I had faced down my own share of adventures in my time in Equestria. I had stared down and fought the best warrior in the Lycan Empire and won by sheer luck. I had ended the life of the tyrannical Dragon Lord Torch and been given the Aelyssian Empire as a result of it. I had become a Knight of Equestria and was the richest being on the planet as far as I knew.

Nevertheless, I was more nervous on that day, December 29th, than I had been during any of those other times. Because today was the day before my wedding to Zecora.

My bride to be, in accordance with traditions that seemed to be the same in both worlds, had left the house more than twenty-four hours before the wedding ceremony, which would take place at ten the next morning at the Town Hall. She and I had given each other a deep kiss farewell before she headed off to spend the next twenty-four hours at Twilight's house where I had heard that plenty of the mares in town would be giving her a bachelorette party.

Poor Pinkie was beside herself when she realized that there would be two parties going on at the same time, but I'd calmed her down and reassured her that things would be alright. She wanted to be there for both, but I immediately cut her off at the pass for that one. I saw the signs of her possibly attempting to clone herself, so I broke down and showed her the Too Many Pinkie Pies episode. When it finished, she was a bit more somber, but when she noticed my reaction she immediately Pinkie Promised that she would never go and look for the mirror pool. In fact, she held me in her hooves for a while. That episode messed me up even more than it probably would have had I watched it back on Earth. Watching any version of Pinkie Pie getting destroyed had rattled me to my core when I first watched it.

After she held me and told me that she wasn't going anywhere, she made the decision to go to Twilight's party but begged me to take pictures. She gave me her personal camera, full of film, and asked that it be empty before the night was done. I promised, and she planted a big wet kiss on my lips before prancing away.

I was told by Spike that he would be part of the planning committee for my bachelor party, so I wasn't to worry about it, which ironically made me worry all the more. However, he also mentioned that other older stallions would be helping, so some of my worry went away. All that was required of me was to show up at the Sweet Apple Acres barn at sundown.

With nothing to do except wait all day, I spent some time with Ember and the Sirens in the hopes that she and I could plan the return to Aelyssia. I was grateful for Ember's help, especially since she was over a hundred years old and had seen a lot. She gave me some insights into how modern Dragons thought, which gave me some insight into what I might say in a rallying speech. Adagio and Aria didn't say too much, but Sonata was more curious about modern Dragon culture. She asked questions and even asked about any news, old or new, about the old Siren dukedoms. Ember admitted that she hadn't heard anything about them, only that after the fall of Aelyssia, no Siren had been seen save for the Dazzlings.

Phlogiston joined us after lunch to provide further insight into Dragon culture. She was around three hundred years old so had seen more, but had also not heard too much about the Siren dukedoms. I could tell that this greatly upset the Dazzlings.

Something that surprised me, however, was how playful Aurora was with the Sirens themselves. She especially took to Adagio, babbling and grabbing at her hair playfully. I was worried that the Siren would do something to upset the Dragon baby, but to my surprise she was tender and patient with Aurora, cradling her in her arms and rocking her gently. It was almost like she had some experience with babies.

However, when I mentioned this, I could see a hint of grief pass over her face. She slowly handed Aurora over to Aria, stood, and quickly left the room. Aria sent me a glare, but said nothing. It was Sonata who reassured me that I didn't do anything wrong.

I found her in the living room staring at the fire. I sat next to her and waited patiently. Finally, she told me the saddest story I'd ever heard. It turned out that there was one upside to her being a human: she was able to have offspring. There had been a part of her, long ago, that had wanted a child. At one point during her time on Earth, she had seduced many different men, but had never gotten pregnant from them except one time during the Middle Ages. She was so stunned by this, but at the same time was happy and had given birth to a healthy baby boy. However, two years later the baby unfortunately passed away from the Plague, and not even her magic and the magic of her fellow Sirens could stop it.

It was the first time I had ever seen her show any emotion other than anger and rage. She shed a few tears in front of me, but not much. When she was finished, she warned me never to reveal what I'd shared with anyone. I promised, then asked if there was anything I could do to help. I told her that it might still be possible for her to get pregnant, especially if she was a winged human now. She warned me not to get her hopes up, but we reached an understanding and she said that she'd think about having an examination performed on her to see if it was possible for her to have a child.

