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As the last day of the Royal Summit got underway, I couldn't help but think about what a week this had been. So much had happened on the first day, and despite the contrast being a lot more sedate afterwards, things had carried on for the rest of it with importance and surprises. Except for the obvious with Twilight, neither myself nor the girls still had any real idea what we had to be present for.

Expecting the same general important dullness today, I spent time in thought while I kept an ear open to the discussion at the table. There had been memorable moments this week, even in the meeting.

Rarity and Applejack had both caught a logistical error in different places that stood out once indicated, drawing appreciative nods and smirks. I was still impressed that there was so little selfish pride at the table. Every opinion was treated as equal, and sound reasoning was given more weight, while admitting to making a mistake was considered par for the course. I found it a very nice change from what I'd expected.

Even quiet, ever polite Fluttershy had laid out the beginnings of a reasonable way to improve military hospital operations outside of battlefields. It had the potential to reduce staff stress while providing some stable, self-mobile patients that had to remain in the hospital but didn't require more than minor relative care, or those awaiting discharge for longer term recovery, something to focus on by putting in a system that tasked them with going around chatting and listening to fellow patients in worse shape to keep them company.

The biggest surprise though, which wasn't at the same time, was Pinkie.

No less than ten times did she speak up after the first day. Two of which had to get confirmation after the meeting ended, but she was right each time. She'd noted things ranging from recent geographical changes in a defense plan, to a more efficient airship supply idea, to an unnoticed problem with a still developing linked-crystal communication system, similar to Earth radios in concept from what I understood of it, that was reducing range between command posts. She even made a strange comment to the pair from Intelligence that put a momentary stunned look on Sneaky Sunshine and Rolling Shadow before they looked at her with grudging respect.

Witnessing the gathered officials look bewildered almost every time was a treat, and Twilight just told them anything Pinkie suggested was worth taking time to check, despite having no idea how Pinkie knew any of it to begin with. Pinkie herself said she had just felt like looking certain things up because it seemed fun at the time.

Military heads learning about Pinkie being Pinkie. It was priceless.

Despite the days being long and dull, there had been some interesting moments during the these meetings.

As I sat through the last day of the Royal Summit, I tried to keep myself on task and aware of what was being said, no matter how often it dragged along through things I didn't really have much of the needed reference or familiarity to really understand.

The current topic was a review of battlefield problems and the plans of dealing with them. The more I listened, the more things came to mind. I hadn't needed to say anything as they kept being addressed in short order. It wasn't until the specific aspect of battle fatigue came up that something felt off and stayed that way.

As the manner in which engagements had gone time and time again, Equestria had always had the capacity to pull a soldier off the front lines for a time when one of them became overwhelmed by the hardships of battle. They seemed to have good systems in place to counteract the negatives of shuffling troops in such fashion and it sounded like they had a good success rate of healing the mental strains before being able to return a soldier to their previous position, ready to stand once again and stronger for their challenges. Turning a farmer into a warrior wasn't always a smooth process.

The more I listened though, the more apparent it was that they were not grasping the scale of what we had been told was heading our way. There wouldn't be reserves to call on if everything went as crazy as it was looking to. Knowing the things I did about Earth's two world wars, and how so many men were off fighting that women became a powerful manufacturing force, how the general populace was tapped to gather resources to help the war effort by doing things like collecting scrap metal and paper, I knew I had to add something this time.

Earth had been there when war became absolute and there were no more bystanders.

Equus had not, and could wind up underestimating what the costs would be.

Once Colonel Mountain had finished speaking, I spoke up with what I had on my mind, "I think this is a good spot for me to bring some knowledge from Earth to the table in regards to the scale we're looking at and give you all a perspective drawn from experience on my world."

I cleared my throat against the nervousness that rose when all eyes turned to me, "On Earth, we had two great wars that involved just about every single nation in the entire world in some capacity, whether by choice or by attack. By some measures, it could be said it was one war, considering the events and aftermath of the first had direct contributions to the second, and the whole period lasted something like thirty years, if I recall it right, not including recovery. It was several decades before my time, but Earth has never really forgotten how severe it was to this day. Many have called it the war to end all wars. I wish it had been.

"At that time, it was only men that did the fighting. Males, to be clear. For my home country, I know the sheer scale of how much fighting took place, coupled with the fact that males took on the vast majority of physically demanding work at home, left a drain of bodies to keep factories moving and needed things being made.

