I woke up to find Rainbow Dash snuggled to my chest, a light snore coming from her nose. I chuckled softly and quietly rolled out of bed, pulling on my pants and hoodie. I wandered over to Dash's kitchen and quickly scrounged up some milk and granola in a bowl, eating it while quietly thinking to myself. Through a quick process of elimination I guessed that I'd be spending the day with either Pinkie Pie or Spike, seeing as Twilight was more than likely busy with research and whatever else she was up to. I shrugged and munched on my granola in a state of slightly sleepy peace, turning my head towards the sleepy looking pegasus walking out of the bedroom. I nodded towards the granola I had left out and continued looking outside, admiring the Cloudsdale morning.

I heard Rainbow Dash crunching a bowl of granola beside me and looked down, "Mornin'." I said.

"Mmph." Grunted Dash, burying her face into her bowl and eating.

"My thoughts exactly." I replied, finishing off my bowl and putting it in her kitchen.

I heard a loud burp and turned to a satisfied looking Dash, "Ahhh, thats better." She stretched and cracked various limbs, "So, Pinkie Pie should be here in an hour or two to pick you up," Logic wins again, "You mind grabbin the mail? I'm gonna wash the bowl out." Dash gestured to the window I was looking out of earlier, "It should be here soon enough."

I cocked my eyebrow, "This early?" She nodded and I shrugged, "Alright, sure." I didn't bother to question why the mail would be delivered to the window. I opened the window and leaned outside, taking in a deep breath of the crisp air. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and leaned out of the window a bit to try and catch a glimpse of what it was. I then felt a tap on the top of my head and looked up, meeting the wonky eyes of mail-pegasus, Ditzy Doo a.k.a. Derpy Whooves.

I held my hand up, "Mornin' Ditzy." I said.

She looked at me for a second, then smiled, "Mornin'!" She said brightly, then handed me several letters, a magazine, and a large bundle wrapped in brown paper, "Sign here please." She held out a clipboard and a quill, which I used to sign on the line she pointed to (Can ponies technically point?), "Have a nice day!" She said, flying off.

I waved at her retreating form, then perused through the mail, as was my habit, "Hey Dash!" I said loudly, "Your new edition of PlayPony came in!" I walked into the kitchen and put the magazine on the counter, along with the letters.

"Oh, neat," She flipped through a few pages before putting it back down, "Means I'll have reading material for tonight." She said casually.

I chuckled, "Dash, you're awesome," I looked at the bundle, raising my eyebrow at the sight of my name, "Huh, odd..." I tore off the brown paper to find a backpack filled with clothes, "Ah,, Rarity," I said with a soft smile, "Thanks." Pinned to the bag was a note.

'Dear John,

I finished these early and thought you would need them, since you said you had to change everyday. I hope you like the bag, I thought it would be helpful to carry your clothes from house to house.

Sincerely,

Rarity'

I pulled out a fresh set of clothes, sans pants, since the jeans I was wearing were still clean and would probably be good for another day or two. I pulled off my current hoodie and folded it, then my shirt, to which I did the same.

I was about to pull on my new shirt when Dash poked my shoulder, "Hey, is that your cutie mark?" She asked, poking me again.

I looked down at her pokes and chuckled, "Nah, humans don;t get cutie marks," I smiled, "That, dear Dash, is a tattoo." I said, looking at it. I'd had it for a so long that I had forgotten about it, only ever noticing it when others pointed it out, "It's basically ink that was injected into my skin."

Dash tilted her head and grimaced a bit, "Sounds painful." She said, "Anyway, you don't have a cutie mark?" She seemed puzzled, "Then how do you know what your true calling is?"

I pulled on the new sanguine colored hoodie over my white shirt, "We don't," I started getting into a new pair of boxers, "We just have to try and find something that lets us live a good life and do it." I shrugged as I pulled my pants back up, "And yeah, it was painful," I smirked, "They inject the ink by having a needle stab into you a few thousand times." I nearly laughed out loud as Dash turned a shade of green, "It's not as bad as it sounds." I reassured her.

She shook her head, "Either way, it doesn't sound like something I'll be doing anytime soon." Dash nudged my with her flank and gestured towards the door, "C'mon, we have to meet Pinkie somewhere else. She can't fly her balloon near residential areas, so we're meeting her in a clearing nearby." She trotted out the door and I quickly followed, shrugging the bag from Rarity onto my shoulders. Dash was hovering outside the building, quickly zipping away as she saw me exiting, eager as ever to fly. She flew above, while I ran on the cloud beneath her, looking up every few seconds to make sure I didn't lose her. I passed a number of cloud buildings, each pretty much the same as the last, occasionally having a different style of architecture. Eventually the suburban style cloud homes gave way to a large empty cloud field, which I promptly sat down on, panting heavily.

