CB- Ch.2- The Chickens and the Beas

Close Bonds: Second Chapter

 

 You wake up one morning to find a sleeping Rainbow Dash atop you.

 

 Wait... What?

 

 Recollections of the previous day wash over you. The fighting, the reconciling, the binging, the singing...

 

 The kissing. Celestia, the kissing. T'was glorious.

 

 ...

 

 So. You slept with Rainbow Dash. Literally.

 

 It's not a bad thing, really. Aside from that period of resentment the two of you shared this past week, you've always found her kind of attractive.

 

 It was just kind of a thing you didn't put much thought into. Really, you were content with a simple friendship.

 

 You feel movement on your chest. Rainbow Dash, unconscious, stirs atop you, causing the covers to slip off of her. She shivers, and searches for warmth. She seems to have found it in your chest, and snuggles into you.

 

 She's cute when she's asleep.

 

 You realize how hungry you are when your stomach growls. Breakfast has always been your favorite meal, especially since the day you started cooking for yourself.

 

 You make a move to sit up. Or at least you try. The little cyan pegasus has you pinned down.

 

 Oh well. Breakfast can wait...

 

----------

 

 You step out of the shower once you're convinced that you're free of all mare juices.

 

 You look into the mirror. Every time you see your reflection, that one faded eye catches your attention more than anything else on your body.

 

 Yeah. You're blind in your left eye. No sob story behind it; just an over-excited five-year-old who didn't listen when his teacher said not to run with pencils.

 

 You shudder. The pain you went through that day is unforgettable. To this day, you get goosebumps just thinking about it. Not to mention the occasional twinge of pain you still get in your eye.

 

 Turning from the mirror, you inspect your dirty jeans. There's a huge stain on the pant leg Rainbow borrowed last night.

 

 Damn. Those were your favorite jeans.

 

 It was completely worth it. Besides, if you bring along the ruined pair, Rarity can probably whip you up new pants just like the old ones.

 

 It's going to be awkward explaining the stain though. And knowing the fashionista, she's going to want to make you a whole new set of clothes.

 

 Not a lot of money to spare, as of late.

 

 You slip a towel around your waist, and step into the hallway. Steam escapes out the door and a cold wind rushes in past you, causing you to shudder at the sudden change in temperature.

 

 FWIP!

 

 Whoops. Almost ran into-

 

 -Rainbow.

 

 She stands before you, wings fully erect. Her mouth hangs open in shock. She must not have expected to see you half-naked in the hallway.

 

 In reality, that's pretty civilized for you. When she had her own house to live in and you were here by yourself, whole weekends were spent in the nude. Not that it wasn't normal for most stallions to run around town naked.

 

 Of course, you stand upright. That makes your unmentionables just under eye level for the average pony.

 

 Yeah. Some parts just aren't made to see the sun.

 

 You realize what Rainbow's staring at.

 

 They're just under eye level.

 

 "Uh, mornin' Dash."

 

 She jumps, suddenly aware of what she's doing. "Oh, h-hey Ivan. I-I just wanted to know," she stutters, trying to think of something, "Are you cooking breakfast today?"

 

 "Sure. Pancakes sound good?"

 

 "Y-yeah." She nods rapidly, "Say, you done in that bathroom there?"

 

 You nod. "Uh-huh."

 

 "OkaythanksI'mgonnatakeashowernow!" She bolts into the bathroom and slams the door behind her.

 

 You smirk. Silly Rainbow, you never take showers in the morning.

 

----------

 

 The smell of melted butter graces your nose with its tantalizing goodness.

 

 You slide the sixth pancake onto a plate next to the pan.

 

 "Hey Ivan. Smells good, they ready?"

 

 You turn around and spot a wet Rainbow Dash trotting into the room.

 

 It's fortunate you're wearing more than a towel right now, lest there be more staring.

 

 "Yup. You hungry?"

 

 She sits at the table and picks up a fork and knife. She takes the classic pose of the child waiting to be served, and says, "Hungry for your pancakes? Hay yeah!"

