• Published 12th Jan 2021
  • 13,460 Views, 514 Comments

The Anomaly in a Mare's World - Hilord17



Everything is perfect in the mare's world. That is, until a certain stallion arrives and start to mess with it, just by being himself.

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XI - Trust

Author's Note:

Oh boy, it's been a while.

Hello! Glad to see you guys made it this far, even if it's not over yet. :trollestia:

I wanted to publish this on Christmas, but oh well... Hope you guys had a wonderful Christmas.

As always, any typo will be fixed ASAP (no matter how many times I read the chapters, there's always one or more things that escape my vision somehow)

Have fun, and enjoy!


"So, um... Where are you going now? We are in the outskirts of Ponyville, after all."

"I think I'm going to visit Applejack. Remember when I spoke about my friend who loves her apple products? Now it's a good time to find out what makes them so special, and it seems that the farm is not far from here, considering that I can see it in the distance."

*Hey! What's a 'farm'?*

"(I'll tell you while we go there.)"

"I'm sure she will be delighted with your visit. Maybe you can talk with her brother and know a bit more about the stallions of our Equestria."

"That is a good idea. I'll make sure to talk to him before leaving the farm."

Aero felt refreshed.

He feels way better than his stay in the castle, even when he slept for about 2 hours. Of course, the castle had a lot of luxuries, but even there the gazes of the mares were something Aero was starting to hate. Fortunately, after his fight with captain Gleaming Shield, those gazes were greatly reduced. He remembers that some of them were acting shy rather than flirty, avoiding eye contact with him and blushing every time he saw them.

The visit to Fluttershy's home was everything he needed and more. This is the only place where he felt like he returned to his Equestria. He was seriously considering living in this area once he actually returns. He is happy that Fluttershy is a nice pony even in this weird, mare-dominant Equestria.

"I'll be going, then. Please take care Fluttershy. Keep being the kind and lovely pony you are." said Aero, doing a small nod while smiling.

"You too. Please keep being the wonderful pony you are." said Fluttershy in response.

Aero began to walk the dirt road and towards the-

"A-Aero!"

The stallion stopped and turned around to see Fluttershy, who got closer to him.

"Before you go... Can I ask you one last thing?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"If..." she lowered her gaze, and hid a portion of her face with her mane. "If our circumstances were different..." she started to draw imaginary circles on the ground. "Do you think... that maybe you and I could be...?"

"..."

That is definitely not a question to be taken lightly. He took a few seconds where he closed his eyes, deep in thought. A serious question deserves a serious answer.

"At the moment, I'm unable to answer with a 'yes' or 'no'." said Aero, giving all of his attention to Fluttershy. "But... If our circumstances were different, I think I would not be against the idea of trying."

Overall, it was a positive answer. He doesn't know if the Fluttershy from his Equestria would act the exact same as the Fluttershy from this one. What he knows is that this Fluttershy, along with the other Elements of Harmony, and ponies like Sunset Shimmer, Gleaming Shield, and the Princesses are the mares that, at the moment, are in his list of 'safe' ponies.

*Oh! She's super happy!*

Themis was right. Fluttershy was still hiding a part of her face with her mane, but now she was smiling, and she was also blushing.

"(She does look beautiful like that.)" said Aero, as he resumed his walk. "I hope I can visit your cottage again."

*Take care, Fluttershy!*

"Y-yes! You can come again anytime." said Fluttershy, a little flustered, but waving with one of her front hooves.


*Apples!*

"(Well, yes. Lots of apples.)"

Sweet Apple Acres.

The only reason Aero knows this name is because of her friend and comrade, codename 'Ignite'. It's thanks to her that he knows some interesting information about Applejack's family.

The Apple family played a very important role in the foundation of Ponyville. Their farm is practically the reason Ponyville exists. It was Princess Celestia herself who gave them a portion of these lands, so in theory, Applejack's family became the very first residents of the soon-to-be Ponyville.

The Apple family is also the sole owner of the famous 'Zap-apple' recipe. A special, and very rare apple product. Nopony other than the Apple family members know how they are made, or how to process them. It's one of their exclusive products and one of the main reasons they are widely known across Equestria.

The other reason, at least according to her friend, is that every other apple product they make is also a work of art.

And now, Aero and Themis were walking near the farm, admiring the apple trees.

"(Just how many apple trees do they have?)" if Aero was previously impressed by Fluttershy's animal sanctuary, now he is impressed by the endless amount of apple trees that are both near, and in the distance. "(No wonder they can keep up with the demand of food. Oh? There's a pear tree there. A bit hidden but-)"

*The honest pony lives here?*

This took Aero's attention.

"(Again...)"

*What?*

"(That's a very particular way to describe Applejack. You did the same thing with Fluttershy. Do you also remember the rest of the Elements of Harmony like that?)"

*Yeah!* Fluttershy is the kind pony! Her friends are the honest pony, the generous pony, the happy pony, the loyal pony, and the magical pony!*

Aero quickly noticed that Themis described Twilight and the others according to the element they represent.

