The play I saw, when compared to the story I'd seen in the episode of My Little Pony, was a lot longer and like A Christmas Carol consisted of more archaic language. Not only did we see more of Snowfall Frost's backstory, which included a younger brother who sadly died one Hearth's Warming Day, which actually made Snowfall's hatred of the holiday make more sense, but I was surprised when the songs from the episode actually made their way into the play itself.

Something else about the play that surprised me was the different names for many of the other characters. For example, Snowdash was actually named Windy Skies, and she took the place not only of Bob Cratchit, but Fred as well. Not only that, but the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present took Snowfall to see other less fortunate Ponies not just in Canterlot, but in other major cities around Equestria, showing Snowfall just how much the holiday meant to every Pony.

All the while, Scarlet took full advantage of the couch we sat on and the fact that it was meant to be a romantic date by snuggling close to me. I had to admit, being snuggled by someone who had wings felt different than when Zecora and I snuggled, Anthro or normal form. Not unenjoyable, just different. Her wings were warm and soft, and I made sure to return the snuggling in kind, wrapping her in my wings as well.

When the play ended, it was just past six in the evening, and we both headed downstairs. Scarlet was saying how good she thought the actress who played Snowfall was and how perfectly she depicted a fallen and bitter lady.

After helping her with her coat, we walked down the street towards The Citrus Cellar, a smaller but still proper restaurant for a first date. I walked in arm and arm with her, and the young Pegasus stallion who saw us smiled warmly. He was wearing a collar and cool bow-tie that the Eleventh Doctor would be proud of. "Sir Jethro! It's a pleasure to see you here!" He bowed respectfully. "We already have your private booth set up just as you instructed. My name's Raider Shadow, and I'll be your personal waiter this evening! If you'll follow me, please?"

As the two of us followed, I saw and felt the stares of other Ponies in the restaurant on me and my date. Most were nervous, but I did feel a few angry ones. Even so close to home, there are Ponies who see some fault in me, I thought sadly.

Scarlet must have noticed my shift in mood, because she moved closer and leaned against my shoulder. "Don't let them get to you," she said tenderly as she took my hand in hers, intertwining her fingers with mine.

I smiled down at her. "Of course not. Tonight's about us."

She giggled just as Raider reached a small private booth, this one also made of clouds and made to fit my size. After we sat, Raider handed us two menus. "Flag me down when you're both ready to order? Can I start you off with some water? Freshest rainwater from the Cloudsdale factory. Or our best Citrus Blend? It's our most popular drink."

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, I'll try some of the Citrus Blend, and no ice if it comes with it" I said. "That okay with you, Scarlet?"

Scarlet nodded. "Yeah, the same for me too, please," she said.

Raider nodded. "Two Citrus Blends, no ice, got it," he said as he used his wings to write it down on a notepad. "I'll be right out with those." Smiling, he spread his wings and flew away, leaving me and Scarlet alone.

I leaned against the table, smiling at my date. "I've heard good things about this place from Rainbow and even Fluttershy," I said.

Scarlet chuckled. "Rainbow's told me about this place too. There's apparently a secret menu item that's called the Dash of Rainbow that she orders here. It's a pasta and potato sandwich on sourdough."

"Weird, I thought Ponies couldn't eat potatoes," I said. "I mean, I googled it a while back, and at least on Earth, equines can't eat potatoes because they're poisonous."

"I've eaten mashed potatoes before when I was a filly," Scarlet said, "and I had no problems."

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh…well, maybe you're not quite like the equines from Earth."

"What gave it away, the fact that we can talk?" Scarlet teased.

I blushed a bit. "Sorry, sorry. Switching topics."

Scarlet waved her hand. "No no, don't worry about it. That's one of the reasons I love you. You're always thinking and researching and trying to incorporate into our world. Although…"

"Although what?" I asked.

She leaned forward, batting her eyelashes at me. "I'm wondering why you haven't started researching polyamorous relationships from Earth. I have."

I took a deep breath, then exhaled. "That…damn, you bring up a good point," I said. "I've studied Earth and Equestria rulers with Twilight, after all."

