Chapter 58
Like any true Pinkie Party, it was long past late and nearing early before the party ended. With all the cakes and candies, Rick was glad he was here to train. He still had no idea how the girls could do so many Pinkie parties and still stay so se… slim.
Rick had noticed that Fluttershy was not coming too near to him that night, and even when she tried, she was intercepted by either Applejack or Rainbow Dash. He wasn’t told why, but Rick knew her friends must have had a very good reason. There was probably also a reason that her wings would become fully spread when they made eye contact, but he wasn’t concerned about that much since he was still fairly unfamiliar with all the details of pegasus biology.
Twilight was spending most of the night with her brother and old foalsitter. Sadly, she doesn’t get to see them as much as she would like and Rick wasn’t about to interrupt them. She did get to enjoy the party with him though. They enjoyed the games and the food together. They even got to dance after Rick had been informed that that was indeed how Twilight danced and she was not in fact having a seizure.
Rarity was as delightful as ever. She partook in the games but not the dancing. She had just had her hair done at the Crystal Spa and didn’t want to ruin it. Rick couldn’t help but comment on the fact that the gems in her mane alone could buy a very comfortable home back in America. He also had to comment on just how stunning it was.
Pinkie was her usual bouncy self. Blowing on her noise makers, her Flugelhorn had mysteriously disappeared out a window, and making sure all glasses were full and all faces smiling. She was a sight to behold. “Without a doubt, Pinkie Pie is the best hostess on two worlds.”
But, it was early now and everyone was exhausted, so, with the party wrapped up, the ponies all withdrew to their respective accommodations. Rick in his room from the prior two weeks and the girls in their own guest rooms. He was sad he wasn’t going to share the suddenly very empty room with any of the mares that help his heart, but Rick understood. Thus, sleep began to take him.
After a couple hours, a small noise stirred Rick from his slumber. Then, the sound of muffled hoofsteps approaching got his attention. When someone slid under the covers at the foot of the bed a crawled up to him while hidden was, frankly, a bit exciting, provided that it was one of his fillyfriends and not… well, any other pony. Luckily, it was a familiar pony that had joined him.
As the mystery mare came right up next to him in the bed, she was still hidden by the covers but Rick could recognize that pink hair anywhere. He lifted the sheets and smiled at the blushing face of Fluttershy, her face framed in that same, large, rudimentary heart by her mane as it always is. She was even more adorable than usual right now since she was being playful, but there was something else. There was a scent in the air that seemed to speak to him on a primal level.
If he had been asked to describe the smell, Rick would be completely unable to compare to anything like a flower or fresh rain or even dirt. But, if he had been asked to describe the feelings the smell brought to mind, that would be a different story.
From the moment it wafted into his nose, Rick’s mind felt sluggish. It was different from being drunk or tired. It was as if someone had removed his brain and given a deep tissue massage and a week-long vacation on the beach then placed it back in his skull then tucked it in and read it a bedtime story. In short, it was extremely pleasant.
“S-s-so, Flutter… whatcha doin’?”
“I, uh, just wanted to, um, be in here… with you.” As she said this, she nuzzled up to him.
“Is that so?” Rick’s mind was swimming in pleasure.
“Mmhmm… ” Now she was playfully nipping at his neck and stroking the fur on his foreleg.
“Mmm… that’s awful of nice of ya.”
Fluttershy leaned in and pressed her lips to his. Rick wrapped his hooves around her head and returned the kiss. Just as he was about to repeat the actions of the night before with Rarity, the doors to his room flung open.
“Hold it right there!” Twilight yelled while her horn flared. Fluttershy was lifted out of the bed much to her chagrin.
“Please, Twilight, just a few minutes,” Fluttershy begged as she was floated out of the room.
“No! You are going to be spending the night with me.”
Rick’s head was still swimming as he listened to the begging pegasus being hauled off against her will. Applejack came into the room. “What just happened?”
“Well, Sugarcube, um… Ah don’t know how things werk fer humans, but in Equestria, in the fall ‘n’ the spring, mature mares… uh…”
“Wait, are you trying to say… Fluttershy is in estrus?”
“Yes. That was what that smell was earlier.
“I see. So does that mean that you…”
“Nah, Ah already had mine and so has Twilight, so ya got nothin’ ta worry ‘bout from us.”
“Uhh, what about Rarity? Has she, um, had her, uh…”
“Why do ya ask?” AJ asked, but her face quickly took on a knowing look. “Oh-hoo-hoo, you little Casanova you. Jes you make sure not ta ferget ‘bout the rest uh us. Goodnight.” Applejack walked out, shaking her hips a little more than usual as she did so.
“So that’s what happened.” Rick got up and opened a window to let in some fresh air and then took a very, VERY cold shower. “Wait, she never did answer.”
The whole time Rick was in the shower cooling down his instincts, he thought about what it might be like to have a kid, or a foal in this case. His thoughts turned to Annie. The day she was born was the happiest day of his three lives. Having another baby, here, with these girls… Rick couldn’t help but smile and be filled with warmth and happiness, as cliché as that might sound.
Then another thought, how are families like his supposed to handle children? Rarity had one father and one mother, so did Twilight and the Cake’s were only one-on-one. He loved all of his mares deeply and the last thing he wanted was for any of them to feel left out or that he loved one more than the others. “Oh well, I’ll worry about that tomorrow.”
