The Simple Life Chapter 35

                "Hey?"

    The voice was distant, practically non-existent, and as she stared intently at nothing in particular, one would think she was looking at the steam rising from the cup of coffee she had poured for herself.  But if they had said that, they couldn’t have been more wrong. For she wasn't in her kitchen, she wasn't in Ponyville, she was not staring at a cup of coffee.

                "Hey?!"

                It was louder and more urgent, but she paid it no mind as she was a million miles away. After all, who could pay attention to such a small voice where she was. Back in the far east, surrounded by angry screams and the never-ending clash of steel against steel. The stench of death made her stomach turn. Bodies littered the ground. Wolves, griffons, and ponies lay at her hooves and the blood… there was so much blood. Cries for help and shouts of suffering pelted all of her senses and all she wanted was for them to stop. She clenched her eyes shut and raised her fore hooves to her head to clamp down over her ears to try and silence them, but they would never stop.

                They never ever stopped.

                "HEY?!"

                Ditzy Doo opened her eyes and just like that, she was back in her kitchen. No more screams, no more sounds of battle. Just her, a small table, and a steaming cup of coffee. She wasn't on some battlefield, she was in Ponyville. She wasn't performing triage, she was just sitting at home after she and her partner finished their mail route. She didn't have to worry about applying tourniquets or resuscitating anypony, she had to worry about picking up Dinky in about two hours. She wasn't in danger, it was just her… her and the mare on the other side of the table.

                "You back?" the other mare asked, her voice concerned yet gentle, but Ditzy could tell she was worried.

                "I'm sorry," Ditzy began, "I must have blanked out for a bit."

                "Have you been taking the medicine the doctors prescribed?"

                "Yes."

                "And you're still having the dreams?"

                "I try not to think about it," Ditzy explained, "but I can't. I can't help it. Sometimes I'm just… I'm just…"

                "You're there? Aren't you?"

                Ditzy nodded, this is the fourth time the mare had come to visit, Ditzy knew that she didn't have to, but it made her feel better that she had chosen to anyway. She knew that the other mare was busy and that she probably had a million better things to do, but despite it all, she still came to talk to her and make sure she was alright. Ditzy couldn't fathom why, but she supposed that it must be what Captains do.

                "Ditzy listen," Spitfire began, "I know you don't want to, but I want you to-"

                "I don't want to talk about it!" Ditzy shouted, "I don't want to think about it! I just want to forget it ever happened!"

                "But it did happen!" Spitfire shouted right back before lowering her voice. "It happened and it's never gonna go away. But you listen to me, you did good things back there. You saved lives, there are ponies and wolves that got to go back to their families because of you. And as much as you want everything to disappear… it's not going to. But there are ponies you can talk to. Good ponies who can help you. Make it so you don't…" Spitfire paused and tried to pick her words carefully. "You still sleep with it don't you?"

                Ditzy Doo nodded slightly, ashamed at that answer.

                "You know," Spitfire chuckled, "I had to work a little bit of paper magic to make it look like your armor and spear got lost. I thought you just wanted a memento, but then when told me you sleep in your armor… with your spear…" Spitfire sighed. "I want you to go to Canterlot. I know a pony, a good pony. He can help you, all you guys are gonna do is talk. And if you do, then maybe, just maybe… you won't need to sleep with a spear anymore."

                Ditzy didn't respond, she resorted to just staring at her coffee. Spitfire reached into her saddlebag and set down a business card for the therapist that she had been trying to get the grey pegasus to see for close to a month now on the table before rising from her own chair.

                "Sometimes I dream that I get killed…" Ditzy spoke up. "The other dreams aren't so bad, but when I dream that I… that…when I have them and wake up crying…They're the worst."

                "Think about it," Spitfire tossed out. "I gotta run, I'll swing by later and see how you're doing. Take care of yourself Ditzy."

                "Why do you come here? Why do you even bother with me? You were never really that nice to me, I didn't think we were friends… are we friends?"

                "You're one of my Wonderbolts," Spitfire replied, "You may have been one of us for only a few weeks, and you may be out of the Navy now, but you flew with us and fought with us. So whether you like or not, you're one of my Wonderbolts, and always will be. And I'm your Captain."

