Chapter 0.5 AKA the prequel

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The wind rushed over his wings in the cool night air. Underneath the stars, Orion sailed along, riding the air currents of a warm spring night underneath the light of Luna’s moon. Looking down, he could make out the twinkling of the lights from the town below, and he could hear the faint noise of those like him. These were his kin, the night owls. Most of Equestria was active during the day, the few exceptions being those who worked at night at the few clubs scattered here and there, or those who were like him and simply felt more at ease under the moonlight, but in any case, they shared the common bonds of being part of the night life. They were under Princess Luna’s watch, and were at ease to be so. He scanned the sky around him and started back pedaling his wings to slow down, settling on a passing cirrus cloud that had eluded the local weather patrol.

He gazed out over the darkened landscape, and he could almost swear that he saw the silhouette of the Princess of the Night in the moon’s light. These were the moments that he was at peace with the world. He reclined on the thin cloud, his wings spread out beneath him as he turned his gaze from the mountainous landscape beneath him to the heavens above. When he was a young colt, he would sneak out of his home and just look at the stars for hours, wondering what had inspired Luna to put them there, and then he would try for hours to find and name the constellations. Orion could even remember being caught by his mother one winter’s night, and when he had told her what he was doing, she showed him the constellation that he was named for. It was one of his favorite memories… and one of the few truly good ones from when he was growing up…

As he gazed up at the night sky, he noticed that there was a single star that seemed to be growing brighter. When he looked again, this time focusing only on that one jewel in the night, he also realized that it wasn’t actually a star... not one that stayed still at any rate. He saw a trail of light follow the rogue gem it as it sped across the night sky, careening across the normally calm expanse above and racing over head towards the mountains behind the town. As the sky got brighter, and the moving body came closer, Orion remembered something his grandmother had told him once…
“If you ever see a shooting star, close your eyes and make a wish…” He repeated softly, closing his eyes as the star passed directly overhead, brightening the sky as if it were midday. “I wish this were real.”
As the light from the passing star faded from view on the other side of the mountains, Orion closed his eyes and sighed deeply, relaxing into the cloud, feeling it’s cool texture cradle him and lulling him off to a deep, restful sleep.

He woke up to the sound of his phone’s alarm going off. The sunlight poured through his window and he reached over to the desk near his bed and shut off the noise from his phone. As much as he liked the song, he was beginning to think that waking up each morning to Alex S. would drive him crazy.

“Well, I guess I could use a change of pace anyway…” the young man said, rolling out of bed and sitting down at the desk to put on some music while he went through his morning routine.

As Octavia’s Triptych played through the desk speakers, one of the few luxuries he was able to afford himself these days, the young man jumped into the shower and started cleaning off the grease and sweat from his job the night before. It didn’t pay much, but at least he had work and a place to himself. Not bad all things considered. It could have certainly have
been worse.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

…Speak of the devil…

“DUDE! TURN THAT SHIT OFF! IT’S TOO EARLY FOR THIS CRAP!” His neighbor yelled, slamming his fist against the wall one more time for good measure.

He bit his tongue to keep from blasting expletives at the frat boy next door, instead to take the passive aggressive approach and changing the song to something a bit more upbeat; namely, one of his new brony songs, “Diamond Dogs”. Smiling to himself, he got dressed, grabbed the backpack with his work clothes, and set out for his job at the supermarket.

Later:

Work had been worse than usual… He had managed to botch a truck order to the point that the floor manager sent him to work register, and as if dealing with every other customer arguing with their kid while trying to make a purchase wasn’t bad enough, he got put on cleanup by himself. The sweeping and mopping alone took him two hours, and that wasn’t counting the time he spent in the deli cleaning dried meat juices off of… well everything really… At least he got home before midnight this time. Barely…

“Seriously, would it kill them to hire a newbie to help with cleanup at least?” he wondered out loud, fumbling with the keys to his apartment. Suddenly, a hand on his shoulder spun him around, slamming his head against the door and making his vision swim.

“Alright man, I’m gonna make this easy for you. You give me your wallet, I walk away.” a masked man said, holding a knife in front of the young man’s face.

“Okay dude, just give me some space to dig it out of my bag…” he said, putting his hands up in surrender and keeping his eye not on the knife, but on the arm it was attached to.

