As Rarity might say, the hot spring waters were divine. After being baked all day, Twilight wasn’t so sure about having a dip in a pool full of hot water, but it was just what she needed. There was a splash as Rarity kicked out her legs and got a little more comfortable, and Fluttershy yawned. The water had an eggy, coppery smell, and Twilight had been certain that Rarity would have complained, but there had been not so much as a single peep as of yet.
Her eyes closed, Fluttershy let out a sigh and relaxed her wings, allowing them to fall open. The pegasus mare’s pale yellow stomach was visible just below the surface of the water, and she floated with a pegasus pony’s natural buoyancy. Twilight, distracted, could not stop looking at what Fluttershy was showing, as there was something appealing about the drenched, wet flesh on display.
“Rarity…”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Do you… do you…” Twilight stammered, and then she paused to steady herself. “Do you really think that Seville is a good match for me?”
Opening just one eye, Rarity looked at Twilight as she shifted her bulk around to get comfortable. “Darling, why do you ask?”
“It’s been what, five or six years now? Seville and I have been close… so very close. I trust him implicitly because he is so discreet, and also because Celestia, Luna, and Gosling all trust him. I have to confess though, I’ve never seen him as more than a very close friend.” Twilight, resting against the hot, sloped stone, pressed her front hooves together. “Rarity, I don’t know my type… to be honest, I don’t even know if I’m gay or not. I haven’t thought about it much. I was in love just once, and I got so hurt from that… that… that I just sort gave up on it altogether.”
“Ah yes, the as of yet unknown that broke your heart by marrying another,” Rarity breathed in reply.
“Yeah.” Ears drooping, Twilight slid down the sloped stone side of the basin and submerged more of herself in the water. A few stray fine lavender hairs floated in the water around her. “Please don’t laugh… I know it seems silly, but it really hurt me. I was so certain that we were meant to be together.”
“Darling, crushes crush, that is why we call them crushes.” Reaching out, Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s foreleg, and gave her friend a gentle, sincere caress. “You were young, a very tender age, and you had your heart crushed. Some of us can deal with that, it happens, and we move on. Some of us have very tender hearts though… like you.”
Twilight let out a sigh of relief, because Rarity was now more herself and a lot less catty.
“Darling, honest question…”
“Okay.” Twilight sucked in a deep breath and waited.
“Do you find Seville attractive?”
“Well, I don’t know… maybe? Truthfully, I just try to ignore it. But I have found myself distracted by him though.”
“Now, tell me, Twilight… do you find mares attractive?” Rarity asked, her voice taking on a sultry quality.
“Well…” Twilight drew out the word, allowing it to linger on her tongue. “I keep finding myself distracted by Fluttershy right now.”
“Meep!” There was much splashing as Fluttershy flailed around in the water.
“Well, Fluttershy does have a perfect pair of teats, oh, how I envy her natural assets. Well centered, firm, with taught, flawless, but supple skin…” Rarity’s words trailed off into an appreciative hiss.
A nervous, coquettish giggle escaped from Fluttershy, who was trying to cover herself with her hooves. She had turned a bright shade of pink that clashed with the soft pastel pink of her mane. “I’m a supermodel,” she whispered to her friends. “It’s all very flattering.”
“I feel guilty for looking.” Twilight, already dark from being wet, turned a little darker. “I’m sorry Flutters, but you’re kinda, well, distracting.”
“Thank you.” Fluttershy’s demure squeak made both of Twilight’s ears perk.
“Even very shy mares want to know that they are pretty,” Rarity said as her own eyes lingered on Fluttershy’s body as it bobbed in the water.
“Rarity and I, we, uh, we still get together for, well, uh…” Fluttershy’s hesitant stutter cut off and she collapsed into giggling as she covered her face with her sopping wet forelegs, leaving her underside exposed.
“Are you two—”
“No, darling,” Rarity cut in. “Fluttershy comes to my boutique for some very private photography sessions. She poses and I take pictures. It’s become quite a thing for Fluttershy, and it is how she expresses herself.” Rarity began fanning herself with drenched hoof and she batted her eyelashes.
“You could join us, if you’d like,” Fluttershy offered in a very coy voice from behind her forelegs. “I wouldn’t mind you looking… I’d like that… a lot, actually…”
“Okay… maybe?”
Sumac was alone, and that suited him just fine, though he was a little miffed that Boomer had gone off with Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, Pebble, and Rainbow Dash. He had the entire stone basin to himself, free to do as he pleased. It felt good to be away from the giggly, gossipy mares that ruled his life.