*I also remember the sun and moon ponies! There's also the wise pony and the shield mare!*

There was no doubt the small being was now referring to the Princesses, Sunset Shimmer, and Gleaming Shield. He finds it a bit weird how the captain of the royal guard is the only one described specifically as 'mare' instead of 'pony'.

As they kept walking, he managed to see a small filly from the other side of the fence that separates the farm from the outside territory. The filly was coming from the orchard they had, which was big, but it's obvious that it's just a secondary source of income. As for the filly, she had a mane with a mix of red and purple, with a cute bow of almost crimson coloring. Something about her mane strangely reminded him of Applejack.

"Mister!" Aero heard the young filly's voice.

"I guess that would be me." said Aero in response. "Is there anything I can help you with, young filly?"

"Woah..." once the filly reached him, from her side of the fence, of course, she stared at Aero for a couple of seconds. "You are very tall, mister! I think you are bigger than mah brother!"

"I'll take that as a compliment. Your brother must be really tall, too."

"Yeah. He's tall. The mares like to bother him when he's working, though." said the filly with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Oh. Then you must be part of the Apple family." said Aero. "I came to visit Applejack, but to be honest, I don't know if she's here."

"You came to visit my sister? Alone?" asked the filly, a bit confused. Aero knows why she asks this.

"Yes. There's not a mare with me. I'm not in a herd. I don't know if you were there during Princess Celestia's speech."

"Wait! I was there, and I remember you now!" the filly finally reacted. "You are the stallion that protected Ponyville from the timberwolves!"

"You are right. My name is Aero. Nice to meet you."

"I am Apple Bloom! Applejack is mah sister. Did she... invite you?" Aero had to recognize it. She was smart. She's already suspicious that her sister invited him for a 'certain' reason.

"Just a friendly visit." was Aero's answer. "Twilight and all her friends told me to visit them when I had the chance, and I've already been in Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy's houses. Your sister promised to show me her family's farm, and since I was close..."

"Well... I could show you around." offered Apple Bloom. "Mah sis is working right now, so we'll see her sooner or later."

"That's not a bad idea. Alright." Aero did a quick teleport, appearing on the other side of the fence, and at a moderate distance from the filly. "We can chat while we move. If you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them."


"Yes! Finally!"

"Well done, Sparkle. With this... now we have ears on the other side."

Discord the draconequus and Twilight Sparkle the Princess of Friendship were in Princess Celestia's room, continuing their efforts to stabilize the mysterious energy. So far, they have managed to get a constant visual of the other side, but now, they achieved sound. Although they still can't figure why this 'Point of view' moves sometimes, at least now they can hear everything around Aero.

"Gotta hand it to you, Sparkle. You work diligently." said the lord of chaos, who was wearing a white coat and transparent glasses. "We are making quite the progress."

"Yesterday I had a conversation with Princess Luna." said Twilight, who was examining a bunch of colored chemicals. "As much as I love experimenting with chaos, we need to bring Aero back as soon as possible."

Discord saw how serious the alicorn was, and then understood the meaning behind her words.

"Ah, so Luna told you about his neat tricks."

"You knew about this!?" Twilight changed her focus to Discord almost instantly.

"For your information, I trained him in the art of quick teleportation. I taught him a very cool trick, you know? It's obvious that he would show me his abilities." said a very proud Discord. "Why, he's basically my padawan now."

"Your what?"

"Ask Pinkie Pie~"

[Did you really defeat those timberwolves and manticores, mister?]

[It may be hard to believe, Apple Bloom, but I did. There are some... special circumstances in my case.]

"What? Timberwolves and manticores?" Twilight was surprised and looked at Discord, who understood that the alicorn was looking for answers.

"Oh, right. You were not here when it happened. You and Celestia went to rest." said the Draconequss. "At the time, I was watching with Luna. Our tough cookie here fought a bunch of timberwolves, and some of them were made of stone!"

"A variant..." said Twilight, more curious than before.

"I don't know the reasons yet since we weren't able to hear them, but I assume the creatures were from the Everfree Forest." continued the draconequus. "Seriously, it was an easy fight for him. The interesting part came later, when he fought some manticores, and lastly, a Cragadile that had the size of an ursa minor. You should have seen Luna. She was full fanfilly mode."

"W-what!?" Twilight was so surprised by this information that she teleported right in front of Discord. "How can you say that like it was nothing? Just a cragadile alone is a dangerous creature! And he had to fight a bigger one?"

Discord simply smiled, as if he knew better than her.

"You are just reacting like this because you haven't seen him fight."

"Well..." As much as it frustrates Twilight, she knows Discord is right. She had the opportunity to talk with Aero a couple of times, and both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have told her about how reliable he is, but aside from that...

"Let's put it this way: If I had to choose a word that describes you overall... it would be 'magic'. You know, being the Element of Magic and all that." said Discord, creating an image of Twilight's cutie mark right next to him.

