Two days after we'd all come back from the Lycan Empire, things had begun to settle down. I'd spent one of those days recovering at home at the insistence of not only Zecora and Scarlet but all of the Elements of Harmony and the Princesses. Thanks to the Princesses healing magic and Zecora's salves, I felt completely back to normal after just that one day. I'd spent a lot of the time in bed watching more My Little Pony, reaching near to the end of Season 3.

After the episode which showed Discord's reform (Something that made my blood boil) I'd stopped and spent the rest of the time making a list of possible future events to write to Celestia about. When that was finished, I decided to look up certain fandom songs. I bobbed my head to the beat of 20 Percent Cooler, nearly cried at Lullaby For A Princess, smirked at Magic (which gave me an idea for Trixie's return), laughed at the Pony Girl parody songs, and was thoroughly impressed by the Brony Polka (The guy who made that seriously sounded a lot like Weird Al).

A part of me really disliked the idea of even allowing Eris the chance to escape her prison. I couldn't help myself. She was the cause of all of Obsidian Star's suffering and death. I decided, however, to speak to all three princesses about it at a later date since I knew better than to trust my own judgment when it was clouded with anger and hatred.

It was a warm spring day as I walked down the streets of Ponyville. I wasn't showing it, but I was super nervous. It was time to address the elephant in the room between me and Zecora. I'd been rehearsing what to say to her all morning in my head, and even during breakfast. Scarlet even noticed, and wouldn't accept the "Nothing's wrong" answer from me. After I'd told her what had happened, she simply told me to relax and be myself. "Since I'm sure that's who that Zebra fell in love with," she'd said reassuringly.

As I walked down the street, I saw Applejack walking towards her farm. Following behind her were three familiar fillies. Upon noticing me, the farmgirl waved a hoof. "Howdy there, Jethro! Where are ya headin'?"

"Hey there, AJ. I'm off to see Zecora," I replied. "Where are you leading these three cute fillies?" I grinned down at the CMC.

"Ah'm showing them a spot back on the farm they can use fer their crusadin'," she replied with a smile.

"So, these are the Cutie Mark Crusaders I've heard about," I said, kneeling to face them all. "Well, it's nice to meet two of you officially, at least. I'm Jethro Bethridge, but you can call me Jethro."

"Howdy, Jethro!" Apple Bloom said, giving me a large smile as she rushed over to her friends. "These are mah friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!" she added, pointing to the other two fillies.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Bethridge," Sweetie Belle said politely.

"So you're the alien, huh? So cool!" Scootaloo added, flapping her tiny wings excitedly. "Not as cool as Rainbow Dash, of course."

"Of course," I chuckled, ruffling her mane playfully. "Got anything planned after Applejack shows you whatever she wants to show you?" I asked.

While Scootaloo tried to get my hand off of her head, Apple Bloom looked at Sweetie Belle. "We're gonna try an' get our cutie marks, of course!" the Earth Pony filly said excitedly.

I knew the event that was coming up, of course, but I felt like interfering in something that didn't quite involve me since I had no cutie mark was a bit unfair. I rubbed Sweetie Belle's and Apple Bloom's manes playfully. "Just be careful, okay? Don't do anything dangerous."

They all beamed at me. "We won't!" they said simultaneously.

I stood and looked back at Applejack. "Sorry for interrupting you there, AJ. Welp, I'll leave you to it. Enjoy whatever Applejack is gonna show you all, Crusaders."

"See ya later, Jethro!" Applejack called out as the four Ponies headed back towards Sweet Apple Acres. "Be safe now, ya hear?"

"I will!" I replied, turning and walking towards Everfree again.

As I entered the Everfree Forest, I grew more and more nervous. I immediately felt ridiculous at that. Come on, Jethro! You're not a teenager anymore. You've got everything you wanna say thought out. This is the best option for everyone involved. It's fair to her, and it's fair to you. Despite that, I still remained nervous as I walked deeper into the forest, down the now familiar pathways towards Zecora's tree hut.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice I was in front of Zecora's door until I was already there, fist raised to knock. Taking a deep breath, I knocked.

