> The Relapse
>  by durtydan
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Entry 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	So... it's been a while; a little over six months to be somewhat exact, since I've last written anything. What's happened in that time? Depending on who you ask, a lot or not much. I'm sure the princesses would say that I've made huge strides in becoming a friendlier person, but I'd say that's only because I now keep a lot of what I'm thinking to myself. Crystal Beth and Dew Star would probably say the same, but whatever. I want to say that not much has changed, but that’s not true.
With the help of the princesses, Celestia and Luna mainly, I've managaed to expand my "business" and teach a few ponies and a griffon how I do what I do, which isn't much. I only have a few "employes" right now and each of them have some sort of special talent that has to do with talking, friendliness, or in the griffon's case, not talking at all. Just like with me, whoever comes to see us has an easy time opening up, but the difference between them and me is that they can actually give advice and this is where the princesses come in. They give me and my group whatever resources we need when it comes to helping our clients; an actual office, references, prescriptions, and even personal meetings with them if it's important enough. While this sounds great and all, I only see it as adding babysitting to my job that I barely do anymore. It's great that I now have all the money I could want and no longer have ponies showing up at my place, but... I don't know. 
Beth and Dew Star are standing over my shoulder as I write this and are telling me to explain why I'm writting again. After my last entry, I didn't feel the need to record my sessions anymore since I officially had freinds to talk to about things; that and a whole bunch of things were changing so suddenly that I didn't have the time. Now, as per request of three princesses but mostly one, I'm documenting my new life so that I can prove to myself that my life is better than it was with my new family and friends. I told them I don’t read these after I write them, but they didn’t seem to care.
Speaking of which, with my new name Celestial Comet I techically became a prince, but the princesses were willing to not spread that information beyond the crowd at the banquet. How they managed to get all of those ponies to not say anything about it is a little beyond me, but I have a few ideas that I'm not willing to write here. Besides all that, Celestia and Luna are pretty good sisters-aunts-mothers? as far as I can tell. I make trips to the castle for meals and reporting in on work a few times a week and every so often ride down to Ponyville to see Twilight. Despite Twilight asking me to come visit her outside of her visits to Canterlot, I mostly do it because Celestia asked. She says she senses something is going on with Twilight that she's not telling her and I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice it too. It's probably my fault to be honest, so I'll keep visiting until she's better. Next time I go, I’ll try to remember to ask her friends what’s going on.
Now that my family and friend situations are taken care of, both Celestia and Luna say I should focus on finding a “special somepony.” I’ve heard the term thrown around a few times and I guess for me it would be a girlfriend, but I’ve told them I don’t have any intrest in that. When they asked why, I didn’t have my usual fallback explaination having to do with work, so I just did what I normally do when confronted; tell the truth. Since I never explained the similarities between my world and this one to anyone, I had to and the princesses were less than thrilled being compared to mindless animals. Needless to say, they didn’t understand so anytime they bring it up, I try my best to ignore them. 
Beth just said me finding love isn’t that farfetched since I managed to find a faimily and friends and that I might not have to look far. I simply shook my head and wrote this down. They really don’t understand and since I do, I won’t explain it… She’s probably talking about Candy since she’s now the receptionest at the office. Even though it was somewhat explained to me, I still don’t understand how anyone would like me like that; it’s probably a pony thing and to be honest, I kind of don’t want to understand. Ponies are already complicated and I don’t want to spend anymore time thinking about it than I have to…I just realized, writing about this might make a certain princess show up now…
Dear Princesses,
Please excuse Comet’s bluntness in his writing. I’ve taken a peek at some of his other papers and it’s just as bad, so don’t think he’s writing like this because he knows you’re reading it. I’ll make sure he writes a few times a week and remind him to give them to you when he visits.
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
P.S. You all know I’m not talking about Candy, right?
Dear Princesses,
Thank you again for everything you’ve done for Comet. I know he doesn’t say it often if at all, but I’m sure he appreciates everything. Since Hearth’s Warming Eve he’s become noticably happier despite what he says and I even think he looks forward to visiting you at the castle. I also want to thank you for letting Beth and I come with him to see you; it makes me very happy Beth loves seeing the castle. If you ever need me for anything, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Dew Star
P.S. Who is Beth talking about?
		
> Entry 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I woke up this Sunday morning with a strange feeling in my gut. Maybe it was something I ate the night before, or maybe having Luna visit me in my dreams does have a negative effect on me. Either way, I knew I was in for more something today. I slowly got out of bed and went through my usual morning routine minus breakfast. The princesses invited me over for brunch today since it had been a while since we’d last seen each other. I normally would have declined and enjoyed sleeping in, but the princesses somehow found out my weakness to breakfast foods, and I was only further persuaded by the fact that they have access to some of the best chefs in the country. By the time I was dressed and opening the door, I found my way blocked by a familiar mare.
“Wow, I’m surprised you’re up already. You ready?” Beth asked. 
“Yep,” I answered as I locked my door, “is Dew Star coming?”
“O-of course,” said pony answered from behind Beth.
“Great, let’s go. A pile of pancakes and discussion about something I don’t want to talk about awaits.” Leading the two out of the apartment building, we took our time weaving through the recently refurbished streets of my neighborhood. Since I didn’t take up the princesses’ offer to move into the castle with them, they saw it necessary to fix up the streets and overall look of the former ghetto around my place. It was nice not having to smell trash and the rotting of something dead anytime I stepped out and having the weather actually match its schedule, but it made me concerned for the other neighborhoods in the same condition and what they might think. Luna eased my worries when she told me how an organization was created to take care of all of that and that she was overseeing it personally. Apparently it’s that easy to fix impoverished areas.
“You know,” Beth spoke up when we were a few minutes from the castle, “if you just show the princesses you’re open to the idea of maybe possibly having a special somepony, they might leave you alone.”
“That, or they could start introducing me to creatures and forcing me to go on dates,” I offered.
“Yeah, but would they really do that?”
“…”
“I-I don’t think so,” Dew Star commented.
“Everything else you’ve tried hasn’t gotten them to lay off you, so why not try this if you hate it so much?” She had a point. I’ve been fighting them on this for a while now and when I usually just give in with them, they back off and things seem to work out. My new office and employees are an example of this; instead of simply letting me put up flyers for the job and going through the whole hiring process myself, I let them do all of the recruiting and initial interviews. It admittedly was probably faster than my plan and managed to get probably the most qualified of creatures for the job, but they won’t hear me say that.
“…You might be right. Thanks Beth,” I said as I gave her ears a quick scratch, “but if this backfires, I’ll be taking that thanks back.” 
“No problem,” she replied with a smile as we climbed the steps up to the castle doors. After navigating a few long and empty hallways, we found ourselves walking into a large dinning room with most of the space taken up by a giant oak table covered in food on the farside where the princesses sat. Making the long and awkward walk over to them, the second I saw Celestia’s eyes I knew what was on her mind; her usual motherly smile not hiding her true intent well enough from me.
“You’ve finally made it,” she greeted as she and her sister rose from their seats for hugs, “I was starting to think you wouldn’t come after all.”
“And miss out on this great food?” I replied as I hugged her, but felt a small jab in the back of my leg, “…I also missed you both.”
“And we obviously missed you as well, Comet,” Luna said as she hugged me after her sister, “I must again ask you to rethink living with us. Seeing you in your dreams is not the same as seeing you in pony-er, person.”
“At least you see him somewhat regularly, Luna,” Celestia said with a slightly peeved look on her face as we sat down, “this is the first time I’ve seen him since I dropped by the office the other week.”
“And you remember what I told you after that day, right?” I asked the solar princess firmly as I sat in between her and Luna at the head of the table.
“Yes; I’m not to go to the office unless requested by you or your employees,” she sighed as she looked at her hooves dejectedly.
“I know you just wanted to surprise me, but I think our clients were a little more surprised than I was.”
“I understand.”
“Great,” I said as I patted her on the shoulder, “now, let’s eat.” Not wasting a second, I reached out towards the plethora of food and took some of the bacon in front of me. For whatever reason, the chefs here at the castle make better bacon than I do at my own place so I always make sure to savor it despite there being more than enough for me and me being the only one to eat it. I somehow managed to get Dew Star to try some once, but she made me promise to not tell anyone; must be one of those cultural things.
“So, how have things been, Comet?” Celestia asked as she sipped on some tea.
“Business is good like usual,” I said as I fished a folder out of the inside of my jacket and her magic took hold of it, “that new griffon you sent me is doing surprisingly well despite the fact that she can’t talk.”
“There’s a difference between can’t talk, and won’t talk,” Beth spoke up.
“Oh, so why doesn’t she talk?”
“Did you read the file the princess gave you?” Beth asked, making me steal a glance at Celestia on my right who seemed to be absorbed in the papers I brought, “I’m pretty sure I told you to read it a few times.”
“Well, you know me; I’m more of a hands-on kind of person. I prefer actually talking to ponies myself to judge who they are.”
“What’s this?!” Luna interrupted with playful surprise, “You actually enjoy speaking with others?!”
“I said ‘prefer,’” I enunciated, “I’m still working on enjoying it. Anyway, talking with, or at her, didn’t tell me anything.”
“I suppose you need to read the file then,” Celestia poked.
“Yeah, yeah; I’ll get right on that, ‘Mom.’ Anyway, how are you two doing?”
“Ah ah ah, I’m not finished yet,” Celestia said, flashing me an all-knowing smirk, “have any important mares come into your life? Or stallions?”
“No,” I sighed dramatically, “you two are the most important mares in my life.” I don’t think I’ve tried flattery in a while.
“As sweet as that is Comet, as your family we can’t satisfy some of your needs in the way that a special somepony can.”
“Well, what if I don’t have an needs that need satisfying? Maybe just having a family and friends is all I deserve.”
“Comet,” Celestia said seriously, making me look her in the eyes and see the seriousness mixed with concern, “there is nothing you don’t deserve and I will do everything in my power to make sure you’re as happy as possible.” …That’s right; I forgot. I’m supposed to be focusing on my own happiness for once instead of tossing it to the side in favor of others’. The princesses have already done so much to prove that they genuinely love like one of their own already, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have them help me out with another thing.