                A moment passed between them, and Spitfire nodded her farewell as she began to head towards the door. 

                "Do you?" Ditzy asked.

                "Do I what?" Spitfire countered, halting her exit.

                "Have these sorts of dreams? You killed so ma-" Ditzy paused. "You did so much more than I did, and you've been doing it for so much longer… have you ever dreamed about getting killed?"

                Spitfire turned and faced her.

                "Yeah."

                "Do you get scared? When I get them… I just don't know what to do anymore. Do they frighten you, too?" Ditzy noticed Spitfire's eyes had turned cold, not intentionally, but in that moment she seemed a great deal less friendly than what she was before and Ditzy feared she may have stepped over a line that she didn't know existed.

                "No," Spitfire replied flatly. The Captain turned around again and made her way to the door and opened.

                "Why?" Ditzy asked. One last question before Spitfire would be gone from her house. "Why aren't you afraid of them?"

                Spitfire turned her head and smiled at her

                "Because the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I ever have." Spitfire smiled once more. "Take care of yourself Ditzy."    

                Ditzy didn't understand. She didn't fully get what she was trying to tell her, but she had a feeling that she told her something she didn't tell ponies very often, and as such she felt special.

                "Captain," the gray pegasus spoke up, as she watched the yellow mare leave. "My friends all call me Derpy."

                "I don't think anypony who calls you that," Spitfire answered back, "is really your friend."

<->

                "Captain Spitfire!" Twilight called out as she quickened her pace to come alongside the yellow pegasus.

                "Oh, it's you," Spitfire replied as she allowed the purple unicorn to catch up to her. Once they were in tandem they continued along the dirt road that ran through Ponyville together. "Fancy meeting you here, how's that report?"

                "Good," Twilight confirmed, unable to hide a smirk as she did. "Very good actually. And you'll be pleased to know, I'm not having Foxtrot pretend anymore."

                "Flash leave?"

                "No."

                Spitfire raised an eyebrow.

                "Let's just say, it isn't necessary anymore."

                "Well, that's good," Spitfire commented. "Annnd you sought me out to tell me this?"

                "Among other things," Twilight answered. "I was actually hoping you had a minute."

                "Not really, I was on my way to see how Soarin' was doing with training the new group, but if it's important, I suppose we can walk and talk."

                "Fine with me," Twilight acknowledged as she continued with the Captain on her trip. "So, it turns out I'm pretty certain I won't have to worry about Celestia. It would seem that setting me up with Flash was my mother's idea. Something I should have figured."

                "Well isn't that quite the relief?" Spitfire chuckled. "Looks like you're in the clear then aren't you?"

                "Don't you think you took it a little too far with Rainbow?"

                "Excuse me?"

                "I know you tricked her," Twilight Sparkle explained. "I don't know exactly what you did, but Rainbow told me about how she was lying to get under your skin. You planned that, didn't you? The party, her blowing up at you… everything. Don't you think that was a bit much?"

                "I have no idea what you're talking about," Spitfire answered dismissively. "Dash was merely speaking her mind at the party. I have no idea why she would lie."

                "Really? I just find it interesting how important it was for me to be there." Twilight pressed on. "It was almost as if you wanted to show me what happens to ponies who get on your bad side. Like if I were unable to fix my little Celestia-Foxtrot problem in, I don't know… two weeks' time."

                "Oh, well if that's the case," Spitfire replied as the two had reached the outskirts of Ponyville and the training area was now in sight. The two of them could make out various ponies swinging practice weapons at each other while others exercised. "Then don't you think my bad side is a pretty bad place to be?"

                "I do," Twilight confirmed. "It's someplace I don't want to find myself. Especially with the truth about whatever happened between you two being so impossible to believe. Doubly so if it came from Rainbow's mouth. I mean, if that was the case, then you put her in quite the corner. And then for you to tell her go to all her friends and try to make amends… well, that would remove all doubt that you were, I mean, that you might have been behind it all."