The mugger backed up a step and lowered the blade enough for the young man to pull his bag around to dig his wallet out. He pulled the black leather out and held it up, handing it to the mugger without a fuss, but as soon as he went to put the wallet in his coat pocket, the young man saw his opening. He grabbed the inside of the assailant’s wrist loosening the grip, then twisted his arm and planted his other palm on the mugger’s elbow. It should have forced the man to drop the knife, but like so many things that day, it didn’t work out that way…

The mugger twisted with the motion and brought other elbow up behind him, slamming into the young man’s head again causing him to lose his grip. Before he could do anything more, the attacker brought the knife down in a deadly arc, pain coursed through the young man as the blade bit into his forearm. He dropped to the floor and swore, blood flowing out onto the wooden floor of the hallway as the mugger ran off into the night. The noise had attracted some attention though, and a moment later, his neighbor was kneeling down next to him and calling an ambulance.

Dawn was still a ways away, and the stitches had been simple enough to do at the hospital once he’d been doped up a bit. But now he had a bum arm, and was on his way home… the same home that he had been at when he’d been sliced open.

“Whoop de freaking do……” he said, as he walked along the darkened streets. He eventually made it home, but he didn’t think that the slimy feeling at having been mugged literally at his front door would ever go away.

When he walked into his flat, the first thing he did was hop in the shower. If scalding hot water didn’t help him lose some of this tension, nothing would…
He got out later, grateful that the bandages were waterproof, and sat down at his desk to watch one of his favorite cartoon shows.

As the credits for the episode rolled, the young man found himself humming along to the episode’s song.

“1,2,3,4… Raise this barn, raise this barn. 1,2,3,4… Look at us we’re family, working together thankfully, something something, stick together the pony way…” he sang slowly, breathing deeply and trying to calm down. The shock at being mugged had worn off awhile ago, but he was still skittish, and every little noise made his eyes fly open and his heart race.
“Ughhh! I’m never going to get to sleep am I?” he asked no one in particular, sitting up in bed to look at the moon over the city skyline. “What does it feel like for you Luna? Do you ever feel like you don’t belong? How do you deal with it?”

“Well, being akin to a goddess usually helps.” A gentle voice replied, from the darkness beside his bed, the words causing him to jump at least three feet straight up. Rather impressive considering he had been lying down…

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shock you.” Luna said, a look of concern coming over her face as the young man practically hyperventilated in front of her.

“I’m, you, but, this….” He said, grasping at words and trying to make them into a sentence… no such luck…

“Allow me to explain child…” Luna said, sitting down next to the bed as he pulled his knees up to his chest and continued staring at her in surprise, taking in minute details about her mane, and the fact that her eyes were HUGE! Like seriously, if you imagine a normal size horse, then make half of its face just the eyes, you have an image of what he saw in front of him.

“Are you done muttering to yourself about my ginormous freaking eyes?” she asked calmly, chuckling slightly at your confusion.

“You’re, you’re really here?” the young man asked hesitantly, “I’m not just dreaming? I’m not dead? Did I bleed out on my bed? That would suck so much… like seriously, bleeding out could b a cool way to go, but in my bed and in my lounge pants? Not so much…”

After allowing him to babble for a bit longer, the princess of the night held up a hoof and motioned for him to be quiet. When he finally complied and reverted back to simply gawking, she spoke.

“I assure you child, I am truly here. And as for this being a dream, you could say I’m here because of one you had recently… I trust you know of the place I come from?”

“You mean Equestria?” he responds, “Yeah, but I mean, it’s a cartoon… you’re a cartoon…”

Luna frowned at that last part, before returning to her regally neutral expression, “And you humans wonder why others don’t try and contact your kind… Yes, in this realm, my home is a cartoon. But where do you think the idea for that cartoon came from?”

“Lauren Faust?” he guessed, acclimating to the weirdness of his current position rather well.

Luna sighed, trying to repress another chuckle at the young man’s expense. “While you’re not wrong, that’s not entirely true. The idea for the cartoon as you know it comes from an echo left by a real place. Equestria is as real as Earth is. Now, as for the reason I came to you tonight. Do you remember your dream from last night?”

“Yeah… I mean, it’s kind of common… I’m in Equestria, I’m a pegasus, and I’m just flying under the stars, feeling the wind, looking out and just feeling at peace….” He replies, his eyes gazing into the distance as his favorite dream is replayed quickly in his mind.

