//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Six: Oh, The Shame // Story: The Titans' Orb: Rising Storm // by Mister Horncastle //------------------------------// {This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening… I did NOT sleep with Rainbow Dash…} Stardust chuckled, and then said nothing, clearly revelling in my despair and confusion, I stumbled out of bed and the hangover’s worst symptom surfaced in full force, the dreaded headache and the nausea that followed, I slowly stood up properly and found my clothes, they’d clearly been thrown, as they were scattered across the floor. Turning back to the bed, Dashie continued to sleep soundly, her usual snoring completely non-existent, which was odd, as people were known to snore louder when passed out drunk. {She must have gone to sleep very contented, satisfied, perhaps?} “How badly do you want to get hurt?” I muttered under my breath. {I’m hurting bad enough thanks, alas, while I remained unaffected by the alcohol itself, I’m feeling the damn hangover, and it sucks.} “Well, keep making those comments, and I’ll headbutt a wall.” {I hate the fact you’re depressed enough to do that to yourself, thus putting me in danger.} “Exactly, so don’t test me.” I looked down at my body, damn, I’d changed; I had more scars than King Solomon had wives. It was odd to think back when my body was so badly out of shape; my belly used to be so big, I couldn’t even see my whang when going for a piss; now it was flat as my ex’s tits, with abs like Chris Evans’. I could comfortably see my manhood now without an issue. {I bet you’ve got stank dick.} “Oh, bugger off, Stardust, please. I don’t want to think about that.” I grumbled. {Learn how to live mate. Now go and drink some water to alleviate this disgusting hangover.} I rolled my eyes and put on my clothes, which stunk of sweat and alcohol, I really needed to wash them, or get some new clothes entirely, they didn’t even fit me properly as they belonged to the Blood Family’s limited wardrobe, perhaps there were some leftover clothes around this mansion? Getting into my worn cargo trousers and not bothering with putting on the ruined shirt, I left the room and wearily went down the hallway and down the stairs; I first looked into the living room, which had been totally wrecked from last night’s truth or dare. I then made my way to the kitchen, where I found Applejack drinking a glass of apple juice. “He lives!” She cheered, giggling. “Mmn, no more drinkie…” “Did you meet the Great White God?” “Pardon?” “You know, the Great White God, in the bathroom?” I titled my head, puzzled; Applejack rolled her eyes and chuckled. “I’m guessing you’ve never heard the phrase. I mean, did you throw up?” “Oh, I see…” I hummed. I shook my head, and regretted it instantly as the nausea returned. “Looks like you’re hanging pretty hard though.” She chuckled. “Yup, I need coffee.” “No you don’t, Sugarcube, you need apple juice.” I raised an eyebrow, and scoffed. “Of course, you’d recommend something with apples.” “I’m being serious, it's gentler on the stomach than orange juice, and it provides an instant hit of glucose which helps to restore your blood sugar levels, the Vitamin C also helps to rehydrate the body.” {She’s not wrong.} Stardust agreed. “Well get you, being all smart and scientific.” “Don’t get used to it, Sugarcube, I don’t like the fancier words, but if it gets folk to be healthier and consume more apples, then I’ll buy into it.” {Is her strange obsession with apples to do with her past trauma?} Stardust asked. {I’m pretty sure it’s because there are apples literally stuck to her ass, Stardust, I’m certain apples were woven into her destiny for a laugh.} {Yeah, that sounds like something Pinkaísthima would do.} {Who?} I smiled at Applejack and let her pour me a glass of juice; while I still wanted the taste of coffee, I admittingly knew that apple juice it would clear up the hangover quicker. {Pinkaísthima, the Titan of Sentiment, he was behind creating consciousness and emotion, but also had partial responsibility of the written fate of Equus. When the Titans created the Tree of Harmony, along with the Elements, it was written that a group of ponies would inherit their power and resemble certain traits, such as honesty, kindness, loyalty, blah blah blah… Being the most emotional of the Titans, I imagine Pinkaísthima wanted to have some fun, and wrote that one of the ponies would be madly obsessed with apples or some shite, I don’t know.