"Who is-Oh! Jethro! This is a surprise," Zecora said. She looked pretty much the same, save for her mane which was brushed to the sides once more.

"A welcome one, I hope," I replied with a lopsided smile as she stood aside to let me in.

"Always a welcome surprise," the Zebra said with a tender smile. "I just wasn't expecting you. I thought you'd be in bed recovering still."

"Thanks to you and the Princesses, I'm feeling much better. And the scars are barely visible," I said, showing her the one on my arm. She winced when she saw it, and I realized my mistake. I pulled my shirt back over my arm. "Right…sorry."

"It's alright," she said gently. "I'm just glad you're feeling better."

"So am I." I chuckled along with her, then there was a silence between us. Taking a deep breath, I faced her. "Listen, Zecora, about what you told me before the fight…"

"You're turning me down, aren't you?" she said, a hint of heartbreak in her tone and eyes.

"No! No please hear me out!" I quickly replied. Zecora turned back to me, a glimmer of hope in her expression. "You deserve honesty. You've done so much for me, more than I could ever hope to repay. I care about you a lot, that's a fact. I'm just confused as to my own feelings. So…I have something to ask you."

"I'm listening," the Zebra said, looking a bit more hopeful.

"Zecora, would you like to go out on a date with me?"

Her eyes brightened wide and she smiled. She rushed over and threw her front hooves around me. "Yes!"

I hugged the Zebra close to me. Seeing her this happy made my heart soar with joy. "I've made reservations at the Prancing Pony two days from now. That sound good?"

The Zebra gazed into my eyes, smiling warmly. "Any time with you is a good time, my friend."

"I'm glad to hear it." I breathed out a sigh of relief as Zecora finally let me go. "Well, that was pretty nerve wracking. I haven't been on a real date in ages. I just hope you enjoy it."

Zecora chuckled. "I know I will."

"Let's just hope Rarity doesn't hear about this," I laughed. "I'd hate to be at her mercy."

"Just imagine what she'd do to me," Zecora laughed along with me.

"Make you look like a million bits," I replied with a grin on my face. "But enough about our thousand-hour long fashion lecture at the hands of that Unicorn. Are you working on anything special today? And can I help?"

"As a matter of fact, yes and yes." Zecora pointed at her shelf of herbs. "Hand me some of the Cloudsweed, would you?"

Somehow, Rarity had heard about my upcoming date with Zecora. If I had to guess, it was Pinkie's doing, what with her Pinkie Sense and all. Not that I could blame the pink mare for being extra excited about it. After spending half the day with Zecora, the two of us walked back to Ponyville where Rarity had run up to the two of us. "Darling, why didn't you tell me you were planning on courting Zecora?" the panting Unicorn asked after catching her breath.

"Courting? Rarity, it's a date," I said, looking back at a blushing Zecora.

"Courting, a date, it doesn't matter! You can't go out without a proper outfit, either of you!" Grabbing my sleeve, she began pulling me off.

"Rarity! You're gonna tear my clothes!" I said in alarm as she pulled me towards her boutique.

"I made these clothes, darling," she said dismissively. "They won't tear easily."

"As fun as it would be to watch the chaos, I must see dear Twilight about a horse," Zecora replied before galloping away faster than I had ever seen her run.

"Traitor!" I called out as Rarity forcefully pulled me away. Nearby, a few other Ponies watched this, clearly amused by Rarity's antics. Turning back to the Unicorn, I groaned. "I can walk, you know?"

"And what's to guarantee that you won't fly away the moment I let go?" she said sharply as she pulled me into the boutique. "Besides, we're here already," she added as she finally let go.

"Rarity, you've got my measurements already, don't you?" I asked, standing and brushing myself off. "Why do you need me here?"

"Why, I need to make sure you haven't gotten bulkier," Rarity explained.

I grimaced. "That your delicate way of saying I got fatter?"

"No no!" Rarity quickly backpedaled. "You've gotten larger from muscle building!"

"Nice save," I grinned. "Well…I figure you aren't gonna leave me alone until I agree. Fine. Let's get this over with."

"You won't regret it, trust me!" the now excited mare said with a smile. "Now, take off your clothes. I need to measure you."