“And it is always the same?” Luna asked, leaning in a bit and smiling.

“Well, there’s usually little things that are different… how many lights there are, sometimes where I am, what the weather’s like… but it’s usually the same thing. I fly, I rest, I watch, I wake up.”

“And what of your dream last night?”

“There wasn’t anything that different… I mean, there was a shooting star, that was nice, but nothing else.”

“Well that star is part of the reason I’m here. You see child, as I’m sure you know, one of my domains is dreams. I try and avoid the dreams of humans for the most part, but there are a few, like you, who dream of my world and wish to live there.” Luna explained.

“But what’s that have to do with anything? It’s not exactly rare for a brony to want to at least visit Equestria.”

“But there are a rare few who dream with such detail, such love, such peace, and such simplicity… I enjoy watching your dreams child, because I see another who not only appreciates my work, but is simply content to revel in the simple things of life. Things that my subjects take for granted.”

“So you came here to tell me you like watching my dreams?” the young man asks, starting to wonder if Princess Luna had ever fully gotten over her social awkwardness…

Luna coughed, a little embarrassed at having come off as a stalker, “Again, not entirely. In your dream last night, you witnessed one of my stars coming loose and made a wish. Partly because you witnessed something like that in my realm, and partly because I’ve seen how you live in this world, I’ve come to offer you life in my world.”

The young man’s brain stopped working for a minute as his ears tried to process what the lunar deity had just said. A few minutes went by, and Luna poked his chest to make sure he was still breathing. Finally, he blinked once, twice, three times, before letting out a small laugh and passing out and falling off the bed.

Luckily, Luna was prepared for that sort of reaction, and caught him in the gently hold of her magic about an inch away from the floor. She smiled softly at the young man and prepared a teleportation spell before blinking out of existence.

As the moon set in the sky, and the dawn broke through the darkness, covering the sky with a prism of warm colors, a young man found himself waking up in a foreign land, and in possibly the worlds softest bed.

He cracked his eyes open as the first ray of light fell through the curtains of the dark room.

Weird… that was a hell of a dream. Why does my bed feel… bigger? And why doesn’t my arm hurt?

As he realized there was a distinct lack of pain from the gash on his forearm from the previous night, the young man sat up in bed and went to pull away the covering… but there was no covering to pull away… Even weirder, he didn’t have blue sheets on his bed… and his sheets definitely weren’t made of silk…

He crawled out of bed and went to open the curtains and let in some more light, but as he opened them, he realized another important fact about his room… HIS ROOM DIDN’T HAVE CURTAINS!

Realizing this as he was opening them, his eyes were left no choice but to look out over the alien landscape in front of him… The city beneath him was bustling and alive with bright colors in the early morning light. There were no tacky neon signs, or billboards, and there was no smell of trash and sewage… Everything was clean! He looked out beyond the city and saw mountains in the distance, some woods nearby, and a sparkling clean river running beneath the window into a lake that wasn’t clogged with boats or garbage barges…

All in all, he handled the change of venue rather well. He closed the blinds, went back to the bed, curled into the fetal position, and started rocking back and forth muttering, “it’srealit’sreal,holyshitit’sallreal…”

“See Sister, I told you he was fine. He’s not even screaming or crying like the last one!” Luna’s voice said, cutting through the air as candles around the room magically sprang to life, giving off way more light than candles normally did.

“Luna dear… the poor boy looks like he’s hyperventilating…” Celestia observed, following the Lunar Diarch into the royal guest suite.

“No no Tia, he did that last night, we saw it. Why would he hyperventilate twice?” Luna retorted, turning up her nose at the idea that she had harmed the young man.

“Are you alright child?” Celestia said, leaning in a bit closer to the young man, lighting up her horn ever so much and sending a calming spell into his still very shocked body.
As he felt the magic seeping into him and his limbs relaxing enough to allow him to focus on other things, he noticed something rather funny about the regal sisters before him.

“You’re shorter than I thought…” he said dumbly, his eyes shooting between the Princesses standing in front of him.

“I believe that if you try standing on the floor rather than sitting on the bed, that you’ll see we are about the same height as you.” Luna pointed out, still nursing a bit of a sore spot at being the “little” sister.