} I hummed, very interested; jokes aside, I wanted to know more about the Titans themselves. Taking a sip from my glass, the most delightfully sweet and fresh flavour rushed through my mouth and into my body, I couldn’t help but exhale loudly. “Bloody hell, now that’s some damn good apple juice!” I exclaimed, smacking my lips. “Nothing beats an apple from Sweet Apple Acres, you’re tasting the freshest apples in Equestria right there, better than coffee, that’s for sure!” She said cheerfully. {Disregard everything that I just said, I think I’m going to be obsessed with apples from now on, that’s some good shit! Why wasn’t I alive when these were available?} “Well, you have me convinced in terms of hangover cures, I already feel a little better.” AJ smiled warmly and then tilted her head ever so slightly. “So, are you and Rainbow Dash a thing now?” My eyes widened and I quickly swallowed the juice in my mouth, almost spluttering on it. “What uh... What gave you that notion?” “Well, seeing as I’m in the room right next to hers, there’s not much I can’t hear through these old walls. After I sobered up some, I stayed awake for a while, I’ve had trouble sleeping lately. And I just so happened to hear you in there together, you were laughing and hooting away, and then announced you were having an after party! Y'all went back downstairs and got even more drunk. I went down to check on you both after some time, and found you both making out, after having drank a whole lot more booze. If I'm honest, I’m amazed you’re the first one up, other than myself of course, I had expected you to be in bed all darn day to recover. You humans sure have strong livers!” I chuckled nervously, I didn’t remember a thing after I went upstairs with Rainbow, I supposed that it explained the note to me from myself, and the vodka. “So, that’s all you heard?” I asked, taking another sip. “No, I heard y’all fuckin’.” That time, I really did splutter on my apple juice. {Awh come on! You ruined it! I was going to tell him at the end of the damn chapter! All dramatic like! Well, the cat's out the bloody bag now, thanks for spoiling my fun, ya wee inbred southern mongrel...} Stardust angrily ranted. “I beg your pardon!?” I yelped. “Did I stutter, Sugarcube?” A frigid sensation rushed over my body as I went into a cold sweat, I experienced the feeling one gets when they’re caught red handed, or feeling extremely guilty about something, every facet of my skin tingled with the icy chill, and I had to pause before speaking. “Okay, so, what did you hear exactly?” “You, and Dashie, fuckin’.” “Can you... Be more specific?” “You don’t remember, do you?” A sly grin slowly crept upon Applejack’s face, as she realised that I hadn’t a clue of what really happened last night, the grin transitioned into a puckered ‘O’ shape. “Ooooh, boy, in that case, you done messed up, hun.” “Yeah, I gathered that much.” I muttered, staring at her blankly. Applejack laughed, and leaned on the kitchen counter to break the news to me. “Well, you both came back upstairs and talked very loudly about sex, Dashie very clearly sounded like she was trying to get it on, and you were mumbling about being unsure and stuff. I was a bit worried she’d be forcing anything on you, but then I heard you say you were ready to let go of the past. Then I heard, well, uh, a lot of movement, and a rather squeaky bed.” “Oh jeez…” “Then came the moaning, like, loud moaning, I don’t know what you were doing to her, but she was loving it. Then she went on about humans lasting a lot longer than ponies, and it was the best ruttin' she’d ever-” “Okay, I think I’ve heard enough!” I barked. “I mean, you were going at it for at least an hour-” “I said I’ve heard enough!” AJ sealed her lips, and was evidently trying not to laugh. {Oh shit man, fucking hell… I… I really did it, didn’t I?} {Yup, you sir, made love to Rain-} {Slept with her, I slept with her, Stardust, we did not make love, that’s a very different thing.} {You can attach whatever symbolism to it as you like, but you put yer wee cock in her.