Chapter 1: Conflict of Interest

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Celestia was standing in front of her class, preparing for her class as she set her papers in order. As she was, it was sometimes hard to juggle her royal duties and having time to have a few class lessons, but she had a passion for it. It gave her that motherly feeling and broke the monotony of the political world. It allowed her to pursue her passion while still fulfilling her duties. As she looked up at her class, she had to smile as she looked at her prized pupils.

Her unique pupils.

Twilight was standing straight at attention, ready to listen to what her princess teacher was about to say. She was the one unicorn that stood out the most in the class. A part of it was because she was Celestia’s top student, and one of her pupils. But the main thing that made the unicorn stand out was that she wasn’t exactly a unicorn.

Most of her body was scaly, and her front hooves were claws. She was part dragon, and it showed as clearly as Celestia’s sun. The main reason that she was there was because of her powerful magic that Celestia was able to see when her parents took her to school on her first day. Kids were throwing all sorts of things at her, but she was able to catch them in the air and put them away with her magic, without even needing to turn her head.

When Celestia teleported to try and stop the kids, she ended up in the direct path of a bucket of water. Even though the kids ran off, Twilight ended up using her flames to dry off the Princess. When a group of guards walked in to look at what was all this commotion and saw what was going on, they panicked, thinking that this half breed was burning their leader, but Twilight’s magic gave her greater control over her flame-like abilities.

Celestia was impressed by this level of knowledge and control, so she took Twilight aside to do some special tests. She was amazed by her eagerness to learn and willingness to be helpful. That, and Celestia’s adopted son, Spike, took a quick liking to her, and eventually started calling Twilight his sister. So Celestia took her in as one of her pupils, curious about this half breed.

Sadly, she wasn’t accepted very well, but neither was Spike. Twilight had to keep one of her long dragon wings over her brother’s head to protect him from all the spitballs he was receiving from the students that thought having an ‘earth’-pony in Celestia's school for gifted unicorns was disgraceful.

Celestia’s face went from motherly to stern as she turned to the kids who were tormenting her pupils. “Might I remind you all that the use of spitballs is forbidden in my class?” she asked the offenders coldly.

The students who were messing with the “siblings” tried to play innocent and naive. “We didn’t do anything wrong,” they said, looking away and trying to whistle innocently.

“I agree. They were just gathering stuff to be thrown away,” a pony said as the straws and crumpled papers were all pulled away from them by a light green magical aura. Even the spitballs from earlier were joined together with them to form one large ball that was flung into the trash can. “Thank you for helping with that.”

The tricksters all glared at the one pony that most students were too afraid to mess with. After all, he was the only alicorn in the class. Light Heart wasn’t the best student there and was slow compared to the others due to him being autistic. However, he was always lovely, and picking on him would be like kicking a puppy.

The other thing the kids recognized was since he was an alicorn, and one of Celestia’s pupils, there was a high chance of him becoming royalty. After all, Cadence was adopted by Celestia, and she was an alicorn princess and the babysitter for the pupils. Everypony assumed that he would be a new prince, except Light.

Light was rather pure, trying to be helpful when he could. He never stood up for himself when anypony was picking on him, and he never hung out much with the other kids. However, he grew attached to the other two pupils that he worked with.

Twilight put a lot of time into helping him with his struggles in his studies, and Spike would help out with just about anything. Light didn’t have many real friends, so having two ponies who helped him out with anything, and everything was a big comfort to him. Light ended up acting as the line between his fellow pupils and the bullies who would pick on them.

Celestia smiled at Light’s actions. Even though he rarely stood up for himself, he became rather protective of his friends. “Thank you, Light. Now, if there are no more interruptions, I would like to get started on this month’s topic, other race’s magic. Now, most of you have been focusing on unicorn magic. However, there is a realm of magic that spreads to all races,” Celestia said as she started writing down several races.

“What is the point of knowing other kinds of magic?” One of the students asked, sounding uninterested.

“Because by understanding how magic works for other races, we can learn more about magic as a whole. It doesn’t just reside in unicorns but all beings. Let’s go over the other two pony tribes,” Celestia said as she used her magic to summon a cloud into the room. “As many of you know, pegasi tend to use their magic to alter weather physically. However, they don’t tend to look more into the possibilities of their magic, except for a few souls. For example, electric conductivity.”

Celestia picked up a Light bulb and held it in her hoof while pressing her other hoof against the cloud. The kids watched in shock as a bolt of lightning coursed through her and lit the bulb. Celestia didn’t look hurt in any shape or form as the kids were watching in awe.

“Of course, griffons can use their magic in the same way. They, along with Pegasus, can use their wings and movements to alter the weather around them, same for a few ponies whose unique magic can unlock unknown potentials to this kind of magic. Earth ponies also use physical applications to use their magic, like bucking trees, to channel enough magic to release their fruit while being able to protect the base of the tree from damage. However, such magic can also be channeled to enhance their might. Spike, Light, I will need you two for this.”

Light instantly looked like a deer in the headlights as he was being called up. Celestia knew that he always stressed out whenever she called him up to do something new, but she felt hopeful that this new category of magic might prove to open Light’s mind more.

“It’s going to be okay. We’re just going to be having a hoof wrestling match,” Celestia explained as she adjusted her desk for the two ponies to get set up. “Now, as many of you know, Spike’s body is more able to conduct his magic through it. So, I want you to use some of that magic and course it through your body to get a bit of a physical boost. Can you do that?”

Spike nodded with a small grin. “Of course. I do it all the time when I’m carrying stuff,” he said as his hoof started glowing green as the locked hooves with Light.

“Ready…” Celestia paused for a bit, having a little fun as she allowed the suspense to build. “... GO!”

Both ponies grunted as they were both fighting to win. Light was naturally more durable as an alicorn, but Spike’s magically enhanced strength had the edge against Light as he managed to overpower the alicorn.

The ponies looked rather pleased to see Light being part of the game in the class instead of some of the boring lectures that some of the other teachers give.

Light was busy rubbing his elbow as he turned to Celestia. “Sorry, Princess.”

Celestia giggled as she placed a hoof on Light’s shoulder. “It’s perfectly okay, Light. Sometimes it takes us failing to learn how to improve. Now, how about we try that again while trying that magical technique. It may be enlightening for the others when we talk about magical focuses next month. Now, this isn’t like the magic we have been studying where it’s having to focus on so many details and focusing your magic in just the right way. This magic is coming from your body. Think of the soreness from gym class and focus that magic through those muscles. Allow that magic to surge through your body and put it into action.”

Light nodded as he started to tense up, but then he noticed Spike tilting his head towards Twilight, almost as if he wanted Light to look at her. As Light turned to Twilight, she was doing the breathing technique that Cadence taught her. Light gave a small smile as he followed suit, taking deep breaths and then readied himself as he tried again.

Celestia was hopeful as she started the next round, but Light was beaten again. She sighed as she knew about his struggles with magic classes. “Good try, Light. Keep practicing with Spike after school. You’ll get the hang of it,” she said as she motioned them both to go back to their seats before turning to the students.

“Now, every race uses some form of magic. From the shifting nature of the changelings, the unique fires that a dragon can produce, even to the uncanny sensory perception that diamond dogs have when digging their tunnels. In some ways, they contrast drastically, but in other ways, that magic connects us all. To turn a blinked eye to other forms of magic, would be to blind ourselves to a vast world of possibilities.”

“Whatever!” One of the haughtiest of the students said before rolling his eyes.

Celestia sighed as she looked at the unicorn. “Do you care to elaborate, Magesto?”

“Unicorn magic is much better and superior,” he said before taking one of his extra quills and transforming it into a piece of licorice.

Celestia raised an eyebrow before writing a paper and handing it to Twilight. “Twilight, do you mind sending this note to Magesto with your dragon magic? Namely, the messaging spell you’ve been practicing.”

Twilight nodded before holding the note in the tip of her claw fingers and blowing fire onto it. The note disintegrated into a ball of purple smoke and started to fly to Magesto.

“You see? When she can focus that type of magic on a specific being, she can send that being a letter from any distance, even if she doesn’t know where they are. She’s been sending in homework to me with that method for years. It’s far superior to any spell a unicorn can use to try and mimic those results,” Celestia explained.

Magesto rolled his eyes before his horn started to glow and focused his magic on teleporting the note to the door.

“Not bad, but send it to me without looking,” Celestia ordered as she stepped outside of the class.

Magesto huffed as he teleported the note, only to hear it slash into the water fountain that was right outside the door. After a moment, Celestia walked back in with the wet note. “I was fifteen feet away from the fountain when you teleported it. Your spell goes off of memory, not off of a homing effect,” Celestia scolded him before tossing the note in the trash. “Magesto, since you are so eager to speak up during class and disrespect my teachings, I feel like it’s only right for you to learn more about them. Everypony else is going to be allowed to pick a race to study and write a two-hundred-word paper on their magical abilities. There will be extra credit if you can reach five hundred and use three sources. You, Magesto, will be writing two papers, different races, and both two hundred words. None of you are allowed to use any race that you currently are. Do I make myself clear?” Celestia asked sternly to the class.

Magesto gritted his teeth before forcing himself to put a smile. “Yes, Miss Celestia!” he said begrudgingly with the rest of the class.

“And the next pony who wants to play with spitballs will end up in detention. You are all better than this. I’m not just here to teach you all about magic. I am here to teach you how to be the leaders of tomorrow. Good ponies lead with kindness and care, not through bullying ponies who aren’t like you,” Celestia added right before the bell rang. She let out a long sigh as she handed out the papers. “Alright, I want you all to have your papers in by Monday. Have a good weekend and remember to be respectful of others.”

Twilight got up while looking down. She had been hoping that she could have researched about the unknown facts of dragons. She started to feel like she stuck out, being the only one there who wasn’t all ‘pony’.

Spike patted her back as he was gathering his stuff. “You know that she meant you too when she said ponies,” he tried to assure her.

Twilight looked at her clawed hooves and then back at her non-feathered wings. “Yeah...”

“And either way, you’d be better suited for royalty than me,” Light said as he walked up to the two ponies, rubbing his shoulder a bit. “You are the smart one, after all.”

Twilight smiled at that. “Brains aren’t all that is needed to be a good leader,” she told him. “You also need the support of your citizens. Which…” she looked at herself. “I’m not going to get it,” she turned back to Light. “But... you might!”

“Okay, then. I’ll get the support, and you get the brains, and Spike…”

“Will keep you two from losing your minds,” Spike quipped, earning a chuckle from the unique ponies.

“Yeah, Spike should be in charge. He keeps carrying us on his back,” Light joked as he ruffled Spike’s mane.

Spike stopped laughing when he saw Celestia approaching them. “Well, you’re not wrong, Spike. A good leader surrounds himself with wise counsel and good friends,” she said with a small giggle as she approached her pupils.

“Princess!” Twilight and Light said, quick to bow down to her.

“Relax. I was hoping to have some alone time with you three,” she said as she hugged Spike. Her head then turned to Twilight with a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry for not allowing you to research more on dragon magic yet, but I wanted to give you a chance to learn about other races.”

“I understand your highness. It would give me an unfair advantage,” Twilight admitted as she bowed to the Princess.

“Well, I can do a paper on dragon magic, with Twilight’s help,” Light suggested.

Celestia giggled as she petted Light’s head. “Always looking for a way to help others. You three are an amazing team.”

Spike giggled as well. “Oh... maybe we should fuse each other together and become an ultimate lifeform?” he said, mostly as a joke.

The other two chuckled before they saw that Celestia had a couple of tears running down her cheek. “Princess? What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, looking concerned.

Celestia snapped out of her trance before wiping her face. “Oh… nothing. I was just thinking about an old friend. Tell you what, why don’t we do our other studies tonight? Light and Spike can work together while I show you a couple of new dragon spells I have recently learned about?” Celestia offered the half-dragon.

“Really!?!” Twilight asked while perking up.

“Do I have to arm wrestle him again?” Light asked as he looked at Spike.

“If you win, you can try to use magic on some toys again,” Celestia offered.

“Sold!” Light said as he adjusted his backpack.

“Good. Meet me in my room, and then we can start studying. Be sure to bring some books for your research paper. You know that I want to see you all become the best this class has to offer,” Celestia said as she was getting ready to leave.

“Princess!” Light said, stopping her before she could take a step out of the class.

“Yes, Light?” Celestia asked curiously.

“Is... is it true?” Light started to ask.

“Is what true?” Celestia asked, now more concerned.

“That when I get older... And you retire...” Light gulped. “I would be as big as you and would have to take your place...?” he asked with fear.

Celestia paused for a minute before turning back around. “Right now, I want to help you become the best you that you can be. I don’t expect you to be exactly like me. After all, I am over a thousand years old and still look young.”

Her answer didn’t reassure Light, but he nodded, nonetheless. “Oh... okay,” he said before getting ready to follow the others.

Celestia went off to do the rest of her duties as the kids went to the library. “Dude, are you seriously scared of becoming royalty?” Spike asked curiously.

Light slowly nodded in embarrassment. “Can you imagine an autistic teddy bear alicorn being a prince? I’d rather let our babysitter do it.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, Cadence is the best, she’s kind, heartwarming, and always willing to take time away from my brother to talk to me...” Twilight listed off before turning back to Light Heart and pausing. “Umm…”

“Cadence and Shining?” Light asked curiously. “I know you two are the best of friends, but she’s dating your brother?”

“Umm… yeah,” Twilight said while blushing.

“Mhm,” Spike muttered. “An alicorn is dating a half-dragon...?” he asked. “What is the press going to say!?”

“Shining’s physical differences aren’t pronounced. Maybe they could get away with it?” Light suggested.

“Yeah... maybe,” Twilight said with a bit of jealousy. “At the start, but then they’ll start looking at his background, and find out who or what his father is.”

“Yeah… maybe that’s the one good thing I could do as a prince. I’d order ponies to chill out when it comes to half breeds,” Light suggested with a grin as he was wondering why ponies make such a big deal about these half breeds, let alone other races. It was like being two races was worse than being the more frowned upon race. “Some ponies can just be stupid,” Light muttered with a hint of frustration.

“Mhm... maybe that’s why you became an alicorn,” Spike told him. “So that you could bring all of the races together in Equestria.”

“You were born from a pegasus and a unicorn,” Twilight pointed out.

“It doesn’t count. Most pony couples like that end up having kids with one of their parent's traits. I know two earth ponies who had a Pegasus and unicorn kid because of recessive genes,” Light explained as his friends looked at him curiously. “They ran the sweet shop.”

“Mhm...” Spike said. “Are you sure that he Is the father?” he asked.

“Of course, he is. There were blood tests and everything when ponies started asking,” Light explained as he turned to Twilight. “Tell you what, if I end up being stuck as a prince, you have to rule alongside me, along with Spike. Deal?”

“Oh... does that mean that Twilight will be your Princess?” Spike asked before doing some kissy faces.

Both winged ponies blushed before Light started stuttering. “N… no… I mean, think about it this way. Spike, the Princess, adopted you as her son, and practically raised you as her own. You and Twilight care for each other so much that you call her your sister. So, you both are in line for the throne,” Light tried to explain.

Spike paused and thought about that. “A... Yeah... I am,” he said before getting a wicked grin on his face. “As my first decree, Ice Cream is now considered a fruit & vegetable,” he said out loud before laughing maniacally.

“Spiiike!” Light scolded before playfully shoving him. “That was supposed to be my first decree.”

“Oh... but I was going to make you my jester!” Spike told Light. “You would like that, would you!?”

“Can I wear the hat with the bells?” Light asked while giving him puppy eyes.

“Of course!” Spike told him. “And your older brother can be my war general,” he said with glee. “And your sisters and younger brother… umm…?” He had to think of the next part.

“That was supposed to be my brother’s job,” Twilight said with a giggle.

“He can be the external one, and Book will be the internal one,” Spike told both, trying to make that happy.

“The guards would be out of work in a week,” Light said as they all started laughing with each other. Light felt more relaxed as he hugged the others with his wings. “Hey, if I end up ruling, I don’t want to be alone.”

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said. “If you become a or the new ruler, you could use us as your right hoof,” she said. “And you could also abolish those stupid laws.”

“Yeah, the ones that fuel the racism. When I become the prince of Equestria, those will be the first ones to go,” Light firmly stated as they entered the library.

“Yeah, All Hail Prince Light Heart,” Spike said out loud, getting looks from the other ponies in the library.

“I’m not a prince… yet,” Light whispered to him.

“Yeah... we just need to wait and do a bit of work,” Spike whispered to both of his friends.

Twilight already felt awkward as the attention was on them. “Let’s just get the books and wait for Celestia in her room. We can get an early start on studying.”

They all nodded in unison.

Both, Light Heart with the help of Twilight, flew to the second floor of the library, letting Spike look at the books on the first floor.

“Okay, I’m getting some dragon books. What kind of magic do you want to research?” Light asked as he was trying to figure out where the books he needed were at.

“Umm...” Twilight tried to think. “I... I don’t know; an Earth pony wouldn’t count, right?” she asked.

“How about Griffon!?” Light suggested, having a friend that wanted to move there.

“Sure. It’s like Pegasus magic, but more aggressive. Spike, do you remember where…” Twilight started to ask before seeing Spike with a small stack of books.

“Already on top of it,” Spike said with a grin as he started dividing the books between them.

“How do you do that?” Twilight asked curiously, trying to understand how he can find books that they need before even asking him for them.

“Maybe it’s some sort of Earth pony magic,” Light said while waving his hooves in front of Twilight. “I heard that they did have an extra sense,” he said before pausing. “I do wonder if I have that,” he told himself before closing his eyes and starting to walk to the bookcases.

Twilight used her magic to stop him before he ran into a bookshelf. “Let’s test that later.”

Light lowered his head. “Okay,” he said before looking back at the bookshelves. “Would it be under Griffin, or ‘Winged races’?” he asked Twilight.

“It’s under this book here,” Spike said as he handed Light some books. “I never just get books for myself when we are studying.”

“Again, how do you do this?” Twilight asked as she looked at the books Spike got for her.

“These hooves,” Spike said while lifting them. “They have powers that no ponies can ever understand,” he said with a bit of a joke.

“That settles it! He has no clue,” Light said as he looked at the books Spike got him. “You got down the dumb book for me. Thanks,” Light said genuinely.

“Light... don't be mad at Spike,” Twilight asked.

“Twi, you’re smarter than me, and I struggle with learning. Having a simple book like this is a blessing for me,” Light said as he started looking through it. “Besides, when have I been mad?”

Twilight and Spike shared glances at one another. “What about when Magesto locked me in a locker,” she said.

“I just returned the favor,” Light tried to say innocently.

“And hid him in a full locker, shrunk down. You never did that spell right till then,” Spike pointed out.

“Okay, so I’m not perfect. That guy is not getting under my skin again. Either way, he’s already making a donkey out of himself. He’s not dumb enough to dig that hole any deeper,” Light tried to assure them.

Spike turned his head to look down, checking to make sure that Light didn’t accidentally give Magesto some donkey ears nor teeth. “Maybe we should get a move on,” he suggested, noticing that they were now climbing up the staircase.

“Yeah, let’s leave before that numbskull and his gang show up and act like they own the place,” Light said as he turned around, seeing Magesto and his friends standing next to him. “Spoke too soon,” Light whimpered as his eyes widened in fear.

Magesto glared at Light. “Because you freaks kissed up to your owner’s flank, I now have to do double this stupid homework.”

“Maybe you can ask Celestia if you can go double or nothing?” Light suggested, earning a groan from his friends as his anxiety-driven humor took over.

Twilight grabbed Light and tried to pull him away as she spoke. “You were already making trouble on your own. Just leave us alone.”

“Hey,” Magesto said, using his magic to pull them back. “I’m not going to let a freak of nature, a dumpster baby, and a worthless pegacorn ruin me!” he yelled at them, still not believing that Light was an actual alicorn.

“Dumpster, baby? You’re ruining yourself, you wannabe Karen!” Spike snarled back at the unicorn.

“Spike! Don’t start a fight!” Twilight tried to whisper to him.

Light Heart and Twilight tried to keep Magesto and Spike apart, but then Magesto punched Twilight in the eye, giving her a black eye.

“AHHH!” Twilight yelped as she fell onto the ground, making Spike lunge forward at the unicorn, only to be held back by Magesto’s friends.

“Get off of her!!” Spike yelled as he tried to escape their grasp.

“No chance! It’s time that you freaks learned your place!” Magesto said as he picked up a hardcover book, ready to start beating the young earth pony.

“Get off of them NOW!!!” Magesto was suddenly hit by a glowing hoof, sending him smashing through two bookshelves before slamming into the third and falling to the ground.

The other bullies turned to see Light Heart’s body starting to glow as he was breathing heavily, almost comparable to a savage beast. Light snarled as he walked over to the ponies holding Spike. “Now it’s your turn!” Light darkly growled as he tore the two thugs off Spike and threw them back onto the second floor, sending them smashing into tables.

The final guy there was now fearing for his life as he was trying to back away. “P… please, man… I don’t even like these guys… I’ll just leave! I won’t mess with you again! Just please show me mercy!”

Light was ignoring his pleas for help as he lifted the young unicorn. “You don’t deserve it!” he hissed as he raised his hoof to strike down the last bully.

“LIGHT!!! STOP!!!” Twilight pleaded as she grabbed onto his back and tried to pull him away.

Light froze in place as he could hear Twilight whimpering. He turned slowly to face her, only to see the fear and sadness in her eyes. His anger quickly faded into horror as he dropped the last kid and realized what was going on. “S… sweet Celestia… What have I done?” Light asked as he dropped to his knees.

Quickly, all the bullies ran off out of the library, along with any other ponies that were inside.

Light was rolling himself into a ball. “I... I’m a monster,” he said to himself.

Both Spike and Twilight tried to comfort him by petting Light’s back.

“I… It’s alright… you were just trying to protect Twilight. I would have done the same thing,” Spike tried to assure him.

“Yeah… we’ll be here for you. Maybe this will blow over?” Twilight suggested, hopefully.

They all hear the door of the library open, and a figure walking in and toward them.

Light was scared as he saw Celestia and a few guards running in, seeing the mess and Magesto, still unconscious on the ground. Light lowered his head as he heard Celestia speak. “Oh, Light, what have you done?”

“... and those little brats not only tore up the library, but they hurt my baby!” Magesto’s mother was complaining to Celestia and some of the other teachers in the throne room. “Now these kids have been a thorn in the side of this school for far too long! I demand that they are expelled immediately.”

Celestia sighed as she was trying to fix the mess that Light ended up making. She didn’t know what felt worse. The fact that she had to face Magesto’s mother, or that she also had to do so in front of Twilight’s mom and Light’s parents.

“Like I was trying to say, according to eyewitness accounts, your son did assault my students, and only Light ended up using violence in retaliation. Now Light will have to suffer the consequences of his actions, but your child is far from blameless in this event,” Celestia tried to explain.

“MY CHILD DIDN’T SEND A KID TO THE HOSPITAL!!!” the mother screamed angrily.

Light’s father was getting ready to stand up and argue with her, but Celestia raised her hoof as she tried to stay calm and professional. “Your son’s medical bills will be paid for, and I will look for ways to help him continue his studies while he’s recovering. The only reason why he’s not being punished is that he’s already in enough pain. Hopefully, he will learn that there is a risk of pushing ponies over the edge. As for Light, he will be suspended for four days, and I will personally be talking to him about controlling his anger.”

“Oh, course, your pupils would only get a slap on the wrist,” the mother scoffed angrily.

Celestia’s face suddenly went from calm and understanding to cold and stern. “Listen, Light may have been in the wrong to injure your kid, but your kid struck first. Now, if you want to keep pressing this issue, then we can also review your son’s case as well. Now, do you wish to press my goodwill and patience, or accept our apologies and move on?”

The mother looked like she wanted to keep arguing, but it also looked like she remembered that Celestia was a princess, and trying to take on her adopted son, Spike, would be a monumental task. “F… fine, but I don’t want my son anywhere near those creeps!”

“Fine, you are excused,” Celestia said as she turned to Light’s parents.

Light’s father, Golden Shield, was a retired security guard that suffered a neck injury. He was a unicorn while his wife, Gentle Heart, was a Pegasus. Twilight’s mother was a unicorn too, but her husband never showed up in public due to him being a dragon. Light’s dad never really cared about races and stuff, so he never had a problem with Light becoming friends with a unicorn/dragon hybrid. However, he was a protective guy.

“I can’t believe that lady! My son defended his friends, and she dares to accuse him?” Shield asked angrily.

Celestia sighed as she lowered her head. “He isn’t exactly a normal alicorn. He picked a side, in this division I caused through my pupils. Thus, normal kids see him as a freak.”

Twilight’s mother, Twilight Velvet, lowered her head as well as she was trying to hold back her tears. “I just wanted her to have a good upbringing. I wanted to have the best, but maybe this school was a bad idea. I’m only causing more problems,” she said as she wiped her eyes.

“That’s not true. Your daughter is a smart girl, and I saw a lot of promise in her. It’s just… hard to change the social standings,” Celestia said with a disheartened sigh. “I… I feel like I am the one who is failing you. I thought I could help them adjust to school life here, but few people can relate to Twilight. I… I may have put her in a situation that she can’t thrive in,” she explained as she lowered her head humbly. “It’s I who must apologize. I made a promise that I will help your children, and… I’m failing…”

The parents all looked concerned as the Princess looked so sincere like she felt this pain before. “Your highness?”

Celestia cleared her throat as she tried to regain her composure. “I’m sorry. I would like to continue this conversation tonight. I’ll have my guards ready the guest rooms for you. I have an important meeting that I have to deal with soon,” Celestia explained as she heard the doors opening. “Oh, I think he’s already here…” she said in embarrassment.

The towering figure of Celestia’s guest walked through the door. The floor creaked as he stepped toward them.

Velvet gasped as she saw how similar this pony was to Twilight. “What… there’s… somepony like her?” she asked in shock as she saw another pony/dragon hybrid.

The unknown half-breed stretched his leathery wings covered with feathers, before stopping in front of Celestia. Before kneeling and bowing to her. “Princess Celestia!” he said humbly. “It is a pleasure to be invited to your kingdom.”

Celestia nodded as she bowed back. “It’s a pleasure to see you too, King Kirouac,” she said as she bowed back.

“K... King!?” Velvet said, both bewildered and surprised at the end. “You’re a King?” Velvet asked. “But... But from where?”

Kirouac smiled before turning to Velvet. “Yes, I’m a king,” he started to explain. “I rule a slightly hidden Kingdom of my own named MoonRacer!” he told the group.

“MoonRacer!?” Gentle asked in confusion. “I heard of the legend but didn’t think it was true!”

“But is it true what they say about it?” Velvet asked. “That all races and half breeds live together in harmony?” she asked, hopefully.

“Yeah. That’s how it rolls. The outcast and longing tend to find it, and we help them fit into our society. It’s nice to meet a pony who doesn’t scream or back away when they see me,” Kirouac happily said as he shook her hoof. “I was just going to be having another chat with Celestia. Even though it’s impossible to start a trade route, we still get to trade notes with each other.”

Light’s dad nodded. “Should we let you two be?” he asked politely.

Celestia stopped them before they could start to leave. “Wait, there is one matter that I would like to discuss with Kirouac while you are all here,” she explained to the group before turning to Kirouac.

They all sat back down and started to listen.

Celestia nodded before turning back to Kirouac. “So... If I’m not mistaken, your school system is similar to ours?” she asked him with hope in the back of her voice.

“Similar, yet different. Like your school, we allow kids to start working on career choices when they are old enough, but we have a larger array of options for studying, like alchemy, other forms of magic, all kinds of history, and more. We’re also working on a new system that will allow willing students to live together in a dorm house. That idea is a bit experimental, but we hope that it can be useful for kids who aren’t familiar with our culture to become integrated. Why do you ask?” Kirouac asked as he was looking at the normal ponies next to him.

“Well... I have three students…” Celestia started, turning her head to the parents. “Who are getting bullied for being... unique, and half breed and…”

Kirouac stopped her. “I understand,” he said before turning to the parents. “If their parents want to send their children to MoonRacer, they are welcome with open arms,” he let them all know.

“R… really? But… I thought you wanted them to be your pupils?” Shield asked.

Celestia sighed as she nodded. “I did, and I still see the same promise in them that I saw years ago, but it’s becoming harder for them to be accepted by their peers. Maybe if they are around ponies like them, they can make friends, and not be held back by their race,” Celestia said as she looked at the parents. “I don’t want to force you to do anything, but it’s only fair that I give you the option. I will be sending my son, Spike, with Kirouac.”

Velvet turned to the other parents before asking the Princess. “Can... can you let us discuss this?”

Celestia nodded with understanding. “I’ll let you decide tomorrow,” she let them know.

The parents nodded before all getting out, “Let’s talk about this at my place,” Velvet said. “I would like my husband to be with us when we decided on our child's future.”

Light’s parents nodded before they all walked out of the room, leaving Celestia and Kirouac alone.

“Kirouac, their kids hold so much promise. One of them holds some kind of potential that I can’t describe, but the other… scared me today,” Celestia explained with a shudder.

Kirouac gently placed a claw on Celestia’s shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m sure that I can bring out your students' potential,” he said, trying to be reassuring. “As for your other one...” he paused a bit. “I’ll try to teach her to counter the fire that comes from within her,” he promised. “And you don’t have to worry, pretty much everything is fire-proof in MoonRacer,” he said with glee.

“It’s not Twilight who scares me. It’s Light,” Celestia explained before looking into Kirouac’s eyes. “Is it wrong to be too protective?”

Kirouac paused and thought about that. “You’re worried that it’s going to happen again?” he asked her. “It wasn’t your fault; you couldn’t have known,” he said, trying to reassure her.

“She was rejected, and I did nothing to help care for her. Light doesn’t have her longing for love, but his anger comes from those who harm his friends. I don’t want him to fall as she did,” Celestia said as she hugged herself. “He’s… my only chance to do what I should have done so long ago.”

Kirouac parted the piece of mane that had fallen in front of her face. “You can’t keep living your life being chained back by the past,” he told her, placing his clawed hooves on either side of her face. “All we can do is spread our wings wide open and fly off to a better, brighter future,” he told her while looking into her eyes.

Celestia blushed as she looked around the room. “How I wish I learned more when I was younger. Maybe you and I could have been ruling together. No hidden kingdom, no social boundaries. Just… unity.”

Kirouac rested his forehead on her, their horns almost touching. “If only it could have been,” he said, taking a deep breath. “But... the world isn’t a fairy-tale. Many rather see differences between us, rather than the similarities with all of us,” he lifted his head with heavy sorrow. “The only thing we can both do is try to guide them to the light, and hope they follow,” he said, looking into the Princess’s eyes.

“Kirouac, we were both chosen into our roles by destiny, but may you promise that you will be better than me?” Celestia asked as she ran her hoof through his mane.

Kirouac nodded with confidence. “I promise!” he told her. “But you are still doing a great job,” he said before pointing to the outside window. “You managed to bring the unicorns, pegasus, and earth-ponies together,” he told her while combing her mane with his claws, trying to boost her confidence. “The only thing I managed to do is to bring a dragon into my kingdom, and that was mostly the work of my mom.”

“Please. Every broken-hearted pony flocks to your kingdom and you’re currently in a technological age of advancement, which we haven’t had in a long time,” Celestia said as she started to rest her head against his chest. “And your people love you.”

Kirouac petted her head, letting her listen to his heartbeat. “Comparing yourself to the ones that are more successful than you may help you be more inspired to get better, but it can also draw you into a pit of despair and sorrow,” he told her before lifting her head to be in front of him. “I don’t want to see you doubting your leadership abilities,” he said while wiping the tears off of her face.

“Yeah…” Celestia said while looking directly into Kirouac’s face. “One of these days I’m going to retire and plant a kiss on those lips of yours,” she whispered to him longingly.

Kirouac blushed before looking around. “Why wait?” he told her, using his magic to make sure that the door was closed and locked.

Celestia giggled as she wrapped him in a hug. “You are a naughty little king. You know that!?” she told him before planting her lips onto his.

Twilight and Spike were going through their books quietly as they didn’t know how to talk about what happened.

Light was holding his head in his hooves, under the chair, horrified by what he did. “I’m... I'm…” he couldn’t finish. “I’m not worthy,” he cried out.

“Come on. You stuck up for Twilight,” Spike tried to assure him.

“You should have been the one to become an alicorn,” Light snapped at Spike. “You’re the one that didn’t tear the library apart!”

“Hey, if you didn’t punch him, I would have,” Spike admitted. “It was about time that somepony stood up against him.”

“He went out on a stretcher!” Light said as he looked at his hooves. “Y... you don’t understand what I felt. It was… rage… pure rage… and I wanted to do worse things to him. It… It’s like I…”

“Light, you just lost your cool. It happens,” Twilight said as she rubbed her sore eye. “At least you were able to act.”

“But... what about next time... What if you two aren’t going to be there to stop me?” Light asked. “What if I…”

Twilight stopped Light. “Listen, you are our only semi-normal friend. We’re not going to lose you anytime soon. If it helps, I can take the blame. They already expect that much from me,” Twilight offered as she set her magic books aside.

Light shook his head. “No, I’m not going to let one of my only friends take the blame for me,” he told her. “You’re the one with the brightest future; you are destined to unite the ponies together with the dragons.”

Twilight sighed as she sat next to him. “We keep saying the same thing about each other, but who are we kidding? We’re the outcasts. There’s not a place for us in society. At least you are somewhat normal.”

Light huffed. “Normal... Normal? I have Asperger,” he told her. “I am mentally as far away from normal as you can get. You’re the smart one.”

Twilight sighed as she blew a small puff of smoke at him. “And I can breathe fire, eat gems, and can fly… sort of.”

Spike sat down next to them. “And I am the most magically capable earth pony ever. That’s why we are friends. We are all normal in some ways, and crazy in others.”

Light wiped his eyes as he spoke softly. “Yeah… three ponies alone in the world.”

Twilight nodded. “Can you both promise me something?” she asked them.

“Anything,” Spike said earnestly.

“That we will never let anything drive us apart,” she asked before spreading her wings to bring them both into a group hug.

Light and Spike both leaped into the hug as they hugged her tightly. “Friends forever,” Spike and Light said together.

As the group slowly pulled away from the hug, they heard the door creak open. The group turned to see their parents watching, almost tearfully as they walked in. “Kids, we need to talk,” Shield said as he sat down next to them.

The three students looked at each other nervously before gulping. Light backed away from his friends before turning to look at his parents. “W... what is it?” he asked.

“Well… we know that you all have been having a hard time making friends because of being bullied due to your… unique minds and bodies,” Velvet started to explain.

Light looked to the side before nodding. Twilight was nervously playing with her claws. “I... we have noticed,” she admitted.

“Well… Celestia had an idea for you all to be able to meet other kids who are… unique. You’d be able to study without being persecuted,” Gentle explained as she was petting Light’s mane.

Spiked raised an eyebrow to that. “What do you... Where?” he asked.

“It’s… a hidden nation… and the ruler is a friend of Celestia. It’s called MoonRacer. It’s a land of hybrids and unique ponies who are looking for a place where they can live without judgment,” Velvet explained as she looked at Twilight. “The king looks like you in some ways.”

“Like me?” Twilight asked. “How... in which way?”

“Well, he has scales, and claws, and looks like a mix between a unicorn and a dragon,” Velvet explained with a hopeful smile.

Twilight lifted her head in shock, “What!?” she said, getting up and spreading her wings. “You mean... My brother isn’t the only one like me?” she asked.

“No, and there are all kinds of hybrids there. There’d be no pushing each other around just because they are different races. You’d be able to continue your studies there, with others like you,” Velvet said, happy about how excited Twilight was looking. “Celestia told us that she was even planning on sending Spike with you.”

Spike released the breath he had been holding.

“When... When do we go?” Twilight asked, excited about her future.

Velvet winced a bit. “I... I can’t leave my job here,” she told her daughter. “And your brother is managing to make his way here.” She winced when she had to say that. “So... you would be going… alone… tomorrow. But it wouldn’t be different from being here. We can still write to each other.”

Twilight's smile faltered a bit. “Oh... I... I understand,” she said with a bit of sorrow.

“Would she be safe there?” Light asked. “If they go to MoonRacer, will the bad ponies stop picking on them?”

“As far I know, they will,” Gentle said. “MoonRacer is far away from Canterlot, and the bullies will have a hard time bothering both of them,” she said in a reassuring tone.

“As for you, there will still be some risk, but you have a choice. As an alicorn, you could try being with the other kids, but it’s your choice,” Shield pointed out.

“Then, I want to go with them,” Light said as he turned to Twilight and Spike. “They’re my friends, and I don’t want to lose what little I have.”

Gentle sniffled as she hugged Light. “That’s my boy.”

Shield hugged him too. “By the way, I know that I taught you self-defense, and you never really used it, but sometimes you have to handle things smarter and play it safe.”

Light lowered his head and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“What are we waiting for?” Spike asked. “Let’s get ready!” he told his friend before getting up and running off to get ready.

Light nodded before turning to his parents. “We... we have to tell my brothers and sisters!”

“Well, we couldn’t get a babysitter, so they are here with us. We can tell Celestia and have you all at MoonRacer before lunch tomorrow,” Shield assured the kids.

“Oh… Princess Celestia…” Twilight paused as she remembered her mentor. “She… won’t be teaching us anymore…”

Velvet places a hove on her daughter's shoulder. “Maybe not physically anymore, but I know that she’ll always be in your heart, no matter who becomes your teacher,” he said in a reassuring tone.

“Well… can we… talk to her… before we leave?” Twilight asked.

Velvet nodded. “How about this! How about we invite her, your two friends, and his parents for dinner tonight?” she asked her daughter.

Twilight wiped her eyes off before nodding. “Sure thing,” she said with a nod as she hugged her mother.

Velvet smiled back. “Now, how about you go along and pack your bags,” she told her daughter.

Twilight nodded as she and her friends went off to pack.

Shield sighed as he hugged his wife. “And I thought it was hard to send my kid to Celestia’s school. Now he’s going to another country.”

Gentle nodded. “I know,” she said while wiping her eyes. “But we have to be strong for our little prince.”

Velvet nodded as she took a deep breath. “I just hope we are doing the right thing.”

Light’s parents went to either side of Velvet, before bringing her into a group hug.

Light’s and Velvet’s family were all sitting with the kids in Celestia’s room as they were talking to Celestia. “...and then Blueblood ended up spitting out the escargot as he started running around the restaurant,” Celestia finished telling the family as they all laughed at the story.

Twilight’s dad had to place his claws over his mouth. “Ha...Ha... so funny,” he said, sending a bit of fire onto his hands.

Shining Armor laughed. “HA! That reminds me of when Twilight went to me, asking me to show her how to breathe fire. So, I then gave her a jalapeno pepper; and told her that this is how ponies shoot fire out of their mouths,” he said while tearing up.

Book Knight, Light’s brother, and Shining’s fellow trainee started laughing as well. “Hey, Shining, do you remember that one cocky guy who was in the training unit that we tricked into a hot sauce drinking contest with me?”

Shining nodded. “Yeah, he didn’t know that you were just drinking ketchup,” he said, trying to hold himself together.

Cadence busted into giggles as she was hugging his arm. “You two are evil when you get together.”

“Yes...” Shining said with a wicked grin on his face. “I also stole the princess from the prom King,” he said before kissing her cheek.

“Now if only Book can find a mare,” Gentle said teasingly.

“Well, I am already married,” Book said

“Say what?!?” Both parents asked in shock.

“To my work,” Book explained with a grin. “I’m married to my work.”

His parents sighed as the youngest brother, Short Fuze, spoke up. “That means he’ll be forever single.”

Book turned to his pegasus brother. “And, you will probably build your wife,” he said before their dad knocked them both on the head.

“Okay, enough teasing each other. We’re here to spend time with Light and his friends,” Shield reminded them.

Twilight nodded. “But before we all go tomorrow, can you please retell me how you and dad met?” she asked her mom.

“You’ve heard it a dozen times,” her mother tried to tell her nervously.

“Well, some of us haven’t, and I’m sure we would all love to hear it once more,” Celestia assured the mother.

“Well, it all started when I was exploring the fossils at Flame Top Caning,” Velvet said while looking into her husband's eyes. “I had heard a blood-curdling scream coming from one of the caves. Feeling a bit of fear, I walked in looking for a pony that needed my help. And what do I find, this big softy for his feet stuck under a rock, too much in pain to move it? So... I helped him out by taking the rock off his feet, nursed him back to health, fell in love with him, got the chewing out of my life from my parents, gave life to Shining, married the love of my life, and then gave life to Twilight,” she told the group before kissing her dragon husband on the lips.

Cadence sighed as she rested against Shining. “So romantic.”

“And who is a dragon, which has captured the Princess. To which he never plans on letting her go,” Shining said before kissing her on the lips.

Celestia giggled before feeling Twilight tugging on her. She turned to see the child looking at her nervously. “Um, Princess… will we see you again?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Oh... yes,” Celestia said with a blush. “I plan to visit often.”

Twilight smiled as she hugged Celestia’s leg. “Thank you. You’re my favorite teacher, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Celestia smiled as she looked at the hybrid clinging to her like she was her child. “Aw… tell you what, you’re still well skilled in the homing message spell, right?”

Twilight nodded. “Mhm... I practice every day,” she said before taking her and her teacher's napkin, setting it on fire and having her smoke fly to and come back together in front of her dad.

“Good, because I want you, Spike, and Light to write me a letter every week, talking about the new things you’ve learned and any major events that you want to write about. Can you do that for me?” Celestia asked her eager pupil.

Twilight nodded. “I will,” she said before hugging Celestia.

“You three will always be my favorite students,” Celestia said as she hugged Twilight. “There is just one more thing I need you three to do for me.”

Both Spike and Light turned to Celestia. “Yes... what is it?” both boys asked.

“Make some friends. I know that you haven’t had much luck here, but this is a new start for you. Take a chance and meet some ponies to spend time with,” Celestia asked her pupils.

Both Twilight and Light looked to the side before nodding. “O... okay. We will try,” they both said to their Princess.

“Thank you. I can’t wait to see you two change the world,” Celestia said as she hugged the three kids.

Twilight and Spike hugged Celestia back.

Light turned to look at his brothers and sisters as a few tears started to build up in his eyes. “I’m going to miss seeing you all,” he admitted as he was trying not to cry.

All 5 of them got up and went to their alicorn brother, and started to hug him in one big family group hug.

Twilight’s family followed suit as they had a family hug of their own.

“Please send us photos of all the unique half-breeds that you meet there,” Velvet asked Light, knowing that he was better when it came to using cameras.

“I will,” Light said as he gave a soft yawn, along with the other kids.

“How about you three have a sleepover here?” Gentle said.

“Can my parents stay as well!?” Twilight asked.

Twilight’s dad sighed as he stood up. “I can’t. Thank you for sneaking me in here, but I don’t want to get caught.”

Twilight frowned a bit. “Oh... well, I understand,” she said before going to her dad and hugging him. Twilight then turned to her brother. “Can you and Cadence at least stay?” she asked them.

“Sure, we can,” Shining and Cadence both said eagerly.

“I can’t. I have night duty,” Book said as he stood up and bowed to Celestia. “Thank you for giving me the honor of having dinner with you.”

“Oh... come on,” Light said. “Can’t you get some other guy to take your shift for tonight?” he asked.

“Sorry. I don’t get much of a say,” Book said as he started to put on his armor.

“Well, I hope that you manage to protect the Princess of the Sun better than I managed to protect the Princess of Love,” Shining said before nibbling on Cadence’s neck.

“Again, married to my job,” Book said firmly before waving to his brother. “I’ll miss you, little bro. Call me if you have problems.”

“Will do,” Light said while waving his older brother away.

“Well, I guess we had better put you three to bed. You will have a big day tomorrow,” Cadence said as she started clearing the table.

“But I’m not ‘Yawn’ tired,” Spike tried to say.

“It’s alright. I’ll see you in the morning,” Celestia said as she petted her son’s head.

“Please... ‘Yawn’ make sure I’m up before raising the sun,” Spike pleaded.

“Of course, now rest, my son,” Celestia said as she carried him to her bed.

Spike snuggled into Celestia’s embrace, as he was taken to his bed.

Twilight started yawning too as her dad picked her up. “Come on, time for you to go to sleep too.”

Shield chuckled as he looked over at his son. “I guess you are the last pony standing Light.”

The parents then realized that Light had summoned a bean-bag chair and had already fallen asleep on it.

“Well, I guess the sleepover is mandatory now,” Celestia said with a giggle as she was tucking her son in.

Velvet wiped her eyes as Twilight fell asleep on one of Celestia’s couches. “I hope that she can make some more friends. It’s the one thing she struggles with the most with her appearance.”

Celestia sighed as she petted Velvet’s back. “Don’t worry. I still believe that your daughter will change the world. This is just a step in the direction of doing so.”

Author's Notes:

Twilight Sparkle: Unicorn/dragon

Her parents have always loved each other, but their relationship was frowned upon in Equestrian society. Celestia saw her magical potential and decided to take her into her school as one of her personal pupils, granting her the protection that her parents couldn’t. Celestia sees how powerful Twilight is, and what she can become. She even believes that she holds some untapped potential that directly relates to her.
Pros: Skilled at magic, tactical, analytical, can breathe fire, and is a somewhat decent flyer.
Cons: Anxiety, over-analytical, anti-social, and has a hard time going off the book.

Spike: Earth pony

He is an orphan adopted by Celestia. The princess was with a guard escort, going through some alleyways to talk about dealing with the amount of litter in these places and how to improve these dark corners. The princess stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a baby crying in a dumpster behind an alchemist shop. Celestia cautiously opened the dumpster to see an earth pony baby, coated in leftover magical ingredients and liquids. Celestia was shocked by such an act of heartlessness, and took the child home with her, becoming one of her special orphans, later being joined by the alicorn Cadence herself. Due to his location of abandonment, his body was able to channel certain forms of magic through his hooves. Even though he is the most normal one in the group, he is a strange being nonetheless. He was also one of the few ponies who didn’t see Twilight as a freak but as a sister.
Pros: Touch magic, loyal, helpful, and strives to act as a true prince.
Cons: Over-eager, greedy, will do anything to be close to Rarity.

Light Heart: Alicorn (Once unicorn)

Light is autistic, and would rather make toys than be royalty. His transformation was a strange one, and one that he doesn’t talk much about. His parents explained that he ran into the town scared, begging his parents to take his wings off. The pony were confused about this child becoming an alicorn, and ended up sending for Celestia to explain this. A lot of ponies thought that something wrong happened with Light, but Celestia took pity on the scared alicorn. Celestia saw a part of her long lost sister, Luna, in Light in his autistic and caring nature. Celestia considered him as a chance for redemption, so she declared that he was just as much of an alicorn as her or Cadence. She then offered Light’s parents to take Light into her school and help him with his study problems. They agreed, not knowing that Celestia saw greater things for the alicorn. However, every Alicorn has a darker side inside of them, no matter how good their intentions are. Light felt like an outcast in the midst of high-class ponies, but he found comfort in Celestia’s other pupils, Spike and Twilight. He considers them to be good friends and will protect them no matter what.
Pros: Strong, Playful, protective, kind.
Cons: Overprotective, bad at magic, shy, self-berating, and socially awkward.

Celestia: Alicorn.

She is a ruler who struggles to do the best she can. The social divide has always been tough for her to see after the fall of her sister. She always made fun of her sister about her being half thestrial and autistic. Eventually, it became too much for Luna, who turned into Nightmare Moon. It was Celestia’s greatest failure, and the growing distancing between races and half breeds always hurts her. She always feels like she is unable to be the pony to bridge the gap. That’s why she looks towards Twilight for the future. She believes that Twilight may be the key to bridging the ancient gap.

Kirouac: Unicorn/pegasus/dragon

The king of MoonRacer. He helps manage this nation and has recently been attempting to build an alliance with the Equestrian Empire. It has resulted in him having many talks with Celestia, always offering to help with any problems she was having. The two of them got along well, even though a lot of ponies were uncomfortable with the ponies in his nation. He started looking into the idea of having class groups for certain students who could use the extra help. That was when Celestia asked for his help with some of her personal students.

Chapter 2: New Land and New Faces.

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Chapter two: New Land and New Faces.

The kids were loading their luggage into the train as they were getting ready to leave Canterlot, for who knows how long. Twilight’s bags, namely, consisted of books while Spike had some more sentimental luggage with him. Light was the odd one out with bringing toys with him, due to it being his original passion.

Both biological mothers were hugging their children before they left. “Please be safe.” They both begged.

“We will.” The kids assured their parents

Light’s siblings went to him. “we... We want you to have this.” They said, giving him a box. “To remember us.”

Light smiled as he hugged the box. “I’ll open it when I get there.” Light assured them.

Celestia walked over to Twilight and gave her a few books. “I thought I’d give you a few spellbooks, just to help you learn more while you are there.”

Twilight smiled as she hugged the books in her clawed hooves. “I’ll read them as soon as I can.”

Celestia nodded with a smile as she turned to her son, Spike. “Spike, can I trust you to keep an eye on these two and protect them?”

Spike nodded. “I will.” He told his mom.

“That’s my prince,” Celestia said as she hugged him. She then turned to her other two pupils, feeling like a mother letting her kids out into the unknown. She smiled at them as she gave them a nod. “I have faith in you three. Now go change the world.”

They all nodded before giving Celestial a group hug.

Celestia hugged them back, not caring about having a formal appearance at that moment.

“All aboard!” The conductor cried out, breaking the group hug as Celestia waved goodbye one last time.

The three students walked onto the train cart and started to look for three absent seats for them.
The group was getting some stares, especially Twilight, Spike, not so much.
Every time they walked next to an open seat, a pony would either place a bag that they had on their lap on to the open seat or stretch and spread their body to cover them.
The group finally found some open seats, in the smallest cart. But when they finally got seated, the few ponies that were in that cart got up and started walking away, moving to another carriage.

Twilight looked embarrassed, knowing that she was the main reason that they were being treated like this. Even with having the queen’s son and an alicorn next to her, she was still a freak. “I’m sorry if I’m making things awkward for you two,” Twilight said as she got out a book to hide her face.

“No, I’m sure that they just wanted to give the Prince a private cart,” Spike said as a joke.

“Yeah, Spike is a celebrity outside of the school.” Light pointed out.

“I was talking about you, Light,” Spike said with a grin.

“Oh... you.” Light said before turning to look at the moving land-scrape, wanting to see the familiar structures one last time before, going to his new unknown home.

Spike chuckled a little at the joke before looking at Twilight. “You know, I don’t think either of you learned how to fly yet. Maybe this could be your big shot to learn?”

“You didn’t?” Twilight asked Light while turning to him. “Didn’t... You mom or 3 Pegasus siblings?”

Light sighed as he turned to Twilight. “When I got these wings, Celestia came over and gave me a golden ticket to magic school. Wonderbolt training camp wasn’t on the criteria. I never had anybody teach me. That, and there are other reasons why I don’t fly. What’s your excuse?”

“Well... you see, I’m more into magical studies.” Twilight started. “And... my mom doesn’t have her pair; also no pegasus would want to teach me, because of…” She looked down at her claws.

“Oh… sorry.” Light said, regretting asking her about it as he tried to change the topic. “I can’t wait to get to this place. What do you think king Kirouac will be like?”

“I bet he has a throne room full of gems,” Spike said. “In his home that is as big as the holiday home in Filly Delphia.”

“I think he’s going to be twice the size of Celestia, with a big cape and scepter.” Light told the group.

Twilight blushed. “I just hope he is well-read.” She told her friends.

“And nice.” Light added.

“And let’s hope they have chocolate up there.” Spike finished with a grin.

“Oh, ya, I bet they have chocolate from different countries.” Light added.

“Oh, I’m looking forward to this. Hey Twi, did you find any books on MoonRacer?” Spike asked.

Twilight tilted her head. “Yes... somewhat,” She said with great uncertainty.

“What do you mean ‘Somewhat’?” Light asked curiously.

Twilight took out the only book she could find. “It’s mostly just legends and fairy tales about the place.” She admitted. “The stories use it as a backdrop of a heavenly place that the protagonist would want to go to and dreams of being there. Or where he starts before being exiled from there, cast out of heaven if you may say.”

“So, it’s the equivalent of Toyland?” Light asked with his hooves crossed.

“I guess,” Twilight said disappointedly. “Though I suppose a place like that, with some many different races living together, it would have a hard time staying... normal.”

“Well, if everybody is unique, wouldn’t that be normal? Who knows? We may be normal by their standards.” Spike said as he thought about this.

Twilight nodded to Spike's comment.

“Ya, and maybe even... Boring!” Light added, before laughing.

“Come on, Twi, tell us more.” Spike pleaded

Twilight looked back into her book. “This is strange!” She said to herself.

“What is? Me being boring?” Light asked curiously.

“In the oldest story, it talks about how it’s a peaceful place, where the harvest is plenty, but the further you go on, the more different and advanced it sounds. The last one claims that they have doors for ‘Teleportation,’” Twilight said, a bit baffled by all of this.

“Teleportation? The spell you’re working on?” Spike asked, somewhat intrigued by this.

Twilight shook her head a bit. “No... more like... It’s a normal door, but… let’s say that there was a door where I called home, and when I opened it, a door just like that one at your place opened as well, and I could just walk through it like it was a normal door, and be in your house.” She tried to explain. “Those doors would connect the two points.”

“That’s crazy! These are fairy tales, right?” Light asked in confusion.

“I thought so…” Twilight said. “But... MoonRacer is real, and... I’m real too.”

“Well, I guess we will learn what’s fact and what’s fiction when we get there,” Spike said as he leaned back in his seat.

Twilight nodded with a hint of sorrow. “It’s too bad that we’re supposedly the last stop before the train goes back to its station.” She said before taking out a book.

“Yeah, Celestia was rather strict about us making sure it’s the last stop,” Spike said as he was looking out the train. “I guess we are going to be on this train for a while.”

“Do you want to play some cards?” Light asked while taking out a deck of cards.

“Yeah, go fish may keep our attention for a while,” Spike said as they started playing, letting Twilight read silently.

Light nodded before dealing the cards between Spike and himself as they readied themselves for the trip.

The group has been waiting for the train for a couple of hours. All of the trains came from Canterlot, and each train must be switched out with another for maintenance reasons. As Light and Spike started to get bored, they felt the train slowing down.

“Last Stop!” The conductor yelled out. “All Off!”

The students could hear a conductor walking through the different carts, checking that there hadn’t been any unfortunate pony that had fallen asleep and missed their stop.

“We should get off.” Twilight suggested. “I don’t think he’ll ask us nicely to get off,” she said before getting on her clawed hooves and picking up her stuff. “Need any help?” she asked.

“Nope, I’ve got it,” Spike said as he was carrying the rest of their luggage on his back.

The students made their way to the exit and jumped off, making their way to a strange sign. It both appeared to be old, but yet, it doesn't seem to have mold nor rusted.

“Welcome to the Forgotten Forest,” Twilight read out loud.

The group could see a pony shaped cloaked figure lining on beside the sign. “Name? Please,” The stranger asked in a calm and welcoming voice but had something a bit off about it.

“Um… Twilight Sparkle, Light Heart, and Spike.” Twilight nervously said as she feared who this strange pony was.

The figure nodded, before lifting his head a bit, a faint green light glowing under his hood before taking it off.

The stranger appears to be a unicorn that was ¼ dragon. “Welcome, I’m Light Sparkle.” He told them. “I was sent by King Kirouac to welcome you and bring you to MoonRacer.”

“OH… Celestia did say that somepony would pick us up.” Spike said as he adjusted the pile of bags on his back.

“Please, follow me to my carriage.” He said before slowly starting to walk into the forest.

“Oh… okay…” Twilight said nervously, intrigued by this strange pony.

Right when they took a step into the forest, they could see the secret path, with the carriage waiting for them.

“So, Light Sparkle, that sounds like if Light Heart and Twilight Sparkle had a kid,” Spike said kiddingly.

The guide paused a bit. “Oh... well, it’s a strange coincidence!” He claimed.

“Yeah. There is this nurse called Red Heart that I heard about, and for a while, I thought we were relatives.” Light pointed out, blushing at the thought of having kids.

The guide relaxed. “Please walk in.” He said, opening the door to the small carriage.

As they walked in, they found the inside of this carriage bigger than what it appeared from the outside.

“What in Celestia is this?” Light asked in confusion.

“It must be an illusion,” Twilight said. “That or they have pocket dimensions,” she added, laughing at the thought of that.

“Pocket what now?” Light asked in confusion, looking at Spike for help.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Spike said with a shrug as he unloaded the bags from his back

When all the bags were placed down, the students were seated. Light Sparkle climbed into the top of the carriage and tapped his hoof on the carriage in a short Rhythm code. Like magic, the carriage started to move, slowly at first but gaining speed gradually, waiting that the students were ready to go faster.

The kids were all curious as they were in this strange vehicle. “This isn’t some normal carriage. There were no ponies besides Light Sparkle out there.” Spike realized.

“This must be some new form of magic!?” Twilight said

“That or there are invisible ponies polling this Carriage,” Spike suggested. “And the only way to see them is to have faced death.” He said jokingly.

Light gave Spike a cold look as he shook his head. “You need to lay off of the comic books.”

Spike tried to calm his laughter down. “Oh... Look!” He said, pointing outside.

They could see the moss-covered forest slowly transitioning to a lush prairie the further they went through it. They could see that they were going straight to a Mighty Castle that spanned out for miles. The design was so unique to them. The walls looked fortified like the ancient yack design but also had an equestrian color pattern to it. The towers that stuck out of the giant palace spiraled upwards like it was a griffon design.

Light Sparkle waved to the earth-pony looking guard with cloven hooves that were standing on top of the wall, just over the ever-open gates.

“Who goes there?” The pony asked, catching the kid’s attention.

“It is I, the one who brings those who are lost. The one that shows the way to those who are looking for it.” Light Sparkle said in a dramatic voice.

The guard nodded. “Who are you bringing?” He asked.

“They are the students that Kirouac has been waiting for. Bearri!” Light Sparkle told him.

“Then bring them in.” The guard said as he waved for him to bring the cart in.

Light Sparkle nodded before tapping the cart ones more, getting it to go through without any issues.

The students could see many different creatures, from the ponies to a pair of yaks and Kirin.

“Whoa… Kirin? They were legend to be the first offspring of Dragons and ponies from thousands of years ago.” Twilight said in shock. “I thought they were instinct!”

“Well, there they are,” Spike said in awe of the city.

The carriage made its way to a large building before stopping. “We’re here!” Light Sparkle said before jumping off and opening the door for them.

The kids all looked around in shock and awe as they stepped out of the cart. They could see the beautiful blend of cultures and ponies there.

“Wow… this is amazing!” Twilight said in awe as she was hugging her books in excitement.

“Yeah, this is…” Spike was cut off as a pink blur tackled him and started licking his face.

The two-winged unicorns jumped back as they saw the sizeable pink dog. “Wow, what do you feed your pets here?” Light asked in amazement.

“Pet!” The Pink thing said, lifting her head. “Where?” She asked while looking around, her head seeming to pop everywhere.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she whispered to Light. “I don’t think that’s a dog… well… maybe a pony/diamond dog hybrid?”

The pinkie thing turned to Twilight, before running to her, her back hooves and front paws blowing up dust. “Hey, I’mPinkiePie,” She said while shaking Twilight’s claw vigorously. “ButYouCanCallMePinkieForShort, EvenThoughI’mNotShort.” she blabbered on.

“Oh… hi,” Twilight said as she was trying to keep us with what she was saying.

“You must be new here because I never saw you before, and If you are new here, you must not know any creatures, which mush mean that you are lonely...” Pinkie went on before sniffing Twilight. “OH! Canterlot, I hope you’re not one of those nasty ponies who don’t want to talk to earth-ponies.” She said, seemingly not noticing Twilight’s claw and other dragon body parts.

“Actually, we are the freaks who ended up getting scholarships from Celestia. We got transferred after an… an incident with the normal ponies.” Light explained, shivering as he thought about his outburst.

“Oh, no...” Pinkie said with a frown. “Were they a bunch of big meanie magic student pants?” She asked them.

“I guess it’s one way to describe them… how did you know they were unicorns?” Spike asked curiously.

“Aaa DUH! That’s easy! You’re from Canterlot! If I told you that the main guy was Magesto, then that will be crazy.” Pinkie said with a giggle before gasping. “Wait! What am I thinking? I have to get started right away! I’ll see you later!!!” Pinkie Pie said as she ran off into the city.

Light turned to Twilight. “Umm... did you get that?” He asked.

“Yeah… how did she know about…” Before she could finish, she heard their guide speak up.

“Word of advice. Don’t question it. That’s Pinkie being Pinkie.” He explained.

Spike nodded. “So... is this the school or the known place we will be sleeping at?” He asked.

“Both!” The guide told him. “To keep things easier for you three. All of you are going to be sleeping in some of the extra rooms at the school tonight. Furthermore, each of you has been assigned a guide who will try to show you how things work around here and help you with your confidant.” He suggested.

“The sections also have selected student leaders to help out with the group projects, help new people settle in, and handle basic needs.” An earth pony with dark shades and a pin covered hat said as he walked towards them. “My name is FlashTruth, and I’ll be your dorm leader.”

The earth-pony slimed to look normal as he approached the new students, he did seem to do a double tack when he saw Twilight. “Did... did Kirouac have a daughter that I didn’t know of?” He asked while looking at the purple dragon half breed.

“N… no… I never met him.” Twilight admitted.

“Well... Kirouac has a blue coat, that is similar to your purple one.” Flash pointed out.

“Oh, well, my mom was a unicorn, and my dad was a dragon. My name is Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight said as she shook his hoof.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Flash said before turning to the guy. “And I was told that we would be welcoming the princess’s son!?” He asked while walking to them. “Do you understand that we are a country of equality.” He told Light. “We’re not going to treat you any differently, nor give you any special treatment just because your mother is a ruler.”

“I’m used to being an outcast, so I don’t mind. Also, you’re talking to the wrong pony.” Spike said as he tapped Flash’s shoulder.

Flash looked back and forth between the two ponies before Light started talking. “Yeah, my dad is an ex-unicorn security officer, and my mom is a teacher. There isn’t a royal drop of blood in my body.” Light explained.

“Oh...” Flash said, feeling sheepish, “I’m... I’m so sorry.” He apologized, feeling bad about himself.

“It’s alright. I never could pull off a spoiled brat routine, so I mainly help these two out.” Spike said as he patted Flash on the back. “I am Spike, and the autistic kid is Light Heart.”

“Autistic!” Flash perked up. “You have Asperger!?” He asked with a big smile on his face.

“Yep… is there a reason why you are so happy about that?” Light asked nervously.

“I have it too!” Flash said with glee.

Light’s eyes brightened when he said it. “Really? That’s amazing! Now I don’t have to feel like I’m the only guy who has it.”

“Key world on GUY!” Flash said while holding hooves with Light Heart and then dancing around in joy.

Twilight and Spike giggled at the sight of Light being led around. “Wow, I thought there would be other autistic ponies here, but what makes Light so special? Besides the horn and wings.” Spike asked.

“Oh... there are others,” Flash said, breaking from the dance. “My cousin has it, the little zebra & buffalo that I foal-sit sometimes also has it, and so does my other friend's sister’s child and lover had it as well.” He explained.

“So… Light is special because?” Twilight asked, expecting him to bring up Light’s alicorn status.

“They are all females,” Flash explained. “Which... There’s nothing wrong with, but... It would be fun to have a guy around sometimes.”

“Sure, you have the black sheep prince and me.” Light said as he grabbed Spike. “He’s not autistic, but he’s a good friend. Without him and Twilight, I would have flunked Celestia’s school a lot sooner.”

“You got transferred here, not expelled.” Twilight tried to remind him before turning to Flash. “We were Celestia’s pupils, so we had mixed receptions.”

“I can understand,” Flash said. “Should I show you around?” He asked them.

“That’d be great!” Twilight said as she tossed her books to Spike, who was already working on stacking the numerous bags on his back.

Flash nodded. “Let’s first stop at the dorm-rooms.” He said before starting to walk with them.

“So, are there any other ponies… like me here?” Light asked as he gestured to his horn and wings.

Flash nodded, not knowing that even though Light wasn’t a prince nor any form of royalty, he was still an alicorn and not a pegacorn. “We have a farmer named Farmer.” He said before leaning to Light. ‘obviously, it's not his birth name.’ He explained. “And also, one of the pizza sisters, a scientist trying to unlock everyone's potential, and one that from two earth-pony parents.” He listed off.

“Really? Now I feel a lot better with being a teddy bear alicorn.” Light happily said as he started getting excited. “I guess it’s not as big of a deal that some ponies make it out to be.”

Flash stopped in place, having to take a moment to process that. “A... Alicorn!?” He asked.

“Yep, with a teddy bear cutie mark.” Light said, not noticing Flash’s reaction.

“I... I was talking about Pegacorns,” Flash explained.

Light instantly stopped as he turned to Flash, giving a nervous smile. “Um… equality… right?”

“Haha...” Flash giggled, trying to think about this. “Y... you are telling me that it’s true that someponies get chosen by the heavenly light of the great gods to be blessed with the power of all three races.”

Light looked scared as he gulped. “Well… I didn’t see any gods, but I did see a bright light, and some other things that are a little fuzzy to me.” Light admitted.

“Um... h... How?” Flash asked, mostly to himself.

“Your guess is as good as mine. At least Cadence saved some village with love or something like that. I’ve been trying to figure out being an alicorn ever since I got the wings.” Light explained before bumping into another pony. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t see you there…” Light froze as he saw a slightly furry pony in front of her. At first, he thought she was a buffalo, but she didn’t seem big enough, and her hooves were more substantial and more spread apart. She also wore a Stetson on her head.

“Well, I never thought I’d see an alicorn asking for forgiveness. Now ah've seen everything.” The pony said as she helped Light up. “Ain’t no problem partner. I just heard yall talking, and I thought I’d say hi. The name’s Applejack.”

“Umm... well... I’m Light Heart.” He said to Applejack. “I’m... I’m new here.” He told her while looking at her, trying to figure out if she was a yak or something else.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m guessing that I’m quite a sight to new ponies here.” She said as Twilight and Spike walked over to her.

Light Heart blushed, thinking that Applejack was thinking that he was finding her attractive.

“Well, as you can see, I am as well.” Twilight pointed out while showing off her dragon body.

“Well, I’ll be! I hadn’t seen a pony like you since Kirouac. Of course, his wings had some feathers on them. Might I get yall’s names?” Applejack asked the group with a tip of her hat.

“I’m Spike, and this guy is Light Heart, and she’s Twilight Sparkle.” He said, introducing his friends.

“And you know who I am,” Flash said, finally calming down.

“Well, it’s always nice to meet some new ponies. Here…” Applejack reached into her saddlebag and pulled out some bags. “Have some sweet apple fritters. Family recipe. It’s so good; your tongue will be dancing for days.”

“And it’s nice to meet... Umm... a….?” Spike couldn’t deduce what she was.

“Half buffalo, half earth pony.” Applejack explained with a chuckle. “Ponies keep thinking that I’m half yak.”

“I don’t know how they could make that mistake,” Flash said, having grown up surrounded by both Yaks and Buffalo.

“I can see it,” Spike admitted before getting slapped by Twilight.

“It’s alright. I always like welcoming a new face.” Applejack said with a smile.

“So... you were born here?” Twilight asked.

“Nope. My granny moved my siblings and me shortly after…” Applejack paused before taking off her hat. “Um… after we got ran outta town.”

“Oh...” Twilight winced. “I... I’m sorry, I... I didn’t know.”

“Ah, it’s alright. Life happens, and I get to live here now.” Applejack said before shaking their hooves. “It’s nice meeting you all. I’ll see you around.”

Twilight nodded before looking down. “Ya...” She said.

“It’s alright,” Flash assured Twilight as he went back to lead them towards the school building. “Nopony knows about her parents, but we don’t bother to ask. I think it’s best to avoid the topic.”

Twilight nodded. “So... do you have a library?” She asked, trying to change her thoughts.

“Of course. We have all kinds of books ranging from magic to history.” Flash explained with a chuckle. “Of course, we have another room for magic practice.”

“Oh...” Twilight perked up.

“Ya... it’s a magical dome of safety.” Flash started to explain. “You can try anything! Any spell or fire tricks, and when you walk out of it, all side effects get undone.”

Twilight squealed in excitement at the thought of it.

“Yes, no need to worry about if you are going to lose one of your claws from your experiment,” Flash said.

Light and Spike chuckled as they looked at Twilight’s excitement. “Great! Now the main problem will be to get her out of the library and training room.” Spike said with a chuckle.

“How about the chance to meet Kirouac?” Flash suggested.

Twilight’s wings fluttered at the thought. “Yes! I want to meet the pony who looks like me!!!”

“Well, he is a bit busy now, maybe tomorrow,” Flash said before stopping in front of the bedrooms. “Guys, your sleeping quarters.” He said before opening the doors.

Twilight was surprised to see a unicorn in her room. This pony looked rather regal and admittedly gorgeous. Twilight could think of a few ponies who would kill for that white coat or her sparkly purple mane.

The pony looked surprised, too, before checking her papers. “Oh, hello, Darling! Are you Twilight Sparkle?”

“I am,” Twilight said before walking in, finding it strange that she would be paired up with a regular unicorn. It wouldn’t be that this unicorn needed a lesson in understanding half breeds, would it?

“Well, I am Rarity, and we will be rooming together with a couple of other ponies, and may I say that I love your mane?” Rarity asked as she walked up to Twilight.

“Well…. I love everything about you…” Spike softly said as he started to become entranced by this pony’s beauty.

Rarity blushed nervously. “Well, thank you.” She told him. “And you are...?,” she asked him.

“Spike…” The young-earth pony managed to say as Light tried to snap him out of it.

“Dude! At least blink!” Light said as he waved his hoof in front of the young pony.

“Oh... wow, I didn’t know we were having another pegacorn.” Rarity said with surprise.

“Oh no, what we have here is an earth pony loverboy prince and an alicorn,” Flash explained to the unicorn.

Rarity’s eyes widen. “A... Alicorn!?” She said, feeling very interested.

“What alicorn?” Spike asked before getting slapped by Light.

“Keep it up, princy! You’re drooling on the floor!” Light exclaimed as he started shaking Spike.

“Princy?” Rarity asked. “Wouldn't it be you who is...”

“Nope. Celestia adopted Spike. I lived in Ponyville before I got my “upgrade” or “Blessing” or whatever you want to call me becoming an alicorn.” Light explained.

Rarity tried to think about it. “Wait... so…?”

“Don’t worry. Spike is the prince. Light is just a teddy bear alicorn.” Twilight tried to explain. “We were Celestia’s pupils…”

Rarity gasped when she heard that. “Canterlot? Darling! I have always dreamed of visiting Canterlot. With all of those high-class ponies and beautiful dress designers that base out of there, it’s like a dream come true!”

“Or a nightmare, depending on who you ask.” Light said quietly.

Rarity’s focus changed to Twilight as she started talking to the hybrid. “Darling! You must tell me everything about your time in Canterlot, along with allowing me to use you for a model for some of my projects!” Rarity said as she got out some fabrics. “It’s so hard to find willing models for my dresses.”

“Really? Why would anypony not want to model for you?” Spike asked as he was still staring at Rarity.

“Well, I am a dressmaker, so boys don’t tend to make good models. Then there are my assigned roommates.” Rarity said with a sigh as she started taking Twilight’s measurements.

“Oh... who is going to be our roommates?” Twilight asked excitedly.

“Well, one of them is a weightlifter of sorts. She’s strong, and rather… uncouth.” Rarity started to explain. “And the other one isn’t much better…”

Before Rarity could elaborate, the window suddenly burst open as a pony dashed into the room, sending the others reeling back. This pony had a beak and a lion’s tail, but she also had a rainbow-colored mane and hooves. Twilight could only guess that this was a mix of a griffon and one of the pony races.

The pony started looking at the group before chuckling to herself. “You three should have seen the looks on your faces when I came in here.” She said as she was trying to hold back her laughter.

Rarity sighed in frustration as she glared at the flyer. “Seriously Rainbow Dash? There are such things as doors!”

“Doors smoorsh!” Rainbow said. “What’s the point of having this if I can’t use them?” she announced, flaring her wings up. “You should try it sometimes.” She told Rarity before looking at the new students. “Ah! Good!” She said before flying to be with them, ignoring Spike. “Two new flying students, Nice!” she said, pumping her griffon claw in the air.

The two-winged ponies backed up a little. “Um… we may not be good flyers… but…” Light started to stutter before Rarity gave a soft sigh.

“You don’t need to be afraid of her. Even with her tomboyish nature, she is a loyal friend and will stick up for you, as long as you don’t treat her like some pet.” Rarity explained.

“Pet!?” R.D. said. “Do I look like a canary?” She asked them.

“No, silly!” The head of Pinkie Pie popped up. “I’m a pet!” She said before scratching her ear with her back leg. “What was I doing... Oh, Ya!” She said before going back down and disappearing.

“W… where did she come from?!?” Twilight asked in shock.

“Don’t question it.” Dash and Rarity said simultaneously.

“As for what I was saying, it was a mere illustration meant not to abuse your relationship with her.” Rarity finished explaining.

“Don’t worry; I’ll cherish any pon… any creature that is kind enough to give me the time of day,” Twilight said, remembering her first day at Celestia’s school. She asked a stallion where the school and class were, and he backed away in fear and disgust.

“See? They are alright.” Dash said as she gave Twilight a noogie. “Although judging by the books, they may be eggheads, but I can work that out of them.”

“Actually, Twilight is the brains, Spike is the brawn, and I tell the jokes.” Light explained as he pointed at his friends.

“Oh... brawn!” Rainbow said, finally seeming to acknowledge the existence of Spike. “So... how strong are you?” She asked before placing her arm on one of the tables in the room.

“It depends on how much magic I use,” Spike said as he pointed to the bags on his back. “I may look the most normal, but I am far from it.”

R.D. raised an eyebrow to that. “Magic?” She asked, looking at Spike's forehead for a horn, then at his neck and hooves for any unique gems.

Spike sighed as he raised a hoof over a vase and started generating water from his hoof. “As I said, I’m a bit of a freak. It’s also the same reason I don’t have a cutie mark, but…” Spike started to think about Applejack’s reaction when she talked about why she moved here. “... that’s personal.”

“Wow, cool! I wish I could do magic.” Flash said with a bit of sorrow.

“Well, Celestia was talking about how earth ponies can do magic. My magic just happens to be heightened, along with having a few tricks that I keep finding.” Spike explained while starting to set some of Twilight’s bags down.

Flash nodded. “Ya... so... We will be staying in the room across from you, Twilight.”

“Oh, okay,” Twilight said as she started unpacking.

“Well, at least now we have somebody who has the time to teach you and Light how to fly.” Spike pointed out as Light was trying to hush him.

“Let’s start with someone calmer and softer.” Light pleaded in a whisper to Spike.

“Yeah, so who are we rooming with?” Spike asked the earth pony.

“Well... You, Light Heart, ME!” Flash said, pointing to himself. “Oh, and also Puncher, SharkPuncher.”

“SharkPuncher? Is that his real name, or did he earn it?” Light asked, feeling intimidated by such a name.

“Either way, I want to meet this guy,” Spike said excitedly.

“I think you can,” Flash said before lining his ear to the door. “It sounds like he is in the room.” He told the group before opening the door.

The room was divided into four sections. On the far-left corner was a symmetrical, mostly orange bed and dresser, decorated with pins and photos showing pictures of other probable students. While on the far right, an asymmetrical mostly water blue bed and dresser, with gold medals and trophies strung about, and the drowns had shirts and bathing suits sticking out of it.

“I think we found a new jock. Clearly, this school values its physical education.” Spike said as he started to put the bags on the floor.

“Yeah, makes you think about yourself.” Light said in embarrassment. “I’ll take the bed on Flash’s side of the room.”

“Fine by me,” Spike said as he started unpacking.

SharkPuncher was at his desk, trying to finish his schoolwork. “Do any of you know how to multiply two numbers that are between 10 and 99?” He asked, not turning to look at them.
His wing could be seen twitching.

“Um… Light’s the math guy. I’m more of a spelling guy myself.” Spike explained.

“Mhm... then you could help me why the teacher finds this wrong.” Shark cleared his throat. “Me and my friend want two the poned.”

Spike sighed as he remembered all of the spelling lessons his mother gave. “It’s My friend and I, went is spelled w e n t, You should have used t o o, not t w o, and did you mean to spell pond?” Spike asked as he looked at the paper and motioned Light to walk over.

Shark pulled the piece of paper that had an F on it and showed it to them before going back to his remaining math work.

Spike looked at Shark’s work and cringed at sight. “Ouch. My mom would go nuts at a paper like this. Luckily, I have plenty of writing practice. I can help critique your work.”

“Why, is your mom the queen of the spelling bee championship?” Shark asked before laughing.

“Nope. She’s the princess of Equestria.” Spike said as he got out a notebook and started writing down some notes.

Shark paused at this revelation. “Oh... well, it’s nice to meet you.” He said, not knowing what to say. “So... Light!? Can you help me with this?” He asked, showing his math paper. (30*12=?, 41*25=?, and 18*16=?)

Light picked up a pencil as he started to help him. “Well, I find the best method is to break up the work.” He uses the pencil to rewrite the first question into 12*3, “So, what are three times two?”

“Six,”

“Exactly! And of course, three times one is three. So our answer is 36. Following so far?”

“Yes,”

“Okay, since the original question has a thirty instead of a three. What do we do to find our answer now?”

“We... add a zero to the other answer!?”

“Exactly! So our answer is?”

“360!”

“Good moving on. This next one needs a little more work to solve.”

Light cringed a little, but he nodded. “Okay, so what do we do?”

As the two continue to solve the problems, Flash looks rather impressed at the two ponies. “Looks like we have a study group now. You may be saving Shark’s grades from plummeting.”

“It’s just how we were taught when the three of us studied together. Don’t just give them the answer but help them find the pathway to solutions.” Spike said as he was still going over Shark’s homework.

Flash nodded with a smile. “That’s a good way to teach.”

Shark smiled as he looked at the two guys. “How can I pay you two back for helping me out?”

“Well, maybe helping Dash teaching Twilight and me how to fly can help?” Light offered.

Shark's smile faltered. “I... I wish I could do that.” He said with earnestness. “But…” He got up, showing off his other side to them.

Light gasped as he saw the scarred on the side of his body. “Oh… me and my dumb mouth…” Light muttered in regret as he didn’t know what to say.

Spike winced as he petted Shark’s back. “Hey, I feel for you, man. I know what it’s like to have your body messed up.”

Shark nodded. “Was born with a malformed wing.” He sided. “So, they decided to remove it.”

“Oh… I thought it was something else.” Light said with a soft sigh of relief.

Spike sighed as he rubbed his flank. “My thing messed up my ability to have a cutie mark. It just… messed me up genetically…”

Flash cleared his throat as he didn’t want this situation to get any more awkward. “Well, why don’t we take a break from studying and finish showing the new kids around?”

Shark nodded. “And maybe after that, I can show you the pool.” He offered, swimming being the only time he could feel like he could fly.

“Sure. I can tell you are an expert in the field.” Light said, happy to accept the change of topic.

Shark smiled, taking down the photo taking of him just after he got his cutie mark.

Spike was intrigued by the image of him standing in front of a water tank, holding a scared filly. “Interesting photo.” Spike mused.

“Ya... a little filly had fallen into the shark tank by accident.” Shark started the story, getting a gasp from the two new guys. “So, I jumped into the water, swam to her, and Punched the shark right into its face!” He said with glee.

Light’s eyes widened as he imagined the pony shooting out of the water, punching an actual shark. “Oh… Your name is literal in meaning…”

Shark nodded. “And because of my fin.” He said before lifting his wing.

“Wow. You are bad to the bone. Some guards don’t have the guts you have.” Spike said, amazed by this pony’s bravery.

Shark smiled at Spike’s complement. “I like you, kid! We’re going to be the best of friends.” He declared before getting up.

“Should we wait for Twilight?” Spike asked as they walked out of their room.

Before anybody could answer, Twilight crawled out of the room, wearing a frilly outfit. “Apparently, Rarity likes having a model,” Twilight said as she teleported the suit off of her.

“Twilight, you deserved to have something nice,” Spike told her.

“That was the twelfth outfit she had me try on.” Twilight explained as she caught her breath. “I didn’t even get a chance to unpack.”

“Well, then we should go before she decides to give you more dress,” Flash said before starting to walk off.

“It was more trying on and “Finding what looks well on me” than giving them to me. She stopped after the last dress after having some kind of idea.” Twilight explained.

“Maybe so, but I’m ready to bet that she’ll be leaving those dresses in the purple dresser that was left for you,” Flash told her.

“What was the ideal?” Light asked Twilight, with a hint of worry.

“I don’t know. She started drawing something in a sketchbook.” Twilight explained. “Maybe a new dress design?”

“Well, she’s always coming up with new designs.” Flash pointed out as they started walking through the rest of the school building.

Flash started, bypassing two large wooden doors, ignoring it altogether. He stopped in front of two doors with windows on them. “This is the eating area; you can either bring your food or select what you want what would be on the menu and available on each day.” He explained.

“You don’t have to pay for your food?” Twilight asked curiously.

Flash tilted his head. “Pay... I don’t understand. Do you mean with good behavior points!?” He asked with a hint of worry.

All three kids stopped as they looked at Flash. “Pay with money? Bits? Coins? Currency?” Spike started listing off, trying to figure out how the money system here works.

“Oh... we don’t have that here,” Flash said utterly nonchalantly.

“WHAT?” The three new students asked in shock.

“Ya... we just don’t use that,” Flash said, confused on why they were acting like that.

“You mean… no currency… no taxes… and no having to manage funds?” Twilight asked as her mind was trying to figure out how a system like that works.

“Ya...” Flash said. “When the country was founded, they were all like. We first need to make homes and plant some seeds to grow some food. And thanks to the knowledge of all of the different races. We managed to make an abundance of what we need, mostly.”

“So why didn’t they just sell and develop like other countries?” Light asked curiously.

“Well, when everything was settled on and they were about to... Make money for the nation, and they were all... Some of us are here because we were homeless with no money… Do we really need this? It’s just going to complicate and cause more trouble than it's worth.” Flash explained. “Plus... most of us are like... Us.” He said, hoping he didn’t say something wrong. “They just didn’t want to be part of anyone that was... Different and not normal. It’s only now that one of our rulers did any direct contact with another ruler.”

“So, how do you keep ponies from abusing the system?” Twilight asked as she saw several ways this could go wrong.

Flash shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. “Maybe there are some spells, maybe there are some details that I’m not aware of, or everyone here would rather keep the peace then ruining what they have here.”

“Either that or it’s a work currency in a-way. One has to contribute to get a return?” Light suggested.

Flash thought about it. “That does make sense, would explain the candy and chocolate.”

“What do you mean?” Spike asked.

“Well, you have to be an adult to be able to... “buy” candy or chocolate. So, if you want to have some, you’ll have to ask someone to get it for you.

Light’s eyes widened when he heard that. “Really? When does that happen?”

“Well... when you graduate... we each have a special ceremony, called your proto-fusion ritual, where we have to bring five different adults to be your witnesses and to prove that you’re ready to become one.” Flash started to explain. “One for maturity, one for knowledge, one for… “mental,” one for health, and the last one for... to show that you are adding something to MoonRacer.”

Light gulped when he brought up the mental part. “I’ll never be considered an adult now.”

Flash petted Light’s back. “My cousin managed to do it, so did my other friend’s sister in law. You can do it!” He said while looking into Light’s eyes.

“Well… are we allowed to… I don’t even know what is considered work up here.” Light said as he was trying to think about what was going to happen to him here.

“You have until your graduation to find your place,” Flash told his new friend. “What are you good at? What are you passionate about?” He asked.

“Well… there was something… but… I doubt alicorns get to do stuff like it.” Light said in embarrassment before Twilight nudged him.

“He likes making toys. He always tries to find ways to keep making new ones.” Twilight explained for the bashful alicorn.

“Oh... Yes, yes, you can!” Flash said with a smile. “Why wouldn't you?”

“Well… most grown-ups in Canterlot say that it’s a waste of potential.” Light explained with a blush.

“A waste!” Flash said in shock. “That is one of the most important jobs ever!”

“R… really?” Light asked, surprised that Flash acted like it’s so important.

“Maybe you and Marerian can work together,” Flash suggested.

“R… really?” Light asked hopefully.

Flash nodded. “Yes, and don’t let anyone else tell you that your dream job is a waste or pointless; if you love doing it and it brings you and other joy, that it’s an important and valuable job!” He said triumphantly.

Light gave a hopeful smile as Twilight noticed a rabbit hopping through the school. “Um, is there a rule about pets?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Umm... as long as you can keep them in line and you’re always in control of them, and don’t let them out of your sight, you can, why? Did you want to get one? Oh... maybe a cat, or a dog... How about an owl!” He asked her.

“I saw one walking across the room,” Twilight said as she went to follow the little critter.

Flash turned to see the mischievous white bunny. “Oh... hello there angel, did you run away for the older Shy?” He asked the bunny.

“Older Shy?” Spike asked curiously. “Who are you talking about?”

A striped kirin timidly poked her head into the room.

“He is right here, Shy!” Flash told her.

“Oh, hello there,” Spike said with a wave. “How are you doing?”

Fluttershy blushed as she whispered softly. “Hi there… I’m fine.”

“What? I didn’t hear you.” Spike said as he tried to listen more closely.

Fluttershy blushed even more as she hid behind her mane. “I’m fine.”

“Um… Once more?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy looked even more nervous as she managed to give a small squeak. “I’m fine.”

“She said that she’s fine,” Flash said, seems to be used to this. “Her name is Fluttershy, and she’s very good with animals.” He explained as he waved her over.

“Flutter?” Light asked, not understanding why she would have a name meant for flyers.

“I’m named after the butterflies that surrounded my crib when I was born.” She muttered out softly as she made her way to her bunny.

“And I’m guessing your reaction to them?” Spike questioned gently.

Flutter hid her face behind her mane before shaking her head. “Everything but them.” She said, finally speaking in a much more clear and understandable voice.

“Oh, okay. So… you are a unique race.” Twilight said as she examined Fluttershy. “Clearly part zebra due to the stripes and the uniqueness of the cutie mark, but… there seems to be something off about the scales.”

Flutter winced a bit from Twilight’s touch. “I’m... I’m a kirin.”

Twilight gasped in excitement. “A kirin? The legendary original offspring of dragons and ponies?”

Flutter nodded. “Yes,” She said in a whimper. “And.. you’re a dragon!?”

“Yeah! Dragon and unicorn.” Twilight said as she kept examining her body, noticing that she had no horn.

“Please..stop.” Flutter whimpered out, about to cry.

Light quickly saw that the pony was getting upset, so he quickly pulled Twilight away from her. “Alrighty, Twilight. I think you had enough study time. If you want to learn more, we can get a book in the library here.” Light said as he kept between Twilight and Fluttershy.

Flash went to Flutter to console her, and picked up Angel and placed him in her lap.

“Sorry. Twilight gets excited around new things of interest, and she heard about kirins.” Spike explained.

“I.. I can understand.” Flutter said. “I’m the same with any new animals I meet.” She admitted with a blush.

Light looked curious about how Flash was treating Flutter. “So, you two have known each other for a while?”

Flutter nodded. “We’re in the same class for animal study. My favorite.”

“Oh, well, we are new here, but we’ve been in school together since we were kids,” Spike explained.

“I hope we can see each other in Miss A-Dark-ble’s class or in another.” Flutter said before getting back up.

“That would be nice, and I am sorry for geeking out.” Twilight apologized.

“I forgive you.” Flutter said before placing Angel on her back. “But next time, please be mindful of others' personal space.” She asked her. “Especially if you’re going to be friends with Flash.”

“Okay, and we are sorry. We’re just new to the whole ‘friends’ thing.” Light admitted.

Flutter tilted her head to the side. “You are?” She asked, seeming to finally be out of her shell.

“Yeah, Canterlot has not been kind to us.” Light explained with a bit of embarrassment.

“Canterlot.” Flutter said, placing one of her hooves on her chest. “You don’t seem like Canterlot ponies.”

“Well, I’m adopted by the princess, Light lived in a small town until he got his wings, and Twilight’s a long story. Either way, we aren’t exactly normal ponies.” Spike told Flutter with a bit of fear about her reaction.

“Oh.. I.. I see.” Flutter said, not seeming to react to what they said about Light. “That reminds me, I need to go take care of the baby birds!”

“Oh, okay. We still need to see the rest of the school anyways. We’ll see you around.” Twilight said with a wave.

Flutter waved goodbye to them, her face still behind her mane.

“So, what classes do we have?” Twilight curiously asked as she turned to Flash.

“You will have Math, Ponish, History, Gym, Natural studies (which covers things like magic and flying), and Science.” He told them. “Optional classes are animal care, Music, Art, Fighting, foreign languages, and then there are a couple of other extra classes.”

“Oh, Magic is optional?” Light asked hopefully.

“That’s natural studies,” Flash said as he shook his head.

“Oh, okay.” Light said with a hint of disappointment.

“I’m sure you can ask to be placed in the pegasus study groups,” Flash said while petting Light’s back.

“I doubt Celestia would like it. I’m willing to bet that we’ll be doing both.” Twilight explained.

“You should get your schedule tomorrow just before the classes start.” Flash, let them know.

“Oh, okay. So, where to next?” Light asked Flash

“Follow me!!” Flash said before walking out of the cafeteria, and back into the hall.

The group all followed as Spike thought about a question to ask. “So, does Kirouac have any kids?”

“Umm... Define that.” Flash asked Light.

“That’s a no biologically and most likely a yes adoptively, right?” Spike asked, being used to this question.

Flash nodded. “Yes, he has two, a son & daughter, that he some time brings with him on his trips.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve met them,” Spike said as he realized that he hasn’t even met Kirouac before.

“Did you see a pony with eight legs, or another with one side on her face pink while the other is blue?”

All three of them stopped in place as they looked at Flash. “Say what now?” Spike asked in confusion.

“Come on; this is MoonRacer, do you really think it’s only half breeds that come here?” He asked them.

“Well, Spike and I are here, so no.” Light said while trying to imagine an eight-legged pony.

“Ya.. and before you ask, his name is Sleipnir, and his hooves are the same size as any other pony.” Flash clarified.

“Okay, still working on that mental image.” Light said as he rubbed his forehead.

“I’m sure we will meet him in class.” Flash stopping as he entered a large area with multiple doors. Each door was a different color and had a different shaped window & patterned on it.

“Um… is this high school or middle school?” Light asked curiously.

“Both why?” Flash asked, not understanding Light’s question.

“Oh, I was just curious about the windows.” Light admitted.

“Yeah, they are rather strange.” Twilight agreed.

“Well.. some of the students are color blind, so the shape helps them know which room to go to.” Flash started to explain. “ like.. the Ponish class is in the Red Triangle room.”

“Okay. I was just curious. So are these our classrooms?” Twilight asked.

Flash nodded. “Yes, in your schedule, it will be color-coded to what the color of the door of the room is, and have a little symbol of the shape next to the name of the class.”

“Wow, that makes scheduling everything a lot easier. All I have to do is schedule everything outside of school.” Twilight said excitedly.

Flash nodded before walking toward two mostly clear doors, covered with some translucent glass stickers.

“So, what class is this?” Spike asked him as he looked at the door.

“Oh, that’s the door to go outside to the playground,” Flash explained.

“Oh.. okay,” Spike said in embarrassment.

Flash smiled an understanding smile before opening the doors and walking outside.
The group could see multiple play-structures, swings, and many other fun things

“Wow! It already looks better than the one at Canterlot. They didn’t really invest in it that one.” Spike exclaimed.

“Oh.,” Flash said, feeling a bit sad for them. “What did you have?” He asks

“A small grass area where we could study. Celestia could never pass a budget for the school playground.” Spike explained.

Flash looked shocked. “Isn’t Canterlot one of, or even the richest city in Equestria?”

“And Celestia’s school is one of the top schools out there. Some numbskull parents and school officials ended up thinking that it would be a distraction from our studies.” Light said as he was already playing on a swing.

“That’s ridiculous,” Flash said while joining them on the swing. “All work and no play, makes students not only dull and causes stress and makes it hard to study.”

“Well, I didn’t mind it, but Light and Spike came up with some rather devious tricks during recess time,” Twilight admitted.

“Oh.. like what?” Flash asked while getting into a good swing.

“We had this substitute teacher named Neighsay, who was a jerk, and we ended up getting him to hit himself with his own rulebook,” Spike explained with a giggle.

“Umm... How?” Flash asked, stopping swinging his legs.

“It was a hardcover book with a thick fabric sleeve. So during recess, we started filling the book with paper clips slowly over time, so he got used to the weight. Because of the sleeve, Neighsay never notices. After a couple of months, I realized we couldn’t fill it anymore without it being noticeable, so we took them all out. Thus, getting him to hit himself.” Spike explained with a grin.

“Oh.. you... You bad boys!” Flash said, feeling a bit bad for Neighsay.

“With the names, he called Twilight? Of course, we did it.” Light said bluntly. “One time, I rewired all of the clocks to run backward. We were bored, and had free time.”

“Did you get younger?” Flash asked them. “And.. wait, what did he call Twilight?”

“You don’t want to know. Right now, we want the MoonRacer experience.” Spike explained before turning to Flash. “So, what’s next?”

“Oh..” Flash stopped his swinging before jumping off. “I could show you the baseball, basketball, and other sports courts. If you want.”

“Sure, although Twi won’t be spending much time there,” Spike said teasingly.

“I don’t know, hasn’t she read any teen love story?” Flash asked. “A bookish girl falls in love with a jock after watching him play some sports,” Flash said a bit jokingly.

Spike sighed as he leaned over to Flash. “Those two don’t know a lot about dating.”

“Light, you never?” Flash asked him.

“Nope.” Light admitted with a blush.

“Well, I’m sure that you’ll find someone that will love you for who you are and how you are,” Flash told him with a reassuring tone.

“The same day, Twilight finds her true love.” Light muttered softly.

“Oh.. you two could double date!” Flash said excitedly.

“Let’s focus on learning about the school for now.” Twilight suggested as they followed Flash around the school.

Flash showed them around the sports fields, showing some that you couldn’t find in Equestria. They all stop at a cooling area, situated in the center of the yard, between the different sports fields. There were water fountains, vending machines with cold spot drinks, and also ice-dispenser with a box of clear plastic bags, and two rectangular medium size boxes, one filled with reusable glasses with the word fresh on it, while the other said used.

“Wow. Quite the snack bar you have here.” Spike said, looking impressed.

Flash nodded proudly. “But that’s not all.” He said before going to the end of the table and taking the lid off of the waterproof box that was on it. “we got grown-up bars and energy bars.” He told his group to show some off.

“Wow! You think about your athletes.” Spike said, not noticing that the others weren’t too interested.

Flash nodded. “We all think of our other.” He told Spike. “We.. pay it forward.”

“I think we had better keep the tour going.” Twilight suggested.

Flash nodded, seeing that his two-winged friends were a bit bored. “Just two more stops and then we can go back to our rooms.” He told the group.

“Okay, then. After that, I may have a chance to unpack.” Twilight said with a soft sigh.

Flash nodded before making his way back to the inside of the school. “Ok, I’m sure you’re going to like this,” Flash told Light before he turned the corner to a hall that had the wall covered in Hoof -Paintings.

“W… what is this?” Light curiously asked as he looked around the room.

Flash smiled before walking through an entrance with no door, just soft beads. “The playroom!” He said, showing off the room full of toys, foam couches, and other fun things.

Light’s eyes widened as he looked at the toys. “Wow! It’s clear that this was meant for kids, but… this is… inspiring.” Light said as he analyzed the toys.

Flash nodded with a smile. “I loved it when I was young.” He said before blushing. “Still do.” He admitted.

“I can see why.” Light said as he smiled at the light-hearted room.

There was a table with drawers and little containers full of lego lisses, and perfectly sorted, with the top made of one solid lego board to stick the pieces on. And on each leg there as a strange little tool hanging off of it.

“Wow. It’s amazing to see a teenaged pony look like a kid in a candy store, and we’ve seen Light in a candy store.” Twilight said with a giggle.

“Mhm.. we should have to say goodbye to that,” Spike said while showing Twilight a wooden toy that was covered with a fireproof coating.

“Well, I guess we should head out now.” Light said as he turned back to the others.

Flash nodded before putting the toy he was playing with down. “Don’t forget to put the toys back and also clean up after yourself.”

“Of course…” Light paused as he looked at a stuffed animal with a bit of stuffing sticking out. “For Celestia’s sake, I can’t leave this poor thing like this.” Light said as he impulsively summoned a needle and thread. “Give me a minute to fix this.” Light said as he started working on the toy.

Spike rolled his eyes before turning to Flash. “He’s going to take a minute. Let’s go ahead and let him catch up.”

“Oh.,” Flash said. “You know your way back?” He asked Light, who was already invested in his work.

“Third floor, white hallway.” Light said as he was invested in fixing the toy.

Flash nodded. “Oh.. umm.. Let’s... Let’s go!” He said while making his way out of the room.

As they walked down the hall, Twilight took a deep breath. “This is a rather nice school, and It’s nice to not feel weird over my body.”

Flash nodded. “I’m sure you’ll make many friends.” He told her while passing the cafeteria, and then the two large wooden doors they had parted before.

Spike looked rather curious about there being a double door like this when most classes had a single door. “Hey Flash, what is this room?”

“Oh.. this, this is where we are going to find Twilight every time she’s on her break,” Flash said, holding back his laughter.

“W.. wait… you don’t mean…” Twilight mumbled before running through the door and finding herself in a large library with countless books lining the aisles. Twilight’s eyes widened as she started to squeal in excitement.

“What.. you don’t have libraries in Canterlot?” He asked with a smirk.

“We do, but tell me how much information do you have here compared to Canterlot,” Spike asked as he was watching Twilight sitting in excitement like a pot simmering.

“Well.. the ones found in Equestria, the ones in Yakyakistan, all four zabra nations, the collection of all the buffalo tribes, and many more,” Flash said in a calm and nonchalant voice

“And we just had Equestrian books. You just opened an entire world to her.” Spike explained to Flash before picking up Twilight. “Come on, Twi, let’s do this later.

“But, I want them!” Twilight said while stretching her arms out. “There, my precious!”

“I’m sure there is a limit on how many you can borrow at a time, and you need a breaking in period and a library card. Now let’s go to our rooms and unpack.” Spike said as he was carrying her out of the library.

Flash kept quiet on the truth of the matter. That you get your library-card with your schedule, and that you can 10+ books out at a time. Thow, should they be warned about the timer.

“Come on! Let’s go.” Spike said as they walked out of the library.

“Ya, maybe now you can finely unpack.” Flash pointed out.

“B...bbb… Boooooks!!!” Twilight whined as Light saw her struggling.

“Library, right?” Light asked as he ran over to help.

“Oh.. Light, your back!? How was fixing the toy?” Flash asked him.

“It was some simple stitchwork. I do want to make sure that the other toys are okay, but I don’t have a lot of supplies.” Light explained bashfully.

“If you want, I can bring you to the store to get some!” Flash suggested.

“Tomorrow. If Twilight has to wait, so can he.” Spike said as Twilight was beginning to give up her struggle.

“Of course,” Flash said, holding back his laughter.

As the group managed to get Twilight to the hall where they were staying, they noticed that the door to Twilight’s room was cracked open. “Um, is that normal?” Spike asked out of curiosity.

“Well, she does have three room-mates... So…” Flash said.

“Well…” Twilight sighed as she had finally calmed down. “I guess I’d better get unpacked.”

As Twilight opened the door to her room, they were instantly thrown back as an explosion of confetti went off in front of their faces.

Flash fell back onto his back, while Light rolled into a ball.

“What is..” Twilight tried to say before she was pulled in by a pink paw.

“It’s a Welcome-to-MoonRacer-Party!!!” Pinkie said as she dragged Spike and Light in. “I invited the whole hall in. You know your roommates and the boys' roommates, but here are the rest of them!”

“Oh.. jes..” Twilight said while looking around the bedroom.

She recognized most of the mares in the room from the ponies that had already met. She guessed that the larger mare was Bubbly Biceps, and then there was the sibling that Flash talked about, Kirouac’s adopted daughter. Twilight quickly understood what a half and half face look like as she was looking at the mare. Then there were the boys.

There was a pony who was clearly, by the holds in his legs, a dark purple Halfling with a Darker green shirt, a sky blue earth-pony that was wearing some aperrates on his back and wrapped around his legs, a green coat with a jean vest and skirt on, and a pony with eight legs.

Applejack noticed Twilight and decided to walk over to her. “Well, hey, howdy! I didn’t know you’d be in the same hall as us. I hope that Pinkie didn’t scare you too much.”

“Oh, we’re fine,” Twilight said before noticing Light curled up on the floor. “Mostly.”

Applejack sighed as she turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie, how many times have I told you that you don’t lead with the cannon. You’re going to give the poor kid a heart attack.”

“Oops! Sorry!” Pinkie said as she tried to help the alicorn.

As Pinkie was busy with Light, Applejack led Twilight through the room. “You have to forgive her for her antics. Her heart is in the right place, but she gets very excited when it comes to parties.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Light just has a problem with loud noises. He’ll be okay in a minute.” Twilight assured her before being walked up to the other girls.

Dash grinned as she nudged the muscular earth pony next to her. “Hey Bubbly, that’s the mare that I was telling you about. She’s a bit of an egghead, but she looks like a nice pony.”

Bubbly nodded as she looked at Twilight. “I see, well, I guess she’ll be a good roommate, but let’s hold off on any pranks for a while, just so they can get settled in.”

Dash agreed begrudgingly. “Awe… alright, but after the first month I’m breaking her in.”

“Fair enough, but make sure that we don’t have another peanut butter incident,” Bubbly warned her.

Applejack chuckled as she talked to Twilight. “Don’t worry about them. Those two are always pushing each other to the limit. Just compliment them, and don’t challenge them. You'll live.”

“Oh, okay. I did get to meet Dash earlier, and Rarity. Bubbly was the last roommate that I hadn’t met.” Twilight explained.

“Oh her, what you need to know, is that she used to be the number one top athlete at the school, before being dethroned by Dash and me!” Applejack started to explain. “I take it that you are already familiar with FlashTruth.”

Twilight nodded.