"Thanks for the... compliment?" said a slightly confused Twilight.

"But, if I had to do the same in the case of Aero, then the word would definitely be 'combat'. I'm sure that there are a lot of spells that you can do, and he can't." Discord changed the image to Aero's cutie mark. "But I assure you, that when it comes to everything related to combat, including spells, he will surpass you. And this is without considering his own tricks."

"..." it's very, very rare to hear praises by Discord. This alone means that he is not lying.

[Hey sis!]

[She is... kicking an apple tree.]

"Let's keep monitoring him." said Twilight, returning to her place.


The apples fell off the tree, courtesy of Applejack's mighty kick. Not only it shows the physical strength that the Element of Honesty possesses, but also how sturdy and well-nurtured their apple trees are.

There were many baskets in the ground just below that tree, and in just a few seconds, all the apples that fell of the tree landed inside them. Not a single one fell to the ground.

"Howdy Aero!" Applejack noticed Aero and her sister were watching her work and decided to stop for a moment. "Ah see you met my sister Apple Bloom."

"She was kind enough to show me the farm and the surroundings." said Aero. "And I have to say, what you did just now was impressive."

*She's very strong!*

"Aw, shucks. That's nothing, really." said Applejack, although it was obvious that she was happy with his words. "It's just mah work."

"Nonsense." continued Aero. "Your kicks make all the apples fall, and all of them end up inside the baskets. That is a display of both strength and precision."

"Yeah sis!" added Apple Bloom. "You make it look like it's so easy!"

"Say... Why don't you give it a try?" asked Applejack, focusing on Aero. "Ah wanna see how strong those hooves of yours are."

To Applejack's delight, Aero smirked.

"That's a rather interesting choice of words."

*Oh! She cares about you, too!*

"Sorry. Ah couldn't resist." said Applejack, chuckling a bit.

"What? What is it?" asked Apple Bloom, a bit confused.

"Nothing to worry about." replied Aero. "Now then..."

Aero approached a nearby apple tree with the baskets ready. He saw how Applejack kicked the other tree, so he has a general idea. He took a few seconds to prepare.

"Are you sure he can kick the tree?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Oh, he will. Trust me." answered Applejack, who now had the opportunity to watch Aero's body without looking like a pervert.

A few seconds later, Aero did a strong, and very fast kick with both of his hind legs. The speed of his kick surprised both siblings.

Aero successfully hit the tree and managed to move its branches long enough to knock all the apples down. However, some of them were falling outside the basket.

He quickly activated his magic, and both his horn and a few apples that were about to crash into the ground were surrounded by a silver aura. He carefully placed the floating apples into the baskets.

"Woah..." once again, Apple Bloom was in awe.

"Told ya." added Applejack, who then approached Aero. "That was a mighty fine kick for a first time."

"It seems like I have the strength, but I lack technique." said Aero, still looking at the tree.

"Nah. You just lack experience." said Applejack.

"Maybe adding extra speed was a bad move."

"Look, I know you must be an elite soldier and all that, but let the farming stuff to the experts." said Applejack, doing a quick wink.

"Alright, alright..." said Aero. "Quite the impressive farm you have here."

"It's the Apple family's pride and joy." said Applejack. "Since Apple Bloom was your guide, I guess it's my turn to keep mah promise to you, and for that, Ah need the rest of my family!"

Apple Bloom gasped, taking Aero's attention.

"Are we going to make an Apple Trial?" asked the filly.

"Right you are, little sis!" said Applejack.

"Apple Trial?" Aero was a bit confused.

"I hope you're hungry, cause you're gonna taste the best of our apples." said the honest mare. "Follow us."

And with that, both Apple sisters, along with Aero, started to make their way to the main house.

"(Once again, interesting choice of words...)"

*Why?*


"I'm sorry. Did I just hear Applejack, Element of Honesty, say an innuendo not once, but twice?" asked Discord, only to start laughing. "Seems like our tough cookie is not wasting time!"

"Can we please not talk about it?" said Twilight, obviously uncomfortable with that.

"I have to say it's a bit surprising. I wonder if the same could happen if Aero had a few encounters with the Applejack we know..." said Princess Celestia, genuinely curious. Both she and her sister just arrived in time to hear the interaction between Luna's aide and the Element of Honesty from the other Equestria.

Princess Luna didn't say anything, but by the look on her face, she was not enjoying it.

"While I'm happy that now we can hear Aero and those around him, I have to ask: Is there any progress since yesterday?" asked Celestia.

"Not much I'm afraid." was Discord's answer. "Since this is not pure chaotic energy, I'm still struggling to find the source."

"And unicorn magic is not helping that much." added Twilight. "As you can see, we have been able to make some progress, but I wish we had more."

"We are getting close, Twilight." said Celestia. "This is thanks to everyone's efforts. Don't forget this."

"Sister. There is something that has been bothering me for a while now."

Princess Luna's words caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"What is it, Luna?"