                The two of them reached the edge of the training area. It was fenced off by a short two rung wooden fence. Upon approaching it, Spitfire reared onto her hind legs and rested her forelegs on the top rung and scanned the recruits as they practiced. Twilight did likewise, and after a short look Spitfire tapped Twilight on the shoulder and nodded her head in the direction of a trio of recruits. Twilight followed her hint and spotted Foxtrot. He was doing pushups on the grass, with him were two other mares, a mint green one that Twilight knew to be Lyra that was counting how many he did and a white unicorn that Twilight could make out to be Vinyl Scratch who was actually sitting on his back he did them, cheering him on.

                "He's quite the wolf, isn't he?" Spitfire asked as she saw Twilight focus on him.

                "Yeah," Twilight muttered. "You know, I thought about what Foxtrot would think of you, you know if I told him that you, may or may not have had something to do with the party."

                Spitfire stiffened and turned to face Twilight, but the unicorn continued to watch Foxtrot.

                "He might be a little upset, might even confront you about it, but in the end I don't think it would change much. You're his Alpha, not because you're some sweet, nice, little filly, but because you're strong. A leader, and this could be taken a display of strength. You merely dealing with insubordination." Twilight turned to look at Spitfire, her face was serious. "It would endear him to you."

                Spitfire allowed a small yet triumphant smile to touch her lips. "You're a smart girl, Twilight Sparkle."

                "I do my homework," Twilight smiled back, before turning her attention back to the wolf. "But the more I thought about it, the more it wasn't what Foxtrot would think. The more I thought about it, the more I really began to wonder," Twilight began, "what would Sonic think?"

                Spitfire's smile faded.

                "I mean, I thought it was rather odd that you didn't want Rainbow to try and make amends with him. But when I started thinking about what she had said, what she was lying about to get to you, the more it didn't seem so odd," Twilight turned, and now it was the purple unicorn's turn to wear the triumphant smile. "In fact, it was pretty plain as day. But it was pretty clever how you did it, splitting them up and all. And the way everything stands, I doubt he would believe Rainbow if she told him the truth, but why take the chance? However, I can't help but wonder, if somepony else was to tell him, I'm not sure he'd feel the same way about a certain mare who's a good friend of his. One who cares about him," Twilight chuckled, "almost as much as she cares about Foxtrot."

                The two mares stared at each other, no words were said until Spitfire finally broke the silence.

                "You sure you wanna head down this road?" Spitfire spoke, her tone serious and threatening. "I promise you, you don't want to know where it leads. I'm the Captain of the Wonderbolts, you don't want me as an enemy."

                "I stopped Nightmare Moon, beat back the Changeling Queen, entombed the God of Chaos in stone, and defeated King Sombra." Twilight stated, but then her smile turned soft as she continued. "But you're right, I don't want you as an enemy. I'd much rather we be friends. Whatever is going on between you, Sonic, and Rainbow Dash is your business. I'm just worried about Foxtrot." Twilight said as she turned back to look at the wolf. However, she suddenly noticed that Foxtrot wasn't that far away, in fact, he was close enough that Twilight could see his muscles working beneath his fur. His shoulders contracting and relaxing as he continued on his slow rhythmic pace of pushing himself up and slowly letting himself down. Contracting and relaxing.

                "I don't get it," Spitfire replied, her eyebrow raised as she didn't understand Twilight Sparkle. Once more she saw that the lavender unicorn seemed to have diverted her attention elsewhere. "What do you mean, you'd much rather us be friends?"

                "Exactly that," Twilight countered, however she was having issues focusing as her mind wandered. Contracting… Relaxing… Contracting… She snapped back. "Friends help other friends, and I need your help."

                "With what?"

                "We're going to Canterlot on Friday," Twilight answered, she felt herself shift involuntarily as she brought one of her hind legs up to rest on the lower rung as she leaned forward, her gaze not leaving the wolf. "I want you to come and help me with a little errand."

                "What sort of errand?"

                "My parents," Twilight announced as she shook her head to break her attention, as she faced Spitfire once more. "They're the ones that tried to set me up with Flash. I'm going there and I'm gonna tell them the truth. I know my parents, they’re gonna hate the idea. They have always expected me to date a pony within the higher echelons of the Canterlot community. They're gonna hate Foxtrot."

                "I really don't like going to Canterlot. I try to avoid it as much as possible." Spitfire replied bluntly. "Just tell your parents to kick rocks."