“Yeah, he’s dating Bubbly right now.” A.J. added with a giggle. “She has fun picking him up and carrying him around.”

“Thanks for the information,” Twilight said.

“So, From the way you’re looking at the others, I’m guessing that you met Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, and I may have gotten a little excited seeing a half kirin.”

“Yeah, she was actually born here. Apparently, she has the natural ability to understand animals, and she takes that to heart. She’s the sweetest little thing that you will ever meet. I don’t think I've ever seen her go into her Nirik form before.” Applejack explained with a giggle.

“A… Nirik?” Twilight asked. She had never heard of such a form before.

“Yeah. When Kirins lose their temper, their scales and fur go black and their mane and tail light on fire. There are a few reasons why fireproofing is such a big deal around here.” Applejack explained.

“Oh.. and here I thought it was only because of the half-dragon king.” Twilight

Applejack laugh. “That and the other citizens that can wield fire. And it’s also a good ideal in general.”

“Good thinking, although she seems rather shy.” Twilight pointed out.

“Yeah, that’s Flutter for you.” Applejack said as she looked over at Helsa. “Now that’s one of Kirouac’s kids, but don’t bother calling her a princess or anything like that. Be polite and don’t make a big deal out of her face, and you’ll be fine. Oh.. and just a heads up, she has ice powers, so if you need a cold drink, she’s your mare. But don’t bother her too much.”

“Now for the boys. As you know, Flash is the hall leader, but it could have gone to Kirouac’s kids. However, the kids decided that they should know how one follows a leader before becoming one, so Flash was voted in. I hope you understand why we pick ponies who have been here for a while to be hall leaders.” Applejack cautiously said as she looked at Celestia’s pupils.

Twilight gave Applejack a nod as she looked at Flash, helping Light calm down. “It’s alright. We tend to joke that none of us would be likely leaders.” Twilight explained with a blush.

“Oh, I would have expected Celestia’s pupils to be begging to be put in charge. I guess I should apologize for my assumptions.” The eight-legged pony said with a smile as he walked up to Twilight. “It’s an honor to meet Celestia’s chosen students.” He said as he extended one of his front hooves to her. “The name is Sleipnir.”

“Oh, I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said with a small blush as she shook his hoof.

“Howdy Sleipnir. I was just telling the new students about you and the rest of the boys.” A.J. said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Twilight said, wondering if she should give him a curtsy, but before she could even start, Sleipnir stopped her.

“Please, no curtsy.” He said. “Well.. not unless I’m in royal attire, and my father has his crown on.

Applejack nodded. “That's how it goes around here.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that.” She said as she looked a little embarrassed.

“Oh.. you have heard?” Sleipnir asked.

“I heard that you and Helsa were the King’s kids, but to not make a big deal over it.” Twilight explained.

Sleipnir nodded. “That is true, and my father is the same, until the time you should see him with his crown on top of his head.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll try to remember that.” Twilight said with a nod. “So, I heard that you and your sister decided against having Flash’s position?”

Sleipnir nodded. “Before you can be a good ruler, you first have to follow. Know how it is to be the one that obase the orders.” He said poetically. “To truly appreciate what you have, you must first live without what you take for granted, be at the mercy of others. And then when you come out of this life experience, hold no grudge with the ones that made your life more challenging & difficult.”

“Wow, you truly have the making of a real prince in you,” Twilight said with a small blush.

“I’m sure that it’s in us all,” Sleipnir said. “Surely, Celestia would have bestowed her knowledge upon you 3.”

“Well, she does talk to us a lot about her duties as a princess, but none of us considers ourselves royalty.” Twilight explained as she gestured to Light and Spike.

“Do you believe that my father, Kirouac, did when he was your age?” Sleipnir asked them. “He is the child of a school teacher, and a lumberjack, no grandiose title to his name until he made his own. Helped by each and everyone in his life, from his mother that helped him learn & know, right down to the child who let him borrow a pencil.”

“Wow! I didn’t know that.” Twilight admitted. “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“He is planning to give a speech at school tomorrow.” Sleipnir let her know. “I’m sure I could manage to let you see him before or after.”

“That would be amazing,” Twilight said before turning to the other boys. “So, who are your other roommates?”

“Oh.. how silly of me to have forgotten them,” Sleipnir said before pointing to the dark purple halfling. “This is Shifting-Surprise, he now goes by Loyal-Dark, his earth-pony mother got pregnant from a drunk one night stand with a supposed discussed changeling. She only discovered that the unknown stallion that he had been with was a changeling when Surprise was born. She had decided to keep him, raise him as a normal pony, but life wouldn’t allow it. No school wanted to have him, so his mom had to homeschool him. He had lived the entire first half of his life in poverty, so... He ran from home and found his place here.” He smiled a bit. “And had never looked back ever since.”

“Oh… he has a nice mane. Reminds me of Rarity a little.” Twilight mused.

“Oh.,” Sleipnri replied nervously. “W.. what a coincidence.”

“You’re right. Rarity is a unicorn, so I doubt they are related in any way.” Twilight said as she brushed it off. “So, what about the others?”

“Well.. the green one with the skirt is named Speed!” Sleipnir said rapidly. “He’s.. he’s the most unique of us all.” He admitted.

“Because of a skirt? I have heard of a few cultures where stallions wear kilts and stuff like that.” Twilight said as she looked at what was obviously a skirt on a boy.

“Um.. noo not that,” Sleipnir said. “Hey, Speed!” He called out. “Can you please fix the banner over there.” He said, pointing out to the ceiling.

The earth-pony wearing the skirt looked up at where Sleipnir was pointing.

“Um, don’t you think you should let a pony with wings handle it?” Twilight asked, wondering how she expected Speed to be able to adjust the banner. “Unless... Can he climb walls?”

Speed took a deep breath before his back started to glow, and a pair of wings appeared. He opened them up and flew up to the banner to fix it.

Twilight was speechless as she saw this impossible feat right in front of her. “I… Is he… did he…”

Sleipnir paused her for a second. “That’s not all.” He told her before turning back to him. “Speed, can you please show our new student the new magic spell that you had learned.” He asked him nicely. “The one with the little mini tornado.”

Speed nodded before taking one more deep breath before his head started to glow, and his wings were replaced by a horn on his head.

Twilight gasped as she saw him use the horn to make a small wind vortex in front of her. “B… b… but… I…”

“You’re guess is as good as mine,” Sleipnir admitted.

“But… wouldn't he need changeling abilities to do that?” Twilight asked.

“He doesn't have that. Or.. if he does, it’s only limited to the three pony races.” Slipnir explained.

“Wow… this is some kind of ner form of genetic adaptation… It’s incredible.” Twilight said as she thought about all of the possibilities of being able to control your own genetic code.

Sleipnir nodded. “I know, could you just imagine if all of the citizens could all just... sprout wings? Instead of being limited to just having... A ⅓ of us with wings, weather Management and Cloud clean-up would go so fast.”

“Yeah… and I could just pick between being a dragon and a unicorn.” Twilight said as she rubbed her smooth wings

“But.. there’s a catch.” Speed said while walking toward them. “I can’t do magic when I’m not a unicorn, and I can’t fly when I’m not a pegasus.” He admitted. “There are things that I can’t do just because I have to be one race, not both.”

“But, you can be what you want, and can change when you want.” Twilight pointed out.

“And I bet that there are some spells or type of magic that you can do, just because it requires both your unicorn horn and your dragon... Body.” Speed told her.

“Yeah, but I could… look normal.” Twilight said as she looked ashamed at her body.

“Darling, Normal is just a matter of perspective. Your body has a unique beauty that any pony here can appreciate.” Rarity tried to assure her as she walked over to the group.

Speed raised an eyebrow to that. “You’re one to talk.” He said a bit accusingly.

“Speed, I’m trying to comfort her.” Rarity whispered harshly.

“And you should practice what you preach.” Speed told her.

“Do you want to wear a full dress? Your body is good for modeling.” Rarity threatened before Applejack separated them.

“Alright, you two. Don’t make me get the lasso again.” Applejack said as she was standing her ground between them.

Speed backed away before turning back to Twilight. “Remember, appreciate and take advantage of what you have. Good can only come forth if we do our best with whatever our unique gifts are.”

Twilight absentmindedly nodded, curious about what Rarity and Speed were arguing about. “So, who is the last guy?”

“Oh.. ya.” Sleipnir cleared his throat. “The blue pegasus is named CloudBusters.”

Twilight looked and saw what looked like a pegasus. “Wow, I guess he must be a flyer like Dash…” Twilight froze as she saw that there was something off about his wings,

“Um.. more... More like Bio-Bionic.” Sleipnir admitted before noticing that Twilight was looking at his “wings.” “Oh.. ya, this is what is known and called, a wingless-pegasus.”

“W… what?” Twilight asked, looked confused as she realized that the joints on the wings seemed metallic.

“That means that he is a pegasus that was born without his wings.”

Shark nodded.

“Oh… I hadn’t heard about that, but wouldn’t that be an earth pony?” Twilight asked.

“Earth ponies can’t walk on clouds.” Sleipnir pointed out.

“Ah… so… what are the wings on his side?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well.. long story short, those wings are mechanical, and Buster can control them by moving his hooves and legs.” Sleipnir tried to explain.

“Really? That sounds like something Light would try to build, and then fail a few dozen times on.” Twilight said as her interest peaked.

“It seems like he wouldn’T have to,” Buster said while looking at Light. “Is your mother the pegasus, or was that your father?”

“My mom was a pegasus, and my father was a unicorn, but the wings were a later addition.” Light explained as Pinkie Pie handed him a cupcake with the word “Sorry” written on it.

Buster looked at Light in his eyes. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“I’m an alicorn, and don’t ask me how it works.” Light admitted, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“Oh.,” Buster said with a hint of anger and jealousy. “So, you got a brand new pair of wings, and I am stuck with mine?”

“Um… I don’t really use mine.” Light said nervously. “If I could give them away, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Buster smirked. “Is that so?”

“It’s okay,” Spike said as he came over to help Light. “He’s got a good heart and doesn’t try to flaunt his alicornisim around. That, and he doesn’t know how to fly.”

“You know you could just lie and tell them that you’re just a pegacorn,” Buster told him. “You got the parents for that, right?”

“You could also say that you're just an earth-pony, but you don’t.” Speed pointed out.

“Ya, but then they’ll ask why I can walk on clouds, and that both my parents are pegasus.” Buster pointed out.

“I… I was taught to not be ashamed of my wings, and be willing to admit that I am a real alicorn. I just… don’t feel right lying about it.” Light explained as he started feeling like the black sheep.

Rarity looked off to the side.

Buster turned around and went to his room.

“Awe, come on, guys! The party hasn’t ended yet.” Pinkie pleaded with the others.

Light lowered his head as he rubbed his wings. “I can always admit that I’m an alicorn, but I never do feel proud about it.”

Twilight and Speed want to Light and hugged him on every side. Flutter went to sit close to Light.

Pinkie gulped at the others, having a more somber feeling, so she walked over to the new kids and tried to smile for them. “Well, you all seem pretty smart, and I’m willing to bet that we can have a lot of fun together. Tomorrow will be the best first day of school ever!”

Twilight nodded. “Ya.. probably.” She said before getting up and walking to her room.

Pinkie Pie sighed as she realized that the others were getting worn out. “Okay, I guess we can call it quits early, but I will make a better party next time.”

“I know you will,” Flash told pinkie before petting her head. He turned to everyone else. “Night.”

Spike and Light nodded as they followed Flash out of the room. Pinkie gave Twilight a hug before bouncing out of the room with her roommates.

Dash yawned as she cleared off the confetti that was on her bed. “Don’t worry. You’re going to love this place.”

Twilight nodded before getting in her new bed, finding it softer than the one she was used to. “I just hope that things will be better with the other students than with Buster.”

“Don’t mind him,” Dash said. “He’s just jealous of what others can do.” She said more boastfully than she should.

“You get used to him,” Bubbly assured her.

“So.. you’re dad is the dragon,” Dash asked.

“Yeah, and my brother’s traits didn’t show physically,” Twilight added. “He’s even dating my babysitter, and she doesn’t mind either.”

“Oh.. another dragon?” Dash asked, finding the ideal exciting.

“No…” Twilight paused as she thought against admitting that he was dating a princess. “Just a pony.”

“Oh.. which one?” Dash asked, slumping down in her bed.

“I don’t want to squeal about it, but I can tell you that my brother is a guard,” Twilight told the others. “He and Light’s older brother are good friends.”

“Cool, but I meant which race is the princess that was stolen by the dragon brother?” Dash asked. “Earth-pony, unicorn, or pegasus?”

Twilight felt a little nervous as she tried to figure out how to cover it up, but then she remembered Cadence talking about when she was a normal pony. “Well, she’s a born pegasus. She was adopted at a young age, and we get along very well.”

Dash nodded. “So.. what was the reaction of your baby-sitter and Light when they saw you for the first time?”

“Oh, my babysitter was very kind and understanding, and actually met my brother that way. Light looked just as nervous as I was when we met, but we both got along since we are both outcasts.” Twilight explained before giggling. “I actually remember Light asking if I was a dragon alicorn.”

Dash laughed. “Ha, ponies ask the same when they see Kirouac. Maybe he did, but we just didn’t notice.” She said before getting up to look at Twilight. “But.. you are missing something.”

“Really? What?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Feather,” Dash said with no context.

“What?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“Your wings have no feathers; they are all smooth,” Dash said.

“Oh?” Twilight said as she rubbed her wings. “Kirouac has feathers?”

Dash nodded. “Ya.. his mom is a unicorn... But also half pegasus… so.. 2 little tuffs of 3 feathers are on her back, where wings should be.”

“Wow! That’s amazing.” Twilight said as she thought about the odds of having a condition like that.

Before Dash continued, they heard Rarity yelling. “Will you two just be QUIET!” She said the silhouette of a scary face was the only thing they could see.

Twilight yelp as she ducked under her blanket while Dash merely rolled her eyes. “Yep. Don’t want to scare the new girl. We need to be civil.” Dash mockingly said as she laid back on her bed.

“Forgive Rarity. She gets cranky at night.” Bubbly said as she started to doze off.

Twilight could only nod. Already she had met several new ponies, but she had to wonder what her first impression gave off. Some of the ponies were warm and welcoming, and some of them felt like she had gotten the cold shoulder from them. It felt scary to her, having to stick her neck out to new ponies that she didn’t know about. Celestia wanted her to make friends, but Twilight was wondering if she was actually doing that.

Author's Notes:

Pinkie Pie: Earth Pony/Diamond dog

Pinkie once asked her parents why her mom was a diamond dog and her dad was an earth pony. The answer was that most ponies don’t give a bit about what happens on a rock farm. Even the ponies they trade with don’t mind too much because they are the best rock farmers.

Pinkie had the hardest time accepting the idea that halfbreeds can’t be accepted in society, so she was inspired to try and show the best side of halfbreeds and tried to be as friendly as possible to even throwing parties for them. However, her isolation made it hard for her to understand how to act around other ponies. After she explained her desire to help bridge the gap between half breeds and normal ponies, her parents decided to give her their blessing and send her to MoonRacer so she can be around other ponies like her and learn how to throw the best parties.
Pros: Wanting to make others laugh, eager, fun, playful
Cons: Nieve, hyper, curious, and oblivious.

Applejack: Buffalo/earth pony

A marriage between a buffalo and an earth pony was unheard of in Appaloosa. So when a forbidden relationship happened, it didn’t go well, especially for Granny Smith. When her son married a buffalo, she thought he had lost his mind, and wouldn’t speak to him for years, or even read his letters until the day that a ranch hand told her that his wife was killed in a racially biased attack, and her son was so wounded that he would most likely join her soon. It made her see how foolish she was to wait until his final moments to visit her son. When he saw her, he started to tear up as he begged her to come to him. She could only cry as she hugged her son, begging for him to live.

He smiled as he told her that his soul would live with his three kids, and made her swear to take care of his kids and to not let them suffer his and his wife’s fate. Thus Granny Smith became the sole guardians of three half breeds. She was terrified that these sole survivors of her son would suffer the same fate as him, so she started pleading with the sheriff to help her protect them. The sheriff had to explain that he couldn’t do this for her, but he told her of a place that they may be safe. So in the middle of the night, Granny loaded her grandkids and all of their significant belongings and headed to the land of MoonRacer.

Applejack was the pony who received her father’s hat and saw herself as a guardian of her friends. She wanted to live up to the standard that her parents had set up for her, namely the importance of family. So she tries to be a leader at times, even though she sometimes allows her arrogance and stubbornness to get the better of her.
Pros: Welcoming, helpful, hard worker, smart when it comes to basic mechanics, and honest.
Cons: Stubborn, small-minded, blunt, and tends to hide her own struggles and problems.

Rarity: Unicorn/Changeling.

Rarity’s mother was sadly tricked by a changeling who didn’t know that he impregnated his source of love. The only way that he was found out was when she was born with strange holes in her legs and silky smooth skin instead of a fur coat. Her mother was scared of this coming out, so she managed to bribe the doctor into claiming that the birth was a miscarriage and took Rarity to MoonRacer.

While she was growing up, Rarity felt ashamed about how she looked, feeling like this was the reason she was abandoned. So, she learned to use her changeling side in order to hide her changeling traits and look like a normal unicorn. Most ponies know about Rarity’s actual race and that she is hiding her true looks, but she is afraid of looking like some kind of monster.
Pros: Generous, listener, well aware of the world outside of MoonRacer, and always willing to give constructive criticism.
Cons: Prideful, dramatic, controlling, and manipulative.

Rainbow Dash: Griffon/Pegasi

Her parents had a fling, and she was the result. She doesn’t really like talking about her parents, namely since she has little to no clue who they are. She was left at MoonRacer with no hint of where she came from. Kirouac was trying to figure out who could take this in when a new couple came, wanting to start a new life. He learned that they loved the idea of being parents but were medically unable to have kids. So he offered them the opportunity to become Dash’s guardians. Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles accepted after hearing about what Dash went through, and did everything they could to make her life amazing.

Dash still wants to be a Wonderbolt and has trained herself to become the best flyer in all of MoonRacer. She even caused a bit of chaos when she became the first pony to do a sonic rainboom. She became the main weather pony in town at a young age, and would often relax until she felt bothered to work. She does love chilling with her friends, and never leaves them hanging.
Pros: Loyal, fun, fast worker, and carefree.
Cons: Lazy, competitive, arrogant, and has a short attention span.

Fluttershy: Zebra/Kirin.

She was the only main-six member to have been born in MoonRacer. Fluttershy’s parents were always cautious with their daughter, knowing about some of the stuff that happens to halfbreeds outside of MoonRacer. Fluttershy was always more reserved, but also had a natural connection with animals due to her Zebra heritage. She became quick friends with Rainbow Dash, who became rather protective of her. Nopony has yet to see her burst into flames, and some question is she even can.
Pros: Kind, understanding, gentle, good with animals, and a soft-spoken pony.
Cons: Shy, cautious, weak, and more reliant on others.

EDIT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDpDV1Qxfik

Chapter 3: First day, new impressions.

View Online

The group of 16 students made their way to the cafeteria, where a continental breakfast was set up for them. There were Pancakes, Waffles, PrenchToast, Croissants, Fruits, Scrambled Eggs, and several dishes that Twilight wasn’t entirely familiar with…

“Dig in!” Bubbly told Twilight as she took a big helping of high-fiber Pancakes and high protein Scrambled Eggs. Rarity only took a bowl of fruit-salad, wanting to watch her figure. Flash took some chocolate Waffles & Croissants and had fun with them.

Twilight was nervous as she felt overwhelmed by this extensive selection, but then her eyes caught a glimmer of something that she rarely got to snack on. Gems. Twilight was instantly excited as she found a tray of pancakes with actual gems in them. She quickly piled some on her plate as she followed the others to their seats.

Twilight sat between Light Heart and Sleipnir, across from Flash. “What are you having, Light?”

The guys quickly saw that Light had a large pile of food in front of him, including PrenchToast, yogurt, apples, bananas, pancakes, and a few other treats. “Just a light breakfast.” Light said as he started to dig in amazement to everyone else.

“You... You know that if you want to be like my dad, you don’t have to eat as much as he does.” Sleipnir told Light.

“There is a funny thing about alicorns that me and Twi learned about. They can eat like nobody's business. They burn through sugar like it’s nothing.” Spike explained with a chuckle as he had some pancakes and yogurt.

“Oh...” Flash said. “Ooohh...” He said once more when he realized it. “How long have you been one now?” He asked Light.

“A few years now.” Light said, not being rather specific due to him wanting to eat.

“Oh boy, that must have cost your parents a lot to feed you,” Flash said, basing that on Light calling this just a light breakfast.

“This is a usual breakfast for him. He always makes it a point to say that it’s a light meal to joke around with people. And Celestia took him into the school right after he became an alicorn, so it’s the school who has to pay to feed him.” Twilight explained as she started savoring her gem-pancakes.

“Oh...” Flash’s ear flopped. “That’s not funny, Light.” He said, recalling a starving family that had arrived here.

Pinkie pie was giggling as she was covering her pancakes in syrup. “I think it’s a matter of opinion. He meant it as a joke.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s funny. Remember that starving family that came here.” Flash asked Pinky. “They were so hungry that they couldn’t even enjoy your party. They were too busy stuffing their faces with food just to attempt to quell their hunger.

Pinkie paused in sadness, recalling their attitude when they first came there.

“Most citizens believe that other countries have a food shortage,” Flash said.

“Like Light would know a thing like that? He’s joking about his appetite, not making fun of hungry ponies. Lighten up.” Dash told Flash with a shrug as Light suddenly found it hard to eat.

“Well, He’s not the first alicorn to go through the school. There is Princess Cadence.” Spike pointed out.

“Exactly. Some races have extra needs.” Twilight added. “And Light always makes that joke. He didn’t mean anything bad, right?” Twilight turned to see that Light had already left the table and was walking into the restroom. “Awe, man!” She muttered as she lowered her head.

“So much for that joke. Here comes the guilt drive.” Spike said as if he had seen this before.

Flash was also feeling bad. He always had a problem with the world, still not perfect and still having problems that seemed to have an easy answer that could solve everything. “I... I need to go talk to Light.” Flash said, getting up and leaving his food behind as he ran off after Light.

Applejack looked concerned as she looked at Twilight and Spike. “What is the guilt drive?”

“When some pony is critical about Light, and then Light thinks, he has a point; he will start beating himself up over it. He stops making jokes, becomes more distant, depressed, and does something dumb to punish himself.” Spike explained. “When the train starts, it’s hard to get it to stop unless you can derail it.” He said as he looked at Flash running after his friend.

Flash was right on Light’s tail, and if he was fast enough, he could stop Light before he entered another room. “Light... Wait, I’m... I’m sorry for yelling.” He said, trying to apologize.

“I… I’m sorry… I’ll just… quit eating too much…” Light said as he was trying not to look at him.

“No, no, eat as much as you want. We have enough food to feed us all!” Flash said before wincing at what he had just said. “I... I mean…”

“Just let me be alone…” Light said before he ran into a rather large pony.

“No, you’re still hurt by what I said, and I shou…” Flash stopped when he saw who Light crashed into.

“Are you alright?” The large pony asked in a very kind voice.

“I… I’m sorry… I… I was just being dumb…” Light said as he was fighting the urge to cry.

“Oh... there there, it’s not your fault.” The large pony said before picking up Light and placing him back up. “I wasn’t looking where I was going either.” He admitted.

“I… I just made a dumb joke… It was supposed to be funny…” Light said as he wiped his eyes.

“Oh... um... It couldn’t be that bad.” The large pony said.

“I… I just eat a lot… because of my dumb body, and I keep calling my meals a light one.” Light said between sniffles.

“Oh... well... What’s the problem?” The large pony asked.

“I… It wasn’t funny… not with hungry ponies…” Light explained as he was still trying not to make eye contact.

The large pony nodded, finely understanding. “I understand.” He said before sitting down next to Light. “We all often take what we have for granted, forgetting that there are many that are not as fortunate as we are.” He continued by petting Light’s back. “But we must not be vain, nor should we let that prevent us from enjoying what we have. The only thing we can do is to help them to be able to have the same luxuries that we have.” He finished. “Do you understand?”

Light nodded softly as he slowly started heading back to the table. “Yes, sir. I’ll try to keep quiet from now on.”

The large pony nodded before going off to his destination.

Flash walked with Light, keeping his head down. “Light... I… I…” He was trying to find the words.

“No… I’ll just keep quiet.” Light said as he sat back down at the table, not bothering to touch the rest of his food, leaving Spike and Twilight cringing as they tried to think about a way to help him.

Flash was mentally killing himself, trying to find a way to fix this.

“Um, hey, Light! I still have to show you and the others the pool. Let’s do that in the last free period. It’ll give you some time before the groups start looking for new members.” Shark offered, thinking that something fun might be able to fix the alicorn.

“Ya... sure, whatever.” Light said.

Flash couldn’t let Light’s first day at his new school to start like this. Anyone he meets will believe that he’s a downer. “Light, I was wrong for yelling at you for just having naive fun,” Flash told him. “I shouldn’t force everyone to keep up with a standard that I wish the world was at. We are all flawed creatures with desires to enjoy what we can have. I shouldn’t put everyone else down with the problems I wish were already solved.”

Light could only wipe his eyes as he was breathing heavily. “I… It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Flash said. “You just got here, and I yelled at you for something that isn’t your fault.” He looked down. “I was hoping that you would want to consider me, your friend.”

Spike and Twilight quickly moved next to Light to hug him as Fluttershy walked over to Flash and whispered to him. “Um, we may want to take it easy with them. It is their first day, and they are still getting used to being accepted despite their oddities.” Fluttershy said softly. “I… I can look over Twilight’s… eagerness if you can look over Light’s humor.”

Flash put his head down. “I... I will.”

Fluttershy gave a small smile as she hugged him. “It’s alright. A little kindness always helps.”

Flutter always had the warmest hugs. “Thanks, Flutter.” He told her before hugging back.

As the group started to calm down, Twilight turned to Sleipnir. “So, what is it like being adopted by the king? I know Spike is Celestia’s adopted son, but I wanted to compare notes.”

“Umm... well, I wouldn’t know how to compare,” Sleipnir admitted. “Kirouac often eats while surrounded by the average citizen, just like anyone else. And... no one treats me differently for being the king's kid, not that I can see.” He said before looking at the rest of the group, waiting to hear them say something that he wouldn’t have noticed.

Spike was the only one who muttered anything. “Lucky.”

“Lucky? How so?” Sleipnir asked.

“Sometimes, attention isn’t a good thing. I often have ponies asking why I’m like this and why Celestia would have taken me in. It usually ends in arguments, especially when I’m also sticking up for the others. Sometimes it’s better to not be noticed at all.” Spike explained somberly.

Sleipnir nodded. “Yes, and some can do it much better than others.” He said while lifting 5 of his hooves.

“Well, you all can relax. Dragon ponies and alicorns hardly stand out at all around here. Heck, Light will constantly be considered a pegacorn due to the body type.” Dash said light-heartedly.

Flash nodded while thinking about it.

“Yeah, don’t fret nothing. Yall will be as safe as a kitten when you are with us.” Applejack assured the group. “And that’s the truth.”

Twilight turned to look at Pinkie. “A... are you sure?”

Pinkie nodded. “Of course! Applejack is the most honest person here. But just in case… Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” Pinkie promised as she made the motions of her promise.

Light tried to say something, “Y.. you…promise?”

“I Pinkie promise and nopony breaks a Pinkie promise.” The puppy-like pony explained.

Light turned to Flash and saw him nodded. “It’s true, and you don’t want to see what happens if you do,” he said with a shiver.

Light gulped before nodding back.

Twilight was checking her schedule and looked confused. “Strange, King Kirouac was supposed to be speaking this morning, and he should have been on stage by now. Well according to my calculations anyways.” She said while looking at the small stage at one end of the cafeteria.

Spike shrugged. “Not everypony runs on a precise schedule.”

“Maybe he wanted to meet the new students in person first?” Shark suggested.

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen anypony fitting Kirouac’s description yet.” Twilight said as she was once again looking around the room. “But then again, it’s hard to tell with everybody moving around so much.”

“Should we go look in the back for him?” Spike suggested.

“I don’t think so. As a king, he’s probably really busy, so we should let him meet us when he is ready.

Sliepnir turned to look at Twilight. “A king is never too busy to meet his subjects. Is your Princess, Celestia, too busy for you?”

Spike shook his head. “This isn’t Equestria. She’s got multiple large cities that need constant monitoring. Celestia tries to spend an hour or two with us every day, but sometimes she has to head out of town due to her duties. With how big Equestria is, she’s very busy.”

Sliepnir nodded. “It is true that a ruler must keep the peace of the larger picture. But they should never forget the little things and moments.”

Spike nodded as he thought back on his life. “Maybe that’s why she picks pupils to teach and orphans to adopt?”

“A trait that Kirouac takes to heart,” Sleipnir said while making his way to the back.

The others were already wrapping up with their food while having to deal with Light’s unfinished plate making Flash stomach tighten out of guilt.

“Let’s go find him.” Pinkie said before bouncing off.

The new students looked nervous at the idea of meeting him, but the others in their group helped lead them on.

"Don't worry, he's not going to bite." Pinkie told them. "We can ask him to Pinkie-promise if you want."

“It’s not that. It’s just… he’s a king, and we don’t want to give the wrong first impression.” Twilight explained.

Flash nodded. “Ya... the first impression... You’ll be stuck as that being your best one,” he said, his tear hidden behind his sunglasses.

“I find him to be a very calm and understanding guy.” Flutter said.

“Very formal and regal,” Rarity added.

“He’s a hard worker.” Applejack pointed out.

“And he can be very fun to be around.” Pinkie said as she kept bouncing next to the group.

“I can see why he became your ruler,” Spike said.

“Yeah, he’s a lovable guy,” Dash said with a nod.

The group made their way to the stage, climbed on it, and then went to the door at the back and knocked on it.

“Should we really be disturbing him? I don’t want to be a pain on my first day.” Light said as he was feeling tempted to walk away.

The door opened without any of them twisting the doorknob. “Come in!” A voice that Light recognized spoke out.

“Wait, who was the guy I ran into in the hall?” Light asked himself as the group walked into the room.

“Why don’t you ask him?” Flash said while walking in.

The group passed by some carts of fruits and vegetables before finding a dest where a large blue creature that looked similar to Twilight was looking over his platter. ‘Should I start with how we all may look different, but we are also all the same? Though life may seem weird and unfair, we shouldn’t let it get between us.’ He said to himself, thinking out loud between bites of food.

Light’s eyes widened as he finally realized who the pony was that helped calm him down earlier. “Oh… Celestia, have mercy on me.” Light muttered to himself quietly while Twilight was looking in awe at this pony.

Kirouac looked up. “Oh... hello there!” He said before putting his paper down, getting up, and walking to them. “Hello, I’m Kirouac.” He told her before extending his claw to Twilight.

Twilight was shocked as she slowly shook Kirouac’s claw, something she didn’t see on a lot of ponies. “I… It’s nice to meet you… your highness...”

Kirouac stopped her before she could bow. “Please, only call me that when I have the crown on.” He said before looking at his crown that was on the table. “I think that you are fond of my claws!?” He asked her while seeing how nervously yet tightly she was holding it.

“Y… yeah… they’re like mine,” Twilight said as she looked at them closely. “I… I never thought I’d see anypony with hands like mine.”

Kirouac tilted his head. “What about your... Father and brother?” He asked her.

“My dad’s claws are smaller because he’s completely a dragon, and my brother’s traits don’t show physically. My… Our claws are part pony, part dragon.” Twilight explained as she was still looking at the claws.

Kirouac nodded. “Some like to say that I have the best of both worlds. I prefer to think that I am the only one that it shows.”

“So... wait! Your brother's dragon traits don't show?” Dash asked in shock. “Wow... that must have been a relief when he was born and a shock when you were.”

“Celestia helped sweep it under the rug, and when Cadence and Shining started dating, nopony cared about his race and focused more on the relationship. Of course, only Light’s brother found Shining’s gem stash, and he ended up questioning Light about it, so he’s one of the few ponies who knows the secret.” Twilight said as she started analyzing the rest of Kirouac’s body.

“Wouldn’t it have been known that your older brother is also half dragon?” Dash asked.

Twilight shook her head. “Most people thought that he was my half-brother.”

“Do you want my medical file as well?” Kirouac asked while blushing.

“Um, that’s not necessary. The others already told me about your bloodline.” Twilight said as she looked carefully at his wings.

“So, you can understand why I shouldn't seem better than any other fellow citizens,” Kirouac told her.

“Wow. You are very humble. Most other nobles tend to be jerks.” Spike pointed out.

“It’s clear that they should all go and live life as a peasant for at least a year,” Sleipnir told them

“Good thinking. I’ll be one for a few decades before I let ponies try to call me a prince.” Light mumbled to himself, looking rather embarrassed.

“Oh... and here I was planning to make you my successor,” Spike told Light.

“Good, you’ll be a prince until then.” Light said, not looking as playful as he usually is when they are talking about being royalty.

Dash looked a bit confused. “How does it work? Why is your ruler called a princess and now a queen? And... what does that make Spike?” she asked.

“Maybe a prince, but I don’t know. I don’t know why mom refuses to be called a queen, but she has been firm about it. Nobody knows why.” Spike explained.

Dash nodded before turning back to Twilight, who was holding Kirouac's wings in her claws. “Jealous?” Dash asked her as she saw her looking at Kirouac’s feathers.

“More like curious, since I don’t tend to use my wings.” Twilight explained.

“What’s wrong with them?” Kirouac asked with worry and hoped that it wasn’t a sore nor touching setback for her.

“Nothing. We just never bothered trying to learn, and scientifically speaking, my wings aren’t like normal wings.” Twilight explained as she was carefully examining how the wings and scales mixed.

“Well, normal for a dragon,” Kirouac told her. “I’m the one with the odd ones.” He said while craning his head back to look at his wings with Twilight. “It's amazing how they perfectly blend together.

“It’s incredible. It’s like the best of both worlds.” Twilight said as she was amazed by the scientific possibilities of this.

“You and CottonRose should share notes.” Kirouac suggested.

“Who is that?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The first mare that grabbed my wings for the same reason as you are doing.” He told her.

“Oh, I guess I’d better look into it.” Twilight agreed as she climbed off of Kirouac.

Kirouac smiled before his horn glowed, and he “combed” his feathers back into place. “Should I go outside for my speech?” He asked them.

“Um... of course. Sorry if I bothered you.” Light said he was slowly walking out of the room, not wanting to be any more of a nuisance.

“None of you are a nuisance.” Kirouac let them know as he followed them outside.

Flash was looking down, still feeling ashamed of the pain that he caused Light. He almost jumped off when he felt Kirouac pet his back.

“Flash, I know that you aren’t the only one who has had to handle being autistic. Right now, I can see how these choices have hurt you both. Out of everybody here, I think that you can connect to him the best.” Kirouac explained to the earth pony.

Flash looked away to the side. “But... I don’t think he wants to be my friend anymore.” He said out of shame. “I... yelled at him, for just a stupid, stupid joke he said.” He said while hitting himself as he walked. “Just because I can’t get over the injustice suffering in the world.” He said before taking his glasses off to wipe his eyes, then putting them back.

“Some ponies react to pain that way. Making light of one's flaws and problems can help numb the pain of such thoughts of self-doubt and anxiety. Pinkie tends to do this to help comfort others while helping with these needs. Maybe this alicorn uses jokes about himself to try to not hate himself.” Kirouac explained as he petted Flash’s head.

“I suppose... But… what if he wants to change rooms?” Flash asked.

“I doubt he’d do it. He’d know that he’d be putting some pony out of a room that they may like, so he’d probably keep to himself. Right now, I think you need to try and help him get comfortable in this new place.” Kirouac suggested.

“I’ll... I’ll try! Kirouac.” Flash said. “So... nervous for your speech?”

“I’ve made plenty of speeches before,” Kirouac said as he tried to look confident. “What makes this one different?”

“That it’s the first time in front of our new students?” Flash said. “That they aren’t used to seeing you and talking to you. Well... maybe seeing you... Since Twilight is like you.”

“Awe, I see everypony as equals,” Kirouac explained as he was trying to hide the source of his nervousness.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure that even if you give only 1%, your speech would still be flawless.” Flash admitted.

“Nothing is perfect, and everybody is flawed. Always remember that Flash.” Kirouac said as he tried to be comforting before checking the time. “Ouch! I should have been on stage ten minutes ago. I’ll see about stopping by your hall sometime soon.”

Flash waved Kirouac off. “Bye.”

Kirouac passed the other students, stopped at the door before placing his crown on. “You may kneel now if you want.” He said jokingly before opening the door.

The new kids took this seriously as they all kneeled at the same time.

Kirouac tried to hold back his laughter before walking out onto the stage.

Sleipnir placed a hoof on each of their backs before whispering into their ear. “You... know he was just having fun!?”

“We just met him. None of us know his sarcasm voice yet.” Spike explained as he was the first one to get back up.

Sleipnir petted them. “Don’t worry. You'll figure it out.” He said before looking back at Flash. “We all will.”

Kirouac could see that at least half the students had come to see and hear his speech. He gulped, taking a glance back to see the kid’s group sneaking their way into the crowd.

“Wow… this is quite a crowd.” Light said nervously as he thought about the day he’d have to address a crowd.

“That’s nothing. You should see when he had to talk to the whole country!” Helsa said casually, not relishing how nervous that made Light feel.

“Yeah… great...” Light said with a gulp as he turned away from the group.

Spike petted Light’s shoulder, both nervous of what the future may ask of them.

“Shhh. Let’s listen.” Twilight hushed the group as she was eager to listen to what Kirouac had to say.

“My fellow students.” Kirouac started. “Today, I want to remind you all that what makes us different is something to feel proud of and not ashamed of. That even if the world isn’t what we wish to be, it should not stop us, nor discourage us from doing the right thing, or to help out, and forgive our fellow pony & none-pony, and to stand strong in the face of adversity and trouble. We shouldn’t let one mistake we made ruin any good future that we may stand for. The most important thing is to try to be better than who we were yesterday. Never stop improving and never stop helping others.” He told them all.

Twilight was amazed by Kirouac’s level of confidence, along with the words he said. She hadn’t seen anypony who can be as caring and inspiring as Celestia. She started to see why Celestia trusted her in his care. He was like her in some ways.

Light and Flash both felt like he was talking to both of them as they both felt rather embarrassed and somewhat nervous about each other.

Before they could each say something to each other, the soft sound of a peaceful bell rang, while the light changed color.

“What the hay?” Light asked curiously.

“Oh... we have to go to class now.” Flash said. “It’s the class bell.” He explained.

Spike smiled at this gentler approach to letting kids know the schedule. “Wow! Now we don’t have to cover Light’s ears every time the alarm goes off.”

“We do have more than one student that has AS!” Flash pointed out. “How many were there at your school?”

“You have to either be hoof picked or pass a high-grade magic test.” Light explained. “I did the former, so I got picked. I am the first autistic kid who got in the school.”

“Oh...” Flash said nervously. “Are... are you sure?”

“No, but we have a loud bell, and my hearing is sensitive. I am the only pony in school who seems to have this problem.” Light explained bashfully.

“Oof...” Flash said before stopping at the circle of classroom doors. “I guess this is where to split for now. See you at the least after class.” He said before walking off.

“So… I guess we are on our own.” Twilight said as she got out the list of schedules. “So… what happens if we get split up?”

“Let’s ask that pony with a sign,” Spike said as he started walking towards somebody.

An E.A. was standing in the middle of the room with a sign that said. ‘New students from Equestria’

“Hello... Are... are you looking for us?” Spike asked.

“Are you the new students?” He asked them.

They all nodded. “Yes, and who are you?” Twilight asked somewhat nervously.

“Yes, I’m HelpfulHoof; I’m one of the many Educational-Assistants here to help you. I was told to give you this.” He said while handing them their class schedules. “They were set up to be as close to the old schedule you are used to when living in Equestria. You can ask for some changes if you want.”

“Oh, thank you, sir. This makes things a lot easier for us.” Twilight said as she looked at the schedules.

“Mhm... well at least we will be together for the first class,” Spike said. “Then in the second one I’ll be without you two. Third class will be with Light, and then fourth 4th with Twilight. Then we have gym class together after lunch, and then we reunite at the group study room at the end. The rest of the day, we get to find groups to join for sports and stuff like that.” He finished.

“Wow, that’s a lot of stuff, and we won’t be together for all of it.” Light said as he looked at his schedule.

“At least your first three are all with at least one of us,” Twilight said while looking at the science class.

“Yeah… At least that one is math, so I shouldn’t die quickly.” Light said as he nervously thought about the worst-case scenarios.

HelpfulHoof coughed a bit as she tried to keep them from getting off track. “Shall we go?” He asked them.

“Um, of course,” Twilight said with a nod.

HelpfulHoof nodded before guiding them to the yellow door of the history class. “Here you are.” He said before walking in and taking his seat next to the door with the other EA.

The three new kids all felt awkward as they could tell that the class already started. The other students didn’t seem to give them any mind; they were too engrossed in the teacher's lesson.Twilight tried leading the others to some empty seats in the back, not wanting to make a scene.

“Now, class, can you tell me which buffalo tribe united with each pony town to become the beginning of what we would call MoonRacer?” The teacher asked.

Twilight was instantly taken off guard, having been used to just learning about Equestrian history. This was a whole new kind of history for her.

“Anyone?” The teacher asked while seeing Twilight and the other new students. “The pony town was considered to have mysteriously disappeared.” She said, trying to help Twilight to figure it out.

Twilight tried to recall. “Let me think, the town was called Lavender dream, and there were two tribes in the area of the town, so my guess is…” Twilight slowly raised her clawhoof in the air.

“Yes... Twilight, was it?” the teacher asked nicely.

“Um, yes. Is the answer Platypus?” Twilight asked nervously.

The teacher nodded nicely. “That’s correct!” She said with a smile. “And the town that used to be part of Equestria before splitting off to join the Platypus to find MoonRacer?” She asked

“Um, Lavender Dream?” Twilight asked.

The teacher smiled. “Yes, now beside the ponies with birthmarks and the ones that ever love a pony of a different race or same-sex, what was the other small town of LavenderDream know for?”

Spike raised his hoof as he recognized the subject. “Thestrials.”

“That’s correct! Now, who can tell us the reason for the thestral’s departure from the rest of pony society?”

Light was the one to raise his hoof this time. “Well, most ponies believe that it’s mainly due to appearance and the rumors of them being “vampire ponies.” However, around a thousand years ago, some event caused the other races to wage war against the thestrals. The thestrals ended up fleeing, and most of them haven’t been seen again in fear of persecution. Of course, there is a legend that aligns with it, but it’s an old pony’s tale.” Light explained, looking more and more uncomfortable as he talked.

Twilight sighed as he brought up that old tale. “It’s not verifiable.” She whispered.

“Well… I think the class would like to hear it.” The teacher said, not familiar with Equestria’s side of the legend. “Go ahead.”

Light gulped as all eyes were on him. “Well, according to the legend, there was a princess of the night who directly ruled over the thestrals. Stories claim that she was born of an angel and a demon, but she supposedly ruled in ancient Equestria. According to the legend, she grew envious of the day, and her anger waxed hot against the ponies. So, her demon side took over, turning her into a monster of the night, Nightmare Moon.”

The ponies all looked confused by the old descriptions of this pony, but the teacher cleared her throat as she tried to control the class. “What happened to her?”

Twilight sighed as she helped Light finish the story. “They said that she was banished to the moon, never to be seen again.”

Spike raised an eyebrow at that simplification. “Wasn’t there the part where they said that the stars would one-day aid in her escape?”

“It’s superstition and rumors. Old pony’s tales with no facts behind it.” Twilight tried to insist.

“Maybe, but such a description shows the roots of hatred and racism against the thestrian race. However, all stories have lessons to be learned from, like how any pony is capable of violence.” The teacher tried to explain to the students.

A small bat-changeling named Anchovies nodded to what her teacher said, but admittedly she didn’t like the story one bit.

“I just know the legend. I didn’t write it.” Light explained. “I believe that a lot of the depictions in this story were just racism, and if the legend is true, a way to demonize the “villain” of the story.” Light explained before sitting down. “I’m sorry if I offended anybody.”

“Well, we have a different side of the story.” Anchovies replied out loud, wanting to try and put him in his place.

Light looked interested in it. “May I hear that version? I always wanted to know the truth about it.” Light asked eagerly.

Twilight leaned to Light and whispered. “If you wanted to know, maybe we should have asked the only one who was there at the time.”

“You know as well as I do that, she never talks about it.” Light whispered back, knowing that Celestia always danced around the question.

“That’s an excellent idea.” The teacher told Light before turning to Anchovies. “Maybe you nicely tell the class about our side of the legend.” She suggested.

“I will.” Anchovies said before getting up, letting the class say the princess-inspired school dress that she was wearing. She made her way to the front before starting. “Long ago, the great and beautiful princess who took us all in when others wanted to just throw us out. She took us literally and figuratively under her wing and took care of us in our time of need. Then an attack by a cruel and evil mob led by a witch stole our beloved princess from us, and deprived her in her domain, hoping that this would break our spirit and will. But did we falter? Did we let her down? No! We want out, living, far, far away from their evil, far where they couldn’t hurt us anymore.” She said triumphantly.

Light looked rather curious by this interpretation, trying to understand how these stories contrast so much. “So, the thestrials blame the equestrians for the loss of their queen, and the Equestrians call the thestrial’s queen a monster. How can these two stories differ so much? Is it even real?” Light thought to himself.

“The story is written from two different points of view.” Twilight pointed out. “Both sides would want to write themselves as the good pony, while the other as the tyrant.”

A pony that seemed to be the mix of a zebra and a buffalo leaned to them and whispered. ‘Sorry about that. She's a bit of a fan of our first ruler, and she exaggerated how bad the other side was.’ Salami said. “It’s more like our princess wants Equestria to make a peace treaty, and the next thing we know, she’s on the moon, and there is a mob coming to lynch us.” She explained. “We don’t know what happened to her.”

“But this was almost a thousand years ago.” Light pointed out. “Surely, both versions of our stories would have been battered by the storm of time.”

“That’s what I think too,” Salami said. “We really don’t have a way to have an unbiased version of this story.”

“Yeah… pity…” Twilight said as she admitted that she would like to know the true story, but the only possible eyewitness refuses to talk about the legend.

“You know a medium?” Salami asked.

“A what?” Spike asked.

“Ghost talker,” Salami said.

“I knew a short one that ended up… no… I shouldn’t say the joke…” Light said as he stopped himself.

“Say it,” Salami said before pushing her taped on glasses closer to her face.

“Um… Will you not judge me for it?” Light said as he looked extremely nervous.

“Just say it,” Salami asked.

“Okay… I knew a short psychic that robbed a bank and was on the run for a while. It was the first time I heard of a small medium at large.” Light said as he was scared about the feedback.

“Oh... ha,” Salami didn’t show any sign of laughter as she turned back to the teacher.

Light moaned as he lowered his head onto his desk. “I’m going to die here.” Light whimpered regretfully.

“Oh, don’t mind her; my sister just doesn’t have a sense of humor.” Oregano said with a giggle. “Oh... by the way, that was a good joke!” The bat-buffalo said before laughing.

“You’re just saying that.” Light moaned before Twilight looked at the bat-buffalo

“Say, the last girl seemed to know the one who told the story, and you are related to her… but none of your traits say what blend of races tie you together. Are you related to the mare who told the story?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Yap, I’m their half-sister of both Salami and Anchovies.” Oregano told them. “And Jalapeño is my other side,” She said before laughing.

“Jalapeno?” Spike asked curiously. “And I thought Light had a big family.”

“Oh, how many sisters do you have?” Oregano asked. “10... 15?”

“Um… Three, one of them being brand new.” Light explained curiously. “Why such high numbers?”

“Oh... well, I have 20 sisters,” Oregano said. “Apparently, they don’t know what heater is, nor how to turn off the A.C.”

“T… twenty?!?” Light said in shock as his head jerked up.

“Oh… I pity your mom.” Twilight said with a cringe. “I bet she loves your dad to death with all of the kids he gives her.”

“Oh... no, I have seven moms, no fathers.” Oregano started to explain. “And they each have a child with one of them.”

Twilight’s eyes widened at this. “S… seven moms… and no dads… one with each of them?”

Salami nodded, having come back to chat, “If you have seven times six divided by 2, then take all of them and then take out one, you get 20 sisters.”

“No, we did the math. It’s the science we’re trying to figure out.” Spike explained as the group looked baffled.

“What?” Salami side. “One zebra, one buffalo, one thestrial, one pegasus, one unicorn, one changeling, and one earth-pony.” She told them not understanding what they were truly asking.

“All mares, no males, something’s missing in this equation.” Spike pointed out, trying to understand what was going on with this family.

“Yes, you forgot to carry the two.” Oregano said before laughing, even making her nerdy sister Salami to laugh. “If you are asking about the Y, there is none; that’s why we don’t have any brothers.”

“Um… I don’t mean to be offensive, but technically, there shouldn’t be you without a Y. How is this scientifically possible?” Twilight asked as she was trying to accept this impossibility.

“Well, you take a little bit of the DNA of one of the moms, make it into a seed, and then plant it in the garden of the second one, and some month later, you have a Cabbage,” Salami said, not knowing how far their parents went when they told them about the Birds & Bees.

Twilight sighed as she lowered her head on the desk. “Forget it. I’m going to have to do a lot of research.”

“Don’t worry, one day, your parents will take you aside and tell you where babies come from,” Salami told her.

“I know how babies are made,” Twilight said with a hint of annoyance.

“We don’t.” Spike and Light both admitted at the same time.

Twilight raised her head. “Are you asking me to tell you where they come from?” she asked. “Didn’t your mom tell you when she was having one of your four younger siblings?”

“She… didn’t bother to explain it… Dad said that we could talk about it when I’m ready.” Light explained with a blush.

“Ask the biology teacher. It should be the next class,” Twilight said, not really wanting to give them the talk.

Spike nodded. “I’ll do it when I get the time.”

“I’ll do it when I’m ready.” Light admitted.

“And I read about it when somepony was pestering me about how I’m an impossibility,” Twilight admitted.

“Yeah… Celestia has tried to tell me, but she has had some struggles doing it.” Spike admitted.

“Well... maybe she’s trying to figure out if she should add the unicorn part or just keep it to what earth-ponies normally have.” Twilight suggested.

“What do you mean by…” Before Spike could finish, the soft bell rang again as the lights changed color.

“Oh... either the classes ended, or we are having a funky dance here.” Oregano said before chuckling, thinking about one of her siblings. “Asiago would love that.”

“Alright, I want everybody to work on studying up on the different buffalo tribes and where they come from. I’ll see you all in two days.” The teacher said as the kids gathered their books.

The entire class nodded before walking out of class in a single file.

“So, I guess this is where we start splitting up,” Spike said as the trio looked at each other.

Twilight nodded. “I hope that you’ll be ok without us.” She said before hugging Spike.

“I’ll be fine. I’m a tough little guy.” Spike said with a chuckle.

“I... I know.” Twilight said while wiping her eyes.

Spike smiled as he hugged Twilight. “Relax, sis. It’s Light that you need to keep an eye on. If you can do that, then we’ll be fine.”

“I’ll... we should go, and make sure that we can find a seat next to one and other,” Twilight said before running off to the other class with Light.

Spike took a deep breath as he watched his closest friends go off to their next class without him for the first time. A part of him felt like he was leaving them vulnerable, but he knew that they had to grow independently. In the end, it was a matter of trust.

Twilight and Light managed to find a seat next to each other for biology. Their teacher, this time, was a changeling.

“So… Do you think Spike will be okay?” Twilight asked nervously. “We haven’t been split from each other in school since one of us called in sick.”

“I’m sure that if you are okay, he’ll be ok.” Light said. “He can pass as normal better than us.”

“Normal is relative.” Twilight and Light jumped as Pinkie popped up between them.

“Pinkie... Where... where did you come from?” Twilight asked as she tried to look for where she could have popped up from.

“Well... my parents.” She said. “We lived on a rock farm.”

“A rock farm?” Light asked, looking confused.

“Oh... you don’t know what a rock is!?” Pinkie asked them. “A rock is an aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition ...”

Twilight stopped her. “He means a rock farm.” She tried to explain calmly.

“Oh... how silly of me, you would have rocks in Equestria.” Pinkie said with a carefree giggle. “It's an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and rearing animals, typically under the control of one owner or manager.”

“So… your farm handles… rocks?” Light asked in confusion.

“Ya, yes silly, if we handled dirt, then we would call it a dirt farm,” Pinkie said. “And that would be weird.”

Light closed his eyes as he tried to think about it. “Forget I asked.”

“So, are you excited?” Pinkie said as she was bouncing around the two winged ponies.

“About what?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The class, silly!” Pinkie said before jumping up in joy.

“You’re asking me about a subject that I’m struggling in.” Light said with a disheartened sigh.

“Oh... don’t worry, it’s just going to be charts!” Pinkie said. “Too bad they’re not going to be my last name.” She said with a giggle.

Twilight to pet Light’s back before turning her attention to the teacher.

“Oh... class, who here can tell me the difference between our Dominant Gene and Recessive Gene?”

“Oh! Is it the brand of fabric that changes the types of genes?” Pinkie asked, making Light stifle a laugh.

“No, and you're the second to have told me this.” The teacher said with a calm demeanor, clearly used to her antics.

“My mistake.” Pinkie said with a smile as she sat back down, beaming brightly as she accomplished her goal of getting a smile on Light’s face.

“Anyone else?” The teacher asked.

Twilight raised her claw-hoof, being rather comfortable in biology, namely due to her trying to understand her own body. “Dominant genes are the part of a chromosome that masks and overrides other parts of the specific part of the genes. Recessive genes are easily masked and usually require the parents to have the same trait for it to be visible.” Twilight explained.

The teacher nodded. “Yes, now can one tell me which is more dominant? Pony U-hoof, Dragon-claw, griffin-claws, and buffalo-cloven hoofs?”

Twilight knew a lot about dragon and pony traits due to her studies on herself and Shining, which was easy for her. “Dragon is the most dominant, with the pony genes being the most recessive.”

The teacher nodded. “Yes, and between those 2 are griffin, second, and buffalo for 3rd.” He explained before drawing a three by three grid with the top left one cut in half. “Now, let's say that we have one pony parent and one dragon that is the carrier of a pony recessive; what is the percent that the child would look like a pony dragon?”

Twilight wanted to answer, but she figured that another pony should have the chance to answer.

A yellow zebracorn with orange straps, wearing a pink scarf, lifted her hove. “50% for both pony dragon, and just looking like a none-dragon pony.”

The teacher nodded again. “Now, who can tell me the irony about kids that are half zebra and a half pony?”

Twilight was more in the dark with this, but then she noticed that Fluttershy was sitting on the side of the room. She heard that most zebras were black and white, but Fluttershy, even part kirin, was yellow and pink.

Flutter lifted her hoof up.

“Yes, Flutter?” The teacher asked quietly.

Flutter softly got up. “The irony is that each parent carries both a dominant & a recessive gene, the zebra the dominant stripes gene but the recessive colorless gene, while the pony has the dominant color gene but the recessive stripeless.”

Twilight looked impressed about Fluttershy’s knowledge of such genetics.

“She likes learning about animals, and she says that their ways of passing genes are similar to ours.” Pinkie whispered to her, almost like she read her mind.

“That’s correct. And it’s also similar to thestrals and pegasus,” The teacher said.

Twilight was confused by this new information. “Um, how so?”

“Thestrals naturally don’t have wings, having both recessive no wings, while also having dominant leather-wing genes.” Broccoli, a thestrals with lever-wings but normal pony eyes said.

Twilight was surprised by this. “Wow… amazing…”

The teacher nodded before saying. “Now... what’s the paradox with unicorn and pegasus kids?”

“Oh…” Light was silent for most of the class, but he remembered hearing about stuff like that when they tried to tell if he was an actual alicorn.

“Anyone?” The teacher said while looking at Light expectantly.

Light gulped as he slowly spoke up. “Well… the males tend to carry the more dominant genes, and the pony's genes are rather similar despite the pony races. So you normally get a larger chance of just having the traits of one race, or if both parents have a recessive gene, then there is the chance of the children taking on those traits. So it’s a battle of the dominant genes, making mixed races between ponies rare.” Light tried to explain, hoping that this is what she was talking about.

The teacher paused a bit. “Umm.. well... Even though there is, on average, a slight change that would happen between a 100% unicorn and a 100% pegasus parent, what you said isn’t 100% correct.”

“Oh…” Light mumbled as he started to wish he was invisible. “Sorry…”

“Can anyone say what’s wrong with what he said?” The teacher asked the class.

Light sunk further into his seat when he heard her ask the question in that way.

A red pegacorn wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses lifted her hove up.

“Yes, Tomato!?” The teacher asked.

Tomato smirked before getting up. “Even though both unicorn horns and having pegasus wings are both dominant. Because they are both controlled by almost the same part of the brain. They, most of the time, don't show at the same time on the same pony.” She said with confidence. “But like you can all see, 1% of the time, it happens.” She said before doing some hoof-guns with her hooves and pointing them to Light.

Light groaned softly as he sunk further into his seat.

Twilight petted Light’s back as she looked at this pegacorn curiously. “Who is she talking about? Herself or Light,” She thought to herself, not knowing this pony’s actual race.

The teacher nodded. “Thank you, Tomato, but please stop embarrassing the new student.” He said as he continued with the lesson. “Now, besides the obvious, like horns, wings, and stripes, what other slight traits can we find between the other races?”

Light instantly thought about his older brother when she brought that up. “Eyes.” Light whispered to himself.

“Yes, Light?” The teacher asked him, almost not hearing him.

Light blushed as everybody was staring at him again. A few were snickering a bit as well. “Um… I don’t want to mess up again…”

“It’s going to be ok.” The teacher said, giving the other students a stern glance.

“Well… from what I know, earth ponies are naturally tougher with more defined muscles, unicorns have weaker bodies while being more sensitive to magical auras. Pegasi have all kinds of tricks, from hollow bones to be lighter, stronger lungs and more adjustable eyes. I also read that thestrials have more sensitive hearing and problems with bright lights, and… I don’t know much about zebras…” Light said, not wanting to bring up his brother and being embarrassed.

The teacher nodded. “That’s all 100% correct. Some soft clapping, please.” He said before softly starting to clap, the class joining softly.

Light didn’t know if he was being praised or insulted as he started sinking into his seat again.

The teacher stopped the class. “W.. what’s wrong, Light?” He asked with worry.

“I… I just… I don't want to… keep acting… dumb.” Light whimpered nervously.

One of the Educational assistants that were in the classroom went to Light and sat next to him. “Hey, you’re not acting dumb. You just have a few things to learn. We weren’t even criticizing you. We were trying to congratulate you without starling you.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, it’s the main reason why I didn’t pull out my party cannon.” She said as she held the cannon that made Light freak out last night. “I need to find a way to quiet this down.”

Light sniffled a little before looking at the cannon. “Well, It’s rather loud, so I don’t know if…” Light paused as he started thinking about it.

Fluttershy looked concerned as she turned to the other pupil. “Um, will he be okay?”

“I think so. I think Pinkie has him thinking about some crazy idea.” Twilight said with a small grin.

“C... Idea?” Fluttershy asked nervously, intimidated by what she meant by that.

Twilight nodded. “Spike comes up with practical ideas, often through working. He has an… unnatural memory when it comes to my constant reorganizing and can find anything quickly, sometimes before I need it. I come up with uses for magical spells and sometimes try to tweak them a little. It’s mainly due to my love of studying. Light… he used to make toys, so he loves to tinker with things. We’re all creative in our own crazy ways.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear! Everypony is crazy in their own way.” Pinkie said as she hugged Light. “Just don’t break my precious cannon, and I’ll let you figure out how to tame it.”

“Oh… Okay… but I’ll have to do it tonight… and I’ll need some tools.” Light said as he examined the cannon. “It may be easier to make a new one, just so I don’t damage the original one. I will need some tools to do it, along with materials and an understanding of how this works.”

“Ya!” Pinkie said, about to hug Light, but then stopped herself and just did a soft pat on the table.

“Um, what is that for?” Light asked curiously.

“Well... I didn’t know if you are ok with me giving you a big Pinkie Pie hug, so… I…” Pinkie said

Light looked a little confused. “Well, Twilight has hugged me many times, so I guess it’s okay…”

“Ya!” Pinkie said before wrapping her paws around Light. “Let me know if you want me to let you go?”

“Oh… I’m okay with this.” Light said with a deep blush as he felt the soft puppy pony hugging him tightly.

“Good.” Pinkie said, rubbing her soft cotton mane on Light.

“So… is there anything else we should go over?” Twilight asked. “It seems like there’s a lot of questions being asked today.”

The teacher snapped back to reality. “Oh.. ya.” He got his paper out. “This was a bit of a recap talk before I give you the work.” He explained before starting to hand the work to each of the students. “Take one paper, and give the rest behind you.”

Twilight nodded as she took a paper and looked at the homework.

The Educational Assistants stained next to Light just in case he was needed.

Pinkie giggled as she patted Light’s back. “Just relax. You’ll be fine.”

Light needed before reading the paper ‘question 1: a half Dragons-Buffalo had four kids with a ZebraCorn if they each have kids, is one of each possibility:

“What would be their race? And what “hoof” would each kid have?

Bonus: what about the parents’ “hoofs”?

Light gulped as he looked at the chart. “Oh, boy.” He tried to look at Twilight for comfort, but she had already finished her paper and was turning the page over.

“Draw it out,” the Educational Assistants told him.

Light took a deep breath as he tried to work on his paper, noticing that Twilight was writing many notes on the back of the paper, probably going for extreme credit. She always did her best when studying.

“Take a deep breath.. and stop thinking about your friend.” The Educational Assistants asked Light.

Light looked stressed as he tried to remember the facts they went over. “Okay… dominant genes… four kids… none the same… oh boy…”

“Start by making a chart,” The Educational Assistants suggested.

Light nodded as he went to work, taking longer than the other students to figure out this problem. He was able to guess their races rather easily, but then there was the hoof part of the problem. At first, he was going to panic because he didn’t know if zebra hooves were dominant, but then he decided to guess that they were the same as unicorn hooves. He managed to finish the test, but he didn’t feel confident in it and was also the last one to turn his paper in.

The teacher thanked the students. “You can use the remainder of the time to read pages 3 to 5 in your Biology books.”

Twilight’s face brightened up before remembering something. “Um… teacher… Light and I didn’t get any books.”

“Oh.. didn’t you get the box?” The teacher said. “I think I have at least five extra copies.” He said before taking them out. “Looked under the bed that was given to you.”

“Oh… am I allowed to go get my box? I’ll be quick.” Twilight offered eagerly. “It’ll take less than a minute.”

The teacher looked at the clock. “Ok, and Light can go as well, and don't you have another student?”

“There’s no need. I’ve got it.” Twilight said as her horn glowed before she teleported out of the room.

Light took a deep breath as he was trying to calm down from the test. “It’s okay. She’s the best teleporter, I know.”

The Educational Assistants leaned towards Light. “Are you fine with her going into your room?”

Light nodded. “We lived in the same house along with Spike. It’s cool, as long as our roommates don’t mind.”

“That is something that I learned most ponies are not ok with.” Pinkie said before turning to the others. “Well, without permission. I learned to send cards in advance.”

“Were they in the room at the time and without consent?” Light asked.

“Yes & No and... Did you ask without asking to come in? Yes.” Pinkie said.

“Yeah, it’s mainly the consent thing. Twilight has mine, and she should be back by…”

Twilight suddenly teleported into the room with two boxes. “Sorry, it took me a minute. I had to give Spike his box.” She explained as she handed Light his box.

Light took it and found that there was a different school bag with his colors. He turned to look at Twilight and saw that she could put everything in just one of them.

“Ya, there’s a... Pocket… dimension... thing that lets you do that.” Pinkie explained with a blush. “I don’t really know the science behind it.”

Twilight seemed fascinated by her bag as she was sticking her hoof into it. “Amazing… how is this possible? It’s beyond our knowledge of technology.”

“Well, most ponies look at either magic or tech for the future. We learned that the way to the future isn’t founded in just one of those methods, but in a hybrid of the two.” The teacher explained to the new students. “Of course, the methods behind some of these advancements are lost to me. I’m merely a biology teacher.”

Twilight eagerly nodded as she reached in and grabbed a book out of the bag so she could start studying. “I’ll figure it out someday, but I’ll work on my homework for now.”

Light had a small grin on his face as he opened his own book. “Expect her to have read the whole book in a week or two.”

Twilight looked at how thick the book was. “I’m not a slow reader!” She said before puffing her cheeks.

“I wanted to give you an extra week since there are a lot of new books and a giant library for you to go through.” Light pointed out.

“Oh, yes... the library,” Twilight said with a Sparkle in her eyes

Pinkie grinned as she motioned for Fluttershy to come and join them. “So Twi, what was it like growing up in Canterlot?”

“Stressful,” Twilight admitted with a shudder. “I was lucky that Celestia decided to take me in as a pupil. She’s been like a role model to me. However, it’s not easy for a pony like me to be accepted. So I decided to put my time into studying. Spike and Light were the only friends I could make, so I decided to stick with them and not worry about other ponies.”

“Were those kids that bad?” Pinkie asked with some concern.

“They made tormenting me a hobby. It’s the main reason why I perfected my teleportation. It gave them fewer opportunities.” Twilight explained.

Fluttershy gasped when she heard that. “Oh my! That sounds horrible.”

“Well, that’s how most half breeds get treated. Light’s just unlucky to be autistic.” Twilight explained before turning to Fluttershy. “Haven’t you been out there?”

Fluttershy blushed as she turned away. “No… I’ve never left MoonRacer. I was born and raised here. I heard about some of the bad things that happen out there… so I never wanted to leave this place.” She explained before turning to Pinkie Pie. “She has been out there a lot longer than most of us.”

Twilight looked confused as this happy puppy pony didn’t seem like the type to have been in Equestria for a long time. “Really?”

Pinkie nodded with a shrug. “Yeah, but that’s the thing about the rock farm. Nopony really cares about what goes on out there. We were great farmers, and it was my dad’s farm, so we never really dealt with angry ponies.” She explained.

“Then.. why leave?” Light asked curiously. “You were safe with your family; why would you leave that safe haven?”

Pinkie smiled a little as she leaned back. “Because every pony deserves to be happy. I was tired of staying on the sidelines while so many other ponies were angry at scared hybrids. I explained it to my parents, and they allowed me to come here to learn more about how we can all get along.”

Twilight looked around the classroom. “Either they don’t need their help, or you really did a good job in the... How many years have you been here?” She asked.

Pinkie thought about it for a moment before answering. “About three. I try to get to know everypony here and help them have reasons to smile, namely through parties and little bits of fun, but I don’t want to stop at MoonRacer. I want to spread across Equestria and help bridge this racial gap so we can all get along.”

“If you do that, you should probably start with a petting-zoo.” Flutter said while blushing and holding back her laughter.

“I do like getting petted.” Pinkie quipped, earning a giggle from the shy pony. “See? I even get Flutter to laugh every now and then.” Pinkie said with a bright smile. “Just relax. You all have nothing to worry about here.”

“Except for the dread that is the school.” Light said while placing his hooves on his head. “I already have to walk on eggshells with my jokes.”

“Oh, Flash just takes things too literally. He’s a pony with a certain sense of humor. I’m sure that someday you'll get a laugh from him. Just take my advice and never touch his hat or glasses. If you do that, he will blow up at you.” Pinkie said with a slight shudder. “I learned from experience.”

“Well... Flash has already had his fill of me.” Light said as he hugged himself.

“Look.” Pinkie put her paw on Light’s shoulder. “We can’t control how others will react to our jokes; that’s half of the fun of it. We also can’t tell what would be a touchy subject for them, trust me. The only thing we can do after is to ask for forgiveness and hope they forgive back.”

“R...really?” Light asked nervously.

“And if all else fails, you can try to throw him a party!” Pinkie told him.

Light looked concerned by that idea. “I’m not the best at setting up stuff like that. It’s too many choices and things to organize.”

“Well… you are a toymaker, right?” Pinkie asked him.

Light nodded. “It’s my talent, even if the wings and horn suggest something grandeur.”

“Well, how about we work together? I have a ton of ponies I throw parties for, but I’m not too good at assembling toys. Perhaps you can help me out with making presents?” Pinkie offered, extending her hoof to the alicorn.

“Oh… um… I’ll need to get the stuff to make toys first, and also get the new canon made.” Light said as he had Pinkie staring at him eagerly.

“Is this the start of a new friendship?” Pinkie asked him.

Light gulped a bit as he looked at her. “Is that alright?”

Pinkie smiled before nodding. “You see, if a noisy pony can become a friend with a noise-sensitive toymaker like you, then you and Flash can fix your friendship!”

Light took a deep breath before looking at her. “Will you promise not to scare me with the cannon until I make a suppressed version?”

“Do you promise to go and fix your friendship with Flash?” Pinkie asked, a bit more serious.

Light’s eyes widened as he realized that this was the first time he saw her looking serious about something. “Um, I can try to…”

“Then, of course, I can wait.” Pinkie said.

“Okay… then I guess we’re friends now.” Light said somewhat nervously.

“Ya!” Pink hugged Light and then went back to her seat.

Fluttershy smiled before whispering to Twilight. “Pinkie is always trying to make friends with other ponies, especially the ones who she thinks needs it the most. She can be hyper at times, but she is always happy to help at the drop of a hat.”

Twilight smiled. “Maybe I should study her.”

“If it’s to understand her, then it’ll only be a headache. Trust me.” Fluttershy whispered before walking back to her seat.

Twilight looked confused. “Why would that...” Before she could finish, she heard the bell ring again as this class was now over. “Aww, man! It feels like these classes are going by so fast!”

“Time flies when you have fun!” Pinkie said while walking away on only her back hooves.

Twilight looked confused at her difficult feat that she seemed to do with ease. “There is something more to her than meets the eye.”

“That’s our Pinkie Pie.” Flutter said.

“So… I guess I get to meet up with Spike while you are on your own.” Light said as he put his backpack on.

Twilight nodded. “Don’t worry about me; I'll be fine.”

“Twi, you are the one mare who is never fine when you’re alone.” Light tried to point out before starting to think about it. “Of course, those times you usually end up getting bullied… and I don’t see many of those around here…”

“We have a zero bully tolerance policy here.” The Educational Assistant said. “We sit down with any student and have a small chat, or longer if it’s needed.”

“Um… okay. I’ll see if I can find my way to my next class.” Light said as he hugged Twilight. “Good luck.”

Twilight nodded before figuratively flying off to her next class.

As Light was getting ready to head to his next class, he was cut off by Tomato. “Um, may I help you?” Light asked as he backed up defensively.

“So.. you’re the new pegacorn here?” Tomato asked him, still wearing her leather jacket and sunglasses.

Light looked a little shocked as he tried to speak. “Well… I…”

Tomato stopped him. “The fellow ponies like us want to personally welcome you to MoonRacer!” Before giving him a card that had the time the school ends and one of the extra rooms in this school, she said before giving him a card. “Please don’t be late.” she was about to run off to her other classes but turned around to say one last thing. “Oh, and we have cookies and juice, no need to bring anything.”

Before Light could try to explain who he was, she ran off, leaving Light speechless as he had no clue what to do.

Twilight entered her next class finding the room filled with beakers, flasks, and even pipettes.

“Wow! They are having a lot of science classes today. First biology, now chemistry!” Twilight said in excitement.

“Yee.. ya…” Twilight turned to look at the owner of the familiar voice.

“Oh… Hi Dash.” Twilight said as she saw the griffon/pony carelessly holding a beaker. “Um, you may want to be careful with that.”

“Whatever,” Dash said before putting it down. “So... you’re stuck as well here?”

“Yeah, but I guess I have the extra science classes since they wanted to make sure I have some extra science to keep my mind working.” Twilight explained.

“Or maybe it’s just a coincidence.” Pinkie called out from outside the class.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she turned to the door. “How does she do that?!?”

“It’s Pinkie, so don’t question it,” Dash said.

Twilight looked a little frustrated by that explanation, but she nodded before turning to Dash. “So, do we work in pairs, or how does this class work?”

“Pair,” Dash said. “If you can find one.”

“Oh…” Twilight said before bashfully turning to the flyer. “Would you like to pair up? I promise that I am good at this.”

Dash thought about it before smirking. “Ok, but you have to make it look like I, somehow, did some of the work.” She explained with some excitement and worry.

“Okay, I’ll try to help as much as I can,” Twilight said as she turned to the teacher.

A griffin looking teacher, with dog paw on his back, flapping ears, and a dog tail on his behind, cleared his throat. “Ok, who can tell me what NaHCO3 is?”

Twilight quickly raised her hoof in the air. “Sodium hydrogen carbonate!”

The teacher nodded. “Yes, better known as?”

“Baking powder!” Twilight said happily, glad that she is in a subject that she thrives in.

“Ok, what about Acetic acid?” The teacher asked.

“CH₃COOH. It’s the main component in vinegar.” Twilight answered.

“Ok, ok, please let your partner answer some of them.” The teacher asked Twilight.

“Oh.. yes, ma’am. I’m sorry.” Twilight said as she bashfully stepped down.

“Now.. what happens if you mix them.” The teacher asked.

Twilight turned to Dash, who actually looked nervous as she looked more like a deer in the spotlight than a confident athlete.

Dash was genuinely nervous at this point. She knew that the teachers would normally let the new kids answer many questions on their first day to help them build confidence. Still, Twilight was too far into her element with this subject, meaning that either the teacher would pick other students or the ones who struggle with this subject.

Meaning Dash. “Umm… boom!?” She said as her head hit the table.

The teacher gave a soft sigh. “Not exactly, Dash. Why don’t we do this test practically so we can all see up close?”

Dash nodded to that. “Yes, let’s.”

As the teacher started giving the instructions, Twilight started getting out the components.

“One balloon, one bottle, a funnel, some baking powder, and vinegar.” Twilight listed off.

“H… have you done this before?” Dash asked in confusion as she was watching Twilight do this rather easily.

“Celestia did these experiments with me and the others often. She said that it was more fun than just talking about it.” Twilight said before turning to Dash. “Would you like me to talk you through it?”

Dash nodded, being confused about everything in this class.

“Okay, first you are going to pour some vinegar into the beaker…” Twilight said as she was carefully instructing Dash.

Dash nodded once more, following Twilight’s instructions to a T.

“Now, when you put the baking soda in the balloon, then cover the bottle with the balloon as fast as you can, ready?” Twilight asked.

Dash nodded, trying to feel the balloon with as much baking soda she could.

“Don’t worry. That should be enough.” Twilight said as she used her magic to put some safety goggles on Dash.

“Why am I… was I right?” Dash asked Twilight.

“No. This combination doesn’t blow up, but it has a different effect, and we don’t want any of this in your eyes.” Twilight explained as she motioned Dash to put the balloon on the bottle.”

“ok... “ Dash said, raising an eyebrow.

As Dash covered the bottle and spilled the powder into the vinegar, the reaction started bubbling and fizzing a lot, making the balloon inflate.

Dash looked at it and then grabbed the bottle. “Wow..!”

“Be careful. The balloon can slip off if you don’t keep it secured.” Twilight warned her.

“Ya, ya..” Dash waved her off, amazed by what was going on.

“D... Dash... LOOK OUT!!!” Twilight yelped before the balloon shot off of the bottle, spraying the mixture all over their work area.

Dash yelped and got some of the mixtures into her mouth.

Twilight panicked before her horn glowed brightly, making the mixture and balloon freeze in place as she tried to fix the mess. “Dash, are you okay?” Twilight asked, noticing that her partner was trying to spit the fizzy liquid in her mouth.

“That.. was... So… AWESOME!” Dash said.

Twilight smiles nervously as she managed to get the mess under control and clear off their station. “I’m... glad you liked it, but please try to be careful next time.”

“Ya, ya. What’s next?” Dash asked, excited for this class.

“Well… I’m glad that you now know that this combination has an extreme bubbling and fizzing effect, but may you please try not to make as much of a mess?” The teacher asked, making Twilight and Dash realize that everybody was staring at them.

Dash tried to think of something. “A wise teacher once said, Take chances, make mistakes, and get Messy.”

The teacher grinned as he knew Dash had him there. “Good point, but she’s also safe, so try not to eat any further mixtures. They may leave more than a bad taste in your mouth. Now, what specifically causes this reaction with the baking powder?”

“Oh.. oh.” Dash lifted her claw up. “They both don’t like each other, so they fight.” She said.

The teacher shook his head. “Not exactly. There is a specific thing in the vinegar that causes the reaction with the alkaline compound in the baking soda.”

One random student lifted her hove up. “They exchange atoms,” she said. “The acid in the vinegar makes the reaction.”

“Exactly. The acid in the vinegar makes this reaction that releases gas, allowing the baking soda to transform into water and carbon dioxide. Now, do you think that other things can be used to make this reaction without vinegar?” The teacher asked with a grin.

“Um.. pop-drinks?” Dash asked Twilight.

“No… it has to have acid.” Twilight explained.

“Pop-drink is an acid.” Dash insisted.

“She’s actually right.” The teacher pointed out as he pulled on his glasses and grabbed a bottle of soda. “Now, Soda has a fiz, but baking soda adds a little extra fiz and a bad flavor.” The teacher explained as he poured the baking soda in.

“Is it still going to be drink-able?” Dash asked while watching what the teacher was doing.

“It won’t taste well if you try.” The teacher said as the soda fizzed out.

“No..” Dash said while falling on her knees. “Why?”

“In the name of science.” The teacher explained as he got out a small container of yogurt. “Now, how about this? What are the odds of this getting a reaction?”

“None from me,” Dash said while crossing her arms.

The teacher grinned at the peeved student. “Okay, then I will get rid of the rest of the baking soda.” He said as he poured the last bit of the baking soda into the yogurt, causing the breakfast food to start fizzing.

Dash was shocked. “What the…?”

The teacher grinned as he turned to his class. “Acids are an amazing compound, and for your homework this week, I want you all to find five acids that we didn’t list today and then pick your favorite so we can work on a new project that we will be working on this week.”

“I.. Ummm…” Dash turned to Twilight.

Before Twilight could respond, the bell went off again. As Dash and Twilight got their stuff together, the teacher called out to them. “Dash, Twilight, may you two, please come here?”

Dash gulped before walking in front of the class. “Y.. yes?” She nervously asked.

The teacher sighed as he waited for a few stragglers to leave the class. “Dash, you have been struggling in my class quite a bit, and it’s taking a hit on your grades.” The teacher started to explain.

“Um… ya,” Dash asked while rubbing her arm.

“I don’t want you to miss out on your after school sports, so I think you need a permanent lab partner to help you out with your studies until further notice.” The teacher explained.

Dash nodded before turning to Twilight.

Twilight blushed at the thought of being given such an opportunity. “Well, I think I could try to help her. I am pretty ahead in chemistry in my old school, at least.”

“I hope so.” The teacher said as he turned to Dash. “From what I’ve been told, Twilight excels in this subject. A couple of ponies above my “paygrade” suggested letting me allow her to be your tutor, and since Twilight is a grade A student, this is the best option to help you with your failing grades. According to Flash, Spike and Light are doing the same for another one of our students. This will allow you two to get along while studying with each other. Now, are there any problems?”

“Yes, I have one! This isn’t going to change me into an egghead, right!?” Dash asked, legitimately worried.

“That’s a childish insult, not an actual condition. I, at least, want you to be able to pass your tests. That won’t make you into an egghead.” The teacher explained, realizing how awkward Twilight was probably feeling with being called an egghead.

“Sorry,” Dash said, now wanting to get out of here. “Sh.. shouldn't I be going to my next class? Wouldn’t want to be late.”

“Go ahead, and don’t try to avoid her. If your grades keep falling, you will have to be pulled from the sports team.” The teacher warned her.

“N... No, anything but that.” Dash blurted out in a rush.

“It’s the rules. Sorry. You have two weeks to improve your grades before we are forced to take action.” The teacher explained as he allowed the two students to leave.

Twilight gulped as she turned to Dash. “I… I’m sorry if I put you into a hard spot, but I can help you as much as I can.”

Dash turned to Twilight. “We’re doing an all-nighter!” She declared.

“Oh… well… I guess that can help… but we can also spend some time after school working on it. What subjects are you struggling with?” Twilight asked, wondering if it’s just chemistry she’s struggling with.

“Math and biology!” Dash admitted.

“Ah… I think I can help… and I may see about joining Spike and Light in our study time.” Twilight explained.

“Good, our room or his room?” Dash asked while looking at the clock.

“Well, I think the library may be the best.” Twilight explained.

Dash was about to gasp but held herself to try and keep from having an outburst. “fine.”

“Alright. We'll meet fifteen minutes after the assigned group time. If the others want to meet up elsewhere, then we can move it after the library.” Twilight explained as she noticed that Dash looked rather anxious. “Um, what’s the rush? We have a little time.”

“I have flying studies now!” Dash admitted.

“Oh, they have extra gym class… oh, wait… there are racial studies.” Twilight said as she realized that there were extra classes to help with pony's racial traits, like magic and flying.

“Ya.. and I don’t want to miss that,” Dash admitted while opening her wings.

“Okay, I have Ponish class with Spike. I’ll see you later.” Twilight said as she started walking down the hallway.

“K, good luck with that,” Dash said before flying off.

Twilight took a deep breath as she was walking towards the class. “Well, everything has been running… somewhat smoothly so far.”

“You can say that again,” Spike said from behind Twilight.

“Oh, hi, Spike. Did Light do alright with you? He’s been having a rough day from my perspective.” Twilight inquired while adjusting her school bag.

“Yes, apparently animal handling is something that he finds relaxing,” Spike told Twilight. “His next class is math, so he should be fine. How’s the school treating you?”

“Fairly well, but it looks like I’m going to have to help Dash out in her studies.” Twilight explained.

“Oh, the day isn’t over yet, and you already got yourself a study buddy,” Spike said as a joke.

“Well, I may have offered to allow you and Light to be in our study group. Is that alright?” Twilight asked somewhat nervously.

Spike paused before asking. “W.. what? Why? Which class?”

“Biology and math.” Twilight explained. “If she keeps failing, she won’t be able to stay in the sports teams.”

“Oh no, and if she can’t be on the sports team, they can’t win the big tournament, and then they can't confess their love to the cheerleaders,” Spike said melodramatically.

“Very funny,” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes.

“But then she realized that the nerdy mare that was pining over him the whole story is beautiful after she takes her glasses off.” He continued to mock as he walked to their class.

“Hey, it’s Rarity!” Twilight said as she pointed down a hall.

“Wait, where?” Spike said while trying to comb his mane.

Twilight giggled as she playfully shoved him. “Awe, somepony is in love.” She said in a somewhat teasing tone.

“Well... I.. She reminds me of…” Spike tried to speak but was too flustered.

Twilight giggled. “It’s alright. Your secret is safe with me, and I won’t give you a hard time about it.”

Spike nodded. “Though... you do share a room with her..” He said while leaning to her ear. “Let me know if you hear her say anything about a handsome purple earth pony with a short green mane.”

Twilight gave a soft giggle. “Oh dear… you’re head over hooves for her.”

“Well, she is the first unicorn that isn’t your mom that was fine with how we are.” Spike pointed out.

“Yeah… I guess…” Twilight said as she felt like there was something off about her.

“Is there something wrong?” Spike asked, stopping in front of the door for their class.

“Well… I think there is something more to her than meets the eye. The other students called her a hypocrite the other night.” Twilight explained.

Spike shrugged. “Maybe it’s just jealousy!? She looked like she could fit in in Canterlot.”

“No, a hypocrite is somebody who doesn’t live up to what they say. Is there something about her looks that she’s hiding?” Twilight asked herself.

“Maybe she has a facial birthmark or scar that she is ashamed of and hides behind makeup,” Spike said, hoping it was something like that.

“I don’t know, but I think we should leave that topic alone for now,” Twilight said as they walked into the classroom.

Chapter 4: The Class of Group

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“... I before E, except for after C,” they both heard the teacher say, already starting his class as they tried to sneak their way to some seats.

Twilight managed to find some seats next to Sleipnir and Applejack, who were busy going through their papers.

Applejack was having trouble with this, used to talking and writing in her Southern drawl.

Spike was rather quick to notice as he started writing in his notebook, realizing a lot of mistakes she was making.

”Celestia darnet,” A.J. muttered to herself. “Why couldn’t they do it like my parents did?” she said with a hint of sadness.

“Different places have different styles,” Spike whispered softly.

“Yeah... don’t want to forget their way,” Jack said, clearly sad.

“Well, you could write personal notes and letters for yourself in that style and use the school’s method for homework,” Spike suggested. “It’s how I handle my letters to mom.”

“I guess so,” Jack said, trying to do the work the teacher was asking from them.

“My problem is that Canterlot ponies tend to use cursive due to its formal style. The problem is that most teachers we have don’t bother with it, even though mom taught me. So… do you need any help with basic writing?” Spike offered.

A.J. blushed. “I would really like that,” she admitted.

“Okay, so the first thing to work on is alternative words for your slang. If it makes things easier, then think of it as an option instead of the only way of doing it. So for schoolwork and formal stuff, Ya’ll becomes you all or all of you, cause becomes because, and so on,” Spike said as he started writing down some examples for her.

Jack nodded while writing what he was saying down.

Twilight smiled as Spike started giving her a lot of pointers, being the helpful pony that he always had been. It was nice to see him taking initiative in helping another pony.

“Wait, colour?” Jack asked. “Why did you add the U?”

“It’s how that word is spelled,” Spike tried to say.

“Um, only Canterlot ponies spell it like that,” Twilight whispered to her little brother.

Spike paused and gulped. “Oh...” he said with a blush.

Twilight blushed as she turned to Applejack. “Sorry. There are a couple of words that we spell differently. I do try to learn how they are normally spelled. Spike still is the best writer between us and Light.”

“That’s ok y'all,” Jack said. “I had to get used to this when I got here.”

“It’s okay, I’ll keep trying to help, even with the few mistakes I’m making,” Spike said as he was adjusting his notes.

“So… how was...” Jack was trying to find a way to ask Spike about living in Canterlot and living with Celestia as his mom.

“Um… you may want to use commas less and just make more sentences,” Spike said as he was checking her schoolwork.

“Oh.. yeah,” Jack said before going back to her work.

“Hey, how about we all just work together on the group study session after gym class?” Spike asked. “I’m already helping Shark with his spelling. It’d help us all improve on this.”

A.J. nodded. “I would really like that.”

“Good. It’ll save us some time, and Twi also has to help Dash out,” Spike explained.

“Oh.. with what?” Jack said curious about her friend.

“Biology, and Light may help her with her math skills,” Twilight explained, but please don’t make it awkward for her.

A.J. acted like she was zipping her mouth.

“So… Applejack… What do you know about Rarity?” Spike asked with a small blush.

“Oh... um... That she likes to take care of her looks, and that she would like to see Canterlot...” A.J. said, looking a bit awkward as she spoke.

“Okay… and what about her… personality?” Spike asked as Twilight was rolling her eyes.

“Umm.. a bit distant, helpful, in her own way, perfectionist, well mannered…” A.J. went on.

“Um, we may want to focus on the class and then think about Rarity later,” Twilight warned the others.

A.J. nodded as she turned to look at the teacher who was talking about where to use commas in sentences.

Twilight took a deep breath as she looked at her blushing “brother”, realizing how serious he is about Rarity.

Jack took a glance at how Spike was writing, using his mouth to write. His movements were smooth and methodical as every letter seemed flawless, which is hard for young earth ponies. Then she looked down at her pen held in her buffalo’s cloven-hooves.

The class continued for a while until the bell went off, this class taking longer than most other classes.

“Hooey, this was a frustrating class,” A.J. admitted. “Thanks for the help.”

“Any time. I’m always willing to be helpful,” Spike assured Applejack.

Twilight smiled at her ’brother’ making friends, before looking at her paper. “Next we have…?”

“Lunch, and I’m starving,” Applejack said, rubbing her stomach.

Twilight smiled. “Me too, I hope that I can find more gem filled food,” she admitted.

“Ah! I guess that eating gems isn’t common for you?” Applejack asked.

Twilight shook her head. “Most of the gems, the ones that can be found, are used to make jewellery to show off their wealth,” she explained.

“I see. It must be hard for somepony like you,” Applejack said curiously.

“The worst part is that they are only using that because they look nice, not caring for their hard attributes, capability of being used as sharp carving tools, nor their nutritional value,” Twilight said.

“Twilight, I’m pretty sure that that last part is only for you and other dragons,” Spike said.

“It’s not easy to walk through town and see ponies wearing food,” Twilight explained as she licked her lips. “Yeah, could you just imagine if ponies were walking around, wearing… umm…” Twilight paused not knowing what Buffalos ate that ponies didn’t.

“Apples. Just for the sake of the illustration, I’ll imagine apples,” Applejack said with a nod.

“Wearing... apples, not caring about how crunchy , juicy, and delicious they are,” Twilight ranted off.

“Okay, I can see your point. You may want to warn Rarity about it though. Her cutie mark is three gems, so you can see that it can influence her style sometimes,” Applejack warned her.

“What are you afraid that I’m going to do?” Twilight asked.

“Eat one of her dresses,” Spike said with a chuckle.

Twilight looked at him. “I managed to live years in Canterlot with multiple ponies wearing them while I didn’t have any, I can manage while receiving my daily dose.”

“More like your fix,” Spike said, trying to hold back his laughter.

“It’s food, not an addiction!” Twilight tried to insist.

“Yes, just like when Light was eating too much chocolate,” Spike said with a chuckle.

“Come on you two,” Applejack said as she patted their backs. “All this food talk is making me hungry.”

Spike nodded. “Race you!” he said before leaving his friends behind to eat his dust.

Twilight and Applejack rolled their eyes as they ran after him.

At the cafeteria they each grabbed some food. Spike had a hay-burger, fries and a glass of water. A.J. had an apple-pie, fritters and dumplings with a glass of apple juice. And Twilight had a large plate of ruby pie, which could be compared to a shepherd’s pie.

After they had their food, the group made their way to Light who was eating a few sandwiches, waiting for his friends to come to join him.

“Hey Light! How was math class?” Spike asked as he sat next to him.

“Fun,” he said between bites. “They have many things to help us out. Different coloured beans and gems, a plastic toy that helps with multiplying numbers between 1-9 with other numbers between 1-9. Just a lot of things that make learning more visual,” he explained.

“That sounds great,” Twilight said as she took a bite out of her pie. “Now I have to survive gym class.”

“You’ll be fine. Just stick close to us,” Light assured her.

“Yeah, we’ve covered for you before,” Spike agreed as he was chewing on his burger.

“Ya'll don’t need to fret, they have plenty of exercises for non ponies,” A.J. reassured them.

Light nodded. “Now I just need to hope that Flash is willing to forgive me,” Light said with a gulp.

“Dude, he’s been begging for your forgiveness,” Spike tried to point out. “Kirouac gave a speech on improving and letting go. You’ll be fine.”

Light nodded. “Yeah, but..." he turned to look at where Flash was sitting, with other students that he didn't know. A yellow soft looking buffalo, a blue pegasus with a purple headband, a changeling with shades of green, with her mane done in a bun, a red unicorn with her ponytail tied up to the end of her horn and a zebra with a blue & purple-pinkie mane. “If only he didn’t avoid me out of shame.”

“Like you didn’t avoid him in animal handling?” Spike asked. “Just go talk to him.”

Light gulped as he thought about walking over there, but was quickly interrupted as Dash, Flutter, Pinkie, and Rarity walked over to them. “Hey guys! Mind if we sit with you?” Pinkie asked excitedly.

“Oh... um... Ok,” Light said, interrupted in what he was planning to do.

Pinkie smiled brightly as she sat down next to him. As the other girls sat down, Rarity turned to Flash. “There he is with his girlfriends again. That boy seems to have a way with the mares,” she explained, not noticing Spike looking at her.

“I think they prefer the word, female friends,” Dash said.

“Call it whatever you want, I can easily tell that those are a bit more than friends,” Rarity declared, having an act for knowing who was in love with who. “Yes, Spike?” she turned to him.

Spike blushed as he turned away in shock. “I… um… nothing…” he said as his cheeks turned a deep red. Rarity smirked a bit, turning back to everyone else, noticing the face that Light was making.

Light looked shocked as he turned back to Flash. “Marefriends?” Light asked as he noticed Bubbly sitting with him and the rest of the girls, receiving a very close hug from Flash.

“Well, he has some wonderful personality traits, and those shades add a mysterious side of him, along with the gentle appearance of the hat. He’s always had a way with those mares,” Rarity explained before looking at Light. “Have you ever dated before?”

Light shook his head. “I’m mentally handicapped. I’ve never felt comfortable with the idea of dating.”

“Oh... come on,” Pinkie said while softly petting Light. “I’m sure you’ll find the one, or ones.”

“Really?” Light asked. Pinkie nodded. Light blushed when he realized one of the things that she said. “Wait… you mean… more than one?”

Pinkie nodded once more. “I’m sure that there’s more than just one ponies or none ponies who would find you worthy of dating.”

“Oh… I doubt that ponies would like me for more than me being an alicorn,” Light said bashfully.

“You just need to find someone that's just like you,” Flutter whispered softly in his ear. “Or at least understands you,” she said before hugging his other side.

Twilight looked rather curious. “Is it normal for a stallion to have more than one marefriend?”

“Well... Yes and maybe...” Rarity said. “There are those that are in an open relationship, but they wouldn’t just be dating him but each other,” she said while seeing how Cautious the pegasus was trying Marerian the buffalo. “Take the Pizza family for example, they are 7 mares that ended up together.

“Yeah… I’m still trying to figure that out,” Twilight admitted. “So harems and group marriages are a thing?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, but some just stick to one. Why do you ask?”

“Just… curious about your culture,” She said as she looked at the two mares hugging Light.

“Jealousy..? Envy..?” Rarity asked Twilight. “Or do you want to find love yourself?”

“What? No!” Twilight said in shock. “Light is like a brother to me. I don’t like him that way,” she whispered.

“I was talking about the two Aspies having ’female friends’ already,” Rarity said,

“Aspi… what?” Twilight asked in confusion while distracted by something.

“Aspie, Asperger, one that has asperger?” Rarity asked Twilight before noticing where Twilight’s gaze had turned to.

Twilight was getting a glance of Sleipnir walking by, looking at his formal posture and charming personality, along with those eight strong hooves.

“You like him?” Rarity asked teasingly.

“Um…” Twilight blushed a little as she was unable to answer.

“He is quite a catch,” Rarity said.

“I… I don’t know… it feels too soon,” Twilight admitted.

“Just go and talk to him. Ask him to sit with you,” Rarity insisted.

“Are you experienced with this?” Twilight asked.

“Why do you think I’m not letting Equestria’s prince get too close too quickly? I get a ton of boys wanting to be with me, but some lose interest and some I don’t end up liking. In a while, I’m going to see if Spike is willing to invest in me. Then I’ll see where it goes from there,” Rarity whispered with a wink. “Right now it’s all about you making contact and giving him a try. If you ever need dating advice, then just ask me.”

“Thank you Rarity, you really know how to be a good friend,” Twilight said before hugging her.

“You’re welcome. I’m always willing to help with young love,” she said as she hugged her back.

Twilight let go of Rarity, got up, made her way to Sleipnir and tried to start talking. “H.. hello prince Sleipnir,” she said before trying to do a curtsy, but lost her balance and almost fell down, but was caught by Sleinir, in his strong front arms.

“Hey, you don’t need to bow if I’m not in my royal apparel, remember?” Sleipnir asked as he helped her up.

“I.. I just…” Twilight blushed as she looked into his eyes.

“Would you like me to walk to your seat? I can sit with you if you wish,” Sleipnir offered kindly, not wanting her to get hurt.

Twilight nodded, being unable to speak.

Sleipnir helped her over to her seat before turning to the others. “Mind if I join?”

“Of course not,” Rarity said, getting up and giving her seat to Sleipnir. “I’m... going to take a walk outside, smell the flowers,” she said looking back at the other students.

“Um, do you need anything?” Spike asked, somewhat eagerly.

“Well, my purse is getting heavy, so I would like a little help,” Rarity said, leading Spike along.

Spike nodded, placed her purse on his back, and followed her out.

Twilight blushed as she turned to the young prince. “So… how are you doing?”

“Oh, um, good, everything is ’normal’ for me, how about you, how are you taking the change of scenery?” Sleipnir asked her nicely.

“It’s… a lot nicer than I thought it would be,” Twilight admitted. “Nopony is as judgemental as the ponies in Canterlot.”

“Why would they be judgemental about you?” Sliepnir asked while parting the piece of mane that was in Twilight’s face.

“The ponies here or in Canterlot?” Twilight asked with a blush.

“Both,” Sleipnir said with a smile.

“Well, being a hybrid didn’t help me in Canterlot, but this place is so… welcoming,” Twilight explained.

“That’s what we aim to do,” Sleipnir told her. “And you can’t find some lovely gloves for your lovely claws.”

“Y… you think they are lovely?” Twilight asked.

“Well yes,” Sleipnir admitted before lifting them up and kissing them. “It’s clear that you take care of them.”

“Oh… d… do you do this to all mares?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Only the lovely ones,” Sleipnir admitted. “So.. just to you,” he finished with a cheesy smile.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she had no clue what to say. “I… I…”

“Hey dude, you may want to be careful about speeding,” Light told the young prince as he looked rather concerned.

“No, I’m Sleipnir, Speed is the colt in the skurt,” he said, still with his smile on.

Light took a deep breath as he ate his final sandwich. “May I talk to you in private?”

Sleipnir got up, leaving Twilight behind, and followed Light Heart.

“Oh dear.” Twilight looked anxious as she looked at the two guys walking off.

After they were far enough Sleipnir said, “Look, feel free to be over protective of your ’sister’, but do understand this is going to cut off some of her happiness. Trust me.” Then he took a glance at Helsa, his older sister.

“I’m not telling you to dump her. I’m just setting some ground rules,” Light explained as they moved to the corner of the room. “There is no parent or big brother here for her, so I am the unofficial substitute. Ask questions about her likes and dislikes, and don’t just date her because of her looks. If you take her out, I get a schedule of your plans. Nothing with quesadillas. Trust me. You don’t get to kiss her lips until the second month at least. Lastly, she is the equivalent of my sister, so be smart and don’t break her heart. Now, are you willing to deal with me, a dragon dad, and a top notch guard brother to win her heart? If not, feel free to walk away now,” Light said coldly as he walked right up to Sleipnir, being only an inch away from him.

Sleipnir gulped, feeling awkward with Light being right in his face. However, he did want Twilight to have at least a chance at first love, so he mustered up his courage and held his ground. “I promise that I will treat her with the honor and respect she deserves, and will accept the consequences if I wrong her,” he said firmly.

Light stared at him for a while before backing off and grinning. “Alright, you earned the ability to try being more than friends. Don’t make me regret it. Shining will kill me.”

“I’m sure Twilight will find a way to make me regret this,” Sleipnir said.

“If you break her heart, I will,” Light said as he turned to head back to the group.

Twilight was relieved as Light and Sleipnir both came back, seeming to be rather content.

Sleipnir looked around. ”Have Spike and Rarity come back?” he asked.

“Oh, we just did darling,” Rarity said as she walked over with Spike. “I hope you all enjoyed each other’s company while we were gone.”

Sleipnir glanced at Light Heart. “Ya... yes we did.” He put on a smile.

Spike looked curious as he finally turned to Sleipnir. “Did he give you the talk?” Spike whispered to him.

“No, my dad already did,” Sleipnir told Spike.

“Not that one, the ’date my family member’ talk.”

“Ah... yes.” Sleipnir nodded.

“Yeah… it’s tradition, and Twilight, I hope you understand,” Spike whispered as Twilight walked up to Sleipnir.

Sleipnir nodded. “I do, I can see how protective Light is.”

“You have no idea,” Spike whispered, shuddering at the memory of Light’s rampage.

“I was told by my father that I don’t want to see what happens when an Alicorn gets angry,” Sleipnir said with worry.

“Really?” Twilight asked, now being in range to hear what they were talking about. “What did he say about it?”

“Umm.. let’s see,” Sleipnir said, starting to think of what his dad told him.

Before they could talk more about it, the bell went off again.

“Yeehaw! Time for some good old fashioned gym class!” Applejack said as she jumped out of her seat.

“Yeah! Race you all!” Dash said before flying off.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “How uncouth!”

“Wait for ME!” Pinkie said before bouncing off after Dash.

“Ohh... dash... pinkie... not so fast,” Flutter whispered into the air.

Sleipnir cringed as he felt his competitive side taking over. “Um, mind if I race Dash to the field? She may be the flyer, but I’m the runner,” Sleipnir asked Twilight.

“Go on, Twilight encouraged, staying behind with Spike and Light.

“Alright. I’ll see you later,” Sleipnir said as he darted after the rest of the group.

Both Rarity and Flutter stepped aside when Sleipnir passed them, as they were trying to reach their class.

Spike turned to the others as he stretched his hooves. “So, I guess we will join the rest of the school for gym.”

Light nodded. “Hope it’s better than the gym class in Canterlot,” he said with a shiver.

“Are you kidding? Now I get ponies who don’t always use magic to get an edge,” Spike said with a big grin as he motioned the others to follow him.

“It’s not like we couldn’t play dirty as well,” Light pointed out as they walked.

“Yeah, but other kids didn’t get chewed out like we did,” Spike reminded him

Light nodded. “Please don’t remind me,” he begged.

Twilight sighed before turning to Light. “How was your gym class when you were a unicorn in Ponyville?”

“Considering how young I was when I became an alicorn, it was playground time until the teacher called us in,” Light explained.

“Oh... so you didn’t test your strength before getting your wings!?” Spike asked.

“Nope. I just spent time away from the other kids,” Light admitted bashfully as they walked outside.

“Oof, how... How bad was it?” Spike asked. “What did you do?”

“Nothing. I just have a hard time being social,” Light explained as they were following the other students.

“But what did you play? Hopscotch!?” Spike asked.

“Eh, just a bunch of small games. None that I remember a lot.”

“Mhm...” Twilight said. “Well... you have us now.”

“Yeah, I just don’t want to mess up epically again,” Light explained.

“Hey.” Spike hugged Light. “Even if you do, we’ll be there for you.”

“Either way, I am the pony who struggles with sports,” Twilight reminded him.