She snapped her fingers with practiced ease and pointed at me. "Exactly!"

I raised my hands and smiled a bit self-deprecatingly. "You got me there, Scarlet. And the simple answer to that: fear of certain types of change."

A look of worry passed over her face. "What kind of change?"

"I told you that I grew up in a religious household, right?" I asked. When she nodded, I continued, "Well, certain aspects of that do tend to stick with you even if you're not as big on following your religion as before, such as the idea that a relationship can only be one man and one woman. Buuut…" and I trailed off, trying to form my next words carefully.

Scarlet gestured for me to continue. "Yes? Go on," she encouraged, eyes wide with hope.

"But…Goddamn, when did you get so smart?" I teased. "You're right. I know polygamy was around in Earth's own past, and it worked then. So…yeah, I really should study more about it. That, and do what I did with Rainbow Dash's friends."

"What did you do with them?" Scarlet asked.

"Talked to them about how a herd works," I said. "I mean, I really should learn more about it if I'm going to give herding a chance."

"And what better place to learn than from the adorkable princess to be?" Scarlet whispered with a teasing tone.

I snorted. "If I know Twilight, she knows a lot about it from her books, yeah," I said.

Scarlet and I both laughed, before she reached over and took my hand in hers, bringing it up to her cheek and making me cup it. Her fur was soft and her body was warm to the touch. Her smile became incredibly genuine and loving. "Jethro, I know it scares you, but you're not alone in this. It's scaring me too, but as long as we all keep an open mind, open communications and open trust, I know it can work in the long run."

I took a deep breath, and exhaled, caressing her cheek gently. She closed her eyes and snuggled into my hand. "You're right," I said as I gently pinched her cheeks before releasing her. "I'll do that."

She rubbed the part of her cheek where I'd pinched it, giggling and blushing. "I can tell you about how my parents did things," she said. "What little I remember, that is."

I knew Scarlet didn't really talk much about her past, and I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to learn more about her since I'd always had a sneaking suspicion that she had a past full of hurt and pain. And I hated not being able to help. "Anything you're willing to share is fine with me," I said.

Just then, Raider came back and put down two glasses of some kind of layered drink. There was yellow on the bottom, which slowly and seamlessly transitioned to orange, then red and finally to purple and blue. "Here you two are," he said happily as he put down two straws. "Please do enjoy. Oh! And the recommended way to drink this is to use a straw and pull it out slowly as you drink, getting all the flavors at once."

"We'll keep that in mind, thank you," I replied gratefully.

"Great! Just let me know when you're ready to order," he said before heading off.

I looked through the menu. There were plenty of different types of meals here, like salads, sandwiches, hay burgers, and dairy desserts, but when I reached the end of the was surprised to see some meat options under Griffon Specials. "Well, I'll be damned," I said.

"You saw the meat specials?" Scarlet asked.

I nodded. "Never thought I'd see any restaurant serving meat anywhere in Equestria," I said softly.

"Well, it is Cloudsdale," Scarlet said. "I read somewhere that this place gets plenty of Griffon visitors."

I chuckled. "Makes sense. But I'm curious about the Dash of Rainbow, if I'm honest. It actually sounds delicious."

She laughed. "Me too. But this double cheese hayburger also looks good," she said, pointing at the menu.

"I'm thinking about a nice fettuccini alfredo," I said. "But what about this: we get one of those Dash of Rainbows to split?"

"I'm down," she said. "I hope you don't mind if I order the chocolate cake shake for dessert?"

"They have that here too?!" I said, looking at the dessert menu. "Ooooh, I wonder if it's as good as the one back on Earth is said to be."

"The one Gabriel Iglesias mentioned?" Scarlet asked with a smirk.

I laughed. "Yeah, that one. Well, we can get the Couples Size."

She blushed at that. "I saw that option too," she said. "But I don't mind if we get separate ones."

"Hey, anything to get you to blush," I teased. "You look adorable when you do." I was rewarded by her blushing harder at that, and I grinned. It was rare to see her as the embarrassed one, so I decided to press the advantage. Leaning forward, I decided to give her some more taste of her own medicine. "Good enough to nibble on," I added with a wicked grin.