"I gotta run more..." I muttered to myself, wiping the sweat off my brow. I would've said that, since I was so high up, that the air was thin, but I had grown accustomed to science taking a backseat in this world. Dash was still flitting about up in the air, thoroughly enjoying herself as she did tricks as speeds that would have probably given me whiplash. I sat and watched her for a bit, then let myself fall into the abyss that was my mind. Thoughts flitted through my head as I stared without actually looking, mostly thoughts about what I would do today and how I should try to apologize to Pinkie Pie. She was hurt the most by what I had said, this much I could tell, and I felt bad about it. My thoughts drifted to other things, like swords, job possibilities, other things that I could possibly create, and general nonsense.

"Hey John." I blinked and returned to reality, "Pinkie's pullin in, c'mon." Dash said, walking towards a growing bulge in the clouds. Soon the bulge broke, revealing the pink hot air balloon and similarly pink pony riding in the basket underneath.

"Hi Dashie, hi Johnny!" Pinkie waved hard enough to cause the basket to wiggle, "Oh my gosh, how are you standing on clouds?" She asked, seeing me standing on the fluffy mass, "Are you magic? Oh! Can you pull a rabbit out of a hat, could you pull Gummy out of a hat?" Pinkie started going off on a tangent, so I placed my bag in the basket.

I turned to Dash and gave her a hug, "Thanks for lettin me stay for the night." Pinkie was still going on behind me, "I'll see you later?" I asked Dash, smiling.

She nodded, "You bet John." She flew off, waving behind her as she quickly turned into a prismatic speck. I waved and turned back to Pinkie who seemed quite content to hop around in the basket, humming to herself.

I hopped in, "So," I said, stretching my arms up high, "What's on our agenda for today?" I asked, leaning casually against the basket.

She gave me a huge smile and giggled, "It's a surprise!" She said as she started the process of lowering the balloon. I sat quietly as Pinkie began rattling off things about cakes and parties and Gummy. I smirked as she bounced about the basket, smiling all the while.

I frowned slightly, "Hey Pinkie," The pink mare froze in midair and looked at me with big eyes, "I wanted to say I was sorry, about the whole cupcake thing." I smiled softly, "I know you probably forgot or forgave me already, but I'm apologizing anyway. Its the principal of the thing, y'know?" I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head.

Pinkie patted my head, "Silly, its fine." She handed me a cupcake, "But it's nice of you anyway." She said, turning back to the balloon.

I looked at the pastry, "Where were you keeping this?" I asked.

"We're here!" She said, skillfully avoiding my question. I looked around and saw that we were, indeed, atop SugarCube Corner. I cocked my eyebrow, as the trip should have taken a while longer, and I was going to ask Pinkie how she got us here so quickly when I saw her hopping away towards a flight of stairs the led behind the bakery. I sighed and chalked it up to her inexplicable reality bending abilities, quickly grabbing my bag and following her down.

I went around to the front and walked in, looking for Pinkie Pie. Sadly, I couldn't see her, though I was sure she'd turn up again somewhere else, given her nature. I did see Mrs. Cake, however, and I walked over to her as she put some pastries on a shelf.

I held my hand up, "Mornin' Mrs. Cake," I said with a smile, "Remember me?"

She looked up and smiled, "Well, well, if it isn't my little delivery assistant." She nodded in greeting, "It's lovely to see you again, what brings you here?" She asked as she continued to put away cookies and cakes.

I shrugged, "Pinkie has ownership of me today, so she brought me here." I looked around, "Though I seem to have misplaced her." As if on cue, I saw a familiar pink curl bob above the counter, then make its way towards Mrs. Cake. I cocked my eyebrow and watched the pink curl as it moved, stopping a few inches away from Mrs. Cake. She looked down, then at me, then down again, ducking her head, the top of her hair also sticking out above the counter. I watched the two hair-dos bob back and forth a bit, hearing whispers but not words. After a few moments the pink curl zipped away and Mrs. Cake resurfaced, a smile on her face.

