ones in the terrible ordeal. These ponies received a large round of hooves stomping and cheering from the crowd, as did the Soldiers who now lined the stage. Many had bandages and casts on their limbs but a few had managed to come through unscathed.

“We have a few final awards to hand out now,” Luna announced after shaking the hoof of the last pony to trot proudly onto the stage. “The first is to be awarded to a Pegasus from Ponyville, who sacrificed himself to allow his friends and the Elements of Harmony to aid my sister and I in purging the Changelings and Griffons from our land.”

Twilight leaned past me and smiled at Robbie who appeared to have been hit with a ton of bricks. Rainbow smiled proudly beside him as Luna announced his name and he was wheeled onto the stage. A small bronze medal was given to him, and then multiple hoof-shakes from the Princesses and a few members of the royal guard. Still looking shocked, Rainbow wheeled him to the side of the stage where he admired his medal and he was excitedly whispering to his marefriend.

“The final award, goes to yet another pony from Ponyville. It is being awarded for overcoming a great emotional trauma, aiding in the spell that cleansed our lands before he ran out so save the life of his friend.” Lunas eyes were now fixed upon me. My heart was beating through my chest. She couldn’t possibly mean me?

“Matt would you come to the stage please.” Celestia summoned and in no hurry to disobey I trotted onto the stage where I was handed a medal. It was small, and in the shape of a star, most likely made of bronze or some other similar metal.

“This unicorn you see before you, unleashed a raw, passion filled magic which I have never witnessed in my lifetime, and he deserves one of the highest honours that can be given to a civilian, The Bronze Star.” Celestia reached a hoof out towards me and I shook it, still in awe that I was being given a medal simply for helping, although I couldn’t really remember what happened when I began to cast the spell. I just remembered pulling myself from the ground and then chasing after Rainbow. The sound of stomping hooves snapped me out of my thoughts, as the crowd began to applaud me, and a little bashful, I gave a smile and a wave. Robbie waved me over and I took my place beside him on the stage. My eyes fell upon Twilight, who was beaming at me proudly, so I gave her a small wave and she returned it with a huge grin.

The rest of the ceremony passed quickly, as the honours for the Elements of Harmony and the Royal Guard were finished up and before long we were on our way back to the hotel to rest up. Rainbow and I took turns in pushing Robbie, although he did seem a little antsy to fly, but the doctor had said no flying for the next week so he was grounded. The streets of Canterlot were now bustling with ponies on their way home from work, or just finishing their work. Luckily the hotel wasn’t very far away, otherwise the crowds could have become bothersome after a while, but we arrived without much fuss.

Rainbow and Robbie retreated up to their room pretty much the second we arrived in the foyer, but they had been stuck in the hospital for so long I bet they were dying to have some time alone. Twilight and I decided on dinner then spending the rest of the evening in the room having a quiet night in.

After putting our clothes away and I made sure my medal was somewhere safe and out of sight, we headed out into the streets of Canterlot once more. The bustle of the day was now dying down as the night began to creep in and it was a pretty easy to find a small café for us to dine in. I had a feeling that tonight would be a great night, but I was also sad that because now Robbie was out of the hospital, we would be departing for Ponyville in the morning. And that meant I would have to test the portal gun out again, just to be sure that the events at the Gala meant we could go home now. Although that thought put me on a bit of a downer. I was toying with the salad I had ordered, and Twilight was looking at me slightly worriedly from across the table.

“MATT!” She almost shouted at me, snapping me out of my trance and back to the café, “are you alright? You seem a little… well, distant to say the least.” I placed the fork down on the table, knowing I would have had to have this conversation with her sooner or later.