"Since we started investigating this mysterious energy, all of us in this room had a chance to see glimpses of Aero's experiences in the other Equestria. Am I wrong?"

"That is correct." said Celestia. "Even if we can't be here all the time, the four of us have seen Aero in different situations."

"Which leads to my question: Where are the stallions?"

The question caught all of them off-guard, but Luna got closer to the vision of the other Equestria, where Aero was walking alongside Applejack and her little sister.

"Since we started monitoring the other Equestria, we have seen Aero with a fair share of mares, including the other Elements of Harmony, you, and even me. During all this time until now... Have we seen any other stallion? Can any of you recall seeing one?"

"Now that you mention it..." Twilight also got closer to the vision. "I haven't. I've seen royal guards, citizens of Ponyville, and even castle staff... but all of them were mares."

"I haven't seen any other stallion either." added Princess Celestia. "I was so focused on Aero that I didn't notice it."

"It is a bit weird, but what about it?" asked Discord. "Maybe he hasn't seen any stallion yet, and I'm pretty sure that I saw a few butlers in the castle."

"I don't think it's just that. Maybe there's something else going on involving them." said Twilight, thinking about this curious information. "It is another Equestria, after all."

"We cannot rule out that possibility." said Celestia. "Let's hope that Aero's future conversations reveal a bit more about that Equestria."

[So it's like a course meal?]

[That's right! A sample of many apple dishes, made by mah family.]

[I helped too!]

[We all have our tricks and secrets when it comes to apples.]

[Then I'm looking forward to it.]

[By the time you taste all of it, you may like apple pie more than lemon pie.]

[It's good to have confidence, but don't overdo it.]

[I'll let you know that every Apple family member of Sweet Apple Acres has a specialty. Applebloom, my brother, my parents, and of course: Me!]

There was a sudden silence. Both from the room and the other Equestria.

"What did she say?" - [What did you say?]

Twilight and Aero spoke at the same time.


"Well, Ah just mentioned my family." said Applejack, a bit confused.

Aero stayed quiet for a few seconds, like he was trying to understand something. Then he finally focused on Applejack again.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. Let's keep going." said the stallion.

Both sisters looked at each other for a moment but decided to continue anyway. It only took a few minutes for the three ponies to reach the main building which acts as the Apple family's house. They didn't see anypony else from the family on their way, so that means the rest must be inside the house, or in the barn. Considering that Applejack has not said anything about the barn, then they must be inside the house.

Once inside, Applejack told Aero to wait in the living room for a while to gather the other family members. Apple Bloom accompanied her sister.

"(Looks cozy.)" thought Aero while looking around.

*You got surprised by something earlier. What was it?*

"(Once I see the Apple family, I'll get my answer.)"

For a few moments, the only sound Aero could hear was that of the birds outside. However, he felt something with his area-scan spell. It seems that two ponies were approaching.

"Oh? Didn't know we had guests!" said one of the two ponies, who was an earth pony stallion. His mane had the exact same color as Apple Bloom's. He was a bit more muscular than the average stallion.

"Then I guess Applejack has not told you yet." said Aero. "She must be looking for you right now."

"Our dear Applejack brought a stallion? Now ain't that unusual!" said the other pony, who was an earth pony mare. Her face was similar to Applejack.

"(I wonder...)" thought Aero while talking to the two ponies. "This is just a friendly visit. You can call me Aero. Applejack invited me a few hours ago, and here I am. I assume you two must be part of the Apple family."

"You bet we are!" said the stallion. "Mah name is Bright Macintosh. A pleasure to meet ya."

"(By Luna... there's no doubt about it.)"

*What? Is it about the ponies in front of you?*

"(Yes. These two...)"

Bright Macintosh looked at the mare right next to him with an obvious amount of happiness.

"And this lovely mare is-"

"Pear Butter."

Aero spoke before Bright Macintosh was able to finish. This of course surprised both earth ponies, but before they were able to say anything...

"You are... Applejack's parents."

"And also the proud parents of Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom." said Pear Butter with a smile.

"We actually know a few good pear recipes thanks to mah lovely wife." added Bright Macintosh. "So you did know us."

"Only by name." said Aero, while doing a small bow. "It is an honor to meet the mother and father of the Element of Honesty."


"I'm afraid I cannot let you do that, Twilight."

"But why not? This might be the only chance!"

"My sister is right. Despite what you might think, bringing the Apple family here, or even just Applejack, is not recommended."

Discord was taking a break, but the three Princesses stayed to keep observing Aero's current situation.

He was eating.

The other Applejack got surprised a bit when she found her parents talking with him, and then they started to tease her about 'finally bringing a stallion worthy of her'. She had to explain to her family about him. She mentioned something about him being 'uncursed', which confused the three alicorns, but since they lack information, they can't say anything about it.

It seems that Applejack's parents and Granny Smith stayed home during Ponyville's situation, meaning that they didn't know about the other Princess Celestia's announcement. This was something they were able to see, but not hear, so they don't know what she said.