“I’m sure that they will know how to accommodate your claws,” Spike told her.

“Again, I read books, not play sports,” Twilight tried to point out as they walked into the gym building.

“Yes, if you had a Dragon-Hoard it would literally just be a library!” Spike said teasingly. “What about your dad?”

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t get to spend a lot of time with him.”

“Oh... no,” Spike said, thinking back about it. “Why…?”

“I spent several years in Celestia’s school, and my dad can’t live in city limits,” Twilight explained.

“Weekends?” Spike asked before looking at Light Heart.

“Well… I just study a lot. I usually get to visit him once or twice a month, and we normally just talk,” Twilight said as they were walking up to the locker rooms.

“What about you, Light?” Spike asked with worry.

“Traveling to Canterlot takes money and time. I usually see my family biweekly,” Light said with a shrug. “That’s life.”

“You if only you two could fly,” Spike said, stopping his walking.

Light and Twilight both turned to Spike with an annoyed look. “We’ll handle that later,” Twilight said as she turned to what she supposed were the locker-rooms, but instead of being separated by gender, there were just a bunch of individual ones.

“Wow.” Spike said. “Now we can change in pea…” he stopped when he realized one thing. “Um, we have no gym clothes.”

“We’re ponies. We don’t normally wear clothes,” Light pointed out.

“Yeah... but…” Spike tried to say but stopped himself when he saw Rarity.

“Hello darlings. I’m glad that you didn’t get lost on the way here,” she said as she was adjusting what was seemingly the school gym uniform.

Light tilted his head. “Do... do we have to?” he asked.

“To what? Get lost?” Rarity asked as she brushed her mane back.

“No, wear gym clothes?” Light asked, not being interested in Rarity.

“Oh, it is a requirement,” Rarity explained. “It’s to keep us from getting hurt from scrapes, bruises, and burns from any fire breathers. Let me guess, they forgot to get you your uniforms. They mess up every time,” Rarity said with a giggle.

Twilight looked at all of them sheepishly. “Do... do you know where we can find some?”

Rarity nodded as she walked over to a closet. “Of course. They keep a ton of spares in here for special cases,” she explained as she waved at a teacher. “Excuse me, my friends here didn’t get their gym clothes, so would you be a dear and help me get them some?” Rarity asked kindly.

“No, I’m from the gorilla tribe,” the friendly buffalo teacher told her.

“Oh, you are so clever,” Rarity said with a small giggle, not showing any resentment for the joke.

The teacher nodded before opening the closet for them and showing them off. “What color?”

“Violet for Twilight, purple and green for Spike, and light blue for Light Heart,” Rarity said, keeping their color pallets in mind.

The teacher nodded before tossing the matching colors to them. When they caught the clothes, they seemed to be too small, but when they unfolded them, they now seemed to be too big.

“Um, may I have a smaller one?” Twilight asked nervously.

Rarity giggled at the inexperienced ponies. “Have you ever heard of changeling silk?” she asked as she stretched her uniform’s sleeve a bit.

“Umm... I heard of Changelings?” Light said with an uneasy tone.

“Well, in order to be able to change forms quickly without being restricted by their wings or horns. So they ended up making this magical silk that shifts as they shift. When the formula was brought to MoonRacer, they were able to adjust the formula so that it doesn’t just adjust to changelings,” Rarity started to explain with a smile as she motioned for the others to the locker rooms. “Just try them on, and it will be like a second skin to you.”

Twilight looked concerned about how Rarity knew so much about changeling silk, but dismissed it as just her knowing about clothes. “O... ok,” she said before walking into one of the changing rooms.

“Don’t worry. Fashion is my life. You’ll love this fabric,” Rarity assured them.

Twilight slipped the clothes onto herself, swimming in them until she managed to have her head and legs sticking out. “Now wha..." she gasped as she felt the clothes shrink to fit her, even changing to be more comfortable on & for her half dragon body.

“Sweet Celestia! It’s sticking my wings through the back!” Light yelped from his room.

Twilight turned and craned her head to look at her back, seeing that it did the same for her leathery wings. “Wow… this is amazing…” Twilight said, examining the suit as it fit snugly to her body.

“This is incredible!” Spike yelled out. “It feels better than the custom made clothes that Celestia gets me.”

“Oh, I believe that other fabrics have a special taste to them as well. I use all kinds of fabrics, and am willing to make all kinds of dresses… but I’m not well versed in stallion-styles clothes,” Rarity explained as she was waiting for the others to come out.

“I don’t really mind,” Spike said walking out, moving around not feeling restrained.

Twilight and Light walked out as well, both still shocked by the special material.

“It’s amazing how comfortable it is,” Twilight said with glee.

“It’s crazy that it works,” Light said as he was flapping his wings a little.

Twilight nodded, flexing her body and feeling the first time that she had something that fit her.

“The school makes them, so they are rather simple. If you wish, I can make some more fashionable clothing for you,” Rarity offered.

“I would love that,” Twilight said before hugging Rarity.

“What’re y’all waiting for?” A.J. asked, walking to them with Dash on her side, both in their gym uniforms.

“Just… getting used to the clothes,” Twilight explained.

“Yeah... I know, they’re so... 20% cooler!” Dash said.

A.J. nodded, recalling how it was when she couldn’t find anything for her buffalo body before moving to MoonRacer with her grandma. Large torsos are not common for pony mares.

“So, what kind of sports do you play here?” Spike asked as he started stretching.

“Well soccer is very popular here,” Dash said. “So is volleyball, even if they don’t let you use your wings,” she said with a frown.

“It gives wingless ponies a chance to win against you,” Applejack pointed out with a smirk.

“If they can’t beat me at my best, they shouldn’t be playing at all,” Dash said before flexing her wings.

“Where is the fun in not being able to win or not having a challenge?” Pinkie asked as she hopped onto Dash’s back.

“What’s the fun of just making it easy?” Dash replied.

“I think I’m going to fail badly today,” Light muttered with a gulp.

“Speak for yourself. You have earth pony strength. I read books,” Twilight pointed out as she scratched her head.

“He ain't the only one!” A.J. said proudly.

“I’ve got it too!” Pinkie said while jumping up.

“Alight, we’re both going to fail epically,” Light told Twilight as he was fearing going against these athletes.

“I’m not one!” Pinkie said. “I’ll help you win!”

“Um… Where is Fluttershy?” Twilight asked curiously.

“She tends to fill the water cups,” Dash explained. “She also tries to cheer us on, but it’s hard for her to be vocal.”

“Oh... she’s both the water-filly and the cheerleader!?” Spike asked, turning to Rarity to see if she may be also one of them.

“Um… define cheer…” Rarity said nervously.

“Umm... PomPom!?” Spike asked.

“Um… she’s a very reserved cheerleader,” Rarity admitted.

“Oh... how so?” Light asked, concerned for his new friend.

“Fluttershy lives up to the last part of her name, and isn’t very competitive. So she tends to be very quiet and reserved. She doesn’t play competitively much,” Dash explained as she was stretching her wings.

“I have noticed,” Twilight said. “I do hope that she’s at least happy with where she is in her life.”

“Oh, she never complains, and she is a good pony to talk to,” Rarity assured them.

Spike smiled. “So.. should we join the class, or... Should we…?”

“Yes! Let’s get going!” Dash said as she started shoving Twilight and Light towards the main gym.

“Aaa,” both of their wings flapping as they were trying to resist her. “Please don’t shove us,” they asked Dash.

“Awe, don’t sweat this class,” Dash said as she carried them onto the field.

“Isn’t that the point?” Pinkie asked. “To sweat?”

“That’s not what she meant,” Applejack pointed out as they led the group to the rest of the kids.

“Just chillax. Follow the rules, have fun, and try not to get in my way,” Dash explained to the others as they saw the gym teacher walking in front of the kids.

It was clear by the tuft of fur and the cloven hooves that this pegasus was half buffalo. “Ok class, let’s start with some stretching! First extend your front right hoof and if you have one, your right wing as well.”

The kids followed the teacher’s instructions, a few of them noticing that Sleipnir was extending his front two right hooves.

“Now twist them a bit,” the teacher said, glancing at Light and Twilight.

Twilight was trying to examine the teacher and tried to mimic her movements, not used to exercises like this. Canterlot never invested in sports too much, so this left Spike to be the only one out of the three canterlot transfers who was comfortable with these stretches.

The teacher made her way to both Twilight and Light. “Are you two having trouble?” she asked them.

“Um… it’s just a new stretch for us,” Twilight explained before hearing Light fall on his face. “Mainly because we rarely use our wings,” she added with a wince.

The teacher tilted her head. “Oh? Would you like my help with that?”

“Well… Dash offered to help teach us to fly, but I guess we do need help with the wing stretches,” Twilight admitted.

The teacher nodded. “Ok.” She turned to the rest of the class. “Please continue your stretching,” she told them before going back to Twilight and Light. “Now... I want you to stretch your wings as wide as you can.”

“Straight out or up?” Light asked as he got back onto his hooves.

“Let’s do 45 degrees,” the teacher said.

“Um… I forget what that’s supposed to be,” Light said as he tried to figure out what position to put his wings at.

The teacher placed her wings horisontal. “0 degrees.” Then she placed her wings straight up. “90 degrees.” Then she went between the two. “45 degrees.”

“Oh, okay,” Light said as he and Twilight tried to follow her example.

The teacher went to each of them. “Do you mind if I touch your wings?”

“Um… I don’t mind?” Twilight said with a nod.

“I… I don’t feel comfortable with having my wings touched while extended,” Light admitted nervously.

“Would you rather I show you on Twight, and then.. If you are fine, she can touch yours?” the teacher asked nicely.

“Um… I don’t know…” Light said as he felt rather awkward.

“You don’t have to answer right away,” the teacher let Light know before turning to Twilight. “Now as for you,” she softly touched Twilight's wings. “Your wings should be more straight, and curving this way,” she said while adjusting her wings.

“Oh… Okay,” Twilight said as she paid close attention to how she was positioning her wings.

The teacher turned to Light. “Are you following?” she asked.

“Yes Ma’am,” Light said as he was trying to follow the motions as best as possible.

“Do you need Twilight or I to move them for you?” she asked her student.

“I… I’m good,” Light said nervously.

“Ok... now let’s try to bend them inward,” the teacher said.

“Okay,” Twilight said as she tried to follow the teacher’s instructions to the letter.

“Light?” the teacher asked him.

“I… I’m good,” Light tried to assure them.

“Ok... now put your wings back to being straight, then rebend them.”

Both Twilight and Light were following her instructions, even though it was clear who was struggling.

“Is there something that is bothering you?” the teacher asked.

“N… nothing,” Light said.

Twilight looked worried before deciding to whisper to the teacher. “He’s afraid of heights.”

The teacher nodded before walking to Light, and sitting next to Light. “I was scared of heights when I was your age,” she admitted.

Light blushed as he turned away from her. “I… I just don’t want to be forced into it.”

“No one is forcing you to fly,” the teacher let him know. “But you still need to take care of your wings.”

Light looked nervous as he looked at his wings. “I was afraid of heights for so long, and now I have a pair of wings. It just… doesn’t feel natural for me.”

The teacher looked at Light for a second. “What is natural?” she asked him, passing her feathers through her cloven hooves.

“The horn… you don’t know, do you?” Light asked as he started to look ashamed.

“By the way that you are talking, I take it that you’re not actually a pegacorn!?” the teacher asked him.

Light nodded bashfully.

“And that the legend is true, of ponies getting wings and a horn to become an Alicorn!?” the teacher added.

“I know of me and Cadence, but not any other new alicorns,” Light admitted.

“I bet that the support group of pegacorns, at least one, invited you to join them?” the teacher asked.

“I… Is that what that mare invited me to?” Light asked, looking scared at the thought of being outcast by them.

“You should join them,” the teacher suggested. “They may be able to make you feel normal, and help you with your wings.”

“So… will they mind that I am an alicorn?” Light asked nervously.

The teacher winced a bit. “May... maybe hold back on the whole alicorn thing,” the teacher added to her suggestion.

“B… but they expect me to be a pegacorn…” Light pointed out.

“Didn’t your paper say that your mother is a pegasus, while your father is a unicorn?” the teacher asked him.

“Yes…” Light said, having heard this being pointed out before.

“Then you can easily pass as one. Better than Solid Ground,” the teacher said.

“So… I just have to lie?” Light asked, feeling awkward about doing it.

The teacher begrudgingly nodded. “I don’t really know why they are so.. anti-alicorn,” she admitted. “You should ask about the empty chair they have.”

“An empty chair?” Light asked.

“Yes, from what I heard and can understand, they had a member that left them,” the teacher tried to explain.

Twilight could tell how scared he was, so she turned to the teacher. “Well, I think we can work on that later. Are there any other stretches that we need to do?”

“Yes, your back hooves,” the teacher said with a smile.

“Oh, okay,” Twilight said with a nod.

“Lift your left back hoof up,” the teacher said. “Then pull it back.”

Twilight and Light both did as she instructed, but this time it was Twilight who was struggling to keep her balance.

The teacher looked confused. “W.. what’s wrong?”

“I’m.. just not used to working out and stretching,” Twilight admitted.

“Have you.. Played any sports before?” she asked.

“Um… no…” Twilight admitted. “I was allowed to get extra credit for spending recess working on other school projects back in Canterlot.”

The gym teacher frowned. “Should I suggest that you try… ballet, baseball or any other sports?” she asked.

“Um… is it a requirement?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Well, it’s good to keep yourself in good health,” the teacher pointed out.

“I normally try to stick to a somewhat healthy diet,” Twilight tried to explain.

“Eating is not all,” the teacher said. “You should also exercise your muscles.”

“Oh…” Twilight said disheartedly before looking the teacher in the eyes. “Am I allowed to see a list of the sports, have time to research them, and pick one myself?”

The teacher nodded. “Of course, after class, but for now, let’s join back with the rest of the students.”

“Yes ma’am,” Twilight agreed with a nod.

While they were joining the rest of the group, Sleipnir was taking care to help the other students with their stretches and exercise.

“Now, up and dow... Oh! You’re back!” Sleipnir said.

“Thank you for taking charge in leading the class Sleipnir,” the teacher said as she took her position again.

“You’re welcome,” Sleipnir said while backing away and retacking his place with the other students.

“Alright! Who’s ready to get started on today’s activity?” the teacher asked with a big smile. The students all nodded. “Alright! Let’s divide into teams and get onto the soccer fields!” the teacher said as the kids started to divide up into groups.

“A.J., Dash, please be in separate teams,” the teacher asked them.

“Of course. I always love the chance to go head to head with her,” Dash said with a grin.

Applejack chuckled as she adjusted her hat. “Bring it on Dash.”

“Now, now, it’s just going to be a friendly game,” the teacher told both of them while getting between them. “You two can do that in your free time or championship.”

Applejack nodded as she turned to the new kids. “Um, how do we want to sort them out?”

“Umm... Light in A.J. team, Twilight in Dash’s team, and Spike can…” the teacher tried to think.

“Be on my team!” Dash said quickly. “After all, Jack is getting an alicorn and I’m getting an egghead.”

Light winted before looking around to see if any students heard her out him.

“Well... you don’t need to say that,” the teacher chewed out Dash.

“Exactly Darling! Try and have some tact,” Rarity agreed.

“Oh... and which team are you in, Rarity?” Spike asked her.

“Oh... I’m in A.J.’s team,” Rarity admitted. “But I do try to be civil.”

“Oh… can I swap with Light then?” Spike asked the teacher hopefully.

“Um...” the teacher looked around to the rest of the students that were already split. “Sorry, maybe next time.”

“Oh… okay,” Spike said, looking disappointed.

“Ok, class, please all take a jersey of your color,” the teacher said, giving A.J.’s team blue jerseys with yellow numbers on them, while Dash’s team got white jerseys with black numbers on them.

Dash quickly worked on getting her team together. “Alright Spike, do you have any soccer experience?”

“I... um… how much do we need?” Spike asked Dash.

“It’s a school, so not much unless you want to be on the starting group or on an official team,” Pinkie assured them while bouncing around the group.

“Umm.. a little,” Spike admitted.

“Alright, we’ll put you on the early sub list to see what you’ve got. All the new kids are supposed to get field time, so don’t worry about it,” Dash assured him before turning to Twilight. “Hey Twi, we usually put the weaker players in close to the end of the game, so maybe you can help Fluttershy get the drinks set up till then.”

Twilight turned to look at Flutter, who was giving out drinks to both teams. “I.. ok,” she said with defeat.

“It’s okay. She’s technically on Jack's team, and it can give you two some time to talk,” Dash tried to comfort her.

Twilight nodded. “Ok,” she said before going to Flutter.

Fluttershy was busy working to get the cups filled while Angel was helping bring out the cups. “Oh, thank you Angel. It’s nice to have a bit of quiet time between classes.” The bunny nodded before his ears perked up at who was walking to them.

“Hi Fluttershy. Do you mind if I help?” Twilight asked as she walked over to help.

“Oh!” Flutter turned around. “Twilight,” she said in relief. “Of course.”

Twilight started to help her as she looked rather curious about her shy nature. “So, I see you don’t care for sports much. I admittedly don’t care for it either.”

“No... it’s rough and loud,” Flutter admitted while petting Angel’s head. “I am more focused on my animal friends.”

“I see,” Twilight said as she started to help pour the drinks. “I can understand the rough and loud part due to Light. I just prefer to study in my free time.”

“Oh... what do you read?” Flutter asked.

“Magic, science, history, geography, basically a lot of studying. I do read a bit of Daring Do every time a new book comes out,” Twilight admitted. “I have all of her books.”

“Oh... I... have read some of her books,” Flutter admitted. “The Jr. ones.”

“The Jr. ones?” Twilight asked curiously.

Flutter nodded. “Yes, the ones where she’s still a little filly, helping to find lost cat’s and save a family of raccoons,” she explained.

“Yeah, those ones are older and some of them seem a little odd, but they provide a lot of backstory to her,” Twilight admitted. “Do you read any other books? Maybe we could have a book reading group.”

“Umm... Mostly just nature, and how to care for your fellow animal,” Flutter admitted.

“Really?” Twilight asked before noticing Angel seeming to chuckle.

“Oh, don’t be like that, you silly little pet,” Flutter told her before petting his head.

Angel grinned as he pulled a book out of Fluttershy’s book bag.

Twilight looked confused as she read the book title. “Werewolf and the princess? Isn’t this a teen love title?”

Flutter covered her face. “ANGEL!” she seemed to be crying.

Twilight blushed as she put the book back into her bag. “It’s okay. I think we’ve all read a few books like this before.”

Flutter looked up. “You... you don’t fear me, nor find me weird?” she asked.

Twilight shook her head. “Not at all. The other girls in my school would read these books all of the time.”

“Oh...” Flutter blushed. “My.”

“So… I noticed you were getting close to Light. May I ask why? You barely know him,” Twilight pointed out.

“He... he’s very soft spoken,” Flutter said.

“And?” Twilight asked.

Flutter started to name off everything that she likes about Light. “and he is also friends with Pinkie Pie.”

Twilight grinned a little. “And he’s cute,” she pointed out. “I saw a bunch of mares try to hit on him, but he never dated them because of one main reason.”

“Oh... what, what is it?” Flutter asked worriedly, hoping she wouldn’t have that problem.

“He’s oblivious,” Twilight pointed out with a giggle. “He doesn’t tend to know when a girl is into him until they lose interest or they go too far. Too many were into his looks and didn’t have enough dedication to wait for him.”

“Oh...” Flutter whispered to herself. “Well.. if it ends up like that, I’ll be satisfied with just being his friend,” she admitted with defeat.

“Darling, you don’t understand,” Rarity said as she walked over and wiped the sweat off of her head. “Light is a long term investment. You just need to have patience and understanding with him,” Rarity tried to explain.

“I do, Rarity, but I’m also realistic and ready to accept the possibility. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up,” Flutter said triumphantly.

“Yeah, just expect the poor guy to be awkward about everything,” Twilight warned them with a giggle.

“Yes, but. Oh...” Rarity said. “Light is talking to Pinkie Pie!”

Twilight turned to see that Pinkie was talking to him excitedly, even though she was on the sideline and he was playing. “Oh… goof up in three, two, one…”

Light suddenly slipped in a mud puddle, getting completely coated.

“That’s Light,” Twilight said with a giggle.

“Oh no, I... I should go help him,” Flutter said before running off.

“He’s fine… just embarrassed as usual,” Twilight said as she saw Light trying to get up without help.

It was too late, Flutter had run off to Pinkie Pie to help Light Heart up.

“I’m fine!” Light tried to say as he was drenched in mud.

“Um, I think you may want to sub out, Sugar,” Applejack said as she motioned for another sub to come in.

“You’re not hurt?” Flutter asked, placing one of Light’s arms over herself, while Pinkie did the same with his other front hoof.

“I’ve felt worse,” Light admitted.

Flutter and Pinkie both took Light to the bench. “I... we will sit with you, Flutter said softly while blushing.

“Thanks,” Light said as he started wiping the mud off of his face.

Flutter looked around for the extra clean towels that they left on the bench for this. “Let me wipe it off of you,” she said, blushing when she realized what she just said.

“Thanks,” Light said, oblivious of their advances.

“Let me do his other side,” Pinkie said as well, grabbing her own towels.

“Oh, both at once?” Light asked.

“Twisted as fast!” Pinkie said.

“I… have no clue what that means,” Light admitted as the other kids were giggling a bit.

“I think she means twice as fast,” Flutter told Light.

“Oh, well thanks. I just needed my ability to see again,” Light said as they finished cleaning his face.

“How is it now?” Flutter asked.

“Better. Thanks,” Light said as he was now more relaxed.

Both girls nodded while looking at the game that was playing.

Sleipnir, wearing a Yellow jersey, had one of the 3 soccer balls that they were playing with, and managed to make a score.

Dash groaned a little as Sleipnir was able to outpace her on the ground.

His blue jersey changed to a white one.

“Wait, what happened?” Twilight asked in confusion as she was about to be subbed in.

“Oh, now Sleipnir is on the other team!” Pinkie said.

“What does that mean?” Light asked.

“When you score, you change color and get onto the other team,” Rarity explained.

“Oh, that explains things… kinda…” Twilight said as she was motioned to switch with another player.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, it makes sure you play in teams of different players, and make sure that no team is better than the other, since the best player will have to play for both of them at one piont or the other.

“The only exception is professional teams,” Dash explained as she and Appledash now seemed to simply be coaching.

“Yes, but that would make it fun and very… United if professional teams in professional games did that,” Pinkie said.

“It would make strategies and rosters a pain,” Spike pointed out.

“The best strategist can still win, even when they are giving the unexpected,” Sleipnir told them.

“Yeah, there is a reason why this is messing with my head,” Light said as he was rubbing his neck.

Pinkie hugged Light. “Don’t think about it too much and try to just have fun,” she told him.

“It has a lot of variables, but is a valid school activity,” Twilight pointed out before tripping over a ball.

Sleipnir helped Twilight up. “It can get chaotic.”

“Ow… I can feel that,” Twilight said as she got back up.

“Don’t worry! It happens. Just keep trying!” Applejack tried to encourage her.

“Do I need to take you to the bench?” Sliepnir asked Twilight.

“I’m fine!” Twilight tried to assure the others.

“Then kick the ball to the other goal,” Applejack tried to explain with a small groan.

Sliepnir passed the ball to Twilight, who seemed rather awkward trying to kick the ball, namely due to her trying to be extra careful to not pop it.

“Ouch, she was not made for sports,” Dash said with a cringe. “At least she’s trying. I can always respect that.”

“I just don’t want to pop it,” Twilight explained.

“It’s pop proof,” Dash yelled out. “Any of us could grab it, and try to rip it open without any success.”

“Especially with the fact that you don’t trim your nails,” Rarity told her.

“I don’t know how! Nopony knows how to do it in Canterlot,” Twilight said as she tripped on the ball again.

Rarity gave a soft sigh as she got out a file. “I can help with that after school.”

“Have you never pushed something with your hooves?” Dash asked. “Or your claws!?”

“Not a ball,” Twilight explained. “And I’m trying to kick it while running.”

“Kick it away from you, then run to where you have just kicked it.” Dash told her.

“It’s not as easy as you say!!!” Twilight said as she kicked it too far away from her.

“Well at the least she has learned how to pass,” Pinkie said.

“Yep, to the wrong team,” Light pointed out.

Spike was breathing heavily as he was finishing his second time being on the field and walking towards the others. “Maybe she needs lessons on how to play?”

A.J. turned to look at Dash.

“I can see what I can do, but I also have to get my grades up if I want to stay in the sport,” Dash explained with a shudder.

“That’s the deal between us,” Twilight said.

“Scary.” Applejack sighed before the whistle went off. “And that’s the game.”

“Aww.. it’s over,” Pinkie said with a frown.

“At least she didn’t fall in the mud,” Light said as he was trying to brush the mud off of his suit. “The pegacorn group is going to love hearing me explain this.”

“Oh... um… good luck with that,” Flutter said.

“Hit the shower!” the gym teacher said. “figuratively not literally,” she clarified.

“Yeah, we always get some free time to clean off, and since you three are new, you get to have a bit more free time while meeting some of the group scouts,” Dash explained with a bit of excitement.

“G... Group scout!?” Light asked with a gulp.

“Yeah, Tomato is one for pegacorns,” Dash explained.

Applejack sighed as she patted Light on the back. “Don’t worry about it too much. They meet up at certain times, so you don’t have to worry about having to juggle a ton. They also aren’t very pushy. You just need to be in at least three groups, one educational, one physical, and one social.”

“Well... I’m already in a social one,” Light said. “What sports are open?”

“Track and field, stunt flying, soccer, volleyball, dancing, swimming, baseball, and basketball. And don’t forget that picking more than one in each category is an option,” Dash pointed out.

“Ok... um... What about education?” Light asked with worry in his voice.

“There is a lot more in that category than sports, but you can do a ton of stuff,” Applejack explained as they started walking towards the shower stalls. “Thus the education groups end up being smaller than the sports groups.”

“Oh... there’s animal care,” Flutter said with pep in her voice. “And childcare education at the orphanage...”

“Baking counts as well!” Pinkie said with excitement. “I think that there’s also something with Marerian.”

“Leadership classes are also available,” Sleipnir added.

“I... I think I’ll pass on that one,” Light admitted before lowering his head.

“I think we all know that Light will be joining the crafts department,” Rarity said with a giggle.

“A.. yes, that’s the one with Marerian,” Pinkie said.

“Crafts?” Light asked curiously.

“Well, it’s a broad term due to the little types of crafts. I personally attend to make accessories, but toys are a common thing as well,” Rarity explained, much to Light’s excitement.

“What does helping Dash, count as?” Twilight asked her while turning to her.

“Basic tutoring, which is homeroom stuff,” Dash explained disheartedly.

“Oh... so it doesn't count!” Twilight said.

“Nope. There is a literature club that you may like,” Fluttershy suggested.

Both Light and Spike had to hold back Twilight from her excitement.

“As for social groups, you get a lot of options because they group up in activities that didn’t classify as education, and there are also groups based on backgrounds like race, upbringing, and disabilities,” Rarity finished explaining.

“Mhm... Asperger?” Light asked.

Flutter nodded. “FlashTruth is the leader of that group.”

“Oh…” Light looked somewhat discouraged, but not wanting to outright break his promise to Pinkie about trying to be friends with Flash.

“Is there something wrong?” Flutter asked Light, petting his back.

“I… it’s nothing,” Light said as they got to the locker rooms. “I need to get cleaned up.”

“Oh... see you later, Light,” Pinkie said, waving him away.

Pinkie sighed as she hugged Flutter. “Completely oblivious. This is going to be fun,” she said with a giggle.

Flutter nodded as she walked away with Pinkie. “Which of us do you think he'll notice first?”

“Hm… subtle vs blunt.” Pinkie started to muse to herself. “I'm going to bet both!”

“Both!?” Flutter asked. “What makes you think he’s not going to notice just you?” she asked, looking down, thinking of her timid nature.

“Just a hunch,” Pinkie said with a shrug.

Flutter nodded. “If you say so.”

“Just try to make sure you don’t force him into a relationship too fast,” Twilight warned them as she was walking into a changing room.

“Don’t worry. We’ll just have fun as friends for a while,” Pinkie assured her with a giggle. “We don’t need to get all crazy lovey for a while.”

“Agreed. Love is a long trip, not a vacation,” Rarity said with a nod.

“Yeah, all you lovebirds can woo over him if you want. I’m going to get ready for my first group,” Dash said as she flew off.

“Well, bye for now,” Flutter whispered in her usual timid voice.

“By the way, will any of you be at the pool today? Shark invited us over there,” Spike said with a soft blush as he thought about Rarity swimming.

“Oh, not me. Ponies like me have problems with floating,” Applejack said as she was brushing off her hat. “And don’t bother inviting Flash. The poor kid has a harder time floating than I do.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked curiously as she was about to change.

“We’ll explain later. Right now we need to get cleaned up,” Rarity said as she walked into a changing room.

Twilight nodded as they all started to get cleaned up for the next ’class’.

Spike walked into the shower stall, closed the door, took his gym uniform-clothing off, placed it in the water-proof box and then turned the shower on, and started to scrub his body.

As he was starting to get the sweat off of him, he heard a sudden burst of water in the stall next door, along with Light screaming. “WHAT THE HAY!!! TURN IT OFF!!!”

“Oh, is that the stall with the loose shower head?” Pinkie asked before going into her shower stall.

Twilight’s eyes widened as she jumped out of her stall and tried to teleport Light out of the stall, only for her magic to fail her. “W… what? He’s right there! Why can’t I teleport him?”

“There are a few rooms designed to prevent teleportation, namely the restrooms and shower stalls,” Applejack explained as she tried to help Twilight out by slamming on the door. “Just turn off the water and get outta there!”

Light yanked the water handle that was made to be strong enough to survive a dragon trying to rip it off the wall until it turned off. He got out of the shower-stall, his body completely wet.

Twilight winced as she saw Light’s wet and stressed out body. “Oh… this isn’t one of your best days.”

“Tell me about it.” Light said while lowering his head. “First, I might have ruined my friendship with the kinship I have with literally the first other pony with AS that I have met, and now I have to go meet a group of ‘pegacorns’ who think that I’m also one of them, and for some unknown reason, dislike alicorns.” He placed his face in his hooves

“Hey… It’s gonna be alright. Yer just having a rough day in a new place,” Applejack tried to comfort him.

“Yes... but.” Light lifted his head. “It was supposed to be a new fresh start! A better start with ‘ponies’ that would understand.”

“Light… we’re not perfect, no matter how much we’d like to be,” Applejack tried to explain. “Quite a few of us come from broken homes or clashing cultures. Right now you’re just… more unique in some areas, but you fit in through other ways.”

Light felt a bit silly to be complaining about his life. “I.. I just want to understand why and how!?” He cried out to mostly himself.

Twilight gave him a soft hug, petting his wings that were magically grown. “I… I don’t know why you are an alicorn… but maybe there is a reason that you haven’t found yet, like cutie marks. It just takes time to find out?”

“Yes.. but…” He lifted his head to look at Twilight. “Why me and not somepony else? There are many different ponies that are more worthy than me. Like... my older brother and… Kirouac!?”

“Define worthy,” Applejack told him before sitting down next to him. “Maybe you are more worthy than all of us. But either way, you’re a kid right now, not a destined prince. Just remember that.”

“Tell that to the... ‘Alicorn worshippers,” Light told them.

Applejack looked shocked by that revelation. “Really? That’s a thing?”

Light nodded,”Yeah... since Celestia moves the sun and has lived for thousands of years… many ponies have started to think of her as... a Deity.”

“And other alicorns have this problem?” The farmer asked. “Do you have a church dedicated to you?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Light admitted. “And the only other alicorn is Cadence. Celestia gets called the Alicorn of the Sun, while Cadence is starting to get called the one of Love,” he explained before turning to Twilight to confirm.

“Yeah… it’s awkward according to Cadence,” Twilight admitted.

A.J. winced. “I can understand why.”

“Well, how about I join you in the pegacorn group?” Twilight asked. “I’m your friend, and also have wings and a horn. I’m sure that they’ll let me sit in on one session.”

A.J. thought about it. “I did hear that Kirouac was part of the group before getting too busy. And he also didn’t want to look like he was... playing favourites,” she explained.

“So… I just have to lie for the rest of my life,” Light asked as he was starting to shiver from being soaked for so long.

A.J. could understand the dislike of lying, so she placed a hove onto Light’s shoulder. “You... you just need to wait until they figure that out by themselves,” she suggested.

Light nodded as he heard the bell go off. “I guess I had better get walking,” Light said as he started getting up, still dripping water.

“Here, let me dry you off,” Twilight said as she blew a stream of flames at him, drying him off while not burning him.

A.J. backed away in a bit of a shock. “I... w… What?”

Light brushed his messy mane a bit before turning towards Applejack. “She’s really good at that trick. She even met Celestia that way.”

“B... by setting other ponies on fire?” A.J. asked.

“No, it’s controlling the heat while protecting the body.” Twilight explained.

“Oh... please never do that on me,” A.J. both asked and begged before looking over her fur covered body.

“It’s okay. She learned to ask consent, and she has mine and Light’s,” Spike explained as he got out of his changing room.

A.J. nodded before looking at the time. “Sorry y'all, but I have to go now. Support group for half buffalo and ponies,”he told them.

“Okay. We’ll find our way to the pegacorn group,” Twilight said as she gave Applejack a small hug. “Thanks for helping.”

“Shucks, it was nothing,” A.J. told them before trotting off.

“Well, it’s racial support hour, and I get to meet some other magical earth ponies,” Spike said as he cracked his neck. “Will you two be okay?”

Twilight nodded, trying to hide her sadness of only having Kirouac as half dragon half unicorn here. “Yeah... we will,” she said before wrapping her arm around Light’s neck.

“Hey, we have the three amigos, at least part time,” Light said as he tried to wrap a wing over her.

Twilight smiled. “Let’s play in the park after the group meet ups,” she suggested.

“Well, after home room,” Spike said with a grin. “We can play frisbee, magic edition.”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah! See you.”

Spike smiled as he ran down the hall, leaving the two winged unicorns.

Light and Twilight walked along the halls asking for help from other ponies, and the other support group. Flutter walking in the Kirin’s group, the Halfling, and Rarity who seemed to be waiting for someone, Pinkie waving at everypony while standing in front of the half Diamond-dog, and Dash walking into the griffon/pegasus room.

“So… how are we going to find the pegacorn group?” Light asked as he seemed rather lost.

“Easy,” Twilight told Light. “We just have to use our brain and we well f...” she stopped herself when she saw a painted image of a unicorn and pegasus rubbing their heads on one another, while being in a heart, taped on one of the doors. “Found it...” she said with disappointment.

“Well… that’s romantic,” Light said with a gulp.

Twilight turned to Light. “Why... what’s wrong?” she asked him.

“I hope they aren’t focused on romance. You know my luck with that,” Light explained while looking concerned.

“I think it’s more... Their parents…” Twilight tried to explain. “Since... You know…”

“Well… it does remind me of mom and dad… if the pegasus was smaller,” Light said as he looked at the photo.

“I think it’s supposed to be a generic couple,” Twilight said, pointing out how both ponies were left blanked with no defining features to tell which gender either of them was.

“You know what I mean,” Light said with a sigh as he walked up to the door.

“I do,” Twilight told him before following him in.

Chapter 5: what the lightHeart wants

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As they opened the door, they saw Tomato waiting for them. “Oh… I didn’t know you’d be bringing a friend…”

Light nodded nervously. “Yeah. I... I thought, you know, she also has a horn, and wings!” he said while pointing them out on Twilight’s body. “That... you know, she should join us,” he said, finishing with a smile.

“Well… dragon unicorns are rare, and they say that Kirouac was in our group, so I think we can let her in,” Tomato said with a nod. “Come on in.”

Both Light Heart and Twilight nodded nervously before following Tomato into the room.

In the room they could see a large brown stallion with white blushes on his chest and ear, with a grass like mane on his head. A copper-red teenage filly with underdeveloped wings and a baby horn poking out of her yellow mane that had a large green streak in the center. Tomato, with her leather jacket and sunglasses. And the last one, an orange little colt with a short red and white mane, wearing a shirt that had no holes for his wings.

There were two open seats, one that had a paper tag with Light Heart’s name one it, while the other said Dandelion.

The largest one got up. “Oh.. hello, I’m Farmer,” he said, shaking both of their hooves. “Let me get a chair for you,” he said before walking off, and grabbing a chair with his mouth.

“Oh… is there no magic allowed in here?” Twilight asked.

The copper mare shooked her head. “Don’t mind Farmer, he prefers doing everything the ’earth-pony’ way,” she said in a mocking tone.

Farmer placed the chair down. “Well I’m sorry if some don’t feel the need to exert magic to do something that can easily be done by every physically-capable citizen,” he replied with some snark.

“At least both of your parents are capable and willing to teach you how to use magic and how to fly,” the orange colt told before of them, still feeling uncomfortable in this shirt.

Light and Twilight winced at the colt. “Well, I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with my dad growing up, so I’m not much of a flyer,” Twilight admitted, wanting to make him feel more comfortable.

Light looked at the colt’s shirt rather curiously. “I used to hide my wings too. I used a jacket and got some rather nasty rashes.”

“You used a cotton one, didn’t you? Those things always brush against the feathers in a bad way,” Farmer said with a small smile.

“I’m not hiding my wings,” the little colt said with a hint of sadness. “It’s just my dad's old shirt, and they both don’t think I need to learn how to fly,” he said before taking the shirt off, exposing his uncapped feathers.

“Oh… I wouldn’t mind joining that boat,” Light admitted bashfully as he sat down.

The copper colored mare looked at Light. “And hold back progress!?” she asked him.

“And not fall…” Light whispered to himself as Twilight tried to explain.

“He’s been afraid of heights ever since he saw a wonderbolt show as a kid.”

“Oh! So you saw my mother perform?” the large brown stallion asked.

“Um… which one was she?” Light asked curiously.

“ThunderCloud,” he said while showing off his darker coat. “She would have stuck out a bit,” he pointed out.

Light rubbed his head as he tried to remember. “I don’t know… I was only a few years old at the time,” Light admitted.

“Mhm... well she’s now retired,” he explained. “Now she helps take care of the weather here.”

“Ah, well, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and you already heard about Light. What are your names?” Twilight asked curiously.

The copper colored mare, with the small wings and horn walked up to them. “I’m Cotton, CottonRose Dress!” she said while examining how Twilight’s dragon and pony features blended together.

“I’m Farmer!” the large brown stallion said.

“Whatever you say, Sparkle Sky,” Cotton said back with a teasing smirk.

“Sparkle Sky?” Twilight asked in confusion. Farmer looked annoyed.

“It’s what his parents called him at his birth,” the small orange colt said while getting up. “I’m named Solid Ground.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Light tried to complement them, still feeling rather awkward.

“Please take a seat,” Tomato said. “Oh, and I’m Tomato by the way,” the tomato-red filly said.

“Yeah, we heard about you a little, mostly your name,” Twilight said with a nod as she sat down on the seat Farmer got her.

“Well my mothers are well known here,” Tomato said with a side smirk before flipping her leather jacket up.

Light eyes widened as he had to ask himself a big question. “Mothers? Like the seven mothers that I heard about?”

Tomato nodded. “Yes, the Pizza family is well known for their work,” she said proudly.

“Yeah…” Twilight said with a blush as she tried to figure out which work she was talking about.

“What do your parents do for a living?” Farmer asked them. “Oh, and which one is the unicorn and pegasus?”

“Well, my unicorn dad is… sorta a retired security guard, and my pegasus mom is a teacher,” Light explained, wanting to seem somewhat normal.

“Oh, what subject?” Farmer asked. “My dad is the current magic teacher.”

“It’s rather general since there are only a couple of teachers in Ponyville,” Light admitted.

“Mhm... must have been interesting,” Cotton said. “My unicorn mom is the flower shop owner, while my “mapa” is the lead weather manager.”

“Mapa?” Twilight asked in confusion, not being familiar with the term.

Tomato nodded. “Yes, it’s the prefered name used for the mare that is the ’father’, if you know what I mean,” she said. “And... you all know what the Pizza Family does for a living!”

“Um… Pizza?” Light asked, wanting to be sure.

“What...” Tomato said in a joking voice. “What would make you think that? We’re a family of mechanics!” she said, trying to hold back her laughter.

Light looked a little nervous as he sunk into his seat. “Sorry…”

Tomato busted out laughing. “Dude, it’s a joke,” she said while rolling on the floor laughing

“Oh… sorry…” Light said in embarrassment. Everyone in the group looked at Tomato with anger.

“Hey, it’s alright. Light just didn’t know she was kidding. He had a similar problem with Flash today,” Twilight said as she tried to calm the group down.

“Speaking of which,” Tomato started. “Do you have the same thing as him?” she asked while tapping her skull.

“N… no… I’m not autistic,” Twilight tried to explain, not wanting to make Light feel any more awkward.

“I was talking to the one on the ground,” Tomato said before turning to Light.

“Oh, yeah, he’s autistic,” Twilight said with a nod.

Solid Ground went to Light to pet him

“I… I’m fine… I’m just trying to get used to how ponies receive humor around here,” Light explained.

“He also had a rough day,” Twilight added.

“I can understand,” Cotton said. “Moving is hard.”

“Having several emotional breakdowns and having a shower head fall off right in front of you also puts a damper on things,” Twilight said as Light was starting to calm down.

Solid Ground looked nervous. “Do you want a cookie?” he asked Light.

Light nodded. “As long as it isn’t a raisin cookie.”

“Oh, of course not,” Solid Ground said while sticking his tongue out. “Those are the worst.”

“They are like impersonators,” Light said with a small shudder.

“You think you’re going to bite down into a chocolate one, but no, it’s raisin.”

“See? You are already getting along,” Twilight said happily.

Cotton nodded, before jumping off of her chair, and tried to fly to them, her wings having to buzz in rapid succession to even manage to glide to them.

“So… how does the horn and wings work for you?” Twilight asked while trying to help Cotton.

“What do you mean?” Cotton asked while tilting her head to the side.

“Well… they seem rather… small…” Twilight said cautiously, not wanting to offend her.

Cotton looked at her back. “Ah yes, they aren’t fully developed. But I’m working on it,” she told her. “I just need to extract a bit of DNA from my coltfriend, then I can make it!” she said with a smile.

“Extract some what?” Light asked in shock.

Cotton turned to Light. “Have you met the colt that wears a skirt, and a jean jacket?” she asked him.

“Yeah, the race shifter,” Light said with a nod.

Cotton nodded. “Yes, If I can reverse engineer his DNA I can find a way to make my wings and horn be fully grown,” she said with a smile. “Or at the least be either one or the other.”

“Oh… Nice…” Light said as he nervously shifted away from her.

“Do you have siblings?” Cotton asked the 2 new members.

“One brother who somehow got lucky and had no physical traits,” Twilight said with a small sigh, thinking about Shining again.

“Two brothers, three sisters. Three of them are pegasi, and the rest are unicorns,” Light said with a nod.

“Well just imagine,” Cotton started with a wicked grin. “Your brother could finally breathe fire, and you could... Be a... unicorn!?” she said before turning to Light. “And you!” she said with bravado. “Have any of your pegasus siblings ever wanted to do magic, or grab something that was far away without getting up? How about when you all want to go on vacation, but couldn't go to Cloudsdale because your unicorn siblings can’t walk on clouds,” she asked him. “I could unlock their unexposed DNA, give each and every one of them a horn and a pair of wings. And maybe put a bit of pegasus DNA in your dad, just enough to make him able to walk on clouds, but.. You would have to carry him and fly him there,” she said.

“Well, my little brother always liked explosive magic, but giving it to him may cause more trouble than my parents would want,” Light said as he actually had to think about it.

“And it does sound like there is an element of risk. DNA is a tricky thing to mess with, and if it’s done wrong it can cause problems for any offspring,” Twilight said as she thought about the possibility of mixing genes. “Of course, there is a lot of potential for this, even though my brother can technically breathe fire. He just doesn’t allow his dragon side to show.”

“We are all living proof that it can work,” Cotton said with a bit of dismissal. “Just look at Kirouac!”

“Yeah, but to make a pegasus with unicorn DNA grow a horn would require some magical excellerants to help shift the body into its new form,” Twilight pointed out as she got out a notebook. “Theoretically, such an ability to shift the genetic structure in ponies could allow somepony like me to look like a normal unicorn,” she said as her interest started to peak.

“It takes 9 months to make the full body of a baby,” Cotton said. “Obviously at the start we couldn’t do that as fast as Speed. And... you may have lined marks on your front hooves where your hooves fused together. And maybe two small marks on your back, where your wings would have once been. We can work on it if you want,” she asked with a smile.

Twilight had a small smile on her face as she started to think about what it would be like to be able to go around Canterlot as a normal pony. “I wouldn’t miss a research project like this for the world.”

Cotton hugged Twilight.

“Aaaand... great! They each got the other started,” Solid Ground told Light.

“I think they are doing it for two different reasons,” Light said, not liking where this was going.

“Does that really matter?” Solid asked.

“Now where were we?” Cotton asked. “Ah yes, parents!” she said.

“Well, my unicorn mom works in a bookstore… and I have no real clue what my dragon dad does,” Twilight admitted.

“And my dad is the basketball coach, while my mom is a baker,” Solid Ground said. “Both... earth-pony.”

“Well, it’s not the first time I’ve heard of earth ponies giving birth to other races,” Light admitted.

“Maybe so, but I doubt that your birth was as... annoying as mine,” said Solid Ground.

“Why do you say that?” Light asked, looking confused.

“What do you think happens when the doctor says an earth-pony mare gave birth to a pony with both a horn and a pair of wings?” Solid Ground asked him.

“Ask for a blood test?” Light asked with a shrug. “That’s what happened with the cake twins. The parents just had recessive genes.”

Solid shook his head. “So do both of my parents. The doctor started to kneel.”

“Did Celestia or a high grade unicorn have to come over and do the Harmonic sense spell on you?” Light asked curiously.

Solid looked confused. “W... my parents left before any more nonsense could be done,” he said with a chill in his back.

“Ouch… what happened then?” Light asked, now looking concerned for this pegacorn.

“Well, from what I can understand from what my parents told me, the whole town believed that I was a gift from heaven, and that I’m supposed to replace Celestia when I grow up. HA! They started to knock at my parents door, trying to break in their house to see me, and give me some offers…” Solid said that before covering his head with his wings. “Like my parents didn’t dislike wings and horns already.”

Light winced as he rubbed his wings. “It’s always rough when they think so much of you.”

“Yeah, I know.” Solid said, hating both his horn and wings. “My parents had to move away because of that, telling the town that they had a call from up above to go.” He shook his head.

“So… they took you here?” Twilight asked as she turned her attention to him.

Solid nodded. “Yes, here, where they know that Alicorns are nonsense,” he said before turning to the empty chair. “Well most do.”

“N… nonsense?” Light asked in confusion.

“Yes, nonsense!” Farmer said. “Just because we have a horn and a pair of wings, that doesn’t mean that we are better than the rest of them,” he said before turning to the empty chair as well, seeming to get angry at the thought of it.

“I… I know that… but… why do you keep looking at that seat?” Light asked with a hint of fear.

“Long ago we had another member,” Cotton started. “Her name was Dandelionnnn..."

“Innocent enough name, but you say it like it’s some kind of disease,” Twilight said as she started to look concerned.

"She believed that we were in fact Alicorns, that we are better than all of the rest, that they should kneel and worship us,” Cotton explained before looking at her small wings. “Ha!”

“That’s stupid!” Light exclaimed, not wanting to be worshiped in any way.

“She told my sisters that I shouldn't have to do any work, that they should be grateful to be in our presence, that we are better then, and that they should listen and obey me,” Tomato said in disgust. “I’m literally the youngest of my sisters!”

“That’s foolish! Alicorns don’t get instant promotions to royalty. The reason Cadence became royalty is because when she was taken in she had been taught how to rule a nation fairly,” Twilight explained, disgusted by the idea of somepony trying to take command like that. “So what happened to her?”

“She left, probably went to the town that my parents are from,” Solid said. “And... wait, what did you say about... Cadence?” he asked.

“Celestia taught me that no pony should be born into power, and that it comes from learning and earning the respect of the people. Rulers are servants to help others, not deities to be raised on high. No race should treat another pony like that,” Twilight said firmly, feeling angry at Dandelion.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s all good and fine, but what did you say that happened to Cadence?” Cotton asked.

“She was adopted after she became an alicorn. Celestia told me that she saw a loving heart in her, and believed that she could be the next great ruler since she came from nothing,” Twilight explained. “She also babysat me, Spike, and Light.”

“Be... came?” Cotton asked.

“Yeah. Alicorns aren’t born to my knowledge,” Twilight explained, almost ready to use Light’s testimony as a reference, but quickly deciding not to expose him.

“Y... you telling me that you know somepony they grow a pair of wings?” Cotton asked.

“Actually, she grew a horn,” Twilight explained.

Cotton instantly grabbed Twilight and pulled her up to her face. “I need to study her! ” She exclaimed. “I always knew that there were a bit of all 3 races in every one of us,” she said excitedly. “Now it’s not only limited to just half unicorn and half pegasus.”

“That’s… not how it works…” Light started to explain. “It’s not biological for alicorns. It’s more… magical…”

“How do you know?” Solid asked him.

“I… researched it… and I had an alicorn for a babysitter,” Light said, not lying, yet trying to keep his real race hidden.

“So... the legends are true, alicorns do exist, and... random ponies became them?” Farmer asked.

“Well… Celestia told us that it’s not random, and that it’s connected to who that pony is and who they will be… but we never learned more than that,” Light explained, looking away from the group to hide his discouragement.

“How would we know if you become one?” asked Tomato while wondering the differences they would see. “Do you think Kirouac is one?”

“I… I don’t know about Kirouac… but I was told that they… enter some kind of… void… I… I don’t know…” Light said as he didn’t want to talk more about it.

“Mhm...” Solid said. “Well I can assure you that none of us had been to ‘a void.”

“That’s the difference between alicorns and pegacorns. You… we were born this way. Alicorns are chosen,” Light explained before wincing. “And you don’t get a full explanation of why you are chosen.”

Cotton nodded. “That makes sense. Just hope that they can tell Dandelion from Celestia and Candents,” she said, now worried about that.

“It’s Cadence,” he explained, “and that’s what the Harmonic sense spell is for. It highlights your aura from the focus points, like the wings for a pegasus, a horn for a unicorn, and your hooves for an earth pony. Now, an alicorn is special since their whole body is connected with heightened magic, so the entire body glows,” Light explained, having experienced this spell himself.

“Cool, can you try it on me?” Cotton asked both of them.

“Well… okay. Celestia taught both of us the spell, so it should be easy,” Twilight said as her horn glowed as she gently touched Cotton’s head.

Cotton gasped as she felt her magic flow through her. “Wow...” She felt a tingling in her wings and horn.

The group watched as Cotton’s small horn and wings started glowing very softly, due to them being underdeveloped. “See? For me it would highlight my horn and mouth,” Twilight explained.

“What about your claws?” Cotton asked, liking the feeling.

“No, that would be on a griffon,” Twilight explained before thinking. “I haven’t seen any records about what happens on buffalo though… It may be worth experimenting.”

“Ok,” Cotton said while nodding, before turning her head. “Let’s try it out on Solid Ground!” she exclaimed.

“Sure thing,” Light said as he casted the spell on him.

Solid Ground twitched as he felt what Light was doing to him. “A… friend!”

Cotton went down onto her belly to look at Solid Ground’s hoof. “Mhm…?”

The group was surprised as there was a faint glimmer on his hooves. “I… didn’t see that coming.”

“Well... both of his parents are earth-ponies, so… you know!” Cotton said.

“Wow… this spell is a lot more useful than I thought,” Twilight said as she started thinking about what this could do.

“Ok... thanks… but let’s see it on Light,” Solid Ground asked.

“Oh… no thanks. I’m not a fan of that spell,” Light said as he stopped the spell. “It… messes with my senses.”

“But I'd like to see it on an alicorn,” Solid asked nicely.

Light looked shocked as he backed away from them. “W… what?”

“You can stop the act, we all can figure out that you weren't born with your wings,” Cotton told him before turning to look at the others and getting a nod.

“H… how?” Twilight asked in confusion.

“Let’s see... Where to start,” Cotton said while thinking about it.

“The awkward way you sit on your chair, you talking about a fear of flying in spite of your wings, how you reacted to Dandelion, and how you know so much about alicorns,” Farmer explained.

“Oh… I… um…” Light started to back away, afraid of how they were going to treat him.

“So… can we see how it looked on an alicorn!? Please, or !” Cotton asked nicely. “It would help a lot in understanding how alicorn genetics work.”

The rest of the group nodded, all seeming to be calm.

Light sighed as he lowered his head. “Fine… do it Twilight.

Twilight begrudgingly casted the spell, making Light's whole body start to glow. “Happy?” she asked, a bit angry at them for making Light have to go through this.

Light sighed disheartedly. “There… I’m the biggest freak in MoonRacer. Happy now?”

“No... that would be a tie with the pegasus with two sets of wings, and the unicorn with two horns,” Cotton said while looking at the glowing Light Heart. “Not on either side of his head, they are vertical on the center of his head,” she explained.

“Remind me to see that,” Twilight said silently.

As Twilight kept holding the spell, Light felt this extra magic starting to cause his skin to burn in pain, making Light wince as he was trying to hide his tears.

Solid saw the pain that spell was causing Light, begged Twilight to stop before going to Light to help him. “Oh... sorry, I thought you were just saying that so that you wouldn’t be found out. I.. I’m sorry,” he said, legitimately feeling completely bad.

“Forget it… you’d find out anyways. I’m just going to get out of your manes,” Light said as he started to walk to the door.

“No... stop,” Solid pleaded. “D... don’t go,” he said while lowering his head. “I.. I’m sorry.”

“We are all sorry,” the group told both of their guests in unison.

“Why? You all have your opinion about alicorns. I’m just a freak teddy bear alicorn who doesn’t know what his destiny is,” Light explained disheartened.

“We... we didn’t know,” Solid admitted in shame.

“We all thought it was just legends and myths.” Farmer told him.

Solid went to Light, he wanted to put one of his wings on his back, but stopped himself.

“I… I would trade my alicornisim with any of you in a heartbeat. None of you can know the unrealistic expectations that are hurdled onto my back, or not being smart enough to live up to them,” Light said as he wiped his eyes off. “I don’t know a tenth of the spells Twilight does, which is five times the amount most ponies her age knows. I’m… just tired of this… whole alicorn thing. I just want to be a unicorn again.”

Solid hugged Light, knowing from his parents what could have been if they had stayed in their hometown. Cotton joined their hug, feeling bad for her blindness because she wanted to turn everyone into a super strong pegacorn. Tomato joined in the hug as well, regretting what she had told him at the start.

Farmer was the last to join their hug, knowing how it feels to not want some of his body parts, and just live his life as an earth-pony.

Twilight sighed as she petted Light’s head. “I’m sorry… I was hoping that I could make things easier for you, and keep you from having such a bad day.”

Tears were coming down the face of the pegacorns, all sad for causing problems to their new guest.

Light took a deep breath as he was trying to keep from crying. “It’s… It’s not your fault. I’m just… tired of always trying to find my place.”

Solid nodded. “I... I know.”

“I… I won’t bother you anymore…” Light sighed as he tried to walk away from the hug.

“N... No, you can stay,” Solid said. “Both of you can stay,” he told them, getting a nod from the rest of the group.

“Why? Why would any of you care?” Light asked in frustration.

“Call it guilt, shame or... I… We feel bad for what we did to you,” Solid said.

“I don’t care… I’ve had to deal with it for so long. The jealousy, the expectations, the… pain. You may think that alicornisim is a blessing, but it’s the biggest burden any pony can have,” Light said as he kept his head lowered.

“And you think that being born with underdeveloped horn and wings is?” Cotton asked him. “I lived most of my life hiding them from others, trying to pretend that I was just an earth-pony, just so they wouldn’t make fun of my weak parts.”

“Everyone expects me to follow in my parents' hoof-steps,” Farmer started. “Even before I was born, they were presuming that, ‘if he has a horn, he’ll be the magic teacher when you retire, or if he has wings, he’ll become part of the next wonderbolt team.’ I have both, and what I want to do with my life is just to be a farmer.”

“I just want to cook pizza with my family, and look cool while I do that,” Tomato said.

“I wish my parents would reconcile their jealousy with a sibling, and let them teach me how to fly and do magic,” Solid cried out.

Tomato sighed as she looked Light straight in the eyes. “We all have burdens to bear, and it’s easy to compare them. The reason for these groups is so we don’t have to bear them alone. It’s so we can share them with others who can understand their pain. We don’t understand each other yet, but give us a chance for your first social group,” she offered as she extended her hoof to him.

Light started to tear up, not knowing how much they were struggling to. “I… I’m so sorry!” Light exclaimed as he hugged Tomato tightly, making her realize how strong an alicorn can be.

“A.. well, we have a challenger for who is the strongest of our group,” Tomato said while trying to turn to look at Solid and Farmer.

“Um, let’s handle that another day, once we all get to know each other better,” Twilight suggested, remembering Light’s last fit of strength.

Tomato nodded. “If I can breathe another day.”

“It can’t be as tight as Pinkie’s hugs, but then again, those ones are faster,” Farmer mused.

“Pinkie is more cushioned,” Tomato pointed out.

“Good point,” Twilight said as she barely managed to separate them.

Tomato gasped. “Ahaaa… thanks,” she told Twilight.

“He’s just… very emotional at times,” Twilight explained with a blush. “So… we are allowed to join more than one group in each category, right? I’m just asking because Light may also be joining a second social group.”

“What other group would that be?” Solid asked. “I don’t think that there’s a group for.. Ponies that changed race?” he asked, hoping that he didn’t say anything wrong this time.

“No. Autistic ponies,” Light admitted as he was desperately trying to regain his composure.

“Oh... that,” Solid said. “Yeah, the... disabilities and other life challenges groups are after the rachal based ones,” he explained.

“Then gym, then educational. Of course, the pattern changes every day, and ponies with only one group in a category tend to get a free period when none of their groups meet that day,” Farmer explained.

Cotton nodded. “If you aren’t doing anything after the disabilities and other life challenges groups meet up today...” she asked Twilight with a blush. “We could work in my lab!?”

“I’d love to, but I have to help another friend of mine study tonight. Can we meet up tomorrow?” Twilight asked hopefully.

Cotton nodded. “I'm free at the same time, see you tomorrow!” she told Twilight with a smile.

“Okay…” Twilight suddenly heard the bell go off.

“I suppose that you have to go now, Light,” Solid asked.

“Yeah… what about the rest of you?” Light asked, looking rather nervous about leaving.

“Underdeveloped horn or wings. Or in my case, both,” said Cotton, with a bit of a smile. “Not to be confused or mistaken for the group for those with amputated limbs.”

“Going to hang out with some other, cool friend,” Tomato said while putting her shades on.

“Farmer is going to try to teach me how to fly and do some magic,” Solid said. “Maybe some other time… we could…?”

“I’d love to show you more about magic, but I can’t help with the flying. I probably know less than you do about that,” Twilight explained.

“Ok... but I was going to ask Light if he wanted me to teach him how to... At least fly over a chair,” Farmer asked.

“Well… Dash wanted to teach me, but I can join your lessons as well and get some extra practice,” Light suggested.

“Oof, maybe you should wait before taking her... advance lessons and class,” Farmer said.

Solid nodded. “She.. doesn’t slow down for anyone.”

“Ouch…” Light muttered as he rubbed his left wing. “And I’m already afraid of heights. This is going to be a nightmare.”

“I’ll try to teach you what I know,” Farmer promised. “If you want.” He reassured them with a small grin. “My mom is a wonderbolt.”

“I’ll take you up on that, just don’t tell Dash that I’m having two teachers, even though I’ll probably need twice the help,” Light said as he got his bag.

Farmer zipped his mouth. “Your secret's safe with me.”

Light gave a small smile before turning to Twilight. “I guess we should get going.”

“Agreed, and thank you all for letting us in,” Twilight said with a wave.

The whole group waved them away. “Bye!” they all said while Cotton followed them out.

Twilight sighed as she hugged Light with her wing. “All honesty, I don’t think there is another group for me to be in, and Spike may be in a group that I don’t know about, so it looks like we are all separated this time.”

“Oh. I’m sure you can find a… Book-Reader Anonymous,” Light joked.

Twilight rolled her eyes as a small grin formed on her face. “At least you’re joking again.”

Light blushed. “Yeah.”

“Hey, don’t be afraid. Your day is going to turn around, I promise,” Twilight tried to assure him.

Light nodded with a hint of worry. “I just need to find Flash.” He started to look around.

“Hey guys!” The two winged unicorns turned and saw Dash flying up to them. “Where are you two going?”

“Oh, hey Dash, we are looking for Flash,” Twilight said.

“You mean the autistic group? He’s down the next hall, two doors on the right,” Dash pointed out.

“Oh, thank you thank you,” Light said before running off to that room.

Dash looked rather surprised before turning to Twilight. “So, did you find a second social group to join?”

“Umm... not yet. Why?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I have a free period, so if you want to start helping me with my studying… or I can help you with flying,” Dash offered.

“Um... Studying studying!” Twilight said rapidly.

“I’m good with that, since I like staying in sports,” Dash said with a nod as she motioned for Twi to follow her. “Let’s go outside. It’s nice weather today.”

Twilight nodded before following Dash.

Light felt rather awkward as he walked up to the autistic group. He already had some bad blood with Flash, and now he had to be in the same group as him. He desperately wanted to avoid him, but there was still his promise. “Celestia, give me strength,” Light muttered to himself.

Light opened the door of the group and was confronted by the sight of Flash on the floor while a reddish slim buffalo, with 3 feathers in her mane, and a necklace around her neck made out of her baby-teeth, was jumping on him. “Surrender, I have won!”

Light’s eyes widened as he started to back away. “Um… I think I’m interrupting something. I’ll leave you be.” Light said as he started to close the door.

“Oh... um... No, I... I mean, Hello,” Flash said awkwardly, while getting up quickly.

“Oh! Who is this?” The buffalo asked as her attention shifted to Light.

“Oh... this is Light, Light Heart. He just moved here,” Flash explained.

Light nodded as he nervously waved. “Hi there. I’m not bothering you all… am I?”

“No, we were playing,” the slim buffalo said while jumping around the stallions. “Are you fun?” she asked Light.

“Is he fun, is he fun?” Flash said while getting down to the buffalo’s level. “He likes to make and fix toys,” he told her, wanting to have Light have a good relationship with her, and all of the other mares with AS.

Light nodded, still looking rather scared. “Yeah… and I specialize in stuffed animals. Do you have a favorite?”

“Oh, Foxes!” she said excitedly. “They’re sneaky, and tricky, and full of fun!”

“Oh, I think I made one recently,” Light said as he summoned a toy fox in front of the kid. “What do you think of this one?”

“Yay!” she yelled out, causing even Flash to wince, before hugging the toy. “I love it!”

Light gave a small smile as he looked at the kid. “Well, it’s all yours now.”

“Wow! Really, thanks Hert!” she accidentally called him while hugging the stuffed toy.

“You’re welcome,” Light said as he started to look around the room to see who all was in there.

There was a chubby zebra that was wearing big thick green glasses with a necklace of one 3rd of a circle, another one, older, that was yellow with pink stripes standing next to the yellow zebracorn with orange stripes knitting a pink scarf and a beautiful cyan blue unicorn mare with a red and orange silky mane.

‘Wow! Two zebras, a unicorn and a zebracorn.’ Light thought to himself as he slowly made his way inside the room.

Flash awkwardly and gingerly walked toward Light. “Hey…” he said.

“Oh… hey…” Light said back, neither of them knowing what to say.

Before ever one of them could say something else, the chubby zebra walked to them. “Hey, Flash, who’s your friend?” she asked while hiding behind his back legs, her necklace swinging on her neck.

Flash blushed. “Oh... Um... This is Light Heart,” he told her, hoping that Light would still want to be his friend.

“It’s nice to meet you, Light,” she said, timidly waving at him from behind Flash’s legs while hugging her necklace for comfort and security.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Light replied, glad that there was somepony there as nervous as he was. “What’s your name?”

“W... why did FastFox run away from you?” she asked nervously.

Flash held back his laughter.

“Um… is that the buffalo that I gave the toy fox to?” Light asked, looking rather uncertain.

“No, that was the magenta pegasus with the white mane,” Flash said, still holding back his laughter.

The little zebra tilted her head at this.

“It was that buffalo,” Flash explained. “And this little zebra’s name is.” He turned to look down and behind himself. “Do you want to introduce yourself?” he asked her.

“I... I’m ShyStone, and I like to read, and...” she said, covering her face.

“Um… do you like stuffed animals too?” Light asked, wanting to make a good first impression.

She lifted her head up. “Umm.. yes!?” she asked the new pony.

“Really? What kind?” Light asked, hoping it was a type that he brought from Canterlot.

“Um.. ar.. Armadillos!” Stone told him.

“Oof... those are hard to make… but if memory serves me…” Light focused as he summoned an armadillo stuffed animal to her. “I made one a week before I left when I was learning about them in class.”

Stone turned her head to Flash. He nodded before taking the stuffed animal from Light and giving it to Stone.

“It’s all yours, and be sure to ask me for help if it ever needs fixing,” Light offered.

Stone nodded nervously while hugging the armadillo tightly, her necklace pressing onto it.

“What do we say?” Flash asked nicely.

“Th... thanks,” she said with a blush.

“You’re welcome,” Light said with a small smile, hoping that he was making a good first impression in front of the others.

The timid zebra started to slowly make her way in front of Flash, stopping when she was face to face with Light, then hugged his leg for a full second before letting go, and tried to scurry away.

Light blushed as he turned to Flash. “Well, they seem nice…”

Flash nodded. “If you want to ever... Babysit them, that would be nice...” he told him.

“Well… I’ve never babysat before, but that would be…” Light paused as he realized that it was Flash who was offering this. “Are… they your siblings?”

“Oh...” Flash turned around with a blush. “No... y... They are two orphans that have Asperger syndrome, so... I’m often asked to babysit them, since... You know, kinship.”

“I see… I guess I need to learn how to babysit kids as well then… to help you...” Light said as he didn’t want to offend Flash.

“Um... yeah,” Flash said. “Light, I’m... I’m sorry for yelling at you,” he blurted out.

“Yeah, and I’m still sorry for trying to be funny,” Light said as well, taking a deep breath before looking at Flash. “Look… maybe we can still try to be friends? If you are interested.”

Flash nodded with a smile, tears falling from his eyes and face. “Yes, yes,” he said, before hugging Light without warning. “But... promise me one thing, Light,” Flash asked him.

“W… what is that?” Light asked, shocked that he was being hugged tightly.

“Promise me that you will never stop being funny!” Flash asked in all seriousness.

“I… I’ll try…” Light said with a nod.

As Flash was calming down, the zebracorn was dragging the bigger zebra by the hoof, her pink scarf dragging on the ground.

“Oh… hi there,” Light said as he looked at the other adult and the kid. “May I help you?”

They stopped in front of Light. “Hello. Sorry, she saw you giving out stuffed animals to the other kids, and wanted to ask if she could have one,” the older zebra said, before turning to look at the little zebracorn.

“Oh, sure! What kind does she want?” Light asked as he started to feel more comfortable.

Her hooves were on either of her cheeks, blushing while she was nodding profusely with excitement. “I would like a SunFlower-kitten,” the little zebracorn said.

Light’s eyes widened as she requested a breed of kitten that he had never heard about before. “Um… w… what do those look like?”

“They're big, and they have sunflower petals all around their neck, surrounding their face,” she started to explain.

Light gulped as he realized that he may not have a stuffed animal like this. “Um… do you have a photo of one that I can look at?” Light asked, hoping that he may be able to make one in a day or two.

Flash leaned to Light’s ear before whispering. “Lion, male lion.”

“Oh! Now I remember!” Light said as he summoned the stuffed animal that he knew existed. “One of these, right?”

“Ya!” the little zebracorn jumped up and grabbed the stuffed lion with her magic.

Light smiled as he started to feel relieved that he was able to pull this off.

She looked at the lion, then frowned. “Her petals, they’re not pink!” she cried out.

“Wait… what?” Light asked as he looked shocked by this.

“Sunflower-Knot Dress!” the older zebra said. “It’s not nice to complain about a gift given to you,” she said before turning to Light. “I’m so, so sorry,” she apologized.

“I… It’s okay… Um… if you can write down how you want the toy to look and I can have it done in a couple of days,” Light offered, wanting to fix this.

“Yes, I want the petals around her face to be pink,” Sunflower said before giving the gift back to Light, still a bit hurt that she made her mom yell at her.

“Okay, it’s not something I’ve done before, but I’ll see what the fabric stores in town have,” Light said as he started to write down what she wanted in a small notebook.

“Yeah, thanks!” Sunflower said before hugging Light’s legs.

“You’re welcome, and I’ll try to have this fixed by our next session,” Light promised.

Sunflower let go of Light’s leg, before running off to where she had left her stuff. “So what color do you want your scarf to be?” she asked him.

“Um… what?” Light in confusion.

“Yes, you make a toy for me, I make you a scarf,” Sunflower explained.

“Oh… well… if you insist… I guess yellow and light blue, like me,” Light said, flattered by her being willing to repay him in a city with no money.

“Ok, I’ll be working on it.” Sunflower said before taking the yellow and light blue colored yarn, and starting to knit.

Light took a deep breath before turning to Sunflower's mother. “I assure you that I don’t mind what she said. Kids in Canterlot are twice as picky, and then there are the parents,” Light tried to assure her before extending his hoof to her. “My name is Light Heart. What is your name?”

“Panic. Party Panic,” the zebra said, while shaking his hoof.

“So, I’m guessing that you are the adult supervision for this group?” Light asked, remembering that Farmer was the adult in the last class.

“Well... I am the oldest,” Panic said.

“Understandable,” Light said with a nod as he sat down. “Although I do admit, I did like being more of a toymaker in this class,” Light said with a small smile.

“And I prefer making parties in peace and quiet,” Panic said. “It’s nice that Pinkie helps out, but... She can get noisy.”

“Agreed. I got to experience that cannon of hers up close,” Light explained as he rubbed his ear. “I even offered to try making a suppressed version of that cannon.”

Panic looked at Light. “Thank you...” she told him before hugging herself.

“Don’t thank me until I figure out how to suppress it,” Light told her as he winced a little at the thought of trying to make a suppressed party cannon. “I don’t even know how it works yet.”

“Oh, that’s easy, the confetti is loaded into the cannon, when Pinkie pulls on the string, a chemical reaction causes…” Flash started to rumble off about it.

Light looked surprised as he was talking about what sounded like advanced science. “Um… did Pinkie make this thing herself?”

Panic leaned to Light. “He was once curious about that, and then Pinkie told him. She got an A+ on both her science and physics class,” she explained.

“That mare is full of surprises,” Light said as he tried to think about how to work the new cannon. “Twi will have to help with the chemical aspect, but I feel like there should be another way to suppress the cannon.

“Try a spring and some compressed air,” Panic suggested.

“Maybe… but the loud pop is the sudden reaction of a high force of air leaving a short barrel. So… maybe if I extend the barrel… and add something to slow down the air as it leaves… It would still have some range, but it should quiet it down quite a bit,” Light said as he started making some sketches.

“Put a blanket on it,” Flash suggested.

“It would get tangled in the wheels or obstruct the confetti,” Light pointed out. “I’ll ask Twilight about the chemical aspect and see about reworking the barrel of the cannon.”

“Maybe I can ask my daughter to knit the cannon a ‘shirt’.” Panic added.

Light looked confused as he looked at Party. “Was that a joke?” he asked, honestly curious.

“Yes, and no,” Panic said. “I’m saying that Sunflower could knit around the cannon with some soft yarn, dampening the sound of it.”

“That wouldn’t work, since the noise is coming out of the barrel,” Light pointed out.

“Oh...” Panic said while lowering her ears.

Light shrugged as he looked at his notes. “Maybe I should get a few smart ponies together to help me workshop this,” Light mused as he realized that he never made a cannon like this before.

“Well you have me, Twilight...” Flash said before turning his head around. “Stone, do you want to help out?” he asked her.

She shrugged before hugging the stuffed armadillo, then she nodded.

Flash nodded as well. “You got 3 that want to help you.”

“Make that 4,” Panic said.

Light smiled as he saw the others wanting to help. “Thank you. I know that I can’t make this thing completely silent, but I think I can make it bearable for ponies up close.”

“And for ponies like us,” Flash added.

“Exactly… and maybe Pinkie will like having a yarn cover for the cannon, but let’s make sure that it can be taken on and off,” Light said as he wrote down a few more notes.

“Yeah!” Sunflower said from her seat.

Panic leaned to Light. “Forgot to ask, but... What pattern did you want on your scarf?”

“Oh… I think blue on the sides and yellow in the center will work,” Light said with a smile.

“Do you mean all the way through the scarf, or having the scarf yellow and the ends blue,” Sunflower asked.

“All the way through,” Light said with a smile before freezing in place.

Flash started to panic. “W.. what’s wrong?” he asked, worried.

“I… I just realized… I have been having a horrible day… but when I get to just… be a toymaker… I feel like none of that matters,” Light said as he started to tear up in happiness.

Panic looked confused. “Yeah?” she said.

“I… I’m sorry.. But after several times of embarrassing myself and having a shower break right in front of me… I’m just glad that I can just focus on making toys instead of stressing out about my wings,” Light tried to explain.

Panic nodded. “I know the feeling, I’m the same with making parties.”

“You haven’t been to Canterlot. It’s been forever since I got to make toys for kids instead of as a hobby,” Light said as he tried to regain his composure.

“Oof,” Panic said. “That’s not fun.”

“Yeah… I have a couple of large bags filled with stuffed animals,” Light admitted.

“Don’t let the kids know that,” both Flash and Panic said. “Trust me, they'll harass you until you give up,” Panic told him. “They did when they found out that the party supplies are kept at my place.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Light said with a nod, hoping that the other kids didn’t hear.

Fast lifted her head up. “What did you say?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just asking how the toy system works around here,” Light said quickly.

“You make them, then you give them to us,” Fast said. “Ask Marerian for help on the rest.”

“I will. Does she work in the crafts class?” Light asked hopefully.

Fast nodded. “Yes, she’s fun, like you!” she said before going back to what she was doing.

Light nodded before turning to Flash. “So… what do we do in this class?”

“Oh... well, you... You make crafts,” Flash said.

“I meant the autistic group,” Light clarified.

“Oh, here we... we just hang out together,” Flash said. “We support one another and help one another with our problems that we have.”

“Oh... Okay… So what kind of sports do you recommend?” Light asked with a small gulp.

“Oh... what are you good at?” Flash asked him.

“Well, we don’t do a lot of sports in Canterlot,” Light admitted. “I do want to learn how to swim…” Light covered his mouth as he remembered what the others said about Flash not being able to float. “Um… forget I said that…”

“Oh, well, you should do that,” Flash told Light, not seeming to be bothered by that.

“Oh… I thought it would be a touchy subject for you,” Light said, looking apologetic.

Flash shrugged. “Just because I can’t do that, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try,” he explained.

“Thanks…” Light started to get curious about why Flash has problems floating, let alone swimming. “So… do you mind if I ask a question?”

“No... what is it?” Flash asked back.

“Um… I was told that you have problems floating… but I don’t understand why,” Light admitted.

“Oh that, I don’t have any buoyancy,” Flash explained.

“From what I heard you are a smart pony”

“no.. as it I I’m too heavy”

“Y… you physically can’t float? Did you try water rings?” Light asked, looking rather confused by the situation.

“I did, I’ve tried, my bones are just too dense,” Flash explained.

“How is that possible? I don’t know about a race with bones that dense,” Light said, dumbfounded.

Flash looked at Light. “Crystal ponies!?”

Light’s eyes widened as he looked at Flash. “Wait… they exist?” Light asked as he looked at Flash’s body. “According to legend, they were lost to history along with the Crystal Empire. They became myths and legends.”

“Really, the kid who became an alicorn has a hard time believing that crystal ponies exist?” Flash asked quietly, so that no other ponies could hear him.

Light was about to reply, but then he thought about the other ponies he had seen in MoonRacer. “Fair enough. So, shouldn’t your body be… crystal?”

Flash looked at himself over, before looking at where the sun was, placing himself between Light and the sun, before taking his orange coat off, his skin starting to sparkle, and bothering both Light and Flash’s eyes.

“Ah… it’s not too obvious normally. Twilight is going to geek out over you,” Light said as he shielded his eyes.

“Yeah,” Flash said while putting his coat back on, stopping the sparkle. “Are you going to ask why?”

“I might as well. Why does your body seem normal? From what I read Crystal ponies have skin like crystal, not a fur coat,” Light asked curiously.

“I was talking about why I’m a crystal pony, but ok,” Flash said. “I don’t live in the crystal empire, so... Apparently that’s how we look when we aren’t constantly being blasted by the empire’s magic.”

“Well, I guess we could look at the other question. Admittedly I thought that this meant that there were survivors or escapees of the Crystal empire before it fell, but with how long ago that was, it meant that you inherited these genes,” Light theroised, thinking about how proud Twilight would be about this burst of logic.

“Well, it’s like the cake twins that you talked about. One of my ancestors must have been one, and it just came back,” Flash explained while adjusting his sunglasses.

“Amazing, and I bet Twilight will have a few questions for you, namely if it’s possible for you to become fully diamond and be indestructible. We have a long standing bet on how that would work,” Light explained with a small smile.

“And I bet there are some ponies that are asking other questions about your alicorn body, Light,” Flash pointed out. “But... yeah, I’m mostly indestructible, mostly.”

Light chuckled a bit, but he was still curious. “But do you have to be in an emotional state, focusing your magic, or is it just natural.”

Flash shrugged. “Yes and no, it’s just like most other normal ponies. If I stay positive, then I’m at 100%, if I’m down, sad, depressed or upset then I’m not that... Unbreakable sparkle crystal-pony,” he explained. “If I get very emotional that my body aura goes a bit... Off.”

“So it is emotional?” Light asked, looking excited. “I won the bet!”

Flash nodded. “Yeah, can I get one of your stuffed toys?” he asked nicely.

“Sure, what kind?” Light said, now happy that he could say that he won a long standing bet against Twilight and Spike.

“Any... the softest you have...” Flash said, happy to be talking with Light.

“Okay… oh! I know one. I was testing out this new fabric and cotton I got my hooves on two weeks ago,” Light said as he summoned a dove plushie.

“Oh... I love those birds,” Flash said with a smile. “Now please place it on the ground?” he asked nicely.

“Um… okay?” Light asked, not knowing what Flash was wanting to do.

“Ok, thanks, now please step back,” Flash asked while pointing his right front hoof to the doll.

Light followed his instructions, looking rather curious at what was going on. “Okay, what are you…”

Flash started to take some deep breaths, causing the stuffed dove to jiggle a bit.

“Wait… what?” Light asked in shock as the bird was starting to move on its own.

The stuffed bird then quickly flew off, and hit Flash in the face. “Oh..”

“W… how did you do that?” Light asked in shock.

“Apparently Crystal ponies have a bit of magic aura,” Flash tried to explain. “I’m only able to do a bit of telekinesis. But not that good,” he said while rubbing where he got hit in the head by the stuffed bird.

Light watched as the bird landed on the ground. “So, it’s just moving it around. That’s still cool.”

“Yeah... I’m trying to see what I can do,” Flash started to explain. “I can do one other thing, but... I don’t think that’s something that most crystal ponies can do.”

“Oh, I’d love to see it. Your magic is already cool,” Light said with a grin.

“Ok, please don’t freak out or get weirded out,” Flash said once more, before placing his hoof on the stuffed bird, leaving it there for some time, gasping before letting go. “See what happens!” he told Light, now acting a bit more girly.

Light looked confused as he wanted to see what Flash was going.

The bird got up. “What do you think?” the birst asked, sounding like a rougher version of FlashTruth’s voice, before starting to flap his wings, and fly around Lights head.

“My toy is alive! I thought I was the only pony who did that, and it was an accident,” Light said as the dove flew over him.

“Not... actually...” Flash said in a more feminine voice, before gingerly sitting down, while the bird continued to fly around them.

“Woohoo!” the bird cried out. “I’m flying y’all!”

“So… how does this work, and why are you talking like that?” Light asked curiously.

“I happen to be what is called two-spirited, I basically have two souls in me, and I have managed to put one in the stuffed bird,” he explained.

“T… two souls?” Light asked, looking confused.

“Yes, you do know what a soul is?” Flash asked while softly looking at his hooves.

“Yeah… it’s the thing that holds our emotions and connects us in the natural balance of magic,” Light explained.

“Flash nodded. “Yes, and... I have two of them,” he said, while continuing to talk softly.

“So… this one is more… gentle?” Light asked, trying to understand this.

Flash nodded like a mare before the bird landed on Light’s horn. “And I am more Passionate! I like to do what I want, when I want, and don’t care about consequences,” the bird told Light.

“Oh… I didn’t expect you to be so vocal,” Light admitted.

Flash took the stuffed bird off of Light’s horn. “Yes, I know it can be a bit jarring to... See this and me like this, but I hope you’re not freaked out nor weirded out,” he asked Light while petting the stuffed bird.

“Flash, Spike can do enhanced earth pony magic. Twilight can coat me in flames and not burn me. I’m an alicorn who is lousy at magic. All you did was make me feel like I fit in more,” Light assured him.

Flash smiled before blushing. “Thanks.” The bird rolled his eyes.

“So… is this easy for you?” Light asked curiously.

“Oh... no,” Flash said while looking away. “I need to touch the thing, and it took me a while to be able to do that,” he explained bashfully.

“Oh come on,”he stuffed bird said. “You saw how fast we did that,” he chastised.

“So… you need an extra soul in order to do it?” Light asked.

“Yeah, yours or one of someone that has passed away but who is still around.”

Light looked confused as this didn’t seem to make sense to him. “How good is Marerian?”

“Well... Marerian can do that better than me” Flash explained. “She can put any soul into the toys that she makes.”

“Wow… and I brought my toy to life once, and I was a kid when it happened.

“Wow, you know buffalo magic?” Flash asked him. “Whose soul did you put in? Or are you one as well?” he asked, looking at Light. “Did you feel like you were only half of yourself when you did that?” he started to walk closer to Light, his hip swinging a bit.

“It was… like a figment of my imagination. I always imagined the toy coming to life, but when I accidently did it… it was like how I imagined he would be. The voice, personality, and basically everything. I never could replicate that spell. It was too long ago,” Light admitted.

“Maybe you were supposed to have a twin, and he became your imaginary friend?” Flash suggested. “Or Alicorns can give life to anything they want.”

“I have no clue. It was so long ago, and I can’t do it again,” Light explained. “I’ve tried that trick several times, but I can’t bring my toy to life again.”

“Well maybe Marerian can reteach you how to do it once more,” Flash told Light.

“Maybe, but I’m lousy at magic,” Light explained, looking a little discouraged.

“Maybe so at unicorn magic, but if you managed to do it once, you are probably an ace buffalo magic, or something like that,” Flash told him, rejoining his two souls back together.

“Hm… I don’t know if it’s possible for me to do that kind of magic,” Light admitted.

“You just saw me do it, and you did say that you did it once,” Flash told Light, back to acting normal, well normal for him.

“Yeah, but I don’t know if I did it the same way you did,” Light reminded him.

“There's only one way to find out!” Flash said, while getting up.

Before Light could reply, the bell went off again.

“Oh... well what are you doing now?” Flash asked him.

“I guess I’m heading to the pool. I don’t know about the others,” Light said with a shrug.

“Oh... ok,” Flash replied. “Sports lessons?”

“Probably,” Light said with a nod.

“Well... good luck with that,” Flash told him encouragingly.

“Yeah, and thanks for being understanding,” Light said with a smile as he started to leave the class.

Twilight and Spike had met up as they were both trying to figure out what sport they should join. “We promised that we’d meet up with Shark at the pool, so we could do the swimming, even if it’s just to check it out on the first day,” Twilight suggested.

“Yeah... and I hope that Flash and Light have finally talked to one and other,” Spike said.

“Me too. I’m already struggling with helping Dash,” Twilight admitted.

“Why is that?” Spike asked curiously.

“She has so many problems trying to pay attention. She’s always getting distracted, and doesn’t listen to what I say,” Twilight whined as they started to enter the pool area. “I’m guessing that’s why her grades are tanking.”

“Well, it would be hard to pay attention in a country that doesn’t use money,” Spike joked

“That doesn’t matter, she does have her sports to think about. She’s passionate, but she’s so undisciplined,” Twilight explained with a sigh. “Maybe I’m just trying to help her study the wrong way?”

“Well, Light had the same problem when he started, and I was worse,” Spike reminded her.

“And I tried the methods I used on you two. I tried visual cues, and I tried using snacks for an incentive. It doesn’t work on her,” Twilight said, trying to keep her cool. “I want to help, but I don’t know how.”

“Well, Dash isn’t like us. You had to find out how to reign us in. Now you have to learn how to do it for Dash,” Spike tried to assure her as he petted her back.

Twilight sighed as she nodded. “It’s just… hard to do it again. We were younger and got to know each other better. I just met Dash, and I only have a week.”

“Well, just do your best and help encourage Dash to do the same,” Spike said with a shrug. “That’s what mom always says.”

“You’re right Spike,” Twilight told him before hugging his neck.

As they were talking, Shark jumped out of the pool, and managed to land on his hooves.

“Sweet Celestia!!” Spike yelped, not being used to seeing ponies able to funny jump out of a pool.

Twilight looked fascinated at this feat. “Wow! That takes a lot of force in order to jump out of a pool like that.”

“Well, when you go from the bottom to straight up, you can get some air,” Shark said with a hint of envy. “Sooo... you two are here for a swimming sport? Which one? Speed swimming, synchronized swimming, water Polo, modern pentathlon or the high dive!?” he asked with glee.

“Oh… I didn’t know that there were so many choices…” Twilight said bashfully.

“Yeah… I thought there would be something to help with the basics before going pro,” Spike said, looking confused about which one to pick.

“What do you want to do in the pool?” Shark asked. “What are you good at?”

“Well… we haven’t swam much.” Twilight admitted.

Shark gasped. He seemed to be appalled to hear that.

“Well, I guess we can let them in the general swimming training section for a while,” a hippogriff with holes in his legs offered as he walked over to the group. “We have a one month program that lets new students who want to learn how to swim have the proper knowledge and training in order to do so. I think a friend of yours came over a few minutes ago to join it. We allow one adult and a few willing students to help out the new students with the training process,” the teacher explained as he shook their hooves. “It’s our way to help any pony who doesn’t know how to swim, but wants to learn how.”

“Thank you very much,” Twilight told the swimming teacher. “But... where is our friend?” she asked.

“Putting on a swimsuit,” the teacher said as he turned around to see Light leaving the changing room in a blue swimsuit.

Light walked over to them with a big smile on his face, feeling happy and proud.

“Hi Light. You seem rather happy,” Spike said, feeling hopeful that Light’s day is turning around.

“I’m... doing a lot better,” Light said with a nod. “How about you two?”

“Well, my tutoring with Dash is struggling, but I’ll keep working on it,” Twilight said with a shrug.

“And I got to learn about a lot of things that mess with ponies magically,” Spike added before looking around. “By the way, is Rarity in this class?”

“No, sorry,” Shark admitted, noticing that it disappointed Spike.

“Aw... mare!” Spike said with a frown.

“You find her hot?” Shark asked Spike.

“N… I just…” Spike looked flustered as Twilight and Light were giggling.

“When he stutters more than I do, it’s because he’s afraid to admit it,” Light said with a chuckle.

“He’s hopelessly in love,” Twilight agreed as she was trying to hide her grin.

“Spike... You should know something about her. She’s not all that she seems to be!” Shark started to warn him.

“What do you mean?” Spike asked, looking confused.

Before Shark could reply, he saw Pinkie Pie appear from behind the new students. She did the motions for a Pinkie promise while glaring at him sternly.

Shark thought about it, before saying. “She has mascara on,” he told Spike.

“Yeah… I figured that, but I figured bringing that up would be rude.” Light admitted.

“Well you should at least know that,” Shark said before looking at Pinkie to see if she was satisfied.

Pinkie smiled as she made herself known to the others. “Yeah, now enough about the secrets Rarity thinks she’s keeping. I get to help with the swimming lesson today! Shark, would you like to help too? You are the best swimmer whose legs don’t shift into a tail,” Pinkie offered as she bounced past the others.

“Yes!” Shark said before stretching his one wing up. “You’ll all see the second reason why I’m called Shark.”

“Okay,” Twilight said before she realized the others were wearing swimsuits. “Um, should we put some swimsuits on as well?”

Shark nodded before pointing to the swimsuit ‘shop’. “We got regular, two piece, one piece, speedos and everything in between,” he let them know.

“Thank you… but what do you recommend for winged mares?” Twilight asked with a blush as she kept her wings tucked in.

“Umm...” Shark blushed. “One with... Straps!?”

“Oh… I’ll just see what they have,” Twilight said as she started to walk over to the store.

“Yeah... do that!” Shark said before jumping into the water.

“We’ll get started with Light,” Pinkie said as she picked up Light and jumped into the pool.

“Aaa Pinkie!” Light cried out before falling into the water, his body floating back to the surface surprisingly easy.

Pinkie giggled as she surfaced. “That’s a thing about winged ponies. They are rather light,” she said, looking pleased with the pun she included.

Light was about to shake himself, but the water was ‘rolling’ off his back, like it does on duck’s and Swan’s backs.

“So, it looks like floating is good. How about we work on the wing stroke? It’s an easy one and Dash said that it’s like slowly flying in water,” Pinkie suggested.

Light looked at Pinkie before trying to stretch his wings out.

“Here, let me help,” Pinkie said as she swam under him and started moving his wings outward, making the alicorn blush.

“A... Pinkie?” Light tried to say, flabergasted, while feeling her paws in his wings, and other fillings.

“Yes Light?” Pinkie asked after lifting her head out of that water.

“I... I’m sensitive to being touched,” Light admitted with a blush.

Pinkie giggled a little as she booped his nose. “It’s okay. I won’t tickle you. Now, while keeping your wings on the surface, move your wings back gently,” Pinkie instructed as she swam away a little.

“I’m... I’ll try,” Light told her, feeling his wings a bit more stiff. Was he nervous that she was touching him like that? He never had that problem with his wings before.

Pinkie smiled as she saw Light trying to move, but rather slowly. “Not bad, but maybe I should leave the wings alone for a while.”

“Um... *cough* Yeah, we should,” Light told her before moving his front hooves around to go to her, finding swimming easier now that he floated on the water and didn’t need to worry about sinking nor needing to exert some energy to keep himself afloat.

“Okay, watch how I do the doggy paddle,” Pinkie said as she started swimming around him, liking how she was able to play with Light, but also being careful not to go too far and doing something painfully obvious.

“Umm... yeah, those are some nice swimming moves,” Light complemented.

Pinkie giggled as she swam behind him. “Now it’s your turn!”

“Um... o... Ok,” Light told her before trying to mimic what Pinkie did, moving all 4 of his hooves.

Pinkie looked rather content as she followed Light. “Very good! You’re pretty good for a beginner!” she said before she saw Spike and Twilight heading back to the pool. “Hey Shark! The others are here!”

“Ok, I’ll bring them over here,” Shark said. “Unless you want me to leave,” he asked them, seeing what Pinkie was doing.

“Well, maybe you can start instructing them while I help Light for a bit?” Pinkie suggested.

“K,” Shark told her before using his wing like a shark-fin, propelling him off.

Pinkie giggled as she tapped Light on the shoulder. “Alright, now let’s try something more advanced. Have you ever been underwater?”

“Um... yes,” Light said, recalling the time he had jumped into the lake when his pegasus siblings were swimming in. He didn’t realize that the water was deep, and that pegasi float on water more than unicorns.

“Alright! So let’s go under and hold our breaths. Ready?” Pinkie asked, looking excited.

Light nodded nervously, hoping his wings came with pegasus level lungs.

“Ready? Deep breath,” Pinkie said as she swam in front of him and grabbed his shoulders.

Light took a deep breath before closing his mouth shut.

Pinkie pulled him under the water while using her hind legs to make him tuck his wings in.

Light tried to open his eyes, and found that he could, either because alicorns didn’t get blinded by pool chemicals, or what they used as pool cleaner here didn’t hurt eyes.

Pinkie was now right in his vision, her curly mane floating behind her head as she was smiling brightly at him. Light was about to yell or even gasp at her being so close, but Pinkie shushed him. He waited to see what Pinkie was about to do.

Pinkie started gently rubbing his chest, helping to relax his stomach. She gently started to rub his body, wanting to make him comfortable. Light didn’t know how to feel about Pinkie touching him. One one hoof she was brushing his personal space, on the other hoof he found that he liked her touch.

Before either of them could go too far, Pinkie pulled him up to the surface, smiling as she booped his nose again. “I hoped that distracted you. It helps a lot with breath holding. By the way, your fur is soft too.”

“I... um... Thanks,” Light said blushing profusely.

“Let’s go to the shallow end and work on your back stroke, and also hope that we can fix your wings before anypony notices,” Pinkie said with a small giggle.

Light turned his head around and noticed that his wings were stretched out. He tried to force them down, but had no luck. “Um… I… what is going on?” Light asked before Pinkie grabbed him and forced him to float on his back.

“Don’t worry about it,” Pinkie said, glad that she was able to get away with her mischievous plan.

“Pinkie I... don’t know what’s going on. My wings never did this before.”

“Well… maybe you should get together with Spike and ask Flash. He’s smart when it comes to things like this,” Pinkie said, hiding the truth from him at the moment. “Hey Shark, how is it going over there?”

“Umm... good,” Shark said, now on his back with Twilight on him, helping her do a backstroke.

“Spike is taking to it faster than I am,” Twilight said as the young earth pony was swimming across the pool and back.

“I’m wondering if he had hydrokinesis or that joke rumor is true,” Shark said.

“No clue… so am I doing this right?” Twilight asked as she tried to keep focused.

“Umm... yes,” Shark used his wing to help him move back without moving the rest of his body. “Just... try to have your back hooves like a wave, and keep your claws flat and your arms straight to make a circle.”

“Like this?” Twilight asked, trying to be as detail oriented as always.

“Ah, yes. Now... do you want to try to add your wings in it?” Shark asked her.

“Um… sure.” Twilight said as she noticed Fluttershy swimming towards them.

“Oh, hey Flutter?” Shark said while trying to help Twilight.

“Hi. I was asked to come over here since it was only you and Pinkie pie. I hope you don't mind,” she said timidly as she waved to the others.

“Well actually, Pinkie is with Light over there,” Shark pointed them out.

“Oh…” Fluttershy said silently as she looked over at the two of them. “I didn’t know you’d all join this class.”

Shark nodded. “Yeah, apparently Pinkie had the same idea as you.”

“Yeah…” Fluttershy said, looking discouraged as she turned to Twilight. “So, are you doing alright?”

“I’m doing better, Shark is a real good help,” Twilight said.

“He is the strongest swimmer. I’m just able to hold my breath for a long time,” Fluttershy admitted. “I’m also trained in CPR. That’s why the teacher wanted me over here.”

“Thank you Flutter, I’ll yell and let you know if any of us faint in the pool,” Shark told her before turning back to look at how Light was doing.

Light was still practicing his backstroke as his wings finally started to relax.

Fluttershy sighed as she saw how close Pinkie was to him. “Pinkie was always the bolder one.”

“Well, you should let that student know how you feel,” Shark told her, letting her choose who he was talking about.

“No… it would be too soon. I don’t want to pressure him,” Fluttershy said, remembering what Twilight told her.

“What about Pinkie?” Shark asked.

“I honestly think she’s toying with him,” Twilight said as she stopped her stroke and was floating next to the others.

Shark tilted his head. “What makes you say that?”

“Because I swear I saw his wings go stiff,” Twilight explained. “He looked confused, so I think she’s building a connection while keeping him clueless.”

“Oh...” Sharked blushed. “I take it that he never got the... Talk nor was told about wings having a mind of their own.”

“Neither did Spike,” Twilight whispered to him. “I read a book on it.”

“Well... if you still have the book... I... we... could try to...” Shark offered.

“I think it’s something a boy should tell them,” Fluttershy said as her cheeks went a deep red.

“Yes, I agree, but who do they trust and feel comfortable enough to get the talk from?” Twilight asked.

“Umm... well... There is…” Flutter hid her face behind her mane.

“I... I don’t know Flutter, I suppose he would be the only one,” Shark said.

“Who are you talking about?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The only other stallion here with Asperger,” Shark said.

Twilight turned to Fluttershy with a shocked expression. “He is an expert on the subject.” Fluttershy said with a deep blush.

“Um... how...why..?” Twilight asked.

“He has straight A’s in biology, namely with pony bodies,” Fluttershy said with a raised eyebrow. “What did you think I was talking about?”

“Umm... his marefriends?” Twilight said with a blush, before covering her face.

“Oh… I don’t know about that,” Fluttershy admitted as she heard a splash from behind them. Shark turned his head to look at what just came into the water, ready to protect Twilight.

Pinkie looked like she was panicking as she was at the side of the pool. “What happened to Light? I left to get a drink of water!” she said, before seeing a weighted water polo ball that was used for training floating where Light had been.

“I... umm...” Shark turned to look at Twilight.

Fluttershy instantly feared the worst as she dove under the water, seeing Light’s unconscious body sinking in the pool.

Light’s body was spread open, his legs and wings apart, he was like a baby angel, but now wasn’t the time to look over Light’s heavenly body, she had to save him, so Flutter forced her body to go deeper. She was swimming down faster than she had ever gone before, the fiery passion that was in her was giving her the strength to go beyond her known limits.

While Fluttershy was diving deeper, she could hear Twilight starting to panic as she realized what happened to Light, and had no clue how to help him.

“Come on! Let me get him!” Flutter grabbed Light's body, and pulled him up, her adrenaline letting her to keep on going. Flutter breached the water surface, before managing to lift Light's unconscious body onto the side. She could hear the polo team running over, apologising and asking who was hurt.

As they started to look at Light’s unconscious body, Flutter instantly took charge. “Stand back! Give him air!” Flutter pulled herself out of the water, and started to place her hooves on Light’s body, trying to push the water out of him.

Twilight looked like she was having a panic attack while Spike was trying to keep her calm, helplessly watching Fluttershy work on him.

“Come on! The water is out, but he’s still not inhaling. I only have one idea… May the wilds give me courage. Flutter, without hesitation, pinched Light's nose before placing her lips on his.

Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie all blushed deeply as she saw Fluttershy breathing air into Light’s body. “Lucky…” Pinkie said softly as she was almost speechless at this sight.

Flutter had to use all of herself control to not take advantage of that, she had to resist slipping her tongue through and between his soft and... It wasn’t the time!

Fluttershy gave him a few more breaths before the alicorn started to stir, groaning softly as he had no real clue of what was going on.

Even though she wanted to keep her lips on his, she had to be respected full of him, she also had to let him try to breathe by himself.

Light coughed a few times as he rubbed a bump that was on his forehead. “Ow! Did somebody get the number of that cart that hit me?” Light asked, looking rather sore.

“Umm...” Flutter blushed before turning to look at the polo players.

“A ball got away from us. It was a heck of a throw, but I guess it hit you. Sorry,” one of the players said before Pinkie leaped onto Light.

“You’re okay!!! Fluttershy saved you!!!” she said as she hugged them both tightly.

Light was blushing profusely, feeling both of the mares’ soft coats. “I…” he tried to say before noticing that his lips felt a bit weird. “What did you do?” he asked Flutter.

“Um… I… um… ah…” Fluttershy was hiding her face behind her mane as she didn’t know how to admit what she did.

Pinkie noticed how uncomfortable Flutter was starting to feel. “She saved your life, and nothing else to worry about,” she told Light, before softly pinching and caressing his cheek with hers.

Light didn’t know why, but he felt his heart racing as he felt the two mares next to him. “Oh… thank you…”

“Oh... you’re... You’re welcome,” Flutter said before rubbing her head on Light’s body.

“Hey! Let’s get him to the nurse’s office!” The teacher said as he picked Light up and started carrying him out of the room.

“Oh should we take him, while you stay to teach your class?” Pinkie was asking the teacher.

“Hm… alright… but straight into the nurse’s office, and try to be gentle with him,” the teacher said firmly.

Pinkie nodded “Oh... don’t worry, we... I will,” Flutter said before placing one of Light's arms over her neck, Pinkie doing the same.

“Together Flutter, like we agreed,” Pinkie reminded her as they started carrying Light out of the room.

Flutter nodded, trying to hide the smile she had.

“Well… Light is in for an interesting time,” Spike said before turning to Twilight, who was currently curled up into a ball.

Shark was petting her trying to pet her head to help calm her down.

“I… I froze… I didn’t do anything to help him… I… I failed him… he almost died because I did nothing,” she whimpered as she started to cry, feeling like she almost lost one of her best friends.

“No, no no... you didn’t fail, you... You let the mare that lov... Likes him save him,” Shark tried to tell her.

“But I shouldn’t have let him get hurt in the first place! If I just paid attention…”

“Twilight, bad things happened, and you can’t stop everything,” Shark told her.

“But I want to protect my friends, especially the ones who have stuck by me for so long,” Twilight explained with a sniffle.

Shark hugged her before whispering some words of encouragement. “We all do, but if we never fail, we would never learn,” he told her.

Twilight sniffled as she sat up. “I… I need some time to calm down and gather my thoughts.”

“Do... do you need me to...” Shark started to ask her.

“Please, I just need to rest and think,” Twilight said as she rested her head against his chest. Shark nodded before staying quiet.

Spike was simply floating in the pool as he saw Twilight starting to get comfortable on Shark’s chest, almost too comfortable. After a minute of calming down she started to doze off on his lap, subconsciously hugging his body.

Shark blushed, wondering what this meant, and what she thought of him. The only thing he knew was that he shouldn’t move.

“So… do you have a mare?” Spike asked as he swam over to where the couple were resting.

“I... not yet,” Shark said before looking down.

“Are girls allowed to have more than one boyfriend too?” Spike asked, worried if Rarity was actually swimming in stallions.

“Well, if everyone knows and consents to this, then yes,” Shark told Spike. “Why, do you want to be like Flash?”