                "I intend too, if it comes to that, but I'm hoping it doesn't," Twilight commented as she saw him push up one final time before rolling over and consequentially knocking Vinyl to the ground, both he and Lyra shared a quick laugh at her expense. With his exercise stopping, Twilight reigned in her senses and continued to talk. "But I'm hoping with you there, I can ease the blow of me not only not dating Flash, or one of the Canterlot elite, but a wolf."

                "And just how am I exactly going to that?"

                "They tried to push Flash onto me, because he has an excellent military record, I was hoping you could give Foxtrot the same sort of pedigree."

                "So, talk him up?"

                "Pretty much," Twilight’s eyes darted to the side as she saw that the trio had moved to a pull-up bar and Foxtrot had now begun to do pull-ups. "Think you can do that for me? One friend to another?"

                They were now only about forty feet away, and Twilight could see his biceps and triceps expand from effort as he began to drag himself up and down. Up and down. Up and Down. Twilight didn't even realize that her mouth had parted and that she was running her tongue across her upper row of teeth. Up… and Down.

                Spitfire most certainly did notice, and as The Captain's eyes bounced back and forth between Twilight and Foxtrot, her own smile returned as she could only guess what was running through the unicorn's mind.

                "So, I help you break the news to your folks, and you stay outta my business with the Hero and the Twerp?"

                "Mmmhmm," Twilight mumbled as her eyes feasted.

               "Annnnd," Spitfire added in with a devious grin, "You'll take good care of my wolf… right?"

                Twilight's attention broke and she quickly blushed as she turned to face the Captain who had a tell-tale smirk that told her that Spitfire had read her like a book. Twilight smiled in her embarrassment. "Don't you worry about that Captain, I'll take real good care of him."

                "You know what? I think we're gonna be great friends, Twilight Sparkle."

<->

                Firefly was comfortable.

                The blue maned pink pegasus was snuggled up close to her husband as the two lounged together on their billowy love seat formed from clouds in the cloud house. They had just finished their dinner and Rainbow Blitz had begun to doze off as she read a book beside him. She didn't blame him for falling asleep so early, when he had come home he was complaining about how some errant storm clouds had been swept up by some westward trade winds and how he and his team had spent the better part of the day trying to catch and disperse them. Firefly knew from experience that Storm clouds could be stubborn and wasn't the least bit envious of her husband's task, especially if he had to deal with trade winds on top of it. It was nasty business, flying against them.

                So when the knock on their door came and roused her husband, Firefly told him not to bother, that she would get it. With a quick kiss on his forehead, she rose off him and quickly fluttered to the door and opened it only to be surprised, yet not shocked at who was on the other side.

                "Hey Mom," Rainbow greeted, her voice not its cheery self, but Firefly could guess as to why.

                "Hey yourself," Firefly returned as she stepped aside slightly.

                "So," Rainbow began without moving, "I was wondering if-"

                "You just gonna stand there?" Firefly cut her off.

                "Wha?"

                "Oh for Celestia's sake, get your blue butt in here," Firefly demanded, and her daughter quickly obliged with quick flap of her wings. "Blitz!" Firefly called out to her husband. "Dash is home."

                "Meh," Dash's father grunted as she propped himself into a proper sitting position. He quickly reached over and snagged a nearby newspaper and began to read it.

                "So, Ensign," Firefly began, placing extra emphasis on Dash's new title, "What brings you home?"

                "Well, I guess I just wanted to talk about last Friday," Dash continued, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. You know, for the way I acted."

                "Well, I should hope so, you looked like a complete ass you know." Firefly shot back, as she dropped back into her seat beside her husband "Your father and I raised you better than that. Isn't that right Blitz."

                Dash's father grunted as he flipped the page of his newspaper.

                "You see, your father agrees. And that poor boy, how could you do that to him? And why? You told had told us so much about him, we thought for sure you liked him. And your father liked him too, isn't that right Blitz?"

                "Eh," was all her father said.

                "You know how your father felt about half of those other boys you brought home," Firefly accused, "I can only imagine the ones you didn't bring home."

                "Mom," Dash whined, "I am not bringing home stallions left and right, geez! And for the record I really did like Sonic."

                "Then why?"