After that, Applejack told them about that 'Apple Trial', and that led to Aero tasting a bunch of Apple-themed food, including food with zap-apple as the main ingredient.

But right now, the focus was on Applejack's parents.

"Listen to me Twilight. I know your intentions are good, but this is not the way to do it." said Princess Celestia.

"But... Applejack would be happy to see her parents." said Twilight.

"She may be happy to see her parents again, but in the end, she will see a life she doesn't have. A life she was denied. Do you really want Applejack to see this? To feel like this in the future?"

This made Twilight stop. Princess Luna was right. Even if Applejack gets happy to see her parents, it would be only once. A glimpse. A taste.

And then...

"I... I understand." said the Princess of Friendship. "What I don't understand is how Aero knew about them."

"Aero has been in Vanhoover many times." said Princess Celestia. "Pear butter is the daughter of Grand Pear, who has a very well-known pear jam business there. If I had to take a guess, I would say that Aero met him somehow."

"B-but what are the chances?" asked an incredulous Twilight.

"You may not know this Twilight, but while Grand Pear's business is quite famous in Vanhoover, he also has his fair share of fans in Ponyville. It's where he was born, after all." answered Princess Celestia. "And he is one of the very few ponies that know about the feud between the apples and pears many years ago. Not even Applejack and her siblings know about this. At least not yet."

"It's the first time I hear about this 'feud', too." admitted Twilight.

"The only way for Aero to know about Pear Butter, and Bright Macintosh, is that he spoke with Grand Pear." continued Celestia. "He doesn't know any other Apple family member other than Applejack and that's only because she's the Element of Honesty. Grand Pear is the only pony who knows about this that lives in Vanhoover."

"But still, for the father of Pear Butter to tell him about that... why would he do that?" asked a still confused Twilight.

"Who knows?" was the simple answer from Princess Luna. "We will have to ask Aero about it once we get him back."

Before Twilight was able to say something...

[So... What's the score, judge?]

[Now I understand why Ignite has so much respect for this farm. All of you pass with flying colors.]

[Did you hear that? He loved it!]

[Of course he would love it! We make the best with our apples! It's even in our name!]

[Ah may be old, but I'm a mare who still knows her tricks!]

[Eeyup! We are good.]

[Applejack, dear. Can I ask you something?]

[What is it, ma?]

[Is this really just a friendly visit from him? I'm not gonna lie, and you know I never do: I wouldn't mind him joining the family.]

[Ma! What are you saying?]

[I have to agree, AJ. He looks like a good partner, if not the best partner at the moment for you.]

[Pa!]

[Well, he is tall and cool like mah brother. It would be nice to have two cool brothers!]

[Applebloom, you can't just say that!]

"Wow... they really want him to be an Apple." said Twilight, honestly surprised with the situation.

"It's not the first time." said Celestia, who was a bit serious. "Most mares we have seen with him so far treat him with a lot of respect and try to approach him."

"I'm just glad that my aide has not forgotten his duty." said Luna, in a very, very neutral tone. Both Twilight and Celestia noticed it and decided that it would be wise to not ask about it.

[Applejack... Do you trust your family?]

[With all my heart!]

[I want to tell them about my situation. Maybe then they will understand why we can't be a couple.]

[Oh! Um... Ah promise my family won't tell anything about you to other ponies.]

[All right, then. I'll believe you.]

[That sounds mysterious indeed. What do you want to share with us, big colt?]

[This involves Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, so I should warn you that if anything about what I'm going to say gets leaked, there will be a severe punishment for everypony involved.]

[We won't tell a soul. Apple's honor.]

[Princess Celestia mentioned that I'm an uncursed stallion, but that is because this is not my Equestria.]

[Wha?]

[You see...]

"Is it ok for him to tell them about it?" asked a curious Twilight.

"If the Apple family from this other Equestria act in the same way as the Apple family from ours, then there is no problem." answered Princess Celestia. "If you are honest with them, they will be honest with you."

"Needless to say, Aero has good judgment when it comes to trusting others with certain information." added Princess Luna.

"Oh. Ok then" was the only thing Twilight said.


"Looks like you're in quite the pickle, huh?"

"You say it like it's a good thing."

Aero explained most of his situation to the Apple family. The only thing he didn't mention was the information related to Themis. They took it rather well. Aero thought there would be at least a bit of skepticism, but Bright Macintosh said that in Equestria anything can be possible if there's magic or hope involved. Granny Smith even said that it was a wise choice to keep this information from the rest of Ponyville. There's no way to know what a desperate mare could do if they knew about him.

Right now, Aero was accompanied by Applejack's parents just outside of their house. Granny Smith, Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Apple Bloom decided to do an inspection of the tools they use, and each of them is in a different area of the farm now.

"Can I ask both of you a few questions?"

"Sure! What is it, big colt?" said Bright Macintosh.

"We'll help in any way we can." added Pear Butter.