“Twilight I have something I need to tell you,” I was trying my best to make eye contact, but with such bad news about to be announced I was having a hard time. “I might have to leave Ponyville within the next few days. The plan for Robbie and me was just to come for a short time, but our plans for getting back kinda messed up, and we became stuck in Ponyville.” I glanced up, daring to look her in the eyes for this one moment. Her eyes were filled with confusion and a little sadness laced the deep black pools that her eyes had become. I let out a sigh and continued,

“But now I’m filled with all these… feelings, for you, and your friends. And I can’t help but feel like maybe I should stay. But I just don’t know, I need to get back to my family and my friends.” My head dropped now, feeling like it weighed a ton. Twilight had now stopped eating and it looked like what I was saying was beginning to set in. She set her fork down dejectedly and took a deep breath before speaking.

“Well if it’s something you feel you need to do, I’m not going to stop you. But the past few weeks have been the best of my life, and I’m sure you know how I feel towards you.” Her eyes had begun to tear up now and the pain of seeing those deep purple eyes laced with sadness and pain drove a sharp spike straight into my heart.

“It’s not a definite plan though, it could be that Robbie and I are unable to return home, which means we would live in Ponyville permanently. I just thought you should know in case we do make the decision to leave, although I really don’t want to now.” I tried to look her in the eye with a reassuring glance, but her eyes seemed adamant to avoid mine at all costs.
“Please don’t be too upset Twilight, I really have fallen for you, and I will stay with you as long as I am in Ponyville. I promise you that.” I placed a hoof on top of hers and tried to give her a smile but she simply pulled her hoof away from mine as a single tear dropped to the table. The spike in my heart had just grown thorns as she pulled her hoof away. My face dropped and I could feel tears brimming in my own eyes as she simply stood and walked away leaving me sat at the table by myself. What had I done? I had broken a unicorn’s heart, to put it plain and simple, and I knew only one person who could help me out in this situation.

I took to the streets galloping after quickly paying for the meal and dashed towards the hotel, not caring about all of the ponies who had to jump out of my way to avoid me crashing through them. I couldn’t even see them to be honest; all I knew is that I needed to speak with Robbie straight away and after galloping through the foyer of the hotel I pounded on his and Rainbow’s door. An eternity seemed to pass before anyone answered. Rainbow slowly opened the door and I pushed past her to see Robbie sat in his wheelchair looking worried at my urgent appearance and my fatigue. He immediately told me to take a seat and Rainbow fetched me a drink.

“Matt what’s wrong? Where’s Twilight?” He asked looking over to the door, expecting to see her enter after me. I took a long sip of the whiskey Rainbow had given me and exhaled sharply at the sweetness and strong alcohol. I then began to explain the situation making sure to include even the most insignificant of details, which could prove to be important in the future. After I had finished talking I let out a sigh. I felt like such a fool, letting her leave like that, on such a bad note.

“Well that seems like a pretty tough situation” Robbie finally said after a slight pause. Rainbow sat quietly on the bed, taking in every word. “I think the best solution would be to give her a little while to cool off and then try to speak to her.” He finally continued after another brief pause.

“Well how long should I wait? It’s been almost half an hour now, is that long enough?” I was firing off questions as they came to my head like a machine gun and Robbie raised his hoof to silence me before I overloaded him with questions.

“Give it another half hour, and then go find her. Don’t go in too bold though, listen to everything she has to say and be understanding, it won’t be easy for her.” He offered me another drink which I didn’t decline and we spent a while discussing my options. Before long though I decided to return to the room and see if Twilight had returned. Turning the handle the door was unlocked and I entered to see her sprawled out on the bed, her head resting on a pillow facing away from the door. I slowly walked over to the side of the bed, she must have noticed my presence but she didn’t acknowledge my arrival.

“Twilight,” I said finally breaking the silence and her head turned slightly to listen to what I had to say. “Look what I said earlier, I know it’s difficult for you to hear, after all what we have is special. I can feel it in my heart and we have had the best times I have ever had in my life. So can we talk this out? I’d like to spend a lot more time with you before I leave.”
She sat up, turning to face me. Her eyes were puffy and slightly red from crying. I stood awkwardly waiting on a reply and she looked thoughtful before speaking.

“Matt, the time we have spent together has meant so much to me, and I love you. I can’t deny that and you can’t either. We love each other and even though you might be leaving, I think we should keep going and we’ll see what happens.” The tension lifted from my chest as the talk came to a conclusion as quickly as it did.