“No… I was just wondering if Rarity has… other guys,” Spike admitted with a blush.

“That... you would have to ask her,” Shark admitted.

“Just lay it on me. Is she dating other guys?” Spike pleaded, looking rather anxious about it.

“I don’t know, honest,” Shark said, not wanting to wake up Twilight.

As Spike wanted to press again, the bell went off, signaling the students to get out of the pool and to get cleaned up before the next class.

Shark was forced to shake Twilight up. “Twiiiliiight,” he called softly.

Twilight moaned softly before starting to wake up, seeing that she was still at the pool, and was currently laying on Shark’s lap. “Ohhhh… sorry.”

“Oh it’s ok,” Shark said with a blush. “You... you have some very soft scales,” he admitted.

“Well, at least we know how this relationship is going to work out,” Spike said as a joke as he climbed out of the pool. “The nerd, the jock, and the prince.”

Twilight blushed as she got up. “I was just… tired from all of the swimming.”

“And Fluttershy just gave mouth to mouth to Light. Your point?” Spike asked as he grabbed a spare towel and started to dry himself off.

Twilight looked a bit ashamed at what she just did.

“Hey hey... It’s ok, you... You can have more than one love,” Shark told her. “Just, like... You can have more than one best friend!”

Twilight blushed deeply as she thought about it. “Thank you, although I promise I won’t write to the princesses about it. The press would have a field day if they found out about that letter. No offence,” Twilight said as she brushed her mane back with her claws.

“Yeah, sorry. There are some things that we don’t tell my mom through the mail,” Spike admitted. “But I’m sure she’ll love to meet you when she comes over to visit.”

“Why... that you are ‘crushing’ on both the king’s son and a lonely unimportant one wings pegasus.”

“Magazines have a way of twisting things about us. You should have seen the fallout of Light’s… last mistake.” Spike looked a little awkward as he didn’t want to explain what happened to Light before they had to leave.

“I’ll... I’ll ask him later tonight,” Shark said while following them. “But... isn’t Spike the princess’ son?” he asked.

“I am, meaning I get a lot of ponies judging me,” Spike admitted before looking uncomfortable. “Just… don’t ask Light what happened before we left. None of us really want to talk about it.”

“Telling me not to ask about it is just going to make me want to ask more about it,” Shark told him, only to see the two new kids giving him a pleading look. “But... ok. I wouldn’t. But, why didn’t you just all stay here, forever? Away from the press?”

“Well… I don’t know… We just got here, and we don’t have any idea of how this will turn out,” Twilight admitted. “I mean… I wouldn’t mind staying…”

“Well... if there’s anything that is missing... I would be glad to try to find it or a replacement for you,” Shark offered with a blush.

“I’d like that, and you wouldn’t mind sharing me with Sleipnir as I get to know you two?” Twilight asked with a small blush.

“I’m ok with that,” Shark said before turning to where Pinkie, Flutter and Light had run off to. “So... how do you think it’s going to work out with them?”

“Well, considering the state Light’s wings were in, he’s going to learn what it means to be attracted to somepony. He’ll be scared at first, but if the girls play their cards right, he may grow to be attracted to them,” Twilight said as they started walking to the changing rooms. “So, what do we do with the swimsuits?”

“So you want to keep them? Or wait to get a custom made one?” Shark asked.

“Well… I know Rarity would insist on making one herself, but it may be wise to keep one on me,” Twilight said with a nod.

“Then you can keep them, you may want to write your name on it, and wash them... Once a week if you used it,” Shark tried to explain.

“Well… I may ask Rarity or Light to sew my name onto it, that way it doesn’t wash off,” Twilight said as she got ready to head into a changing room.

“That’s a good ideal,” Shark said. “Don’t forget to wash the chlorine off.”

“Of course. Is there shampoo in here?” Twilight asked.

“There should be a dispenser on the wall, but don’t mistake the body soap with the mane soap,” Shark told her. “Oh, and it’s a good idea and habit to maybe bring your own little bottle.”

“What’s the difference?” Spike asked, having a fur coat himself.

“I... I don’t know,” Shark admitted. “I think the mane one is better if you want to style your mane, while the body one is better for your hooves and other body parts, doesn’t irritate them.”

“Alright. I guess I never paid too much attention to that. I just took a lot of bubble baths,” Spike admitted before going to shower off.

Shark nodded. “Can... Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?” Spike asked as he was getting ready to close his door.

“Is... is it true? That your and your mother’s bath-tub is the size of a pool?” Shark asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Mom’s? Yes. Mine, no,” Spike said with a shrug. “When I was old enough to bathe myself, there were some guidelines that my mom had to follow to make sure that I don’t drown by accident. My biggest tub was around the size of a hot tub.”

“Oh...” Shark thought about it. “That’s... A bit small,” he admitted. “But Celestial bath-tub is the size of a pool.”

“She’s as tall as Kirouac, and has a longer body,” Spike explained while looking confused. “And how big is your hot tub?”

“Wow,” Shark said, surprised by how tall she was. “I don’t have a hot-tub. But... a single one, that you can buy, is the size of a desk at school,” Shark explained.

“That’s small!” Spike exclaimed. “And I thought you didn’t have currency!”

“Well the word ‘buy’ is used here for things that you get and are planning to keep for ‘ever’. Shark tried to explain. “But! The one next to this pool is the size of a small pool,” Shark added.

“Well… I guess my last bathtub, keeping in mind that I lived in a house right next to the castle with Twilight and Light, was about the size of four of our school desks,” Spike explained as he started to remember that he was, in spite of how he was treated, a prince.

“Mhm... sounds like the couple’s size,” Shark said.

“Light and Twilight weren’t used to extravagant stuff, and since Twilight is the equivalent to my sister, I was willing to follow in their hoofprints,” Spike explained as he got ready to close the door to his changing room.

Shark nodded. “I hear that Sleipnir is the same. mostly.”

“Yeah, he’s a decent guy. I can tell why Twilight wants both of you,” Spike said as he remembered something. “By the way, which subject do you want to work on studying today?”

“Oh, um since I already know what 1 + 2 makes, let’s do writing,” Shark suggested.

“Sure thing. Now please let me get cleaned,” Spike asked kindly as he finally shut the door to his changing room.

Shark nodded before leaving and going to his own changing room.

Chapter 6: to find what Love is Hiding

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Twilight was breathing heavily as she was running to the library. A part of her wanted to see what classes Shark was going to, but she wouldn’t miss a chance to have full access to that library for anything. As she turned the corner, she accidentally bumped into FlashTruth, knocking both of them down, and hurting her a bit.

“Ow! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there,” Twilight apologized while rubbing her head.

“It’s ok, I hope you’re not hurt,” Flash asked with worry, before helping her up.

“It’s fine. My scales don’t bruise easily,” Twilight assured him as she picked up her bag. “Are you okay?”

Flash smiled, before tapping his skull. “I have dense bones.”

“Oh… I didn’t know earth ponies were that durable,” Twilight said as they both started walking towards the library again.

“Oh... umm. umm.. Ya...” Flash said, wondering if he should tell her. ‘earth -pony.’

“So, Light seemed pretty happy when we rejoined him. How did he get along?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, well... The little girls are fans of him, so that boosted his self-confidence,” Flash told her.

“Um… what do you mean by little girls? Do you mean kids or…”

“Kids,” Flash replied. “What else would I be talking about?”

“Well, Pinkie and fluttershy have been swooning over Light,” Twilight admitted as they neared the large doors. “Oh... Speaking of which, I need your help with something.”

“I have noticed, he’s not here for more than 2 days, and he already has mares swooning after him,” Flash said before laughing. “What do you need help with?”

“I think he and Spike need to learn about…” Twilight looked a little embarrassed as she cleared her throat. “The birds and the bees.”

“Oh, that’s some that...” Flash paused before slowly turning his head to Twilight. “They haven’t already got the Talk!?” he said, a bit louder than he should have.

Twilight quickly covered his mouth and shushed him. “No, and please keep it down.”

“W... What do they already know?” Flash asked her. “Do they at least know what’s the difference between you and I? I mean, besides our race.”

“Yes. They know how bodies grow and the difference between mares and colts. They just don’t know how babies are made or how the body reacts when a romantic element is introduced. Light had a couple of wing boners and didn’t know what was going on,” Twilight explained with a sigh.

“Ok, I’ll give them the talk,” Flash told her.

“Thank you. It was awkward when Cadence told me, but those two need to know before those girls make them go crazy,” Twilight said as she gave Flash a hug.

“I understand,” Flash told her while hugging her back. “Good thing that was the... Only boner he had.”

“Yeah… he’s never had them before,” Twilight admitted.

“Well... that you know,” Flash pointed out, noticing how soft Twilight was. All this talk about... boners was making it hard for Flash to keep his mind clean.

Twilight pulled away before anything intimate could happen. “Well, I guess I’d better get into the literature club before they start.”

“Oh, you’re part... Of course you’re part of it,” Flash said, while his mind went back to normal. “Let me open the door for you, and let you go in before me.”

“Oh? You’re in the class too?” Twilight asked as Flash opened the door.

Flash nodded. “Yeah, I... I try to expand my knowledge. It helps me help more,” he explained.

“Nice! It’s nice to meet another intellectual,” Twilight said with a bright smile as she walked in.

“Oh, I... I don't know if I'm worthy of that title,” Flash admitted bashfully.

“Well, either way, I have somepony to read with,” Twilight said as they both went over to the study group.

“You didn’t before?” Flash asked her, feeling sad for her.

“Well, Light and Spike joined me because no one else did in my school, but none of them could read as much as I did,” Twilight admitted. “I read three to four times more than they do.”

“You, you poor thing,” Flash told her before hugging her head.

“It’s fine. I do know that I have a larger appreciation for books than most other ponies,” Twilight said proudly. “I’m not ashamed of it.”

Flash realized that it is not a good idea to call you a thing. “I... I mean, you poor... individual student!” He finished with a smile, hoping that she wouldn’t get mad at him.

Twilight giggled as she listened to Flash. “It’s alright Flash. I’m not too sensitive about how I’m described.”

“Oh... so you wouldn’t blush if I called you beautiful?” Flash asked her with a cheeky grin.

Twilight blushed when he said that. “Oh? Do you say that to all of the cute girls you meet?”

“Maybe,” Flash said with a big grin on his face.

“Well, second day and I’m swimming in stallions,” Twilight said with a small smile.

“I thought it was at the pool?” Flash asked her. “But... who are the stallions trying to court you?”

“Well, I’m interested in Sleipnir and more recently Shark, but I have a lack of experience with dating.” Twilight admitted.

Flash nodded. “Mhm... and no mares?” he asked her. “Well... if you ever need help or have any questions, feel free to ask me anything.”

“M… mares?” Twilight asked before seeing the entire study group.

Flash nodded ones more. “Yes, mares, are you only into mares?” he asked Twilight.

“I… I never dated a mare before,” Twilight explained as she looked rather confused.

“But... stallions?” Flash asked in confusion.

“This is my first time dating… ever,” Twilight said with a blush. “Again, I don’t fit in at Canterlot.”

“But... I’m asking you if you are only attracted to stallions, or are you bi?” Flash asked her.

“I…” Twilight froze in place as she had never thought about it before. “I… I don’t know. I was never attracted to anypony before.”

“Oh…” Flash said while pausing. “Asexual!?”

“That’s… not true. I just never found anypony who would be willing to be interested in a girl like me,” Twilight tried to explain, a tear falling off her face.

“Oh... I... I’m sorry,” Flash said, now feeling bad. He went to her and wiped the tear off of her face. “They were probably too shy to talk to you, thinking that you were out of their league,” he told her before hugging her.

“No, they called me a freak of nature or avoided me to keep from getting bullied,” Twilight said as she sniffled a little.

Flash petted Twilight’s head. “There there... You’re no longer there. They are far away from you.”

Twilight wiped her eyes as she nodded. “T… thank you. I hope you don’t mind if I am slow to the dating world, and if Light asks, tell him I told you the requirements of dating me. I’ll write them down for you.”

“Ok,” he said with a blush. “Should... Should we join the reading group?”

“Sure, and I hope you don’t mind me dating two other guys,” Twilight said as they sat down at the table.

“I’m fine if you’re fine with my dating history,” Flash told her.

“It’s okay, but don’t expect to get frisky with me for a while,” Twilight whispered as the other group members started looking at them.

“I can wait.” Flash whispered back.

Twilight blushed before she turned to the group.

The same cyan mare with the red and orange mare that was seen at the AS group with Flash, cleared her throat. “If you are done talking with my cousin can we get started?” she asked.

“C… cousin?” Twilight asked, now embarrassed and nervous.

She nodded. “Yes, I’m HottenBright, I’m SkullCrusher’s cousin on our mom’s side of our family.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped as she tried to understand what she just called him. “S… SkullCrusher?”

Flash has his face in his hooves. “Bright, it’s now FlashTruth, you know how I hate my birth name.”

“Oh… I… didn’t know that,” Twilight said as she tried to regain her composure.

Flash turned to Twilight. “And I wish that you would never know,” he said, depressed. “Please don’t tell anyone about my birth name,” he begged.

“I won’t, I promise,” Twilight said with a nod.

“Thank you,” Flash told Twilight before turning to the rest of the group.

“So… who are the rest of you?” Twilight asked the rest of the group as she started to think about what book she should read first.

“Well, you already met Hotten, the perfectionist,” Flash said, looking irritated at his cousin for ratting his name out like that. “And you met Speed. This is the club he takes when his music club isn’t scheduled. The two buffalo are Tomato’s sisters. The one with the straps is Salami, and the one with the horn is Feta,” Flash explained as he kept listing them off. “You already know Sleipnir. The sad brown mare in green is Ground-Earth, and the bookworm unicorn next to her is Lovely-Language.”

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you all,” Twilight said as she blushed at the sight of Sleipnir.

Sleipnir waved back at Twilight. “So... have you read any of the Daring Do books?” he asked her.

“All of them, along with the entire Shadow Spade series,” Twilight admitted.

“Well, we are at Daring Do and the waterfall of Dreams, are you at that one?” Sleipnir asked.

“I have... but I think it’s called Daring Do and the waterfall of Wishes in Canterlot?” Twilight said, looking confused. “Is this another cultural difference or variation?”

Ground-Earth shrugged. Sleipnir answered, “Well it’s based on a legend, you must call it something else in Canterlot. Here, the legend is that you swim in the water you get to live your dream until you wake up and get out of the water.”

“Oh… that’s dramatically different. In Canterlot it grants your wish if you drink the water,” Twilight explained as she sat next to them. “Maybe we are thinking of two different Daring Do books? It may be a newer one that I haven’t read?”

“It’s the only one that has the word waterfall in it, though that would explain what the bad-guy was planning to do,” Sleinir said.

“PackMaster?” Twilight asked.

“Based on how it works it should instead be called ..the waterfall of nightmares,” Ground-Earth said.

“Yeah, I believed that the water ended up being contaminated with some kind of hallucinogenic chemical,” Twilight agreed.

“Because his dreams were twisted into something he didn’t want?” Grand-Earth asked.

Sleipnir nodded. “A nightmare is an undesirable dream,” Rewording an old saying.

“Well. it looks like I need to compare notes… but why would an author write two different versions of a story?” Twilight asked, looking confused.

“Sounds more like only the book title was changed,” Sleipnir said.

“Maybe, but I think I should read your version of the book,” Twilight said curiously.

Flash passed his copy to Twilight. “Feel free to read it.” he offered.

“Thank you,” Twilight said as she quickly started reading the book.

As the group talked about the book, Twilight was skimming through the book, except for some name changes, and Daring thinking that PackMaster was a foolish diamond dog instead of an insane earth pony, she couldn't find any real changes.

“Hm… Strange,” Twilight said as she was trying to understand why so few things were changed.

“What’s wrong?” Sleipnir asked, concerned.

“Both stories have minor changes, but both still have the same plot problem,” Twilight explained.

“Which is?” Sleinir asked, confused.

“The origin of this waterfall. She leaves out a lot of detail talking about where it came from or where it would be located,” Twilight explained as she was looking through the book again.

Sleipnir shrugged. “Have you never heard of that legend?” he asked her.

“It’s not in the book, so no,” Twilight admitted, looking a little peeved by this missing detail. “I tried to do some research on it, but I couldn’t find anything. I guessed that the author just came up with something original.”

“Well long story short, it’s said to make your dream a reality,” Sleipnir explained.

“I get that, but how does it happen? Other stories explain how said artifact is blessed or cursed or was in some sort of anomaly. There is no origin for this waterfall and how it came to be.” Twilight said as she set the book aside. “We know what it does, but not how it became magical.”

“I heard that it was made by the dream writer, the one that crafts dreams,” Sleipnir said.

“Hm… I think I want to do more research on this,” Twilight mused.

“Ok, but after we are done here,” Sleipnir offered.

“Sure thing,” Twilight said with a nod. “I hope Light will be okay when we meet up with him in the homeroom.”

“Oh... how is he feeling?” Sleipnir asked.

“Probably in a bit of pain. He nearly drowned,” Twilight explained as she rubbed her forehead, thinking about where Light was hit. “He got struck by a rogue water polo ball.”

Everyone in the group winsed. “Oof, is he ok?” Sleipnir asked.

“Yes. He got taken to the nurse’s office,” Twilight assured the group.

“Too bad it wasn’t Flash,” Bright said with a grin.

“You know as well as I do that I don’t swim,” Flash said sternly.

“I was talking about getting hit in the head,” Bright clarified.

“What are you all talking about?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Let's just say he's made of harder stuff,” Bright said.

Twilight looked confused as she turned to Flash for an explanation.

“To keep it short and simple, our moms pray to the goddess of fighting and… and well.. We tend to be more tough,” Flash tried to explain, while trying to keep the fact that he is a crystal pony a secret.

“Oh, I see…” Twilight said, remembering Flash’s real name.

“Don’t worry, I pray to the one of peace, helping, and good dreams,” Flash told Twilight trying to reassure whatever questions or doubts she may have about him.

“Okay, so are there any other books I need to read in order to catch up with your group?”

“Well we are currently reading through all the Daring Do books now…” Sleipnir told her.

“I guess I can read them again with you and tell you what differences there are in the ones I read,” Twilight offered.

“Oh... ok, look at the back, and tell me if any of the other names are different,” Sleinir asked Twilight.

Twilight flipped the book over to the back, where all of the names of the books in the Daring Do series were listed.

“Well, I found a few that I haven’t read,” Twilight admitted.

“Oh... later ones, or are they taking the place of a book that isn’t there?” Sleipnir asked.

“Hm… there are only a couple of books that I don’t see here,” Twilight said, looking rather curious at the swapped ones on the list.

“Oh... what are the differences?” Bright asked.

“Well, The Key of the Bloodline is new to me, along with The King’s Promise. The ones I knew were The Ruins of the Everfree and The Lost Child,” Twilight explained.

“Mhm... could The Key of the Bloodline be the same as The Lost Child?” Sleipnir asked.

“No, the lost child had to do with a supposedly lost descendant of the alicorn house from Canterlot,” Twilight explained. “It talks about an ostracized Queen’s child.”

“While The Key of the Bloodline is about the supposed royal bloodline of the first ruler of MoonRacer, so I guess they are different,” Sleipnir said.

“What about The King’s Promise? That one went back to before Kirouac was king,” Flash pointed out. “It talked about his magical sword.”

“Well, The Ruins of the Everfree is a more spooky story about a haunted castle. Daring even ended up saying at the end that if you find a castle in the Everfree, avoid it at all costs,” Twilight said as she was now looking very curious.

“That’s strange...” Flash said.

“Yeah, and she didn’t give a lot of detail on the background of that castle either,” Twilight explained. “She did say that it was haunted by the mare of shadows and had a ton of hidden passages.”

“Again, it does connect to my theory,” Salami said with a proud grin.

“And what would that be?” Ground-Earth asked.

“That this is a self biography and not a fictional tale,” Salami explained.

“Self... biography?!” Earth said.

“Yeah, being able to integrate real life events even ranging back to her childhood, even including some of her awkward moments does give the impression that this is based on a real pony,” Salami said as she was getting out some of her notes.

“That would mean that everything is true?” Earth said with some envy.

“I highly doubt it,” Twilight said, looking rather skeptical. “Why would she leave out details or even publish these books if they are true?”

“For us to find them!” Salami declared.

“Considering that she collects a lot of them and even describes how dangerous they are, I find it hard to believe. No offense,” Twilight explained.

“To warn them of what doom will come upon whoever tries to find them?” Salami changed her tone.

“Alright guys, let’s settle down. There is no way to confirm the theory at the moment, but let’s remember why we are here. It’s so we can have fun and give our opinions about stories,” Sleipnir reminded the group.

Flash nodded. “Yeah... So… What was your favorite part?”

“Well, I do like the part when Daring realized that she was missing half of the token that made her realize that she was three miles off,” Twilight admitted.

Flash giggled. “For me it was when she talked to that Zebra... What was her name? Zecora!”

The group all started to relax as they started talking about the story they were working on, learning about the differences in the stories while also finding what they had in common.

“Ha ha... And then she said ‘Crocodilian, how about Crododon’t!’” Flash told them, getting a laugh from all.

Twilight wiped her eyes as she was tearing up in her laughter. “It was incredible, even if she nearly got taken down for that punchline.”

“But she gets back up again, because nothing keeps her down,” Flash said.

“Yeah, she is amazing,” Twilight said with a nod.

Flash leaned closer to Twilight. “Do you want to hear something fun?” he asked her.

“What is that?” Twilight asked curiously.

“I caught R.D. reading those books.”

Twilight looked excited when she heard that. “Really? That’s great!” Flash nodded.

“Now we only need to get her to admit it,” Sleipnir said with a sigh. “She calls everypony else eggheads when we (go geeky about things)/(do geeky things), but she won't admit that there is a bit of a geek in us all.”

“Embrace it. Bring out your nerd side, you will be more happy if you do,” Salami said before laughing.

Twilight agreed as she turned to Sleipnir. “Maybe I can talk to her about it?”

“Ok... good luck, hope you can think of something that I couldn’t,” Sleipnir told her.

“Well, I think I may wait for us to get more comfortable working together first. Then I may just bring up Daring Do more casually,” Twilight suggested.

Salami nodded. “Quote something from the book, something that only someone who read the book should know.”

“Whatever you do, don’t try to turn it into a weapon. I think welcoming her with open hooves will work out much better for both of you,” Flash said as he was starting to pack up his bag.

“You think so?” Salami asked him.

“You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,” Flash said wisely.

“That’s what Celestia always tells me,” Twilight said with a smile.

Sleipnir giggled. “And that’s how my father gets more loyal subjects, by being friendly & open arms to them, instead of being hostile to them,” he said while petting Twilight’s back. “Good luck.”

As everybody was packing their bags up, they heard the bell go off. “Well, I guess all that’s left is homeroom,” Twilight said as she picked up her bag.

“Have fun,” everyone told Twilight before leaving, until only she and Ground Earth remained.

Twilight looked around as she made a few mental notes of some books to borrow. “So Earth, what’s your story?”

Earth raised her head up. “Can’t you tell?” she asked as her flat face turned to Twilight.

“Um… not really? I was just wondering if you were born here or…”

“Moved… My parents thought that I could be less noticed here, but there aren’t any like me,” Earth said with a frown. “I’m somehow the only pony with Down Syndrome here.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Twilight said, instantly looking regretful.

“You don’t know how it feels. You got King Kirouac , that mare that works with metal, and the pyrotechnic,” Earth said, putting her face down on the table.

Twilight looked concerned as she gave Earth a small hug. “Well, you have friends who have the same likes as you do, right?”

Earth nodded. “Yeah, and?”

“Well, a lot of us feel like outcasts in our own ways. I wouldn’t look at you like you are weird or anything like that,” Twilight tried to assure her as she petted her back.

“Have you looked at my face?” she asked.

“I lived in Canterlot with this body. Do you think I’d care about how your face looks?” Twilight asked.

Earth paused. “So... you lived with glamor?”

“I lived with ponies who only saw me as a monster. I would see normal ponies and envy them,” Twilight said as she wiped the tears off of Earth’s face. “You aren’t alone any more… we aren’t alone anymore.”

“Well still, nopony else here has Down syndrome,” Earth said.

“Well, at least you have friends.” Twilight tried to comfort her, now knowing what else to say.

“Yeah... my family and the gardening class,” Earth said.

“And us too,” Twilight said as she kept hugging Earth.

Earth finally broke down, and hugged Twilight back.

Twilight smiled before thinking about what Flash said about looking at dating mares too. “Sweet Celestia. Am I getting a harem?” Twilight thought aloud to herself.

Earth raised her head up. “Wow... wait, we need to know each other first,” she said while backing away.

“I… I didn’t say anything!” Twilight said as a deep blush came over her face.

“Yeah… umm... Don't we have to go?” Earth asked, before running off, trying to hide her blush.

“Um… sure… and we’ll meet up later,” Twilight said as she slowly started walking towards the door.

“Umm... yeah, maybe,” Earth said, going the other way.

Twilight was quick to catch up with Sleipnir and Flash as they led her to their homeroom class. There were a few tables and chairs set up, along with some bookcases for studying.

“What took you so long?” Flash asked her.

“I was just talking to Earth. Sorry,” Twilight apologized as they sat down in the room.

Sleipnir nodded. “Mhm... I see. She feels a bit lonely. Being the only one with Down Syndrome.”

“Yeah, I just wanted to help comfort her,” Twilight admitted.

“It is hard to keep her spirits up sometimes,” Fluttershy said as she and Pinkie walked into the room followed by Light, who had bandages covering his forehead.

Flash winced. “I heard what happened, are you ok bro?”

“I got hit by a hard water polo ball and nearly drowned. I have a light headache, but I was told that I’m going to be fine,” Light explained as he tried not to rub his head. “I did miss the last class today.”

Flash nodded, knowing how it feels to drown.

“It’s okay Darling. The craft’s class got canceled today because one teacher had to deal with kidney stones,” Rarity said as she had a card in her magic. “Would you all sign this get well soon card for me?”

Flash took it and started to sign it.

“Well, at least I didn’t miss much,” Light said as he sat down.

“Maybe you could make the teacher one of your stuffed animals?” Flutter suggested.

“Maybe, once my head feels better,” Light said with a soft moan, as he still felt a bit of pain in his chest.

“Oh, no,” Flutter said before petting his head very softly.

“It’s fine Fluttershy,” Light said, still feeling somewhat bad for her and Pinkie staying to keep an eye on him.

“Maybe you should kiss it to make it feel better,” Flash suggested.

“Um. I don’t…” Before Light could finish, he felt both Fluttershy and Pinkie kissing his head, causing him to blush deeply again.

“How does that feel?” Pinkie whispered to Light, speaking softer than she normally did.

“I… it feels okay…” Light said as he tried to keep his wings from stiffening up.

Both Pinkie and Flutter nodded. “Good.”

Rarity giggled softly to herself as she looked at the flustered alicorn. While Dash and Applejack walked in, they got to see Light looking rather bashful.

“Hey Light, heard what happened to you and made you some apple-bread,” A.J. told him.

“Oh… I got hit by a weight water polo ball,” Light said as he looked more nervous than embarrassed now.

“So, how was it, did you slam the ball?” Dash asked with excitement.

“No. The ball slammed into me,” Light tried to explain

“He wasn’t even playing the game!” Spike told Dash as he walked into the room. “He was just in the training pool when he got hit.”

“Aww man, that's less cool,” Dash said.

“Dash! That is very impolite to say to a colt with a head injury,” Rarity scolded the speedster.

“Thought he would be more cool than that,” Dash said.

“Gosh darn it Dash! You need to be a bit more understanding with the poor boy. He’s already had it rather rough today. It's like if you sprained your leg in a shower after a race you were hyped up for was canceled,” Applejack tried to explain to her.

Flash tried to calm both mares down, “Ok... now back to the stuffed animal,” he said, wanting to keep a fight from happening.

“OH! Yeah, with ribbons and bows and all nice things!” Pinkie said while jumping in place.

“Well, just make sure that you are feeling well first,” Fluttershy said, not wanting him to strain himself too soon.

“I will,” Light told her, feeling better with Flutter around.

“Of course the alicorn gets girls caring for him. You autistic boys are practically mare magnets,” Speed said as he and some of the other roommates walked in.

Flash blushed before covering his face. “Maybe it's our personality. How are you and Cotton doing?”

“Doing fine, but she has been ranting about alicorns and the magical application to shifting bodies,” Speed explained.

“Well, with what she wants and what you can do...” Flash turned to Light. “How did it go?” he asked him.

“What do you mean?” Light asked, looking somewhat confused by what he meant.

“I deduced that you probably got invited to the pegacorn group, bast on your wings and horn, so... What did Cotton do?”

“Asked me a dozen questions about how it happened. I think she is confused by how it works,” Light said with a gulp.

“Well... she was born with underdeveloped wings and horns, making any task involving flying or doing magic hard for her, so... Finding out that the legend of ponies becoming alicorn, getting wings and horns at 100% of their capability. She would want that,” Flash said.

“And I can only ever have the capability of one or the other,” Speed said.

“Well, knowledge and understanding are different things. I was always bad at magic, and I don’t know how to fly,” Light reminded them.

“Just relax Light. It’s not the outside where good ponies are made, but on the inside,” Applejack tried to assure him.

“Yeah, that’s the best part,” Pinkie said as she hugged him from behind.

“And do you think she cares or minds?” he asked him. “She does have knowledge and understanding. The only thing she is missing is the horn and wings to do it.”

“Well, tell her when she figures it out, we’ll do a swap,” Light offered before he felt fluttershy hugging him too, keeping his blush a deep red.

“Don’t give her any ideas to ask Marerian to do that,” Flash warned.

“Sure thing,” Light said as Dash and Applejack were giggling at the sight of him being caressed by two of their friends.

“So... umm…” Flash tried to change the subject from Light’s wings. “Can you walk, Light?” he asked him.

“Yes. It’s something that I can do right…” Light shuddered as he felt Pinkie rubbing his shoulders.

“Why don’t we go shopping!” Flash suggested. “I’m sure we can find things that you always wanted to have but never could.”

“Don’t forget, we have to spend this time studying,” Sleipnir reminded the others.

“Later?” Flash asked them.

“Well...” Light looked rather nervous, but Rarity spoke up for him.

“Of course! I know that Light would love to know all of the best fabric places for his stuffed animals along with some suppliers for toy parts,” Rarity said before putting on a dramatic pose. “But I’m so worn out. If I would join, I’d need somepony to help me carry stuff, and I would never ask an injured pony.”

“I’ll help!!!” Spike said quickly as he jumped up, looking almost too eager.

Both Dash and A.J. looked at Rarity. She gave a smug smile as she walked over to Spike. “Some mares have it…”

“Have what?” Pinkie asked while petting Light’s back.

“Not in front of the clueless boys,” Rarity said with a giggle.

Flash nodded, reminded of what he will have to do with Light and Spike. Should he wait for Light to get better or do it now before Pinkie and Flutter do something that he doesn't know.

“Keep your excitement and enthusiasm for later, we all have to study,” Sleipnir told Spike.

“Well, I think I need some help on math today,” Shark said as he walked over to Light. “That is, if you can get the girls to leave you alone for a minute.”

“Ok, but you would have to take care of Light, and pet his bruises,” Pinkie told Shark.

“Um… I don’t think I need too much pampering…” Light tried to tell the girls.

“Just allow him to use some flash cards and give me tips,” Shark suggested as he handed Light the deck of cards.

“I can do that,” Light said before taking a deep breath at managing to levitate the cards.

Twilight sighed as she walked up to Dash. “Looks like I will be helping you again. Let’s work with history for a bit before I ask Light for the math cards. What do you remember from earlier?”

“Um... the town of Dream Lavender,” Dash said.

“And what is the historical significance about it?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“Um... vampiric platypus?” Dash tried to think.

Twilight groaned as she got out a book. “Well, let’s start all over again…”

“Sorry Twil, but this stuff is just not cool for me,” Dash said.

“Well, it depends on your depiction of cool. Some find it in simple acceptance, others in wisdom, some in safari hats… well, maybe not the last one,” Twilight said as she hid her face in the book.

Dash had to restrain herself to not act like she knew what Twilight was talking about.

“The point is that being smart doesn’t make you any less cool.” Twilight tried to explain.

Dash tried to restrain herself. “Um... yes, it degraned my awesomeness,” she said.

“Well, there was this mare I read about who had to learn to research certain historical moments in order to find artifacts, I think there was even a book about Kirouac’s crown…”

“Oh... what about the Crown?” Dash asked.

“Well, I’m trying to remember the name of the book… The Prince’s Promise?” Twilight asked, acting like she was struggling to remember.

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Goo on!?”

“Well, I haven’t read it, but I heard it’s one of the more boring books in the series,” Twilight said as she opened the book. “The funny thing I heard is that some of the facts in it are real.”

“Like what?” Dash asked.

“In one story it accurately describes the Myan culture in the South West,” Twilight said with a small grin. “Along with the advanced mechanics used in the snake pit trap. How else would she know how to escape the room without knowing the text on the walls?”

“Oh... ok,” Dash said with her eye twitching, knowing that what Twilight was saying was wrong.

“Well, there are only three good books. Maybe it is for eggheads,” Twilight said with a giggle.

“I... I…” Dash couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you kidding!? Griffin Goblet is the best, where she had to go do some spelunking. There’s also the Cloud Castle, one of her most underrated books. Also let's not forget the Dragon Hoard, one of the most mature books in the series. The book you are talking about is The King’s Promise, and it has to do with his sword. The Myans were in the South East. And... and…” She realized what she had just done.

Twilight smiled as she placed a claw on her shoulder. “I actually have read all of her books, and although I have not read the KING’S promise, I know it has to deal with his sword. The Griffon Goblet is in my top ten, and it is my favorite series. Now, do you think Daring Do is afraid of a little book and learning?”

“N... no,” Dash said timidly.

“Come on. Sleipnir loves the series and he is as athletic as you. None of us think that being smart will take away from your coolness in any way.” Twilight tried to comfort her.

“But... but I don’t want to turn into Salami,” Dash said with worry.

“Do I look like Salami?” Sleipnir asked.

“Listen hon. No matter how much you learn, you will always be the fastest pony in MoonRacer, and also the most stubborn,” Applejack said with a grin as she gave Dash a strong pat on the back.

Dash blushed. “Umm… Yeah.” Speed rolled his eyes.

“So, how about we try to work on a bit of math? Light?” Twilight asked as she turned to the alicorn.

“No, you forgot to carry the one,” Light said to Shark. “Um... you said something Twilight?”

“He has five cards to go. Maybe we should wait?” Dash tried to point out, making Twilight freeze in place.

“H… how do you know? You were looking at me the whole time,” Twilight asked as she stared at Dash.

“I notice a lot of stuff around me. Every good flier keeps track of her surroundings,” Dash explained nonchalantly.

Twilight stroked her chin. “Is that so?” she said before turning around looking at everyone.

Everybody started to raise eyebrows at each other before having flash cards teleported into their hooves and magically moved to where the ones with the cards can be visible to Dash.

“We never used cards in our group,” Sleipnir whispered to Flash.

“Exactly. I think Twilight is onto something,” Flash said as Twilight motioned the others to start studying.

“Well, why don’t we talk about Daring Do for a while?” Twilight said as she summoned one of her own books in front of her. “I heard that there are a few variations in some books.”

Dash looked a bit confused. “Um... ok, what are the differences?”

Twilight smiled as they spent some time going over some of the differences and talking about their favorite stories. Dash admittedly liked being able to just chill and talk about Daring Do instead of going over some boring school lessons.

After about twenty minutes of the others studying, Twilight decided to test her theory. “Well, let’s go over a few math problems while we have some time left. What is twelve times five?”

“60…” Dash said bluntly and nonchalantly.

“Who was the founder of Lavender Dream?” Twilight asked again, having a growing smile on her face.

“The Thestrial, Sweet Dreams, and her-what we now know as trans-unicorn wife ‘Mr.’ Lavender Swirl,” Dash answered.

“And how do you spell fascinating?” Twilight asked as she saw that her plan had clearly succeeded.

“F, A, S, C, I, N, A,T, I, N, G!” Dash said, starting to get confused.

Twilight smiled brightly as she looked Dash straight in the eye. “I found it!”

“Found what?” Dash asked her. “How to be less weird?”

“Your way of learning. You’re answering questions that you have been struggling with. Don’t you see it?” Twilight asked before thinking of another problem. “What is 26 times 5?”

“130,” Dash said with a shrug.

Even the others looked impressed by this. “Why can’t I get that right?” Shark asked, looking rather envious.

“Because you try to count on your feathers,” Light said.

“And what is the problem with that?” Shark asked as he looked at Light.

“You keep running out of feathers.” Light added. “You need to learn to mentally add in your mind.”

“Well golly, it looks like Twi has cracked the code to your head,” Applejack said with a smile.

“What are you talking ab...” Dash was about to ask, but she turned her head and saw that everybody was now staring at her.

“Dash, what natural disaster struck Lavender Dream two years before the collapse of the nation?” Flash asked.

“F5 tornado that was blamed on Pegasus from Purify Pond.” Dash said, pausing as she realized that she didn’t know that an hour ago.

“Admittedly I went off on a hunch, but since you noticed Light had five cards left out of the corner of your eye, I rolled with it. I had everybody use flash cards in a way that you could see them without focusing on them. When you try to focus on one thing, your mind wanders off, but when you’re relaxed and allowing things to happen around you, you pick up stuff without thinking about it,” Twilight said with a big smile.

A.J. smirked.

Dash looked amazed. “Wow... I… I don’t know what to say.”

“I guess we will be using these flashcards a lot more now,” Flash said with a smile as he put his cards away.

“I guess you have more time to give Twilight and Light some flying lessons,” Pinkie suggested. “But you may want to wait on giving Light any for a few days.”

Dash looked at Pinkie, wondering what she was planning.

“What?” Pinkie asked, completely confused. “He’s hurt,” she pointed out. “What did you think was going on in my head?”

“I’m not going to answer that,” Rarity said as she started working on putting some stitches on a skirt that was in her bag.

“Is there anything else that Dash has to learn?” Flash asked, wondering what Rarity was doing with her bag.

“We can work on that tomorrow. She has a test in a couple of days,” Sleipnir pointed out, being in one of the same classes as her.

“I feel confident,” Dash said, getting up and popping out her chest.

“Good. I’m glad to help,” Twilight said happily.

Flash nodded before turning to Light and Shark. “How is he doing?”

“A little slow, but I think we’re making progress,” Light said as he handed some notes to Shark.

Shark looked at them. “What... what is it?”

“Just a few pointers to help you out. If you can remember those rules, it may help you out,” Spike explained.

Shark read them over, and nodded.

“So… are we done studying?” Flash asked with a smile.

“Five, four, three, two, one,” Pinkie Pie counted down before the bell went off. “Now we are done!”

“How does she do that?” Light asked as he slowly got up.

“Don’t ask!” the entire room said at the same time.

Twilight shrugged as she walked over to the others. “So, I guess we get to go…” Twilight looked like she was confused as she couldn’t remember if flying lessons were first of shopping.

“Let’s shop, then Dash can show you how to fly,” Flash said while getting up.

“Yeah…” Twilight looked a little concerned as she started thinking about it. “Besides fabric and probably some books, what else should we get?”

“Darling, it’s just a matter of what you need. Just keep in mind that it needs to fit in your dorm room without taking too much space and don’t get greedy,” Rarity explained with a smile as Spike got her bag for her. “It’s basically an easier version of window shopping… by the way, is...”

“Well, don’t worry about Twi. She’s already been through her greed phase,” Spike assured them. “It took me and Light a week to get her back to normal, but I think it was a one time thing.”

“Yeah, that’s the thing a lot of new young dragons have to struggle with when they come here. Greed becomes a thing which they quickly have to learn to control,” Sleipnir said as he was picking up his bag.

“Don’t worry. I learned to keep my greed in check,” Twilight assured the group.

“Yes, but now there's not a... I can’t pay for all of this stopping you this time,” Flash pointed out. “But don’t worry. Even the nondragon kids have to deal with that.”

“Oh, that makes me feel better,” Twilight said with a small blush.

“Yes,” Rarity said with a blush. “Some kids want to get all of the dresses. Ha ha...”

“Or all of the pins,” Flash said while adjusting his hat.

“Apple themed memorabilia, for me,” A.J. said.

“Balloons, confetti, and other party supplies!” Pinkie said.

“Anything involving the Wonderbolts,” Dash said proudly.

“Wait… the Wonderbolts? The fastest flyers in Equestria?” Light asked, looking shocked that this was the standard she was trying to live up to.

Dash nodded. “Just you wait, I’ll join them, and then I'll become their Captain!” she said triumphantly.

Spike, Twilight, and Light cringed as they thought about a half griffon trying to join the Wonderbolts. “Yeah…”

“Well... for me, a necklace with a shark tooth on it. The skull of a shark. I think you know where this is going,” Shark said.

“Oh... I... I tried to adopt... all of the pets,” Flutter said with a blush, before covering her face. “I tried to have more than A-Dark-ble.”

“Eh… I guess we never cared about having a ton of stuff,” Spike admitted.

“Or is it because you couldn’t get all that you wanted?” Dash asked him playfully before poking him in the stomach.

“I’m a prince. You don’t think I have money?” Spike asked bluntly.

“Yes, but if you spend it all on memorabilia instead of... Fixing the roads, the country will revolt,” Sleipnir pointed out.

“I have an allowance, and admittedly a lot of it I invested for my future,” Spike said before thinking about MoonRacer. “Now that I think about it, I think the bank’s going to be holding onto it for a long time.”

Sleipnir laughed. “Many come here for a year, say that they put all of their money in a banking account that they can’t touch for a year. Apparently it let’s their money grow?”

Flash looked at Sleipnir in confusion.

“When you invest money in the bank, the bank invests in other businesses, supplies loans. You can do a GIc loan, and a bunch of other things that can help other ponies while growing your investment,” Spike explained as the group started to walk out of the room.

Fluttershy didn’t really see the point in investing when she lives in a land where everything is free. “I’d rather feed the birds.”

Flash nodded. “Yeah, I'd rather help out directly.”

“Well, some things need a larger investment, but I guess it’s a money thing,” Spike said with a shrug.

Flash shrugged. “Where should we go first?”

“Darling, when you are shopping for the first time in this place, you have to be willing to explore,” Rarity said, leading the pack.

“And where do you plan to take us first? Oh wait, I know,” Flash said with a laugh at the end.

“Well, the poor boy deserves to have some materials for his toy making, doesn’t he?” Rarity asked the group with a pouty lip. “That, and I need some more supplies too.”

“Yer not going to try to make your gallon size fluffy hat once more, are you Rarity?” A.J. asked her.

“Of course not! Fluffy hats aren’t in season anymore,” Rarity said with a small huff.

“Oh good grief,” Dash said while face-palming into her claw, thinking back to when Rarity tried to make her biggest hat ever.

“Hey Light, you could try to make a Stuffed animal that is 3 times the size of a pony!” Pinkie said happily while jumping in place next to him.

“Um, maybe?” Light said, now actually curious about making a toy that size.

“Don’t let anything stop your mind from doing what your heart wants to do,” Pinkie told Light, getting a bit close to his face.

“Oh… okay… but the chocolate store has an age limit,” Light said, looking rather clueless. “And I don’t know if they would let me ride on the conveyor belt that glaises the doughnuts.”

Pinkie looked at Light with big wide eyes.

“What?” Light asked, looking confused about her actions.

“She did that once. They had to close the donut shop for a full day to clean it,” Flash explained. “But, the good thing is that it did inspire someone to make a water ride based on being a donut being mass produced.”

“With the doughnut glaze?” Light asked as his eyes went as wide as Pinkie’s.

“Like you are the donut being made and then getting glazed, yes,” Flash said. “But with water instead of glaze.

“Yes... if you are into that stuff,” Rarity said.

“I’m an alicorn. Sugar means nothing to me!” Light said as he looked determined to ride this thing. “When my head heals, I’m going to ride that thing all day!”

“No, I mean eating the mass produced food, instead of waiting for the fresh hoof made ones.” Rarity said.

“Oh… rats…” Light muttered, looking disheartened.

“You have some weird things on your bucket list,” Twilight said, looking a little embarrassed.

“Some ponies dream to be on top of the world, and others want to ride the doughnut glaze conveyor belt,” Flash said with a shrug.

“I’d rather be in the lazy-petting river instead of that one,” Flutter admitted.

“Yeah… that would be nice too,” Light admitted before turning to Rarity. “So, I guess it’s back to shopping?”

“Yes,” Rarity said while entering the fabric store. “I need something that is bold, but also calm.”

“Um… I don’t know what that means,” Twilight admitted.

“Which word?” Rarity asked her half dragon friend.

“Just understanding what kind of color is bold and calm at the same time,” Twilight explained.

“Oh, Darling,” Rarity told Twilight while tapping her head softly. “It’s something that only a true fashionista would understand. Like... quantum feelings for you.”

Light looked confused, but he decided to focus on finding materials for stuffed animals.

“Oh, how about you try... pink,” Pie said before looking at Flutter’s mane, then at her own.

“Well, I need some pink fluffy fabric that can work as a lion mane for a girl in the autistic group,” Light explained as he was looking at what they had.

“Oh you met Sunflower-Knot?” Pinkie asked Light.

“She’s a sweetie,” Flutter admitted. “She once asked me to help her find a female sunflower-kitten,” she said, trying to hold back her laughter.

“Yeah, it took me a while to figure out it was a lion,” Light explained bashfully. “She got upset because the mane wasn’t pink.”

“It is a good color to have,” Pie said. “For a mane,” she added.

Flutter nodded. “It reminds her of her zama,” she explained to Light.

“Zama?” Light asked, looking confused.

“You know, Zebra. Mama. ZAMA!” Pinkie said.

“Oh… it’s a play on words… I see,” Light said as he found a couple fabrics that looked like they could work for a pink lion mane. “Which one do you think looks better?”

“Um... do you have the lion?” Flutter asked.

“Yeah,” Light said as he magically summoned the toy lion and looked at it. “Maybe I should change the fur too?”

“Oh... why?” Flutter asked.

“Just to match the mane better,” Light said as he pointed to the tan fur the lion had.

“Oh, how about you make the lion yellow with a light pink mane!” Pinkie said.

Flutter blushed at that.

“That would work!” Light said with a bright smile as he picked one of the fabrics that looked a bit like Fluttershy’s mane before heading to look for some yellow fabric, picking a few other fabrics on the way.

“It is her Zama’s color,” Pinkie said.

“Like Fluttershy?” Light asked, looking at the zebra kirin.

“Oh... yes,” Pinkie said, trying to act like she didn’t know that. “I forgot that she shared color with her cousin,” she said, her eyes darting around.

“Well, I think the colors work well together,” Light complemented, earning a blush from Fluttershy.

“Oh... you... really think so?” she asked him while covering her face.

“Well…” Light blushed as he realized that he picked the same colors that Fluttershy had, even down to the hue. Light gulped as he realized where these hues came from. “Um… yeah…”

Pinkie was trying to find a way to diffuse the situation. “Umm... Which of you is the lightest one?” she blurted out to both of them.

“What?” both of them asked at the same time, looking confused at what Pinkie meant.

“Which of you has the lightest coat?” Pinkie asked them.

“Um… I don’t know,” Light admitted.

“Then let’s test it!” Pinkie suggested.

“How do we test that?” Fluttershy asked, wondering what Pinkie was playing at.

“Put your hooves next to one and other and we will see,” Pinkie said.

“Um… Okay…” Light said as he and Fluttershy nervously touched each other’s hooves.

Pinkie put her face right next to where the hooves were touching, and was looking at the color of their hooves. “Mhm.. that’s strange,” Pinkie said.

“What? Is there something wrong?” Fluttershy asked her friend.

“You’re more light colored than Light,” Pinkie said.

Fluttershy blushed at how she phrased it. “Well, it’s alright.”

“But it isn’t, how can we continue to call him Light Heart, when it is you who is the lighter one,” Pinkie asked Flutter. “We will have to start calling you, LightShy, and him... Um… Soft... Heart?”

“Well… it’s a name, not a title, and I’m sure that there is more to Light’s name than the color of his coat,” Flutter tried to explain to her hyper friend.

“Yes, and my name has nothing to do with how I look,” Pinkie pointed out.

“Exactly. Now let’s go and find Light some more fabric,” Flutter said as she tried to get things moving.

Pinkie's smile faltered. “That was sarcasm,” she pointed out.

“I know,” Flutter tried to assure Pinkie. “I was just… flustered,” she whispered with a deep blush.

Pinkie looked at Flutter before saying. “Okie dokie Loki!”

Fluttershy smiled at her friend. They both admitted to each other when they found out about Light that he was cute, and his likes and dislikes suggested a nice personality. So Pinkie suggested that she would try to help it work for both of them since she was the bolder one. Pinkie would pull the strings and help Light get along in this place while Fluttershy would be able to talk to him about his life and personal feelings. Thus, they had a truce to share Light with each other.

“Ok, um...” Light cleared his throat. “Can we go back to the lion?” he asked the two mares.

“Of course. Let’s also find some other fabrics for some toys that you can make,” Pinkie said as she pulled Light through the store.

While Light was being pulled by the two mares that had a crush on him. Flash was walking next to Rarity followed by Spike. “You should tell him,” Flash whispered to Rarity.

“Flash, you know what I am. Do you know how many nice stallions that I actually like ended up dumping me?” Rarity asked sternly. “Spike seems sweet, and I may end up liking him back as much as he likes me right now. I don’t want to mess that up so soon,” Rarity said as she sighed, looking disheartened. “What would he say when he sees the real me?”

“Do you really want to be living a lie with him?” Flash whispered to her. “He’s going to notice that there’s something off each time he’s with you.”

“I don’t want to have my heart broken by my… problem again,” Rarity tried to explain, looking like she didn’t want to relive history.

“So what? You'll keep it going to hide each time he's close to you?” Flash asked. “Are you really going to spend and waste all that time and energy for something that you should be upfront with? You know that if he finds you sleeping or out of focus, he will find out.”

“I… I know… but… I don't know what he will say. He’s the son of a princess. He acts so noble and is so willing to help, but what will he say when he finds out?” Rarity asked, looking hurt as she rubbed her mane.

“That you are who you are, and not what you are?” Flash told her. “Look at me, do I let the fact that I’m a Crystal-pony with AS define who I am?” he asked her.

“No… but you…”

“I let my orange coat and pin covered hat define who I am,” Flash said proudly.

“It’s not that easy for me. My problem is different then yours. Every time I look in the mirror…” Rarity had to stop as she was starting to tear up. “I… I wish I could see the pony who I want to be.”

“And you can, both literally and figuratively,” Flash said, trying to make her laugh.

“You know as well as I do that… almost everything about me is fake,” Rarity said as she got out a handkerchief.

“But your love of Spike?” he asked her. “Is that fake?”

“N… no… I… I have hope that he’s my prince in shining armor… but I’m afraid that he’ll be like the other stallions. I want to make sure that his love is real,” Rarity tried to explain.

“And… is it?” Flash asked her, knowing what she could do and know.

“That’s the thing about love. It’s easy to confuse with infatuation. I know better than any pony that love at first sight isn’t always real,” Rarity said with a sigh.

“But tell me, why are you also hiding it from his ‘brother’ and ‘sister’?” he asked Rarity.

“They influence his choices… or at least… that’s how family is supposed to work,” Rarity said as she turned to him, revealing her smeared mascara. “Just… give me a little time.”

“Fine, but you should also clean yourself up,” Flash suggested.

Rarity nodded as she walked over to the restroom to fix her makeup.

Flash tried to avoid eye contact with Spike while they both waited.

Spike wasn’t able to catch all that happened due to him being busy holding several bags of fabric, which admittedly were lighter than books, but larger as well. “So… how many stops will there be after this?”

“Um... clothes, jewelry, a few places where she likes to get inspiration, namely an art gallery and a restaurant. Then there are places where the others may want to go,” Flash said as he looked at the large load on Spike’s back. “Are you sure you can handle this?”

“Of course I can. A gentlecolt always helps a woman,” Spike said proudly.

“Yeah…” Flash couldn’t disagree with what Spike was saying, but he felt he should know everything, or at least that one thing about her.

“So, what’s it like having more than one mare with you?” Spike asked curiously. “Isn’t that overwhelming?”

“Oh... umm... What do you mean?” Flash asked him with a blush.

“You have several marefriends, and I don’t have any. How do you pull it off?” Spike asked curiously.

“Um... well it’s like having more than one friend,” Flash tried to explain. “You should give them each the time they deserve, and be there for them when they need you. And they also do the same with each other.”

“And you do this for how many mares?” Spike asked.

“Um... They may just want to be with you. But you must be upfront with them, and let them know what’s going on,” Flash explained to Spike.

“Okay Darlings, let’s go check out,” Rarity said as she ran over to them. “What were you two talking about?”

“Oh... ummm nothing,” Flash said with a blush.

“He was just telling me about his experience with mares,” Spike said, not wanting to admit that it was talking about dating.

“Oh... umm…” Rarity blushed, thinking that it was more ‘personal’.

“So, how do we work this out?” Light asked as he brought his fabric over. “Is there a check out place or something?”

Flash looked confused. “Umm... no, that is, not for the mass-produced things, if it was a... Rarity,” he joked, “then we would be limited on how much we can take, or even if we can take,” he tried to explain.

“Um… how do we know the limit?” Light asked.

“Well... we would probably have to pass an extra door to get to a secluded area, and someone would probably tell us what are the limits on it, and-or what criterias we would have to pass to be considered to be able to have a chance to have it,” Flash said.

“Oh… I didn’t know that… but I guess that does keep ponies from clearing ponies out,” Light said as he looked at the door.

“The only one I know of, it’s the super big and strong bed,” Flash said. “Oh, and those collectors items where less than 10 of them were made.”

“So, we should be good?” Light asked.

“Yes. I design dresses and you are making toys. I have learned how to tell what the limits are,” Rarity said proudly as she walked to the room.

The group followed her. “What are you getting now?” A.J. asked her.

“Well, I need to say hi to the owners, then I can head over to the jewlers for some decorations,” Rarity explained.

Dash tried to hold back her laughter.

“Well that’s a nice thing that you'll be doing, Rares,” A.J. said.

“I always make it a point to be friendly with my suppliers,” Rarity told the group.

“I know the feeling,” Pinkie said, before turning to Light.

Light gulped as he remembered that he was now Pinkie’s gift provider.

“Do you also thank the ones who give you the... Cotton!?” Pinkie asked Light.

“Well, I do try to be nice,” Light said bashfully.

Pinkie smiled and nodded before turning to Flutter.

“So... is there anything that you 3 want to get at the jewelry store?” Flash asked Light, Spike and Twilight.

Twilight gulped as she instinctively licked her lips. “I think I should stay behind,” Twilight said as she didn’t want to eat anything valuable.

Flash noted Twilight licking her lips. “Don’t worry, they leave a bag of scraps at the door just for that,” he told her reassuringly. “What about you, Light, and Spike?”

“Well, I am carrying Rarity’s stuff, so I’ll stick with her,” Spike said as he followed the mare.

“Um… I don’t know or care much about gems,” Light admitted, unsure of what to do.

“You… could sew them into one of your stuffed animals!?” Flash suggested. “Or... use a gem for the eye on a toy.”

“Hm… I never thought about it before… but I’m not too familiar with it,” Light said as he looked deep in thought.

“What’s stopping you from trying?” Flash asked Light.

“I never did anything like that before. I wouldn’t know how to manage it. Maybe I should wait for crafts class so I can ask for advice?” Light asked, looking uncomfortable with trying to do this new technique right off the bat.

“Well, if you two are taking a break, then I can give you those flying lessons!” Dash said excitedly as she walked up to Twilight and Light.

Flash leaned to Light. “You’re choice,” he whispered to him.

Light looked scared as he had to pick between shopping for gems, or flying. “Um… I um… flying is…”

“Good choice!” Dash said as she quickly pulled Light and Twilight with her as she looked for a good place to start training them.

“Umm... wait!” Flutter said. “He’s still hurt,” she pointed out.

Dash froze in place as she realized that she would get her head chewed off if Light got hurt while trying to fly with a head wound. “Aww man!” she whined as she turned to Light. “Sorry man. Looks like you’re benched for the moment. It’s too bad. I really wanted to see how fast an alicorn flies.”

“Oh… It’s alright. We’ll do it another time,” Light said as he walked back to the group. “Thank you,” Light whispered sincerely to Fluttershy.

“Oh it’s fine,” Flutter said with a blush.

Flash wondered if he should save Twilight as well. “Wait, wouldn't it be better to wait so you can teach both of them at the same time, so that you don’t have to repeat yourself,” Flash suggested, before turning to look at Twilight, and saw that she was excited about flying.

“Hmmm… good point. It does save time,” Twilight said with a nod.

Flash felt a bit bad. “Yeah…”

Light gulped as he leaned over to Flash. “No offense, but I heard that Dash is an unforgiving teacher, and I’d like to start with training wheels.”

“Do you need help finding a... friendler flying teacher?” Flash asked back.

“Farmer already offered to help. I’m just wanting to have a bit of help before Dash dropped me off of a building or something,” Light said, trying to be quiet.

Flash nodded. “I can see and understand,” he told Light before turning to look at Dash. “I’ll help you sneak out to your lesson with Farmer each day,” he offered.

“I owe you one. I already have enough problems with the idea of flying,” Light said with a shudder.

“Thanks, I’ll keep it on by notes, then one day,” Flash said while starting to pet his chin. “I’ll come to you, with an offer... a favour that you can't refuse,” he told him with a smirk.

“I feel like there is a joke here somewhere,” Light said as Pinkie walked over to them.

“You would have to be asked to take care of a child if, by great tragedy, the parents are no longer there to take care of the child,” Flash explained to Pinkie.

“Like Applejack?” Pinkie asked, suddenly realizing what she said. “Um… forget I said that!”

Flutter petted Pinkie's head so she wouldn’t say anything more, especially not about Dash.

“Um… what?” Light asked, looking confused by the conversation he just heard.

“Um... don’t... Please don’t ask,” Flash asked Light. “Not yet.”

“Um… okay. My lips are sealed,” Light said with a hint of worry.

“Thank you,” Flash said before giving Light a soft pat.

“Well, I guess that leaves us to just follow Rarity and show you around the town,” Sleipnir offered to the new kids.

Flash nodded. “Yeah…” he said, trying to sound excited.

“Alright! Let’s go!” Sleipnir said as the group started to lead them around town.

The group spent the whole day leading the new kids around the town, showing them their favorite spots, restaurants, stores, and even a few parks. The new kids started to relax as they felt more welcome in this town, liking that they weren’t being treated like freaks or monsters.

As it was starting to get late, Flash looked at the time. “Wow, it’s dinnertime,” he said as he turned to the new kids, still wanting to accommodate them. “Where do you want to eat?” he asked them. “Or should we skip dinner and just go get some ice-cream?”

“Admittedly, I’m ready to head back to our hall,” Spike said as he now had a small mountain of bags on his back.

“Hm… maybe we can get takeout?” Twilight suggested, not wanting Spike to overexert himself.

“Mhm... ok... How about... pizza!” Flash suggested.

“The classics always work,” Light said with a shrug.

“Ok,” Flash said before pointing to Spike. “Let’s let him rest while you two, Light and Twilight, follow me to the pizza place to order and tell them where to deliver.”

“Alright. Come with me Spike. Let’s get this stuff home,” Rarity said as Applejack and Rainbow Dash went to help the earth pony.

Flash smirked at Spike before leaving with Light and Twilight.

“So… I guess we get to meet the Pizza family,” Twilight said as she turned to her possible future boyfriend. “Do we know what we want?”

Flash nodded. “Yes but first we need to find out how many pizzas to order,” he pointed out before he started doing some math in his head. “Let’s see, there are 16 of us, each pizza will be cut in 8, we each would take 6” slices. How much pizza should we take?” Flash asked, mostly to himself.

“Just six slices?” Light asked, looking worried as he rubbed his stomach.

“Yeah… he has a large appetite. Remember?” Twilight said cautiously, remembering the breakfast incident.

“I was talking about the XXL pizzas,” Flash laughed it off. “Let’s order for 18 students,” he offered.

Light gave a nervous chuckle as he knew that it still wouldn’t be enough for him.

Twilight on the other hoof, had a thought. “Um… can we get gemstones on one of them?”

“Mhm... ok, we can order one... small? Gem pizza, just for you,” Flash offered.

“That works,” Twilight said with a smile as she happily licked her lips.

“So... 14 XL pizzas, and one small?” Flash asked them.

“And maybe some breadsticks as well?” Light asked.

“Oh, and let’s get two chocolate Pizza-Pies,” Flash added. “Oh wait, they also cut it in 8...”

“May we make it three?” Light asked hopefully.

“I’ll make it 4,” Flash told his friend. “But which pizza to get?”

“One small gem, and then a variety so that way we can make sure that we all get something we like,” Twilight suggested as she didn’t know what everybody likes.

“4 vegetarian, 2 meat lovers, 2 Haywaiian, 2 cheese, 2 MoonRacer-specials, and 2 Canterlot?” Flash asked them. “Is there any other pizza that you want to try, or add?”

“Can we get stuffed crust in the cheese ones?” Light asked hopefully.

“Oh... yeah, oh! How about half are stuffed?” Flash asked them. “Vegetarians have mushrooms, olives and little peppers in the crust, meat lovers would have bacon with little balls of meat in it, Haywaiian pineapples...”

“That works,” Light said with an eager nod before Twilight raised her hoof.

“What is a MoonRacer Special?”

“Oh that one is fun, they randomly pick one ‘vegetable’ from each other country and put it on the pizza, you don’t know what you are going to get,” Flash explained.

“Well, I guess that will work for everypony,” Twilight said with a bright smile, trusting his judgement.

“Yeah, oh... Wait, how are you 2 and Spike with... meat?” Flash asked them.

“Not good,” both of them said at the same time.

“Oh... should we replace one of the meat lovers with something else?” Flash asked them.

“Yeah, maybe another cheese? That’s what Spike and Light tend to eat,” Twilight suggested.

“You’re fine with that, Twilight?” Flash asked her.

“I’m just having the gem one, so I’m good,” Twilight said with a nod.

“If you say so,” Flash said before stopping in front of 7 Pizzas.

“Named after the seven mothers?” Light asked.

Flash nodded. “Yes,” he said before laughing.

“Well, that’s one way to advertise,” Light quipped

“They opened their restaurant on their wedding day, and were the caterers for their own wedding,” Flash explained.

“Wow… that’s dedication to business,” Twilight said, looking impressed.

“What did your parents do on their wedding day?” Flash asked them.

“My parents eloped. The paperwork is… kinda sketchy,” Twilight admitted. “She was also with child with my brother.”

“My family went out to Dodge Junction for a good old country wedding with my family,” Light explained with a small smile.

“A... that’s... that’s something,” Flash said.

“I will always enjoy the story about the bachelor party,” Light said with a small smile. “I may be an alicorn, but I have some country blood in me.”

Flash paused. “Oh.. What’s the story?” he asked Light.

“Some cousins thought it would be funny to toss my dad in the mud pit. Sadly, his brothers got to them and shoved them in. It turned into all of the guys wrestling and making a big mess. My grandma had a fit when she saw the line waiting for the shower,” Light said with a chuckle.

“Wow... this story got dirty,” Flash said before turning to Twilight.

“It wasn't that kind of wrestling… oh… that was a joke,” Twilight realized with a blush.

“Yes, because of the mud,” Flash said. “Should we walk in or is there more to talk about?”

“Let’s just go in before Light starts trying to tell all of his dad’s life stories. You’ll be here all day,” Twilight encouraged him.

Flash laughed before pushing open the doors that were decorated with all of the different toppings that they offered.

“Wow! That’s a lot of stuff,” Twilight said as she looked at the wide array of options.

“Well don’t forget that we not only have toppings that can be found in Equestria, but in all of the other nations,” Flash explained.

“You know, if we ever get to a place where we can end this racist thing, we have to make the national leaders sign it here. People who watch get to take home a pizza.” Light said, making Twilight roll her eyes at such childish ideas.

Flash giggled. “I know, oh! And they make one pizza for each nation with all the toppings of said nation, and one extra pizza with everything on it,” Flash said.

“And the diplomats get doggy bags,” Light agreed as the guys were chuckling at this idea.

“But wait, would Abyssinians be getting a kitten bag instead?” Flash asked.

“You’re asking the wrong pony,” Light said with a shrug as they reached the counter.

A brown buffalo went to the counter, and welcomed them. “Wellcome to 7 Pizzas, I’m BBQ Pizza, what can I get you?” she asked them.

“Hi. May we get 4 vegetarians, 1 meat lover, 2 Haywaiians, 3 cheeses, 2 MoonRacer-specials, and 2 Canterlot pies, all extra large, and half of them with stuffed crust Also, may we get some breadsticks and four chocolate chip cookie pizzas?” Twilight asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

BBQ nodded before turning back and telling the order to the rest of the family... “Oh, and Salami, Tomato, can you both come here, your new friends are here.”

A Zeffalo and a pegacorn both walked out the back to go to their Buffalo mother. “Which friend is i…” Tomato stopped what she was saying when she saw Light. “Oh… hey Light…” she said, looking a little embarrassed before noticing the bandages on his head. “Ouch…”

“Surprisingly, I’m doing a lot better now,” Light assured her while rubbing his head.

“Yeah...” Tomato said while rubbing her head nervously.

“I’m doing alright. Let’s just put today behind us,” Light insisted.

Twilight gulped as she waved at the mare. “So, how are you doing?”

“Good, strange that a mom would call us friends,” she said before turning to BBQ. “Especially since I didn’t talk about him to anyone.”

“Really?” Light asked, looking confused. “Then why would she suggest we are friends?”

“You both have a horn and wings, aren’t you part of the pegacorn group?” BBQ asked confused.

“Oh… yeah,” Light admitted with a nod.

“It’s sad what happened,” BBQ said.

“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked as the group sat down, waiting for their order.

“You haven't heard about Dandelion!?” BBQ asked.

The group nervously looked at one another. “Oh, I thought you were talking about something that happened today,” Light said as he let out a deep breath.

“We heard about her, and I can’t believe that a pony would act like that,” Twilight said, still peeved about that mare.

“The nerve of some ponies!” BBQ said. “Going around telling others that she’s an alicorn and that we should all kneel to her just because she has a horn and a pair of wings, rubbish.”

Tomato looked both awkwardly and nervously at Light.

“Yeah… alicorns.” Light said as he remembered that awkward meeting.

As the mother was trying to figure out what he meant by that, an Earth-Zebra walked in and saw how nervous this new yellow pony was making her sister, Tomato, feel. “Who’s this cutie, your coltfriend!?” she said, both teasingly and dreamly.

“No. I’m a new student in her group,” Light said, looking a bit confused that she was trying to pass him off as somepony’s coltfriend. “My name is Light Heart.”

“Oh, so why is she making you nervous?”

“An awkward first meeting,” Light admitted.

“Oh what happened? The two of you bumped into one another, tried to pick up the same thing and then your hooves touched,” she asked with a smile.

“Nope. She thought I was a pegacorn and… I learned why some ponies hate alicorns.” Light said with a disheartened sigh.

Tomato winced when Light said that.

“Ahh, I se... Wait… if you’re not a pegacorn, wha…” she was about to ask but Tomato covered her mouth and took her to a different part of the restaurant. “Garlic, let’s talk in private.”

“Well, I’m ready to go. Let me know when the pizza is ready,” Light said as he walked out, looking humiliated.

Flash told them where to deliver to before running off after Light. “Wait up!” he cried out.

Light sighed with a bit of frustration as he tried to keep his cool. “Does everybody here hate alicorns?” Light asked bluntly, not liking the fact that this is becoming a pattern.

“No... we just believe that it's a fictional thing like zombies, Cthulhu or the Loch Ness Monster” Flash tried to explain.

“And will everybody have a problem with me being one?” Light asked sternly.

“Well… there are some that will think that you are just being like Dandelion, while others are going to just be jealous about you getting wings and… instead of themselves,” Flash tried to explain.

Light sighed in frustration as he kept walking. “I wanted to forget I was an alicorn. I don’t want ponies constantly berating me over it.” Light grumbled as he felt like he was back where he started.

Flash went to Light. “Look, I’m sorry that Dandelion ruined everything for you, but… life is life and others will ruin it for you,” he said with a frown. “But… we must continue moving on, and try to make everything better.”

“I… I’m just done with ponies trying to make me into something I’m not,” Light said with a disheartened sigh.

“Then don’t let them. Show them Who you are, instead of What you are,” Flash told Light. “You’re a caring toymaker who made friends, not just an alicorn.”

Twilight nodded as she petted Light’s back. “Why don’t we go back to our rooms and just hang out with the others?”

“Yeah... let’s do that, let’s go to our friends who can see you for who you truly are,” Flash told them.

“Okay.” Light said as he started to calm down. “By the way, are Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie always so… hooves on?”

“Pinkie… Yes, Flutter… with cute things,” Flash said.

Light blushed when Flash said the last part. “Then why does she keep hugging me?”

“Umm… maybe she finds you soft as well,” Flash said.

“Well, they both have seemed to be getting… very close to me,.” Light said with a blush.

“Well.. you don’t want their hugs?” Flash asked with worry. “If so, I can be there and help you tell them to stop invading your personal space.”

“Well… I do… like it… I just don’t know why they always do it,” Light tried to explain, looking rather flustered.

“I… We’re here!” Flash said before opening the door of their room and walking in.

Light paused as he saw the group all chatting, knowing that most of them have been friends for a while. Twilight even noticed that Fluttershy and Pinkie were both looking at Light while Shark and Sleipnir were looking at her.

“So... while we wait, should we play a game?” Flash asked the group.

“Well, we talked about it, and even though we will have to be careful with Light, we want to do an initiation for the new kids,” Bubbly said with a big grin.

“Oh…” Flash looked worried.

“Don’t worry darling.” Both Light and Twilight suddenly felt a metal ring being up on their horns. They both instinctively tried to use their magic to take it off, but it didn’t seem to work. “It’ll only be a bit of harmless fun,” Rarity assured them as the two realized that Spike was tied up on a bed.

Flash blushed, before turning to Light. “I’m so... so sorry,” he told him before covering his face.

Before Light and Twilight could act, they were grabbed by the others, who started tying them up, being as gentle as possible.

“I’m sorry Light,” Flutter whispered into his ear before kissing it, and joining the others.

“Don’t you worry. It’s just a little playing around,” Applejack started to explain as they laid their two prisoners on the bed. “It’s just a bit of teasing and tickling. Nothing much.”

“T… tickling?” Twilight asked, looking a little worried before Rarity put a collar around her neck.

“Don’t worry. This will keep you from torching us,” Rarity assured her.

“Yeah, it’ll just be a bit of harmless fun,” Shark said as he used his one good wing to tickle her.

As everyone was tickling Twilight, only Pinkie and Flutter had their ‘hooves’ on Light’s body.

Light blushed deeply as they seemed to caress him instead of tickle him. “Um… wh… what are you doing?”

“Um… trying to find the best tickle spot,” Pinkie told Light with a blush.

“That’s not hard. I am very ticklish,” Light said as he was still expecting an onslaught.

“Well, if we tickle you too much, your headache can come back, and we don’t want to hurt you,” Flutter tried to explain as she touched one of his hooves gently.

Light closed his eyes when Flutter did that. “Mhm… not what I would call tickly,” he admitted to them while feeling something different.

“Well, as long as you are having fun,” Pinkie said with a grin as she began rubbing one of his legs.

“Yeah…” Light said, starting to have some strange and different new feelings.

Fluttershy blushed deeply as she started kissing Light’s legs, feeling empowered to have this alicorn’s cute body tied up in front of her. “Mmmmm. Nice choice of body wash,” she said softly.

“Oh… th… thanks, I like to keep myself clean, and smelling nice, makes me more approachable to kids,” Light said while feeling every kiss that Flutter was giving him.

Pinkie giggled as she started nuzzling Light’s chest. “So Light, what do you think about… us?” Pinkie asked, showing a hint of nervousness.

“Well… MoonRacer is a nice place. I’m sad about Dandelion and the alicorn thing, but happy that I’m not the weirdest thing here.” Light went on talking about the place.

“Um… I think she was talking about us,” Fluttershy said as she started going up to his wings.

“Oh… you two, well,” Light had to think about it. “You both are likable, friendly, you like how I am, and you don't mind about what I am,” he went on.

“So… you really like us?” Pinkie asked as she neared his face.

“Um… yes,” Light said while looking into Pinkie’s eyes.

“And… do you want us to keep showing you our kindness and… care?” Pinkie asked as she was now an inch away from Light’s face. “We can always slow down if you want.”

“I umm..,” Light could see how close both of the pink maned mares were to his face.

The mood was quickly killed as they heard Twilight nearly dying in laughter next to them, reminding them that they were not alone at all. “HAHAHAHAHA!!! PLEASE!!! I… I CAN’T…” Twilight was squealing as she was fighting against her ropes.

“Use your claws,” Light suggested to Twilight.

“Like we’ll give her the opportunity,” Sleipnir said as he was tickling her armpits.

Twilight was breathing out, unable to make fire.

Dash and Applejack pulled away from that tickle fest to see that Rarity had Spike all to herself. “Hey Rare! Mind if we join you?” Dash asked as the two mares walked over to her.

“Oh, darling I don't mind, That is…” Rarity turned to look down at Spike. “If he doesn’t mind being shared,” she asked him.

“Well, Light shouldn’t get swarmed for a medical reason, and I can’t let Twilight take everypony on. Alright! Do your worst,” Spike said bravely as he braced for the mares to tickle him to death.

Dash turned to A.J, moved her eyebrows up and down before going for force on tickling Spike.

“AHHH!!! MMMMMFFFFF!” Spike was trying to keep from laughing as the griffon/pegasus was ticking his chest relentlessly.

A.J. rolled her eyes before going to Spike’s back hooves.

“Wow! This kid works out. Not professionally though,” Dash said as she was feeling Spike’s firm stomach. “What do you think Jack? Do you think this kid can put on some more muscle?”

“Mhm,” A.J. said while feeling Spike’s back legs. “Yeah.”

“Vvv… very funny…” Spike said as he was trying to hold back his laughter.

“How about I train you?” Dash offered.

“Dash, you are the master of speed, but when it comes to old fashioned strength, I’m the mare to call,” Applejack pointed out, having a small grin on her face.

“Is that so!” Dash asked A.J. before pouncing on her.

Rarity sighed as she watched the two mares wrestling, trying to figure out who was the best again. “You have to forgive those two. They are a little too competitive.”

“Oh… I don’t mind,” Spike said. “Don’t get a lot of that in Canterlot.”

Rarity giggled as she started using a powder brush on his armpit. “I’m sure you must enjoy seeing that,” she said teasingly.

“Ha, seee.. Ha.. What?” Spike tried to ask while laughing.

“Seeing mares fight over you?” Rarity asked as she kept brushing him gently.

“Mhm… Me?” Spike asked.

“Well, they may want to just train you, but they don’t see the pure shining knight that I do,” Rarity explained as a question popped into her mind. “Tell me Spike… What is beauty to you? Just out of curiosity?”

“Do you mean internal or external?” he asked her.

“Yes… where do you think it comes from?” Rarity asked, somewhat nervous about his response.

“Beauty is primarily internal,” Spike explained. “You should be beautiful inside before you can be beautiful externally.”

Rarity’s eyes widened when she heard this. She had always had boys calling her beautiful, and when other guys would be asked this question they would give half hearted “Oh, you are beautiful on the inside,” or “You’re beautiful no matter what.” But Spike didn’t bother referencing her. He just said firmly that it was on the inside, nothing else.

“A… and how important is physical beauty to you?” Rarity asked curiously.

“Um… as long as everything goes along well together,” Spike said while trying to point to the half-breads of the group.

“Well, I think…” Before Rarity could finish, she was knocked over by the two wrestling ponies who were still going at it with each other.

“RARITY!” Spike cried out while trying to get free to help her out.

Applejack and Dash froze as they realized they were on somepony. “Oops! Sorry Hon! We just got carried away for a…” Applejack froze in place as she realized that she and Dash just messed up big time.

“You. Brutes!” Rarity yelled out as she stood up, knocking A.J. and Dash off of her while gaining everyone’s attention as they realized what all was off with Rarity. Her mane and tail were still the same, along with her cutie mark. Besides that, there were many things that were drastically different. Her coat was now smooth skin, and her eyes were a solid dark blue. Even though she still had her horn, it became clear quickly to the others that she was half changeling.

Spike had to crain his head, tryin to see what was going on. “Wait what, is…?” he asked.

Rarity looked confused before she glanced at a mirror, realizing that she lost her focus, and now everypony could see the real her. She started to tear up as she saw Spike looking at her. “I… I… I just…” Rarity started breaking out into tears as she ran out of the room, almost knocking down Pesto, who was bringing the pizzas in on her skateboard..

“Rarity, wait!” Spike cried out while struggling out of the ropes. “Someone get me out of these blasted ropes,” he cried out.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly started trying to free the young earth pony. “We’re sorry! Rarity made us all swear not to tell any new ponies that she’s part changeling!” Dash tried to explain as Spike escaped his ropes.

“I don’t really care right now!” Spike said while getting free. “I need to find her!” he got out and ran to the door, where Pesto was. “Where did she run to?” he asked Pesto.

“To the balcony, and who ordered the pizza?” Pesto said before seeing the two winged ponies tied up in the room. “Um… I think I’ll leave these here,” she said as she started to back away on her board.

Spike ran off to the balcony, where he could see a white mare with a purple mane. Rarity!?” he called out.

“Go ahead! Dump me like every other guy who has seen my real body!” Rarity said as she was still bawling her eyes out.

Spike went to her to hug her body, having to get used to her harder shelled skin.

Rarity was sniffling as she was trying to stop crying to no avail. “Every time… Every time a guy finds out that I am half changeling I can tell that his love for me leaves. I can smell it so clearly…” she explained as her mascara started to run.

“What about me?” Did my love leave?” Spike asked her.

“I… I don’t know… I just… I’m tired of being rejected because of my looks,” Rarity said as she hugged her hooves, afraid to try and tell if he still cared about her.

Spike caressed Rarity’s face. “I still think you’re lovely,” he told her.

Rarity’s eyes widened as she looked at him, trying to tell if he was being truthful. “R… really?”

Spike nodded. “Yes,” he said while looking into her eyes.

Rarity’s breathing became slower as she tried to focus her senses to tell if his love was true.

“Why would I be lying?” Spike asked her.

“I… I…” Rarity started tearing up as she realized that his love was still there, and still true. “So… you still love me?” Rarity asked.

Spike nodded before hugging her tightly.

Rarity hugged him back tightly, feeling that she had what she wanted now. A prince in shining armor who wasn’t afraid of her.

Spike backed away a bit. “So… you’re half changeling!” he asked her.

“Yeah… I am the offspring of a couple of ponies who were ashamed of their child,” Rarity said, looking ashamed about her background.

Spike nodded. “I never knew my parents.”

Rarity sniffled as she hugged Spike again. “Why? Why did they leave us? Do they hate us?”

“I don’t know, I wish I did,” Spike admitted while hugging Rarity once more.

“I… just want to have real love,” Rarity explained with a sniffle.

“And you do,” Spike told her, while rubbing his head on her cheek.

“Mmmmm,” Rarity moaned as she could get a taste of his love.

But Spike was a bit curious. “Can I ask you something?” he asked her.

“Anything,” Rarity said with a nod.

“Can… can you change into a pegasus or..?” He asked her.

“No. I can only be a unicorn. I can’t even change my mane,” Rarity explained as she looked rather bashful.

“Oh…” he said before looking over her body. “I’m fine with that,” he told her while wondering if it was just a lack of training.

“So… Do you mind sticking through with me for a while so we can tell if this love will last long term?” Rarity asked hopefully. “It’s no offence, but I’d like to get to know you better.”

Spike nodded. “I will.”

“Thank you, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity said before kissing his forehead.

Spike gasped when Rarity kissed his forehead. “Wwow.”

Rarity giggled as she cleaned up her makeup and changed back into her pony form.

Spike titled his head. “What are you doing?”

“I… I’m sorry… but I just… feel better when I’m like this,” Rarity admitted, looking rather embarrassed. “I am admittedly trying to deal with my self image… and it’s been rough for me.”

“Rarity, you’re with your friends,” Spike told her.

“I know… I just… never felt comfortable with my body. Do you mind if I just be like this?” Rarity asked, looking like this was really personal to her.

Rarity could feel the disappointment that Spike felt before he replied. “Ok.” With a smile.

Rarity gave him one more hug as she felt heavy hearted. “I’m sorry. I just… never feel comfortable in that body.”

“I… I can understand,” Spike told her before getting up, and walking back to the group.

Chapter 7: Rest of Night

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As the couple walked in, they saw that the pizza was set on some tables and Light and Twilight were untied and looked rather anxious, having heard from the others about Rarity’s background, including her ‘hidden’ therapy visits she had due to the severity of her self consciousness with her body. Apparently being abandoned by her parents and being dumped numerous times due to her body has taken a toll on her self confidence. Staying in her pony form was her way of dealing with it.

“Hey, everyone,” Rarity said nervously while looking around the room at Light and especially Twilight.

“Hi Rarity. It’s glad to see you’re back,” Twilight said as she walked up to her and gave her a small hug.

Rarity hugged back Twilight, she could tell how she was feeling. “I know what you’re going to tell me.”

“We… understand why you hide your true self, and me and Light sympathise with you. Heck, both of us would love to be able to look like a normal pony. We won’t judge you, but know that we will accept you for who you are, changeling or not,” Twilight assured her.

“Yeah... but I can, and I’m in MoonRacer,” Rarity said.

“Well, you have your own problems with this. Just know that if you ever want to talk about it, we are always open to listen to you,” Twilight promised her.

Rarity nodded before hugging Twilight back and then wiping her tears. “So… is there pizza left?”

“None of us started eating yet,” Light admitted. “Not even me, and I’m starving.”

Flash restrained himself from saying anything.

“Let’s eat!” Pinkie said loudly.

The group all relaxed as they all started eating, trying to change the topic with some simple small talk.

Rarity grabbed the meat lover’s pizza before turning to Spike to see what he thought of that.

“You do you Rarity,” he assured her as he picked up a slice of the MoonRacer special, just to see what it was like.

Rarity smiled back at Spike before taking a bite out of the Meat lover.

The group spent an hour or two talking to each other, having a decent time asking questions about each other’s culture and hobbies. It was nice to just relax and not worry about any of the problems and stresses they had put up with that day.

Flash saw that there were 2 vegetarian slices left. “Who wants the last slices?” he asked before turning to Light.

“Sorry. I’m not a fan of lettuce in my pizza,” Light said as he was eating two slices of cheese pizza like a sandwich.

Flash looked at the rest of the group. “Anyone?”

“I’ll take it,” Fluttershy said, somewhat nervously. “I mean, if nobody else wants it.”

“Well there are 2!” Flash pointed out.

“So… which one are you going to take?” Flutter asked Flash.

“You can pick, Flutter,” Flash told her.

“Um… okay. I’ll take this one… if that’s alright with you,” Fluttershy said as she slowly reached for one.

“Go ahead,” Flash said, not really paying attention.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said kindly.

When Flutter took her piece, Flash took the box and ate the final slice.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Dash asked.

“Well, Flash still has to give Spike and Light the talk,” Twilight suggested, earning dropped jaws from some of the mares.

Flash almost choked on the pizza, shocked by how blunt Twilight was being, but he was saved by Pinkie doing the Heimlich maneuver.

“What? Most of you have heard it, right?” Twilight asked.

“Darling, some things need some tact,” Rarity scolded.

"What talk?" Spike asked.

“Aaaaand I’m out. Goodnight everypony!” Pinkie said as she picked up Flutter and darted out of the room.

"Darling I think I'll go too!" Rarity said before getting up and running off.

"How about me and Shark show you something…" Sleipnir told Twilight.

Twilight nodded before following them out.

One by one they all got up, and left the room, leaving Light Heart and Spike alone with FlashTruth.

Flash looked awkwardly at both Light and Spike. "So... let's start with… what do you each know the difference between mares and stallions?" he asked them.

The main six all went into the room that Twilight was staying in along with Shark and Sleipnir. “Well, those boys are going to be having a fun time learning about this stuff MoonRacer style,” Dash said with a small chuckle.

“Yeah, it’s quite the rodeo,” Applejack said with a blush. “And I don’t care what gender or race you are.”

“I just hope Flash doesn't go too far," Flutter asked with a worried look.

“What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked curiously.

"Oh… when Flash learns something, he learns everything about it,” Flutter explained.

“And he has ways of… fully explaining everything,” Rarity said with a small shudder. “Seeing a sex ed teacher change genders right in front of you can be rather mind boggling.”

Flutter nodded while blushing and covering her face.

Twilight looked at Rarity. "Do... do you mean… like… like… a changeling,” she tried to ask without being insensitive.

“Oh… you don’t know about that fun little thing yet,” Dash said with a cringe.

Twilight shook her head. "No. What… what is it?"

“Well, there is this pony who learned how to make potions that can make guys into girls and vice versa. Perfect for all kinds of couples, and a few pranks,” Pinkie said with a gulp. “Worst taco tuesday ever.”

Twilight paused to think about this. "Wait… is... is.. is that how the Pizza Family…?” she asked them.

Pinkie nodded "Yes serony! And each mom is a stallion for one day of the week,” she explained."I think today is… Neapolitan, the Zebra mom’s, turn."

“Yeah… don’t think about it too much,” Applejack warned her.

"So… if they wanted to… I could have a child with you, while Sleipnir and Shark have their own!?"

“Twi, right now we are all a little too young to want to have kids,” Dash explained. “Plus, I have a Wonderbolt career to think about.”

Both Sleipnir and Shark blushed. "Well, one of us would have to be a marewould ever be mare for the full 9 months, or stay a stallion, but be with child,” they explained.

“I… let’s drop the subject,” Twilight said as she didn’t want to learn about this kind of science right now.

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said.

"So… What lovely things can we find in Canterlot?" Rarity asked her.

“Well, that depends. You get a lot of high end stuff up there, but ponies there are very judgemental,” Twilight tried to explain.

“Oh…” Pinkie's ear flopped down. "What about their parties, I heard that they have many parties there."

“Yeah, but they are rather formal as well. Soft music, sharp dressed ponies, and socializing. I admittedly find your parties more fun,” Twilight said as well.

"Aww, thank you," Pinkie said before hugging Twilight. "But I fear that it's not the same with Light,” she said, her ear drooping once more.

“He just has a hard time with loud noises. I’m sure you’ll figure out how to throw him a great party.” Twilight tried to assure her.

"What does he like in his parties?" Pinkie asked, a bit more hopefully.

“Food, a few games, nothing extremely loud… I can get a list from Spike about his preferences,” Twilight offered.

"I think you would have to ask that tomorrow, or wait for the day after that one," Rarity told Twilight.

“Good point,” Twilight said as she sat down on her bed.

"What about Spike, what does he like?" A.J. asked.

“I think he’d prefer an outdoors party, and a letter from his mom,” Twilight said as she was in deep thought.

"His mom… Celestia, or...?" A.J. asked a bit somberly.

“Celestia. He doesn’t like talking about how he came into her care. Just… don’t expect him to have a cutie mark,” Twilight explained, looking rather somber as well.

A.J. nodded before looking back at her flanks, where her 3 apples were.Rarity did the same, looking at the 3 gems that only showed on her unicorn form.

Pinkie and Dash did as well.

Twilight felt a bit bad about having a C.M. before her earth-pony friend.

Even Fluttershy had three pink outlines of butterflies for a cutie mark due to her zebra blood, but she seemed the most curious. “Why doesn’t Spike have one?”

Twilight sighed as she looked at her. “Celestia… found him in a trash can in an alleyway that was close to an alchemist shop. The chemicals affected his body, making him able to do more magic, but it also genetically damaged it to the point where he can’t have a cutie mark,” Twilight explained, looking rather hurt about her friend’s origin.

"Oh no," Flutter said.

"You don't think it may stop him from… having kids?" A.J. asked, family being an important thing for her.

"Well if Spikie wikie can't have kids, I'll… I'll be fine with that," Rarity said sincerely, feeling sorry for her new boyfriend.

A.J. rubbed Rarity's back.

“We don’t know yet. We haven’t tested the possibilities of what could happen if he tried to have kids,” Twilight admitted.

Rarity looks awkwardly at the room

"Not until he graduates," Twilight clarified firmly.

“Man, that’s sad,” Applejack said as she took her hat off in sympathy.

"I don't want to be an aunt now," Twilight told them.

“Don’t worry. A couple of us know what it’s like to be ditched.” Dash said begrudgingly before turning to Rarity, who hid her face behind her mane.

"Who broke your heart?" Twilight asked Dash, thinking they were talking about love.

“My real parents,” Dash said as she gave a frustrated sigh. “They just dumped me here and took off, just like Rarity’s folks.”

Twilight winced. "Oh. I... I'm sorry," she said before looking at the other members. "How about you?" she asked them.

“Pinkie and I both have good parents. I was born here while Pinkie’s folks lived on a rock Farm.” Fluttershy started to explain.

"The only earth-ponies in Canterlot left me here because of my extra legs," Sleipnir said.

“Oh… I’m so sorry,” Twilight said, realizing how many orphans were here.

"Oh… um... I'm good with my parents,” Shark said.

“Flash just doesn’t see eye to eye with his mom to my knowledge,” Helsa added.

"She's a guard, he's a pacifist," Dash explained.

Everybody turned to Applejack, who looked the most solem of the group as she was looking at her hat. “My folks… aren’t around anymore,” she said as she put the hat back on. “When they passed, my granny took me and my siblings here.”

"Oh no," Twilight said before getting up, sitting next to A.J. and petting her back. "How… Can I ask how they died?" ,she asked.

Applejack looked rather solemn as she took a deep breath. “If you’re smart, you will never go to Appleoosa.”

“Apple… Applejack, isn't that place the home of the second biggest orchard of apples?" Twilight asked A.J.

“Yeah… and a boiling point for buffalo and ponies,” Applejack explained with a sigh. “Up there, our races are supposed to keep separate to help keep the peace. So when my parents got married, there were no sides that would protect them,” Applejack said, doing her best to hide her sadness.

Twilight looked down, even if nopony was cool with her parents mixing, no one would start a war over it.

Applejack took a deep breath as she looked Twilight in the eyes. “Out there, you aint got two dozen guards in every block to protect you, and with us having to live outside of town, all it took was a few bad eggs to bring our world crashing down,” she said darkly, making the others shudder as she continued. “We hid under the floorboards while our parents tried to fight them off. All Big Mac and I could hear were thuds, shouting, and screams for several minutes. Bones were broken, and a few of those bloodsucking thugs couldn’t walk home. I can only guess that some of them got lucky, or there were just enough of them to handle an angry buffalo and an earth pony.”

“W… what happened to your parents?” Twilight asked while putting a hoof on A.J.’s shoulder.

“Well, one of my pa’s old friends was one of the sheriffs, and he just so happened to swing by when the battle was almost done. Most of the gang escaped, and the others weren’t moving. When we got out that hiding spot… ma was already gone,” Applejack said as her breathing became more tense.

Twilight gasped at this, not being used to such senseless violence. “A… and your dad?”

A single tear ran down Applejack’s cheek as she spoke softly. “He was going too. There was no way a train would get him to anypony who could save him in time,” she explained as she tapped her hat. “Pa was already making his will in a sense, promising that we would be taken care of. Macintosh got ma’s necklace with her spirit animal on it, and I got pa’s hat. When my little sister got older, she got the ribbons that our parents would dance with. He… made me and Mac swear that we would stick together, and that even if we didn’t have our people’s hearts, we’d have our family. We swore so hard that the stars would have felt our conviction.”

Twilight hugged A.J. while crying.

“Well, I got to meet Granny Smith for the first time. After a couple of days she had us pack up everything we had and she took us here. She was silent at first, but then she started asking us about our parents. It was… a long and emotional ride to MoonRacer, but we made it. Now we handle the apple orchards in town,” Applejack said as she managed to put a weak smile on her face. “So it all worked out in the end.”

Twilight looked scared after hearing about Applejack’s parents. It was like a horror story, fueled by pure racism and hatred. She knew that ponies never were keen for halfbreeds, but for a gang to kill a family? Twilight shuddered to think about what would happen if she was in her hooves. “I… I can’t imagine what that would be like.”

Applejack nodded with a sigh. “I’m the pony who had to live out the worst case scenario in this group. All honesty, I never want to leave MoonRacer. Here, everypony is family, and we are safe. Outside you get ponies who hate anything that they don’t understand.”

The entire group hugged A.J.

Applejack gave a soft chuckle as she hugged them back. “Awe, don’t worry. I’m a tough mare. I don’t let this bother me.”

“You just cry on the inside,” Pinkie said as she hugged her tighter.

"So… what do you think of that unicorn that waits for you at the train stop?" Twilight asked A.J. and the others. He's also a ¼ dragon”

Applejack looked confused as she scratched her head. “A unicorn? I remember a half buffalo named Pink Pearl. She’s very nice”

“What? Well, it must have been another pony,” Twilight said, looking somewhat confused by this.

“Actually Darling, that’s a changeling that takes the form of the same race as you,” Rarity explained.

“How in tarnation would you know that?” Applejack asked in shock.

“I wanted to help out all of the ponies who would lead new ponies here as a thank you for their hard work. I got tons of names, and I couldn’t find any of them. So after insisting to Kirouac that I reward these ponies for their work, Kirouac introduced me to the changeling,” Rarity explained as she started to file her hooves.

“Oh… what's his name?" Twilight asked.

"Well… his or her name is Reassuringly Familiar," Rarity explained. “Don’t bother asking what gender that changeling is.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Twilight said with a nod, still looking confused. “But why would that pony change forms for others so often?”

“It’s to help the ponies coming here to feel more comfortable, like they fit in more. Since you all came from Canterlot, Familiar probably assumed that you all are more comfortable around unicorns. Familiar most likely had prior knowledge about you this time, so that’s why he didn’t go with your races. The unidragon is extremely rare, and you showed no knowledge about pegacorns. So going off of your background, unicorn would have been the most logical choice,” Rarity told Twilight as she took a sip of water. “Of course, when Pinkie moved here, Familiar tried being a nice diamond dog, but Pinkie guessed that it was a changeling rather quickly.”

“It was just a hunch,” Pinkie said with a carefree shrug.

"Well your hunch made Familiar feel ashamed," Rarity told Pinkie. "Just imagine if somepony had figured out your surprise party before it started."

“Well, she is as oblivious as Light,” Fluttershy said as she felt rather torn by how Light was reacting to her and Pinkie.

Twilight looked at both pink mane mares. "Are you planning to tell him, or just tease him for the rest of his life?"

“We’re trying to give him cues, but the poor guy looks more nervous than falling-head-over-hooves in love,” Pinkie said as she jumped onto one of the beds.

"Well… you two are the only two that legitimately find him attractive," Twilight told both of them. "If you don't count the mares that wanted to... get a status boost"

“My problem is that that kid doesn’t look us in the eyes. It’s like he keeps looking around the room and can only keep focused on the eyes for a few seconds,” Applejack said. “What does that say about his honesty?”

"More like his Autism!" Twilight explained. "How does… Flash look at each of you in the eyes?" she asked.

“Like we can tell?” Dash asked as she used her wings to mimic glasses. “We can’t see his eyes behind those shades, and he never takes them off.”

"A… sensitive to light!?" Twilight asked. "The electromagnetic radiation, not… my little ‘brother’."

“Yes. That’s what we assume at least,” Sleipnir admitted.

"And… maybe so that it doesn't show that he is having a hard time making eye contact," Twilight suggested.

“Eh, good point. It’s like refusing to write in a stutter because it’s really hard to do effectively,” Pinkie said with a small smile.

"I know someone that spoke with a stutter, and instead of working on it, that student pretended to be mute," Shark said.

“I think there was a softball player who got hit in the throat and got a stutter. He became great at standup comedy,” Sleipnir added.

“Yeah, some things Light had a lot of personal training with trying to overcome some of his problems. He’s socially awkward, but has a good heart,” Twilight said with a nod.

"Well he now has new friends to help him with it, and a group of mares," Shark said.

“Yeah, you lovergirls,” Dash said in a teasing tone at Pinkie and Fluttershy.

Pinkie smiled while Flutter just blushed.

“Just wait until you find a boyfriend Dash,” Rarity said with a small smile.

Dash looked away with a blush.

"Oh… I… I was talking about the Asperger group," Shark said.

"Flash and Light are the only guys in that group... wait, wasn't there another guy?" Dash asked.

A.J. looked at Dash before shaking her head.

“The rest of the group is a parent, her kid, Flash’s cousin, and two other kids that Flash works with. To my knowledge,” Shark explained as the others turned and gave him a puzzled look. “What? He’s my roommate. We talk to each other.”

"In all of that, Flash was the only male?" Dash asked. "Wow…"

“Technically…” Sleipnir said under his breath.

"That must be fun for him," Dash said.

"Everyone else in the group is either a kid, married, or his cousin," Shark pointed out.

“It’s not date night over there,” Rarity pointed out. “That’s what the cafeteria is for.”

Dash laughed at that. "Ha… ya."

Shark caught a glance of Twilight’s blush as he decided to talk to Sleipnir. “So… you mind if we share Twilight for a while?”

Sleipnir nodded. "Of course,” he said with a smile.

“Alright. You get the first date, and then we can alternate,” Shark offered as he tried to think about a good first date idea.

Sleipnir turned to Twilight to see what she thought about all of this.

“I can work out a schedule for our dates, but I’ll try to leave the activities to you,” Twilight offered as she started working on a time chart.

Sleipnir tried to hold back his laughter about how cute she was being.

“So… should we tell Light and Spike about what we talked about?” Bubbly asked.

"Yes, but… it would be a good idea to wait till they get over what Flash is teaching them right now,"Rarity pointed out with a blush.

“Yeah, the talk isn’t an easy subject,” Fluttershy agreed.

“And I’m going to have to hold off teasing for a few days,” Pinkie agreed.

"Yes… you might accidentally cause Light to faint," Rarity warned.

"Or make him lose blood from his nose," Dash said before laughing.

“Yeah… Flash may have accidentally spelled out what happened between you three in the pool,” Twilight said bashfully.

“You mean the fact that I was flirting with him and Fluttershy kissed him?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah… and the wing boner,” Twilight added, earning a burst of laughter from Dash.

Flutter crossed her legs before curling up into Pinkie.

"Don't… don't worry too much, Light is a nice and understandable guy," Twilight said, trying to reassure her her

“So… Light won’t get upset with us… right?” Flutter asked nervously as she tried to hide her face.

“I… I don’t think so. He may get more awkward around you two, but he rarely gets angry,” Twilight explained.

"I just hope it's not going to bother him on a day to day business," Flutter said before covering her face.

“Na. He’ll bounce back, and may learn how much fun dating is,” Dash said with a grin.

A.J. nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure Flash can help out with that.”

“Light seems like he needs others to lead,” Twilight said with a shrug.

"And we are all here to help out," Pinkie said.

"So… Twilight!?" Dash asked. "How many have you dated before?"

“Nopony. Me, Spike, and Light have never dated,” Twilight admitted.

"What… No!" Dash said. "Noone, or… nopony. Not ever the ruler’s son?"

“No. We never thought about dating each other because we’re basically like siblings,” Twilight said defensively.

"Did… someone leave a note for you, telling you to wait for somebody, but then set you up, as an… evil prank?" Flutter asked with worry.

“No. Nopony was that clever or daring,” Twilight said as she shuddered at the thought of somepony doing something like that.

"And even I think that prank is lame," Dash said.

"And love is a nope in the PawBook of pranking," Pinkie said, while taking a book called Pranking 101 from seemingly out of nowhere.

“How… nevermind,” Twilight said as she tried not to think about where the book came from.

"Don't worry Twilight, I'll make sure that our first date will be all that you ever dreamed," Sleipnir said before holding one of her claws in 3 of his hooves.

“Oh… thank you,” Twilight said with a blush.

"And me as well," Shark said before wrapping his one wing around Twilight's body.

Twilight gulped as she was surrounded by two hot guys. “Maybe you two should share the first date.”

Sleipnir nodded. "Ok, I could ask to bring an extra chair for the dinner date at la Rose qui Fleurissent."

Shark looked at Sleipnir. "I was thinking more of a beach picnic at Sandy Lake Shore,” he said with a bit of defiance.

“Darlings, if you fight over each other, you will both lose the girl,” Rarity warned them.

“Fine," Shark said while crossing his front hooves.

“And neither of those restaurants have any decent dragon options,” Rarity warned them. “And the first date should always be a surprise.”

Flutter and Pinkie looked at each other. “Um… how do you feel about a picnic… and maybe a few carnival rides after that?” Flutter asked, looking for a middle ground.

Pinkie nodded. "Yes, and we can stop at A-Dark-ble's petting Farm,” she said, trying to be as compromisable as Flutter was to her.

“See? You find a starting point that you all like, and then you each pick some extra activities. But don’t tell Twi what they are. Surprise her,” Rarity explained.

Sleipnir looked at Shark before thinking about it. “Ok.”

“I guess we can meet a middle ground,” Shark said as he took a deep breath. “Should we talk about it tomorrow?”

Sleipnir nodded before pausing. "How about later tonight? I doubt that you're going back to your room tonight,” he pointed out.

“Yeah… I don’t want to spend the night with a female Flash. It feels… wrong,” Shark admitted.

Twilight tilted her head to the side when she heard that.

Sleipnir nodded. "Yeah... he's a bit too casual."

“So, mind if I sleep in your room tonight?” Shark asked, somewhat cautiously.

Sleipnir nodded. "Yeah, and if it works out, we should get used to this,” he pointed with a laugh.

“Well, I think I’ll go hit the sack,” Applejack said as she got up.

Pinkie and Flutter nodded before following her. "You're coming Helsa."

“On the date or to our bedroom?” Helsa asked with a grin.

Flutter looked worried, thinking she was serious.

"Wow… Helsa, to bed, come to bed with us," Pinkie said calmly.

Helsa smirked.

"Wow, no, no not in that way," Pinkie resaid. "Co... go to your room, and… sleep in your bed, your own bed,” she said while getting a bit nervous.

“Helsa, please quit teasing them,” Sleipnir asked as he got ready to go to his own room.

"Oh… why don't you like me having fun, little brother?" Helsa asked, while getting up and following Pinkie Pie.