After that, and after Adagio talked a bit in private with Sonata and Aria, I noticed that the Sirens began treating me with less hostility. This, in turn, seemed to be reflected in how Aurora treated them, laughing and playing with them. I even thought I caught Adagio smiling briefly down at Aurora.

After that, I tried to talk with Chrysalis about the return to Aelyssia, but she didn't quite want to see me. She did say, however, that she would be alright talking to me after the wedding, and I told her that I'd hold her to that promise.

Soon, it was nearly time…

The sky was clear and full of stars over Ponyville that evening as I trudged through the nearly empty streets. The lights on the roads illuminated the surrounding area as well as the snowfall. Despite that, the stars above blazed brilliantly. The moon hadn't risen yet, but I saw one of the Equestrian system's planets, named Artemis, hovering high in the sky, blazing a brilliant blue/green color.

I was wearing a pair of light but durable boots, warm sweatpants, a dark green zipper hoodie with a button down flannel t-shirt underneath and the Stetson hat that Applejack had gotten for me for Christmas. I felt it appropriate, especially if I was going to have a bachelor party in a barn.

As I walked, I continued to think about the wedding I was about to go through the following day. As I thought, I felt a bit like Twilight, going over everything that had been planned over and over just to make sure things would be perfect. It was my very first wedding, and if things progressed with Scarlet and anyone else, presumably not my last. It was going to be a very odd wedding, seeing as we were blending two traditions into one, human and Zebra, but it was going to be a wedding of special magnificence.

As I continued to walk, it took me a while to notice the young drake as he continuously tried to get my attention. He finally got it when he flew up and tapped my forehead. Coming out of my reverie quickly, I saw a pair of green worried eyes looking at me. "Gah! Spike?! How long have you been standing there?" I asked as I paused in the road.

"A few minutes," he said as he flew up and sat on my shoulders, looking down at me upside down as he added, "What were you thinking about?"

"I was worrying about tomorrow," I admitted.

Spike rolled his eyes and snickered. "Just like Twilight was doing earlier. I swear to Celestia, you two are more similar every day," he said. He reached down and flicked my nose. "You need to calm down there, Dad. Things are gonna be alright. You and Zecora have been working really hard to plan this out, right? Hell, even Twilight stopped her studies to help."

"Yeah, I know," I said, ignoring Spike's newfound human curse vocabulary, "and I'm trying to relax, but-"

"No buts," Spike said, "that's what the bachelor party is for! Now come on! Everypony's waiting for you! And there are a few surprise guests!"

That made me raise an eyebrow as I looked up at the young drake. "Surprise guests? Who?"

"Ah ah ah, you'll have to wait and see!" he smiled as he flew off of my back, grabbed my hand and began pulling me on ahead. "Come on!"

"I just hope that nobody there's gone full Anthro on me this time," I muttered, hoping that I hadn't just triggered a flag.

The excited young Dragon pulled me ever closer towards the farm, which was lit up brightly from inside. I could hear voices coming from the closed barn door and laughter as well. Spike continued pulling me closer to the barn, his wings flapping behind him in excitement as we both approached. When we were only a few feet away, he let me go, rushed up and pulled the door open. The sound of voices spiked in volume but quickly died down when Spike announced, "Here's the human of the hour!"

I walked in behind Spike and saw many different stallions, fortunately looking normal and not Anthro, standing around the barn, many with mugs and/or plates of food in their hooves, magic or wings. When I stepped in, I was greeted by a nearly deafening cheer from everyone.

The first guy to approach me was a clearly already tipsy Big Mac. He had a mug in his hoof full of a frothy liquid which he shoved into my hand. "Here ya go!" he said with a wide grin and louder than he normally was.

I could smell the hard apple cider from the mug, sweet and with barely any alcoholic taste from it. The room had gone strangely silent, all the eyes on me. With a wide smile, I brought the mug to my lips and took a deep long drink. After swallowing, I looked around, then with a very silly grin, released a loud uninterrupted burp. This got a loud cheer from the silent crowd, laughter and Pony styled applause. I laughed along with them, then held up Pinkie's camera. "Can I ask someone to be the photographer for the party? I made a promise to a certain party Pony!"

"I can take care of that for you," a familiar brown Earth Pony stallion said as he walked up and held out his hoof towards the camera.