She giggled. "Oh my God, how horny are you?" she teased.

The meal passed without incident. I did indeed get the fettuccine alfredo, and Scarlet got the double cheese hayburger. I had to admit, the Dash of Rainbow was actually really good despite the odd assortment of flavors. The chocolate cake shakes were something I felt that Celestia herself would absolutely love, so I made a mental note to try and make her one at a later date.

The two of us talked a lot about the various shows we both liked. She was currently devouring the newer Doctor Who series and was in the third season. We also talked about other interests we had. I learned that Scarlet was actually really enjoying working at Rarity's boutique because, as a filly, she'd expressed interest in making clothes. When I asked about her job at the Hay Burger, she also admitted that she loved to come up with and experiment with food ideas, which is where she'd come up with the veggie burger. I made a comment that she could very well get a cutie mark with a jack on it, referring to a jack of all trades, master of none.

The conversation then turned to her lack of cutie mark, and she told me that she'd been approached by the CMC a few times about joining, but had always declined, giving the excuse that she had little time to do it with all her various jobs and flight training. I chuckled and encouraged her to spend some time with them at some point, mostly because I was worried about Scootaloo, but also because perhaps she might find something that would get her a cutie mark. She promised to spend time crusading with the fillies, but more for the former reason than the latter. "I was raised to believe that a cutie mark isn't the end all, be all of life as a Pony," she explained. "I know it's weird to not have a cutie mark at twenty-four, but it's never really bothered me."

When we both finished with our meal, and after I paid and left the waiter a nice big tip, I took Scarlet's arm and led her out into the city. The night sky was ablaze with bright late autumn stars, and the streets were nearly empty of Pegasi. As the two of us walked, I looked at my date. "I hope you've been having a good time," I said.

Scarlet moved closer, pressing her body against mine and leaning on my shoulder. She spread one wing out and wrapped it around me. "I've been having an amazing time," she said honestly. "It's been the best first date ever. Then again, it's been my only first date ever," she added with a snicker.

I beamed. "I'm glad to hear it. I know it was a pretty standard date, as far as dates go, but I'm glad you had a good time."

She put a finger over my lips, then looked at me with the pair of the deepest red eyes. She was smiling warmly. "Any date with you I'll never call standard," she said, removing her finger from my lips. "Because it's a date with you, silly boy."

I smiled and reached up, stroking her mane again. "Heh, thanks."

"Bet," she smirked, and I facepalmed at her use of the new slang from Earth. She giggled. "You made me, baby."

"Oh, I know," I sighed with a small smile. "But the date isn't over yet. Come along."

"Oh? What's next?" she asked as I took her hand and lead her towards the edge of the city.

"You'll see, trust me."

I led her towards the Cloudsdale Rainbow Dome Fountain, a spot I'd heard about from Rainbow. When we reached an archway, I saw a bright rainbow light emanating from beyond. When we passed through, we both stopped and gaped in awe.

We were standing in a circular arena of sorts, which made its way down to a large pool where three fountains shot out of the clouds, forming a bubble of glowing rainbow essence back up towards a circular depression. The liquid rainbow would the flow back down set streams towards the fountain, where it would start its journey. I took Scarlet's hand and walked through the entrance and found an empty spot near the bottom. Sitting next to each other, I put my wing and arm around her and held her close as we looked up at the glowing rainbow dome above us. The colors would shift and warp around us as the fountain passed over us.

"Jethro…this is really magical," she said after about ten or so minutes of silence between us, as I felt a pair of lips pecking my cheek suddenly. "Thank you…"

I looked back at her, and smiled back at the blushing Pegasus. "You deserve a magical night."

She giggled. "Well, aren't you just the sweet romantic?" she said.

I laughed and held her closer. "If I'm going to take anyone out on a date, I want it to be perfect."

"Heh, now I'm wondering how you'll take out Princess Luna," she teased softly. "And don't try and deny it. I know that Alicorn has the hots for you too."