“When you confuse Pinkie Pie, the universe is out of alignment,” Sleipnir said with a grin. “I just saved your lives.”

"Why?" Twilight asked. "Will the world be divided by 0 if she is?"

“Nope. It’s just two siblings picking on each other,” Speed explained with a chuckle.

"That is a miserable joy that many wish to have," Loyal-Dark said with a sigh.

“Alright. You can pick on Helsa on the weekends,” Sleipnir said kiddingly while his sister shoved him.

Loyal shrugged. "It's… it's not the same,” he said.

“Alright, I’ll adopt you,” Sleipnir suggested with a carefree smile.

Loyal turned his head to Sleipnir. "I'm a year older than you."

“But I’m the son of the king. If you ever want to be my sibling, say the word,” Sleipnir said, astonishing Twilight.

"I… I'll pass on that. But I’ll think about it," Loyal said.

“Y… you’d just adopt him?” Twilight asked, looking confused.

“My dad adopted me and Helsa. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind another sibling,” Sleipnir said with a nod. “That, and Loyal is a good friend of my family.”

Loyal blushed. "Yeah... he… he found me when I ran away from home,” he admitted.

“Oh…” Twilight said, not knowing as she didn’t know if she should ask about it or not.

"I… I just couldn't stand living in my home town," Loyal said with a frown.

“I… understand,” Twilight nodded, not wanting to upset him.

"I could always tell that my mom only loved me, begrudgingly," Loyal said.

“That’s horrible,” Twilight said as she was now wondering if he needed a hug.

"The first time I ever felt love… was when I took my first step here,” Loyal said.

“Well… I guess I can understand that,” Twilight said with a nod. “It seems like many ponies here don’t want anything to do with the outside world.”

"Why would they want to go outside?" Loyal asked. "There's only suffering and discrimination out there,” he said overdramatically.

“I… um…” Twilight was stumped as she tried to think of why a pony would want to go back out there. She knew that there had to be something to give a reason for those other towns and places, but why would they even want her?

Loyal slumped down. "What time is it?" he asked.

“Time for you to join us and head to bed,” Sleipnir said as the guys all walked out of the room.

All that was left was Twilight, Rarity, Dash, and Bubbly.

"So… You're fine with… Spike dating a… changeling?" Rarity asked.

“All honesty, all I care about is that he’s loved,” Twilight explained as she started getting out a pen and paper to write her paper for Celestia.

"What are you writing?" Rarity asked.

“Celestia wanted us to write about our first day of school. I wanted to go ahead and write mine since I probably won’t be able to talkget to the guys till morning.”

Rarily giggles nervously. "Maybe not all that happened with the guys has to be told,” she asked.

“I’m just adding the highlights of my day… and Light will probably lie a lot about his day,” Twilight theorised as she kept writing away.

Rarity nodded. "Ok, what's the story we are going with?" she asked. "Are we letting her know about Light's 2 love interests?"

“Don’t ask me. Celestia can easily tell my writing from Light’s,” Twilight admitted.

Rarity nodded. "Maybe just say that you are writing for both of them,” she suggested.

“No… Spike is the one that writes for us usually. He has the best writing skills,” Twilight admitted.

"Oh… and maybe not after this," Rarity said with sadness.

“After what?” Twilight asked curiously.

"After Flash gives them the talk," Rarity said.

Twilight cringed at that. “That’s something that won’t end up in the mail.”

"I thought so," Rarity said. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

“No. I just need a little time to write this. I’ll mainly be writing about some of the things I’ve learned about,” Twilight explained with a small smile. “And I’ll add all of the friends I’ve made.”

Rarity smiled. "Would one of them be… me?" she asked.

“Of course,” Twilight said with a nod.

Rarity hugged Twilight. "Thank you."

“No, thank you. It’s rare for me to be able to make new friends,” Twilight explained as she hugged her back.

Rarity rested her head on Twilight's shoulder. "And many citizens here don't like when you try to hide what makes you different and unique."

“Don’t worry. I won’t judge you,” Twilight assured her as she finished her letter.

Rarity wiped her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“Alright, let’s go to sleep. I have soccer tomorrow,” Dash said as she hopped onto her bed.

"Aww… and here I was wanting to turn this into one of those Sleep-Overs I keep reading about," Rarity frowned.

“Give Pinkie time, and she’ll do it for us,” Dash said with a giggle.

"Go to bed, Rare!" Bubbly told her.

“Fine. go ahead and ruin my fun,” Rarity said as she got ready to go to sleep.

"We can all do that, when we don't have sports tomorrow," Bubbly told both of them.

“So… when do we have a day off of school? Currently a day off will be the best time for those two boys to take me on a date,” Twilight said as she was going over her time sheet.

"Arg!" Dash said. "Try on the weekend!" she yelled out.

“Sorry. I just didn’t know how you work days off in MoonRacer,” Twilight apologised as she set her letter aside.

"From what I heard from Loyal and A.J., it's the same in Equestria and here," Dash said.

“Oh, that makes things simpler,” Twilight said as she gave a soft sigh, thinking about going on her first real date with two guys. Twilight gave a small smile as she started to doze off. “Well, goodnight.”

"Night!" ,Bubbly said.

Twilight gave a soft sigh as she started to drift off to sleep, with one thought in her mind. “I think I’m going to like it here.”

Chapter 8: the Beginning of the First Date

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The rest of the week was rather interesting. Admittedly, Light and Spike ended up acting a bit awkward after the talk from Flash. Light was having the hardest time whenever he was around Fluttershy and Pinkie, getting more flustered than normal. Twilight was seriously tempted to ask about details of what happened to Flash when he drank a genderbending potion, but decided against it.

The classes did seem to go smoother for the group. Twilight was excelling in her classes, and was able to help some of the others with their studies. Spike was helpful as usual, but he started spending more time helping carry things for Rarity. As for Light, he still had a lousy time with magic lessons. The teachers were able to see that Light was a visual learner, thus magic was harder for him to understand. The most Light saw was a glowing horn and the results of the spell.

As for flying, neither Light nor Twilight were able to make much progress. Twilight’s wings were rather unique, being positioned like a pegasus’s wings, but being smooth meant that it didn’t work like feathered wings. As for Light, he had a few days off of any sports or strenuous exercise to recover. He found a bit of relief since he was still scared of flying.

As the school week was ending, Twilight’s new boyfriends were planning their first date with Twilight, promising that they would give her the best date ever.

However, Twilight’s lack of experience made her anxiety worse as she was trying to figure out how to make this date perfect for them too.

When Saturday finally came, Twilight ended up digging through all of her clothes, nervously trying to find something good to wear for her date. "Should I take a nice white dress, or something more loose and casual?" she asked Rarity.

“Hm… you can summon stuff to you, right?” Rarity asked as she was putting on a new silver dress she made.

“Well… just, it’s a teleportation spell mixed with my dragon magic,” Twilight explained.

“Can you summon a spare pair of clothes?” Rarity asked, now being more specific.

“I… I suppose so,” Twilight said.

“Alright, you want to go with a dress, but not white. That’s too easy to get stained. Here…” Rarity pulled out a starry dress for her. “I also have a more frilly version of that dress for more formal parties.”

"Thanks Rarity," Twilight said while looking the dress over. "Can it change to one and the other?" She asked.

“Use the more relaxed version for now, and have a set of more casual clothes ready, along with your swimsuit if needed.” Rarity instructed.

“Should I keep my swimsuit under my clothes?" Twilight asked her, not knowing if she should.

“Well, the dress would cover any straps, so take the two piece I gave you,” Rarity suggested as she got out a couple bottles of perfume. “Here, pick one to use. I’ll be using the other one tonight.”

Twilight blushed before turning to look at the two piece that Rarity gave her. "W..what are the smells?" she asked before turning back to her and sniffing both perfumes.

“Sunset valley and heat of passion,” Rarity explained with a smile. “It’s hard to get such high end perfume out here unless you know who to talk to.”

“I think I’ll take Sunset valley," Twilight said while trying not to sneeze with how the heat of passion smelled.

“Good choice,” Rarity said as she used the other bottle.

“You’re going to try to use that on Spike?” Twilight asked.

“He’s already head over hooves for me. This is me treating him for his kindness to me,” Rarity said with a wink.

"I just hope that this is the farthest that you will treat him," Twilight asked her.

“Oh, I never give my best right away. I allow it to grow over time, that way it gets more fun over time,” Rarity explained.

“Ok, as long as you don’t traumatize him,” Twilight warned.

“Don’t worry. I have done my own studying on the subject,” Rarity said with a wink. “And with a handsome boy like that, this is finals for me.”

Twilight was about to ask Rarity about what she meant by studying, but there was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” Twilight said as she opened the door to find Light standing there. “Oh, hi Light. What’s going on?”

“I just wanted a bit of advice…” Light trailed off when he saw Rarity and Twilight all dolled up. “Oh… I remember now. Your first date…”

“Huh? Oh yeah,” Twilight said with a blush. "We're finishing the final touch. How about you?" she asked. “What do you need help with?”

“Well… Pinkie was asking if I could join her and Fluttershy to head to a picnic. I was repeatedly told by Pinkie that it was going to be, and I quote, super duper casual and relaxed so you don’t need to worry about stressing out again,” Light explained with a deep breath.

Twilight nodded. "Mhm… so you should relax, and not mind as much,” she said while petting Light's back softly.

“Seriously? Ever since Flash talked to me about… the talk… I feel like they are obsessed about me… and I have my own problems not thinking about them!” Light exclaimed as he sat down. “I feel like I’m walking into a minefield. One wrong step and I’ll blow everything up.”

“Light, they were attracted to you before you got the talk,” Twilight explained. “Only now you realise what those feelings are, and why your wings… are acting up.”

“Why? I’m an idiot who got a promotion to alicorn. Surely their standards are higher than me,” Light tried to say.

“I’m sure it’s the toy-maker Light Heart they are attracted to, not the alicorn Light Heart,” Twilight tried to reassure him.

“Again, Light Heart is an idiot. Surely they deserve something better than me,” Light pointed out as he slumped down on one of the chairs.

“You’re not an idiot, you’re just less knowledgeable,” Twilight tried to explain.

“Again, they can do better than me,” Light said with a deep sigh.

“Umm.. maybe?” Twilight said with a wince. “But who they want is You!” she said triumphantly.

“But what if I’m not who they need?” Light asked with a fearful voice.

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Twilight asked Light.

“I’m dumb, and the wings on my back suggest that I’m supposed to be important,” Light explained bluntly.

“And the claws on my hooves say that I should be vicious and greedy,” Twilight told him. “Who we are is more than what we are.”

Light gave one last deep sight. “So… I guess that means I should just roll with this?”

"Darling, no, that means that he should take a shower, put some nice clothes on, and bring them flowers," Rarity said to both of them, while looking over Light's messy mane. “And maybe try to finally fix that messy hair of yours.”

“Rarity, I tried. I can’t do anything with my mane besides cut it,” Light tried to explain. “And they said to be casual! What if I act too formal… or for that matter, not formal enough?”

“Mhm… Idea!” Rarity chirped in. “We’ll sneak in, look over how they are dressed and set-up, and then add jell in your mane if needed.”

“Are you nuts! A guy can’t sneak in on mares while they are dressing! It’s against the law or… something,” Light said, growing a deep blush.

“I was talking about the picnic,” Rarity clarified. “Wow, Flash’s talk really got your mind in the gutter.”

“There should be a manual on dates!!!” Light exclaimed as he was now feeling very lost.

“There is.” Rarity said before giving Light a card.

Light quickly read off the card “Be your-self… What kind of advice do you have for autistic teddy bear alicorns?” Light asked, not looking confident with the advice that he was given. As he was looking over the card, he saw that there was more writing on it. “Then be better than yourself.” Light gulped as he realized that this advice may be harder to follow than he thought.

“There’s a reason why those two want to share a piece of your light Heart,” Rarity said with a giggle at the end.

“If there is, I need to find it,” Light muttered to himself.

“And I’m sure you’ll find it on your date,” Rarity told him. “Now, what do we have to add?”

“I don’t know. They said something about a picnic and then showing me around town a bit,” Light explained with a shrug

“Hm… so it does sound like a more casual date,” Rarity mused to herself.

“I guess…” Light said. “Should I just go like this?”

“Hm… I’d suggest having a mint and wearing a jacket, but yes. Stick to a casual look,” Rarity said with a nod.

Light breathed into his hooves before smelling. “I think I have some mint-flavored mouthwash,” he said before looking at his mane.

“Light, you remember the last time we tried to fix that mane,” Twilight warned him.

“Did you try jell?" Rarity asked both of them,

“Yes, and spray, and a few dozen products Spike asked his mother for. That mane is a hopeless cause,” Twilight explained with a heavy sigh.

“Did you get some from Zebrica?” Rarity asked them.

“Um… no…” Light admitted. “Most of this stuff was from the Equestrian lands.”

“So you haven’t tried everything?” Rarity pointed out before walking off to go to her quarters and get her jell. “Now… how should we do this?” she asked aloud.

“Um… I don’t know,” Light admitted, now looking worried.

“Mhm… Idea!” Rarity said, seeing an old magazine. “How about we try this?” she said while showing a black & while image of a colt that had his mane flat on his head, split in the center, going left or right.

Twilight giggled a little at the photo. “I’d at least like to see that,” she admitted with a giggle.

“Then, I'll use my magic to tame this mane of yours,” Rarity said before her horn glowed, the container of jell flew to Light, and opened itself. “You’ll have to take a button up shirt after this,” she told him.

“A… are you sure?” Light asked as he felt the jell going through his mane.

“Of course,” Rarity insested while buttering up Light’s mane. “You can’t just pass your head through a shirt after putting something in your mane,” she explained while trying to push down all of the tuft of mane that was popping back up.

“Um… do you really think this will work?” Twilight asked as she watched Rarity fighting with Light’s mane.

“I can only try,” Rarity said, finishing with the last tuft. “I just need to bring them to the side,” she told them before levertating a brush to his head.

Light winced as he felt her tugging at his mane, having felt this every time somepony tried fixing his mane or made it look more formal.

“I… am… managing!” Rarity said while pulling on Light’s mane, and pushing down any strain that went back up.

“You may want to use something to help keep that stuff down,” Twilight warned her.

Rarity lost her focus, and reverted back to her changeling form, while pulling Light’s mane down.

“Hey Rarity, I’m ready when you are,” Spike said as he poked his head inside of the room, seeing Rarity’s normal form.

“Not now, Spiky-wiky!” Rarity told him while working on Light’s mane. “Just need to add a bit more jell,” she said before smothering Light’s mane.

“Okay. I’ll wait outside. You look lovely by the way,” Spike said before closing the door, hoping she wouldn’t notice that she changed.

“Thank… You,” Rarity said, finally getting the mane down. “Ha…” she huffed. “Now just walk slowly, and put a nice shirt on.”

“Um… how slowly… and for how long?” Light asked nervously.

“Just a small trot, and… Until the date is over,” Rarity explained. “We don’t want your mane to pop back up.”

“At least I’m not the one going swimming,” Light said with a gulp as he slowly started walking out of the room.

“Good… have fun!” Rarity told Light before softly re-brushing her mane, and walking off to where Spike was waiting, still not noticing that she was in her changeling form.

“So… Where are you taking Spike?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Oh… we are going to a nice little cafe next to the park,” Rarity said.

“Hm… Spike never was one for the over the top lifestyle, so I think he’s like that,” Twilight said with a nod.

“I could tell,” Rarity said before walking off to Spike.

“Rarity, are you going casual or formal,” Twilight said cautiously.

“Casual, but that doesn’t mean I can’t go with a bit of panache,” Rarity said before flicking her mane.

“Um… do you want to check and make sure no jell got on you?” Twilight said as a last chance to warn her about her image.

“Oh… did any?” Rarity asked before taking a cloth and started to wipe herself off.

“Um… I…” Twilight didn’t know what to say as Rarity was walking towards the door.

“So Spike, what do you think?” Rarity asked him before giving him a twirl, with a smile on her face.

Spike gave a small smile as he figured to go with this instead of warning Rarity of her current form. “You look beautiful.”

Rarity smiled once more. “Thanks.” she said, before giving him a peck on his cheek. “Shall we go?”

“Do you mind if we wait till Twilight gets picked up…” Spike suddenly realized that Sleipnir and Shark may point out Rarity’s real form, so he did a quick 180. “On second thought, she’s a smart mare. She’ll be fine. Lead the way my princess!”

“As you wish, my prince,” she told him before walking off with him.

Twilight took a deep breath as she finished making sure that she was dressed. She was finishing brushing her mane before she heard a knock on the door. Twilight nervously dropped the brush before running to the door, stopping just to adjust her dress and make sure she was presentable. “Who is it?” she asked.

“It is I, your prince of love, your flightless angel of kisses,” he replied from the other side of the door.

“Now that is cheesy.” Twilight heard the other stallion say before she opened the door.

“Hi boys,” Twilight said, a little nervous about her first date.

“Hello Twilight,” they both said in unison. Shark was wearing red shorts & an orange short t-shirt while Sleipnir was wearing a long black pair of pants & a grey collared shirt.

“Oh, am I overdressed?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Um…” Shark said.

“Not at all,” Sleipnir said before giving his hoof to Twilight.

“Okay. I do have a spare set of clothes that I can summon if we need it.” Twilight allowed them to know.

“Um…” Shark blushed. “For swimming?” he asked.

“Oh, that I’m keeping on my person,” Twilight said with a soft blush. “I hope you two don’t mind. Rarity and I just guessed that you would want to make that part of the date.”

“Ya…” Shark rubbed the back of his head. “Should we… should we go?” he asked her.

“Sure thing. Just remember that Light won’t be happy if I’m out past eight,” Twilight said with a giggle.

Shark giggled nervously.

“If he attacks me, the son of the king of MoonRacer, then he, the prince of Equestria, would have technically declared war with our 2 Nations,” Sleipnir said.

“Light is not technically a prince, but he may take this up with your dad,” Twilight warned him before trying to change the topic. “So, where are we going?”

“I was talking about Spike,” Sleipnir explained, still thinking on how he must have managed to convince Rarity to go natural.

“We are going to a restaurant on the beach,” Shark said. “I do hope you’re ok with this?”

“Oh? I didn’t know we had a beach. Does MoonRacer have its own lake?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well actually it’s Sandy Lake Shore, but many call it a beach because of the sand and water,” Shark explained with a blush.

“Wow! Sounds wonderful. So what other plans do you have? I know you both promised to share,” Twilight reminded them.

“That’s the compromise that we managed to get to,” Sleipnir explained. “After we lunch, we’ll get a nice little boat to just relax while we float on it.”

“Oh, that sounds relaxing, although I do wonder if I should change,” Twilight admitted with a blush.

“Relax, we are planning to just be next to and then on the water, not in,” Sleipnir reassured her.

“Oh, okay,” Twilight said with a nod.

“Can we go?” Shark asked before petting Twilight’s back with his wing.

“Of course,” Twilight said with a nod. “I’m all yours,” she said as she followed the two stallions.

Light felt his heart racing as he was heading over to the playground where they agreed to set up at. Fluttershy promised him that he would like the view from the hill that was near the park, and it would be a nice place for a relaxing picnic. Light also was doing his best to try to walk slowly so his mane wouldn’t get messed up.

“Oh, sweet Celestia! What was I thinking?” Light thought to himself, terrified about this date.

“Light Heart!” The voice of Pinkie called out.

Light’s ears perked up as he turned to the sound on Pinkie’s voice.

Pinkie was standing on top of the hill with Flutter, waving back at him with her usual big smile on her face.

“Oh, hi girls.” Light said as he felt like his knees were shaking as he tried to walk up to them. “H… how are you doing?”

“I’m doing great!” she said with glee, before running down the hill to Light, grabbing his hoof and trying to pull him up with her.

Light looked nervous as he was being pulled by the eager mare, still wondering why she would be interested in him.

Pinkie looked at Light and tilted her head. “What did you do with your mane?” she asked when they got to the top of the hill.

“Oh… well… normally my mane is always messy and is next to impossible to work with, but Rarity suggested I try and do something to it,” Light explained as he tried to give his best fake smile. “D… do you like it?”

“Mhm…” Pinkie thought about it before looking at Flutter.

“Well… it doesn’t look right…” Fluttershy admitted before looking regretful at the possibility of offending him. “I… I mean… if you like it…”

“Na!” Pinkie said before rubbing her paw into his mane, undoing all of the work Rarity did. “I prefer how it is naturally!” she told him before turning to Flutter and getting a nod from her.

“Yeah… It’s… cuter this way,” Flutter said with a nod.

Light was flabbergasted. “Y… you mean… my messy mane… isn’t ugly to you?”

“You… look more like a cute little animal like that,” Flutter admitted while blushing and then covering her face.

“Yeah, and I think it looks more relaxed. I mean, you never see me doing anything to my mane,” Pinkie said as she pointed at her poofy hair.

“Umm… Pinkie?” Flutter started to say before one of the little mice that she had as a pet popped out of Pinkie's mane, jumped out, and scurried back to her.

Pinkie blushed bashfully. “Well, I do wash it…”

“And you keep an oar in it,” Flutter pointed out, while petting the little mouse’s head.

“Doesn’t everybody?” Pinkie asked, reminding Fluttershy and Light that this was one of those things they shouldn’t question.

“Um… yeah,” Flutter said with a blush. “We got berries!” she told both of them.

“Oh that sounds nice,” Light said as he sat down next to them.

Pinkie was holding a raspberry in one of her paws, and a blueberry in the other. “Which one do you like the most?” she asked him.

“Raspberries,” Light said with a nod as he was wondering what Pinkie was doing.

“Ok,” Pinkie said before eating the blueberry and bringing the raspberry to Light’s lips.

“Um… what are you…” Before Light could finish, Pinkie stuck the raspberry in his mouth.

“Feeding you, silly!” Pinkie told him.

“I… um…” Light looked flustered as Pinkie went right ahead and fed him another one.

“Pinkie,” Flutter said, stopping her. “Are you ok?” she asked Light with worry.

“I… I’m just… not used to being fed like this,” Light said as he tried to keep his wings from stiffening.

“As long as you’re still ok,” Flutter told Light before taking a napkin and started to wipe the mess from his face.

Light’s blush only deeped as he felt Fluttershy wiping him so gently.

Flutter realised what she was doing, and how close she was to Light’s personal space. “Oh, I… I’m sorry,” she said with a blush.

“I… it’s okay…” Light said as he still looked flustered. “I just… I’m new… I mean…”

Flutter looked ashamed. “And I’m not being respectful.”

“T… that’s not true… I just… I am…” Light looked bashful as he started to feel rather dumb at how he was acting.

“I'm probably giving you anxiety?” Flutter asked.

“I… I just never… been on a date before,” Light said as he looked ashamed of himself. “I don’t know what’s normal or not.”

“No one is!” Pinkie said with a smile, trying to calm down the situation. “It’s just that we need to learn each other’s preferences and know where the line is for each other. You’re doing alright. I guess I am the one who came out a little strong,” Pinkie admitted.

Pinkie petted both of their backs, trying to make both of them feel better with each other.

“So… may I… ask a question?” Light asked nervously.

“Oh of course you can. What is it?” Flutter asked in her usual soft voice.

“Why me? I come into town and you two just jump all over me. Is it because I’m an alicorn, or were you asked by Celestia or Kirouac to try and make me feel loved? Just… why would you bother with me?” Light asked,feeling scared about what their answers may be.

Pinkie gasped, she couldn’t believe that Light could even think that.

“We weren’t told to date you, promise,” Flutter said.

“Then why do you two… care about me?” Light asked, looking uncertain.

They both started to list off what they each like about Light Heart, and why they wanted to try to have him take a chance on them.

Light’s eyes widened as they listed off so many positive things about him, even more things than he thought about. Light started to tear up as they talked about him so highly, explaining why they were so interested in him after a few days.

“So… What do you say Light?” Pinkie asked him.

“Would… Would you give us a chance with you?” Flutter asked.

Before either of them could react, Light hugged both of them tightly and started crying in their hooves, feeling like he was learning what a real romantic love was like.

Flutter snuggled into Light’s embrace.

Pinkie hugged them both tightly. “So… can I go back to feeding you?” she asked blush.

Light sniffled a little as he shrugged. “O… Only if you want to.”

“I do,” Pinkie said before slipping a raspberry to Light’s lips.

Light slowly started to relax as he allowed Pinkie to do what she wanted, still feeling Flutter hugging him.

“I’ll… I’ll get started making the sandwiches,” Flutter said before slipping off from them.

“Oh, I like a lot of dandelions on mine,” Light quickly added. “And sprouts if you have them.

“I know, I asked Flash’s dad,” Flutter told Light.

“Really? How did he know?” Light asked, looking confused.

"Flash's dad is the Stallion that makes the sandwiches at the cafeteria," Flutter explained.

“Oh… that explains it,” Light said, remembering ordering a sandwich once from him.

“It’s one way to start a date. By making their favourite sandwiches,” Pinkie said with a giggle.

Flutter giggled back. “Yeah…” she said while stacking up dandelions & sprouts together.

“So, what are your favorite sandwiches?” Light asked curiously.

“Lettuce and Cucumbers,” Flutter said with glee.

“Umm…” Pinkie thought about it. She didn’t want to tell him what type of Diamond Dog food she ate, especially since she would probably have to give them up if she wanted to date Light and Fluttershy. “Um… ha ha… Whipped-cream and… chocolate!”

“Okay… I can admittedly see that,” Light said with a shrug.

“Yeah…” Pinkie said, realizing that she would have to live with the lie.

Fluttershy looked at her friend nervously, having seen Pinkie eat before. “So… do you want to help me?”

“Um… Yes!” Pinkie said, before getting up, and leaving the box of raspberries in front of Light.

As Pinkie started helping Fluttershy, the kirin/zebra started whispering to her friend. “What are you doing? You know that you’re allergic to chocolate!”

“I panicked,” Pinkie admitted “I couldn’t think of anything else that would be appropriate, and he would believe that that’s something that I both like and eat on a day to day basis,” she said before poking her own chubby stomach.

“There are other kinds of dog food that have been developed. I know it took me a while to get used to you being a… meat eater, but I doubt he’d dump you right now,” Fluttershy whispered back.

“He lived in Canterlot, I doubt that eating ‘dog food’ would be normal for him, he would probably not want to kiss me if he knew,” Pinkie sighed, legitimately worried.

“Do you need a breath mint?” Fluttershy offered.

“Do I?” Pinkie asked before breathing on Flutter.

“Um… maybe one?” Fluttershy suggested while pulling one out of the picnic basket.

“Oh… sorry,” Pinkie said, her ear flopping down, before she took the mint in her mouth.

“Um, are you two okay?” Light asked as he started to get curious about what they were talking about.

“Oh… Um… Nothing!” Flutter said while stacking Light’s sandwich. “How tall do you want it?” she asked him.

“Enough so I will still be able to bite it,” Light answered, starting to look hungry as he was eating some more of the raspberries.

“Ah… ok,” Flutter said before turning back the sandwich, then back to Light. “How… how big is your mouth?”

“You don’t recall?” Pinkie asked Flutter, recalling when she saw her planting her lips on him when he almost drowned.

Light opened his mouth to a reasonable size to give her a reference. “That big.”

“Mhm… ok, I can add 3 more layers before placing the second slice of bread,” Flutter said with a bit of a giggle.

“It still can’t beat my record,” Pinkie added with a giggle of her own.

“Is that a challenge?” Light asked her.

“Well, I wanted to go for romance, but if you want to have fun,” Pinkie had a confident smile on her face before Flutter grabbed Light.

“Light, she can take bites out of sandwiches the size of you. Don’t challenge her,” Flutter warned cautiously.

“Ah good, now I have a worthy challenger,” Light said with a smile.

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said as she saw Pinkie making her sandwich.

“To make it fair, I’m putting the same ingredients as yours,” Pinkie said, trying to dodge why she wasn’t eating chocolate.

“Alrighty,” Light said with a grin.

Pinkie added one extra layer on hers. “Ready?” she asked with a wink.

Light nodded as he got his sandwich. “Let’s do it!”

“Flutter, count us down,” Pinkie asked her.

“O… okay…” Flutter said before gulping. “Three, two, one…”

“Go!” Pinkie said before gulping down her sandwich.

Light was able to take a sizable bite, but wasn’t able to swallow the large sandwich whole.

Pinkie chewed her sandwich with glee and a big smile on her face.

As Light barely managed to finish his sandwich, he took a deep breath. “Well, it looks like I still have some physical limitations. How do you do this stuff?”

“She lived on a rock-farm, what do you think she ate?” Flutter asked Light.

Light was about to speak, but then he realized what the worst case scenario is. “Um… how about I take a turn spoiling you girls?” Light asked nervously.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said before hugging Light’s neck.

“Oh… how… How do you plan to do that?” Flutter asked him with a blush.

“How much fruit do you have?” Light asked bashfully.

“Umm… I did pack a lot,” Flutter admitted with another blush. “Both of you are hungry students,” she pointed out.

“So… maybe I can feed you two?” Light offered.

“Oh… ummm… If you want to,” Flutter said before rolling onto her back.

Pinkie squealed in excitement as she laid on Light’s other side.

Light gulped as he tried to think about how to do it. “Um… do you want me to use my magic or should I do it by hoof?”

“Um…” Flutter blushed. “Magic!?” she asked.

“Hoof, hoof!” Pinkie said with excitement.

“Oh… okay…” Light said, realizing he had to handle two methods at once. “What kind of fruit?”

“Blueberries!” Pinkie said.

“I, I don’t mind nibbling on a strawberry,” Flutter admitted.

“Okay… all I ask is for some forgiveness,” Light said as he got ready to feed the two mares.

“I forgive you,” Pinkie said, giving him bedroom eyes.

Light gulped as he carefully brought the pieces of fruit to the mares.

Pinkie swallowed them whole, while Flutter nibbled on hers.

Light felt rather nervous as he was feeding two girls who were into him at the same time. That was two more than he had ever thought he’d have.

While Pinkie was eating, she accidentally licked Light’s hoof.

Light gave a small gasp as he blushed deeply. “Oops… sorry!” Light said quickly, even though it wasn’t his fault.

“I…” Pinkie looked at how Light was feeling.

“You’re ok?” Flutter asked Light.

“Y… yeah. I’m fine,” Light said with a small nod as he went back to feeding them, feeling rather funny that he got licked.

“Are you sure?” Flutter asked.

“I… I’m fine…” Light said as he realized his wings started to stiffen a little more.

“Please let us know if we are making you uncomfortable,” Flutter asked him, before gently kissing his hoof.

“Eeep!” Light’s wings were now fully extended for the girls to see.

“Oh,” Flutter covered her face out of shame.

Pinkie held back her giggles and started to pet Fluttershy’s mane.

“S… sorry…” Light apologised bashfully, trying to make his wings go back down.

“No, no, it’s a natural reaction,” Flutter dismissed. “It’s… It’s my fault.”

“Well… It’s kinda hard to resist,” Light admitted with a blush.

“W… why?” Flutter asked, moving one hoof away from her face.

“Well… you both are very nice… and pretty… and…” Light looked worried as he tried to hide his own face.

“Aww,” Pinkie said while getting up. “Did you hear that Flutter?” she asked while getting to Light’s side, under his wing.

Fluttershy blushed as she joined her. “Y… yes…”

Light was now sandwiched between two lovely mares. He gave a soft gulp as he realized that he was growing very attached to these mares, whether he wanted to or not.

After a minute, Light cleared his throat. “So… what are we going to do now?”

“We can eat some more or go to the fair,” Flutter suggested. “Don’t worry, it’s not that loud,” she explained.

“Yeah… and we will be… close to you,” Pinkie said as she and Fluttershe both got the same idea and decided to try kissing Light on the cheek.

“Okay, I’ll pack up the basket,” Light said as he got up, making the girls miss Light and kiss each other.

Flutter blushed as she felt Pinkie’s lips on hers.

Pinkie smiled, feeling a bit happy that her first kiss on the lips was with her good friend.

Light was oblivious as he was putting the food away. “So, what kinds of things do they have at the fair?”

“Oh. um… Cute animals, little kiddie rides to go on...” Flutter said, trying to get her blush down.

“Sounds nice,” Light said as he thought about it.

“There's also cotton candy, caramel apples, and popcorn,” Pinkie said excitedly.

“Okay. Let’s go!” Light said happily as he finished packing the basket.

“Let me take that,” Pinkie said before putting the basket into her mane.

Light stared in disbelief as he tried to understand what just happened. “H… how…”

“Don’t question it,” Pinkie said before trying once more to kiss Light on the cheek.

Fluttershy jumped at the second chance as well, and this time they both hit their mark, making Light’s face go a bright red as his wings extended again.

“How was it?” Pinkie asked him, once more giving him bedroom eyes.

“I… I… I…” Light was in a daze for a moment before falling on his back.

“Oh no Flutter, quick kiss him on the lips once more!" Pinkie told her.

Light instantly shot up again, breathing heavily as he fully realized what happened and what she suggested. “W… what?!?”

“Yeah, Light is back among us,” Pinkie said, waving her paws in the air before hugging Light’s body.

Light was still blushing deeply as he was now being hugged. As Fluttershy joined her, Light had a single thought go through his mind. ‘Sweet Celestia! I’m in love!’

Spike pulled the chair for Rarity with his magic, who still hadn’t realised that she was still in her changeling form, and that the supportive cheers she was getting were for that and not for dating Celestia’s son.

“There you are. And are you comfortable?” Spike asked kindly, always wanting to be helpful to Rarity.

“I am,” Rarity said with a smile. “Ever since we started this date, I feel far... Better!” she said with a smile, not realising that she wasn’t exerting any magic to hide her changeling form.

Spike refused to address it, and actually still found it attractive. “I’m glad to hear that. So, this is your favorite diner?”

Rarity nooded. “Yes, I like to eat here at least 2 times a week,” she explained.

“I see. I guess everything here is to die for,” Spike said with a smile.

“Oh, a lady like Moi would never resort to murder,” she said, placing her hoof on her chest, her clothes stopping her to realize that she didn’t have skin but a hard shell.

Spike nervously smiled as he tried to start damage control, thinking she found out that she wasn’t changed. “Don’t panic. I don’t mind you being this way. It adds an extra glow to your skin.”

Rarity tilted her head not understanding what he was talking about.

Spike took her confusion as a cue that he was wrong. “I… I was talking about the dress. Silver looks amazing on you, and the diamonds look fantastic.”

“Oh, thank you Spiky-wiky!” Rarity said with a blush.

“So, what would you recommend for lunch?” Spike asked, letting her still be in charge.

“Oh you have to try the Daisy Cappuccino, it comes in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry,” Rarity told him with a smile.

“I think I will go strawberry. I’m trying to watch my diet more,” Spike explained as he started looking at the menu.

“Aww, and here I was hoping that you would take vanila!” Rarity side while making a cute pouty face.

“Well… if you insist,” Spike said with a small smile.

“But only if you want to,” Rarity said while turning her head to her side.

“For you, anything,” Spike said, looking at her, sighing longingly as he now believed that he was the luckiest pony in the world.

“Let’s call the waiter,” Rarity said with a loving smile on her face. “Oh, Omakase!” she called out.

“Is that the name of the waiter?” Spike asked curiously.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, he is very good at what he does,” she explained.

“Oh… Okay,” Spike said as he realized that he needed to try and keep anybody else from revealing that Rarity was in her normal form.

A beige colored earth-stallion went to their table, he flicked his short brown mane and trunned to Rarity. “Ah, Rarity!” he said in a Prench accent, before reverting to his normal changeling form. “It is nice to see you! What can I get pour toi?”

“A vanilla Daisy Cappuccino for me, and a strawberry one for my date,” Rarity said sweetly.

Omakase nodded “Ok, and to eat?” He placed his hoof on his forehead, and closed his eyes “Rarity wants... soft, sweet, with a little kick before the end, and for you, young man, you want what she’s having,” he said, a little surprised about that.

Spike blushed when he said that. “Are you psychic?”

Omakase shook his head. “No, I’m just good at telling what each customer is in the mood for,” he said before laughing, pointing at his changeling holes.

“Hm… you’ve gotten better lately,” Rarity said with a smile.

“And you have a new boyfriend. Does he seem nice?” he asked cryptically.

“Oh, I have a feeling that this is the one,” Rarity said, earning a deep blush from Spike.

“I can see that!” Omakase said.

“So, what would you recommend for lunch?” Spike asked, glad that this waiter wasn’t pointing out that Rarity wasn’t disguised.

“Mhm… how about the starheart sandwich, it’s very good,” Omakase said with a smirk.

Rarity giggled.

“Okay. I’m guessing that Rarity wants the same thing?” Spike asked curiously.

“That was for Rarity, but if you want to,” Omakase said, turning to Spike.

“You did say that I’d want what she wanted,” Spike pointed out.

“Yes, you want what she wants, but is what she wants what you want?” Omakase asked Spike.

Spike looked confused by that. “What do you mean?”

“If you only want what she wants because it’s what she wants, how do you know that what she wants is what you want?” Omakase explained.

“Yeah… I’m still confused,” Spike admitted.

“He’s very zen like that,” Rarity explained.

“I felt your desire change while I was naming out what Rarity was in the mood for,” Omakase explained.

“Oh… then what would you recommend?” Spike asked nervously as he was trying to translate what was on the menu.

“That you follow your own heart,” Omakase told him.

“I meant to eat,” Spike pointed out.

“As did I,” Omakase said. “What you really want is something that is healthy, easy on the stomach, and has a savory taste to it.”

Rarity blushed at that. “Oh…”

“So, what would you suggest?” Spike asked again.

“An F.S.S.” Omakase told Spike.

“What’s that?” Spike asked curiously as he looked through the menu.

“Fruit-Salad Sandwich!” Omakase explained.

“Oh… that sounds tasty,” Spike said with a nod. “I’ll try it.”

“I knew you would,” Omakase said before walking off.

“So, is he a good friend of yours?” Spike asked as he set the menu aside.

“Oh… yes. Changeling support group,” Rarity explained.

“I see. And that explains why this is one of your favorite diners,” Spike said before looking around. “And the atmosphere is better here too. In Canterlot you get plates of food that are tiny, overprinced, and lacking in flavor. The decoration is also extremely bland in those restaurants too. That’s why I usually ate in the castle.”

“Well we only have 1 of those problems.” Rarity said with a blush. “But he isn’t why I like it here.”

“Oh? Why?” Spike asked curiously.

“The atmosphere, and the opposite of one of the problems you have in Canterlot,” Rarity explained.

“Free food?” Spike asked.

Rarity laughed. “Oh Spike.”

“Am I right?” Spike asked with a giggle.

“Think of where you are?” Rarity asked him.

“I am. Free food,” Spike repeated.

“Every restaurant has free food here, I wouldn’t know any other way,” Rarity explained.

“So, what do you have planned after this?” Spike asked curiously.

“That for me to know, and you to find out,” Rarity said before kissing Spike’s cheek.

Spike’s spine shivered as he felt her lips on his cheek. “I like the sound of that.”

Rarity nodded before biting down on her lip.

“So, how do you think Twi and Light are doing?” Spike asked, wanting to make some small talk.

“I bet that Twilight is having a most lovely dinner and event, as for Light, I just hope that his mane has stayed down,” Rarity said with worry.

Spike gave a small chuckle when he heard that. “No offence, but nothing can save that mane of his. Twilight even tried a couple of spells on it, and now hair spells have to be done under supervision of a teacher,” he explained with a giggle.

“Well I did, with some jell from Zebrica, as long as he listened to me and kept going slow, he should be ok,” Rarity said.

“I’m willing to bet that he will end up messing it up, but I think that we should focus a bit on each other now.” Spike suggested with a smile as he kept his eyes on Rarity.

“Yes, you’re right,” Rarity said with a smile.

“So, would you be okay with joining me to Canterlot someday? I can promise a lot of privacy to make sure that you remain out of the spotlight if you wish,” Spike offered.

“Oh I don’t mind that,” Rarity said, her changeling eyes looking attentively at Spike.

“Yeah… if I become prince, I will make it a law that half-breeds will be treated with respect, with acts of violence against them being harshly punished,” Spike said, knowing that if the world found out about Rarity, he could possibly lose her.

“Oh…” Rarity cooed while she placed her hoof on his, her eyes closed into his, and not on her hole filled legs. “Tell me what you’re going to do to them if they hurt me, our friends, or even worse, FlutterShy.” she asked, a tear falling for her animal loving friend.

“Then it will be the darkest pits of Tartarus for them,” Spike said firmly, willing to go almost as far as Light would to protect his new love.

“Oh tell me more,” Rarity asked to literally feel it and taste it as he spoke.

“You’d have your own guard, loyal and devoted to protecting you. MoonRacer would become our greatest ally, and the world will walk in the new pathway that we shall lay,” Spike said as he decided to return an earlier favor and kiss her cheek.

“And I would bear you many children,” Rarity said with confidence, happy that changelings could do both live birth or eggs. “Those we would have to find a way to make them share your kingdom,” she said thinking about it. “What else?”

“Well… I don’t think I’ve gotten farther than that,” Spike admitted. “But I feel we should look at the now for a minute.”

“Yes…” Rarity said dreamingly before placing her hoof on her cheek.

“Um… I meant our food is here,” Spike said with some embarrassment as the waiter came back.

“F.S.S. for the gentle-colt, and the starheart sandwich for Lady Madam,” Omakase said.

“Oh… thank you Omakase,” Rarity said as she snapped out of her love fueled trance.

Omakase smiled. “Well I’ll leave you two love-birds alone.”

Spike nodded as he started to eat his sandwich. “So, what else do you want to talk about? It’s only fitting we learn a little more about each other while we are out here.”

“Well… I don’t know my birth parents, and I guess that is something that we share. I.. was adopted as well. My adoptive parents were unicorns who were… less than refined. They thought they couldn’t have kids, so they adopted me. About six years later, they had Sweetie Bell, who grew up wanting to look like me, saving the holes. She’s a sweet kid, but she’s a little… off...”

“Off” Spike asked. “How off?”

“Well… you know how there are some extremely rare recessive genes?” Rarity asked.

“Yes?” Spike asked, remembering the class.

“And have you ever heard of sirens?” Rarity added.

“Umm… yes.” Spike said not liking where this was going.

“Well, they are a rare breed that can manipulate ponies with their ability to sing. They would… abuse this power in certain ways, but since ponies can’t physically birth sirens, there would seemingly be little to no consequence. However, if the affected pony has a child with another pony within a certain time, they are able to gain some of those genes. Now, a lot of those genes are recessive to ponies, but they can travel for a long time.” Rarity started to explain.

“Don't tell me your little sister became an evil mind controller supervillain,” Spiked asked with great worry.

“No… but she can get you lost in her music. Luckily, she has no care for evil, no knowledge of being able to fully control ponies, and just likes singing,” Rarity finished explaining as she took a sip of her drink.

“Isn’t that worse?” Spike asked.

“No, she’s stage shy and mainly sings in private,” Rarity explained. “It’s more like a nuisance than a real problem.”

“So she doesn’t even know if she accidentally mind controls someone to do something against their will,” Spike pointed out.

“Oh, she can get ponies in a trance, but she can’t control them,” Rarity said with a small giggle.

“What can she do, or… What can she have them do?” Spike asked.

“Get them to watch until she finishes. Nothing more than that,” Rarity said as she took a small bite out of her sandwich.

“Oh… should I be concerned?”

“Spikie, have I given any indication that she should be feared at all costs?” Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It starts with her wanting to be heard, then asking for all the cookies, and then.." Spike was about to finish but he was stopped by Rarity placing a hoof in his lips.

“She can only put you in a trance while she is singing, and isn’t anywhere near powerful enough to order you to do stuff. It’s annoying, but she has the common sense not to use it maliciously,” Rarity explained firmly.

“But what if she gets more powerful?” Spike asked.

“I don’t think she wants to bother with the whole take over the world thing, but don’t worry, Light can always handle her.” Rarity suggested.

“Why? Because he’s an alicorn!?” Spike asked.

“No. You see, autistic ponies process senses differently than other ponies, like sound, light, and things like that. Surprisingly, it’s the one way not to get in a trance without having to be deaf or use magic,” Rarity explained calmly.

“So… wait, what?” Spike asked. “Light and Flash would both be immune to it!?”

“Yeah, but then again, every rule has exceptions,” Rarity reminded him.

Spike gulped with a shrug. “So… does she have any… friends?”

“A couple of fellow blank flanks,” Rarity explained with a small giggle. “They call themselves the cutie mark crusaders.”

“Oh, did I already meet some of them?” Spike asked.

“Have you met Applejack’s younger sister?” Rarity asked curiously.

“Umm… maybe. Describe her?” Spike asked.

“She has this ribbon from her parents that she always has on,” Rarity said, figuring it would be easy just to state her defining feature.

“A… yes, I think… Yes, she ran past me a few days ago,” Spike said.

“That’s one of them. As for Scootaloo… did you see a little orange pegasus with a purple mane, that had her back legs missing, and replaced with wheels?”

“Um… I haven’t met her,” Spike admitted, worried about why a little pony would be missing two legs.

Rarity paused. “She’s a big fan of Rainbow Dash. She dreams to be like her, literally.”

“S... she wants to fly… with no hind hooves?” Spike asked, not liking the sound of her odds.

“That’s not all…” Rarity said.

“What do you mean by that? Does she want to become part griffin?” Spike asked.

Rarity nodded.

“Oh… dear…” Spike said with a gulp. “I… don’t suppose you have potions that change your race too?”

“Umm… have you met Cotton, Cotton-Rose?” Rarity asked. “Well you have met her colt-friend.”

“You mean the scientist that Light and Twilight talked about?” Spike asked. “The one that wants to unlock genetic potential?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes. But according to her she could only do that with what your ancestors were,” Rarity explained.

“So Scootaloo is praying that there is some griffon blood in her?” Spike asked as he tried to think about this science that was beyond his understanding.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, though... She is thinking about taking a changeling’s DNA to unlock the rest,” she said with a bit of sorrow.

“Ouch… maybe we should leave the science to the scientists?” Spike suggested as he finished his sandwich.

“Yeah...” Rarity said with sorrow and sadness in her voice.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. You’re beautiful just as you are,” Spike tried to assure her.

“Oh… you’re just... saying that,” Rarity said, while feeling how he felt about her.

“Search your senses. You know it’s true,” Spike said as he petted her mane.

“I…” Rarity couldn’t deny how he felt about her. “But… would you keep saying that if you have to look at my ugly… changeling form, instead of my lovely unicorn form?”

“Ugly? That word doesn’t fit with you in any form. I could gladly look at you in either form and still see that beautiful heart of yours. You’re always beautiful, no matter what form you are in,” Spike said as he still knew that he liked how she looked in both forms.

Tears started to fall from Rarity’s eyes.

Spike blushed as he leaned forward towards her. “You do know that I love you for more than looks, right?”

“I… I know, but can you stand having to wake up seeing… my changeling form?” Rarity asked him.

“I could stare at it all day with no problem,” Spike said as he did the Pinkie promise.

“You’re just saying that,” Rarity told him.

“Nope. I Pinkie promised. And nopony breaks a Pinkie promise, especially not a prince talking to his princess,” Spike said with conviction as he petted Rarity’s cheek.

“I… I…” Rarity leaned closer to Spike, looking longingly in his eyes.

Spike shared the same look as he leaned forward too. “Rarity… I love you…”

“I… I know...” Rarity closed her eyes and locked lips with him.

Spike felt fireworks going off in his head as Rarity took his first kiss on the lips, causing him to moan happily and hug her tightly.

Rarity slowly backed away from the kiss with a gasp and a smile on her face, feeling all of the love he had for her. “Oh... Spike!” she said lovingly, placing one of her hoofs on his cheek.

Spike was blushing deeply as he was starting to lose care for Canterlot, longing more for Rarity’s embrace.

Rarity paused when she noticed her hoof had holes in it. “Oh!? It seems that your kiss caused me to lose focus.”

“Really? I didn’t notice,” Spike admitted, still looking at Rarity with a loving gaze.

Rarity noticed how calm Spike was. “Why aren’t you surprised?” Rarity asked Spike.

“You… promise you won’t freak out?” Spike asked as he gently stroked her cheek.

Rarity was about to change back to her unicorn form, but stopped herself, nodded and listened. “I… I won’t.”

“You… may have lost focus since before the date,” Spike admitted. “And again, you look beautiful either way.”

“I… what? At what time?” Rarity asked, being a bit nervous.

“Before I stepped into the room to check on you. I didn’t want you to freak out, so I never mentioned it. I even made sure we got out of there before Sleipnir and Shark showed up,” Spike explained as he kept petting her. “That, and I thought you looked lovely.”

“I… I have been… and you have… Without wincing and cringing!?” Rarity asked him.

“Why would I?” Spike asked as he gently pulled her a little closer. “Why would I find my love ugly? To quote some poetry that mom used to read me, your skin sparkles like diamonds, and your heart shines brighter by far.”

“I…” Rarity was tearing up once more.

“Rarity. You are beautiful, and I’m not losing you for any reason,” Spike promised her again as he brought her in close.

Rarity once more locked lips with Spike adding her tongue into the kiss.

Spike’s eyes widened as the new element that was added into this kiss, but he soon relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of this long and slender tongue.

Rarity hugged and petted Spikes back, not wanting to lose him.

After a minute, the couple pulled away from the kiss, breathing heavily. “I… I think this is going to be a pattern,” Spike said between breaths.

“A happy one?” she asked him, while petting his cheek once more.

Spike paused for a moment before smiling. “Why not?” He said before bringing Rarity into one more kiss.

Chapter 9: getting More than you Bargained for

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Sleipnir was placing the biodegradable wrappers and drink containers into their correct bins, disappointed by the rat that had caused the restaurant to close before they could have a chance to even enter the place.

“Sorry that the romantic beachside dinner had to be replaced with a hot dog stand." Shark told Twilight.

“Oh, It’s okay." Twilight tried to reassure them. “I’m sure that we can still have plenty of fun when we get onto the boat.”

“Yes, let's." Sleipnir told both of them while wiping his hooves on the ground.

“Follow me, I promise you that this is going to be romantic." Shark said, before letting go of Twilight.

“Okay, Lead the way.” Twilight said, knowing from several conversations with Celestia that not everything can always go as planned.

“I have set everything up; first we get on the boat, rowed by an opera singer that will sing us love songs until you get to the little island in the center of the water, where we’re going to have some ice cream, and-”

Sleipnir placed a hoof on Shark’s lips. “Don’t spoil it.”

Twilight giggled a bit. “Well, the weather looks good today, so I think it will work.”

“Yes, we just have to…” Shark paused as he saw the opera singer with his boat upside down, resting on two saw horses as he sanded the hole it had.

“Oh… dear…” Twilight said, as she quickly saw that the date was falling apart.

“It’s…it’s fine…we…we can still get to the island by using a different boat.” Shark said.

“Oh… I’m sorry to interrupt your plans, but the only boat that hasn’t sprung a leak is…the paddle boat,” the opera singer chimed in.

“You mean a boat with pedals that spin the fins in the back?” Twilight asked.

“Yes.” Sleipnir said, somewhat discouraged.

Shark took a deep breath before trying to lighten the mood. “Ok, I’ll paddle to the Island, and Sleipnir can paddle back. Easy fix!”

“Sorry, but you need two to paddle,” the Opera singer said.

Sleipnir and Shark’s eyes widened as they realized that they weren't going to have the romantic boat ride they imagined. “R-really?” Sleipnir asked.

“Oh, that’s fine. I can help-” Twilight was about to offer to paddle with them, but they both cut her off.

“No, we will both paddle while you relax in the back.” Sleipnir said, trying to be chivalrous.

“Yeah, we agreed to treat you to a wonderful date, and we are stallions of our word.” Shark said, as he started leading them to the boat.

Twilight looked concerned. She knew that she could probably teleport them to the island, or even use her magic to peddle the boat for them, but they were so insistent on giving her a wonderful date, so she simply nodded. “Okay. I’ll trust you two.”

Shark jumped onto the boat, causing it to shake and make ripples in the water. “I’ll help you on.” He told Twilight, extending his front hooves to her, using his single wing for balance.

“Oh, thank you.” Twilight said, as she gladly took his hoof.

“And I’ll help you down.” Sleipnir said, extending his first set of legs to her.

“And thank you again.” Twilight said, as he helped her into her seat.

After helping Twilight to the back seat, Shark went to the paddle part, leaving Sleipnir on the doc.

“Shark! Don’t forget me!” Sleipnir said, as he jumped into the boat.

“Wow…that nearly tipped the boat…” Shark said, looking back to make sure that Twilight was ok.

“I…I’m fine…but please don’t do that again.” Twilight pleaded, as she put her life vest on.

Shark nodded while looking at Sleipnir. “Shall we go?” He asked, putting on his own.

“Alright.” Sleipnir said, as he started to peddle.

Shark tried to keep up with Sleipnir; if one of them went faster than the other, the boat would turn over.

Both of the guys had to accept going slowly to make sure that Twilight would enjoy the ride. “So…we promise that the date will be a lot smoother once we get to the island.” Sleipnir said, not wanting her to become nervous.

“Everything should be fine after we get to it.” Shark agreed, trying to hold back his excitement.

“I can’t wait.” Twilight said, hoping that the date would start improving.

As they got closer, they felt the bottom of the boat run aground on the sandy shore of the island. “Oh no, the paddle boat goes deeper in the water than the gondola.” Shark said with a wince.

“So, do we need to swim to shore? I can’t fly either.” Twilight admitted, as she considered taking her dress off.

“I…we'll have to carry you the rest of the way.” Shark said with sorrow.

“Oh, I don’t mind. I have a swimsuit underneath my dress.” Twilight said, as she didn’t want them to go out of their way.

“Oh… so…?” Sleipnir asked. “We go into the water!?”

“How deep is it?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Up to our legs.” Shark said, looking out to the side. “But under our belly.”

“We can still carry you on our backs.” Sleipnir offered before turning to Shark. “Where are our swimsuits?”

“Well… I have shorts on, and they wouldn’t reach me, but…you?” Shark looked off.

Sleipnir sighed in frustration, wearing long-sleeved pants and a long-sleeved, collared shirt. “I thought you were bringing our swimsuits.”

“I did.” Shark insisted. “It’s on…the shore.” He admitted with a wince.

“Aw, man!” Sleipnir said with a groan, as he started to take off his vest.

“Don’t bother. I can carry you.” Twilight said, as she started to take off her dress.

“Oh…um…Twilight, a…a lady shouldn’t get undressed in front of…” Sleipnir tried to say while covering his face.

“Thanks for reminding me.” Twilight said as her horn glowed, summoning a thick mist to hide from the others.

Shark looked at Sleipnir. “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t think this would happen.” He apologized before turning to Twilight. “And how are you going to carry him?”

“Magic. What else?” Twilight asked as the mist faded away, revealing her in a two-piece swimsuit. “Rarity made this for me. How do I look?”

“Umm…” Both stallions were flabbergasted, Shark’s wing flaring out as he looked at Twilight.

Twilight blushed a little at their reaction. “I’ll take that as ‘Looking good’. It looks like Rarity did a great job with this.” She chuckled as she stepped off of the boat and started to lift Sleipnir with her magic. “Let’s go.”

“Um…ok,” Sleipnir said while getting lifted in the air by Twilight's magic.

“Yeah…” Shark agreed as he followed her, still amazed about how she looked. “You’re…good at this.”

“Oh, thank you. I spent a lot of time working on my levitation skills, although I can’t lift more than a few ponies at a time.” Twilight admitted as she kept carrying one of her dates toward the dry ground.

“I’ll go get the ice cream.” Shark said before running off.

“Sure thing.” Twilight said, turning her attention to Sleipnir as she reached the sand.

“Thanks, Twilight.” Sleipnir said as he was put on solid ground. “I still wish that I had my bathing suit.” He admitted.

“That's not that hard.” Twilight said, before teleporting off for one second and then coming back with their bathing suits.

“I…umm…thanks…” Sleipnir said.

“Yeah, I didn’t want to spoil your plans, but I wanted to make sure that you could still try to have fun.” Twilight explained.

Sleipnir tilted his head. “And you're teleporting after you got me to shore… was…?”

“I wanted to get your swimsuits so you two wouldn’t get any more upset.” Twilight admitted. “So many things went wrong, so I wanted to help with…just something…” She said as she started looking more and more nervous.

“Twilight.” Sleipnir ran over to her and hugged her.

Twilight gave a small yelp as she felt him hugging her tightly. “So…you didn’t mind me helping?”

“You don’t need to feel bad just because everything went bad.” Sleipnir whispered into her ear. “I just wish that you could have gotten the bathing suits before so that I could be the one that picked you up and brought you to the shore.”

Twilight giggled a little at that. “Your dropped jaw says that you wanted to see my swimsuit.”

“Well.” Sleipnir blushed. “A gentle colt doesn’t wish such things.”

Twilight giggled a little as she motioned Sleipnir to follow her. “Yet you two brought swimsuits? Clearly, you two wanted to go for a swim.”

“Um…well, we are next to the water, so… in case…” Sleipnir said while following Twilight.

“And none of you objected when I told you that I was wearing a swimsuit under my dress.” Twilight added.

Sleipnir gulped. “Well…I…where are we going?”

“I don’t know. Shark went this way.” Twilight admitted.

Shark was walking towards them, with a cooler on his back. “Hey Twi- wait, how did you get the bathing suits?”

“I know how to teleport. I didn’t want to ruin your plans, so I hope you don’t mind.” Twilight said as she gave Shark his swimsuit.

“Thanks.” Shark said with a blush. “Now who wants ice cream?” He asked them.

They both nodded, licking their lips at the idea of sweets.

Shark lifted the lid and found that the ice cream was halfway through melting. “W…what?” He asked, looking at the back and finding the plugs were open.

“W…what happened?” Twilight asked curiously.

“The plugs are supposed to let the water out when you are done with it so you can get all the melted ice out. However it looks like they stayed open and the melted ice turned to water and just ran out leaving no ice in the cooler at all. Hence why the ice cream melted.” Shark said with sorrow. “It’s because we left them out longer than expected, in the sunlight, instead of the shadow like I asked for.”

“It was in a shadowy place… before the sun was adjusted.” Sleipnir said with a blush.

Shark fell onto the ground. “That’s just our luck.” He lamented.

“I…don’t know a spell to fix that.” Twilight admitted, looking disheartened.

“Well…I suppose we’re having ice cream soup.” Sleipnir said. “If only you had my sister’s power.”

Shark giggled a bit. “Yeah, breathe ice instead of fire.”

“Sorry.” Twilight said apologetically. “Well…I’m sure there is a lot more we can do on this island, right?”

“It’s a micro island.” Sleipnir said. “It’s mostly used for the citizens that want to feel like they are on a deserted island.” He explained.

“Oh…I see. So what did you boys have planned?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Oh…nothing just…just to relax and eat cold…well…drink ice cream soup.” Shark said.

“Hmmm…” Twilight said as she thought a little bit. “Well…we have our swimsuits. Do you boys want to go for a swim?” Twilight offered as she looked at the ocean.

“Yes.” Shark said eagerly.

Twilight smiled. “What about you Sleipnir?”

“I might as well.” Sleipnir said as he took off into the trees. “Just let me get changed.”

“Umm…” Shark blushed. “Me, as well.” He said before running off with his swimsuit.

Twilight giggled as she started walking into the water. “I refuse to let this date be a failure.” She said as she started to swim.

Light was walking through the fair, Pinkie and Fluttershy lining him on both sides. Pinkie was holding a large bag of popcorn, and Fluttershy was sharing a caramel apple with Light.

“Thanks for letting me skip the roller coaster. I’m not one for heights.” Light said as they were walking through the game booths.

“Oh, that’s ok, I’m not one for heights either.” Fluttershy said.

“Yes, it’s ok.” Pinkie said, really wanting to come back tomorrow to go on it. “What game should we play?”

“Not the ring toss. I spent too long on one of those things, and they're rigged in my opinion.” Light said, looking a little embarrassed.

“Rigged?” Pinkie asked.

“Really? How so?” Fluttershy asked Light.

The rings are too bouncy, and the bottles are too big. One time Spike bought us a hundred rings. Only one ring landed on a bottle the entire game.” Light said, frustrated at that memory.

Pink let go of Light and went to the ring toss game before coming back with a ring the pony behind the booth had let her inspect. “They’re not that bouncy!” She said while playing with it.

“Maybe it was just the two manipulative numbskulls who ran the blasted thing.” Light said with a small huff. “Here you don’t have to worry about money.”

“Yes, and do you want to know a little secret?” Flutter said, whispering into Light’s ear.

“What is it?” Light asked, looking confused.

“The rings are made of metal, and the bottles are magnetized.” Flutter said with a wink.

“So…the games here are rigged so you can win?” Light asked, now looking shocked.

“Yeah…it’s for the little foals that want to win by themselves.” Flutter said. “They would be so sad if they couldn’t.”

“So…what would you recommend for me?” Light asked as he looked around.

“Umm…not the balloon-popping one, never the milk bottle knocking…you should try the lily pad frogs!” Flutter said, before running off to it.

“A lady pilot what?” Light asked as he turned to Pinkie to explain.

“Lily pad frogs!” Flutter repeated. “You don’t know what that is?” she asked him.

“I don’t remember seeing it.” Light admitted, looking a little embarrassed.

“It’s easy. You launch the toy frog and try to get it onto the winning Lily pads.” Flutter explained.

“Oh, okay,” Light said, before whispering to Pinkie Pie. “I can see why she likes it.”

“Do you want to know a secret?” Pinkie asked Light while whispering into his ear.

Light looked interested as he leaned over to her. “What is it?”

“She once cheated in that game.” Pinkie said with a blush and a giggle.

“Say what?”

“She replaced the toy with a real one to jump for her.” Pinkie admitted.

Light was amazed by the creativity of her stunt. For anypony else, it would sound crazy. But Light knew that it was well established that Flutter could hear and talk to animals. “Wow…that’s one way to cheat.”

“Yes.” Fluttershy said with a blush. “You’re not mad at me for being a criminal?” She asked, giving him puppy eyes.

“Nah…you probably paid your debt for it…” Light’s light-hearted face faded as he remembered the event leading to him being sent to MoonRacer. “And there are worse things than cheating…”

Pinkie looked concerned when his attitude changed. “What’s wrong? Do you want to talk about it?”

Light shuddered at the thought of what happened, but then worried about what they would think if they heard about his violent side, so he decided to keep it hidden. “Um…no. It’s just a bad memory.” Light said, as he walked toward the game, wanting to swiftly change the topic. “Now, how does this work?”

“Oh…just flip the teeter-totter, launch the frog into the air, and hope it falls on the Lily pad.” Pinkie said, pressing some of the teeter-totters, and somehow managing to miss all the possible Lily pads.

Light gulped as he stepped up to the platform. “So, just aim for the lily pads?”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’m sure that you can do it.” She said before giving him a peck on the cheek.

Light’s body tensed as his hoof reflexively hit the teeter-totter, sending the frog to the dead-center lily pad out of sheer luck.

“Congratulations, young man! You won our big prize!” The manager of that game said before handing Light a giant teddy bear.

“Say what?” Light asked, still in a daze after the kiss he received.

“Congrats Light, you win.” Pinkie said before hugging Light’s neck.

“I won?” Light asked, still trying to figure out what happened.

“What’s wrong, Light?” Flutter asked in worry.

“Nothing…I was just kissed…T-that’s all.” Light said, starting to blush deeply as he realized what happened.

“I…I didn’t go too far, did I?” Flutter asked in worry.

“No…I’m just…working on getting used to this.” Light explained, as he put the teddy bear on his back.

“Ah…okay, me too.” Flutter admitted while playing the frog game as well, landing a frog on one of the small lily pads. “Oh…I won a little plastic necklace.”

“Um… I can win a big stuffed animal for you if you’d like…” Light offered.

“Oh… Light you silly little colt, it’s not the size that counts, it’s managing to do it yourself.” Pinkie explained before trying again, and missing once more.

“Oh…” Light looked at his toy before handing it to her. “Would you and Fluttershy like to share this?”

“Of course.” Pinkie said before hugging both Light and the stuffed bear. “We’ll each take turns snuggling in bed with it.” She said with a smirk at the end. “The nights we’re not doing the same with you.” She said, adding a wink at the end.

Light’s face went a bright red as he heard that.

“Pinkie!” Flutter said. “You’re going to make Light faint once more.” She said while petting his head. “There, there…” She whispered into his ear not knowing how he felt about Pinkie’s declaration.

“So…snuggling couples…is normal?” Light asked with a gulp.

“Um…yes.” Flutter said. “They…they just sleep next to each other, and hug their love in their sleep.” She finished with a blush. “Just that…”

“You can do that in this school?” Light asked in shock, trying to understand how it would work.

“Well yes silly. Your sleeping corridors are next to one other.” Pinkie said with a smile.

Fluttershy gave Pinkie a look.

Light blushed deeply as he thought about being able to snuggle with two mares who loved him. The idea of two soft and warm bodies against his made his heart race at the thought. However, he quickly put it out of his mind as he felt his wings stiffening again.

“Pinkie…Light…I’m not…ready to share a bed just yet, even if it’s just…napping,” Flutter admitted shyly with a blush.

“Agreed…what do we want to do now?” Light asked as he tried to put his mind somewhere else.

“Oh, let’s go on the…bumper car ride…no, the Ferris wheel!” Pinkie said.

“Oh…the Ferris wheel?” Light asked, his wings now no longer tense as his fear of heights came into his mind.

“Don’t worry Light, both Pinkie and I are right here with you.” Flutter told Light. “You can be in the middle.” she offered.

“Yeah…please come with us.” Pinkie said, giving him puppy eyes.

Light felt a little pressured as his two marefriends were giving him a pleading look. He could only sigh as he nodded. “Fine. We’ll ride the Ferris wheel.”

“Yay!” Pinkie said before hugging him and locking her paw with his hoof, feeling his wing gently drape over her.

Flutter stood next to Light, his wing draping over her, as well.

Light blushed as he had his wings over the mares he loved as they walked to the Ferris wheel.

The F.W. operator was a bit shocked when he saw Light, not for having two mare-friends, or even for his wings and horn, but for having won the giant stuffed animal. “Seats for 3 or 4?” He asked them.

“Um, what would you recommend?” Light asked, as he looked at his large prize.

“Well…I guess we should leave this big boy on the ground so we can get a better view.” Pinkie admitted, as she handed the teddy bear to the ride operator. “Guard this with your life!!!” She said sternly, as she grabbed the operator’s cheeks.

“Oh… okay. I’ll keep your friend safe down here.” the operator assured her.

“Okie Dokie!” Pinkie said, as she happily hopped onto the ride, soon followed by Light and Fluttershy.

Light felt a knot tying in his stomach as the safety bar went down. He knew that he was past the point of no return, but he still didn’t want to upset his dates. He took a deep breath as he mentally told himself not to look down, and to just try to relax.

Pinkie could see that Light was nervous, and needed some help, so she grabbed his forelegs, and hugged it tightly.

Light gave a small gulp as he gave her a weak smile.

“Is this better?” Pinkie asked Light.

“M…maybe a little?” Light said, still looking a little nervous. As the machine gave a sudden jerk, Light tensed up as he held her back.

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie called her.

Flutter gulped a bit, before slowly wrapping her forelegs around Light’s other front legs. “I…”

“Just tell me when it’s over.” Light said as he averted his eyes upwards.

Flutter softly taped Light’s hoof, while Pinkie was petting his arm.

Light was still tense, not liking the idea of what would happen if something broke.

Flutter whispered into Light’s ear. “There, there, I’m here, we are both here for you.”

“I know…we’re just high up, secured by a simple bar, and are trusting a machine which gets used for who knows how long every day of the week.” Light explained as he was still looking upwards.

Both girls had the bright idea that if they kissed Light it would distract him. They both winked at each other as they got ready to do this kiss simultaneously. As they both leaned forward, the ride jerked to a stop, making Light instantly lean forward as the two girls ended up kissing each other again.

Flutter backed away with an embarrassed blushed on her face, while Pinkie had a proud smile on her’s.

“W…why did we stop?” Flutter asked.

“It had better be a good reason!” Light said as he tensed up even more.

As the trio were all trying to figure out what was going on, they heard the operator speak from the ground. “Hey… um… the power crystal for this ride blew out, and it’s going to be a while before I can get a replacement. Please stay on the ride for safety reasons, and we’ll have you down there in at most an hour.”

“An…hour…” Flutter couldn’t even finish before grabbing Light's arm and hugging it. “Okay…you may have been right. Can you fly us down? I only have a minor spell for something like this.”

“No chance. I can’t fly, and I haven’t even had a lesson.” Light said, starting to breathe heavily.

“So…would you rather stay stuck here with us instead of gliding down to the ground?” Pinkie asked Light.

“Like I’d risk dropping you?” Light huffed, still feeling terrified.

“Aww…” Pinkie said before resting her head on Light’s shoulder. “You’re ok with this?” She asked him.

Light’s breathing was still heavy as he was trying to calm down. “Up here? On a broken down ride? I mean…” Light paused as he felt both girls leaning on him. “Well… I guess being with you two makes it better.”

“Aww…” Flutter said while looking at the sun. “I spy with my little eyes, something yellow and warm.” She said with a cheeky smile.

“T…the sun?” Light asked, trying to keep from looking at the ground.

“Nope.” Flutter said, hugging him more.

“Hm…the lights on one of the attractions on the ground?” Light asked, still oblivious.

“Nope.” Flutter said again with a soft giggle.

“I think I know what you are talking about.” Pinkie said as she hugged Light too.

“Well, what is…” Light stopped as soon as he realized why they were both hugging him. “Oh…”

“What do you spy with your little green eyes?” Pinkie asked Light.

“Um…?” Light gulped a bit. “A couple of soft things…”

“Really?” Tell us more,” Pinkie said with a small giggle.

“Um…they are different, but are close to each other…” Light said as he was blushing deeply.

“Do they both have pink on their tops?” Flutter asked.

“Yeah, but one of them has some yellow on their top too.” Light said, looking at Fluttershy’s striped mane.

“Oh…what about the other’s?” Pinkie asked.

“It’s extra big, and has some random things in it.” Light said, realizing that her mane was a bit like his in the sense that you probably can’t style it.

“Good things?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes, to my knowledge.” Light said with a nod.

“Aww…” Pinkie said before taking a chocolate kiss out from her mane and slipped it between Light’s lips and into his mouth.

Fluttershy giggled as Light looked rather flustered at being fed again. “Well, it looks like somepony caught onto our idea.”

Light raised a wing to cover his blush. “Well, I’m not the most clever pony out there.”

“But you are the sweetest.” Pinkie said with a giggle.

“And the cutest.” Fluttershy added.

“Oh, and here I think it would be you, Pinkie Pie, with all the sweets that you eat.” Light said, trying to do a bump on Pinkie’s snout.

“And what about me?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Um… you are the… softest!” Light said with a nervous blush, while turning to Flutter.

“Hmm, I like that.” Flutter said as she booped Light’s nose.

Light softly rubbed his nose. “Do…do you mind if I asked you two questions?” He asked them. “And sorry if it’s…intrusive.”

“Oh? What is it?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Have…have either of you dated before?” Light asked with a wince, hoping that wasn’t impolite to ask about.

“Um…no…I never had the courage.” Flutter admitted.

“And most guys say I come on too fast.” Pinkie said with a carefree shrug. “We kinda teamed up on you. We surprisingly work well together.”

“I can see that. You keep Pinkie tamed while she helps you get out of your… shell.” Light said while looking at Flutter.

Fluttershy nodded with a small blush. “Yeah, we do work well together.”

Pinkie giggled while leaning over Light, and towards Flutter. “We’re a super team!”

“The two of you are the three…” Light was cut off as he turned to Pinkie and found his lips touching Pinkie’s lips.

As much as Pinkie loved the feeling of Light’s lips on her, while her blue eyes looked into his green ones she felt that she needed to back away. “I… I’m sorry.” Her ears drooped down to the side of her face, before she placed her face in her paws.

Light’s face turned a deep red as he was frozen in place, unsure of what to say.

“I…I ruined it, didn’t I?” Pinkie asked, about to cry.

Light was still dazed as he touched his own lips. “My…my first real kiss…was with Pinkie…and I… I think I liked it…” Light thought to himself as he looked at the pink mare.

“Yeah… but it should have been with Flutter.” Pinkie admitted.

“D…did you read my mind?” Light asked as he snapped back to reality.

“No…it’s just that it’s obvious that Flutter should be your first.” Pinkie said.

“Kiss?” Light asked curiously.

“For everything,” Pinkie added.

“Well…not to be awkward or anything…but technically…I did give him mouth to mouth on his first day of school.” Flutter pointed out nervously. “And we did agree to share him.”

“Yes…but…does Light even recall that?” Pinkie asked, feeling bad that she stole this from both Flutter and Light.

“Um…I was told…” Light admitted as he petted Pinkie’s head. “And it’s okay. It was an accident…and I…didn’t really mind…” Light added bashfully.

“Yes, but there’s only one thing that we can do to correct this.” Pinkie told Light.

“What is it?” Light asked, looking nervous.

“You two must kiss each other.” Pinkie said, before realizing what she just said.

Both Light and Flutter both blushed deeply when she said that. “Say what?” They both asked simultaneously.

“I… I’m sorry.” Pinkie said before her ears drooped once more.

“Pinkie…we didn’t want to upset you. We just…it’s very sudden…” Fluttershy started stuttering before Light swallowed his pride and turned to her.

“I’m sorry…but I do love you both.” Light said before giving her a kiss on the lips.

Flutter’s eyes widened when she felt Light’s soft lips on hers. She blinked a couple of times, before closing them and wrapping her front hooves around his neck.

Light was admittedly shocked at her reaction, and the fact that he was doing this, but he slowly relaxed the more comfortable he got with the kiss.

Pinkie watched them with both pride, and a hint of jealousy right now from how long their kiss was going.

Flutter’s lips opened a bit as she kissed Light, a warmth inside her coming out.

Light pulled back as he felt something warm, and was shocked to see her mane on fire. “Sweet Celestia! YOU’RE BURNING!!!” Light yelped as he tried to pat her mane out without hurting her.

“Hip!” Flutter said as Light was trying to extinguish the fire. “Did… did I finally burst?” She asked.

“I thought Kirins only did that when they were angry?” Pinkie admitted as she got out a bucket of water from her mane. “Also, do you need this?”

“Um…” Flutter patted over her body. “I don’t think so…” She admitted. “And I think it’s when we are having strong emotions!?”

“Well, your body didn’t go all black and stuff, and Light’s hooves aren’t burning from trying to put you out, so maybe it’s a kirin love thing?” Pinkie suggested as the fire started to go out.

Flutter nodded. “So… what did you think of our first kiss?” She asked Light.

“Well, forgive the pun, but I think it was hot.” Light said with a blush before turning to Pinkie. “So… should I give a better kiss to you too?”

Pinkie squealed as she heard that. “May I?” she asked before she pulled Light into a big kiss.

Light felt Pinkie’s paws wrap around his neck, deepening their kiss.

Fluttershy blushed as she saw the couple kissing, knowing how both of their lips felt.

Pinkie slowly backed away from Light, a piece of drool still connecting them.

“I…I think we have to get married now.” Light said as his face was bright red.

Both Flutter and Pinkie blushed when they heard Light blurt this out. “All three of us, or just me and you?” Pinkie asked him.

“All three…but let’s wait until I wouldn’t be killed for it.” Light said as he gently licked his lips.

“Killed for it?” Flutter asked with worry. “Why would you?”

“It’s just a figure of speech.” Light admitted.

Flutter released the breath that she was holding in relief.

“Just know that if we go too far, I’m most likely going to get in trouble. Also, don’t tell my parents we kissed.” Light said quickly.

Flutter nodded, zipped her lips, before doing the Pinkie-promised. “As long as you do the same for my parents.”

Pinkie nodded, before coming closer to Light’s face and rubbed her nose on his. “So… which of us is the better kisser?” She asked with a blush and a wink.

“Um…do I have to pick?” Light asked nervously.

Both Pinkie and Flutter gave Light puppy eyes.

“Oh…I…I don’t know…they’re just so… unique in their own rights.” Light said, not wanting to upset them.

“Ok, Light…” Pinkie told him before turning to Flutter and giving her a big grin. “Now… I suppose it’s between the both of us?” She asked her.

“Well, I haven’t kissed anybody else.” Light admitted with a nod.

“On the lips?” Flutter asked, while blushing at Pinkie.

“Yeah, on the lips.” Light explained. “I don’t think kissing my parents on the cheek counts.”

“Yeah.…” Flutter said, now a bit worried about meeting them and having to introduce Light to her.

“Well, maybe we should compare kissing again?” Pinkie suggested with a sly grin.

“Um…” Flutter tried to sit in front of Light to refresh Pinkie.

Light gulped as he sat back down. “Um… are we going to keep kissing until the ride is fixed?”

“That or until we get bored.” Pinkie said with a wink to both of them, before placing a paw on Flutter’s cheek, and then locking lips with her.

Light’s jaw dropped as he saw the two mares kissing each other, and it was admittedly hot to see both of them kissing right in front of him.

Feeling bolder, both mares added their tongue into their kiss.

Light now knew that it was going to take a lot for his wings to be able to relax before the night is out. “Wow… that’s…I…” Light was stuttering as he was starting to drool a little.

Pinkie temporarily broke the kiss so that she could give a peck on Flutter’s nose.

Flutter giggled a little before looking at Light. “Should we give him some attention now?”

“Oh… I like what you are thinking.” Pinkie told her before leaning back up to face Light.

“W…what are you two going to do?” Light asked bashfully.

Pinkie started to play with Light’s extended wing. “Have more fun with you and Flutter.” She told him with a wink, before kissing his cheek.

Flutter giggled as she pecked his other cheek before starting to preen his wings. “Don’t worry. I had to help Dash do this when we were kids so I could learn how to preen winged animals.”

Light gulped as he felt them kissing and preening him. “I…I feel…”

“Shhhhh…don’t worry.” Pinkie assured him. “You’ll still be a virgin after this.” She said with a giggle.

Light gulped as he thought to himself. “I don’t know if I want the ride to be fixed faster or slower now.”

Rarity and Spike were walking side by side, their flanks touching each other. Rarity was now in her changeling form, feeling more confident.

“…and when Light explained that the drink was an old country recipe, Blueblood spat out the punch all over Celestia,” Spike said as they were joking around.

“H… ha…” Rarity tried to hold back her laughter, she still wanted to keep a ladylike attitude. “W… What ha… What happened to him after?” She asked with a grin on her face, and chuckling at the end.

“Oh, she was pretty calm about it, and we all got a good laugh about it, but he passed out due to the fear.” Spike said with a giggle. “In the end, no harm was done. Although now we use the phrase ‘spitting the punch’ when we want to have some fun with the snob.”

“Oh…well, I hope I never meet him.” Rarity said with a bit of sorrow, worry, and sadness.

“Don’t worry. It’s easy to make fun of the guy.” Spike said with a chuckle. “So, where are we going?”

“I… just wanted to take a walk in the park with you.” Rarity said.

“That works.” Spike said with a dreamy look.

Rarity blushed at all the love that was radiating from him. “So…how many mares…tried to take you?” She asked casually.

“A few, but none of them were you.” Spike said dreamily.

“A changeling?” Rarity asked with a giggle.

“A mare who wanted more than a prince.” Spike elaborated.

“I also wanted a unicorn, but your hooves will have to do.” Rarity said cheekily.

“Aww, you don’t have to exaggerate.” Spike said as he leaned closer to Rarity.

“Exaggerate! Moi, a lady, exaggerating?” Rarity gasped while placing a hoof over her heart.

“Well, many mares find my magic offputting.” Spike admitted.

Rarity looked around at all the half-breeds and other unique citizens. “There are many things here that could be considered off putting, me being one of them.” She said with a bit of sorrow.

“Are you crazy? You’re the sweetest lady in town.” Spike said before kissing her hoof.

“I am honored sir Spike.” Rarity told him. “But I wasn’t talking about that.”

“What are you talking about then?” Spike asked curiously.

“Glowing hooves instead of a horn… is more normal then having holes in your legs.” Rarity pointed out.

“I’ve seen a few changelings, and even a few half changelings.” Spike said with a raised eyebrow.

“Before or after getting off the train to get here?” Rarity asked him.

“After, and I didn’t meet any ponies like me in Canterlot.”

“You didn’t meet any magic casters?” Rarity asked with a giggle.

“Chemically altered.” Spike said, with a nervous shrug.

“Oh…my poor little science experiment.” Rarity told him, before petting him on the cheek.

“No…more like a trash baby.” Spike said, looking hurt as he admitted the name that haunted him for a long time.

“Well…they are just jealous.” Rarity told him before giving him a peck on the cheek.

Spike gave a long sigh as he looked at his blank flank, which would never produce a mark. “Let’s just change the topic.”

“Um…yes, let’s…duck!” Rarity said.

“What?”

“There’s a family of ducks crossing our path.” Rarity said before turning to Spike. “Why are you lowering your head?”

Spike looked up at Rarity from the ground, looking rather embarrassed. “There is another meaning for the word duck where I came from.”

“Oh?” Rarity asked. “To lay down!?”

“More like ‘Duck and cover’, but very urgently.” Spike explained, as he got up.

Rarity looked confused. “I got the last part but not the first one.”

Spike face-hooved as he realized his mistake. “You know what, I’ll just let Twi explain this to you.”

“Oh…ok.” Rarity said with a bit of sorrow. “Have you ever fed ducks before?” She asked him.

“Um, not really. Twilight spends most of her time studying, so I normally stop at some stores when I’m not helping her.” Spike said as they went back to walking.

“To buy what?” Rarity asked him.

“Groceries, books, the best doughnuts in the world, and some other general stuff.” Spike explained.

“Oh…do you want to try feeding the ducks?” Rarity asked him.

“Sure.” Spike said with a nod. “I’ll try almost anything once.”

Rarity nodded before heading to the duck feed stand to get one small bucket full of feed for each of them.

“So, how does this work?” Spike asked Rarity, wondering if there was a special technique.

“There are two ways to do this. The latter is for only the ones that are brave.” Rarity told him. “You can take a hoof full of feed and throw it to the ducks either in the water or on the ground.” She explained before doing so.

“Oh…that sounds simple enough.” Spike said as he started throwing the feed too far away. The ducks ran off towards the feed that was flung away.

“A…a bit more gently.” Rarity told him.

“Oh…sorry.” Spike said as he started tossing it on the ground.

The ducks approached them cautiously, before starting to peck on the ground where the food was dropped.

“Good, Spike.” Rarity said while backing away from the ducks that were getting too close to her.

“Huh, this isn’t as hard as I thought.” Spike said as he kept tossing the feed.

Some of the feed that Spike was tossing accidently went into Rarity’s leg holes.

“Oh no…” Rarity said before two ducks ran to her and started to peck into her holes.

“Yeesh! Aaah!” Rarity screamed out before changing into her unicorn form, causing the feed to be launched out of her leg holes and away from her. Rarity started to pant as she looked at Spike.

Spike looked embarrassed as he realized what he did. “Oops…sorry.”

Rarity gave him a pouty face. “Let’s try the second way to feed ducks.” She told him.

“Oh…okay. What’s that?” Spike asked, hoping he didn’t ruin anything.

“Extend your hoof out, away from you, down to the ground, and don’t move.” Rarity told him as she approached him.

Spike nodded as he extended his hoof. “Okay, now what?”

“Don’t move.” Rarity told him before pouring her bucket of feed in his hoof.

“Wait, what now?”

All of the ducks started to swarm toward Spike, all pecking into his outstretched hoof, trying to get every single piece of food that he had in it.

Spike looked a little nervous as he watched the ducks clearing out the feed from his hoof.

“Now we’re even!” Rarity told him with a giggle.

“Okay…I’m still sorry.” Spike apologized again as he felt the ducks finishing their food.

“What are you going to do to make it up to me?” Rarity asked him.

“Um…I thought this was making it up to you.” Spike said nervously. “Do I need to kiss your hooves?”

Rarity blushed. “Well… if you want to.” She told him, before giving her hoof to him.

Spike shrugged before gently kissing her hoof.

“Oh…” Rarity accidentally blurted out. “And what nice thing are you going to tell me?” She asked while blushing more.

Spike was now feeling blessed for having been forced to study poetry. “That you are the fairest swan in the history of ponykind?”

“A swan!?” Rarity askes with a blush. “So I was an ugly duckling?” She asked him with a wink

“Nah, that has to be me.” Spike insisted.

“You? How so? A prince with a lush green mane like yours is clearly the envy of all that look upon you.” Rarity told him.

“Please, in Canterlot, I am a freak accident that was spotted by a princess. Here in MoonRacer, I’m more at home than I’ve ever been.” Spike explained as he again felt haunted by his past.

“Yes, but I bet you could get everything that you asked for in Canterlot?” Rarity asked him.

“Not the love of others. You made me complete.” Spike said as he brushed Rarity’s mane.

“Oh…Spike,” Rarity told him before hugging him, returning to her changeling form.

As Spike got back up, the couple heard something above them. “What are they saying?”

“Confound it Dash! Keep quiet!”

“Hey! I had to get the dumb cot to let you stand on this thing, and I have been pushing your oversized flank all day! Give me some slack!!!”

Rarity turned to Spike, before smirking and walking over nonchalantly to where they heard the sound.

Spike and Rarity quickly saw that there was a low flying cloud near them, and it quickly told Rarity what was going on.

“Um…Dash…we blew it!”

“Sheesh, A.J., they don’t know where we are.”

Rarity crossed her hooves as she looked at the cloud. “Five bits says you’re wrong.”

Spike turned to Rarity. “I thought you didn’t use money here?”

Dash instantly poked her head out of the cloud as she added her opinion. “Yeah Rarity! We don’t have money! What kind of dumb joke was…”

Dash was stopped as Applejack shoved her. “You just had to reply! Didn’t you?!?”

“Can I know what you two are doing?” Rarity asked.

“Not spying!!!” Dash quickly said, defensively.

“Yeah, real smooth Dash,” A.J. grumbled.

“Well if you two are not spying, will you please get down?” Rarity asked.

“B…but I…” Dash looked worried before Applejack tapped her shoulder.

“Hon, let’s get down.”

“Hon!?” Rarity said. “How cute.”

“Rarity, y'all should know that it’s one of the nicknames I call ponies.” Applejack tried to remind her as Dash pushed the cloud to the ground.

“Yes, but do you often share a cloud with another pony?” Rarity asked A.J..

“I’m part buffalo. I don’t usually hang out on clouds.” Applejack said as they landed. The cowgirl hopped off the cloud before pulling a blanket off of the cloud. “Dash said this would keep me from falling.”

Rarity smirked at them. “Please tell us what you two were doing.” she asked, able to sense their emotions.

“N…nothing…” Both girls said nervously.

“That’s not what I’m feeling from you two.” Rarity said.

“Oh…really…well, I guess we’d better get going.” Applejack said quickly as the duo tried to escape.

“Aa Aa Aaa!” Rarity told them before using her magic to pull them back to her.

“Hey! I thought you didn’t like looking like a changeling?!?” Dash said as she was clawing at the ground frantically.

“Yes…it is true, but…” Rarity blushed. “Spike doesn't seem to mind this form.” She said while turning to him. “But don’t you try to change the subject. Why are you two spying on us?” She asked as she turned back to face them, an eyebrow raised.

“No! We weren’t spying on you…at first…” Dash said with a small blush.

“Then what?” Rarity asked, turning to Spike, then back to them.

“Um…nothing…” Applejack said, clearly lying as she was blushing deeply.

“A.J.…” Rarity said, disappointedly.

“Hey, what A.J. and I do when we are alone is none of your business!” Dash said defensively.

“Oh…” Rarity blushed.

Dash blushed too as she realized what Rarity was guessing, and probably feeling. “No… wait… I didn’t mean it like that!”

“It’s too late!” Rarity told Dash.

“Darn it Dash!” Applejack said as she hid her face behind her hat.

“Trying to find a romantic spot to be alone with one another?” Spike asked.

“Hey! We’ve only kissed once before…” Dash was suddenly slapped by Applejack as she said that.

“Oh…” Spike blushed a bit. “How…how was it?” He asked.

“Spike! It’s rude to ask mares about kissing.” Rarity scolded him.

“Oh, so I shouldn’t talk about our kiss?” Spike asked before Rarity face-hoofed.

“You got one on the lips too? The first one is awesome! Isn’t it?” Dash asked excitedly.

“Yeah…” Spike told Dash before getting glared at by Rarity and A.J.

“Well, I guess it’s no secret anymore.” Applejack said with a small groan as she turned to Rarity. “Please don’t go gossiping about this. Granny would kill me if she found out I’ve been hitting on Dash.”

“She wants you to find a stallion?” Rarity asked A.J. “Or she doesn’t like griffins?”

“Neither. I’m just not old enough to start dating according to her.” Applejack explained, looking rather embarrassed.

“You’re her baby grand-daughter.” Rarity told her.

“Hey, I haven’t been classified as a grown up yet. Big Mac has, but I’m still having to work on it.” Applejack told her while looking at Spike. “So, I guess he treats you really well?”

Rarity blushed before hugging Spike. “He does. Jealous?” She asked.

“No. Dash is loyal to the bone, if not a little lazy. But she does give me a challenge every now and then.” Applejack said as she wrapped a hoof over Dash.

“Aww.” Rarity cooed. “But I feel that there’s a bit more?”

“Well, you wouldn’t care.” Dash said firmly.

Rarity looked a bit offended. “I beg your pardon?” Rarity asked.

“Come on. Sharing a hunk like…” Dash was instantly slapped by Applejack again, who was blushing profusely.

“DASH!!!”

“You want to join us?” Spike asked with a blush.

“I…say what now?!?” Applejack asked in confusion.

“What did Dash ask?” Spike asked.

“Well, after getting to know Spike, he’s a pretty chill guy.” Dash admitted.

“He is.” Rarity admitted.

“And helpful, and strong, and kind, and…” Applejack started listing off a bunch of stuff about Spike.

Spike was blushing to all of this.

“And since Light is dating 2 mares at the same time, we thought that maybe Spike would like to…” Dash started to say.

“Wait…you want Spikie too?” Rarity asked in shock.

“Yeah, Light isn’t our type.” Applejack said.

“And Twilight is too much an egg-head.” Dash added.

“So…this has been going on for a while, and Spikie ended up adding something you wanted?” Rarity asked as she rubbed her forehead.

“Yes…and…so?” A.J. was about to ask. “Can…?”

“Hold on, Spike and I are a thing now, so if you want to date Spike, you have to have me too!” Rarity said firmly.

“Aww…” Dash said. “Are you going to make us wear dresses?” She asked.

“Please, it’s too far in the date to…” Rarity paused when she realized that neither mare objected to what she said. “Wait… you two are okay with dating me?”

“If that is the cost to be with Spike.” A.J. started to say. “But I ain't getting a new wardrobe, and getting rid of my hat and work-clothes.” She told Rarity with conviction and confidence.

Rarity looked a bit cautious at this proposal. “But how do I know that this is not a ploy to steal my Spikie Wikie from me?” She asked as she hugged Spike.

A.J. thought about it before walking to Rarity and kissing her on the lips. “Does that answer your question?” She asked her.

Rarity’s and Spike’s eyes widened after the cowgirl kissed her. “W… what?!?” Rarity asked in shock.

“Does that answer your question?” A.J. repeated herself.

“Wait…you are okay with hooking up with Rarity?” Spike asked.

“Spike, we are already used to kissing each other. Do you think we would mind another mare?” Dash asked as she walked over to Rarity and kissed her. “I mean, she is a little formal and nitpicky, but she has a good ear and is always willing to give up her time for us.”

Spike gulped a bit, finding it hot seeing 3 mares kissing one another. “I…we’re feeding the ducks…do you both want to join us?” He asked them, feeling a bit flustered.

“Why not?” Applejack said with a shrug. “Admittedly I saw this as a Fluttershy activity, but it has some romantic charm.”

“I…can we do other things?” Spike asked.

“Well, it’s Rarity’s plan that we are crashing, so we should let her decide.” Dash said as she picked up her dazed friend.

“Y'all will be alright.” A.J. said before fanning Rarity’s face with her hat. “Now what do you want to do?” She asked her.

Rarity was trying to collect herself as she was still blushing deeply. “Well, I was going to start heading to our room for some cheesecake that I got from Pinkie, but I guess my plans are changing?”

“Oh, why can’t we get some of the cheesecake?” Dash asked her.

“Because dessert is an end of the date activity. If you two are joining the date, then I need to find at least a couple more activities.” Rarity explained.

“Ok…” Dash said before looking around. “Frisby!?” She asked them.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Rarity said as she gestured to her outfit. “In this dress?”

“Y'all can play while staying in place.” A.J. pointed out.

Rarity gave a soft sigh. “Fine, we can play a round or two before the sun sets.” Rarity said as she turned to Spike. “Spike, are you okay with all of this?”

“Umm…yes.” He let them know.

Dash nodded before flying off to where they left the public park toys to get a frisby.

“Well, game on.” Rarity said with a gulp.

Twilight genderly walked with one of her colt-friends on each side. They both admittedly had fun swimming, but they both felt rather embarrassed by how poorly the date went.

Sleipnir was the first to speak up, looking rather foolish. “Hey, sorry about how the date went. We wanted it to be perfect for you, but… you know how that went.”

Twilight shrugged. “It’s ok…” She insisted. “We did have fun…right?”

“It depends on how you look at it. It was fun swimming, and hanging out on the island has been pretty fun, but did you enjoy yourself?” Shark asked nervously.

“I…this is the most ice-cream that I have ever eaten before.” Twilight admitted. “That must count for something.”

“Well, in the end it depends on your opinion.” Sleipnir explained. “Did you enjoy the date?”

“It was…fascinating.” Twilight admitted. “But there is still something that is bothering me.”

“What’s that?” Both boys asked at once.

“How…how did you get the ice-cream in the first place? If you need an adult to get chocolate, then wouldn't you also need one for ice-cream?”

“Yeah. My dad got it for me.” Sleipnir explained. “He flew over with me this morning to put it there.”

“Oh…that’s nice.” Twilight said. “The most my dad got me is a stack of rubies.”

“So…food on both ends?” Shark asked with a chuckle.

“Yes, but yours is a bit better.” Twilight told him.

“Why is that?” Shark asked curiously.

“You can share the ice-cream with everyone.” She told him. “My mom couldn’t really enjoy that with us.”

“Oh…well…at least it’s the thought that counts, right?” Sleipnir asked.

“Yes…” Twilight admitted before hugging both of them. “Just like this date.”

The boys smiled as they hugged her back. “Thank you for being so understanding with us.” Sleipnir said as he petted her back.

“Yeah, and we can do better next time.” Shark promised her.

“I bet you both can.” Twilight told them. “But…do you want me to plan it next time?”

“Well, you are clearly better organized than us, so I guess you can take a turn on the next date.” Sleipnir said bashfully.

“Yeah, I think you may come up with a better plan than we can.” Shark agreed.

Twilight smiled before thinking about it. “Where should I take you two?”

“We’ll let you figure that out.” Sleipnir said with a nod.

“And just so you know, plan B was going to be the library, but it was closed for renovations today.'' Shark explained as they walked into their hall.

“Oh no.” Twilight warped. “I suppose that we’ll have to…go to either my room or yours.”

“Well, I think Rarity is planning on taking Spike to your room, so why don’t we head to yours?” Shark suggested.

“Ok…wait, what?” Twilight asked.

Before the boys replied, they saw Light walking into the hall with Pinkie and Fluttershy, carrying a giant teddy bear on his back with a dreamy look on his face.

“Well, it looks like you three had fun.” Shark said. “What did you three do today?”

“Oh…nothing really.” Pinkie said a bit dismisfully. “We had a picnic, kissed Light’s cheek, went to the fair, got on some rides, Light won us this big bear, we went on the ferris wheel, kissed him on the lips, and slept together. Nothing too big.”

“That’s nice…wait WHAT!?!” Twilight said

Fluttershy blushed deeply as she spoke. “We kissed.”

“I…I got that, but after that?” Twilight asked, having a hard time believing that Light would have just done that.

“Well, we were stuck on that ride for about an hour, so after the forty second time we kissed him, we got bored and…just slept together.” Pinkie explained.

“In public!?” Twilight asked. “How…Light why?”

“After kiss number twenty, I just relaxed and went with it.” Light said with a dreamy smile.

“I… I…” Twilight didn’t know what to say.

“Light you dog.” Shark told him with a small grin.

“No, I’m the dog.” Pinkie said.

“How…what was it like?” Sleipnir asked Light.

“Like a trip through heaven.” Light said as he hugged his mares tightly.

Twilight fainted into Sleipnir’s hooves.

“Oh my! Are you okay Twi?” Fluttershy asked as she went to Twilight’s aid.

Pinkie just raised an eyebrow as she put her hips on her shoulders. “Come on! A little nap never killed anypony!”

“NAP!?” Twilight jerked up.

“Yeah, we fell asleep on his lap, and he fell asleep on our manes, namely Pinkie’s.” Fluttershy explained, as she was feeling Twilight’s forehead to see if she had a fever. “What did you think we were talking about?”

“I…um…” Twilight blushed. “Nothing.” She said while getting up.

“Nothing anymore.” Shark said, sounding disappointed.

Twilight walked past Light, who was rubbing his head with Fluttershy.

“Well, It looks like you had fun.” Rarity said as she walked up to the group with Spike, Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, and…" Shark paused as he saw how close A.J. and Dash were now to Spike. "And I see that you also have gained something.” he told him.

“Rarity agreed to let them share me with her, so our group has officially expanded. Now we just need to have a few dates together.” Spike said with a small blush.

“Aww…” Pinkie said, before going to Light and Flutter. “That’s so sweet.” She said before joining them in their head rubbing.

“I started today with having one less than you Light, now I have one more than you.” Spike said with laughter.

“It’s not a contest, and I’m happy with these two.” Light said as he kissed their cheeks.

“And Flash has us all beat by a mile.” Sleipnir added.

“Well he has been here longer than both of them, and they have known each other since the first grade.” Shark pointed out.

“It did take him some years, and his mom had to literally push him in the right path to even start asking them out…” Sleipnir said with a chuckle

“Again, I’m happy with these two.” Light said as the two mares hugged him back.

“Of course darling. Love is never a race.” Rarity said with a smile. “Just go at your pace and find the ponies who truly love you.”

Light giggled. “I know.” He said before looking at both of them. “We all will.”

“Yeah, although I think Light and Flutter will be enough for me.” Pinkie said as she kissed Light’s cheek.

“Do you think that us two will be enough to satisfy you?” Flutter asked Pinkie with a wink.

“In the marital department, yep. Like my baking mentor always says, it’s not all about quantity, but quality.” She explained before turning to the others. “No offense to you guys!”

“It’s ok.” All of the others said.

“Twilight is…we should go after her.” Sleipnir told Shark.

“Yep. Next date next week?” Shark asked before realizing that Twilight wasn’t there. “Oh…see you guys later!!!” Shark said as he ran after Twilight.

Pinkie giggled. “Oh…love.” she said before petting Light’s head.

“A nap, a nap, it was just a nap.” Twilight told herself in a bit of anger.

“Hey Twilight!” Cotton said.

“Oh, hey Cotton.” Twilight said as she tried to calm down. “Sorry if I am stressed, but I just got back from a date…and learned what Light did on his date.”

“Oh…what did you do?” Cotton asked.

“It’s not what I did. It’s what I thought he did…but nevermind that. How is your research coming?” Twilight asked eagerly.

“Oh…better, but I only have my pegacorn DNA and Speed’s DNA.” Cotton explained. “Do you have… some of Light’s?” She asked hopefully.

Twilight sighed a little as she summoned a hairbrush. “Luckily, we tried brushing down his mane today, and apparently it didn’t work. There should be some of his hair in there.”

“Ah, thank you.” Cotton said before hugging Twilight. “Quick, come with me to my lab!” She said, pulling on Twilight’s claw.

“You have a lab?” Twilight asked with excitement.

“Yes!” Cotton said. “Now you can either follow me, or I can drag you there.”

Twilight quickly followed her, looking intrigued by the mention of a lab.

Cotton walked through the hallways, entered one of the school’s chemical labs, opened a second door before turning the light on. The room was filled with beakers that held different Blood samples, and the walls were covered with charts, posters of different body anatomies, and notes that were scribbled by Cotton.

“What do you think, Twilight?”

“Wow…this is impressive. And the school lets you have this?” Twilight asked as she was looking at the endless pile of notes.

“Yes, as long as I keep sharing what I discover and don't start making anything…evil, they’re ok with me doing this.” Cotton explained.

“Okay, so how well is this project going for you now?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well, see for yourself.” Cotton said while placing a slide under her microscope with one of her blood samples underneath it.

“Hmm…” Twilight said as she looked at the shifting blood cells. “Speed’s blood?”

Cotton nodded. “Yes, and this is my blood.” She swiped the slides to show her sample then switched back to Light’s piece of mane.

“Light has the light blue mane. Don’t mix his hair with Rarity’s.” Twilight warned her as she examined Cotton’s blood in a separate microscope.

“Yeah yeah…” Cotton said while putting one of Light’s strands of mane into a solution. “You see how those two different parts are faintly reacting to the light?” She asked Twilight.

“Hm…interesting,” Twilight said with a nod.

As Cotton waited for Light’s strand of mane to dissolve, she went back to Twilight. “Now this is what Speed’s blood looks like when he is a pegasus.” She said, before switching the sample. “And that one is when he’s a unicorn.”

“I see…he’s naturally able to change the dominance of his genes somehow.” Twilight said, looking amazed.

“Yes, and if I can unlock what happened to Light when he got his wings, I could make everyone have wings, horns, cloven-hooves, stripes or anything else if they want to.” Cotton said excitedly

“Wow, that's amazing.” Twilight said excitedly.

“YES! No longer are you going to be restrained by what you were giving at birth. If you want to learn magic, you can have a horn! If you want to fly, you can have wings!”

“And if I want to hide my draconic appearance, I'll be able to.” Twilight added.

“Ah…yeah, if you want.” Cotton said with a bit of hesitation. “If you actually want to remove that!” She said, not really understanding the desire to lose something that gave her an advantage over others.

“Well…I guess I just want to look normal for once.” Twilight admitted as she looked at her claws.

“Yeah…” Cotton said before looking at her back, where her small wings were. “But why be normal, when you can be…better than normal?”