} “Applejack please, nobody can know about this.” I pleaded. “Why? It’s not out of the ordinary.” “What do you mean?” “Well, let’s just say RD is certainly the most active of the bunch, she’s bragged about a lot of dates, that all end in sex, or at least some foreplay.” “Okay, gross.” I muttered. “Why’s that gross? It’s a perfectly normal and natural part of life, Sugarcube.” “I’d rather not think I’m just another guy on the pile of other guys Dashie’s slept with, and besides, I’m a human, it’s just not normal for our race to be sleeping with another species.” “If I had a bit for every time you’ve mentioned that, babe, I could go on vacation for a year. I get it, humans are more closed minded.” “We’re not more closed minded, there’s just nothing to compare such a concept to, we’re the only true sentient race on this planet, interspecies relationships just don’t exist here.” I retorted defensively. “Well, you know our customs now, in fact I'd say you've grown quite used to 'em. So you'd only have a problem with it if you don’t think we’re as sentient as you are, the only issue you’d have, was if you thought we were animals.” “That’s not fair, I-” “Why isn’t it? Think about it, the only reason an interspecies relationship is an issue for you, is because it would be considered bestiality to your culture. We’re not animals, we’re ponies, which are exactly the same as humans in terms of consciousness and civilisation.” “Well, even with that being the case, it’s technically xenophilic.” “Xeno-what now?” “It means to be attracted to unknown things, people specifically. To be blunt, it means to be romantically or sexually interested in extra-terrestrials, such as yourself, aliens, for lack of a better word.” “I see.” We both drank more apple juice, and Stardust let out an overly exaggerated ‘mmmmmnn’ at the flavour, before Applejack continued the conversation. “My question would be, what’s so wrong with that?” I opened my mouth, and then closed it. Nothing, in retrospect, there was literally nothing wrong with that fact. {Maybe, it was okay?} I thought. {You’re thinking too hard, mate, life isn’t governed by the ridiculous gods humans believe in, there is no right or wrong way of living your life, so long as you aren’t hurting anyone.} “Well, there’s nothing wrong with it, but I’m just getting used to the concept, so I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t go telling everyone I’d slept with Rainbow Dash.” “Who did what with Rainbow Dash?” A tired voice mumbled. I whipped around and saw a very groggy Twilight stumbling into the kitchen. “Oh, nothing, we were just talking about last night’s antics, how’s the hangover?” I replied. Twilight looked at me with the face of death, and blinked slowly. “I need coffee.” “No you don’t, Sugarcube, you need apple juice.” Applejack said. Twilight raised an eyebrow, and scoffed. “Of course, you’d recommend something with apples.” “I’m being serious, it's gentler on the stomach than orange juice, and it provides an instant hit of gluco-” “You’re literally repeating exactly what you said to me!” I protested. “So, what? Everyone ought to know how healthy apples are! An apple a day keeps the doc-” “-tor away, I know, we use that saying on Earth too.” I interrupted. Applejack chuckled and then rolled her eyes. “Then you should be agreeing that Twilight ought to drink apple juice instead.” Twilight brushed past me and approached the southerner. “Bitch, I know the qualities of apples, I’m a scientist. But I'd rather caffeine to improve my blood flow, along with kahweol and cafestol molecules to aid in repairing liver damage. Now let me make some coffee and stop preaching about apples like they’re Equestria’s lord and saviour, they aren't.” I covered my mouth to prevent myself from laughing at Twilight’s brilliant shutdown; Applejack kept a blank face and simply passed Twilight a coffee mug, and then turned on Rarity’s kettle. It was interesting how the kettle worked, nearly all of ponykind's electronic tools and gadgets were powered by small gemstones that contained condensed magical energy, similar to a battery. Whenever the battery ran out, a unicorn could recharge it with their magic, which they normally did for a fee. According to Rarity, there were small businesses around most large cities where people would take their batteries in bulk to be recharged, similar to a petrol station, but for gem-batteries instead of cars. While this was their main source of electricity, they still had resources like oil and coal, which was burned for more demanding sources, such as trains and factories; it was common fact that this method was mainly used by earth ponies and pegasi to feel less dependent on unicorns, whom were still uncommonly (and very reluctantly) perceived as the master race. The kettle boiled, and I returned Twilight’s favour from the other night, and made her the coffee. “How does the milk not go off? Even in Rarity’s fridge-bag, it’ll still expire at some point.” I asked. “You’re right, but that’s where our dimension’s time difference plays in our favour, the pocket dimensions Discord created are still technically on Equus, on another plane of existence. Because a day in our world is a year in yours, the milk is basically frozen in time whenever it’s inside the bag, so we’ve got about fifteen