"Well, dating a princess might be harder thanks to her status," I said. "Besides, unlike a certain Pegasus I know, she has a full schedule," I added with a teasing tone.

"Hey!" She laughed and shoved me playfully.

I laughed and shoved her back, then sat up and stared at the fountains of glowing rainbow liquid. "All joking aside, I still want to take things slow, especially if other mares start telling me they have feelings for me."

Scarlet sat up and put an arm around me. "We'd all understand," she said tenderly. "It's still new for you, and I'm pretty sure it'd be new to them too. I mean, the ones I suspect have feelings for you are all new to the idea of romance."

"True, I suppose," I said, "and this is all new to me too. But there's one more thing I wanted to do before the night ended." Standing, I held out a hand, and helped her to her feet, or hooves.

"What is it?" she asked.

I led her down towards a pathway around the pond, right towards an archway that led to the end of the town. Below us, I could see Canterlot, a glistening shining beacon in the night. I could feel the raw magic emanating from it as I spread my wings, then pulled out my phone and found the right song. I cast the spell that allowed for the song to be heard in full, then said, "We both have wings. Let's go for a fly." And with that, I hit play and put the iPhone back in my pocket, buttoning it up so it wouldn't fly out.

Scarlet beamed as the two of us fell out of the cold night air, our clothes flapping all around us as we did so. As Marcus Warner's First Flight played around us, the two of us soared together, circling each other, diving, soaring, barrel rolling, and performing other feats of flight that Rainbow Dash had taught us. Sometimes, I would chase her through the cold clouds, and other times she would chase me, and sometimes we would grab each other, arm in arm, wings both outstretched as we held each other close, right before the music reached another crescendo and we fell away, or soared towards the glistening stars above, circling each other.

When the song began coming to an end, we had made it all the way back to Ponyville. As the piano signaled the very end of the song, we landed in front of my house, both smiling and chuckling. Our arms were around each other as our wings folded back. In the light of the nearby streetlamp, my heart skipped a beat at just how gorgeous Scarlet really was. Her hair was a bit more of a mess than before thanks to our little flight, but I ignored it since it gave her more character the way it currently looked.

"That…was really fun," Scarlet said. "Thank you…this date has been so amazing."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I said. "I did too."

We both stared at each other for a bit, smiling. Then, our smiles faded as we looked deeper into each other's eyes. Maybe it was the rush of adrenaline, maybe it was the excitement of the evening, or maybe it was how I felt about her, but without thinking about it, I pulled Scarlet closer, leaning in. She squealed in surprise as our lips met, then melted into my embrace, throwing her arms around my neck and deepening the kiss. She pressed herself against me, her kiss becoming more and more eager as the seconds passed.

We broke apart after a while, both faces flushed. My mind was racing, unsure just what this now meant. I kissed Zecora on our first date because I knew how I felt about her, but my feelings for Scarlet were still so unsure. She must have caught this, because she caressed my cheek. "Don't look so down, cutie," she said with a warm smile. "We were both caught up in the moment. I didn't mean to confuse you."

I shook my head. "I'm the one who kissed you," I said. "But…I don't think I regret it. It felt…right. Scarlet, I care a lot about you, I really do. You're sweet, you're talented, you're thoughtful, and you're the only Pony I can make meme jokes around without getting blank stares. I look forward to another date with you, and to see just where this relationship goes."

She squealed happily and flung her arms around me again, hugging me tightly. "You won't regret this, I know it!"

My wings fluttered in response, and I hugged her back. "Heh…after the fun we had tonight, I'm sure you're right."

Zecora was sitting up in bed, reading Jack McDevitt's The Engines of God when I came in about ten minutes later after having escorted Scarlet back to her room. She turned to me, and burst out laughing. "Jethro, my love, your hair is a mess!" she giggled loudly as she rolled around in bed, snorting in amusement.

"I don't doubt it," I snickered as I began to remove my jacket.

"Well, how was the date, dearest?" she asked, putting a bookmark in the page and setting it down on her end table.

"The date went very well," I said happily. "Just let me take a shower, then I'll tell you all about it."