Sure enough, when he had received the full effect of the relaxation spell and stood up, he was about eye level with Luna… well, more like, his eye was level with her top eyelid… seriously, those things were massive…

“Does he realize that he talks out loud sometimes?” Celestia wondered, walking over to stand beside her sister.

“I believe it is a coping mechanism for shock Tia, nothing to worry about.”

“And you are sure he is the one? He made the wish?” the taller mare asked, doubt edging into her voice slightly, “You know I’m always behind you on your projects Luna, but there are times I swear you just make it up as you go along…”

“One faulty trap during a prank war and you never let me hear the end of it Tia…” Luna glowered, muttering to herself, “Besides, we got the pudding off the ceiling, and only half the castle got burned… nopony was even seriously injured… except that cat… and it’s fur grew back…”

“Excuse me, your majesties?” the young man said, interrupting Luna’s little private tirade as well as cutting into Celestia’s fit of giggles at Luna’s expense.

“Yes child? You’re undoubtedly confused about a few things.” The solar princess guessed, smiling as he nodded slowly.

“It is exactly as we tried to explain to you last night in your home. You made a wish on a star in a dream that I enjoyed watching. I decided that we would offer you an opportunity to live out your life here in Equestria if you so chose. We could even help make the transition less awkward by giving you a new form that would be more… native.”

“But we should stress that this is purely up to you. We’ll answer any questions that you may have, and we’ll not tamper in your life or your memories of this place if you choose to stay on Earth.” Celestia offered, trying to ease the pressure and absolutely failing at doing so.

“Did one of you heal me while I was unconscious?” he asked, deciding to focus on one thing at a time.

“That was me… as I said, I watched your life back on Earth to see if you might benefit from this offer. When I brought you back, I remembered that you were wounded, and didn’t wish for something like that to mar your impressions of this world.” Luna said, looking at you with caring eyes. How this mare ever got to be called Nightmare was beyond the young man.

“Okay, thanks for that…and… if I decided to live here, you said you’d change my form? I’d be a pony?” he said next, trying to fit the princesses offer into a clear picture.

“Your physical appearance would be magically altered to that of the way you appear in your dreams. Luna has been very careful in mapping out the details of how you should look, and the only thing that would not be able to be granted would be a cutie mark. That would of course appear only once you had recognized your special talent.”

“And before you ask, yes, you would be a pegasus.” Luna added, smiling broadly at this point.

“And my life back on Earth… I don’t exactly have family to miss me… and I don’t have a girlfriend or anyone like that… would I be a missing person there?” he asked, satisfied with their answers so far.

“That would be the easy part really. You would be transported in order to pack anything of sentimental value, and then a quick memory spell in the right places and it would be as if you had never been there at all.”

“What she means, is that your disappearance wouldn’t cause any trouble or confusion for anyone, and you would be able to continue your life guilt free here in Equestria. If you had any family, the offer of a new life would extend to them, but as you already admitted, you are a rather solitary individual…” Celestia said softly.

Even though both Luna and Celestia had meant well when they said it, he didn’t need any reminders that he was almost completely alone back on Earth. But there was still a question nagging at him.

“What if I accidentally let slip that I’m not from Equestria?”

“We trust that you are intelligent enough to know what should and should not be shared here in Equestria.” The solar princess said, smiling warmly.

“And where would I live in this world? I don’t know anywhere but the few places that they put into the show…” the young man finally asked, realizing that he’d not only be gaining a new life, but he’d forsake any feeling of familiarity.

“I wouldn’t worry about that so much, child… Our sister knows a few ponies that are notorious for making newcomers feel at home, and the place they live is a bit of a growing, thriving town. You should know it well enough from what you’ve seen of this world on Earth.” Luna said, smiling calmly, reassuringly.

“Ponyville…” he says quietly… “I could live in Ponyville… a new life…”

“We shall of course, allow you some privacy to think it over.” Celestia said, wrapping a wing around Luna and trying to steer her towards the door of the room, try being the operative word.

The young man jumped at the royal sisters, wrapping his arms around their necks and pulling them close, giggling to himself as he hugged them.

“I take it that you wish to accept our offer then?” Luna guessed, her own grin growing on her face.

“Yes!” he responded, beginning to jump up and down, still holding onto the Princesses, which ended up giving them the appearance of bobble-head dolls.