years until it spoils, give or take.” Twilight explained. I hummed, it made sense. Finishing my apple juice, I stretched and rummaged into Rarity’s bag for something to eat, and stumbled upon something truly heart-warming in the unrefrigerated part, it was a packet of Threezies, I hadn’t eaten a Threezie since Brazil. I couldn’t help but open the packet and take a bite; the initial taste was vanilla, and as I chewed, it transitioned into white chocolate. When swallowing, I was left with a peppermint aftertaste. “Man, I have waited so long to eat a Threezie again.” I moaned in ecstasy. For a brief moment, I forgot I was even dealing with a hangover; in all honesty, this moment in time was one I’d remember rather well. Having run away from home, I never experienced the college life, the house parties, the one-night stands, the hangover amongst other hung-over friends, it was something I’d always wanted and never had, just to be a normal teenager. And now, in a weird and wonderful way, I’d experienced it. “I’ve got some in my bag too, you should have just asked.” Twilight said gleefully. “Well, until recently, I’m certain you’d have just drawn a knife on me.” I teased. “Ouch, I was being nice.” “I’m playing, Twi.” Twilight stuck her tongue out at me, and then took a sip of her coffee. “So, what are the plans for today?” She asked. “Other than let my hangover go away? I don’t know, I might take a walk.” “Mind if I join you?” “Not at all.” Applejack finished her juice and yawned loudly. “Well, I’m going to salvage some cooking utensils from the kitchen and think of something to cook, y’all don’t forget to drink water before you head out.” “Jeez, yes mum.” I teased. The farm pony chuckled and left the room, the moment we were alone, Twilight turned to look at me with a concerned look. “I need to talk to you.” “Sure, what about, Twi?” “Something that happened last night.” {Shit.} {Oh boy, you’re in trouble, I bet she heard you and Dashie!} “But I want to talk about it while we’re on that walk.” I gulped and nodded, I honestly couldn’t read her body language or facial expression right now, was she angry with me? Worried? Shocked? Disappointed? I couldn’t tell, it was a concerned countenance that gave nothing away. “No problem.” I replied, playing it cool. I really didn’t want Twilight knowing about Dashie and I, due to all we’d been through, I felt like our relationship was much deeper and would somehow be affected. It was nothing romantic or anything like that, I just supposed she was my absolute best friend now, and I didn’t want to cause any upset by her knowing I’d slept with one of her friends, especially due to the wobbly relationship she’d had lately with Rainbow Dash, it felt like it was kinder that she didn’t know, at least not for a week or so. “When were you planning on going out?” “After breakfast perhaps?” I suggested. She accepted that and I left her to drink her coffee at the counter, while I rummaged through Rarity’s bag again in search of food; it was still a strange concept that I was eating food from Equestria, nourishment that had literally come from another dimension, it was both cool and mind blowing. Without warning, something smashed behind me and I jumped briskly. “Oh, for fuck sake…” Twilight growled. I turned around to find she’d dropped the coffee mug onto the floor, I went over to her and started picking up the pieces without uttering a word. “I’m sick of this, I need my magic back…” “It’s early days Twiley, you nee-” “Don’t call me Twiley! You’re not my damn brother!” I looked up at her and we made eye contact, she relaxed and sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that… I… I…” “No sorries, it’s okay.” “I just… I just keep finding myself in a really angry state, and I want to hurt you, it only lasts for a few seconds at a time, but I really don’t want to feel like that. I’m really sorry.” “Hey, it’s alright. Again, no sorries, you don’t need to apologise for those kinds of outbursts. We’ve already talked about this, Twilight, you’re still recovering from the Fel. It has seriously fucked with your head, you have PTSD, and it’s going to be a long road ahead until you can fully recover. And I’m going to support you all the way, which includes sticking by you during these little eruptions, I won’t ever get frustrated or disappointed with you, okay? I get it.” I assured her. Her face grew contorted with emotion, she was clearly trying not to cry, the poor girl had been subjected to so much cruelty and torment, I longed for the day I could kill Nah’Lek for real, I was going to take him apart, piece by piece. “I don’t know what to say.” She began. “Say nothing, just go and find another mug so I can replace this coffee.” I responded. I picked up all the broken porcelain and looked around for a bin, and found one underneath the counter, inside were some documents; I initially took them to soak up the coffee, but couldn’t help but read their contents, I was surprised to find it was written in English, which was odd as we were in Portugal. {How convenient.