She pulled out a sack from behind the counter and brought it around, "Well John," She put the bag in front of me, "Seeing as Pinkie is going to be busy helping us out with a large order, perhaps you could bring this to Zecora? It's her monthly delivery and Mr. Cake is still feeling a little off, so I was hoping you'd be so kind as to deliver it in his stead." She smiled, "Of course I'll compensate you for the trouble, will thirty bits be okay?" She asked.

I nodded, "That fine," I picked up the bag, "Though I have to ask, who's the order for?" I raised my eyebrow slyly.

"A couple in Canterlot, their child is having a birthday and they have money to throw around, so they asked us to make it," She replied smoothly, "They'll be sending a pegasus to pick it up when we're done." Damn, she covered her bases.

I shrugged and held out the Locator Stone, "Alright, is Zecora's place terribly far?" I asked as Mrs. Cake pressed her forehead against the stone.

"It's a good hour an a half walk there, but it's not a hard road." She led me outside and pointed towards the Everfree Forest, "There's a small path to her house." She looked at me, "Animals tend to avoid it since Zecora put something on it to keep them away, so you should be fine." She nudged my back with her head, "Now then, on your way." She said, quickly shutting the door.

I stood there for a second, "Hmmm, methinks something is afoot." I said to no one in particular. I sighed, then shrugged the sack onto my shoulder, beginning my walk to Zecora's. It took a little while before I was officially outside of Ponyville limits and was surrounded by rolling hills. I took a deep breath and exhaled with a smile, enjoying the clean air. It was then that I heard a faint buzzing sound, growing louder as the seconds passed. I turned around and saw Scootaloo buzzing up the path on her scooter, causing me to smile.

I waved, "Hey Scootaloo!" I said, causing her to look at me, then buzz her way over.

She hopped off her scooter and looked up at me, "Hey, you're that thing I saw at Applejack's," She looked at the sack on my shoulder, "Whats that?" She asked, her childlike curiousity getting the better of her.

I shrugged, "Dunno, Mrs. Cake told me to bring it to Zecora's place." I looked around for the other two Crusaders, "Hey, wheres Sweetie Belle and Applebloom?" I asked, unaccustomed to seeing Scoots by herself.

She pawed at the ground and pouted, "Their helpin' their sisters with chores 'n' stuff." She said, sounding slightly upset.

Being weak to sad, cute things, I got an idea, "Say, how about you come with me?" I proposed, "It's a long walk and I'd love the company." I smiled at the young pegasus.

She bounced with a smile, "Really?" She exclaimed, then quickly tried to act casual, "I mean, yeah, sure, I don't mind." I chuckled a bit as she tried to play it cool.

"Alright," I put the sack down, "Up you go then!"

"What?" She replied as I quickly lifted her and placed her in my hood, "Hey, my scooter!" She reached a short leg towards her toy.

I lifted it, pleased to see that it folded, then handed it to her, "Here," I reached behind my head and opened the backpack Rarity had made for me, "Tuck it in here for now." She put it away, I grabbed the sack, and off we went towards the Everfree Forest. I could feel Scootaloo wiggling happily as we set off, making me smile. I was never a fan of Scootabuse and knowing that I had helped cheer her up made me feel good.

"So, where's your cutie mark?" Scootaloo asked, settling her head on my unoccupied shoulder as she sat in my hood.

I shrugged, "Don't have one." I replied, "None of my kind do."

I could hear her eyes widen, "What? You mean your all blank flanks?"

I shook my head, "Not exactly, we just never get cutie marks. We can get tattoos, but that isn't the same thing." I told the young filly.

"What's a tattoo?" She asked innocently.

"Here, look at mine." I pulled the collar of my shirt over to show her. I felt her scrabble over, then prop herself up to look at it.

"Woah, that's so cool!" She poked at it a bit, "So it doesn't come off?"
I shook my head again, "Nope, its pretty permanent."

She looked at me with wide eyes, "Could I get one?" She sounded excited, probably thinking it she could use it to make a cutie mark.

I smirked, "Do you want needles covered in ink to pierce you skin hundreds of thousands of times for what could be hours?" I asked sarcastically.

Her ears drooped, "Um, no, no I don't." She sounded a bit sad.

I sighed and smirked, "Relax Scoots, you'll find your mark in time." I patted her head, "Wanna know what it means?" I asked, hoping to perk the pegasus up.

"Sure." She sighed, but her ears perked up a bit.

I smiled and continued walking, "It's the symbol of the Triple Goddess. It symbolizes the phases of the moon," Her ears perked up further, "In a way, it also symbolizes the three stages that the Goddess goes through every year. She starts as the Maiden, young, fresh, new. She then becomes the Matron, though others would call her the Mother as this stage, wise and warm. She finished as the Crone, old and cold, only to start over again." I adjusted the sack on my shoulder, "Her phases also correspond with the time of the year."

