//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Coming to terms with reality........ // by Furstreak //------------------------------// After dinner, Kami had taken it upon himself to do all the dishes for the family so that they could let their food settle while chatting quietly within the kitchen. All the time talking to the unicorn who was using his magic to do the cleaning while his vision flicked back and forth from the sink, to the family that he had grown to care for in the short time he had been with them. After about an hour of chatting and doing the dishes, the sun had set and the members of the household were now taking their weary bodies to bed. Applejack had decided to escort the young stallion home, considering what he had been through that day, and wanted to make sure her felt that his actions were appreciated. But more than that, she just wanted to have some time alone with him to talk. The two had slowly made their way through the sleepy town of Ponyville, and were now on the home stretch toward the little house that Kami called home. "Thanks for walking me home AJ, but you know I could've made it without ya." He chuckled. "Ah know, but ah just wanted teh let ya know ahm happy yer awright. Plus ah wanted teh give ya this lil list. Since yer new an all." AJ smirked as she pulled a small slip of paper from her saddle bag and tossing it into the air. Kami quickly snatching it up and bringing it to in front of him. After looking it over, he turned a sideways glance to the apple farmer while raising a brow. "A list of restaurants?" He chuckled. "So I get to pick one huh?" "Weeeeellllll." Applejack hummed. "Ah did puttem in order from mah most favorite to least, starting from the top." She nodded in thought. "Well then, I guess the top one shall be the one I will pick then." He laughed seeing her roll her eyes. "Now ya'll don't gotta go and pick mah favorite right off the bat." AJ choked out in surprise. "Why not? I wanna make a good impression. Why not let the lady have what she wants?" He smirked seeing her blush a bit. "What ah want huh?" She grinned slyly toward the unicorn. "Uh huh......... waaaaait a second." He glared accusingly at her for a moment, she turning her vision away and whistling innocently. "Ah didn't say nothing." She chuckled. "Yea, I know. But your eyes tell me otherwise when you were staring at my flank." He grinned, making her sputter. "S-so what if ah looked?! Ain't like ya'll'd put out er nothing right now....." She stopped, covering her mouth with both hooves as Kami burst out laughing. "Put out huh?" He continued chuckling. "I'm starting to think that this world may be a complete opposite of mine. Applejack pulled her hooves from her mouth as her blush began to subside, being replaced by an inquisitive look. "What ya'll mean?" "Well, normally it would be the guys trying their best to bed the female of the relationship. They would go to great lengths to achieve that goal, considering most of the females use sex as a weapon of sorts. The females of my world are pretty selfish, and play the males to get what they want in return for a one night stand. But there are quite a few that actually want a relationship. Those, however, are hard to come by considering both the male and females need to have a lot in common, or similar goals to achieve. It's a complete mess in my opinion, that's probably why I never really looked into finding a lady of my own." He groaned. "So.... now hang on a sec.... does that mean ya'll ain't never been with a mare before?" She snickered slightly seeing his blush. "I've had... one encounter.... although brief." He blushed even further. "But that was years ago." He paused, covering his mouth as Applejack let out a little snort and giggle. "You must be pent up more than a cow that missed a milking day then." She grinned. "Ok, enough of this whole sex talk." He sighed as they finally reached his home. "Yes, I'm pent up, and no there is nothing you could do to help me with it. I may be sexually deprived, but I am chivalrous. I'd never pressure a lady into doing something they wouldn't want to do. Especially considering I haven't seen any forms of protection on this world. I wouldn't want to accidentally knock some... pony up." He chuckled nervously. "Say whut? Protection?" She asked giving a cocked brow. "Ah know unicorns got some spells they kin use teh make'm temporarily sterile, but knocking up ah mare just ain't gonna happen unless their in season." She smirked. "Wait, so you can't get pregnant unless your in season?" He asked, seeing AJ shake her head. "What about diseases?" "All ponies have a permanent spell cast on them at birth that prevents'em from getting anything that'd makem sick." At this little revelation, Kamis brain broke. He stood there, slack jawed at the information he had been given. That was until an orange hoof waved in front of his face to break him from his reverie. "Ah take it ya'll are thinking twice now bout asking, ain'tcha?" She giggled. "Believe me..." He began. "As much as I would like to ask, I can't." He sighed. "One: it would be like skipping all the points of dating and just rushing into the bedding part. Two: I'm still torn between you and Twilight. Three: I don't want to rush into things like this because it would honestly cloud my judgement about everything. And finally, four: If your family found out, they'd probably kill me if I didn't choose you over Twilight." Applejack stood there for a moment as she mulled over his thoughts. Giving a smile, she began to slowly trot around him as she spoke. "Well, ah respect yer decision, but let me tellya. Most stallions would jump at the chance teh be with a mare that ain't in season. Heck, most mares have a stallion and another mare in their lil herd, sometimes more." "Wait, so this world practices polygamy as well?! Wait, why am I surprised by that? I mean, ponies usually live in herds on my world too, so that would be normal here." He hummed, looking thoughtful. "Hey now, don't ya'll be getting any ideas. A lot of mares want a stallion all to themselves as well. Herds are sometimes looked down upon in Equestria. Mainly 'cause of the griffon nation gettin all upity bout the one teh one ratio families." She groaned remembering the big uproar that happened some years back about outlawing polygamy world wide, but never passed