} Stardust jeered. “Shut up, English is still the most influential language in the world, and one of the most common. Perhaps this was someone’s holiday home?” I scanned the document, skimming most of it and reading it aloud to myself. “Dear Mister Ekers, hope you’re well, blah blah blah… Regret to inform you that your investments have been mishandled by your co-director, Mr Crouch, blah blah… You are immediately required to come back to your office in Bethesda blah blah blah… Your development for Project Seventy-Six have been put on hold, blah blah… Ah, here we go! Your mansion in Portugal will be occasionally checked by the local authorities to ensure your property is untouched, we appreciate you are not at apparent fault, and will be sure to have Errol feed Mr Crouch to the pigs when this mess is sorted out. Kind regards, Mr Jensen.” {This was written nearly a year ago, what do you think happened?} “I’m not sure, but it seems like the local authorities gave up checking this place, half the possessions have been stolen and it looks run down as hell.” I answered. Stardust hummed and lost interest. After mopping up the spilt coffee with the document, I took the kettle and boiled the water, a few moments after it had boiled, Twilight returned with a mug; I made her some coffee and then went back to rummaging Rarity’s bag for food. I settled on some bread and cheese, and made myself a cheese sandwich, making one for Twilight too. “You’re okay with cheese, right?” I asked politely. “Yeah, so long as it’s not a quesadilla.” “You don’t like quesadillas?” “Can’t stand them, they’re just so… Cheesy… Like, I don’t mind cheese but not in ludicrous amounts, and those horrible things are just complete overkill.” She explained. “Huh.” I shrugged and cut the sandwiches in half from corner to corner, making them triangular; Twilight couldn’t help but notice and gasp loudly. “You make them triangles too?” “Yeah, it makes them easier to eat without getting stuff on your lips.” “That’s exactly why I cut them into triangles!” I exclaimed. {You shagged a pony last night, and now you’re having a wee girly chat about triangular sandwiches, are you sure you’re even a real human being? Seriously, you’re an anomaly mate.} Stardust laughed. I passed her the sandwich and took a bite of my own, it wasn’t half bad; I preferred cheddar, but mozzarella was fine. After we’d eaten, Twilight finished her coffee and we decided to go out. “It’s pretty nippy out there, we ought to wear something thicker.” I mentioned. “I’ll be fine.” “I’m getting you something.” I replied dully. “I’ll be fine!” She insisted as I ran up to my room. The master bedroom had three wardrobes, I found a navy-blue puffer jacket, and a sheepskin coat, both of them in large size; I also found a black and grey striped scarf in one of the drawers, which I thought Twilight would be thankful for. Coming back downstairs, I found Twilight chatting with Pinkie, whom had come downstairs for breakfast; and of course, she had packed sugary cereal in her bags, I was hardly surprised. “Morning!” She sang. “Hey Pinks, sleep well?” “Like a half-eaten brick!” Twilight mouthed ‘what the fuck?’ behind her back, to which I chuckled. “Because you slept hard, inside and out?” I clarified. “Exactly!” She squealed, and face planted into her cereal. “How do you figure out her Pinkieisms so easily?” Twilight asked, astounded. “Because I’m mad, Twilight.” Pinkie brought her face up, her muzzle now dripping with milk. “Alas, he’s mad, in a crazy world, which makes him sane!” “Profound.” I responded with a nod. Pinkie licked her lips, before plunging her face back into her cereal. I playfully rolled my eyes and passed Twilight the scarf and sheepskin coat. “This is a human coat.” She said blankly. “Bonus points for being observant. It’s large, so it’ll fit you.” I replied. While getting the jacket on wasn’t exactly easy, it did indeed fit Twilight rather well, I helped zip it up and then assisted with the scarf. Putting on my own puffer jacket, we ventured outside and made our way to the nearby woodland, just where the mountain began to peak. “So, how’s the hangover?” Twilight asked, kicking at the snow. “It’s dying