Chapter 59
After his icy shower, Rick had barely managed to get back to sleep. His dreams were filled with images that would be inappropriate for this story, it would seem there was still some lingering pheromones in his room. He peacefully woke up with Celestia’s sun and quickly checked to make sure he had woken up alone. Satisfied that he was indeed alone, he left to get some food in his belly.
When he entered the dining room, Cadence and Shining Armor were already at the table enjoying some morning tea and patiently waiting for the rest of the group to join them before they started their breakfast. Rick sat down near the pair.
“So, had a little excitement last night did you?” Cadence teased.
“What excitement?” Shining asked looking between his wife and the frozen, pale stallion.
“Don’t worry about it, Dear, it’s a matter of the heart and it would appear to be a sensitive subject for our friend here.”
“Fine, I understand, but you know I don’t like it when you keep things from me, matters-of-the-heart or not.”
“Um, yeah, excitement is one way to put it. Shock, surprise and massive confusion is another way to put it.” Rick had left out disappointment.
“Oh, surely it couldn’t have been all that bad.” Cadence was having far too much fun with this to let it end too quickly.
“Well, to be perfectly honest, I was a little disappointed when Twilight burst in with AJ, but after everything was explained, I was relieved,” Rick took a sip of his tea, lately, he had gotten much better at grabbing things with his hooves without realizing it.
“Okay, now I have to know what was going on last night!” Shining was getting frustrated at the secrets being passed around his own dining table.
At that point, the six others in the know, entered the room and took their seats around the table. Fluttershy was seated as far away from Rick as possible. Though, the fact that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were seated on either side, and very closely at that, it wasn’t her idea.
“Twily, could you please tell me what happened last night,” her amethyst eyes nearly bulged out of her skull as every pony there kept glancing between Shining, Rick Twilight and Fluttershy. “Neither of these two will tell me anything.”
“No-nothing happened,” Twilight was starting to sweat.
“What? But Rick said you ‘burst’ into his room with Applejack last night. He even said he was mmffmmhmm…”
Shining’s investigation was halted by a sudden attack of muffin-in-mouth. “I told you not to worry about it, Dear.” There were several sighs of relief from around the table.
“So, how ‘bout we see what the city has to offer today?” Rick was eager to not only change to subject, but to also get the day started. “Of course, we’re all here to celebrate Rarity’s birthday, so how about you decide where we start.”
“Well thank you for that, Darling. How about we go to the spa?” Somehow, everyone knew that was coming.
“Sure, we can do that. Never been to a spa,” Rick conceded.
“Do you mind if I join you all?” Cadence asked.
“Why, of course you can. We wouldn’t dream of being so rude as to exclude our hostess from our fun. What about you, Shining, well you be joining us?”
“I don’t think so. I have some things I need to take care of here.”
“Aww, that’s too bad, Shiny. Well, we’ll be thinking of you,” Twilight told him before she finished her apple juice and hopped down from her chair. She led the group to the door, minus two.
“Fluttershy, can I speak with you for a second?” Cadence called to her. She took Fluttershy toward a room just off the dining room. “We’ll catch to the rest of you in just a second.”
“Oh, alright then. We’ll just wait out front for you ladies. Shining, I guess we’ll see later.” Rick held the door for the girls.
“Okay, so I get why Rarity and everypony else wants to go to the spa, but, Rick, why do you want to go? I mean, I don’t even like to go.” Rainbow said from a little overhead.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, you always say that and yet you always have such an enjoyable time,” Rarity responded.
“Yeah, I guess. I just don’t like ponies touching my hooves, you all know that.”
“That’s true,” Twilight said, “most stallions wouldn’t be caught dead in a spa. I’m not saying I’m not happy having you along, but it is a legitimate question.”
“Well it’s the same on Earth. Most men go to a steam rooms at their gyms or a chiropractor instead of spas, but some do go. True I never would have gone to one back home.”
“Ya’ll know ya don’t have to come with us if ya don’t want.”
“Are you kidding? Tomorrow, you all go back to Ponyville and after that, I got back to getting my tail kicked for another week. I don’t want to lose a single minute with my favorite ponies.”
“While that is incredibly sweet, I do wish you wouldn’t let yourself get thrashed like that,” Rarity commented as she nudged him playfully.
“I told you why I do that. I put myself through all that so you all don’t have to worry in the future,” Rick told her while resting his head on hers. “Though after what I saw, I don’t think you are more than capable of defending yourself.” This got a giggle from Rarity.
Cadence and Fluttershy came through the door. Fluttershy surprised everyone by walking up to Rick and nuzzling him. Rick noticed that she only had her normal flowery fragrance. “There’s no need to worry. I’ve suppressed her cycle for two days. Just remember, when it kicks in, her urges are going to be stronger than normal, so you girls are going to have to help her out.”
“That doesn’t seem very fun!” Pinkie observed.
“But, Pinkie, that means I’ll be able to spend the day with everypony without my hormones getting in the way and ruining the fun,” Fluttershy defended.
“Oh, well that’s okay then!” Pinkie bounced off toward the spa with the rest following behind.
Rick had never been to a spa, much less one for ponies, it should be fun. A large bath, a sauna, maybe a massage… Rick was starting to think it might be best to let the girls enjoy this without a male in the room. Then again, how often does a man get to enjoy those things with seven women, even if they are tiny horse-like women? After all, he was also tiny and horse-like.
Oh well, let the good times roll.