"Really?" Scootaloo said, sounding interested, "How?"

"Well, the Maiden symbolizes Spring and early summer, while the Matron is late summer and early fall. The Crone is late fall through Winter, then it starts over again." I explained.

"Wow, neat." She looked at it again, "Whats the star mean?" She asked.

"That, my dear Scoots, is a pentagram." I said, "Where I'm from it's a symbol of magic and each tip symbolizes a different element." I tapped the bottom two points, "The bottom two stand for Water and Earth," I pointed to the middle two points, "The ones in the middle stand for Wind and Fire."

"Whats the top point mean?" She asked, settling her head on my shoulder again.

"That's the most important one, it stands for Spirit or Soul," I replied, glancing at the Locator Stone, seeing a weak green line pointing down the path.

Scootaloo was quiet for a few minutes, "Hey John?"

"'Sup?"

"You said that your thingy represented the moon, right?"

"Yep."
"Does that mean you'd pray to Princess Luna if you were a pony?"

The question made me quiet for a second, "Yeah, yeah it would." I replied after a moment of thought, "Though I would probably do that regardless."

"Why?"

"A political answer would be that I don't think any sort of being could rule for a thousand years by itself without something bad happening." I said.

"Whats your not political answer?" For a filly this kid was sharp.

"...I guess I've always been more of a night owl." I looked at the trees we were passing, "I've found solace in the night, as well as inspiration." I chuckled softly, "I just prefer the night more than the day." I smiled at nothing in particular.

"Hnnn..." Scootaloo hummed quietly to herself. We didn't talk much after that, but it was a comfortable silence. I guess she fell asleep because I could hear her snoring softly behind my head, making me smile. I walked for a while, pondering little things to keep my mind busy, when Zecora's house cam into sight. I noted this, but was still kinda lost in thought, which probably explains the next thing that happened.

The rustling coming from the bushes didn't register in my mind until something leaped out and tore off my hood with Scootaloo inside of it. I dropped the sack I was carrying and began chasing the shadow, placing the Locator Stone against my forehead and mentally screaming 'SCOOTALOO!' focusing on the young pony's image in my head. I knew I wasn't fast enough to keep up with whatever it was that grabbed her, but I could catch it if it stopped. The chase went on for a while and I quickly lost my breath as I dodged around trees and branches. I stopped and looked at the stone, panting heavily, noting the line was pointing steadily in one direction. I prayed that meant the thing had stopped and wasn't expecting me. I quickly ran in the indicated direction, silently hoping that Scootaloo was okay.

I found a small cluster of bushes and crawled through, peeking out the other side. I saw Scootaloo, still wrapped in my hood, but she wasn't moving. I gritted my teeth hard and looked for the perpetrator, finding it walking nearby. It was a cockatrice, chicken head, lizard body, and petrifying gaze, all bundled together. I growled, deep in the back of my throat as years of unexpressed rage began to flood through my veins. Remember when I roared at the CMC a couple days ago? That was nothing compared to what I was feeling now.

I jumped out and pinned the thing down with my knee, grabbing it neck with one hand. The thing began to struggle and tried to fix its gaze on my eyes. I only had three thoughts running through my mind: One, I couldn't look this thing in the eyes. Two, this bastard hurt Scootaloo. Three, because of what it did, I would make it suffer.

I quickly brought my free fist down between its eyes a few times, only satisfied only it had started bleeding, effectively taking out it's most dangerous feature. I felt its one its claws tear through my pants and leave three long gashes in my thigh as it's tail beat hard against my back. I couldn't feel the injuries as adrenaline and savagery coursed through me. I began to pummel its torso, my fist slamming into the same spot over and over again until I heard a loud cracking noise. The cockatrice started screaming then, or whatever the cockatrice equivalent of screaming was, and I smiled a cruel, primal smile. I don't know how long I I went on breaking this things bones, but I was thorough, breaking its wings, legs and the rest of its ribs. I stood up, chest heaving, my face covered in blood, looking down at the broken pile that was weakly clucking at my feet.

I knelt next to its head, "May the gods have mercy on you," I snarled, drawing my fist back one last time, "Because I won't." I roared and brought my fist down as hard as I could towards the things face when a staff pushed my fist to the side, causing me to punch a hole in the ground next to it's head.