"Eeyup…regretting this already…"

Fortunately, Rarity didn't ask me to remove my boxers and t-shirt, but she did mention that I had gotten some more muscle on me since she'd last taken my measurements. That filled me with a small sense of accomplishment. She also mentioned that my waistline had shrunk slightly. My slow change to an Equestrian diet had been doing wonders for me, it seemed.

When I caught back up with Zecora, she apologized for running, but explained that she had indeed been to see Twilight about something important. After I forgave her, the two of us went to my house to check on Scarlet. We found her and Rainbow Dash still training. Unlike me, who still had some trouble with sustained flight, Scarlet was coming along much better.

Upon seeing me and Zecora entering the property, Scarlet flew up to me, hovering in front of the two of us. "I can hover now!" she said proudly.

"I'm glad to hear it," I replied, then turned to Rainbow Dash. "RD, thanks a bunch for this."

"No sweat! She's got some pretty good skills. Which is more than I can say about you," she grinned. "The moment you recover, we're going at it double time!"

"Now that is a conundrum, Miss Dash. I knew that you were rather rash, but who knew you were always this brash?" Zecora gave the Pegasus a knowing grin. "This stallion is mine alone to smash."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

I burst out laughing, putting my hand on Zecora's back for support as the Zebra continued smirking up at the still oblivious cyan Pegasus. Scarlet got it a few moments later and fell to the ground, giggling. Rainbow Dash, growing frustrated, put her front hooves on her flank in a remarkably human gesture. "Come oooon, out with it!"

"Ahh…ahahaha…hooo…" I said as I stood, grinning down at Zecora. "You've been hanging around me too long if you're so brazen as to make a sexual joke."

Rainbow Dash's cheeks had never gotten redder in the time I'd known her. "S-S-Sex?!" she sputtered.

"Ahaha…it's the 'going at it' and the 'smash' remark," I snickered.

"Geez, Jethro's rubbed off on you, Zecora," Rainbow Dash said with a huff.

"She wishes!" Scarlet smirked.

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing. Now it was Zecora's time to blush. I couldn't help it. I laughed harder. But a part of me was glad. Glad that Scarlet had gotten comfortable enough to make jokes like this so fast. I put an arm around the Zebra and pulled her close. "Ahaha…sorry for laughing."

"Don't worry too much about it. I will get you back yet," she smiled, moving over and nuzzling my face playfully.

Now it was my turn to blush as the three mares laughed. "Nnng…you three are gonna drive me to drink," I said, unable to keep from smiling.

"I know the perfect place for that!" Rainbow Dash laughed.

"Why am I not surprised," I chuckled as I stood. "But in all seriousness, thanks for helping me and Scarlet learn to fly."

"Anytime!" Rainbow Dash turned to Scarlet. "See you in a couple days for our next lesson?"

"Sure thing," Scarlet said.

Rainbow Dash saluted and flew off, leaving a rainbow in her wake. I chuckled, shaking my head. "Show-off," I laughed. "Come on, you two, I'll whip up something for all of us for dinner. Whatcha all think about fettuccini alfredo?"

Two days later, a Saturday, came much more quickly than I'd expected. Zecora had, during the past few days, visited Twilight a good number of times. Whenever I asked her about it, she always told me not to worry about it and that she'd explain later. I'd also seen her and Twilight exiting Rarity's boutique a few times, but that wasn't as unusual to me since I assumed it was just Rarity getting Zecora some kind of dress to fit her.

It was once again a gorgeous autumn day. I was walking through town to try and calm my nerves before my date when I spotted Twilight walking down the street. Following close behind her was a lovely older mare with a well-maintained wine-colored fur coat, pink and lighter pink mane and tail, and light emerald eyes. She had a green saddlebag on her back.

"Jethro!" Twilight said when she saw me. She waved me over. "How are you feeling today? Nervous?"

I groaned. "Does everyone in town know about my date with Zecora?" I asked.

"It's hard not to hear the local gossip," the other mare, Miss Cheerilee, said with a knowing smile.

"Lemme guess: Pinkie Pie," I sighed. "God knows, I like her, but she's aggravating sometimes."