She then trotted over to me and gave me a hug which I returned happily. I planted a kiss on her lips and she returned it which I was thankful for. The return of harmony between us had been restored and we decided to hit the hay and get some rest for travelling back to Ponyville the next day. We lay side by side on the bed, embracing each other, thankful for the quick resolution to the problem and we soon drifted off to sleep.

A Fitting End

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I awoke early in the morning, facing the cyan mare that lay beside me every night, making sure I had everything I needed for a quick recovery. She looked after me better than anyone could and I was forever grateful to have fallen for someone as amazing as her. She began to stir and her gorgeous eyes came into view as her eyelids slowly opened and adjusted to the bright light now filling the room.

“Mornin’” She said groggily and let out a yawn before stretching.

“Morning” I replied smiling at the sight of her bedraggled mane and sleepy appearance. “You want to get some breakfast before we get on the train or would you just like to get packed up and go?” I asked and she considered the options for a few moments before deciding on getting some breakfast.

I pulled myself up to a sitting position using my front legs and dropping myself into the wheelchair situated beside the bed. Rainbow had insisted on helping me most mornings but I was pretty stubborn and always politely refused. We made our way through to the small dining hall where some ponies were also eating and we quickly grabbed some food and took a seat at a table in the corner to await Matt and Twilight making an appearance. We sat and ate almost in silence, some light conversation breaking apart the hush of our table.

Eventually Matt and Twilight trotted into the room side by side, indicating that they had managed to work out their problem that they had had yesterday. I smiled to myself, happy that the pair had managed to patch things up. They went well together, like apple pie, as the saying goes. They sat with us at the table and announced that they were all packed and ready to go whenever we were. Twilight had the Train timetable memorized so catching a train wouldn’t be a problem. I sighed as I looked down at my state. Leg in a cast, wing in bandages, although the story behind the injuries was pretty badass, I couldn’t help but feel a little incapacitated and almost like a burden on my friends and marefriend at this point. They had looked after me for so long and although I was close to having my cast removed it felt like an eternity to be waited on day and night.

Rainbow had obviously caught me looking over myself and my face had probably given away my thoughts. Her hoof found its way to mine and I couldn’t help but smile as she looked lovingly into my eyes, all negative thoughts now melted into the back of my head with every second looking into those deep pools. A small smile now spread onto my face and I turned to join in the conversation with Matt and Twilight, which remained on the topic of what our plans were for arriving in Ponyville. It was pretty much agreed that we were all going our separate ways and getting some rest after arriving, and Matt would be my caretaker for a few days although I hated to burden him with that.

After Matt and Twilight had finished their meals, Rainbow and I departed to our room to pack our belongings. We didn’t have much to pack so before long everything was neatly tucked into Rainbow’s bag and we met with Matt and Twilight in the foyer before checking out. The pony behind the desk was as helpful and cheery as ever, making sure our stay was alright and that the rooms were suitable. We had no complaints and the young colt was happy to check us out and then we were on our way back to Canterlot train station. The way through the streets took nowhere near as long as it had upon our arrival now that we knew our way around and I wasn’t getting lost almost every five minutes.

The train station loomed into sight, the tall marble building towering above the small shops that stood beside it. Scaffolding still stood against the walls, to allow ponies to fix the last of the damage to the structure. The main platform was not as crowded as our arrival now as most of the ponies that had arrived for the Gala’s festivities had departed home. Our train was waiting at the platform ready to depart the city on time and we seated ourselves in a booth in the caboose that had space for my wheelchair. After a brief wait the train jolted to life and we were on our way back to Ponyville.

I let out a sigh as the buildings began to pass by and began to thin as we neared the city limits, the events of the past couple of weeks flooding into my mind and causing me to zone out into the chaos that had transpired at the Gala. I snapped myself out of the trance though, knowing that Matt and Twilight would soon be too engrossed in their books to be any company for Rainbow.