“Because I want to be able to go to Canterlot and spend time with my mentor without being treated like a freak. I…I don’t mean to be rude, but I would like to be able to look normal and not be called out for my looks.” Twilight said, looking embarrassed.

“Hey hey…” Cotton said. “Kirouac doesn’t look normal, before you came I think he was the only half dragon here. Well, there was the fireproof diamond dog, and the one kirin, but you couldn’t tell. But Kirouac is the only pony who is part dragon.”

“Well…maybe here I can embrace my whole body, but outside of MoonRacer, I want to be accepted too.” Twilight said, hoping she’d understand.

Cotton nodded. “Like how Light doesn’t feel accepted?”

“Well…his thing is more mental…but he never liked being an alicorn either.” Twilight said with a nod.

“Flash has Aspergeris an Alicorn too and he doesn’t seem to mind.” Cotton pointed out.

“Light doesn’t think he deserves to be an alicorn.” Twilight clarified.

Cotton nodded. “We…can try to reverse what happened to Light…” Cotton said. “Or…make him an “earth-pony” if he wants.”

“Well, what's odd is that some non-pony species may be harder to unlock since Light only has the magic of the pony tribes.” Twilight reminded her.

“That we know of.” Cotton said before looking at Twilight. “Can I get a sample of your blood, please.” She asked nicely.

“Sure.” Twilight said as she looked for something to get a sample with.

As Twilight was looking around, she felt a sudden prick. “OUCH!” she cried out before turning to Cotton.

“Thanks for the blood.” Cotton told Twilight, before putting the syringe away, and then going back to Light’s dissolved strand of mane. “Let’s see what we can find out.”

“Yeah, considering that we have to work around the magical element.” Twilight said as Cotton was eagerly examining the blood.

“Ha…mhm…what…?” Cotton said out loud.

“What is it?” Twilight asked curiously.

“It’s…unlike anything I have ever seen before. This isn’t a part of each race. This is like a race in itself. I don’t even see traces of unicorn DNA anymore.” She said as she was trying to understand this new sample.

“That’s…strange…” Twilight said as she took a quick look.

“If only I knew what Light’s DNA looked like before.” Cotton said with a bit of anger. “I would know precisely what changed.” She said while trying to isolate what she could see was different.

“Well…there are some baby teeth we could extract samples from, but I’ll have to write a letter to Light’s mom to ask her to send them.” Twilight said as she had an idea. “How about we see how Speed’s DNA reacts to it?”

“Good idea, and then me, and if we have time, you!” Cotton said while taking some of Speed’s DNA and adding it to Light’s, and adding some of Light’s DNA into Speed’s.

Twilight and Cotton both watched in shock as the two samples refused to blend together. It was almost like something was magically keeping Light’s blood from being altered.

“Mhm…that was unexpected.” Cotton said while backing up.

“Light's blood is beyond anything I've encountered in genetic science.” Twilight said as she studied the magical effects of Light’s blood.

“Can Light ever get a blood transfer?” Cotton asked. “Or do alicorns need to get donations from each other?”

“Well…I don’t know. Maybe it’s just Speed’s blood that’s reacting like that?” Twilight suggested.

“Should I try mine?” Cotton asked. “We both have a unicorn parent and a pegasus mother.”

“Okay, let’s do two tests. One with Light being dominant, and the other with you being dominant.”

“Of course!” Cotton said while redoing the experiment, but replacing Speed’s DNA with her DNA.

With the dominant Light test, Cotton’s blood seemed to be magically altered. It developed a yellow glow and became like Light’s DNA. With the dominant Cotton test, Light’s blood adjusted, losing its magical effect and altering to Cotton's DNA.

“Mhm…” Cotton looked a bit frustrated. “Do I need to replace most of my blood?” She asked while thinking about how much of Light’s DNA was in the dissolved strand of mane.

“Hm…I don’t know. Maybe we need to focus on the magical elements of this.” Twilight suggested as she started thinking about this from her field of expertise.

“What do you mean?” Cotton asked, while writing things down.

“Well, Light’s testimony about his transformation suggested a magical element. So, if we can find the right magical stimulation to this magic, we could possibly find a new breakthrough in genetic altering.” Twilight said as she started making a few notes of her own.

“Mhm…that would require some magic.” Cotton said before tapping on her small horn. “I’ll need your help with that.”

“Well, good thing that I’m skilled in that field.” Twilight said with a nod.

“Yeah…” Cotton said, while feeling a bit inadequate.

“Don’t worry. You already have an upper-hoof on genetics. All we need to do is find the magical element.” Twilight said as she suddenly remembered something. “Aww nuts! I forgot to tell my dates where I went!”

“Dates!?” Cotton said, before getting some of her notes out.

“Sleipnir and Shark. Technically they both shared me, but that’s beside the point.” Twilight said as she started to leave the room.

“Well…good luck.” Cotton said before trying to drown her sorrow in her work.

“Same time tomorrow? I can get some more of Light’s DNA.” Twilight offered.

“Thanks.” Cotton replied.

“And don’t worry! We won’t give up until we find the answer.” Twilight said as she left the lab.

Cotton nodded as she heard the door close. “Well, it’s back to the old drawing board.”

Twilight quickly tried to run back to her hall while looking for Sleipnir and Shark. She was hoping that they wouldn’t be too upset with her, after walking off on them without a word.

As she turned the corner, she bumped into Flash, knocking his hat and sunglasses off.

“Oops. Sorry Flash. I was just looking for Sleipnir and Shark.” Twilight apologized as she caught a glance of Flash’s short, dark brown mane. Flash was wincing, so she really couldn't tell what color his eyes were.

“It’s ok…” Flash paused. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked, while noticing that everything was a bit brighter.

“I…I never saw your eyes before.” Twilight said, after catching a glance of his eyes after he began opening them.

“My glasses, where are my glasses?” He asked, in a bit of a panic.

“Oh! Here they are!” Twilight said, as she levitated them back onto his head.

“Thanks.” Flash said while he lifted his glasses off momentarily to adjust his clip-on sunglasses. He placed them back on face when the lenses were on properly. “Aaa..that's better.” Flash said, relaxing and flapping his ears.

“I couldn’t tell what color they were…but I’m guessing you have an eye problem?” Twilight asked curiously.

Flash paused. “What do you mean by...eye problem?”

“Well, you seemed rather desperate to get your glasses back. I was worried that you might not be able to see without them.” Twilight explained.

“Well…I’m very sensitive to light.” Flash explained, not wanting to let her know that it was also to hide his crystal-pony identity as well as his eye color from any bad changeling that would want to feed on his love.

“Oh, I understand.” Twilight said with a nod. “I’ve heard of cases like that.”

“Yes…maybe we should get some for Light.” Flash suggested, trying to change the subject.

“Light actually doesn’t have many problems with Light. It’s loud noises that he has a problem with.” Twilight said as they were walking towards their hall. “I had my first date with Sleipnir and Shark today. I hope you don’t mind if I talk about it.

“Oh, I don't mind. How was it?” Flash asked her.

Twilight giggled a little. “The restaurant was closed because of a rat, the boat they wanted to use had a hole in it and the ice cream turned into soup.” Twilight explained as she turned to Flash. “So we just went swimming and tried to have a little fun.”

“Oh.. wow. That’s terrible!” Flash said, trying to recall what his first dates were like.

“We managed to have fun, but they’re letting me plan the next one.” Twilight said with a small smile. “Would you like to join next week?”

“Mhm…to help you?” Flash asked.

“Well, I do need some help, but I also wouldn’t mind a third stallion.” Twilight added with a giggle.

Flash was frozen in place. “Uhm..ok. I don't mind helping and joining in on the fun, I guess.”

“I’m glad to hear it, although I am not ready to give up my first kiss.” Twilight said firmly. “Cadence made it clear that I need to make that experience special.”

“Ah…that is true. I’ll bet Spike and Light are both waiting for theirs!” Flash said.

“Oh…” Twilight looked a little embarrassed as she remembered Light’s condition when he got back. “I don’t know about Spike, but Light’s gotten his… and then some.”

“And then some?” Flash asked. “What…did he already sleep with them?” He finished with a laugh.

“No…well…kinda…” Twilight said with a blush.

“W…what?” Flash said. “What did they do, did both Flutter and Pinkie start…”

“Stop it right there, the ferris wheel broke down and they took a nap…after kissing Light a lot.” Twilight explained.

“W…where?” Flash asked.

“On the lips to my knowledge.” Twilight said with a shrug. “Although, knowing Light, I can't imagine he was the one to kiss them first. Of course, Spike’s date ended with more mares than he started with.”

“Oh…how and who?” Flash asked.

“I don’t know how but the extra mares are Applejack and Rainbow Dash.” Twilight explained.

“Wow.” Flash said while trying to hold back his laughter. “He has truly mastered that art of...”

“Again, stop.” Twilight said with a sigh. “Does every pony here need half a dozen spouses?”

“No, but here it’s the only thing you can’t easily get an abundance of.” Flash tried to explain, while laughing all the way.

“So the three of us are either lucky, cute, or are having a short-lived love triangle?” Twilight asked curiously.

“I think two of those things, but definitely not the other.” Flash told her.

“I see. So, do you think Spike and Light will be okay? Spike is more bold and excitable with Rarity, but Light is the nervous type.

“Well I’m sure that Light will be fine with Flutter, as for Pinkie...as long as she can keep her cool, I think Light will live through it.” Flash said, while thinking about Pinkie and Flutter’s personalities.

“Well, I have a feeling that Light’s going to stick to them. He has never had real romantic love before.” Twilight said as they neared their hall.

“And I hope that it goes well with them.” Flash said, stopping when he saw Sleipnir and Shark walking towards them.

“There you are!” Shark said with a bit of excitement.

“We thought we might have upset you.” Sleipnir added, looking rather concerned for Twilight.

“Upset me, Why?” Twilight asked them.

“We…may not have noticed when you took off.” Shark admitted.

“That’s the point of taking off quietly.” Twilight explained.

“Yeah…so…are you okay?” Sleipnir asked.

“I’m…better!” Twilight admitted before turning to Flash. “Do you mind if Flash helps me out with our next date…and if we also invite Grand-Earth?”

“W.. what...” Shark was about to say, before Sleipnir placed a hoof on his shoulder. “That will be ok, but I don’t know if she would want to.”

“Well, I want to give her a shot since she seems like she needs it.” Twilight explained sympathetically, knowing how down she gets.

“Do you want to be the one to ask her out, or…?” Sleipnir asked Twilight.

“I think it might be better that way.” Twilight said with a nod.

“Well good luck with that.” Sleipnir told her.

“If you want to ask her out, you should give her some seed.” Shark told Twilight.

“Some what?” Twilight asked, looking confused by that request.

“Her specialty is in landscaping and growing flowers.” Shark explained.

“Oh… so you’re saying that it’s also traditional to give a gift?” Twilight asked as she started taking down some notes.

Sleipnir tilted his head. “Don’t you normally have the lover bring a box of chocolate and flowers to the pony that they want to court?” He asked her.

“I’m…still new to dating.” Twilight said with a blush.

“Have you never read any romance books?” Sleipnir asked her.

“Yeah, but I always took them with a grain of salt, considering that a lot of them are about fictional creatures like vamponies or something like that.” Twilight explained.

“Vamponies sound cool.” Shark said.

“Eh, the story I read lacked character development.” Twilight said bluntly.

“How so?” Shark asked.

“Um, guys? I think we should save the story talk for later.” Sleipnir said, as he knew it was getting late.

Shark stretched his hoofs out. “Ok, should we each go to our own rooms, or..?” He asked them.

“Well, where are the others?” Twilight asked, not wanting to intrude.

“I think Light is currently in Pinkie and Futter’s room, while Spike and A.J. are in Rarity’s and Dash’s room.” Shark told them.

“Well, it looks like my room is being occupied.” Twilight said with a blush.

“Not ours, nor Sleipnir’s.” Shark said.

“Oh… so which one should we use?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well…my room currently has no one in it.” Shark pointed out.

“Okay, I hope this won’t be awkward.” Twilight said as she joined him.

Sleipnir followed behind them.

Twilight felt a little awkward as she knew what she’d probably be doing. She was going to be sleeping in Shark’s and Flash’s room for the first time. It was probably the most romantic thing that was going to happen to her all day.

Flash stood there awkwardly, as Twilight was being walked into his room with Shark and Sleipnir.

“Flash, are you coming? I may need your advice.” Twilight asked sweetly, looking nervous about sleeping in a guys room.

“Umm…ok.” Flash said while following them. “What do you need help with?”

“Well, how do I go about sleeping in somepony else’s room after a date?” Twilight asked.

“That…that depends on what you mean by that.” Flash said nervously.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, as she looked at the two boys. “I’m not experienced with this.”

“He is asking if you mean what you thought Light did?” Shark tried to explain to her.

“No! I am not anywhere near ready to go that far!” Twilight insisted.

“So…it’s just…a “nap” with us?” Flash asked.

“But do we end up sharing a bed, or what?” Twilight asked as she looked at the beds in the room.

“We…could take Shark’s bed and my bed and put them together.” Flash suggested.

“Oh…are the four of us sharing a bed?” Twilight asked with a blush.

“If you want to…” Shark said.

“Well…I guess it’s okay if it’s typical for dates.” Twilight said as she turned to Flash. “Do you want me to move your bed?”

“Umm…if you want to…” Flash told her.

“Okay.” Twilight said as she used her magic to move the bed. It actually took more effort for her to move something this large.

Flash looked at the other guys, not knowing what the plan was.

“So Twi… how do you want to work this?” Sleipnir asked.

“Well, I’d like all of us to get cleaned up after all that swimming we did. I can grab a pair of PJs from my room, and I’d kindly like you guys to wear PJs too. Is that okay?”

Shark and Sleipnir quickly nodded.

“Good. After that, I guess we can go ahead and get into bed.” Twilight said as she started to walk out of the room. “Oh, don’t forget the talk Light gave you.”

“We won’t.” Sleipnir said with a small shudder. “We won’t abuse you in any way.”

As Twilight and Sleipnir walked out to get their PJs, Shark and Flash just looked awkwardly at each other, then at the drawer they had their P.J. in.

“So…the four of us will share a bed together.” Shark said with a small gulp.

“Ya...” Flash said. “I guess it's our first “sleep-over”?” He asked.

“You and I have been roommates for a while now. Now we get to share our room with the prince and our marefriend.” Shark said as he started getting his stuff ready for a shower.

“Ya…sorry.” Flash said with a blush.

“Eh, don’t be. Just don’t kiss me in the morning.” Shark said as he got out a towel. “How are you feeling about this?”

“Well…this is going to be the first time that I’m going to be in bed with guys.” Flash admitted. “Excluding that one prank, but that doesn’t really count.”

“Well, just remember that there will be no hankie pankie unless you want to deal with Light Heart.” Shark warned him.

“Does that still count if it excludes Twilight?” Flash asked with a laugh.

“Then you’ll have to deal with me and Sleipnir.” Shark said, not very excited about playing for the same team.

“Ok…ok.” Flash said.

“By the way, what do you do when a date goes wrong?” Shark asked nervously as he got ready to leave the room.

“You try your best to forgive the other, or get forgiven by the other.” Flash explained. “Flowers are a good gift, and chocolate if you can get some.”

“Oh… okay.” Shark said before walking out to get cleaned up.

Flash went to the third boy bath-room to also get cleaned up. “Should we brush our teeths as well?”

“It’s common sense.” Sleipnir called out.

“So we’re not eating anymore!?” Flash asked.

“Wait…you didn’t have dinner?” Shark asked from his stall.

“Oh I did, but…I want a night snack!” Flash said.

“Well, do you have any food?” Sleipnir asked, as Flash could hear the showers turning on.

“Um….a bag of chips, some granola bars, and some mixed allergy-free nuts.” Flash said nonchalantly.

“Okay, I think a small snack before bed can work.” Sleipnir agreed.

“You’re ok with that?” Flash asked Shark and Twilight who were each in their own bathroom.

“Well….I guess a small snack before bed wouldn’t hurt.” Twilight said calmly.

“Ok!” Flash said before getting in his own bathroom to get cleaned.

The group all spent a few minutes getting cleaned up, allowing Twilight to think about seeing Spike with three mares. When she went to get her clothes, she seriously wondered if Spike was going to turn into a ladies man. As she finished up, she decided to peek into Fluttershy and Pinkie’s room to see how Light was doing.

All three of them had their heads resting on the bear Light had won earlier that day. They used it as a makeshift pillow, as they talked about what they wanted to do when they get older. “I wouldn’t mind making a petting-zoo for birthday parties, but…I would find it hard to give them up if one of the kids wanted to keep one of them.” Flutter admitted.

“Well, you can always run an animal shelter if you still want to make one.” Pinkie assured her. “I’m just working as a baker on the side so I can still throw all of my parties. Organizing parties is the thing I love to do the most.”

Flutter giggled. “Thanks, Pinkie. How about you Light?” She asked while turning her head to him.

Light took a deep breath as he looked at his wings. “If I wasn’t an alicorn, I’d run a toy store. I’d even name it Toyland, due to the stories I read about it.”

“And what stopped you?” Pinkie asked.

“Becoming an alicorn.” Light said with a sigh.

“Farmer is like you, son of a Wonderbolt and a magic teacher.” Pinkie pointed out.

“But it’s not the same for me. There are now great expectations for me…some of which are too great for me to live up to.” Light said disheartedly.

Pinkie sighed. “I wish that we could help.” She admitted.

“Um…there may be one thing.” Flutter said nervously.

“What’s that?” Light asked, looking intrigued.

“Well, Equestria isn’t…that fond of half-breeds, especially non-pony ones.” Flutter said.

“Yeah…” Light said, looking disheartened as he realized that Flutter was in that category.

“So…if and when they find out that you are with me…” Flutter said with sadness.

“And me!” Pinkie said with glee, before scratching her ear with her back leg, trying to make Fluttershy feel better.

“Yes...they may not want…you to be important!” Flutter mused.

Light’s ears perked up when she said that.

“And if you show them all of the Pegacorns, they may think that Alicorns are not that imp… Special.” Pinkie said, correcting herself at the end to make Light feel good.

“I wouldn’t do the last part for Celestia and Cadence’s sake, but I like the first part.” Light said as his face brightened up. “If I marry you two, I get the ponies I love, and I won’t have to worry about being some special prince or anything like that.”

Flutter blushed before nodding.

“So, I can be a toymaker with a party pony and an animal caretaker.” Light said as he gently patted his friends' heads.

Flutter nodded once more before rubbing her head on Light.

“That's right.” Pinkie said before hugging both of them. “Oh…no, I just had a thought, but it’s bad.” She admitted with her ears flopping down.

“What’s that?” Flutter asked, looking concerned.

“That...a photo of Light hugging and kissing one of us...gets out.” Pinkie said, hoping that wouldn't be as bad as Rarity made it sound in her drama-magazines.

Light’s eyes widened when she said that. “If this got out too soon my dad wouldn't be happy about it. I don't think it's because he's prejudiced. He’d be mad because I kissed you, not because of your species. After he found out, my dad would kill me.” Light explained with a gulp.

“Oh…I know some parents that are like that.” Flutter admitted. “How about...on one knee, giving us an engagement necklace?” She suggested.

Light gulped as he thought about it. “How…far in the future would we do this?”

“Oh…whenever you’re ready.” Futter reassured him. “I…” She blushed.

“Okay…let’s wait until I get my dad’s blessing over this relationship before any gossip spreads.” Light said, as he was trying not to think too hard about it.

Flutter nodded before thinking for a moment then adding, “Speaking of which…should we introduce you to our parents?”

“Um…can we wait a bit so it doesn’t seem too sudden?” Light asked with a gulp.

“I’m good with that. My parents live on a rock farm in Equestria, so it takes time to get in contact with them.” Pinkie said with a nod.

Flutter nodded before looking worried. “But mine are here.” She admitted. “So…as long as you don’t act violent or extremely rude or anything like that, we’ll be good.”

“Well…I guess I can meet them….after a while.” Light said with a nervous nod.

“Yes, but…Just a heads up. I…I’m the bold one in the family.” Flutter admitted before blushing.

Light’s eyes widened when she said that. “Really?”

Flutter nodded. “Yes, I do hope I wasn’t too bossy on our date.” She asked with both a blush and a giggle at the end.

Light gave a small chuckle before kissing her forehead. “You were perfect.”

“Aww.” Flutter blushed before smirking and lifting her hooves up, pretending to be vain.

Twilight decided to leave them before they got any more intimate. She took a deep breath as she walked towards Shark’s room, wondering if she’d feel the same way as Light does one day. The only thing she was really concerned about was Light having no intention to return to Equestria.

Would that really be that bad? Twilight asked herself, continuing to ponder the situation. Canterlot did have their family there, and their childhood, but it also had the pain and discrimination they all dealt with. While here, just in the past week they already made friends, found some dates and were already accepted. Yes, Light did have a bit of a rough start when they found out that alicorns were real, but…he’d grown to love this place. Would Spike do the same thing?

As Twilight was thinking to herself about what would happen if her friends decided to stay, she saw Sleipnir and Shark waiting for her. “Are you ready Twi?” Shark asked her.

Twilight nodded, wiping her tears of joy before walking to them. Maybe staying here would be more rewarding than heading back, after all.

Light gave a soft moan as he woke up, not recognizing the room he was in at first. As he started to move, he suddenly remembered the other night, and realized that his hooves were hugging Fluttershy, who was hugging the giant bear. He started to wonder where Pinkie was until he felt another pair of paws hugging him. He was rather happy that he was wearing his PJs, along with the girls.

As Light felt both girls snuggling closer to him, he sighed in contentment feeling ok with this. He felt more adamant about the idea of staying here with them than ever.

“Forget whatever destiny wanted me to be an alicorn. I’m staying here.” Light thought to himself, as he felt their warm embrace.

Spike slowly stirred as he was facing Rarity, who was stirring as well. They both smiled as they felt Applejack’s body shift, namely since they were resting their heads on her soft stomach. Dash was fully sleeping on top of Applejack since the buffalo/pony was a bit bigger than she was.

Spike and Rarity looked at each other with a big smile. “So, how are you feeling today princess?” Spike cooed to Rarity.

Rarity giggled a little as she cooed back. “Wonderful, my prince.” She said before she and Spike kissed gently.

Applejack chuckled as she turned to the speedster. “I guess we had better get up too.”

“Mmfff. Five more minutes.” Dash mumbled, never liking to be forced to wake up.

“Come one sleeping beauty.” Applejack said as she touched lips with Dash, causing the griffon/pegasus to purr softly.

“Okay, you talked me into it.” Dash said with a small grin before grabbing A.J.’s head and locking lips with her.

A.J. smirked in the kiss, before grabbing Dash and pulling her off of her so they would be side by side causing Spike and Rarity to be stuck under the couple as they made out on top of them.

They all laughed together as they held each other closer.

Twilight felt a little uncomfortable as she woke up, realizing that she was sleeping on her back. As she looked at their dates, she realized that they both had their backs facing towards her. At first she was upset at this, but then she remembered that she asked them to be respectful of her. She sighed as she slowly sat up, realizing that Flash was nowhere in sight.

She sighed softly as she realized how bad her date actually ended. “Next week has got to be different.” she thought to herself as she crawled out of bed.

Chapter 10: the Monster Within

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The next few weeks went by rather fast as the three pupils started to grow more attached to MoonRacer. Spike was enjoying helping his friends even more, along with having three marefriends caring for him. Rarity would often sweet talk him and give him emotional advice, while Dash and Applejack helped encourage him to be courageous and to work hard.

Twilight was more invested in the genetic rewriting research, but was also starting to get used to being dated as well. Sleipnir and Shark would do their best to treat her well, but would sometimes stumble over each other. It was rather fun for her. She started trying to take flying lessons from Dash, but it became rather difficult because of how unique her wings were. It started to become evident that Dash’s sink or swim technique didn’t work with Twilight’s wings, but she was lucky that Kirouac was able to take some time every other day to help her understand how her wings worked.

Light however, was another story. His dates with Flutter and Pinkie became more frequent, especially since Light made a less noisy cannon for Pinkie and was her confetti supplier, while he also started to join Fluttershy on her nature walks. He also made it a point to start working with Marerian and learn more about toy making. He even started to drop his magic lessons so he could focus on his passions.

But then there were the flying lessons. Dash had a harder time trying to get Light up high, seeing as he’d refuse to jump off of a diving board or a high place. Thus, even with Farmer’s help, Light was still struggling to learn how to fly, as he was weighed down by his fear of heights.

This day was no different.

“For the last time! I am not jumping off of that platform!!!” Light said stubbornly as Dash had a twenty foot platform set up for Light to try leaping off of.

“Oh Come on Light!” Dash said exasperatedly, wishing that Light would have dated some flying students instead of two non-flying friends. “Don’t make me use Pinkie’s old cannon.” She threatened him.

“Pinkie got rid of it, and it is behind a lock and key.” Light said firmly as he refused to be moved.

Dash was preparing to just grab Light and throw him down to force him to fly. “Light, there is no harm in flying.”

“It’s the falling that I don’t want to try!” Light snapped back. “And don’t you dare try dragging me up there again!”

“One of these days, you will have to fly.” Dash told him, trying to hold her yelling back.

“I have managed to live very well without that, thank you very much.” Light pointed out.

“Is something wrong here?” Dash and Light turned to see Kirouac and Twilight flying towards them. “Who’s giving who a hard time now?” Kirouac asked, being used to those two butting heads over flying for a while now.

“He refuses to reach his full potential!” Dash said, while flaring her wings up. “It’s starting to get ridiculous! Just look at who is already flying near the clouds!” She said before pointing up to both CloudBusters, doing some simple acrobatics in the air and then to Cotton, who was zipping toward a nearby cloud to rest.

“Good for them. I like the ground.” Light said firmly. “You got me to hover a couple feet off the ground, and that’s more than what I need!”

“You’re being outdone by a mare that has underdeveloped wings, and a colt that was born without any wings.” Dash pointed out, hoping that this would convince Light to try harder.

“You forget that I wasn’t born with wings, and I have enough problems with magic. Why don’t we wait until I develop my magic skills further before you toss me off a building?” Light asked coldly.

“Light, she only wants to help you.” Twilight said, not wanting friction to build between him and Dash.

“Don’t force me to do something irrational to get you to fly!” Dash said, digging her claws in the ground.

“Dash, you don’t want to wrestle with an alicorn.” Light said as he gritted his teeth.

“Oh…I wasn’t planning to.” Dash said before extending her wings out and blasting off into the sky, leaving Light with Twilight and Kirouac.

Twilight looked worried as she turned to Kirouac. “I am now afraid, and I don’t know for who.”

“Do not worry, young Twilight.” Kirouac said, trying to reassure her, before placing a claw on her shoulder. “Dash may be brash and impulsive, but she should at the least know what fights she can and can’t win.”

Twilight nodded as she turned to Light. “Why do you have to be so stubborn about your fear of heights?”

“Why does she have to be so insistent about me flying?” Light asked before looking up into the sky and gulping.

“She wants to help you become the best you can, and she doesn’t like to leave her friends hanging.” Kirouac explained.

“Is that how you became the king?” Light asked Kirouac.

“No, but I don’t see why you don’t want to improve on your gifted abilities.” Kirouac said.

“Because I am happy, satisfied, and content with where I'm at and who I am.” Light told him. “Especially now that I’m here with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.” He added with a blush.

“But you don’t want to embrace your higher calling.” Kirouac added.

“Look…I’m not you!” Light admitted. “I’d rather make toys with Marerian, pet cute animals with Fluttershy and throw a party with Pinkie, even a loud one.”

Kirouac looked concerned as he petted Light’s shoulder. “I understand, and I don’t want to force you to be something you don’t want to be. My main concern is if you end up in a situation where you will need this knowledge and will not have access to it. Sometimes you don’t pick when destiny finds you.”

“I Know!” Light said while craning his back to look at his wings in sorrow and shame. “I know…”

“Hey.” Kirouac said softly as he patted Light’s back. “I know you are afraid of heights, but you don’t have to start fast or up really high. I’m sure if you talk to Dash about it, she’ll be able to slow down a little for you. All I ask for you is to try. Can you do that for me?”

Light gave a disheartened sigh as he nodded to the king. “I…I can try to…DASH!?!”

Kirouac and Twilight turned around to see Dash putting one of the cats Fluttershy cared for on the top of a very tall tree. “Here’s some motivation for you! You like Fluttershy right? Then help her cat!” Dash said firmly as she flew away from the tree.

“RAINBOW DASH!!” Light yelled out to her, while flapping his wings out, hovering a bit higher than Kirouac's head. He was about to fly off after Dash, but he turned back to the tree and saw how scared the poor little kitten was. “Don’t worry little one, I’ll help you down.” He said softly as he quickly changed course.

Light softly flew to the branch that the kitten was dropped on, and extended his arm to try to grab the kitten. It quickly recognised Light as Fluttershy’s lover, so she crouched before leaping into the air and landing on Light’s head.

Light giggled a little as he slowly made his way to the ground, hearing the kitten purring on his head. “Yeah, it’s okay. Nopony is going to hurt you.” Light whispered gently as he used his magic to bring the kitten into his hooves.

The little kitten extended her tongue out and gave Light a lick. “Meew!”

Light smiled as he summoned a little pillow for the kitty. “Now wait right here. Uncle Light has to go find aunt Dash and make her apologize to you.”

“Meww…” She pouted before Light flew off after Dash.

“Well…I guess the key to teaching Light how to overcome his fears is to make him not focus on it.” Kirouac said with a small grin.

“Yess…but let’s not forget that Light’s magic power potential increased when he got his wings.” Twilight pointed out. “I just hope that Light can forgive Dash before she does something else to motivate him.”

Kirouac chuckled at the thought. “You’re friends with her. I’m sure that Light will forgive…”

“LIGHT!!! LET ME GO!!! DON’T DUMP ME IN THE POND!!! I’M SORRY!!!” Dash yelled out from the distance before the two dragon ponies heard a splash.

“Ha ha ha...” Light was laughing so much at his pay back at Dash, that he forgot to continue to flap his wings and fell into the water as well. He was relieved at how much more buoyant he became after he got his wings.

Dash looked at Light with a smug grin as she crossed her arms. “Well, at least my idea worked! And you even caught me off guard and carried me!”

“What are you talking about...” Light was about to ask her before realizing what he had just done to help save the poor little kitten and then to get back at Dash.

“I figured that your love to help Fluttershy would motivate you.” Dash said with a smile.

Light swam up to Dash, arms outstretched like he was about to give her a hug.

“See? I knew you would thank…”

But instead, Light dunked Dash’s head into the water.

Dash’s head and the rest of her resurfaced with no difficulties. “Okay…I guess I deserved that.” Dash said as she spat out a little water.

“Ha ha...” Light swam off, away from Dash without stopping his laughter.

“Hey! Come back here! You may be doing swimming classes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t catch you!” Dash yelled as she swam after him.

“Never!” Light yelled out before diving under the water to get away from Dash.

Dash was frustrated that Light could use his wings to propel himself under the water. She frankly never liked going underwater herself, and her claws made it harder for her to be as fast as Light. “Fine, you win this round!”

FlashTruth walked up to where his friends were and looked from the side, sighing at the sight of this “pegasus” easily floating on the water surface instead of sinking to the bottom.

Twilight put one claw on his shoulder before talking to him. “Are you jealous?”

FlashTruth was about to shake his head, but he instead nodded.

Twilight gave him a little hug as she tried to comfort him. “It’s okay. I’m sure I can invent something to help you eventually.”

FlashTruth sighed. “I…I shouldn’t be jealous.” He insisted to himself. “I should be happy with what I have and what I can do, instead of pulling myself down, and letting myself be drowned in my jealousy and envy.”

“Well, it’s not uncommon to have feelings like that.” Twilight admitted, knowing how it felt to envy ponies who had physical advantages over her.

FlashTruth turned to look at Twilight. “I’m still a good pony, aren't I?” He asked her, feeling guilty about asking such a question.

“Yes, but you are a pony nonetheless. You can’t be perfect, no matter how hard you try.” Twilight explained before seeing Light jump out of the pond. “Not even if you are an alicorn.”

“Yes...but...” FlashTruth looked up to the sky, where Cotton was resting on a cloud with Speed. “It does have its advantages.” He said with another sigh.

Twilight gulped before suddenly remembering something she learned in a recent magic class. “Hey, you could try to learn some magic.”

FlashTruth turned to Twilight. “Thanks, but…it’s not what I’m looking for right now.” He told her not knowing what she had planned, nor if she knew what he was envious of.

“Well, I recently learned that you could get a magical focus, which is basically a magically enhanced artifact that allows you to do magic. You’d be able to learn how to do spells, maybe even ones that can one day help you swim and fly.” Twilight suggested.

FlashTruth raised an eyebrow at this. “Thanks…I’ll…try it!”

“So, what else are you wanting?” Twilight asked curiously.

FlashTruth siighed. “To feel clouds under my hooves, and not have to live with the fear of drowning!” He told her before turning his head to look at her. “Speaking of which, can you walk on clouds?” He asked her. “I know Kirouac can, but he’s also ¼ pegasus.” He admitted.

“Griffons and Dragons can, and I know a little enchantment.” Twilight explained. “I can show you that spell. It’s rather easy.”

FlashTruth raised an eyebrow to that. “Really!?” he asked her.

“Yeah. Originally I found a spell that gave artificial wings, but fire doesn’t mix well with it. With the enchantment, I can keep an earth pony on the clouds for a while. Getting onto the cloud is the tricky part, and the spell has a time limit. It needs to be recast every once in a while.” Twilight explained.

“Ah, ok I suppose that…wait…what?” FlashTruth asked her with excitement.

“You get about an hour with it, and if you don’t recast it then you had better be on the ground.” Twilight explained, not knowing what he was excited about.

“Nonono!” FlashTruth stopped her. “What did you say before that?!?” He asked her, getting a bit too close to her face.

“Um, that the tricky part is getting on the cloud? If you have a winged pony…”

“No, the other spell!” FlashTruth clarified.

“Oh… it gives a unique set of wings that are not like any species I have seen, but can be compared to a butterfly… if the wings of a butterfly were very sparkly. The good news is that they are easy to use, but they won’t get you anywhere close to Wonderbolt speeds.” Twilight explained.

“Ah...I see…” FlashTruth said, a bit disappointed. “What about the other advantages of being a pegasus, like…floating on the water?” He asked her. “And does Dash’s griffin side float too? What about you, as a half dragon?”

“Griffins can float, but they don’t like water too much. I can float, but I have to put more effort into swimming. As for the spell, I don’t know if it will give any extra traits. The wings are large and designed for maximum lift.” Twilight said, as she started thinking about it. “Now I have to do more tests on Spike to test some of those theories.”

“You tested that on SPIKE!?” FlashTruth said before turning to where he was headed, working out with Dash and Applejack. FlashTruth giggled at the idea of that purple colt having giant butterfly wings.

“Light and I have wings, and who else in Canterlot would let me experiment on them?” Twilight asked nonchalantly.

“What about your mom, or Light’s dad?” Flash asked. “You could have done his whole family and they could have had a picnic on a cloud!”

“That spell actually requires a lot of magic, and is a lot more taxing than the more simple spell. Also, Light’s family lives in Ponyville, and we were in school. You have to work with what you’ve got.” Twilight explained.

“Butterfly wings…” Flash was basically shivering at the excitement. “Do you think…you could cast it on…me!?” He asked her.

“Well…sure…but shouldn't I wait for a more opportune time, and possibly a place where I can do some more testing on the spell?” Twilight asked him. “I don’t know how long it lasts.”

“Where do you want to go?” Flash asked her, being a bit impatient with the opportunity to have wings. “Please...!” He begged, trying his hoof at making puppy dog eyes.

“Okay…I guess I can do it now.” Twilight said as she prepared to do the spell. “I can just take some notes.”

Flash jumped in place out of joy. “Yaaa!” He said with a huge smile.

“Okay, now stand very still, and expect a slight tingling in your spine.” Twilight said as her horn started to glow brightly.

“Yay!” Flash squealed while trying to stay in place.

Flash could see that Twilight was under a lot of strain as her magic started to envelop his back, causing a sharp sting as he felt the spell doing its work on him.

Flash couldn’t help but think of every single thing he would like to try and do; walk on clouds, do loop-de-loops, float on water and many more.

After a minute, the glowing finally stopped as Flash felt a strange sensation coursing through his spine.

“Aaa.” Flash said, while his back twitched. “I…feel…”

“Okay…you should experience a strange tingling feeling on your back, but this is normal. You should feel some objects sticking out of your back…these are your wings. Try to start moving them.” Twilight said as she was trying to catch her breath.

Flash slowly flexed his back, feeling something more, and both seeing and feeling the gust of wind he was making, it startled him a bit. “What the...” Flash was about to say more before turning his head to look at his back.

He was shocked to see a large set of butterfly wings on his back that seemed thin, and transparent, allowing the light to shine through their colorful design.

“I... can't believe it.” Tears were in Flash’s eyes before he started to run, trying to get some speed to lift off of the ground.

Twilight reached into her bag and got out a pen and paper. “Time to take notes. Magic wing test on an earth pony, test subject two. Flight…” She said as she watched Flash.

Flash started to flap his wings, managing to technically glide above the ground for a good distance, before his hoofs hit the ground once more. “Is it normal to feel a little bit lighter?” He asked Twilight.

“Hm…feeling somewhat lighter, is most likely due to developing lighter bones.” Twilight said, as she wrote down the notes. As she finished writing them down, she turned to Flash. “So, are you still having problems taking off? You may need to take larger flaps.”

“Um…ya!” Flash said, trying to jump up while adding some bigger and faster flaps.

Twilight looked confused at how much harder it was for Flash. “Second subject is having a harder time gaining lift. Extra exertion is showing promise, but it’s baffling. It may be connected to some condition that relates to his inability to swim. More testing required.”

Flash looked worried. “Ya…” He said before managing to jump onto a bench, then a statue before finally managing to get some real air time.

“Subject is finding a pattern for flying. I'm going to investigate the strange reaction to the transformation.” Twilight said as she was still going through her notes. “Flash, how much do you weigh?”

“Umm...” Flash blushed before admitting his weight.

Twilight’s eyes widened as the number was nowhere near what she thought. “WOW! That’s three times the weight of a normal pony of your size! Surely there has to be more to this.”

“I...um...am bigged boned!?!” Flash admitted with a blush, it was technically the truth.

“Hm…that shouldn’t be right…the magic affecting your bones would have made you as light as a normal pony.” Twilight said as she was doing a lot of math. “It would also explain why you have problems swimming. Your weight for your size would make floating impossible.”

“Ya…well…what can I say!” Flash told her before thinking to himself. “No really, what CAN I say?”

“Hm…I want to do some more tests on you…” Twilight said as she started writing down some theories. “There are a few physical and magical conditions that could explain this…although a few of them can be very serious…and could cause immense health problems…” Twilight said as her concern grew.

Flash winced even more. “Oh…ok, we can do that when I get down.” He told her, trying to jump from tree top to a taller tree top each time, hoping he could at least get to a cloud before he got dragged back down by Twilight's desire to test him.

Twilight looked worried as she started summoning some books to her. “Okay…five physical possibilities, seven magical possibilities, four rare medical conditions that can prove hazardous, and three magical curses that are even worse. Oh dear…where is my science partner when I need her?”

“Who would that be?” Light asked Twilight, while water was dripping from his mane to his tail and even from his wings.

“Oh, Cotton. We just do research together since she knows her way around genetics.” Twilight explained quickly.

“Do you want to get her?” Light asked before looking up, trying to find which cloud she was resting on.

“Um… I just need to go through my notes first.” Twilight said as she kept reading. “I don’t want to go into this too quickly.”

“What do you have for the moment?” Light asked her, while he shook the water off of his tail.

“That Flash is unnaturally heavy for his size and it’s making it harder for him to fly.” Twilight explained as she kept taking notes.

“Oh…um…I don’t know why or how that is the case.” Light said nervously.

“Well, it could be serious, so I want to do some tests on him to try and figure it out.” Twilight explained.

“He…he seems to still be in good shape.” Light insisted, before turning to look at Flash who was resting on a cloud.

“That may be due to the structure of his body, but still, it’s unnatural for his body to be like this, and I need to figure this out.” Twilight explained.

“I…don’t think this is unnatural!” Light insisted once more.

“Light, name me any pony you know who is three times the natural weight.” Twilight said bluntly as she got out a few swabs for some DNA tests.

“Umm...Kirouac!?” Light said.

Kirouac smiled as he walked over to Twilight. “Twilight, Flash has been to many doctor appointments in his life, he even wants to be one when he grows up. There is nothing hazardous about him that you have to worry about. It’s just something that you shouldn’t worry about.” He tried to assure her.

“Do you want me to get him?” Light asked Twilight.

“Well…” Twilight looked up again and saw how much he was enjoying being on a cloud, rolling on it’s soft surface for the first time in his life. “I… think we should give him some time.”

Light looked up as well, seeing how he was enjoying and taking advantage of his new wings more than he personally ever did or would even want to.

Flash played around on the cloud for a while before deciding to join the others on the ground. He slowly got better using his wings as he hovered down.

“This is Awesome!” Flash said before he landed in front of the group. “I’ve got to show the little ones, they’ll ask me to give them a ride.” He said with his voice full of excitement.

“Well, at least the adrenaline effect seems to be the same.” Twilight said as she wrote a few more notes.

“Ya.” Flash said, accidentally flapping his oversized butterfly wings. “Opps...” He said with a blush.

“So…I am very cautious about doing a buoyancy test on you.” Twilight admitted.

Flash gulped in excitement. “How deep is the water?”

“Depends where you are.” Light said as he looked at the pond. “The closer you get to the center, the deeper it is.”

“Ok…let’s…let’s start with just the edge.” Flash suggested.

“Yeah, and try not to get those wings wet.” Light suggested. “Thin wings like that would need to dry off if you want to fly again.”

“And your wings?” Flash asked all three of them.

“Mine don’t get weighed down too much. I’m just going off of what Fluttershy taught me about butterflies and breezies.”

Flash nodded in understanding. “What about your dragon wings?” He asked Twilight.

“They are leathery. They don’t really collect water.” Twilight explained, as she looked at her wings.

“And feather wings are a bit oily so, water just rolls off of them.” Kirouac explained.

“It's not only the wings that the water rolls off of.” Light said.

“Um…what does that mean?” Twilight asked with some concern.

“It’s been rolling off of my back too. What did you think I was talking about?” Light asked curiously.

“MHm...” Twilight said, finally realizing that the water wasn’t sticking to his body. “And that was only after you got your wings?” She asked before taking note.

“Yeah.” Light said with a nod.

“Ah…I would think you having a pegasus mother may have given that before.” Twilight admitted.

“I didn’t have any pegasus traits until the transformation.” Light pointed out.

“That’s a bit ironic.” Flash admitted.

“And none of my siblings have any mixed traits.” Light added.

“Mhm...” Both Flash and Twilight said before looking at their half-breed friends.

“Some ponies get lucky.” Kirouac said with a shrug. “By the way, did Spike and Rarity leave for Canterlot yet?”

“I think Spike is still helping Rarity pack.” Twilight said before looking at the time. “I guess I can see why Celestia would ask for him to come visit. He is her son, and it’s been a while since she has had some one on one time with us.”

“Yeah…I just don’t know what she’ll say when she hears about how I have been doing.” Light said with a small blush.

“Which part?” Twilight asked. “The part about you finding love, still being slow in magic & flying, or not wanting to come back?”

“The last part.” Light admitted.

Twilight nodded in understanding, before turning to look around at all the half-breeds and other misfits that lived together in peace and harmony. “It's a lot more of…an accepting place.”

“And here, I am a toymaker. Ponies aren’t even seeing me as some powerful alicorn as much anymore. I have love and acceptance here. Why would I want to go back?” Light asked bluntly.

“Umm…family!?” Twilight suggested. “To see your mom and siblings!?”

“Well…that would be a reason to visit.” Light said with a shrug.

“Ya...” Twilight said, as Kirouac gave her some gems to snack on. “No pony or otherwise sees or thinks of me as a monster.”

“So why would we want to live in Canterlot?” Light asked. “This is the best place in the world!”

A part of Twilight wanted to argue that this was the easy way out. But she couldn’t bring herself to say that. “I also can't find something that we can't do here.” She said, trying hard to find a limit to what they could do, but they seemed to have it all. They even had the rare things that you couldn’t find in Canterlot, though they were more common in their other Nations.

“Well. I have a research project to work on.” Light said as he started walking towards the library. “I have to get it done before my date tonight.”

Twilight blushed before waving Light away. “Good luck with that.” She told him as he walked away.

“Hey Twi!” Twilight looked up to see Cotton flying down to her.

“Oh, hello Cotton.” Twilight said while waving her towards them.

Cotton gave a small smile as she was showing her wings. “What do you think of the results of my self experimentation?”

Twilight leaned closer as she realized what Cotton did. “Oh my! You.. you…”

Cotton nodded as she pointed out her full-sized wings, but she also saw that her horn was now even smaller. “I got a prototype working. I can now shift dominance in my genes. The drawback is that I only have it working to where I can switch back and forth, but I think it’s a stepping stone towards gaining the fullest effects of my body.”

“Ya…but, your horn!? Is it ok?” Twilight asked her with a bit of worry.

“Yes. Watch this.” She pulled out another potion and drank it, making her wings smaller again as her horn growed it a full sized one. “Now I can fully use magic.”

“Yes, maybe so…but.” Twilight craned her head to look at Cotton’s back. “Your wings are almost gone.” She said in both fear and a bit of excitement.

“Yeah, it’s a safeguard I made to keep me from completely losing that part of my genetics. You see, Light’s DNA made me think more about dominant genes, and with some research on my aunt Bent-G’s gender shifting potions, I was able to make a variant that shifts the dominance of my genes.” Cotton explained.

“I, see.” Twilight said before looking down at her claws. “So…with me it would be from unicorn to dragon?”

Cotton cringed as she looked at her friend. “Well… it’s a little more complicated than you think.”

“How so?” Twilight asked with worry. “Wouldn’t it be easier to tell which parts are the unicorn-mammals, and which are the dragon-reptiles?”

“I know, but it’s harder to shift the dominance of the genes. You see, I have researched pony genes most of my life, and trying to shift between dragon and pony is harder than it sounds. Doing my own potions meant that I had to make it specific to me. It’s going to take me a lot longer to figure out how to do the same for you.” Cotton explained nervously.

“Oh, I…” Twilight was about to cry, but she then felt Kirouac’s claw placed on her shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to worry about being normal here. You still have a bright mind and a caring heart. That’s what’s important.” Kirouac tried to comfort her.

“I…I know, but…” Twilight looked away to the side. “I still would want, at least for a day, just to be able to walk in Canterlot and not…get looked at.”

“Well, some mares like it when they can get stallions to turn heads.” Cotton said as an attempt at a joke.

“Ha...” Twilight tried to hold back her laughter. “Good one, but you know what I mean.”

“Oh…yeah…” Cotton said, looking upset that she couldn’t comfort her.

“Even though I can breathe fire, and every other dragon's abilities, I want to be able to feel normal for one day.” Twilight told them.

“Well, all I can say is to wait and see what happens. After all, you have some things here that you can enjoy for now.” Kirouac told her with a comforting voice.

Twilight nodded. “I…I know.” She admitted before turning back to them.

“Umm…HELP!” Flash cried out, being at the point where he could barely stick his head out of the water.

“SWEET CELESTIA!!!” Twilight gasped as she dove in to help him.

“I…don’t know what happend.” Flash cried out, trying to stand on his tipi-hoof. “The wings started to dissolve, and my body started to sink.”

Twilight quickly started to drag him to shore. “Note to self, the wings dissolve after extended exposure to water. Now, are you alright?”

“Umm…ya.” Flash said, being sad that he had lost the wings.

“Well, I think we may have to look into alternative ways to keep you from sinking.” Twilight explained.

“Like what?” Flash asked, still frowning.

“Floatation gear. If my method of magic doesn’t work, then Light can try to make something clever.” Twilight explained.

“Ya...” Flash said. “But how much would we need.”

“Hey Twilight!” The group turned to see Shark and Sleipnir running towards them.

“Oh hey guys.” Twilight told them. “Can you please help me Shark!?”

Shark nodded as he dove in and started helping Twilight pull Flash onto the shore. “Now what did we say about swimming?”

“Always have a spotter!?” Flash asked.

“And you aren’t allowed to go deeper than you can stand.” Shark added as they reached the shore. “Don’t you remember the last time you ended up falling into deep water?”

Flash winced. “Please don’t remind me.” He begged him.

“We won't.” Sleipnir said as he was checking Flash and adjusting his hat just slightly so it was straight. “Are you okay?”

Flash nodded unconvincingly.

“So what happened?” Sleipnir asked, looking concerned for his friend.

“I almost touched the sky, before it was taken from me.” Flash said being both poetic and overly dramatic.

“What?” Shark asked as he turned to Twilight.

“I did a magical wing spell, and it apparently doesn’t work in water.” Twilight explained. “It also doesn’t work with high heats. Then again...” Twilight got out a small watch from her bag as she looked at the time. “I think he may have just ran out of time.”

“Yes, I could fly over the rooftops, feel the clouds under my hoofs.” Flash said while looking at his hoofs. “I felt the true meaning of freedom before it was taken from me.”

“Well, we can do the spell again tomorrow.” Twilight offered.

“Yes, and the day after that.” Flash said

“Well, I guess it would let me do more research on it.” Twilight said with a nod before turning to the others. “So what did you two want?”

“Oh, we were thinking that we could have a spa date today, if you are interested.” Sleipnir asked.

“Oh, I would lov…” Twilight was about to say before turning to look at Cotton, Kirouac and Flash.

“It’s okay. I have to spend some time with Helsa anyway.” Kirouac admitted.

“And I am needing to do a bit more research on myself… along with some doctors who definitely want to look at me.” Cotton added.

“Ok.” Twilight said before looking at Flash, who was looking at and rubbing his back, where the wing used to be. “Do, do you want…?”

“Yeah…can I come with you guys? I need to unwind after that.” Flash said as he turned to Sleipnir and Shark.

“Sure. We are even planning on inviting Earth.” Twilight added.

“Oh…ok.” Flash said, knowing that she needed some support. “Let’s go.”

“Alright. Have fun kids!” Kirouac said with a wave as the group walked off.

Grand-Earth was alone in the garden, looking for some weeds as she watered the plants, sighing to herself.

“Hi Earth!” Twilight said, as she walked over to her friend, knowing that her dates with Earth were one of the few things that cheered her up.

“Oh! Hey Twilight.” Earth said with hope and joy, a smile finally appearing on her face.

“How are you doing today?” Twilight asked as she sat next to her.

“Better.” Earth said with a blush.

“That’s good. So, would you like to go out today? Sleipnir has got us a spa day ready.” Twilight offered as she petted Earth’s mane.

“Oh...” Earth covered her face. “I… don’t waste it on me. I’m sure that you can find some other...”

“It will be just Me, Sleipnir, Shark, Flash, and hopefully you.” Twilight said with a smile. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“I…suppose so…” Earth said before getting up.

“Oh! Thank you!” Twilight said as she gave her a big hug.

Earth smiled back, before hugging back Twilight sacaly yet soft body.

“Let’s go. The boys are waiting, and I’m sure that Flash needs a “pick me up” as well.” Twilight said as she started carrying her to the spa.

“Oh…what happend?” Earth asked Twilight, while walking every close to her, their body almost touching.

“I did a spell that allowed him to fly, and he loved it.” Twilight explained with a blush. “The problem was that the spell ended.”

“Oh…I can understand wanting something that you can’t have, and being disappointed when it’s taken from you.” Earth said before catching her reflection of her face before sighing.

“I know that feeling too.” Twilight said, as she gave a sigh as well.

“But we both can’t change how we were both born.” Earth said with a bit of sadness.

“Yeah…but Cotton is working on it, and is having a breakthrough.” Twilight said as she rolled her eyes.

Earth turned her head to Twilight. “W...what do you mean?”

“She made a potion that allows her to shift from being mainly a unicorn to being mainly a pegasus.” Twilight explained. “She said the thing is still experimental.”

“Oh...” Earth said disappointedly.

“But there is promise.” Twilight said as she wrapped a wing over Earth. “Let’s just focus on having fun.”

Earth nodded. “Ya, but…I doubt that Cotton can fix this!” She said while circling her hoof around her face.

“Well, I think you look cute.” Twilight said firmly.

Earth blushed. “Aw…you’re just saying that.”

“Do Pinkie and Flutter think that Light is clever?” Twilight asked with a grin.

“I…I don’t know.” Earth admitted.

“They do, and Light has a hard time believing it. And I think you are cute.” Twilight stated again.

Earth placed a hoof over her face, trying to hide her blush.

As they walked up to the spa, they saw that the boys were waiting for them at the door. “Hey girls! I am proud to say that we went ahead and checked to make sure that the spa is open and we can still have the private spa session.” Sleipnir said proudly.

“That’s great!” Twilight said. “We will do the… what all can we do?””

“Well, we will get a spa area of our own where we will be treated and pampered. My dad was able to pull some strings for us.” Sleipnir explained as he led them inside.

“Oh…private spa work.” Twilight said excitedly

“Yep. Hot tubs and all.” Shark said, looking excited.

“Oh…should I get my…bathing suit?” Earth asked with both a blush and a bit of worry.

“No. They have special robes for us to use.” Sleipnir explained.

“I...” Earth was about to interject, but she looked at Twilight.

“Well, I guess there is a reason for it.” Twilight said with a shrug.

“Ok...” Earth said with a blush.

As they walked inside, a spa attendant walked up to them. “Hello. Are you the Sleipnir party?”

Sleipnir nodded. “Yes, I think we have a reservation.” He asked with a wink.

“Well, your room was blown up in a freak accident.” The attendant said bluntly.

“What...?” Sleipnir asked in a monotone voice.

“It was a joke. Your father said it would be funny.” The attendant said as she motioned the group to follow her. “I’ll take you to your room.”

Sleipnir turned to look at Shark. “That is the last time that I will tell my problems to my dad.” He admitted.

“Hey, the guy saw an opportunity to make a joke, and at least this plan is working for once.” Shark said with a shrug.

“Please don’t jinx it.” Sleipnir beged, before following the worker.

The worker led them into a medium sized room that was equipped with a hot tub, a mud bath, a couple of showers, a few massage chairs, along with some other equipment. There were also a couple of changing rooms set up for them to change in.

“We have several robes in the stalls, so pick whichever ones you want.” The worker said with a smile.

Earth nodded nervously before following her group in.

“They are fireproof?“ Twilight asked.

“But of course. We can also arrange a private lava bath for you Ms Twilight.” The worker offered.

“I…umm...” Twilight turned to her group. “Maybe some other day.” She told her. “Can I even?” She asked mostly to herself

“Well, we can do a safety test with just hot water. Kirouac can do the lava bath, but he has to wear wing protection.” The worker explained.

“Aa…ya.” Twilight said before going to the remaining changing room.

“So we take it all off?” Earth asked, taking off her clothes that were stained green where she had been resting on the ground.

“And please put on the robes. If you wish, you can put on the swimsuits provided.” The worker said, as she started to get some stuff ready for them.

Earth looked over to the swimsuits, glad that they were magically made to fit everyone. “Thanks.” She said before slipping them on, waiting a second for them to morph to her size.

“And none of you have to worry about the robes. The fabric is thin enough for us to still be able to do our work.” The worker added as the boys were the first out of the room.

Earth walked out of her changing room, and saw the rest of the group dressed in their robes, being unable to tell if they had swimsuits on or not.

“So, what should we do first?” Sleipnir asked the group.

“What do you have planned?” Twilight asked the worker.

“We are willing to do anything you wish…within reason.” The worker said. “May I recommend starting with a shower before going to the hot tub to loosen up?” The worker offered.

“Ya, maybe we should have done this before we put the robes on.” Earth said before laughing softly.

“Well the shower is out here.” Shark said as he stepped under the little waterfall, keeping his robe on.

“Is it such a good idea to have them on while showering?” Earth asked.

“Don’t worry. The robe lets water through.” The worker explained.

“Oh, like my Landscaping cloth!” Earth said.

“Exactly.” Shark said as he stepped out. “Your turn.”

Earth went to the shower and was about to take her robe off, but was too self-conscious about her body to show them in her swimwear, so she went under the water with both on.

Twilight blushed as she had a cheeky idea. “Hey, mind if I join you so we can speed this up?”

“I…umm…oh..” Earth didn’t know what to say.

“Thank you.” Twilight said with a smile as she got close to her to be under the shower with her.

“IIII…” Twilight’s body was so close to Earth’s, they could almost feel what the other was thinking.

Twilight blushed, still afraid about her first kiss. “So…what do you think about…us?”

“Us us, or the group?” Earth asked, able to feel Twilight’s breath.

“B…both…” Twilight said as she felt her heart racing.

“Well…you are all nice, especially you.” Earth admitted.

“Yeah…you know…I have enjoyed getting to know you.” Twilight said with a blush.

“And…I you…” Earth said while looking into Twilight’s eyes.

“I mean…you’re cute…and kind…and I…feel like I…just want you to be happy…”

“And…you are, just your presence makes it so.” Earth admitted, her eyes still looking into hers.

All three boys were staring at her as they realized who was about to get Twilight’s first kiss.

“I…we should be clean by now, we should get out…” Earth said softly to Twilight, knowing that the boys were watching them.

“Oh…okay.” Twilight said, as they slowly left the shower.

A part of Shark was disappointed, yet a little bit relieved at the same time.

“So…should we do a massage or a mud bath first?” Sleipnir asked them. “Or even a hot tub with a face mask!?”

“Well, the worker suggested the tub to help us loosen up.” Twilight reminded them.

“Ok.” Shark said, making his way to the hot tub.

Earth follow after him. She dipped the tip of her hoof into the water, which was nice and warm. “Mhm...” She said before taking her robe off and slipping in, her back turned to the rest of the group.

The group followed her, keeping their robes on as they went into the tub. “Nice swimsuit.” Twilight said with a blush.

“I…ummm…” Earth crossed her arms over her body. “Why do you still have the robes on?” She asked them.

“Well…I may not have a swimsuit under my robe.” Flash admitted with a blush, earning some blushes from the others.

Earth placed her hoofs over her face. “And the rest of you?” She asked, a bit scared of the answer.

“N...nope…”

“Na ah.”

“Sorry.”
Earth sighed. “So I’m once again the odd one out!?”

“Oh, I can go grab a swimsuit.” Twilight offered nervously.

Earth shook her head before looking down at the water to see if they could see her body under the water.

They could all still see her, but admittedly still found her cute.

Earth grabbed her robe and redraped it over her body.

Twilight took a deep breath as she started to take off her robe. “Here, does this make you feel better? Most ponies don’t wear clothes anyways with the exception of here and Canterlot. Well, Celestia tends to wear just a necklace and a crown.”

Earth gulped and tried to avoid looking at Twilight's gorgeous and slim dragon body, and looked at the others who were also discarding their robes.

“We just want you to feel comfortable.” Twilight said as she scooted closer to Earth.

Earth was breathing deeply. “I…umm…should I do the same?”

“Only if you want to.” Shark assured her, trying to be like a gentleman.

“I…” Earth slowly started to take her robe off, being completely nervous, but somehow managing to appear sexy to the others.

“See…I told you that you were cute.” Twilight said as she gently rubbed Earth’s shoulders, finding Earth’s demeanor cute.

Earth was at this moment glad that she wasn’t a pegasus, because if she was, her wings would have popped up & out. “I…” She was starting to undo her bathing suit, while keeping her body under the water.

Sleipnir wanted to help comfort her, so he stuck his head under the water as he moved over to her.

Earth crossed her body. “W…what are you doing, Sleipnir?” She asked.

“Sleipnir poked his head out of the water before booping her. “Just trying to cheer you up.”

“Yeah.” Shark said as he sat on the other side of her and started petting her. “We want you to feel good too.”

Earth gulped as she felt the hooves and claws of a bunch of undressed ponies. “I… thanks…” She said, still with one piece on.

“No problem.” The two boys said as they kissed her cheeks.

Earth was frozen into place feeling their warm lips on her cheeks.

Twilight blushed as well. “Yeah, getting a kiss on the cheek is strange for the first time.” Twilight said, as she remembered her kiss on the cheek from their last date.

“I…feel both tense and loose at the same time.” Earth admitted.

“Yeah, imagine giving one of those kisses for the first time.” Shark said with a small blush.

“I…” Earth pushed them aside so that she could take her last piece off.

The group all blushed as they watched her last piece of clothing being discarded.

“I…feel a bit more free.” Earth let them know before she gave them each a peck on the cheek.

“And you are very pretty.” Sleipnir added as he gave her a peck back.

“Earth looked to the side. “Please be honest.” She begged them.

“And we are.” Twilight assured her as she gently rubbed her cheek. “You don’t need to be skinny to be pretty in my book.”

Earth tilted her head to Twilight. “I was talking about my down syndrome face, not my extra weight.”

“And your face is cute too.” Twilight said as she kissed her forehead.

“But…how do I know you’re not just saying that to be nice?” Earth asked them.

Twilight felt her heart wrenching at that. She spent most of the time with Earth trying to convince her that she is not some worthless pony, and she was seeing more and more in her. She knew that she had to make a choice to show her love to the pony. “E…Earth…”

“Yes..?” Earth asked while looking into Twilight’s eyes.

“I…I…” Twilight closed her eyes as she grabbed Earth and locked lips with her.

Earth eyes widened before closing them and started hugging and rubbing her hoofs on Twilight’s back.

The boys watched in shock and awe as they watched those two kissing each other deeply.

Earth dared to try to stick her tongue into Twilight’s mouth, earning a big moan from Twilight as she followed suit. Twilight knew that this was starting to be beyond science and logic, but she didn’t care.

“Alright! I have the stuff for the face masks, so I…” The worker froze in place as she saw the two mares kissing. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I can step out if you wish.” She asked as she blushed at the sign of public affection.

Earth backed-away and covered her body with her hoofs. “Aaaa…”

“Oh, It’s okay ma’am. I am used to this. Some couples do worse things.” The worker explained as she got out the face mack cream. “So, would you all like to get started?”

“Umm…yes.” Earth said, trying to relax and go back to her seat, but keeping her arms crossed over her body.

Twilight gave a deep blush as she used her tail to help Earth with her self consciousness.

Flash just relaxed and let the worker do her job.

As the worker was applying the face masks to the group, Sleipnir and Shark looked at each other. “Well, I guess Earth got her first kiss.” Shark said with a shrug.

“Eh, I’m happy for them.” Sleipnir said with a shrug.

“Did you guys get kissed on the lips before?” Flash asked them.

“Nope.” Both boys admitted, looking embarrassed.

“Well you two are there.” Flash said while trying to hold back his laughter.

Both guys stared at Flash blankly. “Very funny.” Sleipnir muttered as he started to get his own face mask.

Spike and Rarity, disguised in her unicorn form, were both sitting on the train to Canterlot.

“Okay, Celestia made it clear that the guards aren’t allowed to make any public remarks about you. If any of them start giving you a hard time, then let me deal with them.” Spike said as he looked nervous about this meeting. “Whatever you do, don’t leave my side.”

Rarity nodded nervously. “I know…” She said before turning her head to look out the window, away from Spike. “I.. I’m just nervous.” She told him. “And scared.” She whispered to herself.

“I know. I am scared too.” Spike admitted, knowing how poorly they treated halfbreeds. Applejack wouldn’t come because she hates the idea of leaving MoonRacer, and Dash decided to stay behind to keep her company. So it was just him and Rarity. “Just remember that you are with a Prince, and I will act like a prick to anypony who treats you wrong.”

“Oh, Spike…” Rarity said before rubbing his cheek with her hoof. “But there are some that think that they should protect the next ruler from the nasty shapeshifter.”

“Yeah, but I dare any of them to try staring down my mom.” Spike said with a grin. “Very few ponies have seen her angry, and none of them want to after the fact.”

Rarity nodded before wiping the tear that was on her cheek. “And she’s ok with…this.” She asked while pointing all over her body.

Spike remembered when he finally wrote about his marefriends. He was rather afraid, and glad that Twilight’s magic allowed her to send it directly to her. At first he was afraid that she’d be upset, but her response was shocking to him. “She was ecstatic, and glad that I found a mare who I love and loves me back. She encouraged me to bring you with me.”

“And she does know that I’m technically not 100% what they would call, a normal mare.” Rarity asked with worry.

“She knows about you being…” Spike looked around before speaking. He liked the fact that he was in a private cart, but he was still afraid of being eavesdropped on. “Part changeling.”

Rarity smiled a bit. “And that A.J. and Dash are also half-breed?” She asked before kissing his forehead.

“Yep. She took it very well, surprisingly.” Spike admitted.

Rarity giggled before booping his nose. “But…what does she plan to do, if you decide to stay with us, and…” She blushed before finishing. “Marry.” She covered her face.

“I…I don’t know. I think that may be something she wants to talk about.” Spike said with a shrug as he felt the train coming to a stop.

“I doubt we could manage to get A.J. to move to Canterlot.” Rarity said before getting up with Spike.

“Yeah… That’s going to be the hard thing to break to mom.” Spike said with a gulp.

“Which part?” Rarity asked. “That one of your loves doesn't want to come, that you are thinking about staying, or that Light will refuse to be your backup?”

“Is all of the above an option?” Spike asked nervously.

“Yeah…I can understand that.” Rarity admitted as they got ready to step out of the train. “Well, hopefully she will be understanding.”

“I hope so. She still has Cadence.” Spike pointed out.

“Yes…does she even want to?” Rarity asked with both worry and hope.

“Yes. She actually is getting good at it.” Spike said as they walked past a couple of guards.

Rarity released the breath that she was holding. “Ah, that’s good!” She said before noticing how the guards were looking at her.

“Just relax. The guards don’t bother new ponies without reason.” Spike whispered to her gently.

“‘Is it because of you or me?” Rarity asked Spike in a whisper.

“Most likely because they never saw a mare in love with me before.” Spike said before turning to the guards. “Relax boys. She’s with me.”

One of the guards raised an eyebrow to Spike before looking once more at Rarity. “Is there anything we should know about you?”

Rarity’s eyes widened as she felt a knot tie in her stomach. “Um… no?”

The guards gritted their teeth as she started to raise their spears. “Sir Spike, I think your marefriend has been replaced by a…”

The guards were cut off as their armors were being pulled towards Spike. His hooves were glowing slightly as he did a focused magnetism spell to make sure their focus was on him. “I can tell that you have a new spell for detecting changelings. You also didn’t get the memo of not messing with my marefriend. Let me tell you a few things.” Spike whispered harshly. “She is a halfling. She is with me, and if you two say a word about it to the press or anypony then I will let my mother know, and then you get to learn what happens when she isn’t pleasant. Understood?”

All of the guards lowered their spears, but the leader of their group keeped an eye on Spike’s eyes. “Follow along, Prince Spike, and…” He paused while looking at her. “Lady…?” He asked with a hint of disgust in his voice.

“Ms Rarity. Say it right!” Spike ordered sternly.

The guard looked insulted as he spoke coldly. “Ms Rarity. Would you two like an escort to the castle?”

“Not from you knuckleheads.” Spike turned to see Shining Armor and Book Knight walking towards them. “We will be escorting the couple to the Princess. Keep to your post and try to follow your orders for once.” Book said sternly as he glared at the guard.

“If it isn’t the edge lord.” The guard said with a groan as he rolled his eyes.

“I take that as a complement since it’s coming from one of my punching bags.” Book said as he sneered at the guard. “Why don’t you start taking your job seriously all of the time and not just when you want to be a douche?”

“She is a changl…”

Book firmly planted his front hoof on the guard’s mouth, cutting him off. “First of all, your orders were to not question Spike’s date no matter what the circumstances were and to expect her to be different. Second, you were also ordered not to make any potential discovery public.” Shining said before taking the amulet off of the guard and putting it on his own neck. “Third, your diagnosis is off. The skin color is white, not black. The mane and tail are also fully colored as well, meaning that this is a halfling. Now keep your muzzle shut like you were ordered.”

“Oh, you just think that because you’re our platoon leader that you can boss us around Armor?” The guard asked accusingly.

“That’s lieutenant Armor to you!” Book pointed out with a smug grin. “Which means you are now outranked Sargent!”

The guard stared at Shining in shock as he realized the new insignia on his shoulder. “W…you…I…”

“Apparently I was on the promotion board.” Shining said with a small smile.

The guard huffed as he was glaring at the pony. “So…this is what happens when you are dating a princess?”

“She has taste.” Book said with a shrug. “And he is top of his class.”

“What makes you say that?” The guard asked sternly.

“He’s smart, he’s tough, he knows how to lead, and he’s the only pony in our platoon and the other plattons that can beat me in a fight. Are there any other things that you lack the understanding of that I need to point out?” Book asked, surprising Rarity at how rude he could be.

“Well…who are you to say that?!?” The guard asked, looking flustered.

Book had a small grin on his face as he addressed the guard. “Your new platoon leader, and I won’t be as nice as Shining. I’m cracking down on you guys, and our unit isn’t going to be held back by your lollygagging anymore. It’s time we acted like guards!”

Shining sighed as he turned to the guards. “Now keep silent and stand your post until you are given further instructions! And do not speak a word about Rarity to anypony, or Celestia gets to deal with you personally!”

“Oh, I already warned them about that.” Spike said as he noticed a few people starting to get curious. “Let’s just get going now, before ponies start asking questions.”

“Sure thing.” Shining said as he and Book started to escort the couple to the castle. “Sorry about that. Celestia tried to keep the orders simple without blowing your cover.”

“Oh, I understand…” Rarity said, looking embarrassed by the whole situation. “A.J. was right. Some ponies like to be jerks to others who are different.”

“They do it out of arrogance, fear, and pride. Sometimes it’s how they were raised, and other times it’s to raise their own self-esteem.” Book said as he was keeping a weather eye on his surroundings. “I just learned better.”

Shining smiled as he looked at Book. “He’s a pain, but he’s actually a good teammate when you get to know him.”

“So Light says.” Rarity said, trying to walk both naturally and ladylike.

“Considering that Shining is Twilight’s brother, and that Book has kept his secret, I think he is decent.” Spike admitted with a low whisper.

Rarity looked at Shining’s body. “Ya, but I don’t think anyone could tell.”

“I know him better than most people.” Book said with a small grin.

“Mainly since he has no respect for others' privacy.” Shining added.

Rarity placed a hoof over her chest. “I hope it’s not what he does to a lady!” She asked with a huff.

“I don’t mess with lady stuff.” Book assured her. “There is a line between being thorough and being a creep.”

“And I know that your prince knows that.” Rarity said before playing with Spikes cheek.

“Yeah. I am too much of a gentlecolt to look into your private things.” Spike assured her.

‘For now.’ Rarity whispered into Spike’s ear before blushing.

“Kids, try and keep stuff like that down.” Book warned them, surprising them both with his keen hearing.

“He’s just jealous because he’s single.” Shining said with a grin.

“Should I try to ship him with one of my single friends?” Rarity asked.

“I work here. I don’t think a long distance relationship would work for me.” Book said as he rolled his eyes.

“She could move, I’m sure that Canterlot would like to see her…magic!” Rarity said while giggling, finally relaxing since she got here.

“Again, I don’t need a date.” Book said again.

“But just in case, mail us the contact info. Cadence would like to know about her.” Shining said, grinning at the thought of getting Book to go on his first date.

“I will darling.” Rarity said before stopping suddenly.

Spike instantly looked concerned as he went up to Rarity. “What is it? Are you okay?”

Rarity was looking up at the marvel that was Canterlot. “It’s…it’s so…beautiful.”

“Oh…” Spike looked around at the sights that he grew rather accustomed too. “It’s not bad.”

Rarity was flabbergasted. “I… um… how can you say that?”

“I lived here my whole life. You get used to it.” Spike said with a shrug.

“I… I suppose so, what did you think when you saw MoonRacer for the first time?” Rarity asked Spike, while walking next to him.

“I thought it was amazing to see all of the different cultures combined.” Spike admitted. “The place looked amazing.”

“Yes.” Rarity said while looking around. “It’s nice to see one percent of the inspiration for the buildings in MoonRacer.”

“Yeah…” Spike said as he glanced at an old alleyway.

“Is there something wrong, Spike?” Rarity asked while feeling the sorrow emanating from him.

“Yeah… just taking in the sights.” Spike said as he turned back to the castle. “Let’s just get going. You’ll love the castle.”

Rarity stopped him. “Spike, I can tell that this old alleyway is bothering you. Please tell me why?”

Spike sighed as he looked at the alley. “Remember when I explained that I was a dumpster baby?”

“Ya… oh…” Rarity said before frowning. “I.. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It’s just another thing I won’t miss.” Spike said as he kept walking.

“Maybe we should… demolish it!?” Rarity asked Spike.

“Demolish a gap between buildings? It doesn’t work like that.” Spike said with a sigh.

“I, mean… spruce it up!?” Rarity said, trying to find a way to fix what she did.

Spike shook his head. “I don’t want to touch the place. I don’t know why, but I don’t feel right trying to change it.”

“You feel like it’s a part of you?” Rarity asked him.

Spike nodded slowly as they neared the castle. “And that scares me.”

“Well this is your home.” Rarity said while showing off the castle. “Well..now...ex-home?” She asked.

Spike let out a deep breath as he thought about the things he wanted to leave behind. “Not for long.”

“Haha..” Rarity chuckled nervously before looking around. “Is.. your mom waiting in the throne room?” She asked, while looking for it.

“Most likely. Just keep quiet until she addresses us. We don’t want to interrupt her if she is in a meeting.” Spike warned her.

Rarity lowered her ears at the seriousness of the warning. “Oh.. ok..”

“It’s her job. Trust me, she always has a motherly demeanor. She’ll like you.” Spike tried to assure her as they went inside.

“Yes, but I don’t know if the one she’s talking to will.” Rarity said.

“Remember, right now you are a unicorn. That’s all the staff needs to know.” Spike whispered to her.

“I know, but… your guards are…staring” Rarity said while looking around at the staff.

“First marefriend. Just smile and wave. Only the exterior city guards have the amulets.” Spike whispered as he put an arm over her.

“Ok…” Rarity said, trying to do the same wave that Spike was doing.

The couple slowly made their way to the throne room and saw Celestia talking to a couple of advisers. She smiled as she caught a glance of her son and his marefriend before finishing her statement. “... and then we can finish finalizing the trade paperwork and bring it up with the counsel. Is there anything else that needs attention before we dismiss?”

All of the advisers shook their heads. All but one. “I don't think that's such a good idea to make trade deals with those…NON-ponies.” A stallion with a long black mane, with white highlights and a little upside down triangle goatee.

“Chancellor Neighsay, you are suggesting terminating the long standing grain trade with the griffons, the gem trade with the dragons, the medicine trade with the buffalo, and the new technological trade with MoonRacer, all of which has the potential of increasing the national wealth, let alone the state of living, just because they’re not ponies?” Celestia asked, not looking amused by what he said.

“How do we know that they aren’t going to betray us or use what we give them to overthrow Equestria?”

“I’d love to see how they use fruit to kill us all.” One of the other advisers said with a chuckle.

Neighsay didn’t look amused. “They don’t have our interests at heart.”

“And yet our economy is booming. What have you done? Sent a filly to detention for calling your mane a toupee?” The second ambassador asked with a grin.

Neighsay flicked his mane with a defiant look. “She had to be taught respect, without respect there is chaos and Anarchy.”

Rarity leaned to Spike. ‘It’s a good thing we don’t have teachers like him at MoonRacer.’ She whispered to him.

“Chancellor Neightsay. He is the representative from the board of education. He’s a pain in our flanks.” Spike whispered back.

Rarity gulped before listening at the rest of the conversation.

Celestia cleared her throat as she got the advisers to quiet down. “Neighsay, is your job to give recommendations on trades?”

“My job is to make sure that we don’t get the same problem that we got when you let that dragon in the school.” Neighsay reminded her coldly.

“No, your job is the education of our ponies. You are not an ambassador or a tradesman. Now, if you have nothing to add in the field of your expertise then you have nothing to add, period.” Celestia said sternly.

“Yeah man. Until you learn about the other nations, you don’t have the right to say who we trade with.” Another ambassador said sternly.

Neighsay tensed his neck and hoofs, but kept his cool. “Ok.” He said before starting to pick up his stuff. “It appears that I have nothing to add.”

One of the advisors raised her hoof. “Your highness, every time we have a meeting like this, Neighsay butts heads with all of the ambassadors and most of the advisers. May I ask that from this point forward in order for us to keep to our professions and to make an attempt to speed things along, we have different meetings for school and international business?”

Celestia acted like she had to think about it. “You have a fair point, but I would like to know what the others say. All for it?” She asked the group, trying to give some democracy to her meetings.

A white unicorn with a blue mane raised his hoof. “I second the motion. I may not agree with what other nations do, but I know opportunity when I see it. To cut off that opportunity over the mere cause of race is a foolish decision at best, and a national catastrophe at worst. Schoolteachers have no place in national affairs outside of the classroom.” He said with a smug look on his face.

Neighsay looked at that unicorn with a glare as the rest of the group 3rd, 4th until most of them were for it.

Celestia sighed as she gave a nod. “Okay then. From now on I will arrange a separate meeting for Neighsay to deal with school matters. Any questions?”

There was a pegasus that wanted to ask a question, but wanted to wait until Neighsay was out of the room.

“Okay. I hereby dismiss this meeting. We shall meet next week at the same time, and I will talk to the school board tomorrow about setting up a meeting with them. Have a good day.” Celestia said as she handed her paperwork to one of her staff members to put on her desk.

The pegasus waited for Neighsay to leave the room with a bit of a huff before going to Celestia to ask her his question. “Why do you keep Neighsay on?”

“In these meetings or as the head of the school board?” Celestia asked with a small sigh.

“Umm.. both?” He asked the ruling princess.

“The group meetings were an attempt to try and go over general matters quickly and effectively, but Neighsay is more…disagreeable than past heads of the board. As for the school board, it’s not something I have power over. It is a position that is voted on by the other members on the board.” Celestia explained calmly as she gathered her papers.

“A part of me wishes you could overrule this election.” He admitted. “I mean, he is nothing but a troublemaker.”

“And what if I said that all sport events shall be held in Canterlot? Or if apples are outlawed? Or if I want the treasury to be my personal purse?” Celestia asked the adviser. “Everypony needs restraints, even me. They keep us in check and keep our people from being ruled by tyrants. I refuse to be unrestrained in my role.”

The pegasus nodded as he started to catch on. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely…!?”

Celestia nodded somberly. “Exactly. I may be a Princess, but I have always had restrictions. I hope you can understand my stance.”

The Pegasus nodded soberly. “I don’t like not being able to deal with Neighsay, but I understand your reasons.”

Celestia smiled as she nodded. “If it helps, think about what would happen if Neighsay was in charge.”

He winced when he tried to think of that. “N…no thanks.” He said as he now wanted to block those ideas out of his head.

Celestia patted his shoulder as she turned to Spike. “Thank you for expressing your concerns. I am glad that you brought this up with me.”

The pegasus nodded, before bowing and leaving the princess with her son.

Celestia smiled as she walked over to Spike and gave him a big hug. “I’ve missed you so much, Spike.”

Spike hugged back before wiping the tear that had fallen.

As Celestia let go of Spike, she turned to the halfling. “So, this is your marefriend? I have heard quite a bit about you Rarity.” Celestia said as she did a courtesy bow. “And may I compliment you on your attire?”

“Hahah..” Rarity laughter nervously before giving a bow back. “W… what have you heard of me?”

“That you are a halfling, but don’t worry.” Celestia said with a wink. “I won’t tell anypony.”

Rarity smiled nervously. “Ah…ok, good.” She said before looking at Spike.

Spike smiled as he looked at Celestia. “So, you are okay with Rarity?” He asked hopefully.

“Son, you found a mare that loves you for who you are and not what you are.” Celestia said. “I would be even ok if she was…” She tried to think of the most concerning combination in the world. “A… diamond dog yack.”

Spike giggled as he looked at his mom. “Be careful about making up species. Some of them are real.”

Celestia lowered her ears hoping she didn’t accidentally name one of the species that became a friend to her son. “Did…did I name one of your friend’s species?” She asked with worry.

“No, but I wanted to mess with you a little.” Spike said with a giggle. “I do wish that Dash and Applejack were here to meet you.”

“A, yes the griffin and buffalo!?” Celestia asked, trying not to sound prejudiced in any way. “They didn’t want to come!?”

“Applejack has fears about leaving MoonRacer. It’s personal.” Spike explained with a bit of concern.

“Yes…I heard, but Dash wants to…?” Celestia asked nervously.

“Stay with her so she doesn’t end up staying at MoonRacer alone.” Spike explained with a longing smile. “She is loyal to her friends.”

“That too, but didn’t you say something about... the Wonderbolts?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, she wants to be one, and she has the speed for it.” Spike said with a nod. “She could clear a cloudy sky in ten seconds flat.”

Celestia nodded. “I see…” She said while thinking about it. “That could be a bit of a fun way to try to join our two nations…” She said with a bit of sorrow.

“A mare can dream, can’t she?” Spike said with a shrug as he saw the look on his mom’s face.

“Even a Princess.” Celestia told her son. “Don’t get me wrong, I would love that, I think that is a great idea, but I don’t know if the captain of the Wonderbolts would want that, or if the public would allow it.”

“Again, it’s a dream.” Spike said as he turned to Rarity. “But…I do need to talk about my marefriends.”

“Yes, and before you ask, yes. A Prince, especially the ruling one, can have more than one bride.” Celestia said with a blush.

“Oh, well…I don’t know how the public would accept me if I vow myself to them.” Spike said, trying to let her down as gently as possible.

“What do you mean?” Spike’s mom asked him nicely.

“Well, do you really think that I would be accepted if I marry three half breeds?” Spike said, looking very concerned at this point.

“I…I doubt it.” She admitted. “But…I hope to have this fixed before I give the throne to you.”

“But what if it doesn’t change?” Spike asked with concern. “What if I am forced to choose to pick between Canterlot and my loves?”

“I… I…” Celestia couldn’t bring herself to ask this of her son as she realized how serious this was for him.

Spike sighed as he walked towards his mom. “Mom, Twilight is fighting to look like a normal pony right now. Light doesn’t want to come back, and I’d rather be with the mares I love than to lose them to a crown. I…I can’t say how much it pains me to say this, but some of us may not come back to you. It’s not because of you, but because of the world we grew up in and the land we found. Please don’t be angry at us.”

Tears were now falling down Celestia's face. She understood what her son was saying and why he was doing this. “I…I'll miss you.” She admitted.

“I’ll still visit you, and I'll write to you as many times as I can. Maybe one day we can even flip the world upside down and end this foolish prejudice.” Spike said, trying to sound hopeful as he hugged his mother again. “But no matter what happens, I’ll always be your son.”

“I... I know.” She said before breaking down into tears, while also breaking down in her son’s arms.

“Mom, I love you. You know that, right?”

She nodded. “I.. I know.” She said, being lost for words right now.

Rarity felt bad about all of this, she joined into their hug, hoping that this could help a bit.

Celestia wiped her eyes as she turned to the couple. “Spike, you may not want to become a Prince, but I give you my blessing to marry the mares you love, no matter what their race is.”

Spike nodded before turning to Rarity.

Rarity blushed when Spike turned to her, hoping that he wasn’t planning to do what she thought he was going to do. She thought it would be too early to do that.

Spike walked over to Rarity and gave a deep blush. “Rarity…do you want to go to Doughnut Joes after we tour the castle?”

Rarity released a deep breath before giving Spike a little push. “Ah... you…”

“It’s the best shop in town!” Spike said defensively.

“Ok if you insist.” Rarity told Spike. “But I still ask that you treat me, the lady that I am, well, as the gentlecolt that you are.”

“She’s right.” Celestia said with a small giggle as she smiled at the happy couple. Admittedly, she understood what they were feeling, and wished that she could do the same thing for Kirouac. Well, since she couldn’t have that dream, she might as well help them enjoy it. “How about I lead you around myself? I have some free time today, and Cadence has been wanting to have a turn at day court. I can pass some duties down to her and spend the day with you two.”

“Are…are we going to get swarmed with you around.” Rarity asked with a worried look on her face.

“What do you think we are here for?” Book asked as he extended his hooves. “Decoration?”

“To push those guards that aren’t... seeing me as... the future bride of the ruling princess's son!?”

“Yeah, but we multitask. We can do crowd control too.” Shining assured her with a grin.

“Ok..that is if Spike trusts you both.” Rarity said before turning to Spike.

“They are the two most loyal guards in Equestria. They will protect you, my lovely changeling Princess.” Spike said with a giggle.

“Oh Spike, Shhh…not here.” Rarity insisted.

“Alright you lovebirds. Let’s get going before somepony gets too nosey.” Celestia said as she led the couple into the hallway.

As they walked away, they weren’t aware of the one pony who had heard everything, and was coming up with his own conclusions of what happened, and how to fix it.

Light spent his time studying in an older library outside of the school to have some time alone. It wasn’t nearly as advanced as the school library, or even the other library in town. Nopony could agree about how old the building was, but it had been restored several times over the last several hundred years.

There were some wooden bookshelves that seemed to be rather old, but no older than a hundred years, when the wood would have decayed to the point where it had to have parts replaced. The carpeting had old ruins and symbols on it that were clearly based on the carpets that were here before the restoration projects.

Light enjoyed that fact he was able to have some time alone to think. As much as he enjoyed the time with his friends, he wanted a little time to himself to rest his mind. He also enjoyed the old fashioned building and design. Twilight was always a general nerd, but Light enjoyed history.

The only second language he was good at was old ponish, which he didn’t find too different to regular ponish. It was similar to the modern language, and all he had to do was figure out the modern interpretation for older words. Thou meant you, gay meant happy, and so on and so forth.

Even though Light would have liked to have been working on some old ponish research, his homework was on the buffalo tribes. He had a couple of his own books in order to get his work done, although it was hard for him at first to understand the numerous tribes.

“Okay…the falcon tribe lived out east and were the last tribe in Griffonstone…the fox tribe were down in the white lake woods…there has to be something more I can dig my teeth into than name and location.” Light was muttering to himself as he was going through his schoolbook. He hated when he just had to know small facts about history when he wanted to know more.

As he started to look around the room to see if there were some books on the tribes in there, he saw an open door leading to a side room. Light saw a few desks and several filing cabinets in the room, finding it a stark contrast to the older design in the other rooms. He started to wonder if he shouldn’t even be in that room, but he saw a few files on one of the desks.

His eyes were instantly locked onto Applejack’s file as he slowly started walking into the room. “Well… maybe looking into Applejack’s tribe can help me see the whole tribe thing in a clearer light.” Light said as he opened the file up.

Light started looking through the file. He was surprised about how young she looked in the photo. It had to have been a few years ago when it was taken. Her dad was apparently from the moose tribe, once being more connected to the mountains before they were driven down south.

He was curious that it didn’t say anything about her culture, but it said that her parents were outcast by both her tribe and his family. As Light started getting more concerned about the lack of a connection to her culture, he turned the page to see the horrific record of her parent’s death.

His eyes widened in shock as he finally learned why Applejack was so afraid of the land outside of MoonRacer. She felt the hatred of those who weren’t like her. Light’s heart started racing as he started looking through other files in the room.

He read about the griffin refugees that were forced out of their home because of a famine that nearly starved out several, connecting Dash’s careless parents together. He learned about the changelings feeding on love of other ponies which lead to the creation of several halflings, including Rarity. Said creations often ended in the persecution of the pony parent, in spite of them not knowing.

As he read more and more, he learned more about the persecution of several ponies that were chased out and persecuted just because of how they were born. It was terrifying at first, but slowly became infuriating to him. These were his neighbors and friends that had suffered from the hooves of normal ponies… no… normal creatures.

These refugees were thrown out, chased out, and persecuted for no fault of their own. Even the pegacorns, as rare as they were, were seen as a threat to society in fear that they would claim to be alicorns, which made things worse since Dandelion did that. Light now knew that Equestria was not the shining example to the other nations as it proclaimed.

As Light started to wonder what horrors his nation was guilty of, his eye caught the glance of an ancient statue. It was a large mare with bat-like wings and a long horn on her head. It seemed to be the oldest thing here, but it also seemed off. The old tiles around it were damaged, as if the stature had been moved before.

“Who are you?” Light asked the statue while looking at it. The strange thing was that this statue for some reason reminded him a bit of Celestia. But it wasn’t for the horn and wings, there weren’t even feathers on the leathery wings. She also didn’t seem to be a pegacorn. He had seen all of the ones here, and he had compared their body to Celestia, Cadence’s and his, and this statue not only was closer to an alicorn’s but to Celestia as well.

Light looked at the base of the statue before determining to know why this statue was moved. He took a deep breath as he shoved the statue a few feet away, finding a stairway underneath that seemed to be older than most of the items in the building.

Light slowly placed a hoof on the old wooden board, now wishing that he had listened to Dash.

“Knowing how to fly in small spaces is important. This is when that next lesson would have helped me.” Light said as he suddenly had a clever idea. He made a small magical construct of a slide, allowing him to go down the stairs without breaking them.

As Light slid down the staircase, he extended his wings out, both to slow down his slide and to control his movement.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he had to keep his horn lit up so he could still see around him. This room seemed to be the most ancient part of this place, being a hollowed out cave with some old crystal furniture, clearly made by diamond dogs of some kind. There were old paintings that were still in decent shape due to being hidden from the sun, yet they were dusty from not being cleaned in who knows how long.

He could even see the thick layer of dirt on the floor from centuries of abandonment. There were two sets of prints that did seem to be recent. Both sets had claws on the front and hooves in the back. It made Light curious about why this place was still hidden to the world.

As Light made his way in he thought that he could hear someone or something in the cave as well.

“Um… hello?” Light called out, knowing that these prints weren’t fresh enough for somepony to be here right now. “Is somepony here?” He asked as he ventured further into the cave.

As Light walked in more, he entered an opening. It was a room that had ancient looking scrolls in it, along with engravings of a crescent moon on the walls. Light looked curious as he examined some of the scrolls gently, doing his best not to destroy them.

“Let me see…old ponish very old ponish. It may be a bit older than I’m used to, but it should be readable.” Light muttered to himself as he tried to read the scroll in front of him. “Let be henceforth and forever recorded…that this land shall be the…sanctuary of the…uh…a few words that I don’t know…um…the broken, unwanted, and downtrodden. Let the towers…no…boundaries of race fall…fade away… to bestow…hold on…to give us a chance for us to live in true harmony…” Light read as he was trying to translate the document.

As Light tried to read this, only understanding the general idea of MoonRacer becoming a sovereign state, free from the rule of all other nations, and that their door shall be open to all that needs it.

“Signed… Luna…” Light said as he read the bottom of the scroll, seeming rather curious about the lunar symbols on the walls. “Was that the mare in the statue?”

As he turned around, he saw something that seemed out of place. There was an area that the two pairs of hooves and claws met, like they had something set up for the scrolls…like a camera. Light knelt down as his glowing horn reflected off of something. Light gently used his magic to lift the item, revealing a photo on the ground.

Light quickly recognized the stallion in the photo as Kirouac, but the second one looked like a mare cosplaying at Daring Do.

“Strange…the coat and mane seems right…” Light muttered before noticing the claws that this pony had as front hooves. “But it couldn’t be Daring. That mare is a work of fiction, and this one seems to be a hybrid, not a pegasus. And her facial features are different from Dash’s.”

Light continued to look around the room trying to find more clues to what this place was. As he entered one room, he saw what seemed to be a blacksmith’s workplace, but with strange tools setup that were foreign to his understanding.

“What was made in here?” Light asked himself as he started looking through the molds that were on the side of the room.

They seemed to be crystal horseshoes, along with strange variants that seemed to be made for griffons, hippogriffs, and many other races. There were also black throwing stars in a small box. Light recognized them due to his older brother using them when he was getting ready to start training to be a guard.

Light took special interest in these artifacts as he gently touched the horseshoes. Right when Light touched them, he felt the part of his brain that connected to his horn. His magic flowed down his spine and down the arm that he was touching the horseshoe with, and then to the crystal item. He could swear that he could feel like he could cast magic through his hoof.

Light gasped as he pulled his hoof away from the artifact. “Woah…this is some potent stuff…they don’t make shoes like these anymore.” Light said as he pulled his hoof away from it.

As Light was walking back from the crystal items, he almost tripped over a wooden chest. “Dang it!!!” Light grunted as he tried to regain his balance. “What the hay is this?”

He slowly gathered himself as could see that there were a bunch of different locks on three of its sides.

Light sighed as he started examining the locks. “They can never leave the keys where ponies can find them, can they?”

Luckily for Light he always kept his sewing kit on him at all times, and various other tools to fix toys. He started to play around with the locks finding out that they were trick locks, and you only had to push a claw in the small secret holes on the bottom.

“Nice artifacts, but old fashioned locks. Then again, if you are a pony, it’s a nightmare to open.” Light said with a grin before pausing, realizing what he was doing. “This is what happens when you watch your brother trying to pick open a footlocker for fun.” Light said as he managed to open the locks. “You pick up bad habits.” He said while pretending to laugh evilly.

When he opened the chest he found some strange things, seeming to be replicas of the treasures in Daring Do stories. From amulets to small statues, they were surprisingly accurate.

“Wow…” Light said as he realized that the tracks led to what seemed to be a different exit. “I think I know what this is… A fan girl led Kirouac to this, and he let her keep the place for storage.” Light said obviously as he looked at the artifact. “I mean, these are an amazing replica of the lenses of history.” Light said as he put the pair of glasses on his head.

As Light looked through them, his vision was blurred by clock hands that were spinning around. As Light was thinking about a few minutes ago he started to see the time seeming to rewind, it was surreal to see himself over there back at the table that he once stood at.

Time went further back as he thought about the last time somepony was down here. As the time finally started moving forward again, he saw Kirouac and the cosplayer walking in with the box Light opened.

“Alright, the statue is back in place, and we’ll keep the other entrance a secret. I’ll keep this place a secret for you.” Kirouac said as he followed the mare. “To think that there was a place like this under our own library. I am going to make sure to advance the public one to keep this one from being used as much.”

“Thank you Kirouac.” The cosplayer said before kneeling to him.

“Come on cousin, you don’t need to do that for me. After all, you were the one who found this old place.” Kirouac said as he was looking around the place. “Of course, we need to keep this place a secret. I don’t care how you write it in your books, but keep the whole Luna thing out of it. I still need to confront Celestia about it.”

She got up. “How are you and her… doing?” She asked nosily.

“She seemed happy when I agreed to start working at our nations relations, but after this… I need to understand what happened to our founder a thousand years ago.” Kirouac explained. “What about you Yearling?”

Light gasped when he heard this name. “What? The author?”

“I’ve planned to go to Zebra-Ca, maybe find some lost stuff.” She admitted. “You don’t find ancient clues and stuff like that easily.”

“Understood. Well, if it ever gets to be too much for you, MoonRacer is always open to you.” Kirouac assured her.

She smiled before hugging Kirouac’s neck in a sister-like manner. “I may travel all over to ever Nations, but deep down, MoonRacer will always be my home.”

“Yeah…but I do have one question. Is she really a part of the missing heritage…” Before Kirouak could continue, the two halfbreeds walked off, leaving Light alone in the room.

“No.” Light yelled out before running after them, forgetting that things had been moved since the time he was watching, and what he had done in this room. He slipped on some of the locks that he left on the floor, falling down and landed on his chest.

“Oh… that smarts.” Light groaned as he rubbed his chest. As he was trying to get up, he started to lose his train of thought, wandering who was the founder, he finding the glasses heading back almost a thousand years.

“Your highness, what if they don’t listen to you? What if they continue with these threats?” Light turned to see a griffon walking alongside the mare from the statue.

The mare looked stern as she was putting on her crown and necklace. “Then I will make her see reason.”

“Who, wait....” Light got up and looked at the mare and who he thought to be her adviser or soldier of some kind.

“I know what Equestria has been like, but why not leave it for us? It holds no care for you anymore, so what is wrong with leaving it behind?” The guard asked with concern.

The bat winged mare paused before talking. “Should I just throw out everything that has a slight flaw with them, or should I at the least try to fix it to the very end?” She asked.

“Well… I…”

“This is where I was born.” She told the griffin. “I had to hide my true self, be just like my big sister, be what they would accept as what a princess should be.” She said while looking at herself in one of the mirrors on the wall. “I shouldn’t have to hide what or who I am, a nocturnal princess that has neurological problems. My sister never even considered me to be a real Princess… or even a sister…”

Light looked concerned as he watched the Princess tearing up, trying to keep her strong appearance.

“We…are outcasts, and I want us to be able to live in peace. My sister may not care for us, but I will. We will meet at our old castle to try and settle this once and for all.” She said sternly.

“Yes, my Queen.” The griffin said. He was about to bow, but the bat-winged alicorn stopped him.

“Here, in the acceptance of the moon light, we are all equal.” She told him before kissing his cheek, before starting to walk out. “And if I don’t come back, expect him to show up, and keep MoonRacer hidden. Our allies in the shadows will continue to smuggle other outcasts here.”

“Yes, but…If you aren’t here, who will rule us?” He asked, clearly worried about her safety.

The princess took a deep breath before pulling out a case. “He made me an offer. I would pick something I wanted, and he’d give me a fallback plan.” She explained as she opened the case to reveal a wooden sword. “He always did have a twisted sense of humor for a god.”

The griffin looked confused, how could a wooden… anything help them? He tried to pick the sword out, but…for some strange reason, he couldn’t. Not only that, but the sword seemed to hurt him. “I…no, I am brave, I…I can…” He said while tearing up.

The bat winged alicorn moved his claw away from the sword. “My love, don’t feel ashamed that you can’t wield it. Only the king or queen chosen for MoonRacer can use it, and love can’t allow another pony to use it, even if they are bound to the queen.” She explained as she drew out the sword. “It explains why you can’t be the ruler if you aren’t worthy, and it’ll also change for its user.” She said as the wooden sword shifted into a metal shield. “This is a weapon blessed by the gods. I was just stuck using my old toy sword as a base due to him.” She explained begrudgingly.

The griffin nodded before giving a peck on the alicorn’s lips. “I understand, but I will wait for you.” He told her. “We all will.”

The mare smiled before turning to the door. “Be sure to care for her if I don’t come back. I’m done with me and my people being abused. I’m ending this feud with my sister once and for all!”

The griffin nodded before saying. “May the light of the moon help you guide the ones that are blinded by the vicious rays of the Sun.”

“If their eyes become too blinded…” The lunar mare turned, allowing Light to see a faint glow in her eyes. “Then they will learn to respect the night and her children.”

Light’s heart started racing as he took the glasses off, casting them aside. He was panting, trying to process what he had just seen.

“She protected her people…she kept her friends safe…” Light heard a small voice in the back of his head.

As Light’s eyes widened at the sound of this strange voice, he heard a second entrance opening a ways away. He quickly started to run for the entrance, wanting to flee this place. He scrambled down the hall as he heard another set of hoofprints a ways away.

Light flew up the stairs, back to where he had been studying and quickly started to pack back all his stuff. He rushed out of the building before slowing down, trying to act natural.

As he was trying to recover from this ordeal, he started to think about all that he had learned. Daring Do being real was the easiest thing to process, save for the fact that she wasn’t 100% pegasus that was written. This founder of MoonRacer was at odds with Equestria, and she went to the gods to keep them safe. This…Luna pony tried to protect her children.

Light looked upwards as he tried to think about who this pony was, and why this was bugging him so much.

“Hey Light.” The voice of one of the pink mane mares that he was dating called out. “Managed to finish your studies?”

Light was still breathing heavily as he turned to her. “I… I… I need a minute. I…I think…I think Anchovies was right...”

She ran to Light, worries on her face. “What’s wrong Light?” she asked.

“I…I might have stumbled on the truth about MoonRacer…” Light said as he was thinking about his classmate’s account of an old legend. “I think I learned the truth about Nightmare Moon.”

She started to pet Light’s head and back. “W… what are you talking about?” She asked him.

Light glanced back to the library for a moment. “I… I’ll explain later. Let’s get the others and meet in our homeroom class.”

“Oh…ok.” She said before helping Light up and walk.

As Light was being helped down the path, he started to think about the crimes that happened so long ago, and how little things have changed since then. “She protected her people. What will happen when your people need protecting?”

Twilight and her friends were relaxing as they were leaving the spa, feeling rather refreshed and rejuvenated after those hours of pampering and caring.

“Well, I have to call this a rather wonderful date.” Twilight said with a happy sigh before turning to the others. “What do you think?”

Earth nodded as she walked side by side with Twilight. “It.. it was emotional.” She admitted with a blush.

“And kinda hot.” Shark said as he rubbed his wing a little.

Sleipnir slapped Shark upside the head while shaking his head.

“Ya…” Earth said. “Thanks…thank you for…the kiss.”

Twilight blushed at the thought of it. “Yeah…it was my first kiss…and it felt right to me.”

“Yes...” Earth said while looking at Twilight. “I got kissed by all of you, what about you Twilight?”

“Well, I’ve still only kissed you so far.” She admitted with a blush.

“And you want to wait before kissing the other guys?” Flash asked.

“Well…” Twilight looked at them with a little blush. “Maybe we can have dinner tonight?”

“Oh.. um… ok.” Shark said while trying to think if he had plans.

“At what time?” Sleipnir asked.

“Well…what time is it?” Twilight asked with a small smile.

Sleipnir looked at his watch. “4:15” He told them.

“Hm…why don’t we hang out till six and have it then?” Twilight asked as she brushed against him.

“I…would have…to get ready!” Earth said before feeling Shark’s wing on her back.

“Take your time. It doesn’t have to be a formal dinner.” Shark assured her.

“I…don’t know if you can not.” Earth said. “You all kissed me.”

“Well, we’ll see what happens.” Shark assured her before they heard Applejack running towards them. “Hey! Y'all need to follow me. Light’s needing to talk to all of us!”

“Oh…what’s wrong?” Twilight asked.

“He says that it needs to be in private, and his marefriends are still trying to calm him down. I can’t tell if he’s panicking or angry.” Applejack explained.

“He…it was always hard to tell what he’s feeling.” Twilight said.

“Should we go with you?” Sleipnir asked.

“Yeah, it sounds important.” Twilight said before turning to Earth. “Do you want to come with us?”

“I…if you want me to come.” Earth replied before following them.