I quickly turned my head to find who stopped me, meeting the stern eyes of Zecora, "Why'd you stop me!" I snarled, my voice barely discernible from a growl.

She gave me a disapproving look, "I stopped you from a grave mistake. That creature's life is not yours to take." She replied.

"It hurt Scootaloo!" I shouted, squeezing the cockatrice's neck, "It deserves to suffer!" I growled, lifting my fist again.

I felt a hoof on my shoulder, "The pony has faced no harm, she's merely passed out from alarm." Zecora said in a soothing voice.

I looked at Zecora with wide eyes, "You're sure?" I asked, feeling all the tension and rage leave my body when she nodded, "Oh Goddess be praised." I said softly, dropping my fist.

Zecora gave me a soft smile, "Come, we will take her to my home, then you and I can speak alone." She said, picking up my hood and Scootaloo with her teeth.

I nodded, then looked down at the cockatrice, "You got lucky," I growled at it, leaning close, "But if I hear so much as a whisper about this kind of thing, I will hunt down you, and every single one of your kind until you're nothing but a memory!" I dropped it and let it drag itself away before I turned and followed Zecora back to her house. We got back to the path I was walking on earlier and she stopped by the sack I had dropped when I began my chase. I nodded and picked it up, then continued to follow her towards her home.

She opened the door and let me in, her eyes widening as she saw the gashes in my leg. I put the sack down near her cauldron, then limping into a chair, groaning as the pain began to settle in.

Zecora tucked Scootaloo into a small bed and turned to look at me, concern in her eyes as she saw the various wounds on my body, "You've been hurt, that is plain to see. I'd like to help, if you'd let me?" she asked.

I nodded and began to take off my pants, shirt and hoody, wincing as I did so, "It'd be appreciated, thanks Zecora." I replied, taking inventory of my injuries. It seemed I was covered in scratches and small bruises, had three large gashes in my thigh, and a back covered in bruises. While I couldn't see my back, I could certainly feel the bruises covering it, wincing at small movements.

Zecora grabbed some herbs and placed them into a mortar bowl, using a pestle to grind them up, "A creature like you I've not seen before. Please tell me, what brought you to my door?" She asked as she mixed and ground the herbs.

I sighed and found a position that was semi comfortable for me, "Ow, well, through some sort of twist of fate, I ended up here in Equestria. I was gonna spend the day with Pinkie Pie," I winced again as a muscle twitched, "Ow, and she vanished, so I started talking to Mrs. Cake and she asked me to deliver your supplies for the month, offered me some pay too." I shrugged, regretting it instantly, "I ran into Scootaloo when I was headed here and offered to take her along for the fun, though now I was I hadn't." I said softly, still thankful that she hadn't been hurt.

"Wishes do no good for you or me," Zecora said grabbing the bowl and placing it next to me, "It is what one does that matters, you see."

I nodded, hissing slightly as she began to spread the herbal mush on my wounds. The pressure stung a bit, but the salve quickly went to work and soothed my ails.

Zecora looked at my tattoo, then went back to spreading the salve, "That is a quite a mark you seem to bear," She spread some salve on the three large scratches on my thigh, then bound it with a strip of cloth. "May I ask as to how it got there?"

I chuckled softly and explained the process, "Ah, my kind have something similar you see, so I was curious as to how yours came to be." She explained, spreading the herbs over my back.I nodded, then looked over at Scootaloo, who seemed to be waking up.

She sat up and blinked a few times, "Mmm... what happened?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

I got up and limped over to her, "Hey Scoots, you feelin okay?" I asked softly, smiling.

She nodded, then looked at me, her eyes widening, "What happened to you?" She asked, seeing the blood on my face and the various splotches of greenish-brown salve on my person.

I rubbed my neck, "Umm, yeah," I replied, "Well, a cockatrice came by and snatched you, so chased after it and," I shrugged and gestured to the blood on my face, "I beat it up."
She looked at me with even wider eyes, "You're hurt though..." She began, but I put a hand on her head.

"Hey, I'm fine and you're safe, so lets leave it at that, alright?" I said, ruffling her hair.

She nodded, then hugged my waist, "Thanks." she said softly, hugging me tight.

I smiled softly and hugged her gently, "Anytime Scoots." I said softly, then turned to Zecora, "Thanks for the help Zecora, but I'm taking her back to town, then laying down for the day."

Zecora smiled and nodded, "I understand, here take this," She handed me a long staff, "To help you walk, and see me again if your pain persists."