“…Alright, I give,” I sighed as I leaned back in my seat, “I’ll keep an open mind. Just be ready when this doesn’t turn out to be the best idea.”
“Splendid!” Luna exclaimed with a clap of her hooves, “Then would you mind if we sent possible candidates your way?”
“Candidates? Already sounds like you’re trying to get me married, but sure.”
“Great! Then how about De-” the princess started to say before a banana was shoved into her mouth and down her throat by an unknown force.
“Oh shit,” I muttered as I quickly helped her spit the phallic-shaped fruit out, “the hell was that?”
“Ignore her outburst, Comet,” Celestia said as her sister regained her breath and wiped the spittle from her chin, “we’ll let you know when we have somepony in mind.”
“…Okay,” I replied as I sat back down and leaned over to whisper to Luna, “you alright?”
“Yes, thank you,” she said as she flashed me a thankful smile before giving her sister a death gaze, “this isn’t the first time I’ve had something shoved into my mouth.” My face went blank as I scanned my friends’ faces for any reaction to the possible innuendo, and their faces were a lot more vocal than mine. The rest of the brunch went smooth enough with a little room for a few more jokes and jabs at the princesses and I’s expense, but Beth and Dew Star seemed to enjoy themselves, so I didn’t care. Eventually, all of the food was eaten and the sisters saw out the three of us.
“Do come by more often, or at least let us visit you,” Luna said as we hugged.
“Yeah, yeah.”
“And if you ever need anything, don’t-”
“Don’t hesitate to let you know. Yes, I got it,” I said exasperatedly as I turned to leave, “see you two later.”
“We love you, Celestial Comet,” the two said in unison making me freeze. Slowly turning back around, I faced the two with what I’m sure was a noticeable heat on my cheeks and mustered the strength to reply.
“I… I love you too,” I said quickly before turning back around and marching down the stairs with my two friends in tow.
“Aw, the princesses wuv you!” Beth teased as we walked.
“Yeah, well you’re parents love you,” I countered oh-so cleverly.
“I know, but I wished the princesses love me too!” she continued as she jumped onto and clung to my back, whispering annoying somethings into my ear.
“Alright, thanks,” I said as I detached her from me, “I’ve already had enough of you and thankfully, I’ve got stuff to do so I’ll see you two later.”
“W-where are you going?”
“To the office to get some stuff. I’ll see you at dinner,” I answered as I started to leave.
“Oh, so I don’t get any goodbyes?” Beth asked.
“Goodbye,” I replied along with a wave without turning around and leaving the two around a corner. About fifteen minutes later, I was at my office in downtown Canterlot and was riding the magic elevator up to my floor. Walking right through the reception area, I made a beeline for my office and found the files I needed right on my desk. Selene: the most normal name I’ve seen since I’ve been here was written above the picture of a female griffon on the front of the folder. The newest addition to my small team of now certified practitioners and the only creature I’ve seen that speaks less than I do, which automatically made her my favorite employee even if she’s only been here a few days. Looking over the file, I found the reason behind her silence; as a child, her family had a brutal encounter with a crazed Minotaur while on vacation and she was forced to watch them die as she hid in silence. The Minotaur got away but was later found dead; apparently griffon flesh is poisonous and the Minotaur found that out the easy way when he ate them for whatever reason. 
So because of all that pain she endured, she’s sworn herself to silence, but still has a desire to help others. I chuckled lightly at the small thought that entered my mind: she’s kind of like me. Shaking the thought from my already occupied mind, I turned to head out of my office but quickly stopped when I found the griffon whose life story I held in my hands laying on my chaise lounge with her golden eyes fixed on me. I either missed her when I rushed in or she slipped in when I was absorbed with my reading. Either way, despite the light browns of her furry body and blonde feathery head, I somehow didn’t notice her; I’m starting to become a little too complacent for my liking.
“Oh, hey Selene,” I greeted and she simply nodded as she got up from her spot, “don’t leave on my account; I know how comfortable that thing is.” She smiled lightly as she lay back down and I walked up next to her.
“Are you liking it here so far?” she nodded with a content smile, “Good, wouldn’t want my employees uncomfortable. None of the others are giving you a hard time, are they?” She put a talon to her chin in thought for a second before sitting up straight, then slouching and miming filing her nails as a bored expression sat on her face.
“…Candy?” I asked after a moment of thought and she replied with an enthusiastic nod, “Ah, I can see that, but you’re just going to have to tolerate it.” Selene’s head tilted to the side as a brow rose in question.
“Between you and me,” I whispered as I kneeled down to her, making her lean closer to me, “she annoys me too; I only hired her as a favor to a friend. She hasn’t messed anything up yet, so I can’t fire her yet but if she does, let me know.” Selene sat up straight once again and nodded confidently as I stood back up.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing; I just came to get this,” I said, flashing her the folder with her face on it, making her tilt her head and raise a brow again, “Why do I have this? Well since you can’t-er, don’t talk, I figured I’d read up about you.” She flashed me a ‘oh really’ look in response.
“And I mean that in the most non-creepy and strictly professional way,” I said unconvincingly, making the raised brow on her unconvinced face rise higher, “I swear.” She held the look for a few more seconds before silently giggling and flashing me a friendly smile that I for whatever reason felt the need to return.
“See you tomorrow,” I said as I opened the door to my office. She simply held her smile as she waved and I left her to her devices in my office. I just hope she wasn’t doing anything to that chair. I love that thing.
> Entry 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Another boring day of sitting in my office behind my desk, twirling a quill in one hand, and running my hand through Beth’s mane with the other. Since she’s my personal assistant, she takes her job of being my right hand very seriously. I don’t mind too much though; she isn’t heavy and I find petting her as relaxing as petting a cat, like most ponies. 
“So are you sure I don’t have anything to do today?” I asked, tired of being bored.
“You can go ask Candy to make sure,” she sighed in content.
“…I’ll take your word for it,” I replied right as a knock was heard at my door. With an annoyed sigh, Beth slid off of me and trotted over to answer it, letting Selene stroll in.
“Hey, Selene. Need something?” She pointed a talon at her open beak before pointing to a clock up on the wall.
“…Lunch?” I asked and she replied with a smile and nod, “You’re asking me to lunch or asking me to take you to lunch?” She thought for a second before shrugging and shaking her head lightly as if to say ‘what’s the difference?’
“…Sure, why not. I’ve got nothing but time,” I said as I stood up and grabbed my jacket before focusing on Beth, “hold down the fort until I get back.”
“Sure thing, Boss,” she saluted before hopping up into my chair. Leading the way through the reception area, I pushed the button for the elevator and the two of us waited in silence for all of two seconds before Candy spoke up.
“Hey, Boss,” she said seductively, making me sigh and turn to face her, “goin to lunch?” She was laying across the desk she was supposed to be working behind; a hoof holding her head up, and the other resting on her hips, idling swirling her cutie mark.
“…Yeah.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“Sorry Candy, maybe next time. Selene’s new to town so I’m just helping her get to know the area.”
“Y-you mean it?” she asked excitedly as she hopped off the desk and rushed up to me, “Next time I ask, we can go to lunch?”
“…Sure.” 
“Yay!” she exclaimed before trying to nuzzle me. Luckily, the elevator door opened just then so I stepped back out of nuzzling range with Selene quickly joining me.
“Keep working hard until then,” I said as I pressed the button for the ground floor a few times.
“Of course, Boss!” she replied before rushing back behind her desk. When the doors closed I let out a heavy sigh as I glanced at Selene and shook my head dismissively. She only giggled in response to my discomfort; I’m glad my pain makes others happy.
“So, what are you in the mood for?” I asked once we were out on the street. A thoughtful look was on her face for a few seconds before she shrugged.
“Women,” I muttered, earning me a hip-check and squinty stare, “alright, then I have a place in mind.” Figuring most griffons were like me and couldn’t get enough meat, I led her to that deli by my place since it’s reputable and presentable now. 
“Hey there, Comet!” the griffon behind the counter greeted when we strolled in, “Is it just me, or do you always come in here with a different lady?”
“It’s just you, Bloodwing,” I replied before ordering us some sandwiches and bringing them to the table Selene picked, “here you go. Probably should have asked you what you wanted, but, you know.” She shook her head dismissively before taking a bite of her food and flashing me a content smile before continuing.
“Glad you like it; I wouldn’t have dared bring anyone here a few months ago, not that I know anyone that would eat meat anyway.” We sat in a strange silence for a while as we ate; I say strange because I couldn’t really tell if it was uncomfortable or not. I’m sure she’s used to long silences and so am I, but whoever I’m with usually tries to end them with conversation. Since I’m not known to start those and knew she wasn’t going to anytime soon, I did actually start to feel uncomfortable. Feeling something touch my arm, I looked up from the sandwich holding my gaze and found Selene with a curious look in her eyes.
“Oh, sorry about that. I’m not the best at conversing,” I explained out loud. With a smile, she nodded and patted her chest as if saying, ‘me too.’
“Well, that’s another thing we have in common,” I chuckled lightly and earned another curious look, “never mind. So, I know I already asked you about work, but how do you like the city? I’m sure it’s pretty different from the Griffon Kingdom.” She sighed as she nodded before pointing outside to the many ponies trotting around.
“Yeah, all of the colors can be blinding sometimes, but you get used to it. Not a fan of ponies in particular?” I asked and she shrugged indifferently, “I used to be the same way until a while ago when I found out some aren’t that bad. ‘Some’ being the important word there.” Once again, she giggled at my negativity, though it wasn’t as off-putting this time. After taking a few more minutes to finish our food, we headed back to the office where Selene’s next appointment waited. Wishing her luck, I returned to my office where the sound of the door closing behind me woke up Beth who was resting on the lounge.
“*Snort* Wha-oh. Hey,” she greeted as she sat up and stretched her back.