"Thanks, Time Turner," I said as I handed the camera over to him, then turned to the other party guests. "I've gotta say," I said in a louder voice, "I didn't expect this many Ponies to turn up for me."

"You underestimate how many Ponies like you, Sir Bethridge," a very familiar voice said from nearby. A white stallion with a dirty blonde mane walked out from the crowd, a wide smile on his face.

My jaw dropped and a smile broke out on my face as I bowed. "Prince Blueblood! This is a surprise!" I said as I bowed to him.

Blueblood laughed, a jovial friendly laugh as he replied, "There's no need for that here. After all, we are both royalty in a sense, haha! Just call me Blueblood!"

"Then you can call me Jethro," I replied, reaching out my hand to shake his hoof. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, though."

"Any excuse to get away from the politics of Canterlot and enjoy good food is something I'll take," Blueblood replied. All around me, the party guests were going back to their conversations or the party games that had been set up. "Ever since Aunt Celestia adopted me, I've been raised to understand the politics of the kingdom far too well."

"Ah, the joys of being royalty," I sighed. "I haven't been emperor long and my own empire is a mess, so you can only imagine the headaches I've gotten just thinking about having to deal with it."

"Well, just ignore those thoughts for tonight," Blueblood advised. "It's a party! Your party! Have fun!"

"I intend to," I smiled.

"Good! Now, if you'll excuse me, I saw some delicious snacks by the snack table and I intend to devour as much as I possibly can," Blueblood said as he turned and headed over to the snack table.

With him leaving, I took the opportunity to get a closer look at the barn. The hay on the ground looked fresh enough. There were party lantern lights strung on the roof which illuminated the entire barn. There were large tables on the left and right of the barn, each containing many different sweets and hor'dourves along with a few barrels of either normal apple cider or the hard apple cider I now held in my hand. Near the back of the barn I saw a few party games, including, to my surprise, Twister. And not a Pony version, but an actual, bonefide Twister game. Not only that, but I saw a couple dart games set up along with a ping pong table and more.

"Jethro! Good to see you again!" a voice said from behind me.

Turning, I saw Star Hunter, the Pegasus astronomer I'd seen in front of Bon Bon's shop approaching me with a happy smile on his face. I turned to face him and raised my hand in greeting. "Star Hunter! How's it hanging?"

"A little to the left, but that's not important now, is it?" Star said with a cheeky grin.

That was when I noticed the nearly empty mug of hard cider in his wing. I chuckled. "You know what I meant. How've you been? How's the astronomy going?"

"Oh, pretty good," he said as he lifted his mug and drained it completely before wiping his muzzle and continuing, "I discovered a comet a few days ago!"

"Hey, awesome!" I congratulated him. "Oh, and speaking of astronomy, I haven't forgotten my promise to get you some books on human discoveries, ones that I bet you can confirm."

"Confirm, what do you mean?" Star asked.

"Well, from what I've seen," I began, "the stars of this world are completely identical to the ones from Earth. The only differences I've found astronomy-wise are the planets. Different names, different colors, hell, I'm almost positive Artemis is a living, breathing world just like Equestria."

Star's eyes widened. "You think so?"

"Unless I'm missing my mark completely," I replied. "Hell, it's possible that the second planet is one big jungle."

"Apollo? I mean maybe," Star said, "but it could just as easily be green clouds."

"I suppose with the technology we have now we won't know for a while," I replied. "I mean, the brightest planet in our sky and the biggest in our solar system is Juno, and that could be a brown dwarf for all I know!"

"I have come up with a rather unusual theory," Star said suddenly, lowering his voice and motioning me closer. I leaned in and he whispered, "I don't think the princesses move the sun and moon. I think they move Equestria."

I raised an eyebrow. In truth, I'd been considering such a theory myself, but had yet to bring it up with the princesses. With the rising of the sun, moon and stars having once been automatic, it seemed to make more sense that the magic the Dragons had first learned moved the planet instead of the sun, moon and stars. Besides, I had seen the curvature of the planet during my fight with Torch. I knew this world was round. I'd also looked at the sun through my solar telescope. It was an exact duplicate of my old world's sun in appearance. I'd even seen a prominence and a sunspot or two. However, I needed more proof and I was only a stargazer, not an amateur astronomer. I pulled Star aside. "Can you provide evidence to support your claims?"