“So Rainbow,” I said sparking a conversation with the mare sitting on the seat closest to me and she turned to face me, “When will I next see you after we have the time to relax and stuff?” She looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.

“Well I have weather patrol for the next few days, because of being away for so long, and I’m dying to get some decent flight practice in, so I’m not sure. We’ll just have to see.” She gave me a small smile and I felt a little disappointed that I might not see her for a few days, but then again we had been together for a while now and some time to myself would be nice. Maybe I could get some music written or come up with some ideas for a piece. It seemed so long since I had played any music and it was beginning to get to me, after all the mark on my flank wasn’t for nothing.

“Any new ideas to be incorporated into your routine?” I asked, trying to keep the conversation alive for the extent of the journey. Her eyes brightened at the question and the next half hour was spent being given a precise rundown of how her routine was performed and executed, down to the most miniscule detail. Most of the time I was completely lost to what she was speaking about but she seemed so happy talking about her passion that I couldn’t bear to ask her to stop, so I tried my best to come up with responses that seemed fitting to the topic.

The countryside was rolling past the window at a quick pace now and the city grew smaller on the horizon as we trundled towards Ponyville. Forests, fields and plains passed while Rainbow and I chatted and Matt and Twilight discussed the books they were reading. The beverage cart came around and we purchased a selection of drinks and snacks to last us the rest of the journey even though there was not much time left before we arrived back at the station.

The train ride was passing relatively quickly and before long the small figure of Ponyville began to grow and the final approach to the station began. As the locomotive pulled into the station Twilight, Rainbow and Matt began the awkward task of fitting bags and gathering belongings around my wheelchair and I began to feel like more of a burden than I had at breakfast. I was either having to be constantly wheeled around by somepony, or they would have to help me out with certain things. I was wheeled into the aisle of the carriage as the train jolted to a halt. The doors opened and I was wheeled onto the familiar, single platform of Ponyville Train Station. It was nice to be back although it was a little off-putting to see Royal Guards patrolling the streets of Ponyville, much as they had back in Canterlot on any regular day. I sighed at the commotion the whole event had caused, but it was over now so I guess I could rest easy, the last thing the ponies around me needed was for me to become a paranoid wreck, but then again, it was difficult not to be paranoid after what had happened. I could still see Rainbow and Twilight flinch slightly at sudden noises, the events of Canterlot still obviously plaguing their minds.

Rainbow and I exchanged a heartfelt goodbye, trying to arrange a date for seeing each other later in the week. I suggested that she come with me to get my cast and bandages removed in a couple of days and she agreed to check her work rota and see if she could make it. We exchanged a long kiss and she hugged me, before taking off and heading in the direction of her house. I sighed watching her fly away and Matt stood at my side having said goodbye to Twilight a few moments ago.

“Ready to head back then?” He asked, snapping me out of my slightly down-heartened daze. I nodded in agreement and using his magic he pushed me off the platform towards our cottage. The streets seemed so quiet, so small compared to Canterlot, which I had now grown accustomed to. The small country town seemed so peaceful, though still full of life. We were greeted by the few ponies we knew on the way back to the cottage. Most wanted to hear my story after seeing me in a wheelchair, but I wasn’t in the mood to bring those memories up again just yet. I promised to tell them later on, when I wasn’t so fatigued from the travel and wasn’t still mulling over things which shouldn’t matter anymore. I was a hero, apparently, but I had done something any caring friend, any loving boyfriend would have done. I was nothing special but people were treating me as if I was. Surely I had had my moment in the spotlight, and now it was time for the memory to fade away but everyone just kept dragging it up.

I let out a small sigh as we rounded the corner and the cottage came into view. I had missed the tranquillity of the garden, and the quiet hush of the street. The city had been so noisy, I felt like I could finally get some peace. Matt opened the door and wheeled me into the sitting room, where I clumsily hoisted myself onto the sofa and put my leg up.

“Want anything for dinner? Or are you alright for just now.” Matt asked me after setting his saddlebags down by the fire and turning to face me. I pondered his question for a moment. I wasn’t really that hungry.