"Back then, it was pretty much unheard of for females to take those jobs, but they did so by the millions to make up for the lack of males. And they built needed parts and equipment, and thousands upon thousands of war machines. Regular civilians, some of those males undraftable from being too old or too young or otherwise unfit for fighting, were often asked to donate money or materials out of their everyday lives to help drive the war effort. There was never enough bodies to make parts or make war, and they worked with what they had.

"In addition, there was no place to put a soldier that was breaking under the strain of battle. They had no choice but to keep pushing until they won the campaign, or or a soldier broke completely. I admire the system you have in place here, and perhaps under the right conditions, it might even work on Earth, but...

"In this coming conflict, it is a luxury when faced with something so absolute and encompassing. There will be no reserves to call on. There will not be enough flexibility to help a soldier get back on their feet or hooves away from fighting. And there will be many, many more of them on top of it, too. The scale of fighting will weigh down on more at once. We will not have the time or resources to spare if they can still march at all, still defend themselves or their squadmates. They have to be allowed to break before we can pull them away, and even then, only when their fellows beside them cannot pull them through first.

"I am no soldier. I never joined a military force before now. You are all aware of this. Still, anyone that keeps their eyes open on Earth and pays attention to history will know these things without too much difficulty. Now, we must plan for pushing what we have to the absolute limits. Every mare and stallion that goes to fight must understand they are fighting to the death and there will be many lost. And that the alternative is letting their own homes and towns be turned into battlefields and ash.

"I haven't gotten a very clear picture yet of how wars are fought here, but on Earth, for my home nation, I believe it has often been a matter of raining devastation upon the enemy positions that may level a village just to support an advancing ground force, softening up the enemy ahead of them to protect the fighting ability of the soldiers, as much as their lives. We have to be prepared to do things like call upon regular civilians with prior Guard service that are still young enough to fight. If it becomes bad enough, we may even need to hold a mass draft of civilians that never wanted to be involved. This has to be approached with plans of last resort. If this somehow becomes the first worldwide war upon Equus, comparable to what Earth went through, we need to plan for things like how to cede territory to an advancing army we cannot stop at the border as we retreat to preserve strength. We even have to make plans on how to control losing if it comes to that. We cannot afford any assumptions whatsoever in regards to the cost of survival or it will only throw away lives when we come to pay the price for it," I said in a grim voice, hoping the military ponies all grasped what I was trying to express. If Twilight's hoof wasn't touching my leg, I would have been far more nervous after all that, and had no idea how they would react. I felt so far out of my pay grade it was absurd.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. A glance at the girls showed a mixture of almost innocent determination, alongside a new kind of fear. The military ponies looked grim as they took in what I was suggesting and how bad things could become. Celestia and Luna though, they only wore regal masks with the faintest hint of sad understanding in their eyes.

After a bit of time for it all to sink in, Celestia turned her gaze to sweep around the room, her voice strong and clear, "I want all of you to take Mister Drayce's words into account as you make appropriate adjustments and work on additional plans. There are points we have seen in our divination, some branches that do show our losing ground at times. While signs of the path we are taking give hope, I fear I was too hesitant in fully accepting some of the more severe possibilities. There are some branches showing the fall of Canterlot in a last stand, prior to our failure, as unimaginable as it may seem. While I believe such things are unlikely on our present course, it is something we must not ignore."

Shining Armor added, "Agreed. From what you have shared so far, this will be unparalleled in scale. Not even the the War of Five Talons that took place eighty-three years ago, dragging in fourteen other nations before it eventually united the gryphon enclaves in the far southeast was anywhere near as widespread as what has been suggested already, Princess Celestia," then he turned to me, "Mister Drayce, were there any important lessons that spring to mind that were learned in hindsight after the great wars of Earth?"

Frowning, I looked at the table for a few moments before looking back to him again, "Many. I fear I'm no war historian, and find myself wishing I was for the first time in my life. One lesson does stand out in my mind right now. Never assume you know how bad it will become. Do not assume something unthinkable won't pay you a visit. In the first great war, Earth saw around one and a half million of a single ethnic group murdered in genocide for reasons I do not know. In the second great war, it was more than six million of a different single group of humans murdered in death camps and other means. The average adult, the young and the old, male and female alike had no great distinction between them as slave labor until used up, without any logical reason more than something to point at as the propagandized root of an aggressor nation's problems, despite it being nothing more than invented reasons for hate. And that was only one side of the world, not counting the atrocities that took place in the other major front by another power operating in a way not so dissimilar.