I nodded and thanked her, then handed Scootaloo her scooter, "Here, my hood tore, so you'll have to buzz along beside me." She nodded, then waved goodbye to Zecora as we went through the door.

It was a quiet trip back to Ponyville as I used the staff Zecora gave me to support my bad side while Scootaloo quietly buzzed along beside me. I didn't really hurt so much as I was sore all over, so I was glad that our trip back, quiet as it was, was uneventful. When we exited the forest Scootaloo hugged me again and zipped off to wherever she was headed, while I headed back towards SugarCube Corner. I looked down at my clothes, frowning slightly at the blood spatters all over me, along with many small nicks and tears in my hoodie. My gloves remained pristine, in an annoying way, while the rest of me was spattered with dark red spots. I would've felt guilty about what I had done, but I feel the cause was justified, so I shrugged it off and went on. I got to the Corner, noting the dark windows with a raised eyebrow. I put my hand on the door, took a deep breath, and pushed it open, mentally preparing myself for whatever may come.

It was dark for a moment, then the whole place lit up, "SURPRISE!" shouted many voices in unison. While not unexpected, it still caught me off guard, "Oh my GOSH! You were totally surprised, but that the point cause its a surprise party!" Said Pinkie Pie who had run up to me, "I'm so glad you went out on that errand for Mrs. Cake cause I needed you out of the house-"

"Pinkie." I said, trying to get a word in.

"And I couldn't just leave outside cause that would be mean-"

"Pinkie Pie."

"But then you went out and I was able to set up this super duper special "Welcome to Ponyville" surprise party for you!"

"PINKIE PIE." I said loudly, firmly placing my free hand over her mouth, not surprised to see her still trying to talk.

It was probably at that time that all the ponies in the room took notice of how I looked, considering they all back away slightly. I saw the rest of the Mane 6 come up, but they too kept their distance, Applejack pulling Pinkie away from me slowly.

Everyone stared at me for a moment before Twilight finally spoke up, "John," she asked, slight fear in her voice, "Whats all over you?"

I looked at my arms, then back at her, my eyes cold, "Blood." I said bluntly.

I saw a few ponies turn pale, "Is it yours?" Twilight asked, her voice quavering.

"No." I replied, closing my eyes.

It was then that Applejack stepped forward, "John," She came right up to me, "What in Celestia's name happened?" She sounded a little desperate.

I looked at her, then looked away and walked towards a chair, not caring about how other ponies parted in front of me, and sat down, "It's cockatrice blood, so you can relax a bit." I said, groaning slightly as I sat, "And there's a reason I'm covered in it." I told them all the story just as I told it to you who may be reading this, up to the point where I re-entered Ponyville, "Then I cam here." I finished, backpack now resting beside me and gloves in my pocket, "So yeah, that's what happened." During the telling of my tale I noticed some ponies leave, bearing a distinct shade of green. The ones that stayed were giving me looks of understanding, pity, disgust and admiration. I had also noticed, with no small degree of sadness, that Fluttershy had left without even looking at me.

Dash was flying around my head, "Aw man, I wish I had been there, I woulda been like BAM! And SWOOSH!" She was miming her actions, not really paying much attention to what was around her.

Applejack put a hoof on my arm, "Ya did the right thing sugar." She said softly before heading over to the snack table.

Rarity came up next, her face filled with concern, "Well, I'm glad I made those for you now," She said, her voice strained, nodding to the gloves in my pocket, "Just..." She threw her forelegs around my neck and I could feel her shaking a bit, "John, don't do anything so reckless ever again! You're far too sweet to do things like that." She pulled away and went off, but not before I could see that her eyes were a little teary.

I looked around and saw Twilight talking to Spike, who was holding a quill and parchment. I stood and walked over to them, getting there just as Spike sent the letter in a burst of green fire, "Hey," I said, causing Twilight jump a bit and turn around, "Tellin the Princess what I did, yeah?" I asked rhetorically.

She rubbed her head awkwardly, "Umm, well, kinda maybe?" She gave a weak smile.

I chuckled softly, "Chill Twilight, I understand why you did what you did, and I can respect that." I looked her in the eye, "I'd like to meet them tomorrow." I said.

"Who?" She asked, eyes wide.

"The Princesses, I want to meet them tomorrow." I said in a tone that didn't leave room for an argument.

