Friendship Is Optimal: Third Wheel

by Boopy Doopy

Chapter Twenty-Six (Solar Spark)

Spending time alone with Agile Trace wasn’t nearly as awkward as Solar Spark thought it would be.

The two walked along the beach past the boardwalk, salty waves lapping at their hooves as they did. It was night time now, the moon fully up and shining brightly upon them as stars hung in the sky. Other ponies were still at the beach with them despite this, most of them sitting on towels in the sand, with just a few in the water swimming and surfing. The stallion imagined activities like that would be dangerous at night in real life, but this wasn’t real life. Or rather, it was an idealized version of such.

“I need to learn how to do that at some point,” he said casually as he and the pegasus walked along, leaving hoofprints in the sand. “How to surf, I mean.”

“You’ve lived in North Carolina for how long and never learned how to surf?” Agile asked with a smirk. “I lived in Vermont before I went to you guys’ school, and I learned how to surf.”

“I just never had the chance to,” he shrugged. “It’s not like Fayetteville was right next to the ocean anyway.”

“Closer than upstate Vermont. I just figured it’d be more your kind of thing to know how to do.”

“Well if you know how to surf, you should definitely teach me some time,” the stallion finished. “What have you been up to lately anyway?”

The two talked, Agile explaining how she was going to see about being a flight instructor or something similar, and Solar Spark going into detail about how he was fixing up his shard to be more exciting.

“I was gonna just add some ziplines and bungee jumping and things like that,” he said, “but I figured why not go all out? And now there’s mountain glaciers and a volcano and canyons and stuff.” He rubbed a hoof behind his head and smiled awkwardly as he explained.

“As fun as all of that sounds,” the mare told him, “I think I’m just gonna stick with trying to be a flight instructor or a musician. Or opening up a bar. That would be pretty fun, too, I think. I could sing them a song and be the piano mare.”

The stallion laughed at that. “It sounds like fun,” he smiled. “I’d go there if you opened one. I bet it’d turn into the new hangout spot for all of us.”

“Haha, maybe. I bet that’s gonna be Soft Step’s friend’s cafe. Composition and I had some coffee there earlier this morning actually.”

“I’ll have to stop by there sometime,” the stallion finished, quickly moving past discussion of the mare. “Anyway though, I know it’s late at night, but since this is Equestria and it wouldn’t be very satisfying if I died, wanna do some swimming? There’s some other ponies out there in the water right now, too.”

The rest of the evening was spent in the water swimming and chatting up other ponies, the two of them talking and laughing as they caught up. Afterward, they found some food to eat at a stand that served fish and grilled vegetables, and sat in the grass near the sand while they ate. It was a nicer time than Solar Spark expected, and he was glad for it. He would certainly be willing to spend time with her again in the future, and was glad Celestia suggested it. Making other friends outside of one pony was kind of nice, even as much as he liked that one pony.

It wasn’t much longer before Agile left, offering a wave and a suggestion to do this again sometime before trotting off. He didn’t leave from his spot yet, opting to stay on the beach a little while longer. The water lapped at the sand as he stared up at the sky, taking in the stars. Could they actually be called stars if they were simulated? He didn’t know, but they were certainly just as pretty.

He moved onto his back to take it all in, letting the time pass by without much of a thought. The moon moved across the sky, and high tide came, the hour becoming late enough that the other ponies left the beach. He remained though, eventually standing back up and walking along the water. It was strange how little there was to worry about, and maybe a little dull? He wondered silently what could be done to change that. He knew what the answer was, of course.

The days passed, turning into weeks as he hung out with Renown Composition and the rest of his friends. He put more effort into spending time with other ponies than he did on Earth, and tried to find a chance to be alone with each of Spell Master, Bright Sky, and Soft Step. There were other ponies he was introduced to, too, ones he knew were Celestia’s creations, but he tried his best with them, too. What Careful Calling said still played in his head, and it helped to make Summer’s Edge feel more like an actual town instead of just a tool for Celestia to satisfy ponies.

Of course, Solar Spark still spent most of his time with Renown Composition, and got closer to her day by day. It wasn’t just dates that they went on, and nights spent together. It was other things as well, like the mare offering to assist him with his shard and enthusiastically explaining how she could develop a story for it. It was walking close to him and staying in his company and how she talked to him and all sorts of other little things. It was less like they were going on dates and more like they were actually dating. He smiled just thinking about it.

Of course though, the thought of there being nothing to worry about and things being dull a few weeks ago was a mistake. It was a thought that asked for conflict to arise.

It wasn’t subtle either. It happened after a particularly long evening, one spent in his shard, where they hiked through a long stretch of field and kayaked down a river before heading back to his little cottage. He placed himself on top of her and a hoof on her barrel, kissing her lips when she said just about the last thing he wanted to hear.

“Oh, Agile…”

If any two words could force him out of the moment, it was those. He instantly pulled back and opened his eyes to stare down at her. He didn’t say anything as a long, silent moment passed. It was a moment that finished with the gray mare grinning sheepishly and looking away from him.

“Uh, oops,” was all the mare could offer up.

“Are you…” Solar Spark glanced away for just a second before turning back to her. “Are you… having sex with Agile, too?”

The mare opened her mouth and took a breath, but didn’t say anything for a good, long moment. She seemed to consider how to respond before she finally gave an answer. It was one that not only ended the moment, but also any ideas of intimate activities that night.

“Uh, yes, I am,” she said, before quickly adding, “But I don’t see how that would be any sort of issue, honestly.”

“How is that not an issue?” he asked, still leaning over her but his face now a mixture of confusion and skepticism, annoyance working its way in as well.

“Because you said I could go on dates with you both if it wasn’t, like, an actual relationship,” she replied. His worsening expression must have gotten to her, because she flinched and quickly continued, “Like, this would be a relationship if both you and her were cool with it, but I know you’re not, so that’s why I’m keeping things casual. If you were, then I’d–”

“How is this casual?” he asked, already exasperated. He moved off of her and looked away, continuing, “I thought we were closer than being casual. Does Agile know about this?”

“She knows we go on dates, obviously,” Composition told him. “But, like– it’s not a big deal, honestly! You already know I like you both, and so does Agile. And I would be in a relationship with you both the first chance I could! I basically said as much on our first date. It’s not like I like one of you more than the other or something.”

Solar Spark closed his eyes and let out a breath. “It doesn’t really seem that way if you’re saying her name when I’m trying to be with you.” The statement came out way more hurt than he intended, and could practically hear Composition flatten her ears as he subconsciously did his own.

“Sparky–”

“Whatever,” he sighed, getting completely up and out of bed. “I’m going for a walk.”

Comments

[Chatoyance]

Jeeze, Sparky, smell the Polyamory already! Love doesn't have to be ownership or possession. Group family, problem solved.

[Coranth]

11640724
Exactly, ponies do herds!

[Turquoise pony]

11640724
It's interesting that you think nonpolomirous relationships are about possession, and ownership.
In a sense Composition emotionally owns both Agile, and Sparky..... if you want to frame relationships in terms of ownership and/or possession.
I'm personally very interested in seeing how this complicated relationship Works itself out.
In this point of the story there's still a possibility that satisfaction for all three involved may not necessarily mean all three are in a polygamist relationship.