"Not one person ever thought any of the unequaled scale of horror was possible until it happened. Earth has seen multiple levels of attempted genocide over the years, not just during the great wars. Long standing rules of engagement, things mutual respect had given an unspoken truce during prior wars...even those things were shattered and nothing left sacred. If it made the enemy hesitate at all, it has been utilized. That includes civilians as living shields. Cities were levelled with endless bombing runs just to try and break the spirits of the general population. Weapons made of chemical poisons that killed with indiscriminate, unimaginable pain and spread over target areas as a cloud of death found use. Even my home nation, dragged into the second great war on two major fronts, used weapons that devastated two entire small cities in a single massive explosion each and left a particularly scary residual poison that could have ruined the whole area to anything living for decades. And that was just in hope of_reducing_ losses on both sides before needing to invade a nation that refused to surrender, despite no remaining chance to win. It took even more attempts at forcing surrender before their ruler made it end in defiance of the military he was to some extent hostage to, if I recall.

"Again, if you think it unfathomable, that it could never happen, you better make a plan to respond for when it does. I cannot stress that enough. If it reaches such a scale to rival, or even surpass, what Earth went through, assume everything could potentially be lost."

After a pause to absorb my words, Shining gave me a grim nod in return.

***

Twilight and I walked in comfortable, if somewhat tense, silence as we thought over the things we heard during the Royal Summit, this last day in particular. The level of conflict was unnerving, to say the least, and we were all hoping the gathering forces could be located soon so we had a better idea what to prepare ourselves for.

I couldn't help but wonder how such had gone unnoticed, considering the masses of troops the Princesses had suggested we were going up against. No single nation on Equus should have been capable of the numbers involved. The few that could even be called potential threats were small nations, and all the larger ones valued the economic benefits of trade with Equestria and had no interest in fighting a nation that was both more powerful and never started a single fight without just cause in over three thousand years of history.

Was there a secret alliance of foreign powers hidden in the shadows somewhere or something like World War I had on Earth?

All we had at present was nothing had been found so far.

The unknowns were terrifying in what it could all mean.

Still, now was a time to let it more or less digest and settle in the mind. We were heading to a nice, semi-informal dinner meetup with Fancy Pants, who had been too swamped with work to take care of until the conference ended to sit down with us sooner. Rarity would be meeting us there, though the rest of the girls had wanted to go out into the city on the last night to unwind after the long week. I was surprised and not when Fluttershy wanted to see Canterlot a little more with friends, as long as they weren't going to end up at a club right away. Rainbow had even promised to stay with her and escort her back if she felt the need.

From what I'd heard, the rather busy civil review conference had gone well. For reasons I did not know the whole story to, it was sometimes referred to as the 'Cleanup Crew' due to the frequent uncovering of laws with poor wording or underhanded-- underhoofed?-- attempts to exploit loopholes, locating unintended consequences of otherwise good laws, and keeping a cohesive picture that made it difficult to move any funds of even moderate size without proper explanation, even over time, thus heading off bad behavior. This time around, one of the main victories was when they'd caught a problem early with a trial run program that was being spread wider for helping ponies relocate to a place with a job they could do. Something about unexpected expenses they could work around that might have otherwise ballooned out of control.

I kept being surprised at how Equestria functioned. Things took more attentive effort short term, but paid great dividends in the long run.

Turning my thoughts back to meeting Fancy Pants, I wasn't really sure what I should be expecting. I had a general idea, yet it was overall still a mystery. If nothing else, I was looking forward to watching how Rarity was with him in hopes of getting something to tease her with at a later date.

Twilight led us to the door of a small dining room and indulging in a hope of surprising a certain fashionista in a manner that was perhaps a little too eager, I shoved the door open in a quick fashion, rather than open it slow.

I was rewarded when I caught Rarity making a sharp move away from what could only be Fancy Pants himself. The faint blush on her cheeks and somewhat forced disinterest on her face only added to my entertainment, which only grew when I saw the knowing smirk on Fancy Pants as he looked at her before turning his eyes towards me with a pleasant smile. Ask and ye shall receive, it would seem.

Keeping my eyes on Rarity, I watched her starting to grow nervous the longer I stared at her and the closer I got. Her eyes widened a little, giving me a wary look when I grinned with mischief.