The group all followed Applejack into their group study room, seeing Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy there, talking to Light. He looked stressed, and still hadn’t calmed down. Light’s marefriends were trying to calm him down while Dash was pressing him for information.

“Come on man! You have to give me more details! Did she really have a fear of spiders? Were there any traps that she had to disarm? Tell me more about Daring Do!!!”

“Dash, now isn’t the time.” Flutter told her while petting Light.

“What’s going on? What happened?” Twilight asked her oldest friend.

“I… I found a place… hidden under the old library… has to have been here since... the founding of… MoonRacer.” Light said between breaths.

Sleipnir nodded. “Ok.. and?” He asked, not seeing the problem. In fact, it would be a major find for the nation and possibly a moral boost for the nation as a whole.

“There were papers there, written in old ponish, signed by a thestrial alicorn named Luna… at least I think she was Luna. She looked like the ancient statue that was hiding the cave.” Light explained as he started pacing around the room.

“Luna!?” Flutter asked in shock. “You mean the mother of our country!?”

“Yeah! She was with this griffon…well…was being the operative word. I’m guessing that it had to have been hundreds of years before Kirouac and his cousin found the place.” Light said as he was starting to breath heavily again. “Did anypony know that Daring was part griffon? I could only tell by the claws.”

“I knew it!” Dash said excitedly, getting looks from her friends.

“Part griffon?” Twilight asked as her eyes widened.

“Yeah. she looked like Dash, but older, and having a tan and grey coat.” Light explained. “She kept some of her old artifacts down there. And the lenses of history WORK WELL!!!”

“Wait, it’s real!?!” Dash and Twilight asked Light before going in front of his face. “What did you see?” They asked him.

“Only a couple events that happened in the room I was in… oh… I did find a photo…” Light said as he handed Dash the old photo. “But that’s not important. I got off topic.”

Dash grabbed the photo before she started to swoon over it. “I knew it.” She said to herself in glee.

“Dang, there is a resemblance there.” Applejack admitted. “I mean, the color pallet means that she isn’t ya mom, but maybe there is some blood between you two?”

“Umm… ya, about that...” Light said with a blush.

“She’s my real mom!?” Dash asked.

“Umm… I don’t think so. She called Kirouac…. Cousin.” Light told them.

“That’s crazy!... but then again… we don’t know much about his cousins…” Twilight said as she started to think about it. “Mixing the races could mean that a dragon could be a second cousin to a griffon…”

“May we please get back to the fact that I looked into the past and saw Luna’s last moment in that room?” Light exclaimed.

“Oh ya…Sorry.” Twilight said with a blush.

“Luna had this case with a wooden sword in it. She said that if anything happened to her, that sword would pick the next RulerKing.” Light said as he went back to pacing. “She said that the gods blessed it, and that one of them had a major sense of humor.”

“A sword that picks the next king, well that’s no basis for a system of government.” Pinkie said.

“Pinkie, that’s literally the description of my dad’s sword.” Sleipinir said. “But his is Silver, with Gold.”

“It shifts to whatever the king wants or needs.” Light explained. “Luna said it used to be a toy sword before it was blessed by the gods.”

“Mhm.. still sounds like my dad’s sword. I’ve even seen him change it into a pen.” Sleipnir admitted. “Seems like they added some flurrish to represent what we are and what we stand for over time.”

“So, what happened?” Fluttershy asked as she tried to calm Light down.

“She…went to her and her sister’s old castle… wanting to talk about MoonRacer. She said that she wasn't respected by her. She said that her sister didn’t even treat her like they were related, and that she was tired of these injustices to her people. She also said something about having neurological problems…but I have no clue what that means.” Light went on.

“Wait..isn’t that what Flash said that he had in the brain?” Pinkie asked curiously.

“You mean my asperger!?” Flash asked. “Light has it too.”

“Oppsss.” Pinkie said before turning Light, hoping he wasn’t mad at her.

“So…there was something wrong with her head?” Twilight asked as he tried to think about the numerous possibilities of what that meant.

“I think she had Asperger.” Flash said, before pausing and then looking at Light.

“Well. I don’t know…she did this thing with her hoof that seemed to be like a pattern she keeps doing… and she talked a little funny, even looking at it from an old ponish standard.” Light said as he thought about it. “But she seemed smart and prepared…I don’t know...”

“Sounds like Asperger to me.” Flash said, recalling when he was younger and when he had to baby-sit the three younger ones.

“So…it must have been incredible to see her in her heyday.” Applejack said.

“But she went to stop the abuse to her nation, and she never came back. What if Anchovies was right? What if they banished her to the moon just because she was different?” Light asked angrily. “Is this what Equestria is defined by? Hypocrisy and racism?”

Both Flutter and Pinkie tried to calm down Light by petting him.

A.J. looked soberly to the side as she remembered the crimes that haunted her. “I…”

“Light…please take a deep breath.” Twilight begged him, not wanting to believe that Celestia was a bad pony.

“Twi, I read files that were archived there. I know about how Applejack lost her parents. I learned of the outcast and the orphans. Spike was left in a dumpster. You were treated like a monster. Do you think that Equestria will change?” Light asked her sternly. “They are the monsters! Them and the other nations that follow in her hatred. I didn’t become an alicorn for them to turn me into a tool of violence and hatred!”

“Light…you’re…you’re starting to scare me.” Flutter said while backing up from her colt-friend.

Light took a few deep breaths as he tried to calm down. “A.J., you are right. I’m not leaving MoonRacer…ever. When Spike gets back I’m writing Celestia to say so. That land is dead to me.” Light said coldly as he was clearly heated about the whole situation.

“You can’t be serious!?” Twilight asked him, wanting to say something. She wanted to tell him that Equestria was their birth home, and that he shouldn’t turn their back on it. “Light…”

“Forget it! I’m not going to have anything more to do with those freaks!” Light said firmly as he got ready to leave the room.

Right as Light reached for the door, it slammed open to reveal Bubbly Biceps there, looking terrified. “Where have you been?!? There is some master sorcerer attacking the town!”

“A what!?!” The entire group asked at once, shocked at the idea of the place being attacked.

“Yeah, as soon as Spike and Rarity came back, he showed up out of nowhere and accused us of brainwashing ponies. He nearly fried Rarity! He’s fending off the guards right now! Everypony is booking it!” Bubbly explained as she clearly looked intimidated at the prospect of fighting a ranged fighter, and a master one at that.

Twilight and Light looked at each other as they knew that their “brother” was in danger.

“W…what do we do now?!?” Fluttershy asked as she was trembling in fear.

“COME ON!!!” Light belted as he ran out of the room.

“Yeah! Let’s show this punk what we’re made of!!!” Dash said as the group followed him, except for Fluttershy.

“Um, maybe I should wait here…EEP!!!”

Fluttershy was suddenly scooped up by Applejack and set on her back. “Come on Sugar! We gotta make sure Rarity and Spike are okay.”

“B…but I don’t think I can contribute in any…”

“Besides Flash, you are the best nurse we have.”

“Oh…” Flutter said with a blush.

MoonRacer Chapter 11: a War to Remember

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Several ponies were running in multiple directions as they were trying to escape from Neighsay, who was fighting several of the guards and winning. He was hardly a physical specimen, but he was a master of the magical arts, especially in the realm of portals. This allowed him to attack many guards at once with magical blasts, injuring several of them.

Spike already knew why he was there from the start. As soon as he and Rarity had come back into town, he opened a portal in front of them and ordered Spike to step away from “that thing”. To put it lightly, he wasn’t excited to see his old professor again, but when he charged his horn to attack Rarity, he moved instantly to shove her out of the way, getting hit in the process.

Spike was lucky that the guards were able to react and move in to defend them, giving him and Rarity a chance to get some space between them and Neighsay.

Rarity was terrified as she saw where the blast hit her knight in shining armor. “Oh Spike…why did you do something so foolish?” She asked as she tore her dress to help tie off the wound.

“Well…I am a…gentlecolt…of course…I’d save…a Princess… in distress…” Spike said between breaths as his adrenaline rush was starting to fade away. “We…need to keep going…” Spike winced as Rarity tightened the makeshift bandage.

“But you’re hurt!” Rarity said as she was terrified for her friend.

“If I don’t get you out of here, you’ll be hurt too.” Spike said as he looked around the corner, still seeing Neighsay attacking the creatures there. “Let’s head to the school. We may be able to hide out there.”

Rarity nodded as the couple tried to start running towards the school, only to be cut off by Neighsay as he came through another portal right in front of them. “I will only say this once you siren, stand down before I ensure that you pay for brainwashing the Princess and the misguided Prince.”

Rarity’s eyes widened in horror as she saw the pony charging his horn again, clearly giving no mercy. “No…please…HEEELP!!!”

Before Neighsay could fire at her, he was suddenly hit by a bolt of magic. The chancellor turned in anger to see Kirouac approaching him, wearing his royal armor and holding a gold and silver bow in his magic. “You have assaulted several of my people. Stand down now, and I promise you a fair trial with a representative from your nation. If you continue, then you will not like the results.” Kirouac said firmly as his bow shifted into a sword.

Neighsay sneered as he faced the king. “You have brainwashed the Prince and attempted to do the same thing to his mother by sending this little witch. You will surrender your forces and your prisoners now, or I will ensure that your little army will fall before I am done with you.”

Kirouac showed a small expression of confusion as he tried to understand this pony. “I’m afraid that you are mistaken. Celestia holds no aggression with our nation, and there has been no brainwashing. Surely we can resolve this through words, not punches.”

“You freaks are not beings that can be reasoned with, and I will not allow your kind to overthrow our nation.” Neighsay said coldly as his horn charged forward to launch another attack.

Kirouac steeled his nerves, knowing that this pony would not listen to reason. “So be it.” He said, while turning his sword into a shield. He just hoped that the letter that he sent to Celestia would reach her in time.

Neighsay tried to use a trick that he had used on several guards by now, using a portal to redirect where the blast hit. However, he didn’t know that Kirouac had seen this trick a couple of times before he reached him, so when the portal opened up behind him, Kirouac was prepared to move the shield behind him.

Neighsay’s eyes widened at how well Kirouac predicted his moves, but he wouldn’t be deterred by this minor inconvenience as he kept his assault going. He had a clear advantage on his side as Kirouac tried to near him. Neighsay could easily make up for his lack of strength by using his portals to keep some distance between them, making the King stay on the defensive.

Kirouac found himself stuck using the shield, for the most part. A couple of blasts did manage to hit him, but Kirouac’s thick and scaly skin kept him from getting majorly hurt. “I have to change the tide of this battle before anypony gets hurt, including me.” Kirouac thought, as he desperately looked for a pattern in his style of fighting.

Neighsay used a portal to try falling back again, but he saw another guard there, and quickly went back through the portal again. Kirouac realized that these portals were two way, meaning that he could use that to his advantage.

Kirouac quickly shifted the shield back into a bow and charged at Neighsay using magical arrows, making Neighsay think that this was the perfect opportunity to attack him while he was exposed. As soon as Neighsay opened the portal next to Kirouac, the king quickly fired several magical arrows through the portal, hitting the chancellor a couple of times.

Neighsay recoiled from the sudden attack, losing focus as he was starting to feel the pain from those hits. Kirouac didn’t waste any time firing a couple more magical arrows towards Neighsay as his guard was down.

Neighsay was now getting overwhelmed, not used to heavy fighting or taking damage like this. He knew that the weaker his focus got, the harder it would be to cast spells, and who knew how many other guards were there?

As Kirouac was taking care of Neighsay, Light, Flash and all of their friends ran to Rarity, who was trying to help Spike walk. “Who is that guy? And why is he shooting at us?” Flash asked, wishing that he could help or something.

Twilight gasped as she saw him. “That’s chancellor Neighsay! He’s the head of the Equestrian school board. I thought he was out of my life now!” Twilight said, as she started to cower back in fear.

“Why is he here?” Flash asked. “And if he is from Equestria, shouldn’t he know who Spike is?”

“He does…” Spike said as Flash and Fluttershy started treating his wound. “He thinks that...you people...brainwashed me. I just ended up...taking a hit…for the mare…I’m hitting on…”

“Save your energy.” Flash told Spike, while he poured some cold, clean water over Spike’s wound.

“It doesn’t look too bad. It didn’t reach the bones or internal organs. Let’s patch the wound until the doctor can help him.” Fluttershy suggested, as she got out some gauze from the first aid kit.

As Flutter and Flash were treating Spike, Pinkie tried to help by wiping their foreheads. Dash and A.J. were consoling Rarity, and Twilight was wondering whether she should try to attempt a short range teleportation spell with so many ponies or just make a shield to keep them safe.

“They…will always come for them…to hurt them…”

Twilight looked concerned at Light’s heavy breathing. His wings were fully extended and his body actually seemed to be steaming.

“Um…Light…please don’t do something too brash.” Twilight begged of him.

Light didn’t seem to hear her, looking like he was in some kind of trance. “You need to protect your family…at all costs…and do what Luna never could…”

“Light…What are you…are you okay?” Twilight began to ask.

Light’s eyes opened suddenly, revealing them to be glowing brightly. They were glowing so bright that they didn't even show the greens of his eyes. Light turned to Twilight as his body was starting to glow as well. “Don’t worry Twilight. I’m going to put an end to this abuse of our kind.” He said in a voice that didn’t seem like his own.

“Our kind?” Twilight asked. “What are you talking…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Light’s body shifting, becoming larger and more muscular. His mane was sparking with blue energy, along with some blue sparks coming off of his body. He looked like a fully grown alicorn, and he looked angry.

Twilight backed away, worried about her friend. “Light what…are you doing?”

“Protecting my people, and being the guardian they need.” Light said as he started walking towards the battle.

“Light?” Flutter asked while getting up with Pinkie, leaving Flash to take care of Spike.

Before the group could try to stop Light, the alicorn darted onto the field. Neighsay was firing a steady beam at Kirouac, trying to wear him out so he could take the King down.

Neither of them noticed Light approaching them.

“If you stop now, I’m sure that Princess Celestia could forgive you.” Kirouac told Neighsay.

“She’ll see your assault against the crown! And I won’t rest until freaks like you are put in your place!” Neighsay yelled back.

“You’re right about putting freaks in their place, but your definition of freak is off.” Both ponies turned to see Light walking towards Neighsay, only a few feet away from him.

“Light? Move back before Neighsay tries to hurt you!” Kirouac warned him, ready to run toward Light to save him.

“He doesn’t have the will to break my own.” Light said as the Chancellor tried to fire a single blast at him. Neighsay’s jaw widened as he saw that Light wasn’t even fazed by the blow. “Because my will is too strong for the likes of you!” Light barked, as he back-hoofed Neighsay, sending him rocketing into a building.

Kirouac was now more worried about Neighsay’s well-being than Light’s, as he saw the child delivering such a powerful blow.

Neighsay was gasping for air as he was writhing in pain, not expecting an autistic kid to snap like that. As he was trying to crawl out of the rubble, he felt a strong magical aura pick him up. “”Why do you enjoy the suffering of others? Are you afraid that you can’t control us? Do you think we are mere rats to be tossed into the sewer? Or maybe you just like breaking down ponies that you see as being below you just for the fun of it?” Light asked coldly as he brought Neighsay right up to him.

Neightsay was now more scared now, then when he was fighting the half dragon. “Um.. mister…” He tried to recall his name, only remembering him as the autistic pony. He came up blank.

“Call me Guardian, because now I am going to protect my people from the likes of you, and I’m going to make that point clear to the entire world.” Light said firmly, acting like he was an entirely new person.

Neightsay flinched and covered his face, ready for the worse.

“Light Heart, stand down!” The attention of the crowd turned to the Equestrian Princess being carried in on her chariot. As soon as they landed, the guards unbuckled and readied themselves to face the out of control pony. Shining and Book followed Celestia out of the chariot and pulled them back. “Light…you’re not yourself right now. You need to regain control before you completely lose yourself.” Celestia said, looking terrified at the sight of Light in this form.

“After what HE did?!?” Light shouted, making the bystanders wince in fear. “He attacked us!!! He always attacked us! Why? Because we are different! How many more of us have to suffer from monsters like him!?! How many orphans will be made like Applejack? How many babies abandoned like Spike, Dash, and Rarity? How many more good ponies will be banished for protecting the ones they love, like Luna?!?” Light asked angrily as he held Neighsay tightly. “I am not willing to stand aside while children cry in the streets, begging for mercy. I will not allow my family to suffer by your hooves!!!”

Everybody looked confused by this, namely Book. “Light, you aren’t thinking clearly! Celestia helped you! She did everything she could to help…”

Book was caught off guard when Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder. “No… he’s right.” She said as she looked like she was tearing up. “I… I didn’t protect those ponies when I should have. I… I let my pride plant seeds of racism and hatred that I can’t uproot anymore. I… I should have listened and cared about my sister and her dream. I should have been better, but I became the mother of hatred, and I can’t change how my actions back then have twisted our nations. I failed you, just like I failed her.” She said as the crowd watched the tears running down her face.

As Light’s focus shifted away from the chancellor, he let the stallion go. Neighsay fell to the ground in shock, scrambling away in fear as he tried to understand what his princess meant. But Light quickly started answering those questions.

“It was you? You banished Luna to the moon? Your own sister?” Light asked as he started walking towards the princesses.

“Light, there are two side to this coin, and neither of us were on the right. I can explain…”

“Explain what?!? That you are the reason for all of the violence, all of the hatred?!? How could you?!?” Light screamed as he started storming towards her.

“Light! Stop it!” Twilight yelled as she grabbed onto Light. “Light, this isn’t the way to change things. Please, don’t make this any worse than it is.”

As Twilight was clinging onto the enraged alicorn, the rest of the six ran over to hold Light as well.

Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were both holding Light’s head, trying to make him look at their beautiful blue eyes.

“Come on Light. Nopony will walk away happy from this.” Pinkie said as she wrapped her long arms around him.

“Princess Celestia is sorry. We won’t gain anything from hatred.” Fluttershy pleaded, as she had tears running down her face.

“Light, I may not like Equestrians, but I don’t want other ponies to end up like me.” Applejack said as she was struggling to pull him back, even with her impressive strength.

“Yeah man. Think about your friends and family there. They wouldn’t want to do this!” Dash said as she was trying to grab his wings.

“She’s sorry. We can give her another chance.” Rarity pleaded as she was doing what she could to hold him back with her own hooves.

As Celestia saw the others trying to calm him down, she started to see a faint glow coming off of them. Each one was glowing off of their own color. She knew that nopony else could see it, but she could see the magic coming off of them and going into Light.

As the six mares were holding onto Light for dear life, the glow from Light’s eyes started to fade as he slowly realized what he was doing. His struggle lessened more and more as steam started to come off of his body once more. His body started shrinking back down as his anger turned to exhaustion and terror, seeing what he was about to do to Celestia, and who knows who else.

“I.. I…” Light looked at his hoof in both fear and horror, realizing the major step this was from the last time he lost control. “What did I do? I’m a monster.” He said before starting to cry. “I… I’m sorry…”

As Light was sobbing on the ground, both Futter and Pinkie said with him, while the others gave him some space.

“Light, it’s not your fault. I can explain what happened to you.” Celestia tried to assure him, looking at Light sympathetically, motioning the others to step back.

Rarity hesitated, but she then went to Flash to help with Spike. A.J. and Dash followed after her, glancing at the princess a few times as they ran off. They all were trying to make sure that Celestia didn’t see her son like this.

“Neighsay?” Celestia’s voice went cold as she turned to where the chancellor was.

Neighsay froze in place after he tried to both crawl and limp away.

“You don’t know how lucky you were. You always talk about how we should fear the other nations, but you just became the thing you feared. Look around at the fear and chaos you caused.” Celestia said firmly as she pointed to the injured ponies.

Neighsay looked around at all the none-ponies that were holding each other in fear, at Flutter & Pinkie that were petting the crying alicorn, and Flash, Rarity, A.J. and Dash who were trying to make sure that the Princess's son would be okay. “I...I’m sorry…I...I just thought...”

“No you didn’t. You repeated history out of your arrogance. Any other ruler would lock you away for triggering a potential act of war like this one, let alone for endangering her son’s life. But I am not that ruler. I want to give you the same second chance I’ve had. However, I believe you have a king to ask mercy from.” Celestia said as she turned to Kirouac.

Kirouac stood over Neighsay, menacingly.

Neighsay gulped as he lowered his head. “I… misjudged your people…and I am sorry for my actions against you.”

Kirouac scowled at him before quickly bringing his claw up in the air, before bringing it down to Neighsay

Neighsay winced, expecting him to strike him, but he felt nothing happen to him.

Kirouac had ripped Neighsay's badge off of him before throwing it onto the ground. He grabbed him with one claw, and brought him to where they were face to face. “Leave, leave and never return, EVER!” He yelled the last part in his face before dropping him onto the ground.

“King Kirouac, may I have a word with you before you make that official?” Celestia asked as she started walking over to her son.

Kirouac nodded before turning to Celestia, “accidentally” wacking Neighsay in the face with his tail, and leaving him behind. “Yes? Princess Celestia”

“I don’t want this story getting out too soon, or for this to be the impression that Neighsay walked away with.” Celestia explained as she started checking on her son.

“What do you wish that I do? Lie!?” Kirouac asked her.

“No. Show him the better side of MoonRacer. Keep him here for a while. Make him do some community service or something like that. Let him see who your people really are.” Celestia suggested.

Kirouac tilted his head to the side. “You want me to keep this violent unicorn, who hates half-breeds here?” He asked her sternly. “I hope you are planning to place a magic inhibitor on him and to strip his titles.”

“I’ll leave Book here to keep him in check, and I’ll also confiscate his artifact until further notice. I believe that there is hope of turning his opinion of MoonRacer.” Celestia said, full of optimism as she saw that Spike was going to be okay. The local doctors reached him, giving the others a reassuring look.

“As you wish.” Kirouac said while walking back to Neighsay, his horn glowing as he flickered his left claw as he walked.

“W…we don’t need to go back to violence…” Neighsay whimpered as he backed up.

Kirouac stopped in front of Neighsay before snapping his claw near Neighsay’s horn, placing a magic inhibitor on it.

Neighsay winced as he felt the magic inhibitor not only clamp onto his horn, but his magic and half his strength draining from him. “W…what?” Neighsay asked in shock.

“We have decided that you should do a bit of work to repay the physical and property damage you have caused. After all, this is an international incident. There has to be a punishment of some form.” Celestia explained before taking his amulet off. “I think a month or two will be good.”

Kirouac looked at him, then said, “You'll start cleaning the toiletries at 7AM, then you'll bring the gardening bags to their place at 8:30AM. At 11AM you’ll have your lunch break, then it’s back to work at 12PM.” He told Neighsay angrily. “You shall not talk unless you are spoken to. And you shall not be allowed to receive the benefits of any of our luxuries.” He finished with a scowl.

“I also requested that you would only be given the clearance to examine the creatures under guard. I would advise you not to interact with them until you are given permission. You will also be protected by the International Prisoners Act and will have those rights respected. I will explain to the board that you are staying here to learn more about international cultures, and I suggest that you stick with that story.” Celestia said as she tried to calm Kirouac down.

Kirouac took a deep breath before releasing it, smoke coming from his nostrils.

“Kirouac, may I request that a guard stays here to help insure that Neighsay remains healthy and has his rights fulfilled?” Celestia asked, wanting to make the reason for having Book here public.

Kirouac nodded before stealing a glance at Book.

Celestia smiled before turning to Book. “Book, I hereby assign you here to keep an eye on Neighsay, and try to see what you can learn here.”

Book’s eyes widened when she said that. “Um….what about my platoon?”

“I thought you didn’t like working with others?” Celestia asked.

Book shrugged when she said that. “Fair point.”

Celestia nodded before turning back to Kirouac. “I leave them in your care.” She told them before walking off to go see Light.

“Shall I show you to your rooms?” Kirouac asked both Book and Neighsay.

Book gave him a small bow. “Of course. I will show you the same respect I show Celestia as long as you respect the agreement between you two.”

Kirouac nodded before starting to walk off with Book. Neighsay was about to follow them willingly, but before he could, Kirouac waved his left claw in the air before snapping it, making Neighsay be pulled by the magic-inhibitor towards them, and forced him to follow them.

“I’d object to that, but he did do a decent job of beating up your people. I’m guessing he’s not much for a physical fight.” Book said before turning to Kirouac. “I do think he needs a medical check by the look of that bruise on his jaw. There may be some head trauma.”

“I’ll send a doctor to go see him.” Kirouac told Book before turning his head a bit more to look at Neighsay. “A half-breed doctor that is a Griffin-Zebra hybrid.” He told both of them.

“A griffon Zebra?” Neighsay asked in disbelief.

“Is this doctor trained in head injuries?” Book inquired.

“Yes.” Kirouac said. “She is the top doctor we have in that field. She is always called to watch over the Rugby, Hoofball and other contact sports being played. She knows what she's doing.”

“Sounds suitable.” Book said with a nod, knowing that he had to complete his duties of making sure that Neighsay was okay. “Also, may I make a personal request?”

“Yes, I can try to get you in the same sleeping quarters as your brother, but you may have to wait for one of the students to agree to move out.” Kirouac explained to Book, thinking that this was what he was going to ask.

“No, he’s a student, and I am a guard. My request was to get an update on his mental state, but I don’t think intruding in his group will help him any. I would like to sleep in private quarters, or someplace where I can keep close to Neighsay.” Book said with a deep breath. He knew that Light definitely was dealing with some mental struggles, but Book knew that he was hardly a shoulder to lean on. Book was brash, and not very empathetic. He was the last guy who should be rooming with Light right now.

“Oh, I understand now.” Kirouac said, before turning to look at Light. “You can see that he has two mare-friends that care for him very much. As for the sleeping quarters, I can offer you one of the rooms in the guard barracks that is open.” He let him know.

Book nearly chuckled at the idea of Light having two mare friends, wondering what his parents would say when they learned about them. Then again, with how crushed Light looked, he may need all the love he could get. “I’ll accept the rooming offer, just don’t expect me to be social.”

“From what I heard from both Light and Celestia, it would be a fruitless endeavor.” Kirouac said before laughing.

Book raised an eyebrow at this. “I see my name gets thrown around a lot.”

“Well, what other guard sticks out in Celestia’s guard?” Kirouac asked, relaxing a bit. “Plus, Light looks up to you, and it’s not because you’re a few inches taller than him.” He finished with a laugh.

Book gave Kirouac a sad look, then said, “I have been called stubborn, but Light calls me strong willed. I wish I could give him some confidence to help him.”

“Wel.l..” Kirouac turned to look at what Light was doing. “If this continues, he may not need you anymore.” He explained.

“If he doesn’t improve, I don’t think anypony can help him.” Book said bleakly.

Light was still crying his heart out, still frightened about what he had become. He was even more violent than before, and he couldn’t even control it. He was ready to cripple Neighsay, Celestia, and he would have possibly waged a one pony war against all of Equestria.

Flutter was still petting Light's head, trying to hide the tremble that she had in her hooves. Pinkie had to pet both of their heads to try to keep their morale up.

Light looked terrified as he saw Celestia walking towards him. “Y…you high…your highness…I… I’m…I’m…” Light couldn’t finish as he couldn’t control his emotions.

“At ease, Light Heart.” Celestia told him as she sat in front of him. “Please… tell me what you know and what you can recall.”

“I…I was angry…at what happened to my friends…and the people here…I…I wanted somepony to pay…I wanted justice…and when Neighsay attacked…I wanted to protect my friends at all costs…I was a violent idiot…I couldn’t even stop myself.” Light explained between sniffles

Celestia placed a hoof on Light. “Light...” She tried to find the words to calm him down. “What happened to you has happened before…and I am thankful that your friends were able to stop you before you were past the point of no return. It’s more than I was able to do for Luna.”

“So…you did know Luna…and you banished her?” Light asked curiously.

“You said things that were true, that had to be said….but…where did you learn them?” Celestia asked.

“I…found a place…where Luna once had an office or something. There was some stuff left by Daring Do…and I messed with a pair of old glasses.” Light explained as he hugged himself. “What happened between you two?”

Celestia took a deep breath before looking at Flutter and Pinkie. “I…I want you all to know. Can you please gather your friends who helped to stop Light?”

Both of the mares with pink manes nodded before bowing to Celestia, and then running off to get all of their friends.

“S…should they know?” Light asked nervously.

“They deserve to know.” Celestia said with a nod

They came back with Twilight, A.J., Dash and Rarity. “Did you want me as well?” Flash asked her, before bowing.

“Do you all trust him?” Celestia asked the group.

All the mares nodded, knowing how Light and Flash were best friends.

“Alright, you can stay and listen.” Celestia said with a nod.

Flash nodded before sitting next to Pinkie and Flutter. Light sat on their other side.

Celestia sat next to Light and draped a wing over him before she began to speak. “Luna is my… sister, my baby half sister.” She explained.

“Half sister?” Light asked, surprised.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, we have the same mother, but…her father was a thestral while my father, and my mother’s husband was a unicorn noble. My father is actually Blue Blood’s great great…grand-uncle.” She told them. “And just like you and Flash, Luna was born with Asperger syndrome. Though back then we didn’t know anything about it nor did we have a name for it. She was also bisexual and an idealist. She was the first ruler in Equestria's history who had the desire to unite the different pony races, not only the main three, but also the Crystal Ponies, Zebras, Thestrals and others, and even the non-pony tribes.” She wiped the tears that had begun falling from her eyes. “Like you can see, most of her dreams came true here.” She said while pointing to all of MoonRacer. “The nation is named after the nickname she got from her two loves, and I only know that a century after her banishment...” She started to weep in front of them as the memories came back to her. “I… I...”

“Your highness…what happened to her lovers?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“I…I don’t know.” Celestia admitted. “All I know is that they stayed here, and made MoonRacer the place that it is today.”

“So… why did you quarrel with her?” Applejack asked curiously.

“We didn’t always disagree. In fact, we used to be the best of friends.” Celestia said as a weak smile crept over her face. “We became alicorns together, and had many adventures together. We were so young and free back then. I would be the voice of reason while she always did whatever it took to protect me. But when mom passed away and…everything changed…” Celestia said with a disheartened sigh.

“Became alicons?” Both Light and Twilight asked.

“Yes. We ascended like you and Cadence.” Celestia explained. “We were so young, but we represented day and night. In spite of our differences, we went together.”

“Is that…so?” Light asked, now worried that he was going to outlive his friends and new mare-friends.

“Well…after mom passed, Luna and I took the throne. I didn’t think Luna could handle being a leader, so I did the brunt of the work, leaving only minor duties for Luna. I thought since she was the…” Celestia paused as she tried to keep from crying. “The child of a lover, that I was the main heir to the throne.” Celestia said with a sigh. “Power can always corrupt ponies. It was what corrupted me back then. Even though I thought I was in the right, I only primed the world for something it wouldn’t recover from.”

Light gulped as he remembered what he saw. “Luna…went to confront you…”

“Oh, that was years after our reign began.” Celestia assured him. “She took the free time I gave her and put it into grand ideas. She saw the poverty on our streets, and saw the stress between mixed races, let alone the outcasts of other nations. So she thought up a new city where the unwanted and downtrodden can thrive.”

“LavenderDream and MoonRacer!?” Flash asked.

“Yes. LavenderDream was a place she made herself, the original model if you may. I tried forbidding her from doing it, fearing it may bring division…but I chose my words poorly, and Luna decided to take my advice and…act like a Princess. Her ambition caught the attention of a god…who is a pain in the flank.” Celestia said with a small shudder. “Discord…”

Flash paused when he heard this. “I…I have heard of that name.” He admitted.

“He is a trickster god, sowing discord and chaos wherever he goes, mainly for laughs and giggles. However, when he saw what Luna was doing, he was tickled by the idea of a misfit kingdom. So he asked the gods to help bless a land created for misfits, calling it his good deed of the century.” Celestia said with a small sigh. “Although I am going off of what he told me.”

“And what did he do after that?” Flash asked with worry.

“The gods blessed the land we are standing on. Tell me, when was the last time MoonRacer had a famine?” Celestia asked curiously. “And why is it that a land this small is so abundant in natural resources?”

“I…I have a Theory, but I don’t want to say it.” Flash admitted.

“Go ahead. Even if you are wrong, it’s good to learn from it.” Celestia encouraged him.

“Well, I know for a fact that Gems are rare and valuable in Equestria, but there is an abundance of them here and they are super common in the dragon lands.” Flash started.

“Go on…” Celestia said, wanting to hear him out.

“And we have both Ponies and dragons that live here.” Flash added. “So the dragons go to the... Dragon Lands. They get some gems, come back to Canterlot, give them to the “normal” ponies, and exchange them for what is rare for them, but cheap and common for us.” Flash finished.

“That’s how it works in Equestria, but not MoonRacer. MoonRacer’s blessing is that they won’t face drought, famine, or lack of resources so long as the creatures work for it. Whether it is woodcarving or being a guard, every pony does their part, save the kids, elderly, and the disabled who can’t work… along with a few other exceptions.” Celestia explained. “That’s why there is no money here. The fruit of the earth is their payment.”

Flash exhaled, feeling relieved by the information Celestia gave. “Oh…phew...” He sighed in relief. “I'm glad that our lands are protected like that.”

“Well, Luna started the second kingdom, and it became more prosperous than the first. Things were going smooth as she built her dream but…it became more rough for the two of us.” Celestia said with a sigh.

“Did you get jealous of your baby sister’s success?” Flash asked.

“We started arguing about how our nations should be run. I was furious that she went behind my back, and she wanted to have her methods implemented. I…I called her many things that I regret. I thought it made me smarter than her. Our relations got more taxed as I refused to acknowledge or make accommodations for those who I considered to be her kind. I…sowed seeds of discord that even the god of chaos himself couldn’t accomplish in his wildest dreams. Even then, he always claimed that he never liked the whole prejudice thing, namely because there wasn’t an exact species he belonged to.”

“Based on what I heard about Discord, he is all creatures and none at the same time.” Flash said. “But surely you wouldn’t outcast your sister just because of her success and her viewpoints.”

“I…I wasn’t the pony I am today.” Celestia admitted. “Luna started spending more and more time in her hidden nation…and I became more and more indifferent to her kind. Light…what did you see when you wore those lenses?”

“Umm...” Light tried to think back and recall what took place when he tried on the glasses. “I… I saw her… in her true form, bat wings, eyes and all. She was talking with a griffin, she was about to go see you, and before she left she left behind a wooden toy sword.” He added.

“I…I didn’t know that Kirouac’s sword was once wood…” Celestia said thoughtfully before remembering the old toy that Luna used to play with. “It had to have been Discord’s idea.”

“Was it one of her favorite toys when she was young?” Light asked.

“Yeah…we played princess and knights.” Celestia explained with a small smile at the happy memory before she remembered her last memory of her sister and her smile faded. “We met in the castle of the two sisters…the one our mom named after us. We…argued like never before…and I…I said something that I could never take back…no matter how much I wanted too.”

Both Light and Flash placed a hoof over Celestia’s shoulders, before the others did the same.

“I…I said that she was never my sister…” Celestia said through her tears.” I…I was so stupid. I pushed my sister over the edge, and I made something…more dangerous than Light’s… Guardian…”

As Celestia cried, every pony hugged her. “C… Celestia…did she do what I did?” Light asked out of fear.

Celestia nodded. “She became Nightmare Moon. She…terrified me. She swore that my kind would pay, and that the foolish ponies blinded by my sun would live under her moon for the rest of time, and that I would be an example to those who would dare to stand in her way.”

Flash winced when he heard this as he thought of similar types of transformations he or his friends had experienced.

“I…I don’t know how she transformed into Nightmare Moon, or how Light transformed into a similar form. I don’t know if all alicorns have this…inner demon made of the best and worst of them…or if there is a spirit that possesses them, or if…there are other factors involved.” Celestia said, not wanting to jump to the conclusion that autistic alicorns are the only ones who experience this sort of transformation.

“Have you ever been upset before?” Flash asked. “Like Luna and Light were?”

“I…suppose…I am an old mare, and the angriest I ever recall being is before Luna became Nightmare Moon. Ever since then…I learned to hold my tongue and control my more volatile emotions.” Celestia explained.

“But did you let your emotions overcome you?” Flash asked.

“Maybe…I don’t know.” Celestia admitted with a shrug. “Maybe Luna’s fall stopped me…but I was never able to ask her. I had to defend myself from my enraged sister.”

“Well…it would seem that as long as you don’t get… an emotional panic attack, you’ll be fine?” Flash suggested.

“I don’t know.” Celestia repeated before turning to Light. “Can you tell us what triggered it?”

Light turned away from the group, looking haunted by the memory of his transformation. “I…I don’t know…and I don’t want to repeat it…”

Rarity could tell that the thought of the transformation was painful to Light, so she decided to turn the attention to Celestia once more. “So…you banished Luna?”

“Nightmare Moon, Luna…I banished them both. There were these artifacts that are more powerful than anything I had ever seen before. The elements of Harmony. The elements that harnessed the magic of friendship and used that magic in many powerful ways. My sister and I used them during our adventures together. They…connected us…and our friendship…before our falling out.”

“So any pony can use them?” Twilight asked curiously.

“No… they need to have a specific connection with them. Luna and I had a connection with them…and I used them as a last resort to stop my sister…”

Celestia wiped her eyes before she continued to speak.

“My last act with the Elements of Harmony…was breaking that bond we had.” She explained, as she ran a hoof over her mane. “My mane was pink before I banished her. I guess it was transformed by the magic of the Elements to forever remind me of what I had done.”

“So what happened then?” Dash asked eagerly.

“I…had a vision of my actions…which led to us falling apart. I was shown that this was my fault for losing the trust of my sister. I allowed my pride to destroy our friendship.” Celestia explained with a sigh. “The gods cursed me for using the Elements of Harmony on my sister. I spent a thousand years seeing the fallout of my actions without aging a day. The world got to see me as a shining example…when I was the one who tore it apart.”

“So…why did you take me, Spike, and Light in?” Twilight asked, looking worried for her mentor.

“Because I have been trying to turn the tide for a long time now. I have tried many things, but I could not find it in me to be the pony who ends up bringing our nations together…after I tore them apart. I have done my best to improve international relations, but I can’t get ponies to listen on an emotional level. I am a Princess who has been around for centuries. They respect my rule, but I can only give rules. I can’t change their hearts. So I try to help ponies who have the ability to help change those hearts.” She explained as she looked at Twilight and Light.

“So…that’s why Cadence was the first pony you took in?” Pinkie asked as she was sitting at attention.

“Yes. An alicorn who understood love. She was the pony who I believed would start the change, and then I wanted to make a habit of taking kids in.” She explained. “Spike was second. I couldn’t bear to see that child abandoned. So I took him in, hoping that he would give others the care he didn’t have at birth.” She explained as she saw Spike being carried to the hospital.

“And the other two?” Fluttershy asked as she looked at Twilight and Light.

“Twilight was an amazing magical pupil, and I saw something in her…that made me believe that she could help lay the path of the future.” Celestia said before looking at the ashamed alicorn. “And…I saw a bit of Luna in you, Light. I…I thought if I could help you…it would give me some insight on how I could have helped Luna…but…I guess I didn’t do enough to help you…”

“So.. you are stuck like this, unable to get older until you can undo what you did!?” Flash asked. “And were there other alicorns during your time?”

“There were a few, but none who took the throne. There were a couple of fighters that saved our nation in times of war, and a few healers. Some alicorns I’ve only heard of, but none of them were able to change the tide.” Celestia explained somberly.

Light felt confused, wondering why those alicorns couldn’t make the changes she expected him to make. It felt humbling to know that he was dragging the title of the alicorns to the ground.

Flash and the rest tried to think of anything else that they wanted to ask.

“Celestia…I’m sorry…but I am not the pony that you saw in me…” Light said as he weakly got up. “I…I’m too volatile. Who else will I hurt by not being able to control myself? I…I can’t be something I am not. I’m done with any training involving magic, and I can’t change the world. I…I’m sorry.” Light said as he started to walk away, keeping his head hung low.

“Light! Wait!” Celestia cried out. “This was just an accident…”

“Celestia…I thought I found my place here. I found mares who loved me, friends who accepted me, and I didn’t have to stress about being an alicorn. Now look at what I did!” Light said as he gestured to the battlefield around them. “I hurt creatures, and would have done worse if I wasn’t stopped. I can’t go back to Equestria knowing that I did this because I was mad at them. I probably lost every chance of having a life here either.”

“Light…please listen…” Celestia pleaded.

“No! I am unstable, and everypony around me is in danger. If I lose control again…” The group saw Light tearing up as he looked terrified of himself. “Then I will become a bigger monster than Nightmare Moon. I…I can’t put you all at risk. I’m sorry.” Light said as he started running towards his room.

Flash and Light’s pink haired mare-friends were about to run after him, but the rest of his friends stopped them. “We don’t know what Light’s going through right now. Maybe he needs some time alone.” Dash suggested.

“I…” Flutter held back her tears. “I want to be there for him.”

Pinkie hugged Flutter. “And I want to make him smile.” She told her while petting her head.

“And I am afraid of what he might do if he is left to his own devices.” Celestia agreed as she turned to the two mares. “Go talk to him, but be gentle.”

Both pink maned mares nodded before going after Light, Pinkie walking behind Flutter, wanting her to be the one to talk to him first.

As the mares ran off, Celestia lowered her head as she sat down on the ground. “I…I am sorry for everything, and I know that I can never fully repay everyone for what I have done.”

As Celestia cried, she suddenly felt a set of hoofs wrap around her neck, and hug her. “It’s okay.”

Flash was hugging her, whispering in her ear. “We may have lost Luna, but we can forgive you for the past.”

Twilight sniffled as she hugged Celestia as well. “You helped me become the pony I am now. I don’t care who you were. All I care about is who you are now. My mentor.”

Celestia smiled weakly as the rest of the friends walked over to comfort her.

Fluttershy and Pinkie ran into Light’s room to see Light panicking as he was packing his bags, only tossing in what he thought were essentials.

When Light placed one thing in a suitcase, Flutter would take it out with her Kirin magic, float it over his head and place it back where he took it from. It took Light putting the same hammer in his bag for the tenth time before he realized what was going on.

“Whomever is there, please don’t stop me.” Light asked firmly.

“L…Light! Stop, Please stop.” Flutter beged, Pinkie cheering her from behind.

“Flutter, what will happen if I lose control again? Who will I hurt next time? My family? You?” Light asked with a hint of fear. “This is the best option for you all.”

“Light, I… I… I’m not scared of you.” Flutter said boldly. “I know you, and you would never want to, nor let yourself hurt what you love.” She said, trying to be assertive. “Pinkie and I love you the way you are, flaws and all.” She said, taking one step at a time as she walked towards Light. “You…do you hear me!? I want to be with you.” She said, finally stopping in front of Light’s face.

Light looked at her, looking scared at the thought of hurting her or Pinkie. “Flutter, I do care about you, and I believe you deserve more than me. Please! If I lose control again…I don’t want to wake up to find that I hurt you in some way.” Light pleaded.

“L…Light! I can protect myself from you.” Flutter said boldly, trying to make her mane light on fire, but only managing to get the hair around her ears on fire.

“Fluttershy, you have to hate me in order for your mane to hurt me, and I don’t want to do that to you.” Light said as he closed his bag. “Just forget me and find a stallion who can give you what I can’t.”

“A good reason to make me actually scared?” Flutter asked.

“Somepony who isn’t a monster.” Light said somberly as he lowered his head. “If I hurt you or Pinkie, then I have nothing to live for.”

Flutter gently rubbed his cheek as she looked at his tear stained eyes. “If you leave, then we will never find a kind or loving stallion like you.” She explained as she got close to him.

“What if I lose control again?” Light asked out of fear.

“Then we will be there to keep you reigned in.” Fluttershy promised him before lifting Light’s chin gently and kissing him on his lips.

Pinkie joined in their kiss, going from his cheek to his ear and eventually joining at the mouth, making a three way kiss. Light was worried at first at the kiss, but he slowly relaxed as he accepted their embrace.

Both Flutter and Pinkie started to pet Light’s back and wings, causing Light to moan a little in the kiss before pulling away. “G...girls… please promise me something…”

The both nodded. “What is it?” They asked.

“Please stop me if I ever fall again by whatever means necessary.” Light pleaded with a longing look, clearly meaning that he wanted them to be able to stop him like Celestia stopped Luna.

They both nodded. “We will.” Flutter said.

“But I’m not going to stop you from falling for us.” Pinkie said before rubbing her back on Light’s, reminding him what he would lose if he ever broke up with them.

Light gave a weak smile as he rubbed his cheek against theirs. “I… I’m done being an alicorn. From now on I will be Light Heart, a toymaker.” Light promised them.

Both mares nodded before going back to a three-way kiss. Light wrapped his wings around them into a hug, promising that he’d never let them go, or lose control again. He knew what that meant. He could never go back to Equestria. He couldn’t allow his need for justice to overthrow his common sense.

They all pulled each other to Light's bed, cleared some room, by throwing everything down onto the floor, and just rested next to one and other for the remainder of the day.

Spike groaned as he started to wake up, finding himself on a hospital bed. His head was fuzzy, as he only remembered his friends hovering over him before he drew a blank.

“He…he’s waking up.” A Striped griffon in a lab coat said while monitoring Spike. “Tell me.” She began while flashing a light into Spike’s eyes.”How many claws do I have up?” She asked while showing three.

“T...three…what happened?” Spike asked as he was trying to rub his head.

“Well…do you remember Neighsay?” She asked, not liking to repeat the name of the one that would do something like he did that to a poor innocent defenseless student.

“Yeah…I remember getting hurt. Tell me what happened after my friends got there?”

“Well…how to explain. Light got mad and lost control of his power, Celestia showed up to help manage the situation, and now Neighsay is a…prisoner in our land?” The doctor tried to explain.

“Civil servant.” Book corrected him as he walked into the room in his uniform. “He’s going to work to make up for his crimes in a legal manner.” Book stated as he turned to the doctor. “I’d like an update on his medical condition please.”

“Well…he looks fine, I think.” The doctor said while looking at her notes, and at Spike’s medical file.

“Think or know?” Book asked firmly.

“Well, his normal should be a mix of what we should expect from a…Crystal Unicorn.” The doctor said. “And I take it that you’re Book, the guard assigned to watch over the “civil servant” yes?” She asked.

“Of course…” Book paused when he heard the last part. “Crystal unicorn?”

“Yes, Spike’s body isn’t like what we should expect from an “Earth Pony”. He has unicorn magic, but it flows through his bones and the rest of his body is like a Crystal Pony.” The doctor said while looking at Spike’s paper.

“Oh, I thought you were talking about Neighsay. So…that’s what the chemicals did to him?” Book asked curiously.

“Yes, well that’s what his medical report and what I can see is telling me. But it could have…dragon magic as far as I know.” The doctor admitted. “I would have to run some more tests.”

“Well, update the King and Princess Celestia when you get the chance. Now I have two questions for you; One, when will Neighsay be ready to start working off his hours? I do recognize that Light gave him the back-hoof of the century.” Book said, as he kept things professional.

“Neighsay is still conscious?” The doctor asked.

“Yeah, also silent, embarrassed and nervous even though he won’t show it.” Book explained.

“Make sure that he doesn’t fall asleep until I can see him and make sure that he reacts well to anesthesia.” She asked Book.

“I already have him in a bed, sitting straight up. I will be checking on him in a minute.” Book said with a nod.

“And, if you can find them, contact Light’s family. He may need to see them.” The Doctor told Book, not knowing that he was part of Light's family.

“His family will be unreachable for a while.They are on a camping trip, and I don’t think there is anything I can say to my little brother.” Book explained before turning to Spike. “Did the blood transfusion work well? Celestia and his friends are begging for updates on the young prince.”

“Yes, we have managed to make a blood sample that is similar and close enough to Spike’s current blood by mixing and extracting A.J. and Flash’s blood.” The doctor explained. “And…wait…what did you say about you and Light?”

“He’s my little brother.” Book explained bluntly.

“Oh…and he became an alicorn!?” The doctor asked while wincing.

“Yep, and he wasn’t good at magic to begin with. Makes you wonder what being an alicorn is all about.”

“And, you… you don’t seem to hold any jealousy.” The doctor said to Book.

“He has enough personal issues, and I have better things to do with my time than cry my eyes out because my little brother got wings.” Book said firmly. “I am a guard. I have a job to do.” Book said before turning to Spike. “I’ll let your friends know that you are okay.”

“Thanks…I think.” Spike said as he looked at where the bandages were. “So…how bad was it?”

“Well…your mare-friend was crying while holding you in her arms, while a white crystal pony wearing orange was trying to save you with the help of a yellow zebra with cloven-hoofs.” Book explained. “But you’re alive, so…”

“So, Rarity carried me in while Flash and Fluttershy were saving me. Was I hurt that bad?” Spike asked.

“You jumped into the way of a magic blast.” Book both told and pointed out to Spike. “What did you think would happen?”

“Well…either my skin got burned, I got a skin graph, my bones shattered, or I had organs damaged.” Spike said, remembering the injuries that were often recorded in history books.

“Were you trying to make your mare-friend into a widow!?” Books asked. “I don’t know if she could apply for the royal spousal insurance or if the treasurer would want to let her receive it."

“It was either her or me getting hurt, and I took the hit. Wouldn’t you do the same if it was Light who was going to get hit?” Spike asked the guard.

“I wouldn’t even hesitate.” Book said proudly, before pausing to think and ask himself if an alicorn would even get hurt by this.

“Well, that’s what I did for the mare I love, and I wouldn’t change a thing.” Spike said firmly before laying back again. “Also, she’s my marefriend, not my spouse.”

“Ya, but there are stories of non-married ponies getting their insurance.” Book said while trying to recall it.

“We don’t even have money here. What would be the point?” Spike asked him bluntly.

“There are other things like money, like…your comic book collection!” Book said.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Book, am I currently in a body bag?”

“No, but you should make your will before that.” Book told Spike. “It’s one thing about being a hero they don’t teach you about. The fallout.” Book explained as his gaze fell to the side, looking like he experienced it before. He then turned to the doctor and asked, “Do I have permission to assure Celestia and his friends that Spike is okay and then return to my post? I don’t want to leave Neighsay alone.”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, you can return to your post. I’ll tend to Neighsay now, Spike is in stable condition.” She said before turning to Spike and saying, “Just press the blue round button if you want me to call me back, the yellow square if there is something that is bothering you, and the red triangle if there is an emergency.” She told him before turning to the door.

“Doc, you never answered my question. How bad was I hit?” Spike asked sternly.

The doctor sighed as she faced him. “You lost a lot of blood, and you needed a skin graph. Besides that, you are fine.” She assured him.

Spike nodded before asking. “Can…can I get a visit from…” He blushed as he thought about the mares who cared about him. “My friends?”

“Um…sure…if you feel up to it. Would you like your mother here first?” The doctor asked him.

“I…if she’s close by.” Spike said before the door opened, and his mother, Princess Celestia walked in. “Aww come on! I know she’s royalty, but if she could just wait a minute I would get her.”

Book ignored the doctor’s whining and saluted the princess. “Permission to return to my post?”

“Permission granted.” Celestia told Book. “But, you now need to seek permission from Kirouac, now that you will be staying here until Neighsay’s sentence is over.”

“Already done. Rooming is already sorted, and I made it clear that he’ll be respected by me as long as he holds to the agreement you two made.” Book explained.

“I know he will.” Celestia said, trying to hide her blush as she made her way to her son’s bed. “Can it…can it be only the two of us?” She asked nicely.

“Of course your majesty.” The doctor said before bowing and walking away.

Spike did his best to give a smile to his mother. “Hi mom. Are Rarity and the others alright?”

Celestia nodded. “They…I can see that they care a lot for you, and love you.” She admitted with a smile.

“Yeah…they are great friends.” Spike said with a nod. “It’s…partly what’s keeping me here.”

“I…know, here they care about who you are, instead of what you are.” Celestia said with a small sigh. “I admittedly envy you.”

Spike looked confused when she said that. “Envy? Why would you envy me?”

“Because you’re able to let go, live in MoonRacer, and…BE FREE” She told him. “You can stay here, live, love and be around friends who actually love and care about you, instead of just being nice because of what you are or what others want from you.” She said with a second sigh.

Spike looked concerned when he saw how disheartened she was. “Is this about you never finding your special somepony?”

“I…ummm…” She blushed. “Can you keep a secret from your friends for me?”

Spike nodded before trying to lean closer to his mom.

“I…fell in love a few years ago…something that I haven’t felt in a thousand years.” Celestia whispered softly.

“Oh...that's good!” Spike said with a smile. “Who is this lucky stallion?” He asked.

“Um…well…”

“Mare?” Spike asked, seeing how hesitant she was to call her love a stallion.

“He is male…and charming too. He…is pure of heart… and I see a lot of the qualities I have raised you to have in him. A gentlecolt, a leader, a servant's heart…” Celestia gave a longing sigh as she thought about him.

“Who…is he?” Spike asked. “I would like to meet him.” He begged his mom.

“Oh…you have…a few times.” She said quietly.

“Who?” Spike asked. “FLASH!?” He asked, now scared at the idea of his mom dating somepony so young.

“What?!? No!!!” Celestia exclaimed, but not before earning the attention of Book.

“Is something wrong, your highness?” Book asked quickly.

“No no no.. I'm just talking to my son about how my day has been.” Celestia told Book.

“Okay…” Book said curiously before returning to the door opening. “False alarm! Get back out there and stand at your posts!” Book barked as he went back to his post. “Flipping newbies can’t tell the difference between shock and fear.”

Celestia turned back to her son. “It’s…it’s Kirouac, the king of MoonRacer.”

Spike’s eyes widened as he looked at his blushing mother. “Really?!?”

She nodded. “Yes, I…I love him and he loves me back.” She admitted.

“Really? Then why haven’t you two tied the knot and helped build a new alliance between our nations?” Spike asked with a big smile.

“But… she looked to the side. “Canterlot wouldn’t…let us.” She said with sadness.

“Oh…” Spike looked upset as she explained that. “Is that why you were okay with me staying here?”

Celestia nodded with tears in her eyes. “I don’t want you to be restrained like I am.” She explained. “I may have lived for a Thousand Years, but I haven’t actually been given the chance to live since I was your age.”

“I…see. Well…It looks like I’m still going to have to work on my side project.” Spike said with determination.

“Oh really?” Celestia asked him. “What is this side project?”

“I’m going to keep working with Twilight and Light on changing the world to get half breeds accepted.” Spike said with a smile.

Celestia nodded. “And I’ll do my best to try to help out, as much as I can.” She said with sorrow.

“Come on.We’re a team, and we have friends. I’m not taking impossible for an answer anymore.” Spike said, still not knowing about Celestia’s past, or Light’s outburst.

“Yes…I…I’m going to let you rest now.” She said before getting up, and starting to walk to the door.

“Hey mom, let the others know that I’m alright.” Spike said to her before she walked all of the way out.

Celestia nodded before opening the door and leaving the room.

Almost as soon as she walked out, Rarity ran into the room with Applejack and Dash, all looking worried about Spike. “Oh my heroic prince, are you okay? What did the doctor say?” Rarity asked as she was checking Spike’s head to make sure that he was cognitive.

Spike blushed as Rarity placed a hoof on his forehead. A.J. craned her neck, trying to look around Rarity to see Spike while Dash was hovering over them all. “Rare, you may want to let him breathe.” Applejack suggested.

“Yeah, and I’m fine. I’m guessing that I got lucky when I got hit. The doc said that I just ended up getting a skin graph.” Spike explained. “How are the others? The doctor didn’t explain what happened after the rest of you showed up.”

The girls looked at one another before turning back to Spike to tell him what happened. They went through all of the details of Light losing control, to Celestia banishing Luna. Spike had no clue how to feel about hearing this about one of his best friends, and his mother.

“I…I can’t believe that my mom would do something like that.” Spike said as he rubbed his head. “H…how long was I out of it?”

“Oh um…” The girls looked at each other. “Five hours.” A.J. told Spike. “I think you passed out after Light snapped out of it, and Flash and I offered to be blood donors right away. They kept you under for the skin graph, and it wore off before Celestia went in there.”

Spike nodded nervously. “Oh…anything else that changed while I was out?” He asked.

“Well, Light hasn’t left his room, but Pinkie and Flutters are still with him, so he may end up being fine.” Dash said with a hopeful smile. “Neighsay has…”

“I heard about him.” Spike assured her.

“So you know that we’ll be seeing him around.” Dash said before doing the gag motion with her claw.

“Yeah, but at least he can’t suspend me or anything like that.” Spike said with a chuckle.

“No, but this jerk can still be a pain in the flank.” Dash said, getting a nod from the others.

“Don’t worry. Book is watching him, and he doesn’t take attitude from others.” Spike assured them.

“The thing that Neighsay should know is not to harm Flash.” Applejack explained.

“Oh yeah, ScullCrusher.” Spike said with a small grin.

“Oh, he’s a teddy bear. It’s his mother that Neighsay should fear.” Dash said with a grin. “If he hurts Flash, then she will make sure that he won’t make it back to Equestria in one piece.”

“Or even back at all.” A.J. added before turning to Spike. “Is there anything that you want us to get for your room?” She asked him.

“My homework? I don’t know how long I’ll be stuck here.” Spike admitted.

“We can try to get Twilight to do it for you.” Dash suggested.

“Oh, our writing is very different.” Spike pointed out.

“But they don’t know yet.” Dash pointed out before hearing Book clear his throat from down the hall.

“They will, and if mom finds out, she’ll chew my ears out.” Spike pointed out before remembering to tell the other two. “By the way, she approves of our relationship.”

“All three of us?” A.J. asked nervously.

“Yep. Apparently she wants me to be with ponies who I love and who love me back without being restrained by royal politics.” Spike explained as he thought about all that his mom went through in the last thousand years. Maybe she thought she wasn’t worth loving?

“That..that’s great.” A.J. said before kissing his cheek. “Though, I should probably tell Granny.” She admitted.

“Yeah, and if she wants me to buck apples, ask her if I can wait until I finish healing.” Spike said as he looked at his bandages again.

Applejack laughed. “She may think you are too weak, my little Canterlot colt.” She told Spike before laughing once more.

“Hey, I’ve got a little magic on my side, and I am still an earth pony.” Spike said with a chuckle.

“An earth pony that was born and raised in Canterlot.” Rarity told Spike before playing with his cheeks.

“I’m on some sports teams.” Spike insisted.

“Aw…and here I was, wanting to convince you to stay next to me, while A.J. and Dash do all of the hard work.” Rarity said with a giggle.

“But I am a gentle colt. These bandages prove it.” Spike said with a grin.

“I know.” Rarity said while getting closer to kiss Spike.

“Yeah, you’re a bonafide hero.” Dash said as she and Applejack kissed his cheek while Rarity took the lips.

Spike wrapped his hoofs around their necks, being in complete bliss.

Celestia gave a soft sigh as she walked up to Kirouac in Luna’s old cave. “So this is it? Wow…she always did want a cave lair.” She said with a small giggle as she looked at the artifacts in there.

“Yes…and based on what I found she would have wanted to live here with her loves.” Kirouac told Celestia while she looked around the room that was once her sister’s.

Celestia sighed as she looked at the horseshoes. “If only I had the wisdom I now have.”

Kirouac draped a wing over her body. “Don’t beat yourself up over this again. Like a great philosopher once said, if you cringe at something you did in the past that means that you have matured.” He told her before kissing her cheek.

Celestia nodded before turning to Kirouac. “Do you mind if we give these to one of Twilight’s friends? I’d like some insurance for her friend.”

“Which one?” Kirouac asked while looking at what Celestial was holding.

“The mana channeler. Twilight talked to me about Flash, and apparently he has three things on his bucket list. To fly, to swim, and to be able to do magic. These will make at least one of them come true.” Celestia explained. “I’d like to give these to him with the condition that he makes sure that Twilight and her friends stay together as friends and safe.” Celestia explained calmly.

“You think it’s such a good idea.” He asked her. “And…do you want to be the one to tell him?”

“If you wish, but I think that it’s happening. I saw the elements in them. My sister shall soon be free, and the prophecy will be fulfilled.” Celestia said hopefully.

“There are only 6 elements, what are the guys going to do?” Kirouac asked, concerned for Celestia.

“I don’t know yet, but the world is about to turn upside down, and destiny is on the clock now.” Celestia said as she looked at Luna’s throne. “I can only hope that they are ready for this…” Celestia froze in place before heading back towards the forge. “Maybe I should also give Book those throwing stars…whatever they are?”

“If you think so.” Kirouac told her before grabbing her arm and stopping her.

“W…what is it?” Celestia asked, looking worried.

“Do…we you have to go now? He asked her.

“What do you mean?”

“Can…can you stay with me here…a bit longer, while we are alone?” He asked her.

“Oh?” Celestia asked with a blush. “And what do you want to do down here?” She asked with a small blush.

“Umm...” Kirouac blushed as well. “Be with you...”

Celestia giggled mischievously as she got close to him. “Well, in case something goes wrong, I want to be able to say I did this.” She said before giving Kirouac a peck on the lips.

Kirouac embraced Celestia’s kiss before wrapping his claws around her neck, feeling relieved by having a single moment of forbidden bliss. He pulled her close to him, causing him to lose his balance and falling over onto his back, taking Celestia with him.

Celestiua giggled as she looked into Kirouac’s eyes. “Oh, I’d give my kingdom up to be with you if I could.”

“And I as well.” Kirouac told her before kissing her on the lips passionately, adding his dragon tongue into her mouth.

Celestia moaned softly, wishing that she could have Kirouac at her side.

He broke the kiss before looking into her Magenta colored eyes. “We just have to find a worthy successor to take our place.” He told her before going back to kiss her.

“But…what about your kingdom? I… I still have Cadence, but who would replace you?” Celestia asked nervously.

Kirouac stopped his kissing before looking down at his side where his sword was. “Whoever can lift my sword shall rule in my stead.” He said with sorrow.

“Well…let’s wait for the right moment to do this. My fate is coming soon, and is uncertain.” Celestia reminded him.

“But my heart, my brain and my body yearns for you.” He told her before passing his tongue over the corner of her ear, making her shiver in pleasure.

“OH…” Celestia moaned softly. “H… how long will we be alone down here?”

Kirouac looked around before smiling at Celestia. “For as long as we want.” He told her before rubbing his horn on her.

Celestia blushed as she thought about it. “Well…I guess we can have a little fun, just in case we don’t get another chance…”

Kirouac smiled at that before he placed his claws over her body, and pulled her over his body.

Neightsay groaned as he was stuck on a medical bed, kept in an area away from the Prince. He felt grateful that the alicorn’s brother was taking his job seriously, but he still felt humiliated to be treated like a prisoner, let alone the fact that a Canterlot guard was keeping an eye on him.

“Stop complaining.” Book told him. “Be grateful that both rulers showed you mercy after attacking this peaceful country.” Book said while thinking about how everypony had been nice to him. “You should also be happy that there isn’t an angry mob after you.”

“Of course they wouldn’t go after me. I’m currently their prisoner.” Neighsay grumbled. “Either that or they have some ammature working on me.”

“I already looked into the doctor. She is one of the best neurosurgeons here, although a good part of the tech here is beyond me.” Book admitted as he looked around. “How’s that head of yours by the way?”

“Are you my doctor now?” Neighsay replied snarkily. “Are you going to give me a lollipop for being a brave little colt?” He asked before rubbing his head with his hoof.

“Keep in mind that your security is in my hooves right now. I am the top combatant in my class, and am only protecting you because of my orders. Now, one of my duties is to make sure that you are healthy, so how much does it hurt where my little brother hit you?” Book asked coldly, not putting up with Neighsay’s attitude.

“You don’t need to rub it in that your little brother is a little uncontrollable.” Neighsay said, angering Book.

“And he’s an alicorn who back hoofed you, a nut who just attacked his friends and injured a Prince. Frankly, I’m sure Equestria would like him back more than you.” Book said coldly.

“Oh yes, let’s put Celestia’s crown on him and have him cry in the corner when Canterlot needs him!” Neighsay said.

“Better than having you for a tyrant!” Book barked back. “It might be my job to protect you, but let me make it clear that my job is the only reason why I do so. Don’t swat away the hoof that is protecting you!” Before either one of them could continue the argument, Book heard a knock at the door. “Come in!” He said calmly before straightening up.

The doctor walked in, looking just how Kirouac described her. “I take it that he is my patient?” She asked, not seeming to be amused by the events surrounding the prisoner.

“Yeah, and he’s expecting a lollipop.” Book quipped coldly.

“Well I only have yellow and green ones left.” She said with a smirk. “Now tell me, where did he hit you?” She asked Neighsay with a hint of a patronizing tone in her voice.

Neighsay scowled at her. “I am not some mere child to be toyed with.”

“That’s what they all say.” She said while flashing a light in Neighsay’s eyes.

Neighsay winced at the light. “Is that really necessary?”

“Did you graduate medical school?” Book asked him with a rather annoyed tone.

“Please stop moving so I can see if your eye’s pupils expand properly.” She told Neighsay with annoyance.

“So, what medical experience do you have?” Neighsay asked, not thinking that she would have any modern medical knowledge.

She rolled her eyes before starting to name off multiple medical terms while doing her job of taking care of Neighsay, namely using her credentials to keep him silent and focused. She even went through her most complicated operation with him just to impress him. “...And I managed to do open brain surgery, removing both of the tumors before closing the head back only leaving a barely noticeable scar around the mane line.” She said with a huff as she was done with her check up. She got out a bottle of painkillers and a lotion and handed it to him as he was still staring at her in disbelief. “Take two pills right now, one after each meal for the day, and take this cream and rub it on wherever it hurts, especially where you have cuts.” She told him with a smugness in her voice.

“So, she’s smarter than you.” Book summarized with a grin.

She got up before looking Book over, making sure that he was fine too, much to his annoyance.

Neighsay looked rather irritated by this. “Figures… considering you were probably being fed this stuff your whole life.”

“Yes, I had the pleasure of living here.” She told him. “If you want to learn something, and you have free time, you can just go and learn it without losing anything, nor having to sacrifice.”

“Well, I worked hard to get into my position.” Neighsay said proudly.

“And yet nopony plans to make a statue of the guy.” Book quipped with a grin.

“Congrats, I managed to immediately start my medical school education, one week before my highschool graduation party.” She said proudly. “Instead of waiting to save enough to pay my way in, and only concentrate on my studies, I found a job between my classes to pay for my food.”

Neighsay looked confused by this. “How the hay does your economy even work?”

“We work to help each other out.” She said, recalling when she had to tell the Foreign students who were just there because it was the cheaper option how things in her country operated. “I don’t think of how I can selfishly enrich myself, but instead of how I can improve the life of everyone around me.” She explained. “Sorry, everypony around me.”

Book raised an eyebrow at that. “So that’s why Light likes it here…less pains in the flank.”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, it’s a country of cooperation, instead of greed.”

Book grinned as he looked at Neighsay. “Start taking notes smart guy. You may learn something, and I get to watch you do it.”

“Why, I thought he was the most prejudiced, not the smartest.” The doctor said with a small scoff.

“You’d think a chancellor would know better.” Book said, glad to get under his skin.

“Mhm...” The doctor said while looking at Neighsay, thinking of something.

“So, I guess I am free to go?” Neighsay asked sternly.

Book held back his laughter. “Oh no no no.” He said while shaking his hoof. “You still have more than a month here.” He explained.

“You mean to serve my sentence?” Neighsay asked, looking confused.

Book nodded. “Ya, it’s going to be a while before you can ever go back to Canterlot.” He explained.

“Y… you aren’t talking about me being stuck in the hospital for a month, right?” Neighsay asked, looking nervous.

The doctor pointed to the bars over the windows. “This is the medical center's cell room.” She explained.

Neighsay’s eyes widened as he realized it. “I… I didn’t know you had medical rooms for that…”

“Where do you treat your sick criminals?” She asked him.

“Well, you have a point, but it makes me wonder how often this place is used.” Neighsay said, trying to turn the tables on her.

“As much as the regular cells.” She told him. “So not much at all.” She told him with a laugh. “Right when you were stopped and the rulers decided to keep you here, the cleaners were asked to clean both this room, and where your sleeping quarters are.” She explained.

“I see…” He said, looking embarrassed.

“I got to see them finish cleaning it.” Book said before turning to the doctor. “Are we ready to secure him for the night?”

She nodded. “Yes, all of the doors are locked, and the only ones that are not are the ones that give us a straight path to his sleeping quarters.” She told Book.

“Alright. I’ll probably check in a couple times throughout the night to make sure he’s secured.” Book said with a nod.

She leaned towards Book’s ear before whispering in it, trying to make sure that Neighsay didn’t hear what she was saying.

Neighsay looked confused as the two ponies whispered to each other

“Should we go!?” Book asked the doctor as they finished with the whispering.

She nodded before placing her hoof on the door before unlocking it with a key that only Book and Kirouac had a copy of.

“Hey, you could at least have the common decency of giving me a name!” Neighsay called out to the doctor.

She turned back to Neighsay, after she was done opening the door. “You can call me, Doctor! Doctor Feather.” She told him. “Doctor Ruff-Feather!”

Light sat on her Royal throne, with her two lovers on either side. “How are matters with my subjects going, does our kingdom of MoonRacer please them?” Light asked her lovers.

“It’s so wondrous my queen.” Fluttershy said, petting Light with her soft and round hoof, while her normal zebra tail waged freely.

“Your people are thriving in this new land, and there is more harmony here than in Canterlot itself.” Pinkie said, before he clapped his claws together with a calm smile.

“That’s good.” Light said to her loves, before she opened her leathery bat wings up, and hugged her spouses.

“So, my queen, why don’t you stay here with us and help us start a family? Have a lineage of your own?” Fluttershy asked as she looked up to her with pleading eyes.

Light smiled at her, before kissing her on the lips, and sliding her hoof over Flutter’s bare back. “Love, I wish I could grant your wish of bearing my child.” Light said to her female love. “But I need to go and find others that will need the help of our Kingdom.” She told her before pulling Pinkie closer with her non-feathered wing, adding him to the hug. “Please promise me that you two are going to start a family even if I don’t come back from confronting my older half sister.”

“I…I do…but please, if it’s not worth the fight, walk away. There is no shame in stepping away in the name of peace.” Pinkie pleaded with her.

“If I don’t step up, then there will never be peace.” Light said firmly as she brushed her long mane back. “She needs to know that we have just as much worth as her.” She said before holding her necklace. “Listen, no matter what happens, we will always be connected.”

Her two loves nodded as they held up their parts of the necklace

They each brought their silver necklace pieces towards each other, connecting them into the form of a gold star with a sapphire crescent moon in it.

“United forever.” They all said before giving each other a kiss on the lips, making way for Pinkie’s beak.

Light took a deep breath before starting to walk to the entrance, getting a glance of her star night mane. “Time for the night to rise…”

Light gasped as he woke up with a start. It had to be early in the morning. He glanced down and realized that he had slept with Fluttershy and Pinkie again.

This time they had not taken the time to put on their P.J.s and slept next to one another.

Light felt rather bashful about being in a situation like this, but he felt comforted to have them next to him. But that dream was mind boggling to him. It was like he wasn’t even himself, but like Luna. He had no control over himself, like he was fixed on a course in that dream.

Pinkie stirred in her sleep, her paw grabbing his hoof. Light blushed as he felt her, giving a soft sigh as he laid back down.

His mare-friends did look strange in his dream, well… Pinkie did. Fluttershy was the same, but lacking any of her Kirin parts. As for Pinkie, she looked like a serious male griffon.

Then again, he felt the weirdest in the dream, sounding like a female and being taller than the others by a head. A part of him wanted to ask if that was a side effect of those glasses, but he was afraid of digging in any further.

But his reflection, he still had his colors but…but his body was a mare’s, but his feather wings were bat-like, just like… “Ah…sweet Luna...” Light muttered under his breath as it dawned on him.

Flutter started to stir when she heard his muttering.

“Whatcha groaning about?” Pinkie asked as she was waking up next to him.

“Um…nothing…just a bad dream.” Light lied, instantly regretting waking the others up.

“Really!?” Pinkie asked, her ears flopping down as she was hoping that he would have been feeling better by now.

Light looked concerned as Pinkie was staring at him. “I’m guessing that unnatural Pinkie sense of yours is sniffing something up.” Light said, knowing how well Pinkie was able to pick up things supernaturally.

“My tail was telling me that you were dreaming of us.” Pinkie explained.

“”Well… is that a bad thing?” Light asked, trying to play it off.

“And if you were dreaming of us, and it was a bad dream, that means that we’re a nightmare for you.” Pinkie said before her mane deflated.

“I wouldn’t call it a nightmare…more like a…I don’t know…a vision?” Light said with a gulp. “It was like…I was looking through somepony else’s eyes…and you two were following in the hoofprints of somepony else’s actions…” Light explained as he tried to think about what he saw.

“How bad could it be if we were with you?” Flutter asked Light before rubbing his shoulder.

“It’s just…I don’t know…”

“Unless we wouldn’t!?” Flutter asked with worry.

“What? No…it’s just…I think I am…I am haunted by the pony whose eyes I saw through.” Light explained as he was rubbing his head.

“Who was he?” Flutter asked Light, before laying her head on his shoulder.

“It…iit was a she…I was a she…with a stary mane and wings that felt smooth. Fluttershy…you looked like there wasn’t a drop of kirin blood in you…and Pinkie…you were a male griffin…I was a queen… and you two were my loves…and I was going to Canterlot…to confront my half sister…” Light explained, trying to think carefully.

Flutter blushed at that idea. “Oh…um..wow...”

“What happened? What happened?” Pinkie asked Light while hugging his arm. “What did you do? Did we kiss, did you win against your older sister?”

“We did kiss…and we each had a piece of a necklace…promising that even if I didn’t return, we’d be united.” Light said as he started to get up. “I…I woke up before I left…”

“Oh..” Flutter said while blushing as she thought about it.

“OH! Maybe it’s our future.” Pinkie told both of them. “And we are going to...”

“Um, he doesn’t have a half sister, and the species are wrong.” Fluttershy pointed out gently.

“I have the feeling that it’s somepony else’s past…” Light explained as he started climbing out of the bed. “And I think I know whose.”

“Really?” Pinkie asked, looking curious.

“I…I think I was looking at Luna’s past…before she had to leave. I already know that she was in love with a griffon general, and I also knew that she had another lover. What if those lenses I saw through had an after effect on my mind?” Light asked as he started pacing around the room.

“You mean, you are seeing parts of Luna’s past?” Fluttershy asked as she sat up.

“I…I think so. It’s either that or I’m losing my mind.” Light said, looking terrified at that thought.

“W…what are you going to do?” Pinkie asked.

“I'll tell Celestia and Kirouac…but my decision stands. No more magic lessons, and no more flying around for me. I’m going to just be a toymaker that will one day marry the loves of my life.” Light said firmly before giving them both a hug. “And I will never return to Canterlot.”

Both of Light Heart’s pink mane marefriends tried to hide their sorrow from him. They didn’t want him to stop accepting his body just because he was afraid of what it could do. But they also knew how emotionally fragile he was right now.

“Well…I understand some of it, but I don’t think a little magic would hurt.” Flutter tried to suggest.

“Levitation so I can keep making toys, and that’s all. I’m already bad at flying and magic, so I don’t have to worry about it too much.” Light said, not looking worried about not being able to do magic anymore. “Remember, I’m doing this to keep you two safe.”

Flutter turned Light’s head towards her before slowly nodding. “I.. understand.” She told him before kissing him on the lips, long and passionately.

Light relaxed as he returned the kiss. ‘Note to self, learn when I can get married to them.’ Light thought to himself.

Celestia stood outside of the castle. She finished giving her apology to the citizens while trying to hide any indication of what happened the other night. She was glad that this nation grew to be understanding, and was relaxed when the speech went more smoothly than she had planned. As the crowd turned away, she walked inside to see Kirouac and Book waiting for her. “Are the kids here?” Celestia asked, referring to Twilight, Spike, Light, and their friends.

“Well…all but three.” Book said, worried about his brother. “I…just hope his…marefriends are with him and helping.”

“I…understand. I can wait half an hour, but then I’ll have to go.” Celestia explained with a deep sigh before turning to Book. “Book, I need to talk to you about one more assignment while you are here.”

Book nodded before walking with Celestia to the side.

“I want to give you a couple of assignments, and I know that you may not like one of them, but there are reasons for it.” Celestia started to explain.

Book tried to hide his worry. “Yes, my Princess?” He asked boldly and with confidence.

“The first one will be taking place when you get back, but as for the extra duties I’m asking from you, and I expect you to excel as always, those will take place when you are able to return. I want to promote you to lieutenant.” Celestia explained, knowing how much Book feared the idea of being a pencil pusher.

Books eyes slowly widened. “W...what?” He asked, while a frown crept over his face.

“Let’s face it. You are as clever as Shining, but more independent. You are able to get assignments done without question on your own, and I think you deserve it. It’s also so I can get away with asking for this assignment. You saw the six ponies who stopped your brother’s rampage, right?”

“Yes, but why…” Book didn’t want to disrespect his princess’s wishes.

“Because I want you to make sure that they are protected. If somepony attacks them, protect them at all costs. The six mares need to be protected until I determine otherwise. I already talked to Kirouac about assigning one of his best guards to help and instruct you on how to do this assignment.” Celestia explained while looking at him seriously. “This is more important than my protection in any scenario. I’m not asking this of you. I am commanding you. Do you understand?”

Book nooded. “Y…yes, but can I ask what they need protection from?” He asked hoping it wasn’t his brother, or something more sinister.

“Anything that would threaten their lives or well-being. I can’t explain, but nothing can be left to chance. You can only talk about this with Kirouac and your partner. Is that understood?” Celestia asked sternly.

“Yes, and…who’s my partner?” Book asked her.

“A mare called Bat-mare. She works like you. Independent and efficient. Which brings me to the other thing I must give you.” Celestia said as she handed Book a belt with throwing stars slotted into them. “I am told that Shining majored in defensive abilities while you excelled in shadow magic, am I right?”

Book nodded. “Yes. Shining is more direct while I prefer going around and taking a more tactical approach.” Book explained.

“Well, these are ancient and infused with shadow magic. Keep this on your person from now on, understood?” She asked.

“I will.” Book said before bowing. “When can I meet Bat…” He turned around to find Bat-mare standing behind him. Book stepped back defensively as he realized that she snuck up on him so easily.

Bat-mare looked at her watch. “Mhm…it took you only one second to find out that I was here.” She told Book. “Most take more than two minutes.” She said, both sounding and looking impressed.

“Well…I try to be attentive…although I never met a mare like you before. I usually hear most ponies coming from a mile away.” Book said as he looked at the costumed mare. Her fur covered ears were twitching around, as her slitted eyes stared at him with conviction through her mask.

“I’m guessing that you are my new partner. Do all guards dress up like you?”

“Not the ones that you see.” Bat admitted, before she turned around. Her cape, which covered her back, moved with her as she turned.
.
“So…you are a special kind of officer?” Book asked, looking confused. “Along with being a thestrial of some kind?”

She tilted her head a bit to look at Book. “They say that I’m good, but that I’m not a normal guard. So...I’m asked to just scout the area and make sure that everyone is safe.” She explained. “I’m…no one important.”

Book raised an eyebrow. “So…you are a solo guard of some kind?” Book asked, looking skeptical.

“More like MoonRacer’s superhero.” Celestia explained, making Book’s eyes widen at this.

“You mean…like a comic book hero?” Book asked, not seeing Bat-mare as a professional anymore.

“If you want to call me that.” Bat-mare said. “Should we be gettijh to work?” She asked.

“What? Guarding Neighsay or acting like cosplayers?” Book asked with a scoff.

“Book, I would listen to her wisdom. She may be opening a door for you.” Celestia suggested.

“Yes but she is...” Book turned around to where Bat-mare was. “She is gone.”

“Let me help.” Book suddenly felt her leap onto his back and pin him to the ground. “I may be based off of comics, but I took the liberty of training myself to be better than any guard here. I probably would have handled Neighsay if I wasn’t asleep after my last shift.”

“Please don’t bruise each other.” Celestia begged them.

“Is that an order or a request?” Book grunted as he was trying to get free.

“I assure you that Bat-mare is one of the best, and will play well with your style.” Kirouac said as he walked up to them. “When you don’t have to watch Neighsay, you can work together with her to learn. If any major threats come up, then I will turn to you two to assess the situation and possibly defuze it. Is that understood?”

“Of course my king.” Bat-mare said, as she gave a salute with one hoof. This gave Book the chance to grapple her, trying to get some payback for being caught off guard like that.

When he tried to pin her down, she managed to kick him off, making him fly into the air. But he managed to land on his hoofs before getting in a fighting stance.

“Book! If you two want to spar it out, do it in a training room, but not right now, when I’m about to say goodbye to my pupils and their friends! Understood?!?” Celestia ordered sternly as the two fighters were staring each other down.

They both stopped before bowing to Celestia. “This isn’t over, Book.” Bat-mare whispered to him.

“Agreed. If I can beat Shining, I can beat you.” Book replied.

“Thanks, now please send the others in before you kill each other. After that, you two can start getting to know each other better.” Celestia said with a small sigh.

“Yes.” Kirouac said before calling everyone back in.

Twilight, Spike, and their friends walked in, making Celestia worried about not seeing Light and his marefriends there. “Thank you all for seeing me off. I know that my past hasn’t been easy for you to take in, but I am thankful for your understanding.” Celestia said as she feared that she wouldn’t see Light again.

“It’s…it’s ok.” Twilight said, still not knowing how to feel about all of this.

“Hold on a second!!!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she and Fluttershy ran into the room. “Sorry we were late. We were trying to help our little teddy bear.”

Flash looked around for Light. “Where is he...?” She was about to ask.

“I…I’m here.” Light said weakly as he came in, nowhere near the same pace as his marefriends.

“Light!” Flash said before running to hug his friend.

Light was still moving a little slow, but he hugged him back. “Hey. I’m sorry about the other day.”

“Ah...” Flash tried to wave it off. “It was hurting our friends, we wanted to stop him.”

“Yeah, and you may have kept my neck alive.” Spike said as he pointed to his bandages. “I’m stuck having to wait a couple of weeks before I can even do sports again.”

Light didn’t look comforted by this. “But I lost control, and I could have hurt a lot of ponies. I am staying here, but I am going to dedicate my focus on becoming a good citizen, not a powerful alicorn.”

“And what stops you for being both?” Flash asked Light.

“The risk of me losing control again.” Light said bleakly. “I am willing to stay here, but I cannot allow myself to become Guardian again.”

The group turned to Fluttershy and Pinkie for answers. But none of them felt that it was right to answer in Light's place.

Flash simply nodded at the news, trying to think of something that could help.

Celestia went to Light and softly placed a wing over his body. “If… that’s what you want.” She told him. “I take it that you aren’t planning to ever go back to Canterlot?” She asked him

“And risk becoming the Guardian again? I can’t. I… I’m fearing that I may be losing myself.” Light explained with a disheartened sigh. “I’m already having what I assume are visions of the past.”

Celestia had a concerned look on her face, before turning to Kirouac. “Visions?”

Light looked bashful as he turned to the side. “I…I had a dream that I was Luna, and Fluttershy and Pinkie were her lovers.”

Celestia looked back at Light quickly. “What were they? What race and gender?”

“Um…one was a male griffon, like the general from my first vision, and one was a female zebra. It was like Pinkie and Flutter’s races and personalities were adjusted for me to see this, but kept their colors.” Light explained.

“I… see.” Celestia said before giving a glance at Kirouac.

“Well, you said that you used the lenses in the cave, so it may just be a side effect of the artifact.” Kirouac suggested.

“Yes, or…” Light said with worry. “It could be a warning that if I go back on that path, I will suffer her fate. Either way, I can’t allow myself to become like her, no matter what.” He said as he hugged his mares.

Flash vowed to make a joke in the future about him having two loves like her, especially since one was a female zebra. “Tell me, Celestia?” He asked her. “Did Luna have any friends?”

“She had two ponies who loved her. I don’t know much about them since I…didn’t listen to her when she talked about them.” Celestia admitted, looking ashamed.

“So…it’s a No!?” Flash asked.

“I think it’s a strong maybe.” Celestia admitted.

“Well, Light has us.” Flash said before hugging Light, getting joined by the others.

“And you don’t need to worry about trying to put too much pressure on yourself.” Celestia assured him. “I just hope that you can find a way to find confidence in yourself again.”

“I… I know.” Light said while feeling the hugs of all who cared for him.

Celestia turned to Spike as she wiped her eyes. “Spike, I know that you will find your place here.”

Spike smiled back, as he was helped up by Applejack and Rarity. “Thanks mom.”

“Just make sure that you don’t lose these three.” She said with a small wink. “And keep being the gentlecolt I raised you to be.”

“Okay!” Spike said while being softly hugged by his mare-freinds.

Celestia then turned her attention to Flash. “I have been told that you have been a great help to my pupils and their friends.”

“Um…yes?” Flash said, trying to keep his excitement down and stay humble. Though a Princess praising you was making it hard.

“Well, Twilight told me that you had three dreams in life, am I correct?” Celestia asked him.

“Yes!” Flash’s eyes widened, trying to hold back his excitement, but ready to be granted the same gift that Light had been given. “I’m ready, I promise that I’ll use it respectfully and with care.” He said with confidence.

“Oh, did somepony tell you about what I was planning to give you?” Celestia asked, looking surprised.

“I, um no, but I know what my dreams told me.” Flash explained.

“Well, I can’t grant all of them, but I can grant one for you.” She said as she pulled out the horseshoes for him.

Flash paused when he saw it, his ear and even his eye behind his sunglasses twitching. “I…” He was trying to stay respectful as he was really wishing to have become an alicorn.

“These are powerful magic focus artifacts, made with the intent of being able to allow any pony to cast any kind of magic.” Celestia explained. “Just be careful when you use them. These are rather potent.” Celestia explained to Flash as she gently handed them to him. “They haven’t been used in forever, so they have quite a bit of magic stored up.”

“I…” Flash said while looking at his bare back before turning back to Celestia. “Thank you.” He said politely before getting handed the crystal horseshoes and feeling all of their power.

“Now we can study magic together!” Twilight said with excitement.

Flash smiled before glancing up, but then turned back to Twilight. “Yes…” He said before hugging her.

Twilight hugged him back, being glad that Celestia was giving him a gift like this.

Flash felt Twilight’s wings while he was hugging her. He tried to hide his jealousy, but at least now he could do some magic.

“Flash, I hope you are able to keep helping and leading the others.” Celestia said as she looked sincere about the gift she gave to him.

“I…I will.” Flash said with confidence, trying to stay positive.

“Thank you.” Celestia said with a nod as she looked at the group in front of her. “Even though it was a frightening incident that brought me here, I am glad that I was able to see you all. I believe that I am seeing the ponies that will change the world in a good way.”

“Um…thanks.” The group said before bowing to the princess.

“No, thank you.” Celestia said before bowing back. “You will be the ponies who will change the world, I assure you.” She said with a smile.

Some of them felt uncomfortable, and started to blush to the sight of the princess bowing to them.

As Celestia stood back up, one of the guards walked in. “Um, your highness? It’s time to go.”

Celestia nodded, she was about to walk off to head back to Canterlot, but she turned to the group instead. “I will ask you all to keep silent about this, but even though I would have wanted to see my pupils rule alongside her, I still plan to allow Cadence to rule in my place one day.” She said softly before looking at Kirouac.

A part of Light and Spike felt ashamed, but they both knew that they weren’t cut out for this. “We understand.” They both said in their own way.

“Don’t worry. I know that you will still find ways to help and inspire others.” Celestia smiled, before unfoldingher wings, walking off, letting her wing tip grase Kirouac before flying off.

Kirouac blushed before turning to the kids. “Hey…thank you for being understanding with her. It wasn’t easy for me either.”

“What do you mean?” Flash asked Kirouac.

“When I found the cave Light stumbled upon with my cousin, I was shocked to find Celestia tied to this, so I went and confronted her about it in private. She explained everything to me, even stuff I didn’t know. At first I was angry at her for the grief she put my people through, but then I saw the pain in her eyes. It’s the kind of pain that a pony carried for her entire life. I had to make a decision to either repeat the cycle of hatred, or to break it and find a new path.” Kirouac explained as he watched Celestia ride off in her chariot.

Flash nodded.

“Speaking of which.” Both Light and Dash turned to the King with a curious look. “So…Daring Do is a Griffin and is your cousin?” They asked.

“Half griffon. You forget that one of my parents was a pony. My aunts had an unique taste in “Stallions”” Kirouac said with a chuckle.

“I can see that.” Flash said with a small grin.

“So both your moms are sisters.” Dash asked. “Must make family reunions interesting.” She said while thinking of her own family.

“Well, she’s usually working, as am I, but we try to sneak in a visit every now and then. Although now I need a new place to hide her stuff.” Kirouac said thoughtfully.

Light looked shamefully to the side. “I…I’m sorry.” He said.

“Eh, if it wasn’t you, it would be somepony else, and I think once we clean it up, it would be nice to show ponies once the time comes.” Kirouac assured him. “I’m just glad that you didn’t mess with the more volatile artifacts there...”

“Like what?” Light asked with a hint of worry, hoping he didn’t accidentally touch one of them.

“Don’t ask.” Dash and Twilight quickly said at the same time, having read all of Daring Do’s books.

“Oh ok, so…What did she think when she found out that you became the ruler of this kingdom? Weren't you two born here?” Light asked, trying to get his mind off of the topic of his outburst.

“Yes, and she was surprisingly supportive, even though she constantly writes stories under an alias and hides her claws.” Kirouac explained calmly as they started walking towards the school.

“I…I can understand.” Light said, knowing about how judgemental the rest of Equestria can be to any pony that is different.

“So…there’s no jealousy between you two?” Flash asked.

“Nope, we even worked together a couple of times. How do you think I found the cave?” Kirouac asked with a grin.

“Are you in her book?” Dash asked, while flying next to Kirouac’s head

“Yeah, as a large and shadowy earth pony.” He said with a blush.

Everyone in the group looked over Kirouac’s body. “That’s the opposite of what you are.”

“And she is a half griffon who writes about being a pegasus. Your point?” Kirouac asked with a shrug. “She has many secrets that she keeps hidden from her readers.”

“Yes, but…” Dash tried to think of something to reason that her being genuine would make it even cooler.

“And if she tries to describe me too well, then we will both be in trouble.” Kirouac added.

“I think most would have a hard time believing that any of us exist.” Twilight told Kirouac.

“That's a good point, but I’m not the writer.” Kirouac explained.

“You’re just her cousin.” Dash said, trying to hold back her fangirl side. “What is she like?” She asked.

“She's Stubborn, determined, and a horrible singer.” Kirouac said with a chuckle.

“Oh, maybe you’re related to her.” Applejack teased Dash with a chuckle.

“Very funny.” Dash muttered with a sigh.

“So...where is Neighsay?” Light asked, wanting to avoid him.

“Pulling weeds with his teeth outside of the wall, under heavy guard.” Kirouac said, looking pretty smug about it. “He won’t be bothering any of you.”

“Oh...” Both Light, Spike and Twilight tried to hide their smirks when the mental image visited their minds.

“So, can I start tutoring Flash now?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“As you wish.” Kirouac said before turning the corner.

“And… about my studies…” Light said with a nervous gulp.

Kirouac turned back to Light. “Stay close to your friends and loved ones.” He told him while slipping a piece of paper that had the location of the therapist in his hoof.

Light wanted to simply avoid magic and flying lessons, but after his admission of the dreams, he guessed that this would be expected.

“Are there any other questions?” Kirouac asked them.

“Yeah…when am I going to be able to do actual hard work again?” Spike asked as he pointed to his bandages.

“That you would have to ask a doctor, not a King.” Kirouac told him before laughing a bit.

“Funny…and I still have a couple weeks.” Spike said, sounding disappointed.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be there for you.” Rarity said. “Right girls?” She asked A.J. and Dash.

“You bet.” They both said happily.

Spike smiled at that. “Thanks.” He told them.

Twilight was relieved to see Spike happy, so she turned to her friend who was putting on the horseshoes.

Flash was only trying one on already feeling all of the power. “Wow…” He said to himself.

“So…how do those things feel?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Umm…powerful.” Flash admitted before looking around at something soft to practice on. Having an idea, he pointed to a flower and got it to come to him quickly, before making it stop half way. Then he slowly started to practice making it move.

“Wow… that’s impressive for a first timer…” Twilight said, looking impressed.

“Yes, first time.” Flash said while looking at Light.

Light looked embarrassed. “Yeah…I learned how powerful those things were.I touched them and then left them alone.”

“Oh, that must be it.” Twilight said.

“Yes.” Flash said, hoping that Light kept quiet about the fact that he wasn’t an earth-pony.

“So…I’ll admit that I wish Celestia had the ability to swap who was the alicorn.” Light said with a sigh.

Flash didn’t want to show that he was envious, but he did nod. “Yeah…who would you want to give it to?” He asked, trying to act nonchalant, but also hoping that Light would pick him.

“Well, my top three would be Spike, Twilight, and you.” Light admitted. “Too bad it’s not something that is just given.”

Flash nodded. “Yeah…” He tried to hide his sadness.

“I don’t know.” Pinkie said. “Maybe if you feed us your mane you can give it to us.” She said.

“That’s not how it works. Nopony gave this to me. It just…happened.” Light explained, making the others curious.

“What were you doing at the time that you got your wings?” Flash asked out of curiosity.

Light looked nervous when that was brought up, knowing the truth about what he was about to do. “I…I was crying…on a hillside…”

“Crying?” Flash asked. “Was there a wishing-well that your tears fell in and...?”

“Nope. I was alone, and outside of town when it happened.” Light explained as he tucked in his wings. “And I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Ah…ok.” Flash said, trying to be nice.

“Well, we all have to work with what we’ve got.” Applejack said, trying to help ease things up.

“Yeah, and I’m sure that things will smooth over given time.” Dash said as she petted Flash’s back.

Flash nodded, looking to the side.

Twilight watched as Spike was walking with his mares, knowing that he’d be bugged by the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to help as much anymore. However, her bigger concern was Light, knowing that he was currently going through a personal crisis. She knew that Luna’s form took such a hold that the only option was to banish her.

Admittedly she was afraid of losing Light, but she had a strange feeling that Light was stopped, and possibly for good. It was hard for her to explain, but she felt something magical when they stopped him, even more powerful than Light was at the moment. She had no clue where it came from, or how it affected Light in the long run, but she didn’t want to fear him, even though he feared himself.

“So…Twilight, do you want to show me how to use magic?” Flash asked her.

“Oh, of course! What type of magic do you want to look into first?” Twilight asked as she snapped to reality.

“Well…I doubt you know zebra magic, and dragon magic may be too foreign for me right now, so…I'd like to learn some simple unicorn spells to begin with.” Flash suggested.

Twilight nodded with a smile. “That’s a good idea. Let’s stick with the basics.” She said as she teleported her spellbook to her.

“That’s cool.” Flash said while waiting for Twilight to start.

“Well, simple telekinesis is a must have…but you caught onto that naturally. Maybe you should learn a summoning spell”

“I…ok, what do you have to do?” Flash asked.

“Well, you may want to pick a specific set of objects for this to work.” Twilight explained as she looked at his hat and shades.

“What should I…” Flash noted what Twilight was looking at. “Ummm…let’s try one of my pins…” He suggested.

“Well…I was thinking about something bigger, since smaller items are harder to pinpoint.” Twilight explained.

“What are you suggesting?” Flash asked with worry.

“Well…I was thinking…” Twilight paused as she remembered how Flash reacted when he lost his hat and shades. “Y…your…coat?!?”

Flash slowly nodded before he tilted his head to look at the sun

Light looked at the sun and shrugged. “It’s a nice day out. I think that’s the one thing you wouldn't mind taking off.”

Flash got up and walked to the shade. He took his orange coat off, threw it to the side, then sat down.

“Good, now the more you use an item, the easier it is to summon it to you, so your coat should work well for this.” Twilight said as she sat down next to him, showing him the book. “Now, this is similar to teleportation, except it uses less magic and focuses on bringing that item to you.” She said, as she started walking him through the spell.

Flash looked at the book, which was made for unicorns with horns on their forehead, He tried to think of how he could do it with the Crystal horseshoe on his hoof.

“Oh…well…I guess this is going to be the hard part.” Twilight said as she looked at his hooves. “Okay, many ponies have their own forms of a magical focus, so instead of focusing the magic through your head, just focus and cast the spell through your hooves.” Twilight suggested.

Flash nodded before extending his hoof out, closing his eyes, and focussing on his orange coat.

“Remember. Focus on the object, and bring it where you want.” Twilight reminded him softly as she started examining the hooves.

Flash could feel his thoughts traveling down his head, neck, arm and hoof before going to the Crystal horseshoe.

Twilight watched in awe as the horseshoe glowed brightly. Suddenly the coat lifted off of the ground where he threw it before and appeared on his body, much to Twilight’s amazement. “Wow! Most ponies struggle with that kind of precision. You are a natural at magic!” Twilight said with excitement.

“Umm…thanks..” Flash said, not wanting to admit that it was hard and uncomfortable for him to cast the spell for the first time.

“So, why don’t we find a practice room and start experimenting more!” Twilight said with an excited giggle.

“I…ok.” Flash said while following Twilight to the safety-practice-room.

Light gave a soft sigh as he turned to his marefriends. “I’m going to go get some breakfast and maybe a dip in the pool. Then I have somepony I should talk to about my…problems.”

“Ok.” Flutter said with Pinkie. “Do…do you want us to join you?” She asked while holding Light’s hoof.

“Well…sure…until we get to the pony Kirouac wants me to meet.” Light said as they started walking off.

Flash had spent a good two hours working on new spells, managing to burn through most of the basic spells. He was glad that Twilight was being very instructive and helpful.

The remainder of the spells had somewhat worked, but not as we wanted nor expected. The shield and water spell were both unexpected, and nearly trapped them in the flooded room before he learned the reversal spell. Those horseshoes were extremely potent.

Luckily for them, the room that Flash and Twilight used was made to undo any spells or other enchantments when one walked out of it. This was good because Flash didn't want to go the rest of the day with burns, scratches, a soaking wet coat, or his tail being a snake.

“Well, that was an interesting session, and it goes to show how powerful your magic is.” Twilight said as she brushed her mane. “Let’s keep focusing on those cantrips until you can control your magic.”

“Okay…” Flash said while looking at the Crystal horseshoe that he was given. “What’s next?”

“Well, I think it may be time to take a break.” Twilight explained as she took a deep breath. “I want to meet with the others, but we can practice again tonight if you want.” Twilight offered.

Flash nodded before packing his things and making his way to the opposite direction of the living quarters.

He was quickly met by Earth, Shark and Sleipnir. “Oh, hey Flash. Is Twi here?” Sleipnir asked nervously.

Flash nodded. “Ya, she should still be inside.” He said before trying to walk past them.

“Hey, what’s wrong man? I heard you were rocking some magic now.” Shark said, looking concerned.

“I just need to...take a walk” Flash told them.

“Oh… okay…” Earth said, looking a little disheartened before seeing Twilight walking out. “Twilight!” She yelped happily before he ran to her and gave her a big hug.

Flash smiled at the sight before walking off.

“Oh hello Earth. What’s going on?” Twilight asked her.

“I’m just glad to see you doing better since the incident.” Earth said as she gave Twilight a kiss on the cheek.

Twilight blushed, trying to keep her wings to her side. “Oh thanks, and… you?” She asked. “How are you doing?”

“Better after we calmed her down.” Sleipnir explained with a blush.

“Let’s say that we learned more about our emotions for each other.” Shark said as he was trying to hide his own blush with his wing. “And we both see what you see in Earth.”

Twilight tilted her head. “Did.. did you guys do something together without me?” She asked them.

“Well…we were trying to comfort her, and it may have ended with a couple of kisses.” Sleipnir asked with a wince. “Please tell me you aren’t upset that our first kisses weren’t with you.”

Twilight gave them a look. “I already kissed her yesterday morning.” Twilight pointed out

“Yeah, but we didn’t know how you would feel about this.” Shark explained as he and Sleipnir were looking rather bashful.

Twilight smiled before walking to them and kissing their cheeks. “Well, it looks like I need to plan something romantic for us so I can have a chance to tell what your lips are like.”

“I umm…” Shark grabbed his wing and pushed it down.

“Hey, I think we may be able to catch Light and his mares at the pool, if you are interested.” Twilight asked with a wink.

“I…what are you planning to do?” Sleipnir asked her.

“Depends on if Light is wrapping up or not. If he is, then I may have a little idea of how to use a private pool.” She said with a mischievous giggle. “It’s a little something Rarity talked to me about.”

“Oh…ok..let’s go.” Sleipnir said before pulling Shark.

Twilight happily led them to the private pool Light took the girls to, thinking about Sleipnir and Shark. She thought about how muscular and strong Shark was, how slim Sleipnir the gentle-colt was, and lets not forget Earth’s mhm…body. Then there were their personalities. Sleipnir’s thoughtfulness, Shark’s determination, and Earth’s bashfulness. She happily thought to herself, while blushing.

“Twilight, are you okay? Have you heard anything we said?” Earth asked nervously.

“Oh…ummm…sorry.” Twilight apologized. “What did you say?” She asked.

“We were talking about Flash. He seemed pretty upset about something. Do you know anything about it?” Shark asked, looking concerned.

“Oh…um…I don’t know. Maybe he feels bad about Light losing control and getting depressed.” Twilight suggested.

“I think it’s more sensitive than that.” Sleipnir said thoughtfully.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“I…I don’t know.” Sleipnir admitted with a shrug.

“I’m sure Flash will be able to handle it.” Earth said, not wanting an argument to start.

“Oh..ok.” Twilight said. “Let’s go swimming.”

As they reached the private pool, they saw Light and his marefriends dressed and leaving the room. Light had a somber look on his face as he got ready to head to the place that he needed to be.

“Oh hey Light.” Twilight called out.

“Oh, hey Twi. Listen, I have to go somewhere now, but I’ll be back later.” Light said before walking off, not giving an explanation.

Twilight turned to Light’s mare-friends. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. We were having fun for a while, and then he insisted on having to go someplace.” Flutter explained as she had her towel wrapped around her mane.

“Did I do something wrong?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, was fourteen cannonballs too much?”

Twilight looked worried, but she had a small idea. “I think he’s going to talk to somepony else about what he’s going through right now.”

“Oh…” Pinkie said. “Who?” she asked.

“I don’t know.” Twilight said, looking a little upset by that fact.