 

 You smile at her typical behavior, and carry over two plates. Three pancakes go on one, three on the other.

 

 "Syrup's on the table. Eat up."

 

 You've barely even touched your food by the time Rainbow's on her second pancake.

 

 Damn. She eats more than me.

 

 You pick up the pace, trying but failing to keep up with her speed. She sees your measly attempts, and only eats faster.

 

 You find that really funny. All the girlfriends you've ever had all but starved themselves in front of you, yet Rainbow Dash wolfs down three pancakes in two minutes. Maybe that's what you like about her; she's not afraid to be herself.

 

 And even though Rainbow Dash is quite the opposite of overweight, you know what they say; it's just a little extra love around the waist.

 

 "You gonna make more?"

 

 Rainbow Dash leans back in her chair, ready for a second round.

 

 You slide your plate across the table. "Here, have the rest of mine. I'm gonna go make some with chocolate chips in them."

 

 She shrugs. "Suit yourself."

 

----------

 

 By the end of the morning, you had four pancakes.

 

 She had nine.

 

 How the little pegasus could fit so much down her throat is beyond you.

 

 ...

 

 No, Ivan. Get those dirty thoughts out of your head. Now.

 

 Right now, the two of you sit on your couch. The dishes are somewhat clean, you feel like you're about to burst, and there's nothing to do on this beautiful Sunday morning.

 

 Perfect.

 

 "So, Dash. What do you wanna do today?"

 

 She blows a strand of hair out of her face. "I dunno. Chill?"

 

 "You've said that every day for the past year."

 

 She leans back. "Longer than that, actually. Why, did you think it was gonna change just 'cause we spooned?"

 

 You smirk. "You also humped my leg. But I guess that's out of this equation?"

 

 She socks you in the shoulder playfully. "Nerd."

 

 You ignore the pain in your shoulder, holding your teasing look. "Just because I know something you don't doesn't make me a nerd."

 

 "Oh, I know what it means. I'm not stupid, Ivan."

 

 "And I'm not a nerd. In fact, I worked in construction before I got here."

 

 Her eyes widen. "Really?"

 

 There's something humorous in the way she does that. Grinning, you say, "You seem excited. Is that your fetish, or something?"

 

 You receive another sock to the shoulder.

 

 You lay back, rubbing your shoulder."But really, I've never had a job until I came here and was forced to take care of myself."

 

 She raises an eyebrow. "Then how did you support yourself?"

 

 "I didn't. I lived with my parents."

 

 She bursts out laughing. "Oh, man! What a loser! You lived with your parents?"

 

 "Dash, I was only sixteen when I got here," you clarify.

 

 She immediately stops. "Wait, so you're... Seventeen, now?"

 

 You shiver. Why does it feel so cold suddenly?

 

 "Uh, yeah," you say, rubbing your neck. "Why?"

 

----------

 

 "I thought you were older than that!" she nearly screams. "Why didn't you tell me?"

 

 You frown. "Why are you so worried?"

 

 "Ivan, I'm twenty-six!" She waves her forelegs around in the air, as if to emphasize her point.

 

 You smile. "I'm fine with dating older mares."

 

 "Stop joking around!"

 

 "I'm not. I'm truly okay with it."

 

 "Ugh! Why couldn't you have been a year older?" she pulls at her skin.

 

 "I'm turning eighteen in two months. Why is that-"

 

 Then it hits you. Eighteen years.

 

 "Ohh..."

 

 She plants her face in the rug. "Legally, I'm a pedophile now..."

 

 You look for some way out of this. "We haven't actually had sex yet. I don't think you can still get in trouble, can you?"

 

 She buries her face in her hooves. "We tongued each other for Celestia knows how long, and I rubbed my vagina all over your leg. I don't know about where you come from, but in Equestria, that's close enough."

 

 You shake your head. "How did you not know I was minor, anyways? I'm not even old enough to apply for immigrant citizenship yet!"