As we got closer, Fancy Pants called out to us, "Greetings, Princess Twilight! And greetings to you whom I have heard a great many things about! I say, I was quite surprised that you requested to meet with me, good sir! To think, I of all ponies would be recognized by a visitor from another world! It is my great pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Lord Fancy Pants, but I encourage you to simply refer to me as Fancy."

When he extended a hoof to me after bowing to Twilight, earning a look of amused exasperation from her, I reached out and bumped my fist against his hoof, sending Rarity a quick sly wink before giving Fancy Pants a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fancy. Vojin Barloc Drayce at your service, but please just call me Vojin."

Twilight gave him a smile of her own, "I really wish you'd stop calling me that, Fancy. You know you're welcome to simply call me Twilight."

"Ah, but that simply will not do for initial greetings with a Princess, my dear Twilight! It is wonderful to see you again," Fancy Pants said with a polite smile before turning back to me, "I must say, my good Vojin, it is not every day I learn one such as yourself has made a request to meet with me. How have you been enjoying Equestria since your most unexpected arrival? I can only imagine the strength of character you must have, dealing with such trying circumstances!"

I gave a small shrug, playing it off despite how hard it's been to make the transition, and how much more I had to face, "It has been difficult, yes. I have been fortunate enough to have Twilight to help me through the more challenging moments. The rest of the girls, Rarity included, have also been instrumental in helping me to adjust. Outside of the obvious transition, I have truly been enjoying my time. Twilight has me reading a substantial amount of books, which does a lot to keep me occupied."

He gave a polite laugh, "That most certainly sounds like something Twilight would do. If I might ask, did you truly learn of me from a...particular episodic play in your world? And it was enough that you desired to meet me face to face?"

"Yes, I did. While the things were presented in a generally more simplified manner, I saw a number of important events, as well as some of the day to day moments in the lives of the Bearers. One instance that I recall you were present, it was an excellent demonstration of character where you displayed respect that flew in the face of some other high society ponies' behavior at the time. It was a garden party on the castle grounds I believe. If you'll forgive my being embarrassing, I admit I did wish to meet you partly out of...well, I suppose calling it fanboyism is not too far off the mark. It is something I've been finding a guilty pleasure over time since my arrival, each time I get to meet a pony I knew from the show," I replied, rubbing the back of my neck, a bit red in the face even as I gave him a grin. I caught Twilight giving me a sly little grin.

For her part, I caught a flash of guilt cross Rarity's face. She frowned when she saw my knowing look. I'd have to talk to her another time, just so we could clear the air and she didn't think I was bothered by it or anything. I didn't know if she'd told Twilight or the rest of the girls the entire story of that day or not. Now that I was thinking of that side of things, I hoped she had.

Fancy blinked for a second with eyebrows raising, then he started chuckling, "I say, that is most amusing to hear, if you will forgive my saying so. As I believe you are much more comfortable with more familiar interactions as is often found in charmingly rustic Ponyville, I must tell you I am flattered and delighted to hear that what you did see of me was a pleasant display of good manners. Before we carry on though, shall we have a seat? Though the conference has ended, this last day proved quite intense and left me most famished."

I gave him a nod, "Fine by me. Speaking food though, have you had a chance to try some of the Earth dishes I've been sharing with the chefs here at the castle?"

As Fancy settled into his seat, he gave another smile, "I most certainly have. I must say, the similarities to dishes we have here in Equestria have been fascinating to compare. Many items have been almost identical, while others all but unheard of! It has been a true delight upon the palette, and I find myself becoming quite fond of this 'tofu' creation you have shared. The flexibility of it is proving quite astounding. Though this evening's fare is all Equestrian in origin, it would seem. I look forward to seeing how the world of fine dining transforms as what you have granted us moves through the culinary circles."

We made small talk as we enjoyed the meal. I had a hard time understanding why fine dining had such tiny portions, though I suppose that was wrapped up in the desire to experience the taste and texture, and even look, of the food as part of the intent. It was good, either way, but I still much preferred the home cooking kind of approach.

Giving the food time to settle, I decided to ask something that had been tickling my brain for a few minutes, "Fancy, I'm curious... I was somewhat expecting a Miss Fleur de Lis to be with you, after what I saw from the show. I hope it's not rude of me to ask about her."