Alone, he was free to do as he pleased. Why, he could fart in his bathwater if he wanted to, with no consequences, because he was alone, and he was free to do as he pleased. He did so, but it was a half-hearted (or in this case, would that be half-farted?) effort. There was nopony around to be offended, so it wasn’t nearly as fun. Boomer wasn’t here to join him.
The colt, feeling a bit lonesome, thought about swallowing his pride. It was a tough thing, hard to swallow, but the awful feeling would go away and he would have somepony to talk to. He didn’t like being alone as much he as he thought he might. He was just about to pull himself out of the basin when the door opened a bit.
“If you’re in there wanking off, I’m going to run away. I’m too young for magical colt custard.”
Ears burning, Sumac sat up in the water, too embarrassed to reply as Pebble slipped into the small room built around the stone basin. He grinned so hard that the muscles in the corners of his jaw ached and he could feel the tension in the back of his neck as his scalp went tight. Pebble looked nervous and she wasn’t doing anything to hide it. In fact, she looked downright scared.
Sumac wondered what was up.
Before Sumac could assess the situation, Pebble took off her one-piece swimsuit, slipping out of it with a practiced ease, and before he could even register that she was naked, she slipped into the water with him, giving him an awkward, burning stare. Quailing, Sumac realised, much to his own existential horror, that he hadn’t seen Pebble’s cutie mark during the few brief seconds he had seen her nude.
His mouth fell open and a strange, creaking squeak came out.
“This was a bad idea,” Pebble said in a somewhat fractured deadpan. Some very noticeable cracks could be heard in her voice.
“Why?” Sumac asked, sounding very much as though he was five years old again.
“Because I have body image issues, you twit, and now you can see how gross and chubby I am. Ugh!” Pebble ducked down into the water until only her head was visible. “I thought this was a good idea, but then I realised that you might throw up if you saw my flabby filly flaps!”
Not moving, Sumac wondered what might happen if he got a little closer to Pebble.
“Fronk, I’m naked and I don’t like it.”
“I’m naked too,” Sumac said, trying to be helpful.
“But you’re almost always naked, so that’s normal.” Pebble’s voice was now a nasal, whiny monotone. “And other than being a skinny little stringbean, you’re attractive. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
With what could only be described as suicidal bravery, Sumac edged forwards in the water, moving with exquisite slowness so he wouldn’t spook his prey. All those hunting lessons from Megara were about to pay off. There was a strange, delightful tension in his belly, and he liked it. He felt it more and more when he looked at Pebble, and he was feeling it now as he thought about her nakedness.
“There is nothing wrong with being pleasantly plump,” Sumac said, his words bearing the weight of magic. He was emboldened when he saw Pebble’s ears perk and her nostrils, a mere inch above the waterline, flared at his approach.
Now was not the time to think about how much Pebble looked like a hippo in the water.
“You know, Mrs. Cake found a husband… and he’s a skinny stringbean.” Sumac, free to operate without consequences with no adults around, pressed his advantage with the hopes of pressing his body up against Pebble. “Mrs. Cake is kinda good looking, too.” Saying this earned him a nervous giggle from Pebble, who splashed water at him.
Without warning, Pebble lunged, and Sumac let out a startled yelp of surprise as Pebble’s forelegs wrapped around him. He had a terrifying moment of awareness that they were now belly to belly together, with no clothes in between them. Pebble’s body was hard, but also soft and plush. Beneath her well cushioned curves was a bedrock of solid, unyielding muscle, which no doubt made her look much larger and bulkier. Parts of Pebble were much, much hotter than the hot water, and Sumac’s brain had trouble dealing with all of these new sensations.
Clinging to Pebble, Sumac planted a somewhat slobbery peck upon the corner of her mouth, and he could feel the fuzziness of her muzzle against his, which sent little tingles of electricity running up and down the back of his neck. He ran his forelegs down Pebble’s sleek sides, relishing the sensation of her bare body, now free of clothes.
It was as glorious as he imagined it would be, and he had spent a lot of time imagining it, when he could get just a few minutes alone.
Pebble nibbled his lip, which made him feel shivery all over. He could feel her flat, hard teeth pressing into his flesh, and she gave his lower lip a tug as he continued to grope her. Leaning in, he gave Pebble his best fuzzy-wuzzy-muzzle-nuzzle, a move they had practiced quite a few times, and there was a feeling almost like static electricity as they rubbed together.
“Sumac,” Pebble moaned in an almost breathless whisper.