“I’m alright just now, thanks. Just fancy some rest at the moment.” I replied gazing into the ceiling, at almost precisely the spot where I knew the portal gun would be resting. Would it work now? Had that been the event that would cause us to be able to get home? Matt had obviously sensed my mood and had taken a seat in his armchair, as usual.

“Hey man, I don’t know whether it’s going to work or not yet. We’ll find out after you have your cast removed. That way we don’t have to worry about it not working again when you are fit to go home” He cast me a smile and I couldn’t help but return it.

“Hey Matt,” I said now looking over to where he was sat and he turned to me and nodded his head in acknowledgement, “Could you please go into the left pouch of your saddlebag, and fetch two glasses from the kitchen?” He laughed knowing that in the left pouch of his bags is where I had stored my whiskey from Canterlot. Trotting through to the kitchen, I heard him open the cupboard and he returned with two glasses. The bottle levitated from his bag and he poured us two generous measures before toasting to being home.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” I said after taking a hearty swig of whiskey, “I’m not sure if I want to go back.” Matt choked slightly on his drink before struggling to swallow his mouthful.

“What? Why? What’s made you come to that conclusion?” He blurted out, eyes wide and looking rather shocked.

“Well, what do I have to go back for?” I asked rhetorically, “I have a terrible job with abusive people, my family life is falling apart around me, most of my friends don’t want to know me anymore or they’re just not very nice people and no girlfriend to add to it all.” I took another long sip from my glass judging his re-action.

“Well I can see why you would want to stay, but you don’t belong here. It’s a whole different world and what about the people that would miss you?” That question hit right where it was meant to, the image of my best friend and the few family I have left flashing before my eyes, causing a knot to form in my heart.

“Well I’m sure I’d just fade from their memories, like I have from many other peoples. I’m so happy here, this whole world seems like it was designed for me. I wouldn’t last on back on earth. The pressure was getting to me of trying to be something and here I can be something!” My mind now moved on to happy imaginations of the future, Rainbow and I spending more time together, presenting more radio shows with Record, they were all extremely attractive prospects. Matt was now mulling over his drink, thinking over everything I had just said.

“Well I’m not going to try and convince you either way, it just seems like you’re running away from your problems.” Once again he struck me right where he intended to.

“Yeah it may seem that way, but the problems I have back there are never going to be resolved. They either solve but then rear up again, or they just never go away.” I downed the last of my drink, gazing into the bottom wishing there was still liquid in the empty vessel. Matt, guessing from my expression, levitated the bottle over and I poured myself another measure. It was getting quite late now, the sun had set and the room was now rather dark. I sighed taking another drink.

“I just don’t think I could go back there and do well from it.” I finished, hoping that would be the end of the conversation. Matt remained silent, sensing that the conversation had finished, and before long he announced that he would be departing for bed. I asked him to bring me a blanket and pillow down from my room as I would be spending the next few days sleeping on the couch to avoid having to negotiate the stairs. He placed a neatly folded blanket with pillows on top beside the couch and bid me goodnight. I listened to him walk up the stairs and his bedroom door clicked shut.

I let out a sigh and poured myself another drink. I really shouldn’t be drinking to try and solve the dilemma going on in my head, but it had never failed for me in the past. It was a difficult choice, but I had a life here! I couldn’t just abandon my new friends, my girlfriend who had admitted that she has fallen for me. It would break her heart, and I’ve broken a few before but I won’t let that happen again. After downing the rest of my drink and a little more from the bottle, I made myself comfy underneath the blanket and closed my eyes. I could see my family, wondering where I had disappeared to, and the pain I would cause them, but it suddenly lit up in a colourful flash. The cyan mare with a rainbow mane lit up the sky in a flash and all seemed right again. My mind was made up, and with that I managed to drift off to sleep.

I awoke with excitement, as today was finally the day I would get my cast and bandages off. Pulling myself into my wheelchair I couldn’t help but smile. The sun was shining, I was seeing Rainbow later and I was regaining my ability to walk and fly. Things were certainly looking up!