 

 "It's not my fault! You're just so... so mature! If anything, I thought you were older than me!"

 

 Huh. That's quite a change. Your parents always called you lazy and childish.

 

 Well, you did spend a lot of time on your ass playing video games. And when they told you to get a job, you said you wouldn't need one once your band got its first gig.

 

 Yeah. How the times have changed.

 

 Being the 'mature' one, you try to relax. You need to think of something that'll keep Rainbow from going to jail.

 

 "Nobody else knows I'm under eighteen, right? I can just pretend I'm a year older."

 

 She doesn't even look at you. "Too late. You already gave Pinkie your birthday information, and Fluttershy probably knows, the way you two gossip." She rolls her eyes. "You're probably even worse than Rarity."

 

 You can tell she's getting stressed now; when she's stressed out, she insults you.

 

 "Okay, I guess that only leaves one viable option."

 

 She continues to keep her head to the ground.

 

 "We'll just keep this a secret. At least until my eighteenth birthday."

 

 This time, she looks. Except for the fact that she's frowning.

 

 "Keep it a secret? How are we going to do that?"

 

 You shrug. "We just don't tell anyone. And we won't be able to touch, kiss, or anything like that in public."

 

 She's still frowning, but her face softens a little. "Just for two months?"

 

 "Just two months."

 

 She looks at you for a few moments, then lets out a long breath of air. "Alright. I think I can deal with that."

 

----------

 

 You walk through town, meaning to run some errands before you meet up with Rainbow at Sugarcube Corner.

 

 Sweet Princess Twilight, that was a tense discussion back there.

 

 Speaking of Twilight, you wonder how she's doing? Maybe she's gotten back to you on your letter.

 

 A voice calls to you from behind."Hey, Milky!"

 

 Shit!

 

 You duck. An orange blur rockets right over your head.

 

 You stand back up and taunt your little pegasus tormentor. "Hah! Missed me!"

 

 She hits the dirt with her hind legs first, sliding on her hooves before coming to a halt on all fours and facing you. Immediately, she accelerates again, gaining surprising speed before leaping into the air.

 

 You have no time to react. The world slows down as you watch the little orange pegasus come at you, head down, the top of her helmet on a collision course with your stomach.

 

 This is gonna hurt like a-

 

 The next thing you know, you're laid out like a sack of potatoes.

 

 Scootaloo stands on top of you, grinning triumphantly. "Spoke too soon, huh, Ivan?"

 

 You spit out some dirt. "Yeah. Gotta watch out for those flying chickens, I guess."

 

 She scowls at you, and you hear giggling not too far off.

 

 Oh, look. Scootaloo's friends.

 

 ...and Applejack.

 

 "Scoots, git off a' him!"

 

 She does as she's told, and steps off your chest. Frankly, you're surprised that Applejack's defending you, especially after the incident.

 

 The one where you got fired from Sweet Apple Acres.

 

 You wave it off. "It's fine, Applejack. Just a game we play," you say, smirking at Scootaloo. "And I'm still winning."

 

 She points an accusing hoof. "Are not! Remember last week, when..." she trails off when Applejack gives her a glare.

 

 An uneasy feeling wells in your gut. The fact that Applejack is trying to be nice to you is making you nervous. 'Trying' being a key word here.

 

 But it's just not something you're used to.

 

 "Hey, Ivan. Uh, need a hoof?"

 

 You smile and politely shake your head, preferring to get up on your own. After you've dusted yourself off, Applejack waves off the fillies.

 

 "Run along, you three. Rarity's house is close enough from here."

 

 They all wave goodbye to you, and Applebloom even hugs your leg. You grin. This is something you used to experience twice a day: once in the morning when you arrived at the farm, and once in the evening when you left.

 

 You sigh. You kind of miss those days. Working as an orderly at the Ponyville hospital is fine and all, and even gives better pay, but... You used to enjoy those long days in the open air. You recall the idle conversations you would have with the members of the Apple family, not to mention the occasional mud or rotten apple fight with Applebloom. The two of you would always get chewed out for it in the end; you especially. But it was well worth it.