"She's not that bad," Twilight said a bit defensively.

"I guess not," I said. "Sorry, you're right. I'm nervous. I haven't been on a date in a while. But enough about me. Where are you two ladies off to?"

"Oh! We're heading to the library," Twilight said. "Miss Cheerilee wanted to get some books for some future lesson plans."

"And to pass out these fliers to any filly and colt I see," Cheerilee added, opening one side of her saddlebag and passing me a flier.

"Let's see here…" I took the pamphlet she'd handed to me. "'Showcase your talents for all to see. Perform in the Ponyville school talent show.' Now that sounds like an interesting time. When is it?"

"This coming Wednesday," Cheerilee said. "It starts at seven in the evening. Would you like to come?"

I looked it over again. "'Best Comedy Act…Best Magic Act…' Might be something Scarlet Dusk might be interested to see. I'll see if she wants to go. As for me personally? Yeah, I think I might."

Cheerilee beamed. "Oh, I'm sure the little fillies and colts would love to perform for the only alien in town. And speaking of, could I ask for a favor?"

"Oh? I'm all ears," I replied.

"I was wondering if you could come by our school sometime and speak to the children about where you're from," she said. "You don't have to if you don't want to. There's no pressure."

"Hmm…" I thought about it for a bit. It didn't sound like too bad of an idea, but I wasn't sure what to say to a room of little Pony children. There was so much to talk about. "Well…I mean, how long would I get to talk to them? There's a lot to talk about, and I know I won't be able to cover everything. Plus there are things I really shouldn't mention to little children."

"Well, it could be a Friday," she said. "That's normally a test day, but I could try and persuade the headmare to give you all school day to talk."

"How long is a school day?"

"We start at eight in the morning and go until two thirty in the afternoon with two breaks and a lunchbreak," Cheerilee replied.

"Sounds similar to school hours on Earth," I said thoughtfully. "I don't see why not? I can clear a Friday."

"Can I watch, too?" Twilight asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"Of course, Miss Twilight," Cheerilee replied. "Just leave some questions for the rest of the class."

I laughed along with Cheerilee as Twilight dug at the ground with her hoof, pouting. "Oh relax," I said, "you'll probably get more chances to interview me anyway."

She quickly perked up. "Oh yeah!"

"Well, I shouldn't keep you lovely ladies," I chuckled. "I'll see you two later."

After saying our goodbyes, I resumed my walk.

"Oh, darling, there's no need to be so nervous," Rarity said, once more straightening my tie with her magic. "You'll do perfectly fine."

"I'm trying," I replied, "but I'm just worried about what could go wrong. And what if she doesn't like the Prancing Pony?"

"Nothing's gonna go wrong, silly!" Pinkie Pie said from nearby, bouncing on all four hooves. "We'll make sure of that!"

"We've all seen how she looks at you," Fluttershy added.

"Fluttershy's right," Applejack added. "She's got it for ya somethin' fierce."

"Just be yourself and she'll have a great time," Twilight said. "All the books I read about romance tell me that as long as the two of you are having a good time together, it won't matter where or what you're doing."

"Jeez, what's with all the cheese," Rainbow Dash said, hovering over us. "It's just dinner! Nothing serious!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded. "A date is a romantic event in every young couple's life!"

"Zecora and I are older than everyone here," I deadpanned. I looked in the mirror again and readjusted my tie again. "Twilight, tell me again why I should pick her up at the library?"

"It's a surprise," Twilight replied with a grin. "Trust me, I know you'll like it!"

"Speaking of, is she having issues with anything over there?" Rarity asked.

"Spike should be handling it," Twilight replied. "Are you ready, Jethro?"

"No, but I've gone too far to back out now," I said, taking a deep breath. I pushed my wings down again and faced the door. "Wish me luck."

"Any mare would be lucky to have you as their coltfriend," Fluttershy said softly, smiling up at me.

"Go git yer date, tiger," Applejack grinned, patting me on the back.

Clearing my throat, I walked out of the boutique, making my way towards the library. The evening was coming on and the sky was a plethora of sunset colors. The sky had a few clouds in it which glowed a deep lovely red and purple. The Ponies I passed all stared at me or gave me knowing looks. My face flushed as I approached the library.