“HUZZAH! Then let us go gather your things and we shall begin preparations for the spell!” Luna said, wrapping the young man in her magic and teleporting them back to his apartment.

Celestia sighed, lowering her head and chuckling to herself, “I haven’t seen her this excited about a new friend since she found that abacus…”

The Sequel to the Prequel AKA Look Ma, No Hands!

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Chapter 2ish: The Sequel to the Prequel!
AKA: Look Ma, No Hands!

“Tell me, what exactly is the purpose of this?” Luna asked, prodding the young man’s cell phone with a forehoof.

“Well, it lets you talk to your friends, or send them messages, and they get them instantly, so I guess you could say that it’s kind of like a faster way of sending letters…” he replied, awkwardly trying to explain something that he never really gave any serious thought to.

“Hmmm… interesting… Unfortunately, you should know that you cannot bring it with you to Equestria.” Luna said, looking around his room and wondering not for the first time how a thinking creature could live in such a place.

“You know Princess, your face isn’t very good at hiding what you’re thinking.” The young man commented, looking over his shoulder as he packed some sheets and a few pictures of his family from a time when his life was happier.

“What do you mean?” Luna asked, blushing slightly, her blue coat hiding most of the reddish hue.

“You’re thinking that this place is a dump… I know, it’s not exactly home for me… just a place to live. Or at least it was.” He said, his smirk tainted by traces of sadness, “I haven’t had a real home in years.”

Luna walked over to his side, placing a wing over his shoulder and hugging him lightly, “I understand child… believe me, I understand. Now, do you have everything of importance packed away?” she asked, releasing him and walking over to look at the screen saver on his laptop.

“Yeah. I’m gonna miss some of the stuff online, but I mostly just lurked on Brony sites anyway, and I can’t exactly complain about missing a new episode if I’m living in Equestria, now can I?” he replied, slinging his backpack over one shoulder and standing next to Luna as she watched the electronic bubbles play across a Nightmare Night logo.

“I take it that you are a fan of our little holiday?” Luna asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow at the logo.

“Well, here it would be like Halloween, and I always loved that holiday. Plus, Nightmare night seems like a lot more fun… safer too.” He answered, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

“Safer? Nightmare Night is about scaring as many others as you can… how is that safe?” Luna asked, this time her face completely made into a mask of disbelief.

“Well, the way I see it, Nightmare Night and Halloween are both about being something you’re not normally, and having fun… but where Nightmare Night has pretty harmless pranks, and the occasional lightning bolt, humans are a bit more malicious…”

“Do not be deceived into thinking that Equestria is as peaceful as you are led to believe. There are those in every realm that will seek to hurt others for their own gain, or for their own pleasure. Luckily, they are few and far between in Equestria, especially compared to Earth, but nowhere is truly perfect…” Luna said, reassuring the young man as he started to look upset again, as if admitting that humanity was twisted was all because of him.

“Not to make this a contest Princess, but I doubt that Equestria has a problem with ponies slipping razor blades and poison into the treats they hand out on Nightmare Night.” He said sarcastically.

“You mean there are humans that do such horrible things on Halloween?!” Luna asked incredulously, her head jerking backwards in disbelief and shock.

All he could do was nod and sigh. He had learned a long time ago that humans rarely needed a reason to act cruelly.

Luna looked around the room nervously, as though by talking about it they would summon one of these terrible humans and their tainted treats.

“If you are packed, perhaps we should be off…” She suggested uneasily.

“I’m ready when you are Princess.” He said, smiling and shifting his backpack from one shoulder to the other.

“Do you wish to say goodbye? You cannot return here once we leave…” Luna asked, looking into his eyes with mild concern. “If you wish to change your mind, this is the time.”

“Princess, the only thing left for me to miss from here would be my music, and I’m sure Equestria has better musicians than what’s on the charts right now.” The young man answered, chuckling to himself and trying to purge the memory of “Friday” from his mind.

“Hmmm… very well then child…” The diarch of the night said, smiling cryptically as an idea formed in her mind and the teleportation spell once again hummed in the air around them for a second, a slight breeze surrounding them as they blinked out of existence.

As the two travelers were yanked through the dimensional rift, the spell Luna had left behind went to work. Slowly, every scrap of furniture, every personal effect left, every piece of trash and dust bunny, slowly started to fade away. Eventually, the apartment was left bare and clean, even the windows having been magically scrubbed until they were crystal clear. Lastly, the landlord would find a letter reminding him to post an ad for a vacant flat the next time he opened his mailbox.