 

 You ruffle Applebloom's hair, and she looks up at you, smiling. The call of the other fillies beckons her, however, and she runs off, glancing back at you and Applejack one last time.

 

 Applejack cautiously edges towards you. "You sure got a way with the young'ins, don't ya?"

 

 "I suppose so."

 

 She must sense your uneasiness, as she chuckles and tries to lighten the tension. "Milky, huh?"

 

 You chuckle along with her. "Yeah. That started when Twilight mentioned my eye had a milky appearance, and Scootaloo just happened to be there. Because she needed something to counter my pet-name for her, which was 'Chicken Little' at the time, she mimicked that and called me 'Milky'. As you can see, it stuck."

 

 Applejack chuckles. "So, Milky, ah assume things have been going well recently?"

 

 You fiddle with your hands. "I guess you could say that. Rainbow moved in with me almost a month ago. But I'm sure you heard."

 

 Applejack looks at the ground. "Yeah. So ah've heard."

 

 You feel kind of bad for her. Applejack and Rainbow Dash used to be close friends, but when the drama began and you were put out of work, Rainbow sided with you.

 

 The two haven't spoken in months.

 

 "Listen," you hear Applejack say. She's looking up at you again. "Ah'm sorry about blamin' you fer the missin' tools. Ah really don't believe you took 'em anymore."

 

 What? She believes you now?

 

 You stutter a bit, shocked by her sudden apology. "W-well, thanks, Applejack. What convinced you?"

 

 "Well," she says, letting her eyes wander, "In all honesty,  you just didn't seem like the type to do it in the first place. So ah had ma doubts."

 

 "Uh huh."

 

 "And even if ya did do it, you've more than made up for it by all the things you've done for this community. Namely, yer closest friends."

 

 You're at a loss for words. This is truly profound.

 

 She holds out a hoof. "If ya ever need a job, you're always welcome ta come by Sweet Apple Acres."

 

 "T-thanks Applejack."  You shake her hoof, stunned. "I don't need a job as of right now, though..."

 

 She smiles warmly. "Ah know. But if ya ever do..."

 

 With that, you give a nod, then part ways.

 

----------

 

 A bell rings as you step through the entrance of the Carousel Boutique. The atmosphere, composed of ten percent gaseous perfume, makes you gag.

 

 A soft but quick-paced trotting comes from the hallway near the counter, and Sweetie Belle's face pops up next to the register.

 

 "Welcome to the Carousel Bou-oh, hi Ivan!"

 

 You walk over to the counter, and kneel down. Pony counters are small.

 

 "Hey, Sweetie Belle," you say, placing your elbows on the counter, "Where are the other girls?"

 

 "Oh, they're in my room. I'm just watching the store for Rarity while she's busy. What are you doing here?"

 

 "Well," you say, removing the ruined jeans from your jerry-rigged saddlebag, "I spilled some grape juice on my favorite jeans last night. I need Rarity to make me some new ones."

 

 "Hmm, okay," she says, inspecting the stain. "Y'know, sometimes these things come off with spit. If it's still fresh, maybe I can lick it and it will-"

 

 "No!" you say, yanking away your pants before her tongue reaches them. She stares at you, confused and a little shaken.

 

 You try to regain your composure."I mean, I already tried it. It didn't work, so there's no use wasting your time trying again, right?"

 

 She raises an eyebrow, then cautiously takes back the jeans. "Okay, if you say so..." She then pulls a bag out from underneath the counter and puts them in. "I'll bring them to Rarity once she's done with whatever she's doing."

 

 "Okay. Thanks, Sweetie Belle."

 

 She smiles nervously and trots back into the hall.

 

 As you walk out the door, you sigh.

 

 She's gonna wonder about that encounter for the rest of her life.

 

----------

 

 The post office is mostly devoid of ponies today, most likely because there's no shipping on Sundays. But that's not what you're here for.