“Yeah?” Sumac responded, now breathing into Pebble’s damp, fuzzy ear.
“Tell me I’m pretty and that you want me…”
Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense tingled alarmingly and she sat upright with a splash, feeling alarmed. Her ears pivoted around, she sniffed, and the muscles in her neck pulled taut. Eyes narrowing, Pinkie’s brows furrowed with worry and she stood up in the water.
“Pinkie?” both Applejack and Rainbow Dash said together.
“I gotta go,” Pinkie replied, sounding distracted. “An Apple and a Pie are thinking about making a hot, sloppy, sticky dessert together and I can’t let that happen!”
“What? You mean—OOF!” Rainbow Dash let out a wheezing gasp as Pinkie stepped on her stomach in her hurry to leave, and Rainbow’s eyes went wide with pain. “Applejack, I’ve gone blind! She stepped on my teats!” Rainbow clutched her stomach as Pinkie stomped to the door, dripping and leaving puddles in her wake.
“Rainbow, talk to me, can you feel yer hind legs?” Applejack asked as she shook Rainbow, who was doubled in half from pain.
Pinkie stormed through the door and it slammed behind her.
“Jackie, Jackie, help me, I can’t breathe, Jackie!”
Stomping through the hallway, her hooves clopping against the stone, and her lips moving as she mouthed silent profanities, Pinkie Pie moved to intercept. Maud and Tarnish had trusted her, left her responsible, and she had given them her Pinkie Promise that she would be a good and attentive aunt.
Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise, and most certainly not Pinkie Pie.
She rounded the corner, snorting and chuffing like a sexually frustrated locomotive, and slammed right into another pony, almost bowling them over. It took her a few moments to regain her senses, precious moments, now lost in time like cheese sprinkles on spaghetti.
“Pinkie!”
“Cheese...”
“My Cheesy Sense told me you’d be here and I thought I’d come and find you—”
“Hold that thought, Cheese! I have to go and save two foals from making an awful mistake, and I have to save myself, because I made a Pinkie Promise! Tarnish is scary, but Maud is scarier!”
“Hmm, my Cheesy Sense is tingling… I think I’m about to get to throw somepony a ‘Hey, You Lost Your Virginity Party!’ Those are always fun—”
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Pinkie howled as she went streaking off in a pink blur that smelled like pink frosting, panic, and mineral water.
Oh Pinkie, you silly goose, I only found one!
We finally see Cheese from you and he is...
Best. Pinkie. EVER !!!!
By far one of your best chapters among all your works. I demand more !
It just hit me like a train. You just wrote the tipical cliche hot water bath hentai scene...and it was good !
How do you turn the king of cliches in something fun !?!?
What a wonderful image
Mineral water? It doesn't even have a smell.
7935893
If you paid attention in the chapter, there was a smell described with it.
It's there. Hidden in plain sight.
7935896 That is weird mineral water that smells like eggs and blood. The hell they getting that water from?
7935898
You've never been around a sulphur spring?
7935901 ... no. I don't think Texas has any, and it wasn't a stop on my trip through cali.
Actually, what places have sulfur springs?
7935904
Google?
7935908 they are in 20 states, with 2 in Texas.
Huh. I'll check that out one day.
7935915
Some of them aren't too bad, but some of them... oh dear Goddess, THE STENCH!
7935919 I'll keep that in mind.
Though going back, Pinkie currently smells like pink frosting, panic(tends to be piss and shit), as well as eggs, and blood.
That just sounds weird. The smell? I wonder.
7935922
Panic in horses makes them frothy, and it's a tangy, pungent aroma. It smells like really strong armpit funk, but more earthy in my experience.
7935926 "The more you know."
But that's still funky. Armpit funk is terrible. And that is still mixed with frosting, egg, and blood.
What must Cheese be thin-
Hey Cheese. How would you describe what pinkie just smelled like there, and how pleasent would you say it is?
7935932
Cheese Sandwich: I'm in a bathhouse full of wet ponies and diamond dogs. I can't smell anything.
That's why kids need sex ed.
BTW, do ponies have contraceptives in your universe?
On one hand, Pinkie did Pinkie Promise and we do not need any Apple Pie's being made right now... on the other hand first times with the almost perfect kind of set up like they had going there are hard to come by.
Also, I doubt anyone could blame most mares for admiring Flutters. She is just that attractive.
7935941
There is all kinds of Papa-Stoppers and Mom-Bombs.
And sex ed isn't the problem. Next chapter will reveal the problem.