When I was in front of the door, I raised my hand and knocked. After a few seconds, I heard the pitter patter of small feet approaching. Spike answered the door and looked me up and down. "For a monkey-man, you clean up good," the little drake complimented, extending a fist.

I fistbumped him with a grin. "Rarity certainly knows her stuff. Now, where's my date for the evening?"

"I'll go get her. Why don't you sit and wait?" Spike replied as he stepped aside for me.

As if I wasn't already nervous enough, sitting and waiting was almost torture. I heard noises from the upstairs, but I wasn't sure what they could be. Finally, Spike came down the stairs, grinning like a madman. "Fillies and gentlecolts, announcing the arrival of the Lady Zecora!"

"Just who are you talking…to…?" I started to ask when she first came into view. I couldn't help but stare. Zecora was walking slowly down the stairs, wearing a lovely light blue dress with her swirling tattoo emblazoned on the side. On her hooves she wore silvery white shoes. The dress she wore was low cut and showed a respectful amount of-

Wait…cleavage?! I gawked, unable to speak as a now anthropomorphic Zecora walked down the stairs, giving me a loving and tender smile. When she finally reached the floor, she walked a few steps up to me and gave a little twirl. "Well, my friend? What do you think?" she asked.

I slowly stood and walked around her, trying to get a good glimpse at everything. She was now only a few inches shorter than I was and walking upright on two hooves. Her figure was, for lack of a better phrase, drop dead gorgeous. The dress she wore perfectly clung to all of her curves, showing slender but still fit thighs, a perfect waist, and a pair of breasts that threatened to burst forth from her dress. The dress was sleeveless, showing off slender but fur-covered arms. In the back her tail stuck out, well-groomed and swishing slightly. She had her hands in front of her, her mane brushed to each side. I saw a hairpin on her left side, a flower design emblazoned on it. When I was face to face with her, she had a nervous smile on her face as she looked up at me. Finally, I recovered my voice and asked, "H-How?"

"Twilight found the solution to the transfiguration spell!" Spike was the one to answer.

"The spell ends at midnight, my starstruck date. Now let us hurry, or else we will be late," Zecora said, color rising to her cheeks.

I cleared my throat, trying my best to recover from the shock of a humanoid Zebra standing before me, and an extremely beautiful one at that. I offered her my arm. "Very well. Shall we head out?"

Zecora reached out slowly, her arm slowly intertwining with mine. Spike opened the door for the two of us and I led her into the warm evening air. We received stares, mostly aimed at Zecora, but the mare didn't seem to mind, instead leaning her head on my shoulder as the two of us walked down the street towards the edge of town.

As we walked, I struck up a conversation. "I have to admit, I was not expecting this," I said with a small chuckle as I gestured to her new but temporary form.

"You don't mind, do you?" Zecora asked.

"Not at all," I replied. "I honestly love it. Did you do it for me?"

"I wanted you to be comfortable," she said. "It took a few tries to get the walking down, but I think I've got it."

"Don't jinx it," I said in English as I put my free hand over the one attached to my arm. "I don't want you tripping and ruining that gorgeous dress."

"You look very handsome yourself," she said.

I smiled nervously as we took a turn. "Well, I am curious as to what you think about this new form of yours? Any advantages? Any drawbacks?"

She reached up and stroked her chin with her other hand, something I'd done a few times. I chuckled a bit at the jab at me before she replied, "These are definitely something I enjoy having." She held up her new hands and moved the fingers around. "You called them hands, correct?"

"That's correct."

She smiled up at me. "I got a lot of work done just the other day while using them."

"Yeah, hands are definitely something I wouldn't want to be without," I said as I squeezed hers with my own. "I take it there are drawbacks."

"These!" she said in an exasperated tone as she pointed at her breasts. "They're inconvenient and hurt when I walk."

"Yeah…at that size, I don't doubt it. If I'd known you were going to surprise me with this, I'd have shown Rarity images of a few bras for her to make. They help with that. Oh! We're here!"

We were standing in front of a large building with a statue of two rearing Ponies on either side of a double door. The smell of delicious food wafted through the door as I approached. I pushed the door open and stepped aside. "After you."