 

 You look for your assigned mailbox, going down the rows eliminating numbers.

 

 1011... 1021... 1022... Ah! Here it is!

 

 You pull out the key to box 1023, and slip the teeth into the lock. With a click, it opens, revealing three days' worth of mail.

 

 You groan. You can already tell most of it's junk.

 

 "Hey, Ivan. Did Twilight get back to you yet?"

 

 Oh, look, Lyra's here.

 

 How did she know about you mailing Twilight?

 

 "Uh, I don't know yet. I'm checking right now."

 

 She opens up her own mailbox, which happens to be near yours. "Take your time."

 

 Does she expect you to tell her?

 

 You can't help but smile. That's so like her.

 

 After sifting through the pile of papers, you find the letter you're looking for. The envolope is purple, and has the royal Equestrian insignia of Princess Twilight Sparkle stamped on the front. Namely, her cutie mark.

 

 "Ah! So she did get your letter! What'd she say?"

 

 You realize she's been watching you go through your mail, and you quickly shut your mailbox.

 

 "Why do you want to know so badly?"

 

 She shrugs. "You're going to read it anyway. Why not let me hear?"

 

 You look up at the clock. Eleven forty-five. Fifteen minutes until you're supposed to meet Rainbow at Sugarcube Corner.

 

 "Sorry, Lyra. I gotta be somewhere soon. I'll tell you about it later." She opens her mouth to protest, but you quickly shove all your unwanted mail in there.

 

 As you walk away, you hear sputtering and the sound of papers falling to the ground. "Not cool, Ivan! Not cool!"

 

 You laugh. "See ya at work tomorrow, Lyra!"

 

----------

 

 You arrive at Sugarcube Corner around noon. The smell of cake baking wafts into the open air from inside the bakery, and graces your nose with its savory goodness.

 

 You inhale deeply. Pinkie may be a little strange at times, but she's unparalleled in her baking skills.

 

 You step through the door. The air inside is comfortably warm, and the doughy smell is magnified. You're surprised to see Rainbow Dash already here, talking to Pinkie Pie at the counter.

 

 Pinkie suddenly looks over Rainbow's shoulder, and blurts, "Hey, Ivan! I didn't know you and Dashie were dating!" Dash's head slams on the glass counter.

 

 You wince, expecting to see more than a few eyes on you. However, thank Celestia, there's nopony else in the building.

 

 Rainbow throws her hooves up defensively. "I didn't tell her! I swear!"

 

 You walk up to the counter and rest your elbows in a similar manner as at the Carousel Boutique. "Pinkie, how did you even find out?"

 

 She pulls a tray of cupcakes out of the oven. "Oh! Your cupcakes are ready, Dashie!"

 

 "Answer the question," Rainbow growls.

 

 The question seems to be ignored. "Taking them out without messing up the frosting is the hardest part!"

 

 You frown. "Come on, I know you can-"

 

 "Here ya go!" she chirps, sliding each of you a cupcake on a napkin.

 

 "But-"

 

 "Don't worry, you guys! This one's on the house!"

 

 "W-"

 

 "In fact, I'll throw in a whole free meal!"

 

 You sigh, rubbing your temples. "Pinkie," you enunciate slowly, "I have no idea how you knew about this, but can you keep a secret?"

 

 She stands upright and plants her hooves on the counter. Her eyes dart around the room, searching for anybody who might be listening. Then, leaning close, she whispers, "Sure. What's the secret?"

 

 You shake your head. "The relationship. We're keeping our relationship a secret."

 

 She gasps, and pulls her head away from yours. With wide eyes, she asks, "But why?"

 

 Rainbow Dash has her eyes narrowed in a questioning manner. "Pinkie, you know how old Ivan is, right?"

 

 Without skipping a beat, she recites, "He'll be turning eighteen on July second, which is ten weeks and two days from now!"

 

 You and Dash look at each other. You then turn back to the creepily accurate party pony and ask, "Yeah, but do you know how old I am as of right now?"