"With enough research, yeah," Star said, "but I don't have the funding or an observatory."

"You want funding? Look no further," I said with a grin. "You do know I'm practically rolling in it, as they say, right? I can get you the biggest telescope and observatory that money can buy. It might take a while with some of the more pressing matters I have at hand, but I can have someone build an observatory on a hill near Ponyville if you want."

Star's eyes widened in excitement as he reached out and shook my hand gratefully. "I'd love that! I'd love that a lot!"

"Good, now, let's get back to the party," I said a bit louder, looking over in anticipation towards the snack table. "I see deviled eggs!"

Star chuckled. "I'll excuse myself, then. I'm sure I'm not the only stallion here who wants to talk to you." With that, he turned and headed to the games section of the barn.

Afterwards, I grabbed a plate and filled it with the goodies on the table, including the aforementioned deviled eggs. Plenty of the snacks were apple based sure, but others weren't. All were vegetarian, which didn't bother me since they were all good. When I had finished loading up my plate, I turned and saw another familiar face approaching me. I was a bit struck by his being here, but I was glad to see him. "Mr. Rich! Good to see you!"

Filthy Rich smiled warmly at me and held out a hoof. "Sir Bethridge, I believe some congratulations are in order for you," he said genuinely as I took his hoof and shook it. "It's not every day we have a wedding in this town, and any wedding is definitely a cause for celebration."

"All the Ponies in town are definitely excited," I agreed with him. "I hope you're having a good time here. And call me Jethro, please."

"It's a nice distraction from home life," he said with a chuckle. I almost asked him right then and there how things were going between him, Spoiled and Diamond, but held back. Not only was it not my business, but from what I'd heard from the rumor grapevine, things had not been going well for Spoiled. I'd heard varying rumors ranging from the two having a trial separation to a full-on divorce. Whatever the case might have been, the few times I'd seen Spoiled, she'd given me a sullen look with bloodshot eyes.

So instead, I decided to briefly acknowledge his words before changing topics. "Yeah, I can only imagine. But I'm glad to see you here. A busy guy like you definitely needs a break. I mean hell, the last time I was in Barnyard Bargains it was buuusy!"

"The holiday season is our best time of year," he replied, looking relieved that I hadn't asked anything about his personal life, "and this year's been busier than most. I'm actually considering opening up a branch store somewhere else. Maybe in Manehattan."

"If Manehattan is like it's Earth counterpart, it'll be expensive," I replied.

"Manehattan has an Earth counterpart?" Filthy asked curiously.

I pulled out my phone and showed him images of New York City. "It's one of the biggest cities in my former home nation," I explained, "and it's expensive to live there, from what I've heard. I was only there once about fifteen or so years ago."

"It certainly does look a lot like Manehattan," Filthy Rich said in awe as I continued showing him images of the tall buildings, the taxis clogging the street and more. As I put my phone away, he asked, "Speaking of, do you think you'd ever go visit there?"

"What, Manehattan?" I asked. When he nodded, I smiled. "I'd love to go visit there sometime. Hell, I'd love to see other cities around Equestria. When things settle down and the weather gets better, of course."

"Of course," Filthy said with a chuckle. "I hear that Manehattan pizza is not a thing to miss."

"New York style pizza is the same," I laughed. "I tried my hand at making some once. It didn't turn out as good as authentic New York pizza. It was still good, don't get me wrong, but it didn't compare."

"You cook?"

"As often as I can," I replied. "It's a good skill to have, at least I think so. Still, I can't put a candle to Zecora's Farasi meals. I mean that girl has some skill!"

"We have a chef at our house who cooks our meals for us," Filthy replied, "so I've never tried my hoof at cooking myself. But I'm fairly confident I could make something simple if I put my mind to it."

"Maybe your cook could teach you a thing or two," I suggested. "I mean, I've watched many videos on how to cook from people who knew what they were doing, and that's how I got better."

"I might just do that," Filthy said, "and not just for me, but for Diamond as well."

"It doesn't hurt to know how to cook," I said in agreement. "Anyway, a new shop, eh? Where else have you considered setting one up?"

"Mostly in bigger cities," Filthy replied. "I doubt anypony would want one in, say, Appleloosa."

"Nah, I'd say stay away from smaller towns like that," I advised. "Capitalist though you may be, it's not a good idea with the way your economy works. It's possible you might run other mom and pop stores out of business."