"You really are a gentlecolt," Zecora said as she walked through the door. I avoided staring at her backside as I followed her in, but I could swear she was swaying her new hips as we entered.

The restaurant itself was perfect. Quiet, not too busy for a Saturday evening, and there was lovely cello music playing from a nearby stage where a gray mare was inexplicably playing said cello. I recognized her as a minor character I'd seen in the Gala episode. Beside her, I saw Lyra Heartstrings setting up to play as well. The lighting was bright enough so as not to hurt the eyes, and each booth was private and meticulously kept. As we entered, a light blue stallion Unicorn came up, smiling politely. "Greetings, and welcome to the Prancing Pony. Do you have-" The stallion's eyes widened a bit, and his smile became more genuine as he recognized me. "Mr. Bethridge! We've been expecting you. Your table is already prepared. If you'll both follow me." He used his horn to hover two menus from a nearby table and led us into the interior of the restaurant.

Zecora looked around in awe, then leaned up close to whisper, "You have good eyes. This place is amazing."

"A first date should always be memorable," I replied as the stallion led us to a table larger than most. It was situated near a fireplace and had two unlit candles on top. The Unicorn's horn glowed, and the candles were lit. I looked at the table, and noticed it looked newer than the rest. Turning to the Unicorn, I asked, "Is this table new?"

"Oh, yes, it is," he said a bit sheepishly. "An anonymous doner crafted this for the two of you, and we did some rearranging."

"Really? Interesting. Well, I'm definitely grateful to whoever was responsible," I replied. "Not sure either of us could sit in your normal booths."

The Unicorn laughed. "Of course not, sir. We aim to please."

"Thank you," I said as I walked ahead and pulled one chair out. Turning to Zecora, I said, "After you."

She giggled as she took a seat. After I took the remaining seat, the stallion placed both menus down before us. "Can I bring you anything to start?"

"Two waters for now," I replied, then turned to Zecora. "That sound alright to you, Zecora?"

"A water would be nice," she said with a nod.

"Of course. I'll be right back with those," the stallion said. "Feel free to take your time." Turning, he walked away.

I opened the menu and looked over the options once more. I'd already made sure that this restaurant had food that I could eat, and I was almost positive it had meals that Zecora could since her diet was pretty similar to that of a Pony. I quickly chose my meal of choice, then looked back up at Zecora. She was still looking at the menu, carefully turning the pages with her new hands. "Would you like to have some wine tonight?" I asked.

Startled, Zecora looked up at me. "I typically don't drink alcoholic beverages," she said apologetically.

"No worries, I don't either. I was just curious," I replied.

Nodding gratefully at me, she went back to looking at the menu. I decided to look at the dessert options for later just in case. I saw a lovely chocolate lava cake. I knew Zecora had a hidden sweet tooth and a weakness for chocolate, so I decided to order that for dessert if she was interested. When I heard the other menu being put down, I looked up at her. Zecora nodded at me and said, "I'm ready."

When the stallion returned with our waters as well as a small platter of small bite sized pieces of bread and some soft butter, I mentioned that we were ready to order. "Splendid! What will you two have?" he asked, pulling out a pen and paper pad with his magic.

I gestured to Zecora, who blushed a bit and pointed at the menu. "A sweet applegrass salad, if you please, with a side of a small pasta bowl, light cheese."

"Excellent choice," the stallion said, quickly writing it down before turning to me. "And for you?"

"I would like the Prench styled cheese gratin with a garden salad as a side, hold the hay, please," I said.

"Another excellent choice," he said as he took the order down. "Would either of you care for something else to drink besides water?"

"I'm alright, how about you?" I asked Zecora.

"Water for me is plenty," Zecora replied with a polite nod.

"Very well. I'll take those menus from you now," the stallion said. After we put them down, he hovered them away from the table. "The food shouldn't take too long, tonight. We're fairly slow tonight."

"Thanks again," I said.

Once the two of us were alone, Zecora took a piece of the bread and buttered it before taking a bite, chewing thoughtfully. After washing it down with some water, she leaned forward. "I have to say, I love your choice of restaurants."