Fancy smiled as he waved a dismissive hoof, "You needn't worry. As for my dear Fleury, I suppose I can share with you just why she and I are so often seen together. To be quite honest, my rank and wealth attract a great number of hangers on. As I learned quite early, even before my time with the Solar Guard, even a simple impression of being spoken for does wonders to reduce admirers seeking my favor and attention.

"Fleur helps deter most suitors at the same time I am able to assist her in meeting important ponies and deter suitors pursuing her in turn. Fleur is a foalhood friend I treasure a great deal, and her modeling career requires a fair bit of exposure in certain crowds. It has been quite the beneficial arrangement for us both, I must say. Publically, we do not say we are together and Fleury is actually rather uninterested in stallions, but doing nothing to deter such rumors has allowed me freedom from the many mares that might otherwise not allow me my space."

Nodding, I had to admit the benefits of that sort of logic, even if it made me feel a little weird overall, "How long have you been putting up that illusion, if I can ask?"

"It has been perhaps six years now, if memory serves." Fancy replied.

Before I really had time to realize what I was saying, I blurted out, "You going to date Rarity soon, Fancy?"

There was sudden silence as Rarity flashed brilliant red as she gave me a horrified look, frozen in shock. Twilight sighed and poked me with a hoof. I wanted to facepalm, a sheepish look on my face from knowing that was a bit much.

Fancy, however, surprised me as he began to chuckle.

"My good Vojin, you are certainly quite direct!" he said, casting a fond glance at Rarity before turning back to me, "I fear it is a matter where I must decline to answer in a similar fashion, but I suppose there is something to be said for such a blunt approach. Instead, perhaps I shall throw aside my discretion in this instance and do something I have been allowing myself to put off for far too long."

He turned to face Rarity with a warm smile as she blinked, looking at him with wide eyes and looking at a loss for how to respond to anything.

"Rarity, it has been a few years now that I have known you. I have commissioned a number of fine formalwear from you, and we have partnered our business interests a few times in these past two years to much success. In that time, you have continued to prove yourself to be a most excellent example of a refined, elegant mare. So much in fact, I have often found myself wondering how you were not already attached, or at least surrounded by suitors of your own.

"Now, in this moment with two of your friends to witness, I would very much appreciate the chance to rectify that situation. I know much in our lives will make such difficult, but I do not believe there is another mare on Equus worth as much as yourself, my dear. We have been dancing around the matter for quite some time now, and it is time we stop allowing ourselves such silliness. Rarity, I would very much like to treat you to a romantic dinner in the near future. I hope it will be the first of many, if you will be so kind as to accept," Fancy said, looking into Rarity's eyes as he spoke.

Twilight clutched my arm with a faint squee as we watched Rarity open and close her mouth a few times as her face filled with delight.

It took Rarity some time before she could respond, a slow smile spreading over her face, then giving Fancy a coy look, "I do believe that would be wonderful, darling, though might I ask your indulgence for a moment, that I might also be forward on something I wished to tell you some time ago?"

"You are quite welcome to. What is it, my dear?" Fancy replied.

"This...," Rarity leaned close in a smooth motion, capturing his lips with her own in a fierce kiss as a hoof found his cheek, her eyes falling closed as Fancy Pants' eyes widened and his ears twitched in random directions.

She held the kiss for several seconds before she pulled away, a bright blush now on her face for a whole new reason as she gave him another smile, "I know there is much that shall be keeping us apart right now, but we will find ways around them in due time, my darling. I also must confess that I was intending to ask you myself tonight, lest the opportunity pass us by once again."

"I...I say...," Fancy blinked with a lopsided smile before he shook himself and gave her a warm smile, "Rarity, my dear, if you keep kissing me in such fashion, I may be inclined to damn the consequences and follow you to the ends of the world on a whim if necessary!"

Rarity tittered, giving him another coy look, "Now now, my darling. It won't do for us to rush ourselves that much, now that we have at last done away with that bothersome first step. While I am unfortunately going to be attending something in Ponyville for the foreseeable future at the request of the Princesses, I do hope you will be able to free up some time to visit soon. I would very much like to begin our courtship with a first date as soon as you are able to come down."

While it was understandable, it did feel like Twilight and I weren't even in the room all of a sudden. She was still clutching my arm and showing a bright smile as we watched the pair move in for a much more refined nuzzle.

"I shall see about moving some things around in my schedule. Will you be available Thursday evening in two weeks? I am certain I can finish the deal with one of my financial partners ahead of schedule and be free through that weekend," Fancy said.