I wheeled myself through to the kitchen to find Matt perched on a chair, eating his breakfast. Wheeling myself over and parking beside him, I greeted him in an overly ecstatic manner.

“Morning man! Gonna be a great day!” I announced while he threw me an apple.

“Well someone certainly is in a good mood today, looking forward to walking again?” He cast me a smile and I returned it with only good feelings coursing through me.

“You bet! Cannot wait, I might go for a walk in the park to stretch my legs.” I took a bite from the fresh apple that Matt had purchased yesterday while on his way to see Twilight. He had gone over to discuss what would happen if he did leave. He came back in a good mood though. They had reached the conclusion that he would come by a few days a week to be with her, and I would keep the cottage and he would stay with me. It all seemed to be coming into place, like a jigsaw that you spent hours working on and finally you get down to the final pieces.

As I was putting my apple core in the bin, a knock sounded from the front door. Matt was upstairs in the bath so I shouted out that it was open from the hallway. The door creaked open and the head of Ditzy Do protruded around, searching for a sign of anyone. Her eyes eventually landed on me and I smiled.

“Hey Ditzy!” I greeted her in the same cheery fashion that I had greeted Matt and she entered, followed by Dinky, and an older unicorn I hadn’t met until now. She was pink, although slightly darker than Pinkie, with a purple mane.

“Hey Robbie!” she lit up when she saw me smiling at her. “I heard you were in a wheelchair, and after the whole events in Canterlot we thought we would come around to pay you a visit, I hope that’s okay?” I gestured them through into the sitting room and was introduced to Sparkler, Ditzy’s eldest daughter, who was on leave from Magic Academy. They all took a seat and I wheeled my way into a position where I could speak to all of them.

“Oh! Sorry where are my manners, would you like a seat?” Ditzy said slightly bashfully standing up. I motioned for her to sit down.

“I brought my own.” I said with a smile, motioning to the wheelchair. This got a slight giggle from Dinky and I started the conversation, finding out how they were, and how they fared in Canterlot. It turns out they had been staying on the outskirts of town which weren’t hit so hard, and they left the Gala before the chaos kicked off. But before long it turned to the subject I had tried so hard to avoid the past few days of being back in Ponyville.

“So what happened to you, Robbie? How did you end up in a wheelchair?” Dinky chimed in after a moment. I turned my gaze to her, I couldn’t refuse telling her. She was too sweet. My eyes scanned the room and I could see everyone else was just as eager to hear, so taking a deep breath I began at the Gala. All three remained silent through my story, with the exception to the odd gasp, their eyes fixed on me with a look of horror and engrossment fixed upon them, and as the story drew to a close all three stared at me in silent disbelief.

“You went through all that in a single night?” Ditzy finally spoke after a moments silence.

“Yeah, it was pretty hectic but it all seems worth it now.” I smiled and the three ponies were a mix of disbelief and in sheer awe. Matt then broke the silence of the room as he entered.

“Hey there Ditzy, Dinky and…” He trailed off as his eyes landed on Sparkler.

“Oh, Hi, I’m Sparkler.” She waved at him, saying her first sentence since she had arrived. Matt waved back and grabbed a cushion before sitting in front of the fireplace.

“And this!” I motioned to Matt, who looked at me slightly confusedly, “Is the pony who saved my life.” I looked around the room once more to see the three now gaping at Matt, who was a little less confused now.

Matt in turn was convinced to tell his story by little Dinky and he brought down his medal for her to hold and admire. She seemed so excited at the prospect of holding an award given out by Princess Celestia herself. Shortly afterwards, the front door opened and Rainbow skipped into the room, and seeing we had company stopped in her tracks. She greeted everyone and eventually came over to give me a quick kiss.