Pebble I guess is having an endorphin rush after having all that stress released after doing her competition. Sumac might have the dirty mouth but I think Pebble has the much dirtier mind. If ponies possess any sort of birth control pill or spell Tarnish and Maud might want to see about having Pebble start using it.
7935960
Pebble hasn't competed yet. She practiced and made a nice stool.
Oh jeez, sounds like Pinkie seriously hurt poor Rainbow Dash on her way to Sumac and Pebble... I certainly hope she's going to be okay!
7935968
Well, yeah... stepped on mammary glands. YEEOUCH!
7935893
Speaking as an environmental science student, the appeal of [more specifically drinking and home-use] water is considered heavily alongside the regulations about what can safely be in it.
A water can be perfectly uncontaminated, but if no one wants to drink it... There's a problem.
There are a number of factors considered in determining the palatability of water - taste being a big one, but also qualities such as the colour and clarity of the water, and the odour it gives off.
I mean, strong smells normally mean something is wrong. Smells musty? You have a biological problem. There's probably bacteria in your tap. Chlorine smell? Well, at least the water's a little more sterilised. Smells like petrol/gasoline? Holy fronk, don't drink it!
Eggy smell? You've got hydrogen sulphide and you should probably not drink it. It can be corrosive and explosive but probably not in high enough levels in a spring. Bathing should be fine if you're sensible about the duration.
Science!
7935966
Well, still think she was dealing with some heightened emotional state before this all started. Sumac playing his silver tongue on her heightened things further. I doubt Pinkie can make it in time to stop it from happening and Cheese's sense along with the level of her panic seems to confirm that. Wonder how the showdown between Pebble and Sumac trying to explain themselves to Pinkie is going to go.
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Although it may still happen later rather than sooner, but who can say?
Zounds, it's almost as if Cheese Sandwich knew exactly where he'd need to be in order to run interference. "The Accidental Wing Pony," there's your new cinematic!
7935904
*puts on geologist hat*
Sulphur dioxide (rotten egg smell) is very common around geothermal features (hot springs, fumaroles, mud pots, and geysers). The concentration of said gas varies, as does the heat level, depending on how 'close' the magma chamber (or other heat source) is. Current theories and models postulate that the gas actually percolates from the magma, through the native country rock, and either dissolves into the water or bubbles out if the water is super saturated. This is also why sulphur deposits are common around said springs.
7936040
And Appleloosa is just a ways east of Mount Maud, an active volcano.
Uh-oh, Pinkie...
hawtpantsrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/virginalarm.png
7936072 She goes off before they do!
7935904 Yellowstone National Park.
7935973 Man, those two sure have cute nicknames for each other!
well this chapter has several levels of awkward. Although I can't help thinking we're being led up the garden path on what set off the Pinkie Sense.
*knock-knock-knock*
"Hey kudzu, you've been blaring nothing but 'Let's Get it On' by Marvin Gaye for five hours, everything alright in there?"
I like how Rarity's quip to Sumac last chapter was ultimately proven wrong.
Me thinks Twilight has a thing for wings.
I hope Rainbow's okay. Ouch.
Pinkie will have nowhere to hide.
7936381
Fixed that for you.
Sumac knows how to get sum
This chapter had me laughing so hard I woke my wife up...oops. I really didn't feel like explaining that one.
7936467
Hahaha, damn right!
7936049
'Zactly. It'd be interesting to see the extent of Mt. Maud's magma chamber. The volcano, not the pony. Some people's kids....
Naughty Sumac! Bad Sumac! You are breaking the checklist like some kind of vagabond or deviant! You planned for Cutie Mark and tongue kiss first.
7936699
Um, hold your judgment until the next chapter.
I was joking? I actually kinda expect Pinkie to barge in on Twilight and Fluttershy for the most awkward of conversations.
I'm starting to think that what's really going on here is that Twilight is just pegasexual.
Hahaha.
Pebble's naked!
Mentioning that would probably be a good way to get murdered by your fillyfriend. All they'd find would be a stain.
Poor Dash's private bits.
7936381 I've actually been kicked in the nuts hard enough that I basically went blind for about 5 minutes.
7936751
Ooof, no bueno. But you got better, yes?
All of the laughs!!!
I wonder, should Pinkie fail... Who is the most doomed?
Sumac, trying to escape Tarnish's rage after deflowering his daughter?
Or Pinkie, trying to escape Maud's volcanic eruption after failing to stop said deflowering?
I know nothing is probably gonna happen, but damn if that ending wasn't hilarious.
Look! Self-preservation in action!
So awesome