"Like I said, a first date should be memorable," I chuckled. "I know I'll definitely be remembering this one for years to come," I added.

She reached up and fiddled with her mane, smiling with a hint of amusement in her voice. "You really like what you see, don't you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no." I looked her up and down, grinning. "You look absolutely stunning tonight."

"Oh? Should I dress up like this on all our dates?" she replied in what could only be described as a saucy tone.

I blushed. "As much as I'd love to say yes, that wouldn't be fair to you. A date should be comfortable for both parties. And while I definitely think you're absolutely radiant in this form, I want you comfortable, too."

"So…you're saying there's going to be a second date?" Zecora asked hopefully.

"What kind of moron would I be if I just gave up after one date?" I asked. "I believe it takes multiple dates and outings to determine complete romantic compatibility. Most of the time, anyway."

"I'm glad you think so," she said happily.

While the two of us waited for our food, we discussed a few other topics. I told her more about my world, specifically as much as I knew about the history of medicine, which admittedly wasn't much. I would have pulled out my phone to look it up for her, but even back on Earth that would have been rude, so I told her I'd look up more about the history of our medicine later.

In return, she told me more about the history of the land of Farasi where she was from. According to her, Farasi was a lovely coastal land near the deep jungles of her home microcontinent. She lived in a town called Zebrat, Farasi's capital. It was founded approximately six hundred years ago by a clan of Zebras who were escaping their original homeland, which had been destroyed by a volcanic eruption. The group of five hundred or so survivors created Zebrat, named after their leader. Over the course of the centuries, the small nation grew and kept to itself for the most part. Being separated by an ocean from other larger continents on the planet made that easy.

That lasted until a Pony expedition from Equestria landed in the port town of Casabronco nearly two hundred years ago. The Zebra King at the time, King Jiwe, met with Princess Celestia and established a trading peace between both nations, since Farasi had plants that couldn't be grown in the northern regions of the planet. The peace had lasted ever since.

As she was finishing, our food came. I had to admit, the meal I got was absolutely delicious. Zecora said hers was amazing as well. As the two of us ate, I took the plunge and asked her more about her interests. She was all too happy to share. As it turned out, she and I both had a fascination for astronomy despite her living in a forest. It was one thing she missed since she lived in a forest. That was when I made an offhanded remark.

"You know," I said, "I have a large property about an acre in size. If I use my Morphean magic, I bet I can teleport your treehouse to my property."

Once the words left my mouth, my eyes widened. I'd just asked Zecora to practically move in with me. The hidden message wasn't lost on Zecora, who's face went red at the thought. "Jethro, my friend, I appreciate the offer, but this is just our first date. Don't you think we should wait before we move in together?"

"Yeah…that came out wrong," I said apologetically. "I didn't mean to imply-"

"Don't worry, I know what you meant," she giggled. Her giggle turned into laughter as my face went red. "Oh my! The look on your face is priceless!"

"You're evil," I smirked.

"You're the one who wanted me to move next door," she said.

"So you could stargaze as much as you wanted!" I answered defensively.

Zecora's laughter only increased, and it made my heart skip a few beats. Normal Zebra or anthropomorphic Zebra, she was still Zecora. The best friend I'd ever had in a long time. She'd changed so much since we'd begun hanging out together. She was more outgoing, laughed a lot more, and had opened up to me. She'd also helped me in ways I never felt possible, especially ever since Trixie and my family passed away.

"Well, I'll think about it, for sure," she said. "It would be nice to not live in the forest and underneath a lovely sky. I would miss being close to all my ingredients."

"I'm sure we could figure something out if it does happen," I said sheepishly. "Anyway, since we're both pretty much finished with our meal, are you up for dessert?"

"I could go for something sweet," Zecora said.

"Good. Because I found something I know you'll enjoy." I waved the waiter over again. "Before you ask, let's just say the amount of chocolate in this dessert might be a bit too much even for you."

"How in Tartarus did you actually finish that monstrosity?" I asked as the two of us went out into the cool night air.

Zecora chuckled as she wrapped my blazer around her shoulders while we walked down the street. "Didn't you know? We Zebras have a separate stomach for sweets," she replied, poking my face playfully with her finger.