“Hey.”
“How’d your date go?”
“Fine. We-wait, it wasn’t a date.”
“Sure, but last I checked, when a mare asks a stallion out, it’s usually a date.”
“Well, neither of us are a mare or stallion so I guess it wasn’t a date.”
“Whatever you want to tell yourself,” she replied with a roll of her eyes before lying back down, “I wonder what you’re going to call it when you take Candy out.” I already forgot about that.
Dear Princesses,
That was a date, right?
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
Dear Princess Celestia,
I don’t doubt your choice to let Selene work with Comet, but are you sure she’s trustworthy? I only ask because of Comet’s last encounter with a female griffon and I’m worried that despite what he’s written, he might not enjoy working with one. I know it’s not your decision whether she works there or not; I’m just concerned for Comet over everything else.
Sincerely,
Dew Star
P.S. If Comet says it’s not a date, it must not be. Right?
	
> Entry 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, tonight was very educational, but mostly annoying. Cadence and Shining came to town a day or two ago and Cadence invited me out to dinner, just the two of us.
“Oh Comet! It’s been a while!” she greeted with a hug when I met her outside of the fancy downtown restaurant, “And don’t you look handsome!”
“Thanks?” I replied as she straightened out my blazer, “So-”
“Come on, let’s go inside,” she interrupted as she turned to head inside. With a shake of my head, I followed her inside to our table where she stopped and watched me sit down.
“…What?” I asked after sitting through a few seconds of her staring.
“Aren’t you going to help me sit down?” she asked with an expectant look. I felt my brow raise as I took a second to judge whether she was serious or not and came to the conclusion she was before helping her.
“So, what’s this about?” I asked once I took my seat.
“Practice,” she answered as she looked over the menu.
“…For what?”
“Your first date, of course.”
“…Well, technically, I had my first date a while ago, so you’re kind of late.”
“That doesn’t count; there were others there.”
“…Alright, but what’s there for me to practice? I thought mares were the ones that had to do all the work when it comes to this stuff?”
“It depends actually.”
“On what?”
“Race, species, sex; all of that has to be considered when going on a date. And considering your recent encounter with a certain griffon, you’ll have to learn a few new things.”
“Why does everyone think I like Selene? We only went to lunch.”
“Well, it’s nice to know some things just in case. Want some wine?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” After taking a minute to order our food, the two of us sat in silence for a minute just staring at each other.
“…So-”
“Oh dear, it’s worse than I thought,” she sighed.
“What?”
“Alright, first and foremost, griffons don’t enjoy being stared at.”
“What a coincidence.”
“Hush. Now, in griffon culture the males are the ones to usually start things off-”
“Usually?”
“Most female griffons are headstrong, so they might take being asked out as an insult to their character.”
“Hmm.”
“So once you’ve found out what kind of griffon she is and successfully ask her out, there are a few things to keep in mind when on the date. One: don’t do anything for her. She’ll assume you think she’s weak and be offended.”
“So don’t help her sit?”
“Definitely not. Two: don’t compliment her on her looks. Chances are she already knows she looks nice and doesn’t need anyone to reassure her; if you do, she’ll be offended.”
“Of course,” I replied as the wine arrived and I took a large gulp.
“Third: keep most of the conversation on her. It’ll make you seem less self-absorbed-”
“Excuse me?”
“And that’s about it. The rest depends on you knowing her personally, got it?”
“…Well as informative as that was, I don’t know how much of that I’ll actually remember. Everything you just told me except for the males starting things goes against everything I’ve learned back in my world, not to mention general courtesy and kindness.”
“As I know you know, this isn’t your world Comet. While there may be a lot of similarities, there are more differences that you’ll have to learn about. Relationships being one of them.”
“…Okay, but in the event that I’m not interested in Selene or griffons in general, what should I know about ponies?”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about anything then. The mare should know what she’s doing and show you a good time.”
“Now that’s what I was expecting and can get behind.”
“Well, I suppose there’s one thing you should be on the look out for with both ponies and griffons; body language.”
“I might know a little bit about that.”
“Do you?”
“Sure.”
“Alright, what does it mean when a mare does this?” she asked, but her face didn’t seem to move.
“…You didn’t do anything.”
“Didn’t I?” she asked as she looked at her slightly extended wings.
“Oh, I thought you were just stretching.”
“…No, depending on the situation, extended wings could mean she’s happy, excited, angry, aroused; again, it depends on the situation.”
“As specific as you’re being, you’re somehow also extremely vague.”
“Hush. Now, how about this?” she asked as her ears drooped and her brows furrowed, but was smiling.
“Hmm… I recognize this look; Dew Star gives it to me pretty often. I’m going to go with, apprehension or discomfort?”
“Alright, so you do know something.”
“When it comes to faces, sure. If there’s anything about you ponies that’s similar to humans, it’s how expressive your faces are, and I like to think I can read expressions, if not body language.”
“This might not be so difficult then.” The rest of the night went by just as uneventfully with Cadence ending or starting most of her tips with ‘depending on the situation/mare.’ Extremely helpful. 
“Will you be coming over to the castle this weekend?” she asked as we walked out of the restaurant, “You know I had a filly recently.”
“I heard and congratulations, but maybe. I think Dew Star and I are doing something.”
“Really?” she asked in a weird tone.
“Yeah.”
“What about Crystal Beth?”
“I don’t know; she probably has something to do. Besides, I’m kind of starting to feel bad about dragging them with me whenever I see Celestia and Luna.”
“Well don’t; if they had a problem with it and were really your friends, they’d say something.”
“…I guess you’re right. Well, I’ll see you later,” I said after giving her a pat on the neck.
“How is Dew Star by the way?” she asked, keeping me from leaving.
“Fine. She’s been making steady progress and doesn’t freak out nearly as much when talking to ponies now. But… she had been a little weird recently. I asked her but she wouldn’t tell me anything for some reason.”
“How long has she been acting weird?”
“Hmm… I think since I told Celestia and Luna I was open to the relationship thing. So, a week or two.”
“Hmm… Well let her and Beth know I said hi.”
“Of course. See you.”
Dear Princess Cadence,
I don’t want to say it, but he may be a lost cause. I really doubt he’ll remember anything after writing this, and I hope you made a point of focusing on pony body language and stuff. I’m sure you know why, but there might be hope for him if he noticed something was up with Dew Star. Anyway, I appreciate the help.
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
> Entry 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Griffons are interesting, or at least, Selene is. The other day after everyone had gone home and I was looking over some papers in my office, there was a knock at my door.
“Oh, hey Selene,” I greeted the griffon as she walked in, “need something?” She stopped in front of my desk and made one claw walk on the other.
“…You want me to go with you somewhere?” I asked and she nodded before raising her claws defensively, “No, it’s not a problem, just give me a minute.” With a smile and nod, she left me to finish my paperwork. A minute later, we were leaving the building and I was following Selene down the street.
“So where are we going? I can’t take too long,” I said as I thought briefly about what to make Dew Star for dinner. Selene suddenly stopped, making me stop, and turned around to look at me sheepishly before shrugging her shoulders.
“You don’t know where we’re going?” I asked and she nodded embarrassedly, “Or, you don’t know how to get where we’re going?” She looked up at me hopefully as she nodded more enthusiastically as if to say, ‘that’s what I really meant.’
“Okay, where were you trying to go?” I asked, making her sit and think for a few seconds before looking back up at me. She reached out a claw and tugged on my jack, making me think for a few seconds as to what that meant.
“…You want clothes?” I asked and a big smile stretched across her face as she nodded happily, “Oh, well unfortunately I get my clothes custom made by a mare that doesn’t live in the city, so I don’t know where ponies normally go to get clothes.” Selene deflated as her smile faded.
“…But I do know another mare that should be able to help,” I continued, making her smile return as I pulled out my old wallet and retrieved a business card, “and what do you know, it’s not too far from here. Let’s go.” Leading the way down the busy streets, I led Selene to a clothing store owned by one of Rarity’s model friends with a name I forgot right after I met her, but I couldn’t remember why I forgot so quickly. I couldn’t remember much about her actually, and I’m really good with remembering people, so that was an immediate red flag. 
When we reached the shop we found that it was open, but no one was inside for whatever reason. Walking in, a familiar bell sounded, letting the mare that owned the shop know she had customers. 
“Welcome, welcome!” a French accent called out to us from the back of the place as the sound of hooves approached, “I see you have great taste in fashion if you came to my shop! Can I help-oh. It’s the monkey.” It was right then that I remembered the mare that owned the shop: Fleur De Lis, a rather popular model in the fashion and stallion communities. With practically snow-white fur, long legs, expertly styled pink and white mane, and sensually huge eyes, it’s not all that hard to see why ponies admire her. Too bad I can’t say I feel the same as practically every stallion and a few mares do.
“Hello, Fleur,” I greeted flatly as she stopped a few paces away from me.
“I thought I told you to never speak my name with that disgusting mouth of yours,” she replied with a disgusted look.
“…Right,” I sighed as I looked down at Selene and remembered why I was there, “look, I just came here because my friend needs some clothes. Can you help her?” Fleur’s eyes narrowed before looking at Selene and returning to their usual sensual state as a smile graced her face.
“Oh, well why didn’t you say so sooner, you animal,” she said casually, even the insult, “of course I can help. What are you looking for, my dear?” I took a step back and folded my arms as Fleur approached Selene who looked at me with a furrowed brow before focusing on Fleur. Taking a second to look around her but not finding what she looking for, she mimed something being around her neck.
“Hmm,” Fleur hummed in thought for a second, “an ascot? Oh, on you that would look magnifique! I should have something in your color.” Apparently, that wasn’t what Selene wanted, if her shaking head was anything to go by, but Fleur wasn’t paying attention as she started to drag Selene away with her magic.
“I don’t think she meant an ascot, whatever that is,” I spoke up, stopping Fleur in her tracks.
“Well, I wouldn’t expect a beast like you to know anything about fashion, so that has to be what she meant. What else could she mean?” Fleur sneered at me.