"Mom and pop stores?" Filthy tilted his head curiously, almost like a curious dog.

"Ah, it's a way of describing family run stores, like Carousel Boutique or Sugarcube Corner," I explained. "I mean, back on Earth there are stores like that all around, but not as many as there were fifty or more years ago. Companies like Sears and Wal-Mart and Amazon have put a lot of those type of stores out of business thanks to their products being cheaper and more plentiful."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Filthy replied, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Maybe it's because I grew up in a smaller town where there were more mom and pop stores," I replied, "but to be honest, it's a slippery slope. My old town didn't escape it. We had a Wal-Mart grocery store in town, but we also had a place called McFinnigan's. The latter was a bit more expensive, sure, but the customer service there was definitely better. I didn't mind spending a bit more there because I value good service. Not to say that Wal-Mart's wasn't good. I did sometimes have to go shopping there for stuff that McFinnigan's didn't have, but it felt more sterile there, if that makes sense." He took a pause to breathe, then continued, "What I guess I'm trying to say is that the bigger a company gets the more it can push out other similar businesses. I could do some research into it and give you the results."

"You've given me a lot to think about," Filthy admitted. "I'm a businesspony, Sir Bethridge-I mean Jethro, and what I do is for the benefit of my business."

"I just hope your employees don't suffer for it," I replied. "I was a boss once, and I started from the bottom. I did everything in my power to make my employees happy to come to work instead of dreading it. Sure, there were always those Karens who'd come in and ruin someone's day, and whenever that happened I would offer them an early day and a day off the next day, but for the most part, I think I succeeded in making the employees happy."

"Karens?" Filthy asked.

"'Let me talk to your manager, right now!'" I replied in a higher pitched and entitled voice.

"Ah, those," Filthy replied in understanding. "Here, we call them…Spoiled Rottens."

And just like that, the tension between us came back. I could see the pain in the poor guy's eyes, and my heart reached out to him. Before I could stop myself, I heard myself asking, "Are you alright?"

Filthy pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "I'm trying to be," he said shakily. "I'm sure you've heard the rumors spreading around town. If there's anything we Ponies are good at, it's spreading gossip."

"Humans do it too," I said in an attempt to be reassuring, "and I have heard conflicting things, but I put no credence in rumors until I hear something from the source. Which you don't need to tell me."

Filthy sighed. "I appreciate that, but I need to talk to someone. Another stallion…might as well be you, huh?" He looked up hopefully at me.

I suppressed the snarky remark that threatened to erupt from me, and instead gave him a tender smile. "I'm all ears."

"I've…filed for a divorce from Spoiled and have filed for full custody of Diamond," he finally admitted after a few false starts. "She's not happy about it, but it's for the best. I was hesitant to do it because I didn't want to have Diamond be without a mother, but she needs a good mother, not the manipulative woman I married."

I put a reassuring hand on his withers. "I've seen what happens when a couple stay together for their child. I think you're making the right call."

"Then why am I so afraid I'm not?" he wondered aloud.

"Divorce is a scary concept," I said, trying my best to reassure the poor stallion. "Whether you're human or Pony or anything else, it's a scary thing to go through. It's a big life change."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that," he replied with a small smile. "I hope to Celestia I'm doing the right thing, but I know there's a small part of me that will miss her. I tried to make it work, I really did, but it didn't work. The worst part is talking about this to Diamond. I'm afraid she'll start to hate me." Clearing his throat, he looked up at me apologetically. "But enough about this. I came here to support you and escape thoughts like that for the evening. So here's to you, good sir. To a happy and healthy marriage for you." He held up the mug in his hoof and we clinked them before downing the toast.

"Thank you, and I wish you all the best as well," I replied in kind, removing my hand from his withers.

"I appreciate that," he smiled. "Well, I should let you go. I'm sure others want to talk to you, and there are certainly some fun games to play."

For the next few hours, I had a hell of a time. I talked with everyone there, played a few games, ate and drank plenty, and even graced them with some songs from Earth. It was embarrassing but judging from the applause I got, it was certainly worth it.

As the party wound down at around nine (Spike and Big Mac told me that it was best I get a good night's sleep before the wedding), they brought out a pile of gifts for me which ranged from a book that was actually titled The Pony Sutra (Blueblood's gift to me) and a sturdy and very sharp saw and axe (Big Mac's gift). Using the Eclipse Necklace, I stored them all for shipment back to my house later.