                "It's a long story, but the point is I didn't mean any of those things,” Dash explained with a sigh. "Spitfire and I haven't been getting along and things just got outta control. She had just been picking on me so much th-"

                "Enough," Firefly cut her off. She couldn't help but smile a little bit. "I get it. She pushed you and you wanted to push her back. Dash, you haven't changed since you were a little filly. You were always getting into fights and you were always getting beat up, and it was always the same story." Firefly altered the pitch of her voice to mimic her daughter, "‘Blueberry Punch at took the last Apple Cider! Air Stream called me a feather head. Cinnamon Swirl said my mane looked stupid! 'Always the same story, some other pony was to blame and you were just trying to get back at them, no matter how many times you got knocked on your plot."

                "First of all!" Rainbow Dash interjected, "She KNEW I wanted that cider! And she took it on purpose! She drank it right in front of me!"

                "She was on the other side of the room, Dash," Firefly said flatly.

                "On the other side of the room right in front of me!" Dash argued as she fell back on her haunches and crossed her arms angrily.

                Firefly then chuckled and gently ribbed Rainbow Blitz, "Remember when she came flying home from flight school, crying with two black eyes and a swollen muzzle?"

                "Eh," her fathered muttered not looking up.

                "Hey! That one wasn't a fair fight!"

                "Mommy! Mommy!" Firefly mimicked her daughter's voice again. "Cloud Chaser stole my boyfriend and then she and her sister beat me up!"

                "How was I supposed to know Flitter didn't wear her bow that day!?" Rainbow argued. "I hit her by mistake then both of them assaulted me! It was totally one-sided!"

                "Oh Dash, those girls beat you so bad, I worried we were gonna have to move you to a different flight school."

                "I could have beat them one on one you know!" Dash snapped back indignantly, "I didn't think I'd get tag teamed."

                "That's exactly my point Dash," her mother concluded. "You don't think. You never think! You just get angry and you just start swinging away without thinking. You know how happy I was when you started hanging out with that Twilight Sparkle girl? At least she's got a good head on shoulders."

                "Look, I came here to apologize, not be reminded of when I got jumped by a pair of double teaming twins or be reminded that I'm dumber that Twilight Sparkle," Dash groaned. "Look, Spitfire got me mad, and I screwed up and I'm sorry okay. Geez-la-wheeze, I'm trying to do the right thing here, Mom!"

                "Well," Firefly sighed, "At least you're trying." Firefly turned to her husband, "What do you say? Is she off the hook?"

                Rainbow Blitz flipped down his paper and stared hard at Rainbow Dash. His daughter promptly flashed him the biggest I’m-sorry-please-forgive-smile that she could muster. After a few tense moments, he flipped his paper backup, and Dash felt her spirits drop.

                "What about the boy?" he said from behind the paper.

                "Sonic?" Dash questioned. "Well… I don't know, to be honest. I feel really bad for what I did. I know I should apologize to him, I-I just don't know how."

                "You just do it." Rainbow Blitz snapped as he flipped the paper back down.

                "I don't think it's that easy Dad," Dash said, her eyes dropping to the floor.

                "Look at me," he called out, prompting her to look back up immediately at her father. She inwardly winced under his gaze that she was sure would win out in a staring contest with a cockatrice. "It is that easy," he declared, "you understand?"

                Dash gulped and nodded.

                "Alright then," Rainbow Blitz said, his stare unwavering. After a few moments, he turned to his wife and nodded.

                "You sure?" Firefly asked.

                Rainbow Blitz resumed reading his paper.

                Firefly turned back to Rainbow Dash wearing a wide grin, "okay, we forgive you."

                "Really?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, unable to stop a smile from spreading across her own face.

                "You featherhead! Of course we forgive you, we're the only two ponies on this planet legally obligated to love you no matter how badly you screw up!" Firefly popped up and flew to her daughter and embraced her tightly. Then, looking back at her husband, "Blitz, get up! Family hug!"

                "I ain't movin'," he said promptly.

                "Very well," Firefly said with a sigh, then turned to her daughter, "Dash, family hug your father."

                "Now wait a-" Rainbow Blitz tried to say, but was interrupted by the two mares in his life throwing themselves at him and wrapping him in a tight display of loving affection that knocked his paper away. "Ugh," he muttered as he brought his forelegs and hugged the two mares back.