“To be fair, you got me on that one, but I think she wants a scarf, right?” I said and Selene nodded furiously.
“Well, you should have said so, Dear. I just so happened to finish making a few,” Fleur continued, unfazed by her mistake, “right this way.” Not waiting on Selene to reply in any way, Fleur pulled her to a part of the shop where all kinds of scarves hung on racks and mannequins. 
“Oh, this one looks perfect,” Fleur said as her magic let go of Selene and grabbed a golden scarf with her cutie mark on one end before wrapping it around Selene. Looking at herself in the mirror for all of one second, Selene shook her head as she pulled the cloth off.
“No problem, how about this one?” Fleur draped a sparkling brown scarf that also had her cutie mark on it on Selene, but she didn’t like that one either, “Hmm… This one?” This exchange went on for four more scarves before Selene had enough and stepped away from Fleur.
“What’s wrong, Dear?”
“I don’t think she likes any of them,” I answered for Selene and she nodded in confirmation.
“Well what do you know, you ape-”
“Nothing, you pointed that out earlier.”
“Then leave the fashion to those with more common sense, you brute.”
“You got it.”
“Now, if you don’t like any of these, tell me what you don’t like about them so I can make you a personal one,” Fleur asked Selene sweetly. Selene glanced up at me for whatever reason before pointing to Fleur’s flank and making me snort. 
“Is something funny, you mongrel?”
“N-no, it’s just that I don’t like your cutie mark either,” I answered through my grin.
“How dare you insult me!” she exclaimed as she stomped up to me and jabbed a hoof in my stomach, “I was just being nice to you in front of Rarity because she’s my friend, but to think she’s friends with an uncouth barbarian like you is absurd!”
“So you’re insulting Rarity’s taste in friends then?” I asked as my smile faded.
“Perhaps, I’m just shocked she would even associate with trash like you.”
“Ouch. Haven’t been called trash in a long while, but looking around, I can see you like to surround yourself with it. No wonder I’m so cozy.”
“Excuse me?!” she shouts.
“What? You said yourself, what do I know about fashion?” Apparently, I pushed her buttons a little too hard because her horn flared with magic before I was suddenly lifted off the ground.
“Woah there, put me down,” I advised as she held me a few feet off the floor.
“I don’t think so,” she said as she held me upside down, “I don’t know why, but you really irritate and upset me. I think the world could really do without you.”
“Okay, now that’s going a little too far, don’t you think?”
“Hmm, you’re right. A little punishment will be enough,” she said as I felt pressure slowly build up around my right wrist, “one of your precious hands should suffice.”
“Alright, I’m not-” I started to say before I was suddenly dropped on my head. I lay on my side for a few moments, swearing and rubbing my head before I looked up and found Selene with her claw gripping Fleur’s horn.
“Let go of me this instant, you filthy bird!” she commanded.
“Yeah, let her go,” I added, making Selene look back at me hesitantly, “it’s fine.” The two stared at each other for a second before Selene let go and Fleur took a few steps back.
“I should have known you were just as rude as this monster if you’re friends with him,” Fleur seethed as she rubbed her horn, “now leave before I call the guards.”
“Don’t mind if we do,” I groaned as I stood up, stopping Selene from approaching Fleur, “you have a good evening.”
“Out!” she shouted. With that, the two of us left the shop with the door slamming behind us.
“I honestly don’t know why she has a problem with me,” I told Selene as we watched the blinds magically cover the windows, “sorry for dragging you into that. If I remembered, I wouldn’t have brought you here.” Selene simply shook her head as she looked up at me with concerned eyes. I watched her look down at my wrist and lightly touch it with a claw.
“I’m fine,” I confirmed as I rubbed and flexed my hand, “trust me, I’ve been through worse.” The concern in her eyes changed to surprise then curiosity, making me chuckle lightly.
“Maybe I’ll tell you some other time; I’ve got to get home for dinner.” A smile and nod was all I got from Selene before she took off into the sky towards home, but not without waving back at me before disappearing behind a cloud. I wonder if I should tell Rarity about this?
Dear Princesses,
He totally called her his friend, right?
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
Dear Princesses,
He must have said that on accident, or just to get just to get the point across; you know how Comet is.
Sincerely,
Dew Star
	
> Entry 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“So where are we going again?” I asked Dew Star as she led the way down the street, “I thought we were just having dinner like usual.”
“W-we still are, I just thought I’d be the one to take care of it.”
“Oh, how nice of you, and convenient. I was starting to run out of vegetarian stuff to make.”
“I-I’m sorry I can’t cook as well as you.”
“Like I’ve said, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault ponies eat a lot of flowers.” Following her into a restaurant I’ve never been to, the hostess sat us down at our reserved patio table. If there’s one thing I hate about restaurants with outdoor seating, it’s that they don’t have actual seats, just piles of hay, and that’s only half of them. Luckily, this place did at least have the hay so my ass would only be half as sore by the time we left.
“Any particular reason you picked this place?” I asked as I scanned the menu.
“W-well, it recently came under new management, so some of the menu has changed.”
“I see what you mean; there’s meat on here,” I said as I read the descriptions of the few non-vegetarian meals they offered, “been a long while since I’ve had steak, so I guess I’ll get that. If that doesn’t bother you, of course.”
“N-no, go ahead.”
“Thanks.” After giving our waitress our orders, we sat in what I knew for sure was a comfortable silence. Out of all the creatures I feel the most comfortable sitting in silence with, Beth and Dew Star are at the top of the list, with Dew Star beating Beth because I know she won’t try and end it when it goes on for a while. As we sat, I noticed we had a perfect view of the sun setting over the mountains, turning the comfortable silence into a relaxing one. I’m going to have to remember to thank Celestia for this.
“…S-so, uh,” Dew Star started slowly, pulling my attention from the big ball of fire, “I-I heard you went to lunch with one of your employees.”
“I did.”
“A-are you two friends now?”
“Hmm, I haven’t thought about it. I’ve heard that being friends with your employees isn’t a good idea.”
“D-does she seem like the type to take advantage of something like that?”
“I don’t think so. I’m assuming you heard about this from Beth, so you probably also know Selene doesn’t talk.”
“I do.”
“So because of that I couldn’t ask her too much, not that I would have anyway… but just from spending that little bit of time with her, I feel like I know quite a bit about her, personality wise. She’s nice, nicer than any griffon I’ve met at least; cute-as far as griffons go, and radiated with strength and confidence. All of which are traits I don’t have-”
“T-that’s not true.”
“-thanks, but despite me thinking we’re so different, I can’t help but feel like we’re similar somehow. It probably just has to do with all that griffon culture stuff Cadence taught me the other day. Speaking of which, I heard you and Beth went and saw… Hey, you alright?” At some point during my talking, I noticed she was staring at me strangely like she has been lately.
“I-I’m just thinking.”
“You’ve been doing a lot of that recently; want to talk about it?”
“N-No, that’s alright,” she replied as the waitress came with our food.
“…I know I don’t have to tell you that you can talk to me about anything, right? Besides being my friend, you’re still one of my clients, so I still have to help you.” Something I said must have made her angry, or excited, or happy, or aroused, because her wings flared out for a few seconds before she retracted them.
“…I-I know, but it’s okay. I-I’d feel more comfortable talking with Beth about this.” Even when writing this and thinking back on this moment, I’m still not sure how I felt about hearing her say that. She usually tells me anything and everything, and I don’t doubt there are things she keeps from me, but hearing her say she’d be uncomfortable telling me… I’m not sure I feel or felt.
“…Okay, s-sure. I can respect that,” I said before focusing on my food and finding a piece of raw meat on my plate, “…Goddamnit.”
Dear Princesses,
I was wrong; there’s no hope for him.
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
Dear Princesses,
How dense can a stallion be?! Ever since he started being open to the idea of dating, I thought I was making it extremely obvious! I thought he would notice and take charge like he said stallions do in his world, but he hasn’t done anything! I might have to start being more direct.

> Entry 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	So a few interesting things happened today. For whatever reason, Dew Star decided to come with me to the gym. Actually, over the last few days she’s been spending all of her free time hanging out with me, whether I’m doing something or not; it’s a little weird. Anyway, it was when we got to the gym that things started to get interesting. Right as I walked up to the door of the building and reached for it, my hand bumped into a claw also reaching for the door.
“Oh, you go to this gym too, huh?” I asked Selene with a small smile after I recognized her. Her surprised face quickly turned into a smile as she nodded and looked between Dew Star and me.
“Oh. Selene, this is my friend, Dew Star. Dew Star, this is my other friend, Selene,” I introduced.
“H-hello,” Dew Star greeted as she stuck out a hoof, surprising me. Selene glanced down at Dew Star’s hoof for a second before looking in her eyes again and smiling as she took hold of it. The two stared at each other silently for a few moments until my light cough broke the hold they had on each other.
“After you two,” I said as I opened the door. Selene led the way inside and over to the unisex locker-room where I changed clothes and Dew Star put on sweatbands.
“S-so you two are friends now?” she whispered to me as she sat and waited for me to finish changing.
“Yeah, we’ve been going to lunch a lot and I’ve found out we have a few things in common,” I answered as I glanced at Selene a few lockers away and was pretty sure she could hear us.
“W-what about not being friends with employees?”
“I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least give it a try,” I replied as I closed my locker and headed back out to the gym filled with various sweaty creatures. In the middle of my stretching, I noticed Selene trying to get my attention to help her stretch. Being a little hesitant to touch her for the first time, I stepped over and helped her work her back. Before this I thought ponies were nice to pet, but griffons are on a different level with their feathers and fur, at least, Selene is. The only ones that might be better are Celestia and Luna, but they won’t hear me say that. A small cough from Selene made me realize my hands had gotten a little curious and lingered on her.