"Since I was sent to this Equestria, I haven't spoken with any stallion at all. I keep hearing that stallions like to keep to themselves. That they are very shy and delicate. Not to mention that they have to be kinda fragile considering the curse. Why don't you, and from what I see, Big Macintosh, behave like this? You almost act like the stallions from my Equestria."

"Ah! We look though, don't we?" said Applejack's father. "You can thank our active farming life for that. Sure, we are still weaker than the mares, but we like to do our share of the job, too."

"I'm also surprised that there are no other mares hogging you, considering this whole 'herd system' this Equestria has." said Aero.

"Oh! That's because of me." the answer came from Pear Butter. "Let's just say that I'm really... protective of my sweet apple hun."

There was a smile on her face. One that Aero has seen before. It's the kind of smile that says 'I took care of it'. Aero has been told that the mares of this Equestria can be fierce when it comes to their 'stallions', so it's only natural.

"Huh... a single partner." said Aero, smiling a bit. "Glad to see that monogamy is not extinct."

"I guess you would feel awkward if you are not used to mares chasing you." said Bright Macintosh, laughing in a friendly manner. "But I understand. You have a home to return to."

"I'm glad that Applejack has such wise ponies as her parents." admitted Aero, looking at the sky. "Then again, there is a reason the Element of Honesty chose your daughter."

After that, the three of them decided to watch Applejack, as she was in the nearby orchard, inspecting it and also checking on the tools. A few minutes passed, and then Aero noticed that both parents were watching him.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Say... is there a mare in your Equestria waiting for you?" asked the father.

"There was one." was Aero's reply. "Didn't work in the end. Why do you ask?"

"In the time you've been here... did any mare catch your eye?"

It was then, that both apples felt something. Especially Pear Butter. Something changed.

"With all due respect: Could you two please get to the point?"

They saw his eyes. He was calm. Way too calm. Both Apple ponies thought at exactly the same time that Aero is capable of creating a tremendous pressure with only his gaze. So much that Applejack, and even Big Mac would not be able to be at ease. Right now they remain calm because they have dealt with pressure in the past, and because they know that Aero wouldn't hurt them.

"You know what's going on in our Equestria." said Bright Macintosh. "That curse thingie?"

"The curse of Astarte. Due to this, the birth rate of male ponies was greatly reduced. To make it worse, if by some miracle a male is born, they will be naturally weaker."

"You come from another Equestria. You are not cursed. You are stronger, and with a different mindset." said Pear Butter. "Not only that. By the looks of it, you are one of the best stallions I've ever seen! You even help the Princesses from your own Equestria!"

"And?" Aero had a hunch about what they are going to say. He really hopes he is wrong about it.

"I guess what we want to say is that we wouldn't mind if you had sex with our daughter."

*What's a sex?*

Aero had to use a lot of willpower to remain stoic. Not because of what Applejack's parents said, but because of the sudden question of Themis right after. It's not like the topic of sex will affect him, but as far he knows, Themis is still very young.

"(Don't worry about that. It's not something you need to learn yet. Trust me.)"

*Ok!*

"Please do not joke like that." said Aero.

"I'm not joking." replied Pear Butter. "Applejack is not the only one who's picky about her potential partners, and I saw how she was looking at you while you were eating."

"It would actually be an honor." added Bright Mac. "I'm sure every mare in Ponyville that has seen you actually wants a piece of you. Or all of it. Wouldn't be surprising."

"Do you realize what are you even saying?" asked Aero, a bit angry.

"Yes we are!" replied both at the same time.

Aero just let out a sigh.

"By Luna... this is why I just want to return to my Equestria. This whole world is messed up... and I know what you are trying to do."

"Oh? And what would that be?" asked Butter Pear, in a rather innocent way.

"You think I'll be stuck in this Equestria. You want me to accept this world as my new home."

The answer caught both parents off guard. Aero took their surprise as a sign to continue.

"You think that maybe I'll have to stay more days in this Equestria. Maybe longer. You are not ruling out the possibility that maybe I'll never be able to go back."

"We didn't mean-"

"I know very well what you meant." Aero didn't care about interrupting Bright Macintosh. "That as the days go by, at one point I may give in to lust, because I'm a stallion, and like an adult, I have 'needs'. Especially in a world were mares are looking for stallions in hopes of giving birth to male offspring."

*What's a lust?*

"(Another term you don't have to worry about for now.)"

*Ok!*

"Perhaps we didn't say it in a more appropiate way, but yes." said Bright Macintosh. "I mean, I'm still an active stallion, and while the others are kinda delicate, you can certainly bet that we give it our all in bed. It also helps that mares are eager."

"He is not lying, you know?" added Pear Butter, letting out an almost childish laugh.

"Well, thanks but no thanks." said Aero.

"You are a royal guard, Aero." said Applejack's father. "I know you have a more mature way of thinking that the other stallions, and I know you must have thought of an emergency plan. Something in case the days and weeks go by and you are still here."

"Actually, I haven't." admitted Aero. "And I have a reason for it."