 

 She crosses her eyes and twirls her hoof in the air near the side of her head. "You're seventeen! Duh!"

 

 Rainbow Dash groans. You can tell this is grating her nerves.

 

 You press on, hoping Pinkie will get the point sooner or later. "Okay, and what's the legal age for ponies to start... You know...?"

 

 Her eyes widen again, and she stutters, "Wait.. You two..."

 

 Your face starts to feel hot. You look over, and Rainbow's blushing as well.

 

 Pinkie suddenly falls over backwards, laughing.

 

 She laughs for what seems like hours, but may have been a minute at most. During this time, the light blue pegasus beside you seems to have turned more of a violet-crimson.

 

 You swear you see smoke come out of her ears. After a few moments of stewing, she finally shouts, "It's not that funny, Pinkie!"

 

 The sniggering pony sits up, wiping a tear from her eye. "No, no, I'm sorry! I get it. I mean, it's like having a party; you can do it alone, but it's not as much fun, right?"

 

 She erupts into laughter again. This time, you really do see steam come from Rainbow's nostrils.

 

 Wary about what she might be thinking of doing, you place a hand on her shoulder and guide her away from Pinkie.

 

 "We'll be sitting outside, alright?"

 

 "Right! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she giggles, still unable to contain herself.

 

----------

 

 The two of you sit outside and wait for your meal.  Rainbow Dash is fuming; she reminds you of a bull that's been pricked in the butt one too many times. You're pretty sure you even heard her growl.

 

 One of the things you've learned in life is that telling someone to 'calm down' has the opposite effect. The same goes for 'relax,' and 'you're overreacting.' So, instead of saying stupid things, you just shut up and wait for her to cool off.

 

 After a few minutes, you finally notice her breathing start to slow. You gently place a hand on her shoulder, and massage it.

 

 She sighs. "Okay. I think I'm good now."

 

 You bring your hand back. "She gets on your nerves sometimes, huh?"

 

 "All the time," she groans, "But usually not this bad."

 

 "Maybe she's just having a hard time accepting this?"

 

 She raises an eyebrow. "No. I don't think so."

 

 You shake your head. "Yeah, you're right. That was stupid."

 

 A moment passes, then you ask, "Are you still mad at her?"

 

 She thinks about it. "A little annoyed, maybe, but not really mad."

 

 Silence hangs in the air for a bit. Then, Rainbow asks, "So, what were you doing before you got here?"

 

 You unzip your saddlebag."You mean running errands?"

 

 "Yeah. Whatever."

 

 "Well," you say, fumbling through your bag but keeping eye contact with Rainbow Dash, "I saw Applejack on the way to Rarity's."

 

 "Oooh no," she says, dragging out the 'oh', "What happened?"

 

 "We talked."

 

 Her eyes widen in surprise. "You just... talked? What did she say?"

 

 You take a sip of the complimentary water that's been supplied so graciously. "She said she was sorry, and asked how things were going."

 

 "What did you say?" she asks, leaning closer.

 

 "I accepted her apology, and told her everything was fine."

 

 Her jaw drops. "You just... Forgave her? Just like that?"

 

 You shake your head. "Nope. I actually forgave her a long time ago."

 

 She groans. "You're too nice for your own good, Ivan."

 

 "Well, of course you would say that," you reply without thinking.

 

 "What's that supposed to mean?" she growls menacingly, getting closer to you over the table.

 

 You realize what you just said, and quickly attempt to cover it up. "Just a joke, Dash. Don't get so offended."

 

 She gives you the evil eye, then slowly returns to her seat. "I'll let it slip. This time."

 

 At this point, you're trying hard not to crack a grin. "Right."

 

 Pinkie Pie walks up with two sandwiches. "Here are your sandwiches! DLT's, your favorite!"

 

 Rainbow Dash begins eating, but you lift up the bread to see what the D stands for. To your delight, it contains dandelions and not daisies.

 

 You hate daisies.