“S-sorry,” I said as I started to pull away, but stopped when she nuzzled my hand, “…You don’t mind?” She shook her head with a smile before leaving and heading further into the gym, most likely wanting me to follow. When I looked back at Dew Star, she had that face she’s been making a lot recently before using her good wing to lead me in the opposite direction of Selene. For a half hour or so, we worked out and spotted each other on the medieval exercise equipment and I somehow managed to avoid Selene the whole time until Dew Star finished with some bench presses.
As I was spotting the impressive amount of weight she was lifting, I noticed Selene at the rack next to us without a spotter.
“You alright over there?” I asked as I looked at her bar and saw she was also benching a weight I could only dream of. In the middle of her rep, she glanced over with a smile and nodded before continuing, her pace picking up a little. Focusing back on Dew Star, a determined look was in her eyes as she too started to increase the speed of her lifting. Taking a step back, I watched the two churn out reps at a ridiculous speed, impressing me immensely and concerning me slightly at who was going to tire out first and need my help.
Turned out I was worried for nothing when they both stopped and put their bars back at the same time. The two were panting and sweating pretty heavily as I congratulated them both.
“You two are pretty impressive. I could never bench that much,” I admitted as I handed Dew Star a towel. In the middle of her recovery, Selene waved her claw dismissively before pointing at the bar and jerking her thumb upwards.
“You could do more?” I asked and she nodded confidently, “I can believe that.”
“M-me too!” Dew Star spoke up, “I-I can lift more!”
“I don’t doubt it. Even though you’re not a Royal Guard anymore, you’re still in really good shape,” I said making her blush, “that’s why I was confused when you said you wanted to come with me; I thought I’d slow you down.”
“I-it’s alright to take it slow sometimes.”
“I hope I’m not too slow,” I said as I led the way back to the locker room.
“…” Once I was stripped of my sweaty clothes and had my towel, the three of us entered the steamy showers filled with all kinds of smells, but mostly bad ones.
“Ugh, this is the worst part,” I muttered as I turned on a shower and rinsed myself. The two took the showers on either side of me and used their own body wash, helping me deal with the smell a little better. Felling a soft poke on my leg, I looked to my left and found Selene pointing to her body wash before her back.
“…You want me to get your back?” I asked and received a happy nod, “uh, okay.” Kneeling behind her, I took the bottle of soap and squeezed out a decent amount into my hands before lathering them. Not bothering with a warning, I started at her shoulders and worked my way down to the base of her tail, being careful to avoid her wings, but also enjoy the feel of her. That sounds weird. When I was done, she smiled gratefully at me before rinsing off.
“C-Comet?” Dew Star called.
“Hmm?”
“C-c-can you help with my w-wings?” she stuttered.
“Sure,” I answered without a second thought. Sliding over and behind her, I took the bottle she offered me and squirt the soap into my hands. As I was lathering up, I looked around and noticed the strange amount of attention we were getting; some creatures had red faces and some breathed shallowly, which made me start to think. Why’s everyone staring at us? I’m just helping her out like I did Selene, so what’s different about this? Is it her wings? …Didn’t Cadence say something about wings? 
With a shrug of my shoulders, I ignored the busybodies and carefully took Dew Star’s good left wing. Being extra careful because it’s her only good wing, I massaged and lathered her thoroughly, despite the weird noises she made. When I felt my work was done, I stood up and went back to washing myself.
“Are you alright?” I asked Dew Star a minute later when Selene and I were finished.
“Y-yeah,” she replied airily from the spot she hadn’t moved from since I helped her, “I-I just need a minute.”
“Okay,” I said before grabbing my towel and heading back to my locker. When I got there, I found Selene waiting as she dried herself.
“I guess I should start expecting to see you here, huh?” I said and she replied with a smile and nod. She then pointed from her to me before making her claw ‘walk’ on the other.
“…We should come together?” I confirmed and she nodded happily, making me smile, “I guess we could. May as well since we have to go to work after anyway.” The two of us talked conversed for a while until Dew Star finally came out of the showers with red cheeks.
“You okay?” I asked as I watched her trot over and start to towel off, “You look a little flushed.”
“I-I’m fine; I-I must have been in there too long,” she replied.
“Hmm… Well if you don’t mind, can you make it work by yourself?”
“W-why? What happened?” she asked as her eyes looked between Selene and me.
“Nothing, it’s just that Selene pointed out the office is in the opposite direction of the castle, and it would be a bit of a pain for me to walk back and forth.”
“I-I…” she muttered before looking down at her hooves, “That’s fine.”
“Thanks,” I said as I gave her head a rub, “I’ll see you later tonight.” With that, Selene and I left the gym and headed on to work. At some point during the silent walk, Selene’s back got under my hand and I instinctively started petting her. I thought about pulling away, but when she leaned against me and into my hand, the thought disappeared from my mind. 
Dear Princesses,
I’m worried about Dew Star. I’m pretty sure I understood what you were trying to do in the beginning, but I don’t think it’s working out like you planned. She’s been quieter than usual, refuses to hangout with Comet unless it’s just them two, and because of that, has been spending a lot of time by herself. I don’t know if Comet has noticed since he hasn’t said anything, but you know how he is. He has been noticeably happier lately, so maybe he has been thinking about himself like you told him to. I just hope he’s keeping the rest of us in mind.
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
Dear Princesses,
Don’t worry; I’m fine. I’ve just been a little preoccupied with something recently; I just hope it will all work out in the end. Please give me strength, Princesses.
Sincerely,
Dew Star
> Entry 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	So… Some things happened today. It’s been two weeks or so since I last wrote and in that time, Selene and I have been spending a lot of time together. Going to the gym, getting lunch, hanging out around town; she’s essentially my new Beth and Dew Star but really cute quiet. After work today, she offered to take me to dinner since I had to work through lunch. Extremely grateful, I accepted and followed her to the restaurant Dew Star took me to that one time except we sat inside on actual seats this time.
“You should have told me we were coming here,” I said as I helped Selene sit. As I sat down across from her, I noticed the flat stare she gave me and I felt an amused smile spread across my face.
“Heh, I only say that because I’ve been here recently,” I replied and she flashed an ‘oh really’ face, “Dew Star brought me here because of the new menu a while ago.” She looked at me expectantly.
“You’ll probably like it; it’s a little… too red for me,” I answered. Taking my word for it, she picked up and scanned her menu and I did the same. After a minute or two, I caught myself looking over my literature at Selene and watching her golden eyes scan the paper in front of her. After the waitress came and took our orders, I found myself staring at Selene again but I wasn’t the only one to notice. My eyes quickly darted away when they met hers and I quickly thought of something to talk about.
“S-so, how’s the family?” Apparently, I thought too quickly. When I looked back at her, her brows had furrowed slightly and her eyes were focused on the tablecloth.
“I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why I asked that,” I apologized awkwardly before my tone went flat, “I would say you could ask the same thing if it makes you feel better, but…” Before I knew it, I was thinking about things I didn’t need to think about anymore, but dismissed the thoughts a second later. When I went to look up at Selene, I didn’t find her, only her empty side of the booth. Right as I was about to call her name, she came out from under the table and sat next to me on my left. I started to say something, but stopped when she rested her head on my shoulder, making me freeze for a second before relaxing. She let out a small sigh before gently nuzzling me, as if to say ‘it’s alright, I forgive you.’ 
At that moment, a strange feeling poured over and through me. Though it isn’t the first time I’ve felt it recently, it’s still an entirely new feeling I can only remember experiencing last Hearth’s Warming Eve. It’s warm, yet a little cold; nerve wracking but calming; welcoming, but slightly distant… I had no idea what it was, but was content to let it sit like I’ve been doing whenever Selene gets close.
“Mr. Romance over here,” the waitress said when she appeared silently, startling both Selene and me, “the mares can’t get enough of you, huh?” I easily ignored her as she set our food down, but had a hard time ignoring the warmth on my cheeks. When I glanced at Selene who quickly separated herself from me, she too had a noticeable redness on her fluffy cheeks. Smiling to myself, we started eating and enjoyed a quiet dinner with each other. 
An hour or so later we finished eating, but Selene wasn’t ready to go home yet. As we strolled down the evening streets, we came across a movie theater that was showing some action movie and only one thing went through my head as we stood outside the building: since when did they have movie theaters? Offering to pay since she took care of dinner, I led the way inside. A form of nostalgia washed over me as we got comfortable in our back-row seats. Movies were one of the few things I enjoyed back on Earth, but didn’t really miss since I came here. I assume it’s because going to movies is a thing you would do with friends or, whenever I would go in the middle of the day, significant other. Though I wasn’t used to seeing a movie with someone else, I’ll admit it was nice.
The movie wasn’t half bad either, Dr. Strange I think it was called, but it was pretty obvious filmmaking was a new art form. When the end of the movie started to roll around, I knew the creators weren’t going to miss the opportunity to show off the poor romance they tried to establish between the main actor and the forgettable actress. Glancing over to Selene, the bored look she had on her face said she felt the same way.
“I don’t know why this whole romance is in here,” I whispered as I looked between the screen and her nodding head, “it’s kind of hard to believe she would take him back after all the shit he said and did to her. I know he said sorry, but it’s not that easy. They do a good job of making it look genuine, but the pacing’s a little off.” Right as I said that, the two characters on screen kissed, proving their love for one another and proving the movie didn’t deserve anything over a seven.
Needing to turn my head away from the scene, I looked over at Selene and found her staring back. Her golden eyes looked softly at me as I smiled lightly in return, her gaze keeping mine locked on her. I noticed her blonde cheeks are a little red, making me think something’s wrong, but right as I was about to ask, it happened… She kissed me. Time seemed to freeze as I slowly analyzed the situation. The two other couples in the theater were making out, the characters on screen were still kissing, the warmth of Selene’s tough but soft beak on my lips, the small moan I heard her make over the loud crescendo of the movie; it was a lot to take in. 