Twilight shuffled around for a bit "Yea-buh-meh," She squeaked and sighed, "Alright, fine, I'll take you tomorrow." She came up to me and pout a hoof to my chest, "But you have to behave! Princess Celestia is cautious about you, and she'll be even more on edge when she finished the letter I sent." Twilight looked like she was about to have a panic attack.

I shrugged, "Frankly, with all due respect, I'm more likely to listen to Princess Luna than Celestia." Twilight's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head, "Sorry Twilight, but I'm more of a night person." I walked away as she verbally floundered about, waving to Pinkie Pie as she grabbed me and dragged me away.

While I would love to document what exactly happened during the party, I'm not totally sure of what occurred myself. I had vague recollections of party games, drinks, and cakes that defied my concepts of physics. Somehow or another I was able to escape the Party Singularity ™ that Pinkie had created. I stepped outside and breathed in the cool night air. Yes, night air. Somehow or another, hours had passed by while I was inside. I stretched out my arms and legs, happy to get out of the crowd.

"Hey there stranger," Said a voice beside me, "We still on for our date?" I looked down to see Berry Punch smiling up at me.

I chuckled softly, "Sorry about missing that last night," I said, "I was kinda up in Cloudsdale."

She smiled and nudged my side, "So I heard, so I'll let it pass for now." She walked forward and looked back at me, "C'mon, I'll take you to my favorite little hole in the wall." I nodded and scratched out a quick message in the dirt for Pinkie Pie, explaining that I was out with Berry and should be back later that night, then I quickly caught up with Berry.

She looked glanced at me when I got up beside her, "So, a cockatrice, eh?" She said with a smirk, "Takes a brave sort to face one of those." She commented.

I chuckled, "Nah, I'm not brave, just..." I paused as I pondered the right word, "Instinctive. I felt a need to protect Scoots and followed that feeling, then the animal in me took over." I shrugged and smiled wide, revealing my long and sharp canines (natural as well, during the whole Vampire Love thing girls drooled over my teeth).

Berry raised her eyebrow slightly, "My my," she smirked, "And if I wanted to meet this animal?"

I smirked, "Get me to act on my most basic instincts." I laughed softly, "Or get me to fight again."

She giggled softly and gestured to a door ahead, "Here we are, The Night Mare." She said, walking in.

I looked up at the sign, a pony resting inside a crescent moon, "Slick." I mumbled before following Berry inside. While the outside of the place was made of worn brick and looked rather ratty, the inside was luxurious. The bar was stocked with what looked like absolutely everything, there were low tables surrounded by soft-looking pillows, the walls were adorned with soft-pink silk curtains, and it was all lit by dim red lights. I whistled softly and walked up to the bar, taking a seat next to Berry as a red haired and blue maned pony with a margarita glass cutie came up to the two of us.

"Berry, a pleasure to see you as always," He said with a smile,then he turned to look at me, his smile faltering for just a second, "Who's your friend?" He asked.

Berry chuckled softly, "This is John, put anything he orders on my tab," She said, "He just took down a cockatrice with his fists, so give him what he asks for."

I smirked as the bartender's eyes went wide and his smile dropped, "... I see, alright." He pulled out a menu, "Would you like to peruse our menu?"

I held up my hand, "No thanks, just some honeyed apple cider, and give it some extra honey and kick, yeah?" I said smiling as he took Berry's order and left.

Berry turned and looked at me, "Honeyed apple cider, eh? I would've thought a tough guy like you would prefer strong drinks." She said, smiling playfully.

I laughed softly, "Nah, I like me some strong drinks, but only after something sweet." I shrugged, "I've got a sweet tooth and a spicy palette, so I can't help myself sometimes."

Berry laughed softly, "So I guess Pinkie Pie's party was right up your alley then?"

I smirked, "You'd think so, but that mare tried to shove so much sugar in my face, I'm surprised my teeth didn't run in fear." I laughed.

Berry snorted and covered her mouth, "You're funny, y'know that? She said.

I shrugged and smiled, "I've been told that a few times." I replied.

The bartender came back and placed our drinks in front of us, "Double Honeyed Cider with a kick for the cockatrice pummeler," He put a large glass filled with a golden-brown liquid in front of me, "And a Manehatten Custom for the lady." He put down a tall, thin glass with red, green, and blue layered fluid inside it.

I cocked my eyebrow, "Ok, what is that," I pointed at her drink, "And how many places is it legal in?"

She laughed, "It's unique to this bar," She said, wiping a tear from her eye, "And it was only added to the list after I'd ordered the mixture so many times." She took a sip and shivered, a happy smile on her face, "Ahhh, that's good." She tapped the rim of the glass with a hoof," It's actually pretty clever, the top is weak, the middle is stronger, and the last layer is likely to knock you out," She took another sip, "If you aren't me of course."