down.” She hummed, and we kept walking. The air was thinner up here, but it was certainly fresh; I took in a deep breath and let the chilled air fill my lungs. “So, about last night…” Twilight began. I exhaled, and waited for her to continue. “During that game of truth or dare, things got rather lecherous, and I’ve not really had any experience with that kind of theme. I got a bit too eager, and I just wanted to ask you something.” Remaining silent, I nodded for her to ask me; she was clearly nervous and embarrassed, her voice was slower than usual and her breath was shaky, indicating a lot of distress. “We were dared to make out, and we kissed, for quite a while…” {Oh, it’s about that… She doesn’t know about Rainbow Dash yet…} I thought, relieved. “It didn’t… Um… It didn’t mean anything, did it?” She finally asked. I sighed and gave Twilight a warm smile; dropping to one knee, I put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her from walking, we made eye contact and I tilted my head slightly with endearment. “Twilight, we were both drunk, and participating in a wild and rather lusty game of Truth or Dare, what happens in that game, stays in that game. That kiss meant nothing, I promise. We’re friends, and that’s where we draw the line. There’s nothing awkward between us, okay?” Taking a deep breath through her nose, Twilight dipped her head and released a deep sigh. “Oh, good, I was really worrying about it this morning.” I ruffled her mane and smirked. “Well you needn’t anymore, consider it already forgotten.” Grinning back at me, we continued our walk in silence for a while, taking in the view. “Where do you think we’ll be heading to next? Any ideas?” I looked down to Twilight and shrugged. “Not sure, hopefully nowhere with snow, I’ve had enough of the cold for once. It wasn’t long ago when I had to sleep in a damn prison cell with bare feet and no insulation, almost lost my bloody toes to frostbite. I can safely say I don’t want any more cold weather for a while.” I answered. “I agree, I’ve spent way too many nights in the Frozen Forest to ever enjoy the winter again.” “Never say never, you’ll get there Twilight, I promise. Perhaps one day, when this is all over and done, you’ll take a walk through a woodland in the winter, and feel at peace.” “I’d like that.” She sighed. I exhaled through my nose heavily. “Wish I could be there to see it.” “You want to come back with us, don’t you?” “I don’t know, to be honest, most of me does. But there’s no use thinking on the matter, because I’m not coming back, I can’t come back. I know what happens if I do.” Twilight stopped walking, I also stopped to face her properly. “What do you mean?” “When I grabbed the third shard, I saw the vision Princess Celestia showed you. I saw Ponyville burning, ponies were screaming, black smoke turned the sky dark and the town was attacked.” Her eyes widened at my testament, rather shocked by it. She then looked down and frowned, mumbling quietly, almost to herself than to me. “The orb took you there… It wanted you to see that...” She looked back up at me, her facial expression twisted with some form of contempt. “It’s why I was so afraid of you, the sight of humans destroying my home, it led me to think you were a monster, inside and out. When the Fel started properly affecting me, it played on that fear, that vision was the root of my behaviour to start with.” She confessed. “Twilight, after you disappeared from the vision, I remained, I saw what happened afterwards. The creatures that attacked Ponyville weren’t humans, they were orcs.” “What…?” She breathed. “Orcs attacked Ponyville, and then I met with Princess Luna, I told her about the orcs and Nah’Lek’s plans, and then Nah’Lek’s shade somehow gained control over the vision, and twisted it. Luna fled the vision, and I was left for Nah’Lek to toy with. He used the remaining fragments of the dreamworld to torture me and show me the Fel’s true power.” “You met Princess Luna!?” “Oh yeah, let’s disregard the fact my whole race was innocent of the attack, and forget my relentless torture, let’s just focus on Princess Luna.” I said teasingly. She shook her head apologetically. “I’m sorry… So, no other humans can get to Equestria?” “I don’t think so, no.” “Then why would being on Equus be an issue?” “I haven’t a clue, but I don’t want to run the risk of that vision coming true. I won’t be coming with you and that’s final, but still, it’s not a secret that I’d like to.” Not knowing what else to say, Twilight moved onto the subject of Princess Luna, I explained to her how she’d come to the dream and how we’d fought some orcs