I quickly pulled away from her; my eyes wide with surprise as I looked at her equally surprised face. I whipped my head forward and committed myself entirely to the movie as that feeling from earlier came back at full force. Part of me wanted to run, part of my wanted to apologize, part of me wished I had magic so I could set the place on fire and end it right there; but the smallest and simplest part of me said to stay and strangely enough, that’s what I did. Another part of me worried that I might have done something wrong though, that maybe I hurt her. Without telling my body to do so, my right hand reached out and took her left claw. I felt her stiffen before relaxing a second later and lacing her talons in between my fingers.
After few minutes of story wrapping and credit rolling, the two of us were standing outside of the theater awkwardly as she tried to not make eye contact and I tried to get my heart rate under control.
“Uh…” I muttered, unsure of what to say. I didn’t have to worry about it though as I was suddenly pounced on and kissed again. Time froze once more as I felt Selene’s arms wrap around my neck and the wind her wings blew as she kept herself steady. The one thought that came to mind? Don’t want her to fall. I wrapped my arms around her as I closed my eyes and leaned into the kiss, hoping to God I was doing it right. After a few seconds we separated and took a breath as we looked into each other’s eyes, her happy yet concerned look asking me ‘is this alright?’
“I uh, I don’t know too much about… this,” I explained as I gestured at the two of us. Her look changed to a sad one.
“D-don’t get me wrong, I l-liked it,” I stuttered embarrassedly for the first time ever as I fought to keep my face from catching fire, “b-but… I don’t know if I’m ready for everything that comes with it. Do you understand?” She gazed into my eyes for a while as she thought about what I said. Sure, I could have explained that a little clearer, but my mind was racing as fast as my heart was; a more complicated sentence would have failed me. She seemed to get it though as she smiled at me and nuzzled my cheek before hopping back down on all fours. 
“Thanks,” I said before letting out a huge sigh, “damn, I’m tired. Must be this weird feeling I’ve been having a lot lately, and it’s usually when I’m with you.” Selene’s cheeks lit up at my words before she looked down and pawed the ground.
“Well, I’ll see you on Monday,” I said after a silent moment, making her look up at me worriedly, “…I’ll have an answer for you then.” Her eyes widened and sparkled with hope before nodding furiously and taking off into the sky. I was only alone for a second before she came back, kissed me on the cheek and flew off again.

Dear Princesses,
Hooray? 
Sincerely,
Crystal Beth
> Entry 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I must be going crazy. I I’m sending you this right after I’ve written it so you can know exactly what happened when I show up tomorrow. Like every Saturday morning, I slept in, or tried to before Dew Star woke me up.
“Hey,” I yawned as I greeted her at my door, “what’s up?”
“Can I borrow your place for a little while?” she asked.
“Uh… What for?” I asked, my sleepy state keeping me from thinking straight.
“It’s a surprise.”
“…Okay.”
“Thank you! You can keep sleeping in my bed,” she said as she trotted in with stuffed saddlebags. With a sleepy shrug, I walked over and into her place, making a beeline for her bedroom. Once inside, I fell onto her cloud-mattress and slid under the covers. Taking a deep breath of Dew Star’s chamomile scent from her pillow, I drifted back to sleep.
A few hours later I woke up wondering where I was until I remembered the short conversation from earlier. Leaving Dew Star’s place, I headed back over to mine where I found Beth leaving with a bunch of my stuff on her back.
“Oh, there you are,” she said as she closed the door behind her and held my clothes up to me, “here you go.”
“…Thanks,” I said as I took my pants and slid them on, “what’s going on?”
“Well, I know how much you hate working on weekends, but-”
“Auuggggg.”
“Yeah.” I took a moment to rub my temples before taking the rest of my clothes, putting them on, and following Beth to the office without a bath. Saying I was pissed after getting there and finding out there wasn’t any work to do, is putting it lightly, but Beth made up for it by taking me to brunch. I’m still kind of mad to be honest. I didn’t get back home until around four and by that time, I had forgotten about Dew Star. In hindsight, I should have known something was off when Beth didn’t come back with me. When I got to my door, the first thing I noticed was a smell: roses. Opening the door, the scent hit me in the face before I noticed how strangely dark my place was even though the sun was still up. Taking a step inside, I nearly slipped and killed myself on the rose petals littering the floor and making a path over to my bedroom.
“Oh Jesus,” I sighed as I stepped up to the door, “please don’t be what I think it is.” Steeling my nerves, I opened the door and followed the path up to the foot of my bed, keeping my head down the whole while. With another sigh, I finally looked up and only saw part of what I expected. Laying on my bed surrounded by rose petals was Dew Star, dressed in some rather provocative clothes that admittedly got a bit of a rise out of me. I still don’t understand how I reacted that way. Eyeing me with a look of seduction I never thought Dew Star would or could make, she greeted me.
“Hey there, Comet,” she said, her words dripping with desire.
“H-hey,” I replied, my eyes unable to look away, “w-what’s going on here?”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said as she stood up and slowly walked towards me, an exaggerated but effective swing in her hips, “I’ve been waiting so long.”
“I-uh,” I stuttered, my mouth not able to form sentences from the mess of words in my head, “You-what-I-”
“I-I…” she started to say bashfully before shaking her head and putting on a determined face, “…I love you Comet.” No words, for a long while.
“…What?”
“I love you,” she repeats without hesitation.
“…H-heh. Heheh,” I chuckled as I brought a hand to my face, “Haha, you almost got me there. Woo, did Beth put you up to this? She must have, that’s why-” My words were cut off by a pair of hooves grabbing my face.
“Does it look like I’m joking?” she asked as she stared into my eyes with a straight face.
“…You two must have practiced this quite a bit huh?” I asked as I removed her hooves, “I must say, I expected you two to know how I felt about pranks, but I guess I was wrong. Good try though, I guess.” We sat in silence for a few moments before she dropped her head and sniffled.
“…Wha-”
“So you believe her?” she muttered as I saw a tear hit the floor.
“…W-wha-”
“You can believe that that griffon loves you, but not me?!” she exclaimed, making me flinch and stare at her with wide eyes, “That griffon who you’ve only know for a few weeks, over me?! After all the things we’ve been through, after all that you’ve done for me; when I finally start to repay you and show you how I feel, you think it’s a joke?!” Once again, I didn’t have any words.
“I’ve loved you since you said you didn’t deserve love on Hearth’s Warming Eve; I’ve loved you since you helped me that night at the club; I’ve loved you since you promised to always be there for me when we first met. I-I’ve loved you for so long and I waited for you to realize, to notice, to acknowledge me in some way. At first, I thought your friendship would be enough and it was, but as you’ve slowly changed into the stallion you really are; being just your friend is too painful. I’d rather go through the pains of rejection than to be so close to you and not have my feelings understood!” 
With her words said, she let her actions do the rest. Putting her hooves on my shoulders, she quickly leaned in and kissed me, her soft lips wiping away whatever thoughts I had running through my head. I raised my arms to hold her, but they froze at my sides, unable to hold and reassure my dear friend that things would be alright. In that moment of hesitation, she separated from me and dropped back down on all fours before heading towards the door.
“W-wait, Dew Star!” I exclaimed, getting her to stop at the open door, “I-I…I…” Nothing.
“Goodbye Comet,” she said sorrowfully before looking back at me with tearful eyes, “I’ll be waiting.” On second thought, I think I’m going to take that trip I’ve been meaning to tomorrow.
	
> Entry 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	So, something a little more crazy than usual happened and it’s been a while since, but I’ll try my best to remember. After Dew Star’s confession, I packed a bag, headed to the station, and got on the first train to Ponyville. It wasn’t my first choice for a vacation spot, but it was the closest and cheapest, plus I figured no one would look for me here. I remember the long ride being boring and uncomfortable; I remember being woken up from my nap by what I thought was the bouncing train; I remember immense pain for all of five seconds before there was nothing. 
The next thing I knew, I was waking up to the sight of a crystal ceiling with a big red cross on it.
“Not again,” I moaned with my dry throat as I closed my eyes again.
“Comet!” a voice exclaimed before I felt something rest on each of my arms. Cracking my eyes open again, I found a relieved Dew Star on my left and a concerned Selene on my right.
“Wha… What happened?” I croaked as I moved a sore arm to my face only to pull it away when it stung, “I feel like shit.”
“I-I’m not entirely sure,” Dew Star answered as she scanned my face, “all Princess Twilight told me-er, us, is that there was a monster attack on the town right as you were showing up.”
“That explains the rumbling I felt,” I muttered as I struggled to sit up, but Selene helped me, “so, how long have I been out?”
“A week,” Dew Star whispers sadly, “a-and I only got here a few days ago.”
“Well, at least you came. Thanks,” I said as I ran a hand through her mane before turning to Selene, “same to you.” As my hand passed through the feathers and fur on her neck, I felt the grip Dew Star had on my arm tighten.
“Ow.”
“Oh, s-sorry.”
“Well, a week isn’t that long to be in a coma for, but why was I in one in the first place? I am still a little sore, but the last time I got seriously hurt, I woke up later that day.”
“I-I’m not sure. The princess said she wouldn’t say anything about it until you woke up.”
“…That doesn’t sound too good,” I moaned and Selene nodded in agreement, “you mind telling her I’m awake now, Dew Star? I want to hear the bad news as soon as possible.”
“A-alright,” she replied before hopping down on all fours and quickly trotting out the room.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” I moaned as I reached for my face again before hissing in pain, “argh, what the hell?” Slightly surprising me, Selene hopped up onto the bed, being careful not to put too much weight on me as she lay down with our faces a few inches apart. Reaching a claw up to my right cheek, I flinched from the initial sting, but quickly relaxed as she caressed the scar on my face.  Looking into her sad eyes, I could easily see the question she wanted to ask.
“I didn’t leave because of you,” I explained with a sigh, “I mean, I kind of did, but it’s not entirely your fault.” Her brows furrowed at this.
“No, what I mean is-” but I stopped when her beak pressed against my lips, making that one feeling rush through me. She held the kiss for only a second before pulling away and smiling lightly at me. As she stared into my eyes, she nodded her head lightly as if to say ‘I understand,’ before leaning against me and resting her head on my shoulder. Right as I was about to do… something, Dew Star and Twilight came into the room. Dew Star quickly rushed over with what I thought was a low growl as Selene took her time getting off of me.