"What reason could that be?" asked Pear Butter, honestly curious.

"Trust." Aero gave them a genuine smile. "Trust in my Princess Celestia and my Princess Luna. Especially Princess Luna."

"Well... considering your position in the royal guard, I think I can understand that." said Bright Macintosh.

"Of course. When I was sent to this Equestria, the Princesses were coming to the room where I previously was because I warned them about something."

*Me!*

"I would never abandon them. I know that by now they must have figured out that I didn't simply disappear, and are looking for a way to bring me back."

"Huh... I can't say anything against that." said Bright Mac, as if he was defeated. "Not when there's such level of trust involved."

"I know it's because of your job that you care about the Princesses more than most ponies in your Equestria, but it seems that you have a preference for Princess Luna." said Pear Butter, showing her interest.

"You are not wrong." said Aero. "Of course, I care about both Princesses, but since I'm Princess Luna's aide, I've been with her the most."

"But it's more than that, isn't it?" continued Pear Butter. "She is a very mysterious mare. She's stoic most of the time."

"No. It's not that." said Aero, getting a bit more serious. "She is afraid."

The apple couple looked at each other for a moment, clearly not believing that. How could the sister of Princess Celestia be afraid? Afraid of what?

"Everypony believes that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have perfect lives because they are the rulers of Equestria and live in a castle, but they are still mares. Their results are not because they are 'perfect', but because they have more than a thousand years worth of wisdom. However, said wisdom is different for each sister."

"Different wisdom? What do you mean?" asked Bright Macintosh, clearly confused. Her wife was in the same condition.

"Are you forgetting the Nightmare Moon incident?" asked Aero, getting both ponies' attention again. "All of Equestria knows the story of how Princess Celestia defeated her using the Elements of Harmony in the past. However... it's a whole different tale when you hear it from their perspective."

"They told you about that day?" asked Pear Butter.

"Yes. It's not a tale of heroism, but a dark day that only reminds them of how foolish they were." continued Aero. "From Princess Celestia, I learned that she could have prevented her sister's despair, but she focused so much on pleasing her subjects that she never saw the signs of Luna's jealousy. She didn't just 'defeat' Nightmare Moon. She had no choice but to fight her own sister who fell to the powers of corruption and hatred. She tried to speak with her, but it was too late. There was only one way to avoid killing her: Banishment."

Both of Applejack's parents looked at each other for a moment, pondering about this new information. Sure, it may not be the same Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but it seems that the Nightmare Moon incident happened in both Equestrias. This means that Aero is right. It's one thing to acknowledge what history books says as true, but according to what Aero is telling them, it's a completely different story.

"And from Princess Luna... I learned just a glimpse of what it must feel to be alone for one thousand years. It's a simple statement, and yet... could you withstand that? Nopony to talk to. No friends. No family. To not hear the voice of anypony else... for one thousand years. I don't even know if she was able to move during all that time. Was she somewhere safe? Was there light? Or was it just darkness? I don't even know if she had any sort of physical body when she was there. Did she have to share some sort of connection with Nightmare Moon during all of this? I still don't know the answer to these questions, and I presume that Princess Luna refuses to tell me because she decided to bear this painful experience alone."

"..."

"..."

There was no way to answer that. Both Apples knew that. They couldn't survive even a fraction of everything that Aero just said. Aero is right. Ponies just accept that the Princesses can do everything without effort. But the truth is that they make efforts just like everypony else, and they have done it far longer than any living being in Equestria.

"Not to mention how Princess Celestia felt during all of this. I'm sure she must remember every single day without her sister. That loneliness was on both sides."

"Damn..." Bright Mac was almost sad just by hearing this. Her wife was in a similar state.

"The fact that both of them told me about their experiences means a lot to me. It means I'm a pony they can rely on. Most of the time Princess Celestia has somepony to speak with: guards, nobles, her own sister, and even me. But Princess Luna..."

Aero's expression changed. For the first time, Bright Macintosh and Pear Butter saw a hint of sadness.

"When they see her... they still see Nightmare Moon. I've seen it many times. They still fear her. If possible, they try to not approach her, and even if the night guard is loyal to her, they are more of a secret service and they will say yes to everything she says."

"And what about you?" asked Pear Butter. A few seconds later, Aero smiled again.

"On a certain day, I saw Princess Luna going to her bedroom, and I thought she was lonely. Princess Celestia encouraged me to be with her sister at all times. That's how I became her aide. The days passed, and I was able to see everything that the rest of Equestria doesn't: Her everyday life. I had to adapt to a unique spell developed by the Princesses that alters my sleep cycle. Because of this I have a unique schedule where I help Princess Celestia during the day and Princess Luna during the night. I could tell you many things about Princess Luna that I'm sure the rest of Equestria doesn't know, but... She is still afraid. Not as much as before, but still afraid nonetheless... afraid that Equestria will never forgive her."