As Luna and the young man blinked into existence in Equestria once again, Princess Celestia was busy preparing the casting space in the royal guest suite. The ancient rite called for the subject to be in complete isolation from the time it was cast, until all the changes had taken place. As she engraved the final symbol on the edge of the circle, the boy and Luna walked into the room.

“I see we are just in time sister.” Luna noted, admiring the solar princess’s handiwork with a smirk, seeing a chance to get in a joke at Celestia’s expense. “I had thought you’d forgotten some of the older spells. You know, since you’re about as old as Canterlot and all…”

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” Celestia replied, rolling her eyes, “Do I need to remind you, sweet Lulu, that you’re only a couple decades younger than myself?”

Luna blanched a bit, and coughed nervously, “There’s no need to be rude Celly… Anyway, we need to prep him for the rite, I assume everything is set up?”

“Not quite everything Luna… just a second or two more…” Celestia responded, levitating a large blanket, a cushion, and a pillow into the center of the mystical ring on the floor. “There, now everything is ready. Did you tell him how it would all work?”

Luna blushed and started shifting her weight from one side to the other before answering sheepishly that she had forgotten to prepare him for what was about to happen.

Celestia sighed, placing one of her wings over the bridge of her snout before chastising her little sister.

“Really Luna, we’ve been over this before… if you want to dabble in a mystical rite of complete physical transformation, the subject needs to be properly prepared or they might accidentally reject the spell and be stuck in a state of complete disorder.”

“You guys have had this discussion before?” the young man asked, looking between the two royal pony sisters with a concerned look on his face. “Let me guess, Discord?”

“Not exactly…” Luna replied, looking away out of embarrassment, “I once had the idea to try and give wings to a bowl of fruit so that I could get a snack without having to get up at night…”

“So what happened?” he asked, wondering what kind of eldritch horror could be summoned by transforming a bowl of fruit.

“Well, the spell was going well… until the creatures we were using to replicate the wings on the fruit decided it was hungry…” She continued, this time her blush managing to show through her dark coat quite easily.

“To sum up a rather disastrous night, Canterlot was flooded with a new species called fruit bats.” Celestia added, never one to miss a chance at teasing her little sister. “Not to mention the other times… there was the Hydra, the Timberwolves, and the Parasprites, not to mention Cerberus…”

“I believe he gets the point sister, can we move on now?” Luna hissed, glaring daggers at Celestia before turning off to
the side and muttering to herself, “And besides, Cerberus was adorable when he was still small enough to fit through the main gates of the castle…”

“Uhhh… Sure…” he answered, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that the fruit bats from Sweet Apple Acres were just ONE of Luna’s experiments…

“Very well then, child, as you know, I have watched your dreams before, and the form you take in them is what we will be transfiguring you into today. In order for the spell to be absolutely perfect, you will be placed in the middle of the circle while Celly pours a steady stream of magic into the ring.” Luna said, motioning at the small bed on the floor covering some of the magical markers.

“Normally, this spell would be taking place while the subject is concentrating on every single physical aspect of their new form.” Celestia added, “But as Lulu has noted, the pony form you take in your dreams is fairly consistent, so we will instead put you under a sleeping spell that will last until the magic has completed its work.”

This time, Luna interrupted, “While you are asleep, I will be with you in your dream, helping you to focus on your new form, as well as giving you a nudge should the magic start to deviate from what we want it to do.”

“So let me get this straight.” The young man said, trying to understand the whole procedure as best he could with his limited knowledge of well, everything they just said, “You’re going to put me to sleep, I’ll be in the middle of that circle, and when I wake up I’ll be a pony just like in my dream, which will be guided by Luna?”

“Exactly.” Both sisters answered, speaking at the same time.

“Now, if you’d be so kind as to disrobe and lay on the bed prepared for you, we can begin the transformation.” Celestia instructed, motioning at the bed on the floor once again.

“Uhhhhhh…..” The young man answered, realizing he had just been asked very nicely to strip and get in bed in front of the rulers of Equestria, His face didn’t even have time to register the embarrassment before his brain just shut down and left him with a blank look on his face.