“Well guys, I must say thank you for the visit, but it appears that I need to go to the hospital to have my cast taken off.” I gave them all a quick wave as Rainbow began to wheel me out of the room. “See you all again soon though!” I shouted back before the door slammed shut. Rainbow turned me towards the hospital and I was beginning to get excited for getting my cast off, but soon we turned onto a track which I had never taken before, which seemed pretty deserted.

“Where are we going?” I asked Rainbow. I was pretty confused because I thought the hospital was in a completely different direction.

“You’ll see.” She said, eyes dead ahead with a mischievous grin on her face, and before long she pulled me into a clearing in the trees we had been traipsing through and jumped onto my lap.

“I haven’t seen you in a few days and I didn’t get a chance to properly greet you at the house.” She announced before locking her lips with mine, her tongue parting my lips, causing me to fall back into the bliss of her company once more. When she finally pulled her lips away from mine, she stood up and began wheeling me towards the hospital again.

“Oh, and by the way,” She whispered in my ear, “You might want to do something about this,” She ran her hoof along the extent of my wing which was now fully outstretched, sending shivers down my spine, “before we get to the hospital.” With a giggle from her, we continued on our way. Luckily before we arrived at the hospital I managed to wrestle my wing under control and I checked myself in and sat in the waiting room. It didn’t take long for the doctor to call my name and Rainbow wheeled me through.

“Ready to get that cast off Robbie?” he said holding up a small circular blade. I nodded and proceeded to cut a neat line down the length of the cast. I shuddered as I felt the blade run along my skin but it turned out to be not sharp enough to cut me. With that the cast fell off and my leg was free. I stood up for the first time in what felt like an eternity. I could feel that my leg had gotten weaker but it was still strong enough to bear my weight. I sighed contently as I stretched it out behind me and I beamed at Rainbow like I had just been given the best present ever. Next was the wing bandage, which was unravelled and like my leg, I gave it a stretch and a quick flap to make sure everything was in order. It felt great to be on all fours again and the added bonus of having my wing back was even better. I thanked the Doctor before Rainbow and I trotted from the hospital, I was a little shaky at first but I eventually got used to it again as we neared the cottage.

I thrust the front door open, trying to make a dramatic entrance but found nobody was home. Ditzy and her family must have left and Matt was nowhere to be seen, meaning Rainbow and I had the house to ourselves. Trotting through to the sitting room and deciding to be spontaneous, I grabbed Rainbow and threw her onto the sofa. Jumping on top of her I pressed my lips against her neck and made my way right up towards her ears before giving them a playful nibble. Rainbow wrapped her hooves tightly around my neck as I did so and let out a slight moan. She pushed me away slightly, playing hard to get, but the condition of her wings told me that she was enjoying this more than she was letting on. I brushed my hoof along the ridge of her wing, as she had done to me earlier, and I felt her react almost the same way that I had, shivering and uncontrollably smiling. It was then that she pushed me back and leapt to her hooves. Grabbing my hoof, she pulled me to my feet and almost dragged me upstairs before slamming the bedroom door shut behind us.

We emerged from the bedroom after what had seemed like hours of bliss, we didn’t know how long we had been locked away but I didn’t really care. My mane was a mess, I could feel it without the aid of a mirror, and I could feel a few marks on my neck from some playful nibbles. Rainbow was, pretty much, the same way. We made our way down to the kitchen, and to our horror Matt was sat at the table. He turned slowly to look both of us dead in the eyes before smiling.

“Having fun were we?” He goaded, obviously looking for a reaction which he got as Rainbow and I both turned a shade of crimson, “You know I’m pretty sure most of Ponyville heard that, but then again I was sitting just here so one of you is going to have to pay for my trauma therapy.” He turned back to his mug of cider, shaking slightly with laughter. Rainbow and I simply looked at each other in disbelief. Not one to be embarrassed or out-done, I took a seat opposite Matt and leaned back in the chair.

“You know Rainbow,” I started, giving her a wink while Matt wasn’t looking; “I think that sounds like somepony here,” I nodded my head in Matt’s direction causing him to look up, “Isn’t getting any from Twilight.” I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. It had worked, he turned a slight shade of red and Rainbow let out a slight laugh from across the room.