"I'll be here," she said, picking up the book again and reading it.

After a quick shower, I changed into some boxers and a t-shirt before joining Zecora in bed. She put the book down again, then leaned against me, her fur warm and soft which caused me instantly to relax. I put an arm around her, and then proceeded to tell her all about the date. She listened with rapt attention as I went over every detail, save for some of the private conversations. I even replayed the song I'd played during our impromptu flight duet together. When I told her about the kiss, Zecora grinned and snuggled closer. "Care to share just how the kiss went, love?"

I smirked. "Gladly." And with that, I pulled her into my lap and locked lips with her, furiously making out with her for a good ten or so seconds.

When I broke the kiss, I was satisfied to see a stunned Zecora looking back at me. "Anypony get the number of the human who tried to suck my soul out?" she said in a daze. She shook her head clear and looked down at me. "Did you really kiss her that hard?"

I leaned back on the bed, and Zecora lay her head on my chest. I stroked her mane and said, "Maybe it was the moment, or maybe there's a part of me that really does have romantic feelings for her. But in the moment it just felt right, you know?"

"I felt the same way on our first date when you told me how you felt," she said. "It felt right to me too. I know this is hard for you, but if you do decide to pursue her with more romantic intent, know that I will accept her as a part of the herd. I like her too."

I pulled the sheets over us, continuing to stroke her mane and fur affectionately. "I'll keep that in mind," I said gratefully.

Zecora snuggled up closer, burying her face in the crook of my neck and sighing contentedly. "You've had a long night, dear, and you definitely need your strength for tomorrow. Get some sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

I smiled and looked down at her. "Thanks, baby."

Just as I was turning down the light above the bed, there was a timid knocking at the door. Zecora and I looked back at the door. "Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me," Scarlet's voice said from behind the door. She sounded a bit nervous now. "Um…I know this might be a bit weird, but is it okay if I sleep with you two tonight?"

I looked down at Zecora, who was smiling and nodding at me. Looking back at the door, I held out my hand. My magic glowed around the door handle and it opened. I saw Scarlet, a blanket wrapped around her form and looking stunned. "Sure, come on in," I said, scooting over so there was room.

Beaming in delight, she ran over, the blanket falling away as she jumped into bed beside us. I saw she was wearing nothing but black satin panties and a lace bra. She quickly got under the covers with us, covering herself with her blanket and blushing. "Sorry," she said apologetically, "I just couldn't really sleep. I can fall asleep fast most nights, but tonight…well…"

I smiled. "Sure. Although, do you mind getting into something else other than your panties and bra?"

She grinned, then lifted the blankets to shake her tits at me. "Why? See something you like?"

I facepalmed and Zecora chuckled good naturedly. I opened my mouth, but Scarlet joined me in saying, "Oh my God, how horny are you?!"

She giggled. "Can I borrow some of your clothes, then?"

I pointed to the closet. "Sure, go ahead."

She got out of bed and sauntered over to the closet. I watched as she bent over, probably purposefully, giving me a perfect view of her ass. I swore she wiggled it at me as she pulled out some gray sweatpants and a small blue t-shirt. She came back over and slid back into bed with us. "Thank you, Jethro. And thank you too, Zecora."

"Think nothing of it, my dear," Zecora said, moving a bit off of me and snuggling up to my right. "You know, his left side is open."

Scarlet grinned as she slid over, wrapping her arms around me and pressing her boobs against my arm. "You like?" she cooed softly as she snuggled up to me.

"If this were an anime, I'd be getting a nosebleed," I retorted. "But for now, I really need sleep. Big day tomorrow, you know?"

Zecora and Scarlet both nodded and closed their eyes slowly. "Good night dearest," Zecora said. "May the spirits of harmony be with you as you sleep."

"Sleep well, sexy," Scarlet added, sounding sleepy as she yawned.

I yawned in response, then closed my eyes. "Sleep well, both of you," I replied as I put my arms around both of them. Soon, I was fast asleep, sandwiched between two gorgeous mares. My final thought as I fell asleep was: I could get used to this...