“Thank goodness you’re up,” Twilight sighed as she trotted over.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked with a raised brow.
“Well, uh, I wasn’t entirely sure you’d wake up after the operation.”
“Operation?” Dew Star and I repeated before I continued, “What are you talking about?”
“F-first, you have to promise you won’t get mad,” she said as her ears folded down.
“You know I can’t and won’t do that.”
“B-but you have to understand, I didn’t have a choice!” she exclaimed as she reared up to lean on my bed, “How could I let somepony die when I knew I could save them!”
“…I was going to die?”
“Yes! You were in severe need of blood, but nopony in town matched your blood type except me because alicorn blood can change types.”
“It was just a blood transfusion?”
“Yes, but-”
“I’m not going to turn into a pony, am I?” I asked as I lifted the blanket over my legs and saw they hadn’t changed.
“N-not exactly...” she replied as she sat on her haunches and stared at the floor, “you won’t change physically, but…”
“But?”
“…You might live a little longer than you would have originally,” she said as she shrank a little.
“…How much longer?”
“How long do humans normally live?”
“I think it averages out to 70 or 80 years.”
“…”
“Twilight,” I said sternly, making her shrink more.
“…You might live four to five times longer, give of take a few decades,” she finally answers, making the stern face I held slowly change to a blank one.
“…T-that’s over 300 years,” Dew Star calculated out loud.
“Y-yeah,” Twilight mumbled before perking up, “b-but it’s not that bad, really! Your body will be in the best shape the whole time, your mind won’t degrade-”
“Will he be invulnerable?” Dew Star asked.
“N-no,” she answered as her head drooped again, “you will heal faster, but you can still be k-killed.” With Twilight’s explanation finally said, silence took hold of the room. My mind should have been filled with thoughts and worries, my heart should have felt some sort of pain, but instead all I felt was nothing. Just a familiar empty feeling sat in my chest and slowly poured through me, reviving the numb feeling I spent most of my life with. 300 more years to suffer through?
“…met…Comet!” Dew Star called, bringing me out of my head. I didn’t say anything as my eyes focused on some part of her.
“It’s alright Comet,” she said softly as a hoof stroked my arm, “what’s a few hundred more years to live? If the princesses can make it through all those years, so can you.” 
“…But at what cost?” I mumbled as my eyes drifted down to my lap, “…Leave.”
“W-what?”
“All of you, out,” I commanded.
“B-but-” Dew Star started but stopped for whatever reason. After listening to the sound of hooves and claws leaving the room, I fell back and stared up at the crystal ceiling. 
“…Goddamnit.”
> Entry 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I woke up the next day in one of Twilight’s crystal bedrooms she moved me to; not sore or in pain like yesterday, physically at least. When I tried to move, I found I was pinned down by both Dew Star and Selene who must have snuck in when I was asleep. With a small shake of my head, I slipped out of bed without waking them up and left the castle. It was about eight in the morning, my usual wake up time, but unlike usual I didn’t want to keep sleeping. I wanted to be out and away like I planned with this trip, but from what I’ve learned from my life, the more I want to be alone, the more ponies want to be near and bug me.
Unfortunately for them I also wasn’t in a good mood, so whoever came up wanting to talk to me just got ignored. All the different ponies that recognized me and said hello as I walked through town got the coldest of shoulders, all except Applejack and her sister when I mistakenly passed by their stall in the market.
“Is that you, Comet?” Applejack said right as I passed her, “Hey, Comet!” I didn’t get more than five steps past her before Apple Bloom jumped in front of me.
“Heya, Mister Therapist!” the little redhead greeted with a big smile, “It’s been a hot minute since ah seen ya round here!”
“Sure has,” Applejack confirmed as she trotted up next to her sister, all smiles, “ya shoulda sent a letter tellin us you were comin! Woulda kept ya from getting hurt in that attack.” I didn’t reply as I looked away from the two.
“…Say, Apple Bloom? Why don’t ya hold down the stall while ah chat with Comet for bit?” Applejack said to her sister as she moved over next to me.
“Sure thing, Sis!” she replied with a salute before zipping back behind the counter.
“Mind followin me?” Applejack asked as she started to trot away, “Won’t take but a minute.” With a sigh, I followed after her out of the market to a nearby park where she sat down on a bench and patted the spot next to her. With another sigh I sat next to her, not bothering to make space between us because I knew what she was planning.
“Ah’m sorry, Comet,” she started as she leaned over and wrapped her hooves around me as she nuzzled my neck, “ah can’t imagine what you’re goin through right now, but it must be mighty rough.”
“…Rough isn’t the word I’d use,” I replied as I sat and tolerated her comforting. 
“Well, whatever word you’d use, just know that ah and the rest of the girls are here for ya, even if ya don’t really consider us friends.” 
“Of course,” I said flatly as she released me.
“Is there anythin ah can do to help ya feel better?”
“Not unless you’re willing to murder me in fifty years,” I muttered as I stood up.
“A-ah don’t think ah’m willin to help with that.”
“Yeah, sorry,” I sighed as I started to leave, “no reason to get you involved with my problems.” Leaving Applejack alone in the park, I headed back through town to wherever I was going. As I was wandering, Rarity’s sister Sweetie Belle approached me from out of nowhere.
“Hi Mister Comet!” she greeted, but I just kept walking, “A-are you going somewhere?”
“…”
“I-if you’re not, do you mind coming to the boutique with me? Rarity wants to talk to you.” See? This is exactly what I’m talking about.
“…Fine.”
“Yes! Come on!” she said happily as she ran off; luckily, I knew where Rarity’s place was.
“Sorry,” Sweetie Belle chuckled embarrassedly when I reached the place, “come on in.” Walking in and ringing the bell at the door, I didn’t have to wait long before Rarity rushed over to me.
“Thank you Sweetie Belle, you can go now,” she said to her sister as her magic floated something over to her, “Comet and I need to be alone for a little while.”
“…Oh, I get it,” her sister replied with a mischievous grin before turning towards the door, “I better not walk in on you two doing anything weird.”
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity scoffed with an obvious blush, “Comet and I are nothing more than friends!”
“Of course; you’re never anything more than friends with stallions.”
“Sweetie Belle!”
“Bye Mister Comet!” the filly said before darting out of the shop.
“Foals these days,” Rarity sighed as her magic took hold of my hand, “come; let’s chat.”
“I think I’ve done plenty of chatting with Applejack already,” I replied as I’m led up some stairs.
“Doubtful; I know how that mare is with words,” she said with a shake of her head as he led me into what I assumed was her room, “make yourself comfortable, Dear.” I wanted to stand so I could leave as quickly as possible, but I knew she would insist so I sat on the edge of her bed as she hopped up next to me.
“How are you feeling, Darling? Have you fully recovered?” she asked as she laid in my lap.
“Besides this huge scar on my face, I’m just peachy.”
“Now now Dear, your use of rude sarcasm was the thing I liked least about your old self.”
“…”
“But the fact that you are being rudely sarcastic means you’re not taking Twilight’s news very well.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“And your blatant lying only further proves my point,” she countered as she tried to look me in the eyes but I wouldn’t meet her gaze, “…Now, I’m sure Applejack told you, but the rest of the girls and I are here for you if you need somepony to talk to.”
“Yeah, she said that, but she made sure to point out that I don’t consider most of you friends.”
“Yes, well… If you believe that to be the case, then just I am here for you,” she said as I felt her hoof rest on my hand, “and while I am here, I may as well tell you that I may have convinced Twilight to go through with the operation despite how positive she was you would be upset.” The hand she had under her hoof balled into a fist.
“Now, you must believe her and I when we say we had nothing but good intentions; all we wanted to do was save your life, especially since we endangered it in the first place. Did I know that her blood would do this to you? Not at the time; I was merely concerned with the life of my dear friend.” My fist tightened.
“And even though you don’t consider all of use friends, we all consider you one, even Rainbow Dash to a certain extent; I don’t know what we, what I would have done if you died because of me. I don’t think I would be able to watch one of my precious friends die.” I couldn’t take it anymore. Carefully but quickly, I moved Rarity out of my lap before getting to my feet.
“What’s wrong Dear?”
“…You just don’t understand,” I muttered as I headed for the door.
“Then help me understand, help us understand Comet.”
“…Sorry, but I’ve got somewhere to be,” I said as I opened the door and left with a few of my first thought that day. I probably should have at least tried to explain, but she probably still wouldn’t get it. If no one could understand how I lived my life before, they won’t be able to understand now; no one can.
> Entry 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	I didn’t actually have anywhere to be except at Twilight’s castle for when Celestia and Luna showed up, but I still needed some time to myself. Still wandering around, I eventually found myself at a familiar place on the outskirts of town: my little shack I built when I first showed up here. Right on the border of the Everfree Forest sat my rickety wooden hut that I spent my first few months in Equestria in; my first fortress of solitude. 
I swung the door open and watched it fall off the hinges before stepping inside and looking around. It was just like I left it: a shoddy hay bed that’s become moldy and disgusting, a single cup with a toothbrush in it that’s also become moldy and gross; I felt right at home. Kneeling and sitting down on the damp pile of old hay, I relaxed slightly as I leaned back against a warped wall and remembered that short transition period.
It was easy, easier than my life’s been recently. I didn’t have to worry about friends, family, employees, possible love interests, just what time I was meeting what pony for whatever amount of money. It was easy alright, but… Right in the middle of my remembering, I heard a small knock. Turning towards the door, I found Princess Twilight standing in it.
“…May I come in?”
“…Sure,” I answered and she slowly trotted in and sat next to me. We sat quietly for a long while; me not thinking about anything while she most likely thought about everything. A few times during that silence, a squeak would come from her as she tried to talk, but gave up as she thought more about what she was going to say. Eventually, she let out a sigh heavy enough to make me think she was the one going through an existential crisis.