“Well whoever it is, I hope that he talks with us after.” Flutter said.

“What are you guys and girls doing here anyways?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh, planning on going for a swim. Is the private pool you used free now?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“Oh!” Pinkie said with excitement.

Flutter just blushed. “Oh…my.” She said.

“Well, I was thinking about taking a private swim with these three. Do you want to meet for dinner?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, yes…” Pinkie was about to say, but she turned to Flutter. “On second thought, we’ll have to see how Light is doing after he comes back.”

“Oh…okay. We’ll see you later then.” Twilight said, as the group walked into the private pool room.

“So…what are we going to do?” Earth asked.

“Go swimming. What else?” Twilight said as she started taking off her clothes and the boys locked the door.

“Oh…” Earth said as she saw Twilight strip down in front of them.

The boys turned around right as Twilight finished undressing. “Woah…um…I think there is a room for changing into our swimsuits…” Shark said as he turned away respectfully.

“Well, I have been practicing magic with a powerful newcomer, and I don’t feel like summoning our swimsuits.” Twilight said before stepping into the pool.

“So…um…” Earth looked at each of the boys.

“Do…you want us to look away?” Sleipnir asked, wanting to be a gentle-colt.

“I…can I wait until you all get in before me?” Earth asked them.

“Oh, sure.” Shark said as he slowly started to take off his shirt and shorts.

Earth bit her bottom lip as she watched Shark exposing his ripped body.

Sleipnir did the same, letting all of them see his nicely kept body.

“Wow…you two are still hot.” Twilight said as she was watching the show.

Shark posed for a while, giving them a show.

Twilight gave a small whistle while Earth was simply staring at him

Earth was getting hot at what she was seeing, especially their toned muscles as they entered the water.

“Alright Earth, it’s your turn.” Twilight said as she watched her eagerly.

Earth took a deep breath before slowly taking her clothes off. She stopped when she was in her undergarments and looked at her three nude loves for support.

“Go on. Nopony is judging you.” Twilight said as she looked at her marefriend.

Earth smiled at them, before she finished stripping off her clothes. Then she made her way to the water, swinging her hips happily as the others were watching her.

“And who says you aren’t beautiful?” Twilight asked as she swam over to her.

“Society.” Earth said bashfully as she blushed at what she was doing.

“I don’t know who that pony is, but that pony is an idiot.” Shark said with a grin as he swam over to them.

“I…” Earth blushed at how close Shark was to her bare body.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Sleipnir asked with a blush before Twilight brought her closer.

“I’m going to show my appreciation for you.” She cooed before kissing him on the lips.

Earth bit her bottom lip before Shark looked lips with her lips.

Twilight held the kiss for a while before pulling away. “I knew I’d get to you and Shark soon.”

Sleipnir smiled before turning to Earth and smiled. “Aww. .”

The group giggled as they started kissing and enjoying each other’s presence.

Flash made his way to the office of Doctor Feelings, a changeling psychiatrist. He was happy that he was being able to use this new magic, but it just felt off to him, no matter how powerful he was. He gently knocked on his door, not wanting to bother him in the middle of a meeting, but still wanting somepony to talk this over with…

The door opened, letting Flash see Doctor Feelings in his soft color and his leather patches all over his tweed blazer.

“Um…hi Doc. Can I come in?” Flash asked nervously.

“Umm…yes.” Feelings said, before looking at the clock.” I have a rendezvous in a half hour, so what can I help you with?” He asked Flash.

“Well, I have these feelings about one of my friends…not romantic. I can always handle that. But I…envy this friend…greatly.” Flash started to explain.

“I see…well, come inside where we can talk in private.” Feeling said as he motioned Flash inside of his office.

Flash followed him in. “Yeah… so.” He looked for the resting couch before going to it, resting on it and then turning to Feelings. “Should I start?” He asked.

“Of course, and remember that I can always keep a secret.” The doctor said as he started sensing Flash’s envy. “So, who are you envious of?”

“Umm, well, have you heard of Light Heart?” Flash asked. “One of the new students.”

“The alicorn?” He asked before feeling Flash’s envy grow when he said that. “I’m guessing that I hit the nail on the head.”

“Ya.. like me… he has Asperger!” Flash said, feeling some joy at that fact. “And…well…just like Farmer, he doesn’t want to fly nor do magic.” Flash admitted. “At all.”

“I can sense your anger, jealousy, and envy. I am guessing that you are upset with Light’s refusal to accept his gifts and wish you had them instead?” Feelings asked, sensing the emotions coming off of him.

“I…” Flash started to cry. “I’m a terrible pony.” He cried out.

“I wouldn’t call you horrible. I can name many, many ponies who want to become an alicorn. I can understand some of this envy, but elaborate more on this.” Feelings asked as he leaned forward.

“I…ever since I was young, I wanted to help others, even by flying up to get something that is stuck up in a… let’s say a tree, or cast a spell to make it all better.” Flash explained. “But…” He pointed to his lack of horn and wings. “I can’t!”

“Well. Those horseshoes you were given seem pretty powerful. I saw sparks of magic coming off of them, so I think you are finding new ways to surpass your limitations.” Feelings pointed out. “But tell me more about Light.”

“I know that I should be supportive of what he wants, and happy for what he was given, but..but…” Flash placed his face in his hoof.

“You feel like he’s not living up to a potential that he could live up to, the potential you want.” Feeling said as he gave Flash a tissue.

Flash took the tissue and wiped his eyes then nose. “I’m a good pony? Right? Or at least was.” Flash asked Feelings. “I clean my room, eat my greens and help my friends.”

“You have always had a serving heart, and you have helped many ponies. You have always tried to be a good pony.” Feelings tried to assure him.

“So…why do I feel this way?” Flash cried once more.

“Well, that depends on the question. Why do you feel envious, why do you feel like a bad pony, why did Light become an alicorn and not you, or why can’t you surpass your limitations?” Feelings asked. “What questions do you want the answers to?”

“All of them.” Flash said before hugging his legs. “I should be supportive. I’m jealous of what others can do. I want to know more about how Light became an Alicorn, but he doesn’t want to talk about it, and the fact that I want to confront him about it makes me feel like I’m disrespecting his wishes. And on top of all of that, I also feel like I can't reach my full potential.” He pointed to his forehead and back. “Does that answer your question?” He asked.

“I see…well, I have learned about Light’s issues, and a lot of his restrictions come from fear and self doubt. Tell me, how do you think Farmer would feel if he was the King, but wanted to be a simple farmer?” Feeling asked.

Flash was still hugging himself while looking to the side. “That’s not how the sword works.” He said. “It can only be lifted by whomever shows good leadership and wants to.” He explained.

“But let’s say it did. Let’s say that somepony saw Farmer walk around normally and said, “Let’s make him a King!” What kind of pressure would he be feeling, being placed in a position that he doesn’t want?” Feelings said theoretically.

Flash’s emotions changed. He took a deep breath before saying. “He would be nervous, he wouldn't like the attention he was getting and I would try to respect his wishes.”

He thought this over for a few moments, as Doctor Feelings continued on.

“You would probably respect him but also recognize that he needs support. Farmer would probably fear his power, and be afraid of losing control of it. You’d realize that you can’t push him to do this, but you can help him along the way.” Feeling explained, as he tried to keep a neutral standpoint, knowing who his next patient was.

“I know…and I should respect what they want to do with their lives.” Flash said.

“Not everypony can handle that pressure, and Light has the hardest time from what I have heard. Haven’t you considered that?”

“I have, I have...” Flash said, beating himself up over it, feeling awful.

“Then why is it hard to accept Light’s struggles?” Feelings asked, not wanting to be too pushy.

“Because.. because…Light got his powers from the gods up above.” Flash said. “There has to be a reason.” He insisted, now feeling pressured himself.

“And do you know their plan?” Feeling asked with a raised eyebrow.

“N…no.” Flash admitted before flopping down in defeat.

“Flash, I have no clue why Light was chosen for this, but his destiny isn’t one for you to worry about. You are a helper along the way, not the one who determines things for him. So how can you help him without pushing him over the edge?” Feelings asked calmly. “How do we turn this frustration into support?”

Flash looked away. “I…I don’t know. Being there for him, doing what he doesn’t want to do for himself, and…letting it be?” He asked.

“Well that's a start, but I would give him some time, a lot of love and understanding after what’s happened to him. I would also recommend that you be willing to give him the option to accept lessons from you. Be a friend first, and then a mentor if he wants it. Now, let’s talk about your feelings. Are you perfect?” Feelings asked bluntly.

“Clearly not.” Flash said, hugging himself before rolling into a ball.

“Is Light? Is Kirouac? Am I perfect?” Feeling asked, wanting to make a point.

“Kirouac is!” Flash pointed out. “As for Light, I can see that you are trying to convince me that he isn’t, and as for you…do you really want me to answer that?”

“Well, it’s a no for me. I know that I struggle with physical tasks, and I will tell you that Kirouac isn’t as perfect as you think. If there is one thing I have learned in my many years as a psychiatrist, it’s that nopony is perfect. We all have little flaws that hinder us or cause us to make poor decisions. The question is do we allow our flaws to weigh us down, or do we learn from them?” He asked as he patted Flash’s back.

“But…I hate being limited by what I was born as, and what my body can do.” Flash admitted. “I know it’s not our motto, and that I should love the way that I was born, but…the reality is…”

“That you want to do more.” Feeling said, remembering their previous talks about the things he wanted to do.

“YES!” Flash cried out. “I want to be able to help the pegasus colts and fillies with their flying lessons, unicorn with their magic, jump into the pool with my friends and just be able to do…more.”

“Admittedly, all ponies have their own limitations, even alicorns have limitations of what they can do. Light hasn’t raised the sun, and Kirouac doesn’t have limitless magic. There were even legends that the mother of our nation was hindered with mathematics. All ponies are born with limitations, some are capable of being overcome, and others aren’t. It’s learning which are which, and how to handle those limitations, be it through overcoming or accepting.” Feelings explained.

“I…I know, but, why can’t we all have the physical capability to do everything?” Flash asked, wishing that everyone could be some sort of fire-breathing zebra-pegacorn-Diamond-dog clawed citizen.

“One, we live in an imperfect world, and nopony is exactly the same. Even then, if everypony was perfect, who would need your help?” Feeling asked him.

“I…” Flash thought about it. “Is that what I want?” He asked himself, then said out loud, “I wish no one needed help and were just capable of doing whatever they want.”

“It’s not a bad dream, but it’s an impossible dream. There will always be ponies with disabilities, different traits, and struggles. What’s important is that we are able to help ponies with their limitations and struggles along with handling our own. You are a bright pony, and you put a lot of effort into helping others, and that is good, but you need to understand that we can only do so much.”

“I know.” Flash admitted while rolling on his side. “I just hate when someone has the capability of helping but they don't do anything. Like...if they have extra food, they should give it to someone who is hungry. Or if they have some clothes that they don’t wear anymore, and they don't have a personal attachment to them, they should donate their clothes to those who need them.”

“Well, some ponies don’t think about it, or are simply too busy with their lives to be able to stop and consider the needs of others. Some ponies aren’t able to give that much, and some ponies want to lay down a foundation for their offspring. You have a good heart for wanting to do so much, but you have to understand that not everypony can have those same motivations. Tell me, who is the one pony who you can control in life?” Feelings asked gently.

Flash grumbled a bit. “Me.” He said.

“Then focus on how you can do better. You already have a great start, but you need to understand that change cannot be forced. It must be inspired. It’s like what I said about Light. You need to be a guiding hand, not somepony who forces him to change.” Feeling said as he looked at his clock.

“I know…” Flash said while getting up. “I’ll…I’ll let you be.”

“There was one question left, and I have time to answer it.” Feelings said as he looked at Flash. “Why aren’t you an alicorn? I think I have an answer for it.”

Flash paused in his tracks before turning to Feeling. “W…what is the reason?”

“Because you don’t need it in order to help and inspire others.” Feeling explained. “You already have the tools and heart to help make this world a better place. Maybe you still need to accept and understand your limitations and the limitations and flaws of others before you could be a good alicorn. Tell me, what would you do if you are an alicorn?”

“I… would probably go swimming with my friends first.” Flash admitted, feeling selfish.

“You’re holding back.” Feeling pointed out. “I mean with the rest of your life.”

“Then…give flying…rides to the little foals, and learn the magic spells that can help my friends and everyone else out.” Flash added.

Feeling sighed as he walked up to him. “I want you to tell me honestly, would you stop there, and do you think that magic can solve all of your problems?”

“I…I don’t know.” Flash admitted. “It would help, and not be bad…right?”

“My concern would be how hard you would push yourself. Tell me, has Celestia or Cadence solved all of the world’s problems with their magic?”

Flash crossed his arms. “No.”

Feelings patted Flash’s back gently. “Kirouac explained that alicorns are not all powerful, and they have their own limitations, but they get the chance to make a change and help others. I don’t know if the reason for you not being one is because you aren’t ready or because you don’t need it, but I think the best thing to do is to be willing to step back and realize what you can and can’t do.”

“I…ok.” Flash said getting back up and going to the door.

“Flash, don’t give up on yourself just because you have these limitations. You still are one of the brightest ponies I know.” Feelings said as he wanted to comfort Flash before he left.

Flash looked down. “I…I know.” He said before walking out.

Feelings took a deep breath as he poured himself a cup of water. “If only you knew who I was about to talk to.”

A few seconds had passed, maybe even a minute before Feelings heard a knock at the door once more. “Come in.” He called out, having a feeling that this time it was the client who Kirouac had asked him to see.

“Hello Feelings. How are you doing today?” Kirouac asked as he gave the changeling a pat on the back.

“Good.” Feelings said while hugging his old friend, sensing his love, joy and a hint of worry.

“That’s good to hear. So, have you been reading Light Heart’s file.” Kirouac asked as he sat down.

Feelings nodded. “I must say…his life is very unique. He is blessed to be an alicorn, yet fails to find his destiny.”

Kirouac nodded, now feeling more shame. “We all want to know why and how, when something happens, especially something as big as getting wings, strength and power.”

“And how is he recovering from his…outburst?” Feelings asked, looking concerned.

“Well, I did ask you to see him today.” Kirouac looked at the clock. “He should show up in a few minutes.” He said. “I just wanted to talk to you before you meet with him and ask you to be gentle with him. Right now he wants to give up magic and flying out of fear of what he may become.”

“I…know.” Feelings said, not letting Kirouac know who his previous client was. “So…is there anything that you want to talk about?” He asked, recalling the love that he sensed from Kirouac, he knew it wasn’t for him but another.

“Well…I feel like I may be nearing retirement from my duties as a King so I want to focus on building my family.” Kirouac said softly.

Feelings nodded, not expecting him to retire so soon, but knowing that every ruler had to step down eventually. “And is there…somepony that you have in mind, to be with?”

“Yes, and it is right now when I have to remind you about doctor patient confidentiality, meaning you are not allowed to repeat what I say to you in this office.” Kirouac said as he looked around the room.

Feeling did the act of zipping his lips. “I won't tell a soul. So…who is it?” He rested his head in his hoof like he was a teen girl gossiping. “Who is your love?” He asked.

Kirouac had a small grin on his face as he spoke. “Princess Celestia.”

Feelings gasped, placing his hoof over his mouth. “Noo…” He both asked and said, shocked at Kirouac’s response.

“Okay, I know what you are going to say about her newly unveiled past. But I have known about it for a while. She has changed so much since then, being so caring and understanding. She’s also having thoughts about retiring and letting Cadence rule in her stead.” Kirouac explained.

“But she’s so…old!” Feelings said jokingly. “And I already know about that.” He admitted.

“Hey, she’s got the body of a goddess that doesn’t quit, and I’m going to marry her.” Kirouac said firmly.

“Oh…Well congrats.” Feelings said, feeling very relaxed. “Did you already get a ring for her, and what about…?”

“We’re not ready to retire yet. I have no heir to the sword and Celestia has to break in Cadence. That, and she says that there is something that needs to happen before we can be together.” Kirouac said, sounding concerned.

“Mhm…I can sense that” Feelings said.

“Well, the best things are worth waiting for, right?” Kirouac said with a smile.

“But how much time is wasted just waiting?” Feelings asked.

“Well…I'll be waiting until the Summer Sun Celebration. Until then, it’s going to be forbidden love.” Kirouac explained calmly. “After that, she promised that we will be together.”

“Well I only wish you luck until you get…lucky.” Feelings told his friend, holding his laughter.

“Sure…but I had better be going. Light will be here any minute.” Kirouac said as he got up. “Good luck with him.”

Feeling waved his friend away with a smile on his face. “Bye!”

“I'll see you later!” Kirouac said, as he walked out.

Feelings started cleaning a few things in his office up, wanting it to be tidy before Light made his appearance. After about ten minutes, he heard one more knock on the door. “Hmm…ten minutes early. I guess he gives himself extra time to get someplace.” He said as he started walking towards the door.

Feelings took a deep breath before saying.“Come in!” He asked nicely.

He watched as Light Heart walked in, looking rather nervous as he kept his wings tucked in tightly. “Um…hi…I was told to talk to you…but if you are busy…”

“Actually, I’m open for the next three hours.” Feelings let him know.

“Oh, okay.” Light said as he looked around. “Should I sit down or…”

“If you want too.” Feelings said, while walking to his chair. When he sat down, he pointed towards the resting couch, a mat that was on the floor and an extra office chair.

Light looked rather awkward as he sat down on the couch, allowing Feelings to sense Light’s fear and anxiety. “So…I guess I'm here to talk about going nuts the other day.”

“I have heard about it.” Feelings admitted.

“Yeah…I guess that’s why I need a shrink.” Light said as he used his hoof to bonk his own head.

“Hey, don’t worry.” Feelings insisted. “Everyone here comes to a therapy session at least once or twice a year.” He told him.

“Did any of them freak out and nearly hurt a lot of ponies in a magic fueled frenzy?” Light asked as he laid on the couch.

Feelings paused to think back about it. “I'm not allowed to say.” He admitted.

“I’m guessing that’s a no, considering that I am the only nutcase alicorn here.”

“Yes…the only one.” Feelings said as he knew this was going to be a struggle. “So...tell me about your…childhood.” He casually began.

“Well…I was always the one who struggled. You know the story about the kid who was sent back to magic kindergarten?”

“I have not.” Feelings asked, feeling and detecting that this wasn’t the start of a joke.

“That’s me. I got pulled out of school after I was diagnosed with Aspergers and ended up being homeschooled for a while. I did find my talent in fixing toys at that time.”

“Well that’s good.” Feelings said, detecting Light’s fondness of that memory. “It's a blessing that you found what you are good at so young, many are still looking for their own special talents. And to earn their cutie marks.”

“And one of my friends can’t have one. It was…rough growing up as an autistic kid. I was always afraid of saying something dumb or making a big mistake. It became…hard for me…” Light said, as he turned away from the doctor.

“I know the feeling.” Feelings admitted before looking at his flank. “But… you’re no longer home-schooled!?” He asked Light.

“Not since I became an alicorn. I thought it was some mistake, but Celestia told me that I was chosen, and that destiny has plans for me. Some plan.” Light said, looking upset.

“MHM…yes” Feelings nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to ask you to tell me about that day.” He said to Light, hoping that with this information he could help both Light and Flash.

“Which day?” Light asked, looking confused.

“The one when you got your Wings.” Feelings said Light, while feeling his anxiety about this.

“Oh…um…I was feeling down…and I went for a walk. When I came back, I had wings.” Light said, not going into detail.

“Light, Please give me details about what happened while you were walking, I can’t help you if you don’t let me know what happend.” Feelings insisted while feeling his anxiety rise.

“Well…I was down…and I was…having social problems…” Light was pausing and stuttering, looking scared about talking about this.

“Yes, and...” Feelings asked Light, feeling that his anxiety was changing into shame.

“And I…I wanted to be alone. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere and that…I…” Light was starting to tear up as he was having a hard time speaking.

“Light…it’s ok to sometimes want to be alone.” Feeling told him. “You don’t need to feel ashamed about it.”

“I…I hated myself!” Light exclaimed as he started to cry on the couch. “I just wanted to be normal! I hated how dumb I was!”

“Yes, let it all out.” Feelings told him. “Now let's continue, what happened next?”

“I…I went up a hill…and I just…I... I couldn’t handle the pain anymore. I just couldn’t face myself in the mirror.” Light explained.

Feelings could sense that Light was feeling regretful, like he did something that he never could take back. “W…wait, what did you do?”

“I…I wanted to disappear…I wanted to walk off a cliff…” Light said, hiding his face in shame.

“Do…do you mean literally?” Feelings asked.

Light nodded weakly. “I…I just…lost hope in myself. I thought the world would be better without me.”

“W…why?” Feelings asked.

Light sniffled as Feelings could sense the shame coming off of Light. “I…I felt like a freak. I only had my family, and I found it next to impossible to make friends, and I constantly felt like an idiot. I didn’t want to bother my family with my feelings, so I kept it bottled up inside of me until I just broke.” Light explained somberly.

“So, what happened? Did you jump?” Feeling asked, now feeling very concerned for Light.

“No…something stopped me.” Light explained as his wings twitched a little. “Something…magical. There was a bright flash of light, and then I found myself in some…otherworldly plane.”

Feelings was now relieved, but also confused. “What was that otherworldly plane? What was there? What did you see?”

“Well…it’s hard to explain. There was nopony there…and yet I felt magic all around me. There was a haze of colors all over…and these…frames of my life that hung on nothing.” Light said, looking like he was struggling to explain it as best as he could.

Feelings nodded as he got up to look at this book of dreams. “And what else? What came after?”

“Well…I was walking by the frames…seeing the little things I have done with my life. Like when I got my cutie mark, or when I’d fix a toy or tried to comfort another kid. I…I didn’t understand what I was seeing, but I felt like I was being led forward.” Light said as he looked at his hooves.

“Yes…” Feelings told Light while looking into the book.

“And then I felt a burning sensation in my chest…where my heart was. It felt like something powerful was trying to escape. When I looked down, I saw that part of my chest glowing brightly before that light shot out of my body and started encompassing me…consuming me…and changing me.” Light explained, shuddering a little. “It was like a mix of pain and pure power surging through me for a few moments.”

“I…see.” Feelings said stopping in the book. “And then?”

“When I opened my eyes, I was back on that same hill, only with something new.” Light explained as he extended his wings a little.

“Ah, what was it?” Feelings asked, being a bit distracted by what he was reading.

“My wings. What else…” Light’s eyes widened as he realized that Feeling had his nose in a book. “Were you listening?”

“Yes, and I think I found out where you were.” Feelings answered.

“And where the hay was that?” Light asked as he sat up quickly. “Pardon my language.”

Feeling smiled. “It’s ok.” He told Light before showing him the book. “Look!”

Light looked shocked as he looked at the paintings describing the place. It looked just like where he was when he became an alicorn, save the frames that showed his life. “W…who wrote about this place? And what is it?”

“Queen LunaMoon.” Feelings said before starting to read. “And that we can, a land of the starry night, where we see our life pass by us. Show the good that we did, and how loved we are. Show our works and why we are blessed. When we came back to mortal land, thine night wings were covered with feathers, and thine horn were on our head. That was good, for we could bring our wings back to their Beauty. This is the fate that hath been bestowed on us.”

“Wow…so this is the same place that Luna went to when she became an alicorn?” Light asked, looking surprised.

Feeling nodded. “It would seem, did you ask Celestia and Cadence?” he asked Light.

“Um…not really. I didn’t like talking about it.” Light said with a blush.

“I think that’s what all Alicorns go through.” Feelings said.

“Oh…I see.” Light said, now feeling rather silly for hiding this.

“But tell me.” Feelings looked straight into Light’s eyes. “Who else knew that you were feeling... down before and...after you got your wings?” He asked him.

“N…nopony…I always kept it to myself.” Light admitted as he turned away.

“Light, that’s not a good thing to do.” Feelings told him.

“What am I supposed to say? Hey Celestia, I wanted you to know that I became an alicorn right before I tried to kill myself?” Light asked as he slumped back in his seat.

“I was talking about keeping your problems from your parents.” Feelings explained.

“I…I just didn’t want to bother them. They put too much care into me because I have the hardest time doing things.” Light explained as he started to tear up again. “I didn’t want to weigh them down more.”

“And you think that just keeping it to yourself as you look at the edge of a cliff is healthy?” Feelings asked Light.

Light gave a small shug. “I was too scared. When I was sent to Canterlot, I was afraid of messing up as an alicorn so much. Twilight and Spike made me feel more comfortable.They were unusual, but they were bright and friendly. I found them easier to make friends with.” Light explained with a sigh. “They kept me from going over the edge again.”

“Mhm…maybe that’s why you got your wings.” Feelings told Light. “Just so you could go to Canterlot, and meet Twilight & Spike?” He said, trying to comfort Light.

“And nearly attack Canterlot?” Light asked with a small scoff. “Some destiny.”

“Oh…please talk about it.” Feelings asked Light, looking worried about Light’s traumatic past.

“What about? About how I lost control because I got so mad at the idiotic ponies who terrorize anypony who is different to them?” Light asked as Feelings started to taste his frustration.

“Yes, say it, let it all out.” Feelings encouraged Light.

“I learned about the crimes of the other nations against innocent ponies! It was sickening! I was ready to just not return, but that unicorn dared to come here…attack our people…and hurt my friends…” Light’s breathing became heavy as his anger got worse before he remembered what he was going to do.

Feelings nodded, knowing how Light felt. He went to the punching-bag that he had in this office. “Go ahead; hit it, if you want.”

“No…no…I can’t lose control again…” Light said as Feelings sensed Light’s anger turning into fear.

“Light.” Feeling said before bucking the bag, the energy getting absorbed by the bag, before being transformed into electricity. “Even Kirouac can’t break this.”

“No…If I lash out in violence again…I’ll lose myself. I can’t lose myself again, not after last time.” Light said as he started to curl up in a ball.

“Light, you need to find an outlet for your emotions before your anger grows out of control.” Feelings told him.

“Through violence? Think of how many ponies I could have hurt. The lives I would have taken!” Light exclaimed.

“That’s why you should get it all out here, in this controlled environment.” Feelings told Light.

“And what if I lose control?” Light asked in fear. “What if I become the guardian again? Who will I hurt then?”

“There’s only you and me in this room.” Feelings pointed out. “I can leave if you want.” He said before starting to walk out the door.

“You don’t understand. I am afraid of being violent again! I am afraid of losing control and becoming Guardian again! I…I’m afraid of myself!” Light said, pleading to not use force with the doctor.

“And what, you just want to keep it all in, until it boils over and you lash out at others?” Feelings asked.

“I just get mad when somepony hurts my friends…yesterday wasn’t the first time I lashed out. I sent a pony to the hospital before I moved here because he attacked Spike and Twilight.” Light said, looking like he was getting ready to cry.

Feelings walked up to Light with a box of tissues. “Let it all out.” He told him.

“I…I’m just scared…of who else I could hurt. Celestia? My family? Who will my rage hurt if violence is the only way to let it out?” Light asked as he started to cry in front of him, covering his face.

“Maybe not violence.” Feelings told him. “That doesn’t need to be the answer. But you still need to find a way to get all, or at the least most of, your anger, frustration and sadness out.” He told him.

“But what if I can’t control it?” Light asked, allowing Feelings to sense an abundance of fear in him.

“It can control you, but only if you let it.” Feelings told Light. “Don’t give it the power to do that. Let it all out in your own way, until it has no more power.”

Light sniffled as he wiped his eyes. “A…are you sure?”

Feelings nodded. “Buck the bag, cry; do it all until you’ve let it all out”

Light started breathing heavily as he looked at the bag. “Can I have a minute alone…just in case?”

Feelings nodded. Before walking through the door, he stopped and paused. “Oh, and by the way, the room is soundproof, so yell and scream all you want as well.” He let Light know, before walking out. “Please come get me when you are done.” He asked politely.

Light nodded as Feelings closed the door. Feelings simply took a deep breath as he knew that this was the hard part for Light, but if Light could just vent enough to get his rage out, it may help Light be able to talk to him easier. As he started pouring himself a cup of tea, he noticed the light’s flicker brightly, something that he wasn’t used to.

“Mhm…he must be bucking the bag with irregular intervals.” Feelings told himself, while drinking his tea and just waiting it out, before hearing one of his bulbs shatter. “Either that or he hits like a train.”

After a minute, the lights stopped flashing, leaving a quiet room for another minute before he heard a knock on the door.

“Yes?” Feelings asked calmly.

“Sniff. You can come in now.”

Feeling walked into his office, seeing Light was still in his normal form, but looking emotionally drained. Feelings walked over to his chair, suddenly realizing that there was a hole in the punching bag.

He calmly turned to Light. “How do you feel now?” he asked in a relaxed voice.

“Tired…not as angry…but still upset in some ways.” Light admitted.

Feeling nodded. “Ok, that’s good. Are you still upset about the same thing?” He asked.

Light slumped down on the couch as he looked at the doctor. “I…I just want to understand why. Why do ponies feel the need to pick on others who are different from them?”

“Because they are insecure.” Feelings told Light. “Because they believe that the only way for them to feel good about themselves is to make others feel bad about themselves. They all think of themselves as the norm, and have preconceived ideas about what others should be like.”

“So why can’t they change? Why can’t they just change?” Light asked, hanging his head low.

“They can.” Feelings said before lifting Light’s head up to look him in the eye. “They just need a pony to lend them a friendly hoof and an ear to listen.”

“But how can I provide that? I already punched a hoof right into Neighsay’s face.” Light said, looking disheartened.

“Why couldn’t you provide that?” Feelings asked. “If I’m not mistaken, what happened was stripped off the record.”

“Do you think they will forget? Do you think that ponies will look at me the same way, knowing I snapped like that?” Light asked before looking at his wings. “Do I even deserve these things?”

“Whether you deserve them or not, you have them.” Feelings told Light. “You can either refuse to use them, or embrace them. Remember, there are two meanings of the abbreviation F.E.A.R. Forget Everything and Run. Or Face Everything and Rise. The choice is yours.”

Light looked at his wings for a while before sighing. “I need some time to think.”

Feelings nodded. “I understand. Talk about your feelings with others, don’t let them bubble up. Talk to your friends, you clearly have many ponies that care about you now.”

“I…I’ll try.” Light said as he started to walk out of the office.

“Do you want to schedule your next session right now?” Feelings asked Light. “Do you want to make this a weekly event?”

“Well…biweekly I have plans every other week.” Light explained before looking at the doctor. “And thank you…also, sorry about the punching bag.”

“Don't worry about the punching bag, I have another one. Which two days of the week do you want to see me?” Feelings asked.

“Two weeks from now.” Light explained as he checked the time. “We’ll work out the details later.”

“Oh, right...biweekly.” Feelings said, feeling embarrassed at his mistake. “Ok, see you then, and do remember to talk about..”

“Okay.” Light said with a nod as he walked out of the room, making his way to where his mare friends were probebly at..

(Nic go here)

Flash was walking back through the town, seeing several kids playing around the park. Flash winced as he saw a few of them flying, knowing that he was unable to join them.

He sighed before looking at the Crystal horseshoe that he was wearing.

“Hey Flash, wait up!” Flash turned to see CautiousFlight running towards him.

Seeing her light blue colored face, with Cyan head-band keeping her darker blue mane in the back brought a smile to his face. “Oh…hey Cautious!” He said before hugging her, feeling comfortable with this.

“I haven’t seen you since the incident.” Cautious said, as she patted his back. “The other girls and I were getting worried.”

“Oh..I’m…I’m fine.” Flash insisted, wiping his face with the hoof that had the crystal horseshoe on it.

“Oh, those look nice! Where did you get them?” Cautious asked curiously as she saw the magical artifact.

“Oh…um….Kirouac gave it to me.” Flash explained.

“Wow! He got you something this nice? That’s cool! Is it only decorative or…”

Flash shook his head before pointing his hoof to a small ball that was left on the grass. He made the crystal horseshoe facing it slowly roll the ball to him, then bounce around them.

“Kirouac gave you a magic focus? Wow! I knew you always wanted to do magic, but now you’ve got the best tool to do it with!” Cautious said happily.

“Yeah!” Flash said with a blush before seeing a young pegasus foal fly pass them. “Yeah…”

Cautious looked up and gave a small sigh as well. “You know, there are days when I wish I was up there too.”

Flash looked to the side, away from Cautious. “Yeah…I…I know.” He said, feeling ashamed.

“Well, at least I am down here with you.” She said as she started snuggling with Flash. “I’d end up missing a lot if I kept looking up there.”

“Yes, but…that’s where your parents work.” Flash said before hugging Cautious.

“I know, but I still have you down here.” She said as she kissed his cheek.

“Ywah…” Flash said, wondering about his relationship with Cautious and Twilight.

“So, do you have any plans for tonight?” Cautious asked as she looked him in the eyes.

“I…I don’t think so.” Flash admitted while looking in Cautious’s green eyes.

“Well, me and some of our friends are planning on heading out to dinner. Do you want to come?” Cautious asked as she placed a hoof around his sholdersneck.

“I…ok…” Flash said innocently.

She squealed in excitement as she hugged him. “Great! Let’s go!”

Flash followed Cautious hoping for a chance to get his mind off of the whole alicorn thing.

Twilight and most of the other students in her hall were all now sitting at a nearby restaurant that they started to go to frequently due to the wide array of food.

“Come on. I can still walk.” Spike whined as he was being carried by Applejack.

“Darling, you need all of the rest you can get right now, and none of us mind.” Rarity said as she and Dash were walking with them to the table

“Yes, but…It’s embarrassing.” Spike whined.

“Agreed, but you look cute that way.” Dash said with a grin.

“You’re rubbing off on Dash, Rare!” A.J. quipped with a chuckle before placing Spike down on a chair.

“I’d like to think that’s a good thing.” Rarity said with a giggle.

“Not funny.” Dash said as she rolled her eyes and picked up Spike’s fork.

“If you say that the pegasus wants to land, I’m breaking up with you.” Spike warned her.

“Alright, you all may want to calm down before a food fight breaks out.” Twilight said as she teleported the towel off of her mane.

“Hey Twilight, what happened?” Spike asked her.

“Oh…I was just having some fun…and learning new things…friendship stuff.” Twilight said with a blush.

“Oh?” Spike tilted his head. “Like what?” He asked, wondering why her mane was wet.

“Just some new swimming techniques.” Shark said, having a small smile on his face.

“Oh…ok.” Spike said as Sleipnir came back with some food.

“Now say Ahh!” Dash said with a grin as she tried to feed him.

“Say Whaaat!” Spike tried to say before Dash stuck the food in his mouth, much to his dismay.

Pinkie and Fluttershy giggled at the sight of that.

“And I thought it was fun when we did this with Light.” Pinkie said with a giggle.

“Yeah….” Futter said with a sigh.

Spike spit it out. “What did I tell and warn you?” He asked Dash.

“I said nothing about the pegasus landing.” Dash said with a mischievous grin.

“I…arrr…” Spike slouched back down in the chair.

“Now just relax and enjoy the pampering.” Rarity said as she gently rubbed his back. “If it makes you feel better, you can do it to us tonight.”

Spike raised an eyebrow to it.

“I’m guessing that is supposed to be one of those romance things that city ponies do.” Applejack said as she thought about it. “Admittedly it’s not my strongest subject.”

Rarity turned to A.J. before going back to Spike. “We can start with her first.” She said with a smile.

“Well…it may be better.” Spike said with a gulp.

“You can count me out.” Dash said with a huff.

“And yet you are still feeding him?” Applejack asked with a grin. “It’s either this or a spa day.”

Dash put the utensil down. “I… I don’t like others touching my…claws.” She admitted in a whisper.

“Oh really? What if Spike is doing it?” Rarity said as she scooted closer to Dash.

“I…we could see.” Dash said while blushing.

Twilight smiled as she leaned against Sheipnir’s body. “Well, at least we are all still together…I think…did Light ever come back?”

Flutter shook her head. “I…I don’t know.”

“He’ll cheer up in time. He has the master of laughter for a marefriend.” Applejack said, trying to comfort the others.

“But I am not with him now.” Pinkie said. “Well I am in the sense that I’m dating him but not in the…”

“Yeah, we get it.” Dash said as he rubbed her forehead. “He’s been through a lot lately, so maybe he just needs a little space to think and work things out.”

“I just hope that we don’t make it worse.” Futter said with sadness.

“He hasn’t hidden himself somewhere, so I think you’ll be okay.” Twilight pointed out.

“How do you know?” Shark asked.

“He wouldn’t have been with us this morning.” Twilight reasoned with a shrug.

“I um…ok.” Shark replied before seeing Light walk in, looking a bit more calm and thoughtful.

“Lighty!!!” Pinkie squealed before tackling the alicorn and attacking him with licks.

Light fell down while Futter softly walked to him. “Oh, I was so worried.” She said in a motherly tone. “Where were you? Where did you go?” She asked with a concerned voice.

“I…I went to a shrink to talk about what I’ve been going through.” Light admitted, looking embarrassed.

“Oh…that’s good.” Flutter said.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. We all do.” Pinkie said seeing how sad Light was.

“I just…have a lot to think about…” Light admitted.

“Remember, we are always here to help you.” Twilight assured him.

Light nodded thinking about what Feelings told him. “I…I have to…talk to you…about…things...”

“Sure thing! Tonight after dinner? I can make some cupcakes!” Pinkie offered excitedly.

Light nodded while hoping he wouldn’t chicken out by then. “So…let’s just relax for the time being.”

Pinkie and Flutter nodded before hugging Light.

“So…did any of you feel any magic when we…stopped Light?” Twilight asked, trying to be as sensitive as possible while curbing her curiosity.

Pinkie thought about it. “Well I did feel a big burst of something.” She admitted. “I think it was love.”

“I felt it too!” Flutter said while still hugging Light.

“I did feel funny when you all were holding me back.” Light admitted. “Did that count?”

“Darling, are you saying that something may have happened to us when we stopped him?” Rarity asked in shock.

“I don’t know…but I noticed that the little bit of dark aura that was around Light…isn’t there anymore.” Twilight said.

“I had a dark aura? I can shower!” Light said, looking confused about what she was talking about.

“No…it was like dark magic…but in your soul…attitude…whatever part of you that made you angry…” Twilight tried to explain calmly.

“Twilight…I think you should talk to a spirit-specialist about that.” A.J. told her.

“And now there is another shrink that I need to see.” Light said, no longer feeling as safe about his abilities.

“Y'all don’t worry about it, Light. It’s more a doctor for souls.” A.J. explained.

“I don’t have any problems with my…”

“And no, it’s not the shoe type of sole.” Applejack clarified.

“You know, you need to learn to chillax.” Dash said as she propped her hind hooves on the table.“ Just relax and take a load off once and awhile.”

“Yes…” Rarity said before pushing Dash’s hoof off the table. “Like a day at a spa works for me.”

“I like to sit under the tree, especially the apple ones.” A.J. told Light.

“You already know how a good book is for me.” Twilight said.

“Baking for me!” Pinkie cheered.

“Animals.” Flutter said with a blush.

“Swimming…” Shark said.

“Depends.” Spike said, clearly throwing everybody off. “What? Some days I like helping. Some days I do other hobbies, and sometimes I just like to kick back and read some comics.”

“Ya, and we can do that tonight.” Dash told Spike.

“After my new appointment.” Light said with a sigh as he rested his head on the table.

Flutter and Pinkie hugged Light ones more. “We’ll go with you.” They told him.

“Thanks…” Light said before noticing Twilight writing down on her notepad. “Um, are you okay?”

“Ya ya..” Twilight said while writing, not paying much attention to the others.

“What are you..” Sleipnir took the notebook from Twilight, keeping it away from her.

“Hey! I was working on some theories!!!” Twilight whined as she reached for the book.

Shark took the notebook from Sleipnir and started to read it. “Possible magical effect caused by several possibilities connecting to the six subjects...”

“What are you thinking of?” Light asked Twilight.

“I…I’m just trying to understand what happened to us.” Twilight admitted with a blush.

“I lost control and then you stopped me.” Light said dejectedly

“But what if there is more to it?” Twilight asked as she was in deep thought. “I…I just don’t fully understand it.”

“What are y'all thinking of doing?” A.J. asked Twilight.

Twilight sighed as she leaned back in her seat. “I can only research. Nothing else.”

Spike realized how stressed Twilight was about this, so he gently petted her back. “It’s okay. You can’t find the answers to everything.”

Twilight hugged Spike.

“But…finding answers to things is her Dragon Hoard.” Light said.

“Well, she can focus on another hoard.” Sleipnir suggested.

Twilight smiled before looking around. “Speaking of the ones that I’m dating? Has anyone seen Flash?”

“Oh, I think I saw him with his marefriends.” Earth said as she sat next to her.

“Oh…” Twilight said. “So..?” She asked.

“I think he’s having a date night with them.” Earth admitted.

“I see.” Twilight turned to the side. “I take it that he won’t be joining me for that second magic lesson tonight.”

Earth walked over to Twilight and patted her back. “It’s okay. You just have to remember that he’s been dating the others before you.”

Light looked worried as his attention turned to Twilight. “Are you two having your own problems?”

Twilight looked to the side. “I…I just don’t think he cares about me and my loves the same way that he feels about his marefriends.”

The group winced as she said that, feeling the pain in her voice when she said it. The mares didn’t know what to say, but Spike gently cleared his throat.

“Maybe you two aren’t supposed to be together? Cadence told us that not all relations end the way you want them to.” Spike explained with a deep breath. “You know that Shining was not Cadence’s first choice, right?”

“I know, but it feels just..just so..?” Twilight couldn’t find the words.

“Heartbreaking?” Sleipnir asked.

“Anticlimactic!?” Shark added.

“Disappointing?” Spike finished.

“Umm.. ya…” Twilight admitted.

“Well, it can be upsetting when somepony doesn’t show the same love to you as he does with others, but sometimes you have to accept that you can’t have everything you want.” Rarity explained softly. “Take it from a mare who has seen more breakups than you can count.”

Spike petted Rarity. “You could tell when they didn’t love you back, my love?” He asked her.

“Better than most…most at a critical moment.” Rarity admitted. “I explained to you how many stallions wouldn’t touch me when they learned the truth about me.”

Spiked hugged Rarity before kissing her on the lips.

Earth hugged Twilight before kissing her cheek. “You still have us, and you and Flash can still be friends.”

Twilight smiled before kissing Earth on the lips. “Thank you.” She said with a blush.

“Come on. Let’s have some dessert to drown the sorrow and pain away.” Light said, earning a small chuckle from Spike and Twilight. Light was a major eater, and he would often suggest eating some dessert after a hard day. It would help them relax and focus more on the fact that they were together

“So…can I ask you a question Twilight?” Sleipnir asked her.

“Sure.” Twilight said with a nod.

“Why did your parents call your older brother Shining Armor?” Sleipnir asked.

“Oh…I think it had to do with my parents' grandparents. I can’t remember those names too well though.” Twilight admitted.

“Oh…what about your..Grand-grandparents.” Shark asked from Twilight’s other side.

“Pureblood dragons and ponies. They encouraged our parents to do what they thought was right…even when their own parents didn’t agree.” Twilight explained somberly.

“Ok…but that doesn’t answer why your brother, who even if he doesn’t look like it, is a half dragon, and has a name that is mostly given to guards that fight dragons.” Sleipnir noted.

“Okay, you are lucky that Book didn’t hear that. Everybody expected him to be a librarian due to his name, and he ended up getting into a few fights with other recruits picking on him because of his name.” Light explained with a small chuckle as the waiter started to bring some desserts over.

“Oh…no.” Shark said. “I don’t think that’s what they mean by hitting the books.”

“More like the books hitting them.” Light pointed out. “The thing about Book is that he can handle blows and dish them out twice as well.”

“I believe you.” Shark said. “But back to Twilight’s brother.”

“A name means nothing. It’s what you do with it.” Light explained with a sigh. “Shining knows that. He’s a protector, not an aggressor.”

“Oh…ok. That’s…that’s anti-climatic.” Sleipnir said, now being the one who was disappointed.

“What? You thought he slayed a dragon or something?” Spike asked nervously.

“No, why would he…” Sleionir shook his head. “It’s just ironic.”

“That a pony born of a dragon would have a name of a slayer of dragons?” Twilight asked. “Maybe he’s one of those ponies who will help us turn the world upside down.”

“Hopefully yes, and not be the one to betray us.” Shark said with worry.

The group shuddered at that thought before all reaching for their sweets. “Now we definitely need dessert!” Light said as he started going through his treats.

They all nodded before they each started to eat their dessert. After a second they each looked at each other, and started to feed their love in a romantic fashion.

“See? I told you it would catch on.” Rarity said with a grin as she teazed Spike.

Spike placed his head in his hoofs. “I don’t know if I should call it an infection or an infestation?” He told her.

“It’s called love, now open your mouth.” Rarity said as she raised a cupcake to his mouth.

Spike turned to Rarity before opening wide, and taking the cupcake.

“ACH!!!” Book grunted as he was thrown on the ground again, having lost the last several sparring sessions with this mare in a costume. He was the best fighter in his class, and yet now he was being beaten like a novice.

“Are you holding back?” Bat asked Book, tauntingly.

“If I wasn’t, you’d be eating dirt.” Book lied as he got up, not wanting to continue the cycle of losses.

“Your heart says otherwise.” Bat said

“You question my will?” Book asked as he got ready for another round.

“No. But I question your heart rate.” Bat explained as she was listening to his heavy breathing.

“If I can be at the top of my class in fighting…I can beat you.” Book said firmly, refusing to back down.

“Which class were you in?” Bat asked him. “Kindergarten!?” She taunted him before laughing in his face.

Book gritted his teeth as his horn glowed darkly. “Let me show you…” Book muttered as his body faded into the shadows.

Bat smirked at this, before starting to whistle and move her ears around.

Book formed behind her from the shadow of a nearby wall, trying to catch her off guard, only for her to suddenly turn and knock him down again.

“You think darkness and the night is your friend!?” Bat asked the fallen Book. “I was born in it, raised by it.” She told him before laughing.

Book grunted as he got back up again. “You may beat me a dozen times, but I refuse to quit anytime soon.” He said as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

Bat went down to Book’s level. “Have you ever been told the definition of insanity?” She asked him.

“Is it supposed to be funny?” Book asked angrily.

“The definashing of insanity is trying to do the exact same thing one hundred times and expect to have a different result!” Bat told him.

“I never quit! I can never afford to give up…I’ll always get back up!” Book said firmly as he was trying to ignore the pain in his body.

“Then you’re more insane than the pony that came-up with that saying.” Bat told Book before taking her battle stance.

Book’s eyes were now glowing brightly as he was still facing her down. He was breathing heavily as he was now fixated on beating this pony at all costs. He couldn’t fail…again.

Bat started to taunt him by waving him over.

Book growled as he charged at the thestrial, giving his all as he pulled any stunt that he could to get an edge. He knew that his only major advantage now was magic, so he started firing several small blasts of magic at her. Nothing lethal, but enough to knock her back. As she started to get defensive, Book started laying the blows on her again to switch it up.

Bat once again continued to avoid all of Book’s blows until she found herself on a part of the foot that was uneven, causing both of them to fall down together.

“See? I grow the more I learn!” Book said with a grin as he finally got a win in.

“Well you know what they say if you can’t win?” Bat asked Book

“Wha…”

Bat suddenly kissed Book on the cheek, before flipping them over so she’s on top of him. “Cheat with a distraction!”

Book was frozen in place as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. “I…you…wha…”

Bat leaned over to Book’s ear. “You still lose.”

Book was instantly triggered by this. Without even thinking, Book suddenly pulled her into a kiss and grappled her onto the ground.

Bat blushed at this feeling, not intending to show Book how to kiss somebody. She felt like he just lost control, and that this was out of anger, but she couldn’t complain much, until she felt Book’s hind hooves wrap around her wings and body, holding her in place.

“Ah... it would seem like you won.” Bat said both nonchalantly and while seeming to be bored at the same time.

Book was now infuriated as he got up. “Come on!!! I’m sick of you mocking me without any instruction, especially when I win! This is why I don’t play well with others. You creatures NEVER have my back!”

“Creatures?!?” Bat asked angrily.

“Teammates! I am tired of being left high to dry! I’m working solo!” Book barked as he started to storm away.

Bat sighed before running after him. “Wait!” She yelled at him but could see that Book was too ticked off to talk back. “You can’t just kiss a mare on the lips and then run off.” She yelled angrily at him, not caring who heard her, before running after him.

Book wasn’t listening, feeling infuriated that she kissed him and just acted like he was some untrained welp. He believed that she couldn’t care less about him, and he had put up with too many ponies who didn’t care. Even as he was storming off, Bat was still chasing after him.

She didn’t know why she was doing that, was it because he was the only one that had stayed the longest in a fight with her, or because he was her first kiss on the lips. Whatever it was, she had to get him back.

As Book heard her near him, he allowed his horn to glow, catching her off guard as the part of the body she tackled turned into a dark mist before reforming with his body as she landed on the ground. Book stepped over her body as he spoke coldly. “Leave me alone. I work better that way.”

Bat wondered if she should let him have this one. “You have potential!” She told him.

“What’s new?” Book asked, not taking her seriously. “I beat up everybody in my class.”

“Only equines, right!?” Bat asked him.

“Unicorns, pegasi, and a few earth ponies. Also a hybrid.” Book said sternly. “And this has nothing to do with your race or nation. I just hate working with others.”

“I understand, and am willing to respect that.” Bat said. “But..have you ever fought a changeling, buffalo or even a dragon?” She asked him.

“Changelings, a couple. Besides that, no.” Book said sternly. “And I don’t really care about working with you. It’s clear that you could care less about me, just like them.”

“And what makes you say that?” Bat asked him.

Book instantly turned around, allowing her to see Book’s eyes shining at their brightest. “THEY ABANDONED ME, AND THUNDER TOOK THE FALL!!!”

Bat looked around, confused at what he was talking about. “Who’s Thunder?”

Book breathed heavily as he backed away. “The only teammate that I respected more than Shining…before I even met him.”

Bat got up. “What happened?”

Book started to calm down as a frustrated look came over his face. “Our squad was supposed to have been doing a training patrol that was set up outside of the city. A lot of our squad snuck off a few minutes in, leaving me and the fastest guard alive alone to complete our orders.”

“Oh, ok…” Bat said, managing to keep up with his story.

“Well, some yahoo in command who was unaware of our situation wanted to do a spot twister drill on us. With several unicorns and pegasi, it should have been simple. For two ponies, it wasn’t that simple.” Book said somberly.

“Oh…I see.” Bat said. “But…” she looked him over. “You clearly lived!” She told him before she remembered that there was another guy.

“Thunder did his best…but he got hit by debris in the twister. I…nearly shattered my horn to stop the thing.” Book explained as he sighed. “I recovered in a couple months. Thunder is crippled to this day.”

Bat froze in place. “I…” She didn’t know what to say.

“That’s why I don’t trust ponies with my back, especially ponies who don’t give five bits about the backs they are watching.” Book said as he started walking off.

“I…” Bat decided to give Book some time.

Book left her, feeling betrayed again as he decided to focus his efforts on Neighsay. That was the mission that mattered the most after all.

As Book was making his way to Neighsay, he was stopped by a pale rosy mare with dark red sprinkles on her skin, and a short blood red fire mane.

“So..you’re Light’s older brother?” She asked him.

Book sighed as he looked the pony in the eyes. “Who wants to know?”

“I do!” She asked him. “Now please answer the question!”

“Yes, and next time, say please.” Book said as he tried to walk around her.

She placed her hoof on the wall, blocking Book. “My son is friends with him!” She told him.

“Good, Light can use all of the friends he can get, now kindly move.” Book asked, being rather firm in his tone.

“That is the first male friend that he has ever had.” She told Book.

“Fine…so what?” Book asked with a raised eyebrow.

“So what should Flash do, should he talk about some kind of sports team or have lunch together?” She rambled on.

“Um…what are you talking about?” Book asked, now confused.

“I’m BloodCrosher, Sk… FlashTruth’s mom, and I want to know what to expect for my son!” She asked him.

“Well…Light is a nice pony, but he is straight if that is what you are asking.” Book said as he tried to move around her once more.

“MHm…what…so is my son.” Blood told Book. “He just doesn’t have any other male friends.”

“Really? I thought some of the boys I read about in Light’s hall would be friends of his.” Book said as he thought about the files of Light’s associates that he read about from Kirouac’s files.

“He…knows them, but….you know.” Blood said.

“Yeah…I know creatures like that.” He said, hiding the fact that he was talking to himself. “Look, they understand and respect each other, along with working together in classes and groups. They will learn about each other’s preferences and dislikes, but I think that respect for each other will most likely hold. Just don’t try forcing it.”

“Fine…” Blood said. “So, you’re moving here as well?” She asked him.

“I’m here on assignment, and I have a prisoner to check on.” Book said before getting curious. “And just for the record, what is your name again?”

“Blood, BloodCrosher!” She told him.

“Nice name, and it explains Flash’s birth name. I’ll remember that. Now if you excuse me…” Book tried moving around her again.

Blood stopped him once more. “Wait, how do you know my son’s birth name?” She asked him. “I thought all of his paperwork had been changed!?”

“Yeah, but there is a birth certificate. I am protective of my little brother, and Kirouac allowed me to do some reading. Now, kindly move before I go around you. I am on duty.” Book reminded her as he tried brushing past her.

Blood looked angrily at him. “You did what?” She asked him

“I had permission to go through several records, now leave me alone while I do my job of watching Neighsay.” Book said as he was now tired of arguing with her.

“I…ugh!” She punched the wall, causing one of the “bricks” to come loose before she stormed off.

Book stared at her for a second before summoning a black book. “BloodCrusher, hostile local. Simply avoid contact. I now hate this place.”

Flash was with his 6 mare friends, his 6 first and only friends, excluding the ponies and non ponies in the Asperger group. They were all joking around as they were eating in a more romantic restaurant.

“And then Boom, I actually got a win on Applejack. Now she wants a rematch.” Bubbly said proudly as the others were giggling a little.

Flash was laughing as well, forgetting his worries.

“I have one better.” Honest, a changeling with her mane in a bun said. “So I went into the library and asked for a book about the history of the griffon foundation. The librarian told me…” She shifted to look like the librarian. “I don’t know if that's a good idea.” She said in her voice before changing back to her normal self. “I tell her I still want to see that.” She changed once more back into the librarian. “You can’t handle the truth.” She reverts. “Mmm I don’t know what Flash has to do with anything, but I can handle him very well.” She told her friend before laughing.

The group all chuckled before Zizard turned to Flash. “So, how is your new friend?”

“Ha ha ha..huh?” Flash stopped laughing. “Which one, Light?” He asked her.

“Yeah. I mean, you get along with the other guys in your hall, but you seem to be connecting to Light rather well.” Cautious agreed.

“Well yeah. We are the only male members of the Asperger group.” Flash pointed out.

“Yeah, but you two seem to have gotten along very well, considering that first impression you gave Light.” Scorpioette said with a giggle.

“And that would be…?” Flash asked with a bit of worry.

“Let’s not talk about it.” Zizard said firmly before turning to Flash. “I’m just glad that you have found a good friend.”

“Thanks.” Flash said before hugging Zizard.

“So…how is he doing now?” Bubbly asked with a bit of concern.

“Well…he’s…he never wants to fly nor do magic ever again.” Flash explained.

“That doesn't seem like fun.” Marerian said sadly. “I’ve already been making toys with him, and it could put him in a bad…well…it might hinder him…and anyway it would be fun to fly and do magic like him...”

“Hinder? That’s crippling himself! Who would give something like that up?” Cautious asked as she looked at her wings. “I’d give almost anything to fly.”

“Well, some creatures don’t like the forms they are given, and may want to stick with what’s natural to them.” Honest said as she pointed to her changeling form. “You don’t see me using a lot of magic or flying around in some alicorn form.”

“But Light was a unicorn. It’s like if I stopped bodybuilding.” Bubbly said as she flexed a little.

“I don’t understand his reasoning myself. Some ponies strive to better themselves. That’s why I used a magic focus like Flash when I was younger.” Zizard said as her necklace glowed softly. “It seems like Light is afraid of stepping up and being something more.”

“Hey, if the guy wants to do this to himself, it’s none of my business, and I could care less.” Scorpioette said as she leaned back in her chair.

“I.. there must be a reason for him to be worthy to become one.” Flash said, mostly to himself. “And he wants to throw what he can do away.”

“Well, that sounds like a problem for him to deal with.” Scorpioette said bluntly. “And it may be a good thing since that little outburst of his the other day.”

Bubbly gave Scorpioette a soft slap in the back of the head. “Not the time, read the room.” She told her.

“Well, I guess that event was traumatizing to him. Maybe he needs some time to think?” Zizard suggested.

“Ya…I suppose.” Flash said.

“So, I guess it would be wiser to just help him out and be supportive. Who knows? Give it a couple weeks, and Light will be able to get over it.” Marerian suggested.

Flash nodded. “So…how is… life for you?”

“Well, SweetLine and FireArm had an argument with each other that I had to settle, and Sparks learned how to breath fire for the first time, so it’s nice to relax for once.” Cautious started, describing the events from daycare that morning.

“Oh…ad I wasn’t there to see.” Flash said, while playfully pouting. “What was it about?”

“They both wanted to play with the teddy bear. Thanks to the alicorn, they have risen in popularity.” Cautious explained.

“So that’s why everybody and their neighbor wants one.” Marerian said as she gave a small giggle. “I need to ask him to work with me in my toystore.”

Flash giggled. “Remember when we were their age and we all wanted to have leather jackets so that we could be like Mc-Cool!” He asked them.

“Well, some of us don’t have a job yet.” Honest pointed out. “I can’t start being a lawyer until I graduate.”

“Same for me.” Zizard said. “I get to watch teachers do the job I want to do every day.”

“And I’m limited on the drinks that I’m allowed to make.” Scorpioette said with a huff.

“And I can’t play around with meals ever.” Bubbly said impatiently.

“Well, everybody has a time when they can soar, and hopefully we can start soaring soon.” Flash said hopefully.

“Ya…” Cautious said before looking at her back.

“Oh, my bad.” Flash hugged Cautious’ waist.

“So… I guess we should talk about the new mare you want to add.” Bubbly said as she actually looked nervous.

“Mhm? Oh you mean Twilight!?” Flash asked.

“Is there another mare?” Scorpioette asked with a grin.

“Well there's her mare-friend, Earth.” Flash pointed out.

“Let alone her boyfriends, Sleipnir and Shark.” Bubbly pointed out.

Flash nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know…it hasn’t clicked…yet.”

“You mean between her and you? Or the others and you?” Cautious asked curiously.

“Umm…both?” Flash admitted.

“I see…well…who knows? It may just not be working out.” Zizard suggested.

“And you have yet to introduce us to Twilight.” Marerian pointed out as she refilled her drink.

“Oh, Light didn’t talk about her while you two were making toys?” Flash asked. “Those two are like brother and sister.”

“Talking about her and meeting her are two different things.” Marerian said as she looked at Flash expectantly.

“Well...she’s a half dragon from her dad's side, like our king, and half unicorn from her mom's side, but this time no pegasus DNA. She’s a bookworm and brilliant at magic.”

“Flash, you are dancing around it.” Scorpioette said as she looked at her boyfriend. “We want to meet her.”

“Oh…ok.” Flash said while looking around. “But I don’t know where she is.” He admitted. “If we are done here, we could look at the library.”

“Well, let’s meet up at a scheduled time. We did want some personal time with you.” Bubbly reminded him as she petted his hoof.

Flash blushed, he always felt safe in her hooves. “Ok, how about one or two hours?” He suggested.

“Yeah, tonight, when we will know that she’s in your room.” Marerian agreed.

Scorpioette giggled at that.

“Not in that way!” Flash said firmly.

“Yeah, just in the hall, and we knock before entering this time, okay Scorpioette?” Marerian asked, having experienced her mischievous nature before.

“Sorry, but the door wasn’t locked.” Scorpioette pointed out.

“Funny.” Zizard said as she rolled her eyes.

“Can we please talk about something else?” Flash asked.

“Yeah, how are you doing? You seemed rather upset earlier.” Cautious reminded him.

“Oh…I…I just came back from the therapist.” Flash said calmly.

“I didn’t know you had one scheduled today.” Bubbly said curiously. “I heard Light had his first appointment today.”

“How did you know?” Zizard asked curiously.

“He asked me what the therapist was like.” Bubbly explained as she finished her drink.

“Oh, really?” Flash asked. “He must have come before me!”

“I couldn’t say. I didn’t stick by him today.” Bubbly admitted.

“But back to the topic, I didn't. I just went when he had free time.” Flash admitted.

“Oh…well, what’s bothering you? It can’t be Light’s little traumatic experience, right?” Scorpioette asked kiddingly.

“No, well…it’s…my jealousy!” Flash said.

All of the marefriends were silent when he said that, thinking instantly about how Light was an alicorn, and he seemed underqualified to be one. “Yeah…I can understand anypony feeling that.” Scorpioette admitted.

“I know I shouldn’t be, and that I should be happy and supportive of him, but…a part of me thinks that I’m failing to be a good pony. Like…if there is the possibility of becoming an alicorn, I haven’t proved myself to be worthy of becoming one. You know…?” Flash said before flopping his head on the table.

“Hey, we can’t all be perfect.” Marerian tried to comfort him. “I mean, would you call any of us perfect?”

Flash was too much of a nice gentle-colt to say anything bad about his mare-friends. But if he had to criticize, Scorpioette was too brash. Marerian had her head figuratively in the clouds. HonestAvocado was sometimes a stick in the mud or one up his flank. Zizard was a bit too concerned about wishing that her adopted unicorn parents were her blood parents & would overexert herself. Bubbly-Biceps was bold & stubborn. As for CautiousFlight…Flash couldn’t think of something specific for why wasn't she an alicorn? And if she became one, would her wings get fixed?

“Flash, why worry about being an alicorn? If you stress out about it every day of your life, then what will it be worth when you do have it?” Cautious tried to ask him.

“Be.. because it would validate that I’m a good pony, and I could now do more to help out.” Flash admitted.

“Maybe it’s not about being good, but for some extra duty or something. Even then, you don’t need to be an alicorn to be a good pony.” Zizard assured him.

“Yes…but it’s like when you don’t get a gold star on a test.” Flash compared. “I just wish we wouldn't be limited by what we are born with, and we could do what we want.”

“Yeah…I feel you.” Cautious admitted as she looked at her wings.

“Well, I think it would be boring!” Bubbly said bluntly. “If you are the best that you can be, then you can never improve yourself.”

“I didn’t say that I wanted us all to immediately start as an expert in everything. I just wish that…if you wanted to, you could learn magic without needing a magic conductor, or if Zizard wanted to go on a cloud, she would take some flying lessons and get there by herself someday.” Flash tried to explain.

“Well, we can’t all have what we want. Light did tell me that he didn’t want to be an alicorn.” Bubbly pointed out.

“Yes, I know…which makes it a bit more confusing.” Flash admitted before bringing his head down.

“Well, sometimes your version of perfect doesn’t apply to others.” Zizard explained.

“Even then, aren’t we better than a horn and wings?” Marerian asked as she kissed Flash’s cheek.

Flash blushed a bit, feeling good when they were around. “You’re…you’re...” He just hugged them.

“So, what do you want to do now? We’re done with our food.” Bubbly pointed out as the mares were all looking at him expectantly.

“I…! Flash tried to think about it. “I’ll let you girls pick.”

The girls all grinned as they looked at each other. “I think we have an idea.”

“Oh, what is it?” Flash asked.

“You’ll see.” Bubbly said as she picked Flash up.

Neighsay was sitting in his cell, waiting, finding it strangely nicer than what he was expecting. The only thing that was missing were pillows.

As he was getting rather used to this room, he heard the door open. “Alright Neighsay. It’s time to start working.” Book said firmly, being accompanied by a couple guards. “It was decided that you should have an easier start, so you will be mopping the hospital floor.”

“Ok...” Neighsay said while getting up, the magical rings on his horn and four legs stopping him from jumping too high or walking faster than a trot.

He noticed that Book looked rather frustrated as he handed him a mop that was in a mop bucket.

“This place is getting to you as well?”Neighsay said, hoping to turn Book to his side.

“That’s none of your business, now get to work!” Book ordered as he shoved the mop into Neighsay’s hooves.

“As you wish.” Neighsay said while mopping half-assedly.

“And do it right!” Book barked as the guards were even shocked by Book’s reaction.

“Book, I know what he did wasn’t…good, but there’s no need to yell, he’s “locked” up.” Barry told him. “Look.” He said before passing his hoof over Neighsay’s legs that were bound up. “You see.”

“I know my job, and I am in a bad mood, so don’t tell me how to do my job, and I won’t tell you how to do yours.” Book said with a scowl as he stood his post.

Barry took one step away from Book while keeping an eye on Neighsay, who was back to mopping, better this time.

“Nice to see you on your hooves.” Neighsay turned to see the doctor walking up to him.

“No thanks to them.” Neighsay grumbled. “What are you back here for?” He asked.

“Well, apparently somepony forgot to assign somepony to make sure you get food, so I volunteered.” Doctor Ruff-Feather said as she gave him a couple sandwiches.

Neighsay looked at the inside of the sandwiches before looking concerned at Ruff-Feather.

Ruff feather sighed as she looked at him. “I’m guessing that I didn’t pick something that was suited to your diet?”

“There’s meat!” Neighsay said.

“So, it’s white! Equines can eat that..” Ruff said.

“Most Equestrian ponies don’t eat meat.” Book explained before Neighsay could bark at her. “What he’s saying is that he’s a vegetarian.”

“You need your protein.” Ruff said while taking the meat out.

“Ponies can live without ham.” Neighsay said firmly.

“And some are allergic to peanuts.” Ruff said.

Neighsay rolled his eyes as he ate the sandwich. He was surprised that it tasted rather good, even if there was a small taste of meat in it.

“Does this satisfy you?” Ruff asked him. “Does it meet your Canterlot standards?”

“Well, this has a small meat taste, but it’s otherwise satisfactory.” Neighsay explained as he looked at the mare curiously.

“Well…sorry.” Ruff replied, noting how Neighsay was looking at her. “Is there a problem?”

“I’m just wondering why you of all ponies would volunteer to feed me.” Neighsay admitted.

“It’s either me, or bring a new one in, and I already have seen and know your medical file.” Ruff pointed out.

“Fair enough.” He said as he started to go back to work.

“Please do a better job.” Ruff asked nicely. “It needs to be cleaned enough to eat on.” She explained.

“That's not a bad idea.” Books said before levitating Neighsay’s food out of his hoof. “After you’re done cleaning the floor, you’ll eat your food, ON the floor that you cleaned.”

“I didn’t mean it literally.” Ruff said firmly. “You are clearly angry at something and it’s clouding your judgement. Why don’t you let me handle telling him how clean it needs to be and you watch him?” She asked Book calmly.

“How about you do your job and make him better, and I’ll do my job, making sure that he doesn’t commit any crimes again.” Book told her.

“Actually, it’s the crown that decides the punishment, and you are supposed to help supervise. In some jobs a pony that works in that position is allowed to instruct and supervise, which is me today. So will you kindly let me do my job while you supervise?” Ruff asked firmly as she crossed her hooves.

Neighsay wanted to get away from this fight, so he started to mop away from them, while being followed by Barry.

“Tell me, has Naighsay experienced any personal trauma growing up? Problems with parents, anything like that.” Neighsay heard the halfbreed ask.

“Like he’s going to open up to anyone.” Book said,

“I refuse to believe that he’s incapable of sympathy. Bitterness has to come from some form of upbringing or pain.” Ruff insisted.

“So…you’re a shrink as well?” Book asked Ruff.

“Not professionally, but doctors are supposed to care for their patients. Neighsay may have attacked our city, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t care for him. As for you, I can tell something else is ticking you off, and you are taking it out on him.”

Book looked away. “Where is Neighsay?” He asked while looking for him.

“Right here, mopping the floor.” Barry said bluntly. “You know, I don’t think that anything exciting is going to happen with him.”

“We still have to watch him!” Book pointed out.

“I am watching him! It’s you who is slacking.” Barry sighed as he kept his eyes on Neighsay.

Ruff giggled before walking to Neighsay, to make sure that he didn’t have any problem walking.

Neighsay sighed as he kept working. “So, why do you want to know about my past?” He asked Ruff bluntly.

“I want to know why anyone, sorry, anypony would hate a place they never want to, especially a place that is known to be peaceful.” Ruff said.

“I don’t know that much about this place besides the fact that there are a lot of powerful hybrids.” Neighsay admitted.

“Well, it looks like you need a teacher.” Ruff said as she sat down on a chair next to him as he worked.

Light seemed to be in a daze as he was walking back to his room with his friends. “I was possessed…I was actually possessed…”

“Then we would have had to tie you up on a bed, and tickle you until you were exorcised.” Pinkie said while jumping around Light as he walked.

“Pinkie, the fact that the guardian was some kind of entity isn’t something that should be taken lightly.” Twilight said as she was still trying to recover from the doctor’s explanation of what happened to Light when he went on a rampage, let alone that the spirit was expelled from him.

“So we already exorcized Light-y-poo?” Pinkie asked. “Or should I call you Light-y-wikey?” She asked Light.

“Funny, but I think Light may need a minute.” Spike said as he felt rather embarrassed that she was making variants of his nickname. “Then there is the question of how he was exorcised.”

“Love?” Flutter asked. “Or…friendship?”

“I don’t think we feel as strongly about Light as you and Pinkie do.” Dash pointed out.

“But, what about as a friend?” Pinkie asked.

“That’s in the field of friendship.” Applejack explained.

“So…maybe all of our friendship saved Light.” Pinkie said before hugging Light’s neck.

“I don’t know, but I definitely want to do more research now.” Twilight said as she was writing down countless notes.

Light looked to the side, as Pinkie and Flutter tried to make him smile. “I…I need some time to process this.” Light admitted as he walked up to his room.

“Okie dokie lokie.” Pinkie said before following Light into his room.

“Um, I think that means that he needs a night alone.” Fluttershy said as she gently grabbed Pinkie.

“Aww…” Pinkie pouted before looking at Flutter.

“Yes Pinkie, you can stay with me tonight.” Flutter said while petting Pinkie’s head.

“Sorry girls, I just need to…” Light stopped as soon as he opened the door, quickly shutting it behind him as he turned back to his marefriends. “On second thought, I’ll sleep with you two again.”

“Really!” Pinkie asked with a smile, before hugging Light’s neck.

“What’s wrong?” Flutter asked with worry.

“I think Flash has staked his claim for the time being.” Light said with a deep blush.

“What is he doing?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m not sure, but he’s most likely doing it with six other mares.” Light explained as Shark and Sleipnir were blushing deeply.

“An earth-pony, a unicorn, a pegasus, a changeling, a zebra and a buffalo?” Pinkie asked Light.

“Yep.” Light said with a nod.

Everyone else nodded, but Twilight looked down.

“Ah…”

“Um…maybe you and our boyfriends can sleep at my place? I have my own house due to…preference.” Earth offered with a blush.

“Oh, you wouldn’t mind?” Twilight asked.

“Not at all.” Earth assured them.

“Thank you!” Twilight said before hugging Earth, and kissing her.

“Well, I need my PJs. So we need to make him take a break.” Shark said bluntly before knocking on the door. “Hey loverboy, I need my stuff! Take a break for a minute so I can come in!”

They all heard a stumboled, then some whispering before hearing Flash speak up. “Just wait.”

“Sure thing.” Shark said, looking used to having his room confiscated.

Flash came to the door, opened it slightly to pass Shark his P.J.s. “Anything else?” He asked.

“A pair for Spike and Light maybe?” Shark suggested. “Since you and your marefriends are doing one of your…sessions…Earth is letting me, Sleipnir, and Twilight stay with her for the night.” Shark explained.

“Oh...” Flash poked his head out of the door. “Hey Twilight.” Flash said nervously.

“H…hey…” Twilight said as she turned away, looking embarrassed.

“Wait Twilight is here?” The mares in the bedroom asked before pulling Flash back and closing the door. “Just a second! We’ll be out in a second.”

“Oh…okay…” Twilight said as the group looked awkwardly at each other.

Flash walked out of the bedroom, with his orange coat and hat back on in a messy way, with his 6 mare-friends..

“H…hi Flash…I was wondering when I’d meet your other marefriends.” Twilight said as she waved at them bashfully.

“Oh, a dragon this time!” The big gray earth-pony with short blue and copper mane said.

“This time?” Light said as he looked concerned.

“Yeah.” The gray earth-pony said. “Look at us. We are each a different race, but none of us is a dragon.” She explained.

“I see…” Light said as he didn’t look comforted.

“Hey…” The soft blue and cyan pegasis said before waving at Twilight.

“Hello. I’m guessing that you are…Cautious?” Twilight asked, trying to recall all of his marefriends.

“And I’m Bubbly-Biceps.” The Gray earth-pony said. “The Red unicorn is Scorpioette, the White & Yellow Zebra is Zizard, the changeling is HonestAvocado, and you already know Marerian.”

“Yeah, we work together in the craft’s class. The only student with her own business.” Light said as he was still looking at Flash.

Flash was feeling nervous about how Light was looking at him. “Hey Light.”

“Just how many marefriends do you have, and how many have you hit on?” Light asked, more focused on Twilight’s well-being.

“Well they are all in this room.” Flash admitted before looking at Twilight and the six other mares.

“And do you hit on all of the mares?” Light whispered softly.

Flash looked at Light. “Noo.”

“Um, Flash…I think we need to talk about…us…” Twilight said as she looked increasingly uncomfortable.

“Yeah...” Flash said before rubbing the back of his head.

“Well…I have been thinking a lot about us…and…well…how do you feel about me…in a relational term?” Twilight asked as she was growing more nervous at the second.

“I…as a friend.” Flash told her, trying to make it sound nice.

“Yeah….and I…agree…” Twilight said, looking even more nervous.

“So…you have your 3 lovers, I…have my 6 very good mare-friends.” Flash said awkwardly.

Twilight winced as he said three. “So…I guess you know where I’m going with this.”

“Yes?” Flash asked nervously.

“I…I don’t think we can be anything more than friends.” Twilight admitted, looking ashamed to have said this.

Flash nodded. “I understand and respect this.” he told her.

“So…are we good? Can we still study together?” Twilight asked as she looked at him hopefully.

“I think we can!” Flash said with a smile.

“Okay…and…thank you…for understanding.” Twilight said as she didn’t know how to feel about this situation.

“It’s ok.” Flash insisted.

“Okay…I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow?” Twilight asked as she started to calm down.

Flash nodded before looking at the rest of the group, especially Light.

Light looked embarrassed as he walked off. “I’ll…leave you alone.”

“Um…Light wait.” Flash wanted to say.

Light paused for a moment, just wanting to hear what he had to say.

“I…can we talk, please.” Flash begged.

“Flash…I know what went wrong now…and…I’m still trying to process this.” Light admitted as he was trying to keep calm.

“Oh…?” Flash asked.

“I…went to a doctor…and he said I was possessed by…something that I was corrupted with…but it’s gone now.” Light explained with a shudder.

“Oh...” Flash said. “And… what else?” He asked.

“I… I don’t know… I may try magic and flying again… but I need time right now.” Light admitted as he looked at Flash.

Flash nodded. “That’s good!” He told Light with a smile.

“So why do you want to talk to me?” Light asked as he looked worried about what he was going to say.

“I…I wanted to wish you luck on your flying and magic.” Flash told Light.

“Yeah…I’ll need all the luck I can get.” Light said, sounding disheartened as he walked off towards Pinkie and Fluttershy’s room.

‘And…I’m jealous.’ Flash said softly to himself, as Light walked away.

Shark, Sleipnir and Twilight walked after Earth to her place.

“So…are you going to be okay?” Spike asked Flash before he could follow his marefriends.

“Y.. ya…” Flash insisted before looking at his mare-friends. “I’ll be good.”

“Okay, just let me know if you need anything.” He said as he went to join his loves.

Flash nodded before walking back to his mare-friends, ready to bunker down for the night.

Book groaned as he was done with his shift, ready to just go asleep and forget about Bat-Mare altogether.

As he made his way to his sleeping corder, he passed all of the different raced guards in this Country.

The guards looked at the outsider curiously, wondering why Kirouac was allowing this royal guard to sleep with them. Nonetheless, they didn’t disrespect him, wanting to leave a good impression on him when he went back to Canterlot. Too bad Book didn’t seem to care.

Just before Book opened the door to his sleeping quarters, the door next to him opened, and out came Bat-Mare.

Book sighed when he saw her. “Bat.”

“Yes?” She asked before turning to Book.

“Nothing. I was just acknowledging you. I don’t know who outranks who, so saluting didn’t seem right.” Book said as he started to walk into his room.

Bat thought about it. “There’s the Sargent, Blood, me, and a few others, so maybe you would be just above the other new recruits.” She told him.

“I’m technically a lieutenant, meaning I am an officer.” Book reminded her as he leaned against the doorframe. “And the saddest thing is that I hate lieutenants.”

“Senior, Junior or Subordinate ?” Bat aske Book. “And why?”

“Full lieutenant, and Celestia gave me a field promotion for our joint assignment of making sure that the main six, as I have classified them, remain safe at all costs.” Book whispered to her softly

“Thanks, but I was asking why you don’t like Lieutenants?” Bat asked him.

“They are newbies pretending to know everything! They always want to leave a mark where it's not needed! You always get the dumbest decision from them until they get some real experience. Captains and Majors are alright. They are too far from the top to do anything crazy. Colonels are half and half. Some of them just want the job done right, and the others are doing anything they can to become general. It’s like they are hunting for those stars.” Book explained firmly, without any sign of remorse or hesitation.

Bat nodded. “But you’re not like them.” She asked playfully.

“I may be new, but I know better, and I’ll leave others alone if they leave me alone.” Book said coldly, reminding Bat of Book’s hatred of working with others.

Bat nooded. “Ok, but don’t forget that MoonRacer wasn’t built by just one.” She told him. “Nor do I think Canterlot was.”

“I don’t need to build cities. I need to protect it, and I can do it on my own.” Book insisted as he tried to walk into his room.

“Last words of many before they fell.” Bat said while Book walked into his room.

Book tensed up when she said that. “At least I don’t have creatures pushing me down if I do.”

“But you’ll also not have any to give you a hoof from the top side of the hole that you fell in.” Bat pointed out.

“LIKE I’D GET IT!!!” Book barked at her angrily as he stormed up to her. “WHY SHOULD I TRUST OTHERS TO HAVE MY BACK WHEN THEY COULDN’T WATCH THUNDER’S!?! HE’S CRIPPLED!!! AND I COULDN’T EVEN SAVE HIM!!! WHY DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE?!? YOU DON’T EVEN CARE!!!” Book screamed as Bat noticed him tearing up out of rage.

Bat was down on the floor as Book yelled at him. ‘Because everyone was there for me in my time of need.’ She whispered to herself as Book stormed into his room.

As Book slammed the door, Bat heard another pony enter the room. “He’s not taking your methods too well?” Kirouac asked bluntly.

“My.. my King!” Bat said while getting up, then doing a salute, then a bow. “I…I…”

“It’s okay. Celestia warned me about him. Book is a skilled and clever guard, but he is brash and suffered from old wounds that haunt his mind. He buries his pain by pushing himself harder.” Kirouac explained calmly as he sat down next to her. “But Celestia and I wouldn’t have paired you two if she didn’t think that you could help him.”

“I know what pain is.” Bat said, recalling the night that her parents were killed, and how everyone on MoonRacer invited her in with open arms.

“And when was the last time you worked with somepony on the field?” Kirouac asked her.

Bat looked away, not wanting to be reminded of how out of the box she was.

“You are an incredible pony, and you have the uncanny ability to strike fear into the heart of criminals by being a symbol of justice. Celestia believes that Book can follow in your hoofprints and become Equestria’s own superhero.” Kirouac explained as he petted her back.

“Thank you.” Bat said before looking at the door of Book’s room. “But first he would have to open the door.”

“He needs a reason to peak out to see what lies before him.” Kirouac explained before he handed her a book that seemed to be about a decade old. “Have you ever heard of Sterling Silver?”

“I’ve…heard of the name.” Bat admitted.

“He’s one of the original sheriffs in Dodge City, and Book’s grandfather. There are many stories about the things he did to defend his town, and many times on his own. Compare some of his acts to what you strive to do. Being a symbol of hope to your people, and a symbol of fear to others. From what little I know, Silver was an inspiration to Book.” Kirouac explained with a small grin.

“And I take it that Silver did that all by himself?” Bat asked.

“At first, but others were inspired by him, and it became a foundation for the sheriffs and deputies, who are some of the best Equestria has to this day. Silver passed, but his legend lives on in others, and hopefully in Book.” Kirouac explained calmly.

“Ok, but that’s not going to help me to get Book to open up.” Bat told her King.

“You may be surprised.” Kirouac said as he stood up. “When ponies find a common ground, many find unlikely alliances.”

“What should I tell him, that I also saw someone I care about getting brutally hurt in front of me?” Bat asked.

“Exactly. Let him see you put down your guard and see how vulnerable you are. Show him your convictions, your beliefs. Let him see the eyes of one who has seen more pain than him, and spark that strong sense of justice that lies in his blood.” Kirouac said with a nod as he walked up to Book’s door. “By the way, your own cave is ready.”

“Really!” Bat asked Kirouac.

He gave a small nod. “It took us a while to find a good spot for it, but you have it, and all that comes with it.”

Bat had to use all of her strength to restrain herself from jumping onto her King’s neck and hugging him. “I…I…thank you.” She told him.

“There is just one thing that I want to say. It comes with a house, since I had to have a hidden place for it. There is also somepony I want you to live with for the moment.” Kirouac explained as he had a serious look on his face.

“Oh...” Bat asked with a blush. “Who…oh.” She frowned a bit.

“Trust me, when he walks in with you, he will see who you are and what you stand for.” Kirouac said as he placed a claw on her shoulder. “Are you okay with this?”

“I…I take it that I can’t get the cave and house without having to take him with it?” Bat asked her King.

“It’s not his house. It will be yours, and the cave is only for who you wish to see it. I can only ask you to let Book see your dream. I refuse to force your hooves on this choice.” Kirouac said, wanting her to have the free will to let Book into her home.

Bat took a deep breath. “I…I accept!” She told her King.

Kirouac smiled as he gave her a small bow. “Thank you. I know how personal this is for you.”

Bat was taken aback to have her king bow to her. “I’m honored!” She told him humbly.

Kirouac nodded before turning to Book’s door and knocking on it. “Book Knight!”

“Bat, Go away!” Book replied not noticing that the voice was different.

“This is King Kirouac! Pack your things. I am putting you in a different room for the time being.” Kirouac ordered firmly.

Kirouac could hear Book getting up and packing his things before opening the door. “Where are you sending me to?” He asked the King, Looking frustrated while avoiding eye contact with Bat.

“A selected house. It will allow you to be more accessible to the hospital while giving you better contact with our security. It will also give you other amenities that will make training more bearable and professional.” Kirouac explained.

“Good.” Book said with a cocky grin.

“Now, follow me, both of you.” Kirouac ordered as he started walking out the door.

Book looked concerned about what Bat had to do in all of this. Bat merely kept silent as she didn’t want another fight with Book.

Kirouac led them down the streets of the city before coming to a decent sized two story house. “There are plenty of rooms here, in case you have plans for the future, along with simply accommodating guests.” Kirouac explained as he led them to the doorway.

Book tilted his head to the side, curious what Kirouac meant by that, before walking in after Kirouac.

Bat gasped as she saw a large portrait of her parents when they were living hanging in front of the entryway. At the bottom of the frame was a plaque that read ‘Never forget…’. Bat had to pause, so that she could cry in front of the portrait.

Book looked confused as he saw her breaking down. “W…what is this?”

“It’s…” Bat wiped her eyes. “Let’s just say it’s my tragic backstory.” She told him.

“Your friend was crippled by the unwitting actions of people who didn’t care. Bat’s parents were murdered by criminals who care even less.” Kirouac explained somberly. “That’s something that Light learned before he lost control. Criminals prey on those who are weak and vulnerable.”

Book paused when he heard this. “I…I had no idea...”

“Not many do.” Kirouac explained with a sigh. “Tell me Book. What is the duty of a guard?”

“To…serve and protect the vulnerable and down-trodden?” Book asked Kirouac.

“And yet you have been confined to a post, in a place that doesn’t need just another guard.” Kirouac pointed out as he looked at Bat. “She suffered from the acts of others, and like you, she put her heart and soul into her training. Maybe that’s why she beat you? She knows pain more than you do.”

Bat blushed a bit at Kirouac’s complement.

“Some people are defined by a legacy.” Kirouac said while placing a claw on Book’s shoulder. “And others by the acts of others. Tell me, do typical criminals fear that your nation’s guards will dedicate themselves as much as you do? Do they see these guardians as something that is always watching them? Do they know that somepony swore in their heart that nopony will have to suffer like she did?” He asked firmly as he pointed at Bat.

“I…no.” Book admitted, knowing that the guards have become more relaxed in the past several years.

“That’s why Celestia picked you to learn from Bat.” Kirouac said as he got out the book from earlier and started reading from it. “I always found criminals to be cowardly. If the risk outweighs the reward, they will simmer down quickly out of fear. This is why I stand and plant my hooves firmly between them and the innocent. I give them something worth fearing, a symbol of justice.”

Book turned to Bat, who had one of her hoof over her heart.

“It’s a vow to protect the weak and the innocent.” Bat said, before wiping a tear.

“It’s…my grandfather’s vow…” Book admitted.

“Word for word.” Kirouac said with a nod before setting the book aside. “Sterling Silver made the badge a symbol of comfort to the innocent, and a symbol of fear to the criminals. Such symbols are made through various means. By words, by badges, or even by masks.” Kirouac said as he motioned the two ponies to follow him once more.

Book followed Kirouac, while walking next to Bat. “So…how…How long have you been here?” He asked her, now sounding nicer.

“B…been here?” She asked, looking confused.

“The background of the photo doesn’t look like it’s from MoonRacer. Logically, it had to have been from someplace else, most likely a major city.” Book explained gently.

“Oh.. yeah, I.. I used to live on the outskirts of Manehatten, just outside of it, my parents…they were killed in an alleyway.” Bat admitted while looking to the side away from Book. “I was found an hour later in a ball crying next to my parents deceased bodies. I would have been taken to any orphanage, if one of the carriers of MoonRacer didn’t find me and bring me here.”

“Carriers?” Book asked curiously.

“A group of MoonRacians who find others who are outcasts, homeless, and abandoned.” Bat explained.

Book took a deep breath as he lowered his head. “I…I’m sorry for yelling at you. I had no clue that you knew suffering too. I guess it makes me look silly, seeing how little my pain compares to yours.”

Bat hugged Book. “Don’t be, I did the same thing when I got here, yelling at someone that had never known their parents.” She looked down in shame. “I was lucky to have been helped out immediately when I was about to fall into despair.” She said with a smile creeping onto her face.

Book was shocked at being hugged, something that he didn’t feel in a long time. “I…I let out my frustration by trying to become better. I…I guess I just…couldn’t find it in me to trust somepony again.”

“Well, let me open the door to this possibility.” Bat told Book before pushing the door that Kirouac had passed through.

The couple saw Kirouac waiting for them in a study that had a few desks. He looked rather happy to see them together like this. “You see, Bat always worked alone, and Book, you have more fire in you than any other fighter in the guard. We both agreed that together, you two can climb to greater heights.” Kirouac said before he pressed a button under one of the desks, allowing a bookshelf to open up. “By the way, there are ten doors like this in this house.”

Before Kirouac could tell them where the other nine doors were, Bat stopped him. “Don’t tell us, we want to find them by ourselves.”

Kirouac looked curious about this. “Are you two sure?”

Book looked intrigued by the complexity of the doorway. “I think it would be an interesting challenge.”

“Well…ok, but if you can find them, what stops others from finding them as well.” Kiroauc asked them.

“Most ponies wouldn’t look.” Book said before looking under the table, seeing a cover that protects the button.

“They don’t know that they exist!” Bat pointed out.

“Fair enough, follow me.” Kirouac said as he motioned them to follow him.

Then both nodded before following after Kirouac into the dark and damp cave. “Wow, this makes me feel back home, with my parents.” Bat admitted.

“It really adds to the ambiance.” Book commented as he was looking around the dark stairway that led them further into the cave. “Admittedly, I am okay with playing in the dark.”

“Oh.” Bat blushed. “You’re going to fit well here.” She told him. “Many citizens here are nocturnal.”

“I just made it a point of having an awkward sleep schedule. There is a reason why Neighsay only gets to work at specific hours.” Book explained while noticing Bat’s blush. “And I didn’t mean the dark thing in that way.”

“Mhm? What do you mean?” Bat asked Book.

“Playing in the dark. I didn’t mean it in a…”

Bat was taken aback. “I wasn’t thinking of that…'' She told Book.

“Then why are you blushing?” Book asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I…” Bat was about to say more before Kirouac stopped their little debate.

“Okay, relax kids. I have yet to show you the whole place.” Kirouac said as they entered the main cavern.

“Oh, ok.” Bat said before running after Kirouac, trying to hide the blush on her face.

The two were impressed to see a large computer in the center of the room, along with a large table and Batmare’s armor kept in a case at the side of a room. “The computer you see here is the first of its kind, and quite possibly the most advanced piece of tech in the world at the moment.” Kirouac explained as he motioned to the large screen.

Bat went to the keyboard, with an extra size key for pony hoofs to type with.

“I think Short Fuze, my brother tried making something like this once. It was designed to hold information and make it easier to access. It worked for a few hours, before it short circuited and caught on fire.” Book explained as he looked at the device. “It wasn’t this big though. He’s going to be ticked if he finds out about this.”

“Well…if I’m not mistaken, I think the cooling system is made out of material only commonly found in non-Equestrian lands.” Kirouac explained, before going to the computer and typing, BookNightB@t, and getting it to start.

“Wait… you know about Fuze’s tech experiments?” Book asked in shock.

“No, no more than when Celestia knows about it, but I’m sure that your youngest brother wasn’t the first one to try this, nor is he going to be the last one.” Kirouac said, trying not to laugh at each time another country had just invented something that had been discovered years ago.

“Do me a favor, send him some notes.” Book said with a small grin. “Call it the mother of all heartswarming presents.”

“Well…if you want, you could…bring him here?” Kirouac suggested. “And he would have to share it with everyone, with no fee or charge.” He added.

“I’ll write home.” Book said as he looked around the room. “So, this is some impressive gear you have in here.” He complimented as he looked at the armor. “How the hay do you turn your neck in this thing?”

“You don’t.” Bat said. “You just move your whole body, and scare your opponent.”

“Not easy for a pony.” Book pointed out. “It loses function.”

“We’ll…we’re still fixing that.” Kirouac said with a blush, while scratching the back of his head.”

Book sighed as he looked at Kirouac. “Maybe I should let Fuze know about this. He’d jump at the challenge.”

“As you wish.” Kirouac said. “Do you want me to continue showing you around, or do you want to explore by yourself, or would it be the two of you?” He thought about it.

“Well, I would like to know the major stuff.” Book admitted.

Kirouac nodded before walking around. “There is a holding cell right under our own prison, an extensive library with any intel that you’d need for investigations, a magic cart designed to suit Bat-Mare’s style, just watch the steering on it. A meeting room, kitchen, workshop, plenty of storage, a lab, training room, and a few empty ones for you to fill in when needed.” Kirouac explained. “Luna would have been impressed by a base of operations like this in her day.”

“Yeah…” Bat said with a bit of sorrow. “What do you think Book?” She asked him.

Book took a deep breath as he looked around the room, namely at the table. “This place wasn’t planned for two ponies, was it?”

“Um…well, when it started to get built I didn’t really know you.” Kirouac admitted. “But there’s no reason why you two can share.” He told both of them.

Book raised an eyebrow at this. “You and Celestia had a plan.”

Kirouac nodded. “She has plans for the main six, but you two fall into a different plan. Celestia wishes to bring unity, but she also wants security for the innocent. As fearsome as it sounds, we both agreed that criminals needed something to fear. Bat-mare was the first to take on the hero idea, and your skill and knowledge can help grow this into something more.” Kirouac explained as he walked up to Book. “Eventually, we hope that other nations will join in that idea, but for now, we need ponies who pick up where the law leaves off.”

Book thought about it before turning to Bat. “A guild of some kind? That works in the shadows?”

Bat nodded. “Well, I have the skill and style, and you have your own talents that fit in very well, along with Equestrian knowledge. Would you like to try out the whole costumed hero thing?”

Book looked around the cave before turning to Bat. “Alright, show me what it takes to be a hero.”

(Nic go here)

Twilight was now exhausted after all that had happened that day. From the fun with her loves, to trying to learn more about Light and her friends. It was tiring to say the least. At least the others agreed that they were tired as well.

“So…where do we sleep?” Shark asked.

“Well, my house is over here, and I think I can find room in my bedroom.” Earth said as they walked up to her house.

“Oh...” Shark said before looking at Sleipnir.

“I’m guessing that we may be using sleeping bags.” He guessed with a shrug before turning to Twilight. “We’ll make sure that you get to choose before us.”

“I just hope they are heavy duty bags.” Twilight said while looking at her claws.

“Oh, don’t worry. I think the bed will fit us all.” Earth said, as she opened the door to her house. “I hope you all are okay with my place. I don’t get many visitors.”

They all looked around, seeing all of the potted plants she had, one of her rooms was literally an inside garden.

“Wow! It’s a very green place you have here.” Twilight complemented her marefriend while taking in a deep breath of the fresh air in there. “How do all of these grow without a lot of sunlight?”

“Oh that’s easy.” Earth said before pointing up to the glass ceiling. “And my lights are the sun-mimicking ones.”

“Like sun lamps?” Twilight asked curiously.

Earth nodded. “Yes, so they have extra sun when I get up to take a glass of water.” She explained before laughing. “Then I give them the water that I didn’t drink.”

“That’s amazing.” Sleipnir admitted, being impressed about the level of thought and planning that went into this.

“Please make yourself at home.” Earth insisted.

“Oh…thank you.” Twilight said as she was looking around the house.

Earth went next to Twilight. “Feel free to take some.” She said before picking a strawberry off of her plant.

“That’s alright. I…I’m just tired at the moment.” Twilight admitted. “Today has been quite the day.”

“Oh…I understand.” Earth said. “You want me to show you the room now?” She asked.

“That would be nice.” Twilight said with a small yawn as she leaned against her slightly.

Earth blushed as she leaned down to let Twilight get on her back.

“Oh, do you think you can carry me? I am… yawn… part dragon…” Twilight said as she was getting closer to falling asleep on her.

“And I’m an earth-pony.” Earth said while Shark and Seilpnir each got on either side of Earth.

“A…alright…I think that’s…a good…” Twilight slowly passed out on top of Earth as the two stallions helped carry her.

Earth took Twilight to her bedroom that was the center room of her house, with four doors, one on each side.

“Put her on my bed.” She told the guys while trying to hide the blush on her face.

“Oh okay.” Shark said as he opened the door for her to enter the bedroom.

The floor was covered with soft grass, her bed was carved out of a single tree stump that was still planted into the ground, and technically growing, and so was her night-stand, and two other trees for her cupboard and wardrobe.

“Wow…how did you make all of this?” Sleipnir asked in awe.

“My “dad” and grandfather were in the lumberjack business.” Earth admitted.

“Well, I think that explains how you have your own place, although I think this is pretty cool.” Shark admitted as they laid Twilight down on the bed.

“Ya, why wouldn’t I?” Earth said while making sure that Twilight was good and tucked into her bed.

“So…where do we sleep?” Sleipnir asked curiously.

“I..um…” Earth blushed. “I don’t really have a room set up for you guys.” She admitted.

“Oh…so…should we all share this one?” Shark asked as he tried to judge if they would fit or not.

Sleipnir nodded. “But I think we will have to sleep on Twilight.” He admitted.

“Oh…do you think she’ll mind?” Earth asked nervously.

“That her hord is sleeping on her, instead of her sleeping on it?” Shark asked.

“Well…sleeping on her in general.” Earth admitted.

“We can ask her when she wakes up.” Shark said before yawning.

“Fair enough.” Earth said as she gently climbed over Twilight.

“You take the top, Sleipnir and I will each take a side.” Shark said before snuggling next to Twilight.

Sleipnir nodded as he scooted next to her. “So, what do you all think about what she and the other mares did to Light?”

“Help a friend in need, or do you mean…?” Shark asked.

“The magic that may be in the six of them. I can’t think of what connects them magically.” Sleipnir explained.

“Are you afraid that she’ll dump us to make their female only six mare herd?” Shark asked, while lifting his head over both Twilight and Earth.

“No. They seem to be good friends…but what do you all think is going on with them?” Sleipnir asked.

“Destiny or Fate?” Shark said. “You should start living in the moment.”

“What did you think we did in the pool?” Sleipnir asked him.

“Swim with two hot mares, without any clothes on?” Shark said with a smile.

“In the moment.” He said with a small grin.

As the two guys laughed, they soon realized that Earth wasn’t laughing, nor saying anything. She was just looking at the wall.

“Earth, are you okay?” Sleipnir asked, looking concerned for his marefriend.

“Oh..I, um…I was just thinking.” Earth admitted.

“About what?” Shark said as he looked at Earth.

“If their power can take the anger and darkness out of Light Heart, what else do you think their power can fix in someone.” Earth asked.

“I…I have no clue.” Sleipnir admitted, looking confused by it as well..

“Do you think their power can…fix me?” Earth asked while pointing to her flat face and Almond eyes.

“Earth, you are perfect the way you are.” Shark assured her before giving her a kiss.

Earth blushed. “But..” She looked down. “I’m no…”

Before she could finish, Sleipnir gently grabbed her face and kissed her again. “Earth, you are one of the cutest girls I have ever known.”

“Even if I…” Earth circled her face.

She gasped as she felt Twilight’s wings wrapped around her loves. “We all think you are wonderful.” Sleipnir assured her as Twilight had a big smile on her face.

Earth wiped her tears. “But I..” She felt all three of her lovers kissing her at the same time.

“Earth, we love you.” Twilight whispered softly as she gave her marefriend another kiss.

Earth embraced them all. “I…I love you all too.”

They all fell asleep in one big hug.

Flash was on his bed, resting his head on his pillow, thinking. “Do you girls think it’s weird that I have only seven friends, six of them being you girls?”

“Marefriends, or friends in general.” Zizard asked as she was rubbing her head against his chest.

“But.” Flash admitted. “Until a week ago, you six were the only ones that weren't part of my family, that I didn’t mind getting touched by.” He explained.

“Really?” Cautious sat up in confusion.

Flash nodded. “Yeah, and you’re the only ones that have I ever had a hint of courage to ask out.” Flash said, recalling how it went.

“I recall you asking about twenty times if you added up how much you stuttered.” Scorpioette quipped with a small giggle.

Flash covered his face. “Yes, and there’s a reason why you were the last one to ask out.” Flash said.

“You had the hots for me, and the others put you up to it.” Scorpioette said with a grin.

“And he’s known most of us longer.” Bubbly reminded her. “And I was expecting that first date for a while before he asked.”

“Yes, and one by one, I managed to ask each of you out.” Flash proudly proclaimed. “While other ponies with asperger have a hard time asking another pony out, it only took me until my teens to ask the first one out.” He said before thinking about Light. “And now Light managed to get two mares in less than a week.”

“To be fair, they asked him out, not the other way around.” Honest pointed out as she was kissing Flash’s chest.

“Which makes it worse.” Flash said. “He just has to walk in and two mares are already swooning over him.”

“Why? Are we not enough for you?” Marerian asked as she gave him puppy-dog eyes.

“Of course you are, you are all enough for me.” Flash said before hugging Marerian. “Even if I lost 5 of you, I would still be satisfied with still having the one left.” Flash reassured them. “But.. why did Light act so…weird when he met you six? And ask how many creatures I've dated?”

“You’re dating his “sister” and we didn’t meet her yet. You’d be nervous too.” Bubbly explained.

“Guys have dated my cousin, I’m cool with this.” Flash said. “Until they break her heart.” He said with sadness and a bit of anger.

“See? There’s why Light is awkward.” Honest explained calmly.

“I would never do what they did!” Flash exclaimed.

“He doesn’t know that.” Honest said as she patted his shoulder. “There are times when certain parts of a pony’s nature outweigh others. Light’s protectiveness may have outweighed his trust of you for a minute, namely since he is in such a fragile mental state at the time being. I’m sure he trusts you, but he needs to regain control of his emotions.”

“I suppose…” Flash said before being kissed by Marerian.

“It’s okay. Just keep helping him, and he’ll get better.” She tried to assure him.

Flash sighed. “Ok.”

“So, do you think Twilight and her friends have some kind of awesome magic?” Scorpioette asked.

“Probably.” Flash said, trying to hide his jealousy.

“I wonder what else it can do.” Cautious said while looking at her back, where her flightless wings were, then down at her infertile body.

“It’s not like any unicorn magic I have seen before.” Zizared said. “Do you think it’s some sort of organized..chaos Magic? OR wishing magic!” She asked hopefully, before moving the piece of mane off of her face, where a unicorn would have a horn.

“And it’s connected to all six of them.” Honest added. “Their backgrounds are so drastically different that it makes finding a logical solution next to impossible.”

“They all have their own strengths that rise above others in some ways.” Bubbly agreed.

“So what makes these six so powerful? And is this really their full potential?” Marerian asked curiously.

“I don’t know.” Flash said. “Whatever it is, it needs all six of them in order for it to work. Maybe we should try and look into this as well?”

“Do you think we could use this power?” Cautious asked before kissing him.

“I…I don’t know.” Flash admitted. “But we should try to learn as much as we can, so that we can help them out if they ever do need us.”

“Yeah, we may not be in the spotlight, but we still have each other.” Marerian said as the other mares started kissing him around his face.

Even though Flash was being kissed by six mares who loved him for who he was, he couldn’t stop thinking about the three new ponies, and what they have and can do.

MoonRacer: The land of misfits.

by NicLove

Chapter 1: Conflict of Interest

Chapter 2: New Land and New Faces.

Chapter 3: First day, new impressions.

Chapter 4: The Class of Group

Chapter 5: what the lightHeart wants

Chapter 6: to find what Love is Hiding

Chapter 7: Rest of Night

Chapter 8: the Beginning of the First Date

Chapter 9: getting More than you Bargained for

Chapter 10: the Monster Within

MoonRacer Chapter 11: a War to Remember