                "Your father and I knew you'd be by sooner or later you know," Firefly said to Rainbow with a giggle, "I wanted to make you squirm for at least another hour. But you know your father, he couldn't stay mad at Daddy's little girl if he wanted too." The pink pegasus craned her head up to look at her husband. "Isn't that right you big softy?"

                Rainbow Blitz chuckled.

                "Now then, Ensign Dash," Firefly chimed up, again stressing her daughter’s new title. "You get out there and fix things between you that spiky headed boy!"

<->

                "Did you have a good day?" Twilight asked.

                The sun had set over Ponyville and the small town was winding down and its occupants were settling in for the evening, and the residents of the Ponyville library were no different. Twilight sat at the head of her bed with an open piece of literature that could only be described as a tome that she was perusing. At the foot of her bed, Foxtrot lay, curling himself into his usual dog-like sleeping position. Spike had moved his bed into Luna's room ever since Flash had taken up residence in the living room, which in turn forced Twilight to read in her own room. Twilight's late night reading had begun to seriously interfere with Spike's beauty sleep that he fervently insisted on making sure he had in copious amounts. Luna hadn't complained about her new roommate so the arrangement worked quite well. Especially for Foxtrot, as tonight would mark the first night in about two weeks that he didn't have to sleep on Twilight's downstairs floor, sans last night where he shared the couch with Flash.

                "I guess," Foxtrot replied, "Soarin's been pushing us pretty hard, but it's nothing I can't handle, except for the runs. I can't believe how much you ponies love your runs. It's ridiculous! Seriously, ten mile runs every day!"

                "Well, look at it this way," Twilight offered, "At least you're building endurance."

                "Yeah," Foxtrot sighed, "I guess you're right."

                "You know, you don't have sleep at the foot of the bed," Twilight pointed out as she patted the ample space beside her.

               "Huh, guess you're right, I suppose it was just a force of habit after these past few weeks." Foxtrot mused before rising to four legs, walking beside the unicorn, spinning three times and plopped down next to her.

                "Why do you do that?" Twilight asked.

                "Do what?"

                "Spin around like that?"

                "What are you talking about?"

                "Right now," Twilight explained. "You just spun around three times and laid down."

                "I did?"

                "Uh…yeah. Come to think of it, you always do."

                "Do I? Hmm, never noticed."

                "You're silly."

                "Eh, whatcha ya gonna do?" Foxtrot answered flippantly. "So, how was your day?"

                "My day?" Twilight said perking up, "Well let me tell you! It was completely nuts! So first off, I had a fight with you. That sucked. But, something pretty awesome came out of it!"

                "Don't tell me, you decided to switch from a collar to a choke chain," Foxtrot retorted sarcastically.

                "Actually, after your little outburst, it turns out, that Celestia wasn't trying to set me up with Flash. Well, maybe a little, but it was really my Mom's doing. But that's not the best part!"

                "So now, not only do I have to fear the wrath of Celestia, I have to deal with your mother? Yes, keep going, I can't wait to see how this gets more awesome."

                "Oh ha, ha, ha," Twilight guffawed, "The awesome part, is thanks to you and your collar hating ways, Luna and I remembered that Fenrir wears a collar. And what more, it was made by Starswirl the Bearded. Who it turns out was something of a louse, but that's beside the point. See, Starswirl made the collar for Graywing, because he was afraid that this guy named Grogar who, long story short, was a totally jerk wad, may have corrupted him. Anyway, I've been scanning over all his books because Luna thinks things aren't as they seem and that Starswirl left clues for us to follow. Which makes sense, because, despite Starswirl's lousy-ness, he was still a brilliant pony and a good stallion. So I'm going through all his books with a fine tooth comb, and searching for clues. Not gonna lie, I totally feel like Daring Doo right now… without the whip and stupid hat."

                "So, Fenrir was corrupted by this Grogar guy?" Foxtrot said with a yawn.