“…I’m sorry,” she eventually said, “I am so sorry, Comet.” I thought I was content with just sitting in silence, but my inner therapist wouldn’t let it go.
“…For what?”
“I’m sorry for… I’m sorry for ruining the life you just started to enjoy,” she sniffled sadly “…I’m sorry for having to make you think about things nopony wants to think about. I’m sorry for forcing you to have to see things nopony should have to see. I’m sorry for forcing you to inevitably feel pain nopony should have to feel.” Looking over at the princess, I could see the tears streaming down her face.
“I-I’m sorry, for making somepony else feel the pain the princesses and I have to feel… I’m sorry you have to watch everypony you care about die before you and live with that pain… I’m sorry Comet, I’m so sorry.” By this point Twilight was sobbing, unable to keep the feelings that we share to herself, and I wasn’t able to either. Wrapping an arm around her, I pulled her into my lap for a hug, muffling her sobs as I rubbed her back thoughtfully. 
I don’t know why I didn’t think about it before this; Celestia and Luna have been going through this for more than 300 years, and just like me, Twilight will have to go through the same things for the first time. The girls, her other friends in town, her brother, her parents; she’ll have more to lose than me with my few first friends and loves. God, I’m such a fucking baby and forgot the one most important thing in life: someone else always has it worse than you.
“B-but,” she eventually started back up after calming down, “even though I feel terrible for making you go through it too, I-I feel a little better knowing you’ll be there with me.”
“…What makes you say that?” I asked, “We’re not even friends.”
“I might not be your friend, but I know, deep down, you truly are my friend,” she sniffled as she nuzzled my neck. 
“…Even after all I said to you and your friends?” 
“We forgave you for that immediately and, admittedly, learned some things too,” she answered, making the hold I had on her tighten, “good friends tell each other the truth, even if it is a little painful.”
“…I guess you really are the Princess of Friendship,” I chuckled lightly as I felt a tear fall, “I… I’m just scared, Twilight. For the first time since I was a kid, I’m actually scared. I’m scared about losing the first friends I’ve ever had; I’m scared of losing the love I haven’t fully experienced, which makes me not want to experience it at all. I’m scared that after I’ve finally gotten what I’ve wanted for so long, it’ll go away and I’ll go back to being alone. I… I honestly don’t think I can go through a whole lifetime of that again.” She giggles lightly at this.
“W-what?”
“Oh nothing,” she sniffled, “it’s just that this is the first time you’ve opened up to me and I actually have some advice that Celestia gave me when I initially went through this.”
“Oh yeah?”
“She said that no matter what, watching a friend or loved one pass is painful, but that pain is proof that you truly cared for them and knowing them was worth the while. Nopony can ever replace them in your heart, but just remembering them from time to time and continuing to live your life while making new friends and loves, is enough for them. That’s all they would want.”
“…That does sound like something Celestia would say.”
“That’s because I did say that,” a certain motherly voice spoke up. Turning towards the door, Twilight and I found both princesses standing at it with sad smiles.
“May we come in?” Luna asked.
“Not much more room, but sure,” I replied and the two made themselves comfortable on either side of me, both wrapping a wing around my shoulders.
“Are you poking fun at our size, Comet?” Luna asked as she rested her head on my shoulder.
“It’s good to see you too.”
“How are you feeling?” Celestia asked as she looked me over, “Besides the scar of course.”
“I feel like I could live for a few hundred years,” I joked, making Twilight moan sadly, “but I should be alright. Twilight was being a real friend and helped me get over it.”
“Oh?” Luna said as her and her sister shared a look, “So you do not have a problem spending a few hundred more years with us?”
“…Well, now that you mention it-”
“But if you’re really alright, I believe there are two mares that are not,” Celestia said.
“Ah, right,” I sighed as I petted Twilight thoughtfully, “I don’t know what to say to them though, especially Dew Star. She’s probably still mad about me and Selene.” The two princesses giggled at this.
“What?”
“It’s just like she said, isn’t it Lulu?” Celestia asked her sister, ignoring me.
“Yes, but we already knew how dense stallions are,” she replied with a dismissive shake of her head.
“…Excuse me?”
“Let’s head back to the castle Comet,” Celestia said as she and Luna stood back up, “it seems Twilight could use some rest.” Looking down in my arms, I found Twilight sleeping and lightly snoring with a look of relief on her face. She must have been worrying about how I’d react the whole time I was asleep; guess I’ll have to make it up to her at some point.
“And do not worry about how those two will react,” Luna advised as I stood up, cradling Twilight in my arms, “you know them both the best, so you should know they would not react negatively to whatever you say. Just be honest like you normally are and things will fine.”
“I hope you’re right,” I replied as I followed the two out of the shack, “because even I’m not too sure about what I’ve got in mind.” With my royal escort in tow, I headed back to Twilight’s castle as I thought about the best way to say what I needed to. Making it back with the least amount of commotion from the locals, I escorted the sleeping princess to her room before heading back to mine with the sister still following me.
“…You two need something?” I asked them when I stopped with my hand on the doorknob.
“Oh, uh,” Celestia muttered as she and Luna looked at each other before flashing me a nervous smile, “we’ll be out here if you need us.”
“Alright,” I replied as I started to turn the knob.
“Yes, and remember to be as clear as possible,” Luna added, making me stop, “and gentle as possible if necessary.”
“Of course,” I said as I focused back on the door.
“A-and if they don’t like whatever you tell them, we’re here for you,” Celestia reminded as her magic spun me around and straightened out my shirt.
“Yeah, I know,” I said as I tried to shake her off.
“Also-”
“Would you two relax?” I said as I caught the hoof Luna was reaching out to my face, “You’re more nervous than I am.” The two chuckled nervously.
“We’re just worried,” Celestia sighed.
“It’ll be fine,” I said as I rubbed her cheek and squeezed Luna’s hoof, “you two said so. Now, just give me a minute.”
“We did, didn’t we?” Celestia replied as she nuzzled my hand, “Like I said, we’ll be here.” With that I turned and faced the door, more or less ready to confront the two women’s feelings for me and mine for them. I’d never been so nervous before, so I guess I was doing something right.
> Entry 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	 My hand lingered on the doorknob for a few seconds as I steeled my nerves for what was about to happen. Unfortunately, my nerves nor the sisters’ behind me were ready for Dew Star and Selene to suddenly appear behind us.
“Oh, Comet!” Dew Star called, making all three of us jump before quickly spinning around and finding the two, “I was worried you’d left again.”
“S-sorry,” I sighed as my heart only slowed down slightly, “I need to talk to you two, so I don’t plan on running away anytime soon.”
“T-talk?” Dew Star repeated as she looked into my eyes and seemed to instantly understand. Selene’s eyes widened slightly as she nodded in understanding. Stepping to the side, I let the two enter the room first before looking back at the two sisters who flashed me encouraging smiles that actually made me feel a little better. With a nervous sigh, I entered the room and closed the door behind me before joining my two admirers on the bed.
“So, uh…” I started, “I guess we have some things to talk about.”
“W-with her here?” Dew Star asked as she peered past me at Selene who narrowed her eyes in return.
“Yeah, it’s something you both need to hear,” I explained before taking a deep breath, “so first, I want to say thank you for being here with me while I was out.”
“Of course,” Dew Star said as Selene nodded.
“And second, I’m sorry for disappearing in the first place; both of your confessions were a bit too much for me to handle.”
“I-I’m sorry too,” Dew Star said with a slight blush, “ I might have been a little too forward.”
“No, no, it’s fine. While it may have been a little over the top, there was no other way I would have believed you; you know me. Now Selene, I know I said I’d have an answer for you a week ago, but uh, I’m not too sure how either of you will feel about what I had in mind.” Selene nodded her head in understanding as one of her claws reached out and held my hand.
“What is it?” Dew Star asked as her hooves took my other hand.
“Well,” I sighed, hoping the heavy feeling in my stomach would go away but didn’t, “…I like both of you, a lot. Dew Star, you’ve been with me since the beginning and it wasn’t until after you confessed that I realized how much I appreciate you. When I see you I the morning, your smile helps me get through the day and makes me look forward to seeing it again when I get home; your caring and loyal nature makes you dependable, which you’ve proven multiple times; your stutter is cute, or rather you in general are really cute; I love talking with you or just being around you; I love your chamomile scent which is why I like cuddling with you, and… I would keep going, but you look like you might pass out.” Her whole face was bright red as her wide eyes looked at everything in the room but my face. Oh, and her wings were spread pretty wide too.
“…Y-y-you d-don’t mean-”
“Yeah, I do; I mean every word,” I assured as I squeezed her hoof and turned my attention to Selene so Dew Star could calm down, “Selene, we haven’t known each other for that long, but I feel closer to you than others I’ve known a lot longer. In that short amount of time, I’ve come to admire your self-confidence and strength; even though you don’t speak and I don’t like talking all that much, I love talking with you; your expressiveness is refreshing and makes me more expressive in return; you’re beautiful and I could stare into your eyes forever; your-” Apparently, Selene can’t take compliments half as well as Dew Star because she cut me off by pressing a talon to my lips. Her feathered face was also a bright red before being nuzzled into my side from embarrassment.
“Now, the reason I wanted both of you here was to show each of you how much the other means to me and justify my offer to the two of you,” I explained, instantly pulling both of their attention back to me, “so, if you two are up for it… I’d like to try being in a herd.” There was silence for a moment.
“…Alright, I kind of expected this, so I guess it’s only fair if I give you two time to-”
“N-no!” Dew Star exclaimed as she took my hand again, “I don’t mind trying it, if it’s what you really want.” Selene nodded in agreement.
“Are you sure? I’m not so stupid to not notice you two don’t like each other that much.”
“W-well,” Dew Star muttered as she and Selene looked at each other blankly for a second, “I can tell that she does care about you the same way I do, so if that’s what you want, we can try it.” Selene once again nodded.
“Great,” I sighed heavily as I fell back onto the bed and felt my stomach finally relax, “thank you.”