 

 The two of you eat your sandwiches, forgetting that Pinkie is still watching.

 

 Suddenly, she speaks. "You mentioned going to Carousel Boutique, right? What did you do there?"

 

 You and Rainbow look at each other. You're both a little surprised at what seems like a sudden appearance.

 

 You stutter for a second, trying to remember your story. "Uh, I spilled grape juice on my pants, and had to take them to Rarity's so she could make me new ones."

 

 Rainbow wipes the sweat from her brow in a relieved motion.

 

 Pinkie Pie studies you for a minute, examining you closely. Then, shrugging, she says, "Understandable. So what did you do next?"

 

 Pulling out Twilight's letter and placing it on the table, you announce, "I went to the post office."

 

 Rainbow's eyes widen. "Twilight sent you a letter?"

 

 You nod, opening it. Once the top is open, you turn it over and three pieces of paper fall out.

 

 The first is a check for two thousand bits. The second is definitely a letter. And lastly, there seems to be what looks like a form.

 

 Rainbow immediately grabs the check and stares at it. "She gave you two thousand bits? For what??"

 

 "Here is where you'll find out," you mutter, unfolding the letter. You read aloud,

 

 Dear Ivan Felix Walczyk,

 

 "Wow. She actually spelled my name right."

 

 "Keep reading," Rainbow commands.

 

               I hope everything is going well for you. I am truly sorry to hear about what happened with Rainbow Dash. Regardless of whether or not you continue to let her to stay with you, I am providing two thousand bits to reimburse what you have lost. I know it's much more than you asked for, but with all you've done, you definitely deserve it. And don't worry about paying me back; think of this as a gift from me to you.

 

               Also, I am pleased to inform you that you can now apply for immigrant citizenship in Equestria, rather than simply own a visa. The government is making an exception on the age limit in your case (normally twenty-one), seeing as how you have become a working, house-owning, tax-paying resident in our fair nation.

 

               Included is an application that you may turn in at the town hall to become a citizen!

 

                                   Your friend and Princess,

 

                                                                   Twilight Sparkle

 

 When you're finished reading, Rainbow Dash is staring solemnly at the table.

 

 "So, you had to ask for money because of me?"

 

 Upon hearing her guilty words, you hold her hoof, assuring her, "It's fine, Dash, believe me. I got back four times the amount you spent, so I actually turned a profit from this."

 

 She pulls her hoof away from you. "Alright. But we can't let ponies see us like that, remember?"

 

 "Right."

 

 She sighs. "So, what are you gonna do about that application?"

 

 "What do you mean?" you ask, scratching your head.

 

 "Well, if you write your real age on there, the government will know you're a minor. Now, suppose word gets out about our relationship, and somepony decides to report us? What happens then?"

 

 She goes to jail.

 

 How did you not think of that?

 

 "I guess I can't put my real age then..."

 

 "But wait!" Pinkie interjects. "You're not going lie, are you?"

 

 Once again, the two of you take mutual glances at each other.

 

 "And if we don't...?" Rainbow inquires.

 

 "Let me just say, that it's really hard for me to not tell the truth when I hear a lie."

 

 Before you or Rainbow can respond, she daintily prances back towards the entrance of the bakery, a bell ringing as she opens the door and walks in.

 

 Rainbow seems flustered. "That- I can't believe her!"

 

 "Well, she does have our secret. We don't really have a choice other than to listen to her."

 

 The cyan pegasus grumbles. "What do we do, then?"

 

 You think for a moment. "The same thing we're doing with our relationship, I guess? Wait two months?"

 

 She cocks an eyebrow. "You know Twilight almost as well as I do. There's no way she's just going to sit back and not wonder why you haven't turned in your form. She'll want answers, and will stop at nothing to get them."

 

 "I'm pretty sure that's an exaggeration," you comment, tucking all papers back neatly into their envelope.

 

 She shakes her head. "I thought you knew her better than that. Just warning you, Ivan."

 

Author's Note:

 

Mah editor:  hwrogers