together, and how she’d explained who Stardust was. That was when I remembered the war she had mentioned, what was it again? “What was the war Stardust fought in?” “Oh, that’d be the Repugnant War, usually just called ‘The War’, the great onslaught between ponies, minotaurs, and griffins. It’s by far the worst part of our planet’s history.” “What happened?” I asked. “Well, after Nah’Lek arrived and ravaged the continents, the minotaurs blamed the griffons for his assault, as that was where he was first sighted. The war kicked off when a large army of minotaurs from Congataur raided the southern griffon settlements as an act of vengeance, the griffons retaliated in full force, and bloodshed soon befell both races day and night. A few months onward, word spread to both sides that Nah’Lek had been defeated in Equestria, and was imprisoned in Tartarus. Both griffons and minotaurs alike were outraged and demanded he be executed, when the ponies denied this, Equestria was assaulted from both the south and the east by both races. It was a bloodbath for years, forty-three to be exact, a lot of ponies lived and died without knowing peace, or what they had even fought for. Near to the war’s end, Princess Celestia was wounded in The Battle of Baltimare, and Stardust Moonshimmer took charge of the army in her stead. He decided to slip behind enemy lines and speak to the leaders of each army, and after a long negotiation, they agreed no more killing would occur in Nah’Lek’s name, and the Treaty of Harmony Between Races was formed and signed. While the bloodbath was finally put to an end, it took many years for the races to trust one another again, and even to this day, they detest one another’s presence on their lands.” I inhaled, taking that all in. “Jeez, that’s insane, a forty-three year long war… Not even World War One was that long…” Twilight nodded, before shivering. “Cold?” I asked. “It’s the end of January, on a mountain, of course I’m cold.” She replied, her teeth chattering. I smiled lightly and turned back towards the mansion, and we headed back together, discussing the Repugnant War along the way. “Well, that was a refreshing walk, I could do with a hot bath though.” Twilight said, shutting the door. While she was referring to the cold, I couldn’t help but think of my hygiene. “I could do with one myself, I’m utterly filthy, I hope the next place we visit has some hot springs or something, I’ve always wanted to try one.” I hummed. “Ooh, yes please.” Twilight grinned, before heading off to find more food, I made my way to the living room to find everyone sat around eating breakfast, Rarity and Fluttershy looked the worse, I’d never seen Rarity’s mane look so bedraggled over our entire adventure, her eyes were bloodshot and she was slowly nibbling at a sandwich. “Morning.” I said openly. “Hey there!” Rainbow Dash called back with a wide toothy smirk. I gave her a weak smile, slightly unnerved. “So, you survived last night?” Fluttershy asked. “Yeah, I don’t think you did though.” I pointed out. “Whatever…” She giggled quietly. I sat down next to Applejack, who leaned into me and whispered into my ear. “I’m sorry Sugarcube, but she’s kind of told everypony already…” “Seriously?” I grumbled. She nodded and shrugged, unsure of what else to say. “You know, we still have a lot of alcohol left, we could certainly have another round soon before we leave, perhaps less intense though.” Rarity suggested. “Why? So Dashie has another shot?” Fluttershy teased. I scowled at her, to which she pulled a playfully scared face, her eyes dramatically darting from side to side, Rarity decided to keep up the mockery. “I daresay she won’t need to take a shot, she seems to have got lucky already.” Talking about me in the third person really got on my nerves, and I couldn’t take it anymore, and snapped. Getting to my feet, I glared at Rainbow Dash and threw my hands up into the air. “Alright! Everyone knows I slept with you, is there anyone around here you didn’t tell!?” I shouted. From the kitchen, a dish shattered on the floor, and Twilight’s voice rang out loudly. “W H A T ! ?” Pinkie Pie anxiously curled up into a ball and began to roll like a marble out of the room, I then heard her somehow rolling up the stairs. Twilight burst into the room and stared at me in shock. “You did what!?” {Well, excellent job keeping that a secret.} Stardust laughed. At this point, my frustration and then invasion of privacy had overridden my embarrassment, I didn’t batter an eyelid as I made my confession and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me. “I fucked Rainbow Dash, GET OVER IT!”