“Hey it’s not like… It’s just that… aww screw you.” Was all he could muster before taking another drink of cider. My comment had obviously hit the right spot.

“So you’re saying you haven’t…?” I pushed it further, seeing how far I could push him. He simply glared at me from across the table.

“It’s not like that, we have,” He started, then let out a slight sigh, “but we don’t like to go broadcasting it, because… you know,” He looked away bashfully now, and I was a little confused until it finally twigged.

“Oh.. My.. Was it? Was it both of your first times?” I asked, not really mocking anymore. “Well congratulations Matt! Welcome to the club! The next drinks are on me.” I pulled out my whiskey and offered it around, and before long we were all engaged in a drinking session and the subject of conversation had moved on to Matt’s departure, which we were not sure was still happening.

Eventually it began to draw late, and I was feeling slightly drunk. Rainbow was getting ready to depart and I trotted to the door to say goodbye. Giving her a kiss, she held it for slightly longer than usual, and I enjoyed every second of it more and more until she finally pulled away and flew into the night. I sighed as she began to blend in with the night’s sky and turned to find Matt standing in the doorway from the sitting room.

“I think you know what time it is.” He said slightly mournfully. I nodded and we trotted up to his room where he levitated the portal gun from its hiding place under his bed. He looked at me before powering it up. The device whirred to life, lighting up and tying a knot in my stomach. A deafening crack filled the room as we shielded our eyes from the bright flash. We look at each other, not taking our hooves away from our faces for a brief moment, before we turned in synchronisation to look at the wall.

There it was. A bright blue oval now occupied the space that was once a blank area. Matt let out a sigh of relief and we shared a smile. I then decided to announce my decision to him.

“Hey Matt, I’ve decided to stay here. You’re going to come in a few days a week to see Twilight so we’ll still see each other a lot.” I smiled at him and he returned it, “I just wanted to say, that through all of the events that have taken place here, I don’t think I could have had anyone better to share the experience with.”

“I will admit it has been a pretty epic little adventure.” He replied now gazing into the portal, “It’s a shame I can’t stay, but I have too many family members and friends that I need to be with. You understand.”

Although I had never felt a very strong connection with any of my family, I did understand. He had people that would miss him if he were to just fade from existence on earth, just like I was about to.

“So is this you heading back through then?” I asked him, sadness now staining my voice which had been happy all day until this moment.

“Yeah I guess it is. I told Twilight I may be leaving tonight, so she’s prepared for me not to be here tomorrow.” He replied, a tone of sadness now tainting his voice as well.

“Well I guess I’ll be seeing you soon then.” I turned to face him now. It was a sad moment, but it wasn’t like we would never see each-other again. We would have more times together, more drinks, more laughs, and more happy memories.

“I guess you will.” He smiled at me and I couldn’t help but return it. We exchanged a quick hug before he took a few steps towards the portal.

“Hey Matt!” I almost shouted after him. He stopped and turned, “Thanks for everything man, I owe you so much.” He smiled once more and gave me a slight wave.

“See you soon man.” He replied before he took a step through the portal and after a few moments it closed.

I was alone now, standing in Matt’s room. It was eerily quiet, the house that was usually filled with our witty conversations, our relentless mocking, and our drunken singing, now completely silent. I sighed and trotted to the door. I pulled it closed behind me, a feeling of sorrow now creeping through my body. But now was not the time for me to be sad, it was the beginning of my new life, with new friends. Many good times were to come, and I could almost see it in front of me.

The beginning of my new Equestrian life.

A Tale of Equestrian Proportions

by DitzyDerpy1992

Travel to a New Country

Meeting Robbie

First day in Equestria

Job at the Library

Ponyville FM

Stick in the Wheel

Bass Drop Nightclub

Outfit Planning

Flying Lessons

Ladders and Bandages

The Big City

The Grand Galloping Gala

Swan Song

Canterlot Infirmary

Awakening

Recoveries and Ceremonies

A Fitting End