At first they were going to talk about this 'Astarte's curse' because they heard some really important information, but that could wait. The current conversation in the other Equestria was far more important right now.

Princess Luna just stood there. Seeing Aero talking with Applejack's parents.

Talking about her.

Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle were still in the room. Twilight was amazed by how much Aero cares for Luna, to the point that he understands her predicament. Celestia on the other hoof was happy. She remembers that day when she spoke to Aero about being Luna's aide. It was a desperate gamble, because the royal guard in general still felt insecure about her, and the other members of Elemental were often out of Canterlot.

She is happy that Aero became Luna's hope, and if she's right, then maybe even something more.

Twilight noticed that Princess Luna was very quiet, and when she looked at her, she almost gasps.

Princess Luna had a smile of true happiness. The kind of smile you use when you look at somepony you admire and care about.

[You really do care about her, do you?]

[Caring about her would be an understatement.]

[Oh?]

[She is a mare that still believes that she is in the wrong, even when Princess Celestia admitted that she is also to blame. She lives in a world that even a thousand years later still blames her for something she already paid for. That's why I made my choice: I'll be there for her. I don't care if the entirety of Equestria turns against her... I'll be right next to her. To support her, and tell her that she's not alone. This is why I must return.]

Princess Luna felt something on her face, and that's when she realized she was crying. Nothing serious. Just a few quiet tears. Her smile though was still there.

[Oh my! I get it now.]

[Yes. It's all clear now.]

[What? What is it?]

[You love her, do you?]

[...]

The focus of the three alicorns went immediately to the vision. It was something akin to a crucial moment in one of those 'tv shows' of Manehattan. Luna felt that her heart was about to burst out. It was so sudden that for a moment she forgot to breathe.

But now she was interested in something else. She wanted to hear.

She wanted to hear his answer.

[We were foolish. You have a really good reason to return to your Equestria.]

[Look! He's blushing! We hit the nail, did we?]

[I... cannot deny that she's incredibly beautiful. Many guards think the same and are clever enough to keep their mouths shut and not stare at her too much.]

"They do?" asked Luna, surprised by this piece of information.

"I believe they do." answered Celestia. "After all, some of the guards do stare at me thinking I didn't see them."

"I mean, you are the Princesses of Equestria." added Twilight. "I have heard some stallions refer to both of you as the 'eternal beauties'."

Luna was not aware of this. She still needs to know more about the current Equestria.

[But sometimes I get angry for that.]

Now this got Luna's attention again.

[They praise her body so much, yet they can't muster up the courage to even approach her. Sometimes I have this urge to hit them in the face, but...]

And that's when both Twilight and Luna heard Princess Celestia.

Laughing.

"S-sister?" asked Luna. Genuinely confused.

"Princess?" Twilight was actually a bit worried because she has never heard Princess Celestia laugh like that.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just..." after a few seconds, Celestia calmed down. "I'm glad Aero has both patience and diligence. Otherwise we would be short on guards."

Twilight and Luna looked at each other, only to start laughing too.

[Maybe you are right.]

The laughs stopped.

[Maybe I love... Luna. What I know for certain is that I want to protect her. I want her to rely more on me. I want her to be happy. She deserves it. Also...]

[Also what?]

[I have this... selfish thought. Deep inside my mind.]

[Why you think it's selfish?]

[Since becoming Luna's aide, I waited for somepony. Anypony aside from Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony to... speak with her. Worry about her. Nopony did. They all kept their distance. Even the stallions that enjoy looking at her didn't do anything. That's why I've decided that I will make her happy. I gave the rest of the world a chance, and they didn't care. Is it bad to think like this?]

[Not at all, dear. Especially considering how much you care for her.]

The three alicorns were speechless.

Once again, Luna forgot to breathe. Twilight and Celestia slowly focused on Luna, thinking just how lucky she is.

And that's when they noticed...

"Oh my~ It seems like you agree wholeheartedly, Luna." said a very amused Celestia.

"P-Princess Luna!" exclaimed Twilight.

Luna was brought back to reality, not really sure why her sister and the Princess of Friendship had such diverse reactions upon seeing her.

And that's when she noticed it.

Her wings were up, and not just slightly. This took her by surprise because she doesn't remember feeling the movement of her wings at all.

"Luna." Celestia's voice was calm and soothing.

"Yes, sister?"

"Once all of this is over. Once Aero is back... please, don't waste a single second. You know what I'm talking about, right? If you wait too much..."

"T-TIA!"

That's the last thing Princess Luna said before quickly teleporting out. Celestia was enjoying every second of this weird, yet pleasant and important moment.

"She even used her royal Canterlot voice." said Celestia, getting closer to Twilight. "It's a good thing we have a sound-proof spell active."

As for Twilight...

"Oh my gosh... Equestria will have a new Prince!"

Yes. Celestia was definitely enjoying this moment.

[I think it's time for me to go. But first, I'd like to ask you two a favor.]

[Sure thing! What is it?]

[It's about Applejack. The one from my Equestria.]