                "See that's just it!" Twilight spoke up, growing giddy at the chance to drop knowledge on any set of ears that would listen. "Maybe! We don't know, see that's what, while not written, is heavily implied. Buuuut, Starswirl has this book called the Cold Truth, and it's like he's saying the history we know is only what the winners want us know. Not necessarily the actual truth. And now that I'm re-reading a bunch of his books, he uses the term ‘The Cold Truth' quite a bit. Like check this out passage he wrote about how Fenrirsian steel is made, erhem, ‘The Thylacines of the Iron mountain have discovered how to forge the finest steel that this world has ever seen and they guard it ferociously. Even when threatened with death and extinction of their already scant kind they still refuse to spill the secrets of the great furnaces that lie deep in the Fenrisian Fields. It is as if the great mystery of the mountain would change our world as we know it, and I believe by no stretch of the imagination that it would. I surmise it is the cold truth,'" Twilight went on to say, stressing the phrase while gently elbowing the wolf as she said the words. "'That these noble and resolute canines would not share their secret with the moon herself if she was to descend upon them.' See like, why would he say that… I think he's trying to tell us something. I haven't figured it out yet. You know anything about what he's talking about?"

                No answer.

                "Foxtrot!"

                "Uh wha?" The wolf replied, slightly startled as he raised his head towards the unicorn.

                "Do you know anything about Fenrisian Steel?"

                "Nothing finer."

                "What?"

                "Fenrisian steel, there is nothing finer," he repeated. "It's like a saying. ‘Cuz Fenrisian steel is the best steel in the world. It's like the only steel that can pierce a dragon hide and I'm not talking about Spike, I'm talking like… giant, city torching, dragons. It's a pretty big deal."

                "Why's that?"

                "You try killing dragons with weapons that can't pierce their hide."

                "Point taken. What about the Thylacines?"

                "They’re the guys who make it. Their whole race-culture-whatever you wanna call it. All Thylacines work in the mountain."

                "All of them?" Twilight asked in disbelief, raising a questioning eyebrow.

                "There aren't that many of them. They were nearly wiped out. Got confused for one of Discord's creations."

                "That's ridiculous?! Are you serious?"

                "You ever see a Thylacine?"

                "Well…"

                "Point Foxtrot," he said with a yawn as he laid his head back down. "Two to zip."

                "But what could their secret be?" Twilight wondered. "Why would he write ‘The Cold Truth' for this entry?" Twilight giggled. "See, this is all so exciting! It's a big mystery and solving it might not only change the way Celestia views wolves or Fenrir, but it might change everything! It's like Starswirl wanted someone to figure this out! How cool is this?!"

                No answer.

                Twilight looked over and saw that Foxtrot was breathing deeply with his eyes closed.

                "Are you paying attention?"

                "Mmmhmmm."

                "Oh really? What did I just say?"

                "All so exciting. Change Celestia’s views. Starswirl wants you to figure it out. How cool is it?" he muttered, all without opening his eyes.

                Twilight smiled. She had seen him working today and knew he must have been drained, but despite that, he was making an honest attempt to pay attention to her. A thought passed her mind as she recalled something Rarity had told her and with it, a sly smirk grew on her face. She shut her book and levitated it off the bed. The purple Unicorn then slipped her forelegs under Foxtrot and hefted him from his position, and shifted him so his back now rested against the headboard. Consequently, banging his head against it as well.

                "Ow! What was that fo-" the wolf began, but his train of thought was swiftly derailed as Twilight dropped on top of him and began kissing his neck. "Hey," he managed to get out, try to hold back laughter as her light kisses tickled him. "What's up Twi?"

                "I was just thinking," Twilight purred as she began to kiss his clavicle. "You had a long day right?"

                "A little bit."

                Twilight was now kissing his sternum.

                "You're tired. I'm sure you don't want to listen this stuff right?" Twilight spoke between kisses as her hooves pressed against his abdomen and gently began to rub the muscles beneath his fur.

                "If it's important to you," Foxtrot answered, taking the moment to run his fingers through her mane. "Then it's important to me."

                Twilight pushed herself up so that she was face to face with the wolf.

                "I gotta better idea," she whispered with a mischievous smirk.

                "What do you got in mind?" Foxtrot said with a raised eyebrow and a smile that he couldn't hide if he tried as his hand rested on the sides of her waist. All the while liking where this was headed.

                "How about instead listening to me prattle on about Starswirl the Bearded, you let me show you," Twilight began, but then chuckled at what she couldn't believe what she was about to say. "The proper use of mare's mouth."