I chuckled, "You are a marvel Ms. Punch, a simple marvel." I smiled and took a long draw from my glass, enjoying the warm ball growing in my belly, "Ahh, that's the good stuff." I said, smiling.

The night went on late, Berry continued to drink her alcoholic abomination and I worked my way up to tequila shots, water, and my peanuts. She asked questions about my world and I asked about her life and how it was raising Pinchy. AS the night went on and my speech grew to a comfortable slur, I grew more open, as did she.

"Sho yah, I-I..." I paused and tapped my chin, "I don't remember what I was talkin about..." I laughed and leaned my back against the bar, "Prolly meansh I should shtop." I smirked at Berry who was looking at me and doing her best not to burst out laughing.

She failed, but I wasn't in a mood to be offended, "Oh dear, sorry," She wiped her eyes, "You're a good guy, John, you know that?" She shoved me playfully, nearly resulting in my falling off the pillow.

I smiled, "Its a part of my charm Berry." I said, slowly standing up, "On that note, I think you and I should head out. I've got a meeting with the Princesshesh tomorrow and a hangover would not leave a wonderful impresshion." She nodded and got up, leaving a few bits on the counter while I grabbed the staff Zecora had given me, glad for its stable presence. We walked/staggered towards SugarCube Corner making idle chat while Berry stood close to my side and nudged me whenever I seemed to be tilting a little too much.

I looked up at the moon, shining bright in the Ponyville sky, "Y'know, I've always preferred the night to the day." I commented as the Corner came into view.

Berry looked up at me, "Oh? Why's that?"

I shrugged, "Dunno really." I said, still staring up at the sky, "I've always felt more... at home in the dark. Safer, y'know?" I chuckled softly, "Plus, I've always been more poetic and clever at night."

She smirked and raised an eyebrow, "Really now? Prove it." She said, bumping my side playfully.
"Alright," I said, standing still to gather my thoughts. I began after a few minutes had passed:

"Sleep Now, little one, and dream well tonight .
With Luna's moon may you rest safe, and rise with Celestia's light.
Dream Now, little one, of wonderful, whimsical things
so you may wake up and see what magic tomorrow brings.
Hush Now, little ones, and kiss the day goodbye
so that you may wake up with the sun, and soar through the sky.
Hush your fears,
Mother's here,
so now you can say, "Goodnight." " I chuckled softly and took the last steps up to the steps in front of the corner, then turned to look at Berry, "So, how was that?"

I raised my eyebrows and I saw her wiping her eyes, "That was beautiful John," she said, steeping front of me, "What inspired you?" She asked.

I rubbed the back of my head and looked away, "Umm, its kinda embarrassing..." I mumbled.

She poked my stomach, "C'mon, I wanna know."

I sighed and looked her in the eye, "In all honesty?" I began, "You did."

Her eyes widened a bit and a tint of red crossed her face, "Me? How?" She seemed confused.

I sat on the steps, "Well, I've been hangin with you all night, so that came up first, then I thought about how you were a mom," I scratched my chin, "Then I thought of rhymes and how that applied to that kind of situation, which made me think of lullabies." I chuckled softly, "And, well, yeah, that's how that came to be." I turned to look at Berry, who had moved beside me, "So-" My sentence was cut off as she kissed my, full on the mouth.

Those of you reading are probably calling me a bit of a hypocrite now, but try to understand the situation: I was fairly drunk and not suspecting anything of the sort to happen, so I was caught off guard. So don't yell at me for letting it happen, yell at me for not stopping it. Yeah yeah, shut up. It went on for a few seconds, or hours, my brain had sorta shut down so I wasn't totally aware of the passing of time.

When it ended, Berry just smiled at me and turned around, "G'night John, I hope we do this again sometime." She flicked my nose with her tail and and went off.

Using all of my mental capabilities, I came up with a brilliant and clever response, "Buh."

I don't quite remember how long I sat there, or when I got up and went inside, then upstairs, and next to a bed. What I do remember is laying there, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, not really thinking. When I did, only two things came to mind: One, I had a meeting with two gods tomorrow. Two, Berry Punch had just kissed me. I decided to just go to sleep and think about it in the morning. Despite all my protests earlier, and how I said it was wrong, when I fell asleep that night I could still feel her lips on mine, causing me to drift off with a smile on my face.