I snorted, throwing my head back and laughing heartily. "I can just feel myself getting fatter from all that," I grinned. "I'll need some extra time to work off all that cake."

"Awww, but you look so cute with that little pouch," she teased, poking my stomach, then running off.

"Grrr! Get back here, you!" I laughed harder as I chased her towards one of Ponyville's parks.

Since she was in a form unfamiliar to her, it was easy to catch up to her, but by then we were smack dab in the middle of a darkened park. We were giggling like two teenagers when we found a small bench to sit at. Spreading my wings, I wrapped one around her for some extra warmth as she leaned her head against my shoulder. The moon was in a waxing gibbous phase, showing the craters and the leftover imprint of the Nightmare Moon maria on its surface. I put an arm around my date when I heard some rustling from a few bushes nearby.

Zecora must have heard it too since her ears swiveled to face the source of the noise. The two of us looked at each other. "Just ignore those six busybodies," I whispered, running my hand through her mane.

"Was already planning on it," she replied. "You're all I want to focus on tonight."

In that moment, everything clicked. It just fit into place. All our moments together, good and bad, how we'd laughed together at our highest points, comforted each other at some of our lowest points, the genuine concern she showed for me, and how protective I was of her anytime we walked through the forest. I couldn't lie to myself anymore. I took her hand in mine and turned to face her as best I could. "You know," I said a bit louder in English, "I thought it would take me a little while longer to figure things out. But I think…I think I always knew. I was just too scared to admit it to myself."

"My friend, whatever do you mean?" Zecora asked softly. "What was it that remained to you unseen?"

"Zecora Mtunga Dawa," I said, using her full name, "I'm in love with you too."

I heard a certain party pony squeal in delight before being cut off. Zecora's eyes widened in shock. Before she could reply, I pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her. And that set her off. Zecora threw her arms around me immediately, squealing in happiness as she pushed me over. I put my arms and wings fully around her, kissing her back happily, my heart beating hard and fast. Kissing her was physically unusual, but at the moment I didn't care. The fact that I'd found love again was enough for me to push the unusual nature aside.

All that mattered was that I'd finally admitted to her and, more importantly to myself, my own feelings. I hadn't felt this free in a long time. My whole world was her. Zecora. My Zecora Mtunga Dawa.

Reality came crashing back with the sound of some party favor being blown nearby. The two of us quickly broke apart just in time to see a certain Earth Pony prancing around in front of the bench, giggling madly. As the two of us sat up, five other mares walked up to us, looking a bit sheepish.

Deciding to have a bit of fun with them, I looked sternly at them all. "I'd have thought that the words 'First Date' would mean 'Leave the two of us alone'," I said in a lecturing tone.

"You don't trust us that much?" Zecora asked, then put a hand to her muzzle.

"Ah, um…well…" Twilight tried to think of something to say, but after a few false starts, lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have been spying on you two."

"Damn right," I said with a frown. A frown which turned into a grin, one which Zecora shared. "You're all just lucky I don't hold grudges against my friends."

"We're still awful sorry," Applejack said.

"It's completely alright, ladies," Zecora said.

"Hey, why aren't you rhyming anymore?" Rainbow Dash asked, eyebrows furled.

Zecora pursed her lips, obviously thinking about it hard. Her eyes widened suddenly, then she turned to me. "Remember when I said that I rhymed because it reminded me of home?"

"Yeah…" I nodded, unsure where she was going with this.

She once more threw her arms around me. "This is my home now. A home in Equestria. With my new friends. And my coltfriend."

I beamed and hugged her back. "It'll be odd not hearing you rhyme, I'll admit," I replied. "But whatever makes you happy makes me happy."

She held onto me tighter, and I looked at all of the Ponies surrounding me. They all had various looks of happiness on their own faces. But nothing in that moment could match the pure unadulterated joy I was feeling right now.

I had found love again. And that was enough for me.

Yeah...I couldn't wait to share this chapter. Plus, it's the 30th one, so I had to post it since it'd be an even number. Anyway, now I'll probably wait a bit before posting another. Enjoy!