"That would be lovely, my darling. I shall be expecting you," Rarity returned, her eyes glittering in her delight.

I made a quiet clearing of my throat and smirked at the two of them, drawing their attention away from each other for a moment, "You know, I think I shall have to catch you another time, Fancy. While it has been a pleasure talking to you, I do believe a certain mare deserves all of your remaining attention this evening. Be sure to say hello next time you make it down to Ponyville."

Twilight gave another squeeze to my arm and followed my lead, giving Rarity a teasing smirk after a moment, "I think I have to agree, Fancy. It was great seeing you again. And Rarity, I'll see you at breakfast. Don't stay up too late with him now, ok?"

Rarity's cheeks flushed pink as she blinked at Twilight, "Twilight, darling, I don't believe I shall ever quite get used to you using innuendo... Ahem, yes, I suppose I shall see the two of you at breakfast. A good night to both of you."

Fancy Pants gave a good natured smile and nodded, "It has been quite the pleasure getting to meet with you, Vojin. I shall endeavor to at least stop by to say hello when next I am in Ponyville to see Rarity. Twilight, my dear, it was good to see you again, as always."

"It was good to see you too, Fancy. Until next time," Twilight said with a smile before we went on our way.

***

Once we were tucked away in our room again, we got ready for bed, even though it was a little early still. We just felt like being close for a while and didn't feel very talkative, content to just cuddle under the covers, her back pressed into my chest as a thumb made slow strokes against her foreleg.

After an unknown amount of time had passed and feeling little desire for sleep, I heard Twilight speak up, "Vojin...I...I know you're not a soldier, and you've never fought a war before either, but do you know what...what I should be expecting? I don't really know what I'm even asking, I just...I'm scared. All the other things I've been through with the girls don't feel like it was so bad, but I can't stop thinking this is going to be different."

Twilight shuffled around and turned over to face me, worry etched on her face as she snuggled in close with her nose pressing into my neck, "Equestria has only had one serious skirmish in the past decade. This big war is going to be everywhere when it starts. I keep trying to figure out how much it's going to change everypony's lives, but all I managed to do is feel more and more scared about how somepony I love is probably going to die, and I'll lose one of my friends, and Ponyville will be destroyed, and I'll fail to save the day this time, and--!"

I silenced her with fingertips to her lips, moving so I could meet her eyes and seeing the tears threatening to escape as little trembles were starting to build in her as her lower lip quivered. My hand moved to cup her cheek, thumb brushing against her soft coat as I gave her a long look, taking in both her expression and the turmoil of her emotions through our link. A faint bit of desperation was evident in her, looking for answers from me that I was pretty sure she knew I wouldn't have.

Once I had a chance to collect my thoughts, I spoke in a gentle tone, "Twilight, all I really know about war is mostly just after the fact lessons from conflicts I wasn't around to see. War is horrible, it's true. We're going to have to face who knows how much sadness and pain. We may very well find ourselves in a moment someone, somepony, that we know personally, becomes a victim of this looming conflict. I won't sugarcoat what I know because it won't help you if I do.

"What I can tell you though, is one of the constants I saw in humans that endured this stuff. Treasure those you care about and don't let yourself take your time with them for granted for even a second. We won't be able to save everyone. Maybe not even the ones we know and love directly, but it just means we should remind ourselves to enjoy the moment we're in and try to face problems when they come, not worry about the unknowns.

"We already know how long I have, Twilight. But that's how long I get if nothing gets me sooner. I don't want to say it like that, but it's still the reality we're facing. I am your protector. I will say it out loud right now and make it very clear. I will give my life for you if it comes down to it. Despite knowing a time limit hovering over my head, it doesn't make anything else any more predictable. I'm just as scared as you are, Purple Angel. And we are not stuck facing this alone."

Twilight trembled in my arms as she wrapped me tight in a hug and I held her back just as much, knowing she was hovering at the edge of crying and keeping quiet, only soft sniffles being heard for a few minutes.

When she found some calm again, Twilight pulled back to stare into my eyes, swallowing before she found her words, one hoof caressing my cheek as her voice shook with both worry and need, "I-I want to treasure my time with you, Vojin. Make love to me. Right now. Make love to me until I tell you to stop, my stallion..."

My only response was capturing her lips as I met her need with mine, our eyes falling closed as we worked to forget all the worries of the world for a time.