As the guests began heading out, I tried to volunteer to stay and help clean up, but Big Mac and a couple of the other farmers who'd been there told me that they'd handle it. I was just about to leave when Big Mac, who'd just taken Spike to their guest bedroom, called me over to him.

We were standing beneath the now darker night sky, the rising Juno bright enough to illuminate the snow in its glow. We were both standing near the entrance to the farm. Being a stallion of few words, Big Mac stayed silent as he presumably was forming his words carefully, and judging by the look on his face, I had a guess about what he wanted to talk about.

Finally, he cleared his throat, and in his deep rumbling voice, he asked, "I hear that my sister confessed to you recently."

"She did," I replied.

"Mmm," he replied simply with a nod. Some more moments passed and he spoke again. "What did you say to her?"

"The truth," I replied honestly. "Nothing less would satisfy her or any of your family. I told her that I was willing to go out on a date with her and see where this relationship might go. Can I ask a question?"

"Eeyup."

"Ever since she discovered her new…magic, I guess, how's she been? Nervous? Stalwart?"

Big Mac didn't reply for a bit. Finally, he sighed. "She's had some long talks with Granny. I think she's scared, but her talks with Granny seem to help. And anytime she meets you, too."

When I heard that, I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad. Has she managed to use that magic yet?"

He shook his head as he looked up at the farm behind him. I leaned against the sturdy gatepost and looked out at the vast landscape that was the farm. There were other farms around Ponyville, but the biggest by far was still Sweet Apple Acres. And it was definitely the most beautiful in my opinion. After a bit, he looked up at me. "Jethro Bethridge," he began in a serious tone, "I know I'm gonna sound like an overprotective brother, but I don't care. I know that my sister cares for you in a way she ain't ever felt about any other stallion, but she's still my sister. Don't go breakin' her heart, or you'll answer to me, understood?"

"Big Macintosh Apple, I would never intentionally hurt your sister," I promised solemnly. "She's one of my best friends, and I love her like such. That being said, I'm still new to this whole herd thing, and it's only been recently that I've opened my heart and mind to the possibility of dating multiple women. It's a scary thing for me, but I'm doing my best. And if things go well between your sister and me, I'd be a lucky man to have her by my side. That, and I'd gain a whole new family and one of, if not the best, brother-in-law on the planet."

Big Mac remained silent for a bit, then raised an eyebrow slowly. "Ain't you jumpin' the fence a bit fast there?"

I chuckled a little. "Yeah, I suppose I am. But I mean it. I've enjoyed the time I've spent on this farm. I love talking with all of you. Apple Bloom is really sweet and excitable. Granny's got the wisdom of the ages, AJ and I love to just talk while we work, and what time I spend with you is always peaceful."

A smile began growing on Big Mac's face. "I do like havin' you around the farm. Yer a good stallion, hardworkin' too. But she's my family. My kin. I don't want her hurtin' again."

"I don't want that either," I replied, remembering the time I'd seen her cry her eyes out near her parents' graves, "I give you my oath that I'll never do anything to intentionally hurt her."

"…I believe you," he said after a short pause. "My family means the world to me, and if that eventually includes you, then you'd mean a great deal to me too."

"So would you," I replied. "I've always wanted a brother."

Big Mac gave me a little grin. "Same here." He held up his hoof and I bumped it with my fist. "Now then, you'd best be headin' home. Nopony wants an exhausted groom at a weddin'."

I chuckled. "Duly noted. And thanks for looking after Spike. Poor guy partied himself to sleep."

"Apple Bloom likes hangin' out with him," Big Mac said with a smile. "It's good seein' her makin' new friends."

"The Crusaders have been spending a lot of time with him lately," I observed. "For now, though, I think I will head home. Thank you for a magnificent party, and sleep well."

"See you tomorrow, Jethro," Big Mac said with a friendly wave before turning and heading back towards the house.

I turned and headed back into town, the light of the biggest planet or brown dwarf in the solar system illuminating the snow. With it's light illuminating the way, I had no problem making my way back to town.

It was almost time. It was almost here.

Tomorrow, I would be officially married to Zecora Mtunga Dawa.