due to Celestias word and power over the sun. "Sorry, but the idea of being with two, or more of the female persuasion, at the same time, has always been most mens dream, since my world civilized. I can't help but think about it, simply because I'm genetically programed to reproduce with a female during my lifespan." There was a short silence as the two stared at one another, the wind picking up slightly and catching the apple farmers hat just right and swiping it off her head. "NO! MAH STETSON!" She shrieked out as she took chase, Kami following right behind her.. "AJ, hold up! Why are you chasing it? Can't you get another?!" He yelled as he came up to beside her. "Mah folks got me that hat, it's priceless!" She cried out as she jumped to grab onto the hat only to see the wind pick it up further into the air. It was too dark to continue on as the hat was above the tree line and getting ready to go over the Everfree Forest. Kami gave a huff as his horn lit up brightly, surrounding himself in magic as he galloped full stride in line with the flying hat. AJ watched quietly as he leapt into the air , bolting quickly toward the hat. The farm pony watched in awe as he soared up to the hat and plucked it from the air before turning and heading back to her, landing in front of her and holding the hat out with his magic. "I believe this belongs to you." He smiled warmly to her before being bowled over onto the ground, her lips quickly pressing to his as she held onto the hat between the two of them. After a short time, they parted. Both redder than they had ever been. "Ahm sorry.... dunno what came over me." AJ chuckled nervously. "It's alright AJ. But, anyway..." He cleared his throat. "I don't want to rush things because I wouldn't want to ruin what we already have before it had a chance to get better. Besides, you already have a leg up on Twilight anyway." He smirked causing her to cock a brow in question. "Care teh elaborate sugarcube?" She asked as the two began to head back toward Kamis home. "Well, you're in far better shape than she is. You work hard to keep yourself in shape, but that's normal because you work on a farm and have to be in top physical condition. I admire that a lot about you." He smiled. "So in short, ya'll been looking mah bod up'n'down since we met?" She snickered toward the stallion only to cause him to sputter. "W-what?! N-no! I mean.... UGH! Why do I always walk into these things." He groaned, facehoofing as they arrived at his home once again. "I think ya'll set yerself up on purpose. An it's kinda cute, considering ya'll get so flustered over a purty flank." She grinned, pressing closer to him. "I do not set myself up!" He protested as his flank hit the door as AJ pressed closer. "That's not what ah see." She grinned slyly as she looked down, catching his eye as he looked down as well, realizing that something was wide awake, only making him to fall to the ground as his entire frame began to burn a bright red. "You enjoy tormenting me, don't you?" He grumbled, laying his ears back and looking away from the farm pony. "Ah do love a challenge." She chuckled. "But ya'll make it too easy at times." She laughed, leaning down and kissing his nose. "Too easy?! Well, ya know I could just forget the whole sex thing all together, considering I haven't had any in so long. It really doesn't bother me." He grinned, making her eyes go a little wide. "Now who's being too easy?" He chuckled, making her face hoof. "Awright, fine, ya got me. But ah didn't expect ya'll teh say something like that." "Maybe it's because I'm an alien!? OOOOoooooOOOoooOOoooo!" He laughed out making her do the same. "Maybe, but ah think its refreshing teh have a stallion 'round that isn't like the rest." She smirked. "And ah plan on doing mah best teh win this lil dual atween me'n'Twi." *BOOOOOOM* The night sky lit up as a bolt of lightning streaked across it. The wind began to pick up a little more around the two as they stood silently looking up to the sky as another bolt flashed across the clouds, illuminating the rain that was quickly approaching them. "You've got to be kidding me!" Kami choked out just as the rain began to sweep toward his home. Turning around he quickly unlocked his door and bolted in with AJ hot on his heels, just as the rain hit his house, he closed the door. "Ok... I was not expecting that." Kami groaned as he looked out the window to see the sky lighting up all around his home and in the distance. Thunder booming softly all around as it shook the windows of his home slightly. "Well... ah guess ahm stuck here for the night. Unless ya'll plan on making me gallop back home... in the rain... and possibly gettin sick." AJ pouted toward the unicorn only to make him sigh in frustration. "Fine, ya can have the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." He groaned as he trotted into the next room and levitated some covers from the cupboard. As he made it into the living room he paused seeing the farm pony curled up on the couch. "Now come on, you've got to at least let me be a good host." He groaned out in annoyance. "Nope, ahm the guest so ah should sleep on the couch." She protested, shuffling a little on the couch to get comfortable. "I will not stand here and let a lady sleep on something as uncomfortable as a couch." He returned the protest. Of course, that was until he realized that it was getting cold inside his home. "What the hell? Why is it getting so cold?" He growled out as he went to the window, looking out to see the rain forming as ice all around the little house. "Now we're going to freeze." He snorted out. "Ya know, we could just sleep in the bed tehgether, teh keep warm." AJ piped up causing him to raise a brow at her. Kami stared at the farm pony in awe for a moment as his face contorted into several emotions. Finally after a few seconds he groaned out in annoyance once again. "UGH! FINE! I can't seem to win with you can I?!" He yelled, trotting into the bedroom with a smiling farm pony right behind him. After a few awkward moments, the two climbed into the same bed and pulled the covers over them. Kami turning over and putting his back to the farm pony, while she pressed up against him, wrapping her hooves around his barrel and snuggling in. "Thanks Dash." Was the last thought to run across the farm ponies mind as the two fell asleep.