“Sister, I’ve told you before, Humans are shy about being without their clothes in front of others.” Luna scolded, turning to the boy standing next to her and smiling, “I apologize, she does not leave this realm nearly as much as I do, but we assure you that the nudity is rather important for the proceedings.”

“Can I ask why?” he answered, still in too much shock to really feel embarrassed.

“Well, as your body changes, the clothes would restrict in various locations, and your brain would subconsciously reject the changes. Not to mention what would happen if your wings decided to flex only to be stopped by your shirt. It is simply easier to be wearing what you will in your new form, and in the case of ponies, that is to go without clothes.” Luna explained very matter-of-factly, still missing the young man’s obvious discomfort at being told to strip in front of the Diarchs.

“If it will make you feel more at ease, we can turn around while you disrobe and crawl under the covers. Comfort is important after all.” Celestia offered, already turning around and placing her wings over her eyes.

Luna quickly followed suit, though the fact that she decided to face the only mirror in the room made him a bit uneasy to say the least. Seeing no other choice, he stripped down as fast as he could manage and practically flew under the plush blanket offered. He even decided to ignore the fact that Luna had giggled not too quietly as he nearly tripped stepping out of his boxers.

“Are you ready?” Celestia asked, turning around with her wings still over her eyes.

“As I’ll ever be, I suppose…” he answered, lying back on the pad in the circle and taking stock of how his body felt
one last time before the spell began.

“Then we will start immediately.” The solar diarch said, her horn igniting the circle around him, and his entire body suddenly weighing him down as he drifted off into sleep…

The wind roared around him as Orion pulled into a spiraling dive towards the glistening lake below, the stars reflecting off it like a mirror, and the moon looking like a spotlight shining from the depths. As he pulled the turn in tighter to the point that he could feel a dull ache in his wings, and his eyes were watering from the wind tearing past him, he became aware of another presence joining him in his flight. Orion ended his dive and leveled off, alighting on the shore of the lake and turning to look at the other pony that had joined him.

Princess Luna landed right next to him, cantering around him and laughing merrily.

“Oh my, I haven’t had that much fun with another pony in their dreams since I made Pinkie Pie believe she was a giant, sentient cake.” She said, still giggling to herself like a school-filly. “When you wake up and learn how to truly fly, we must do this again.”

“Heh, I think I’d like that Princess. So this is a dream?” Orion responded, “Weird… it feels so real…”

“Yes, certain dreams often have that effect on others… I think that’s why I spend so much time here to be frank. The lines between what is real and what is fantasy are so blurred that most do not realize that they are dreaming when they are here. And it lets me see my subjects at their best.” Luna replied, settling down and sitting on the ground looking out on the lake.

“Really?” he asked, “I would have thought visiting other’s dreams would get embarrassing… I mean, aren’t there dreams that are kind of… personal?”

“Oh… yes well… there are those…” Luna stumbled, muttering and blushing slightly, “But it’s not like I haven’t seen those kind of things before…”

“Then why do you sound so embarrassed by the thought of seeing somepony else’s private...... dreams?” Orion asked, chuckling at the lunar princess’s awkwardness.

“Oh do be quiet… remember, you’re in my realm right now, and if you manage to tick me off, I have a thousand years worth of dreams about living on the moon that I’m sure would be more than a little unpleasant.” Luna warned, shooting her companion a pointed look, though still smiling off to the side.

“So if this is a dream, should I assume that I’m still asleep in the tower and being changed?” Orion asked, getting a bit more serious at the prospect of offending Luna and spending time on an unwanted trip to the lunar body hanging overhead.

“Correct. Right now, you’re undoubtedly being transformed into your new form, but don’t bother thinking about what the process entails.” Luna said, smiling at him warmly and standing up again.

Seeing his skeptical look, she frowned in annoyance and explained a bit more, “Seriously, do not bother trying to imagine what it’s like… I’ve seen the process a few times and it never gets any less weird. Human to Pony hasn’t been done before either, so I can only imagine how odd you must look right now in front of Celestia…”

“By my fiery flank, what the buck is THAT?!” Celestia cried out as the sheets she had lifted to check the spell’s progress were released from her magic’s grip and settled back on the sleeping form of the young man, “That’s what humans look like without clothes?! How the hay does he even keep that thing protected?!”

“Why did I just get a chill up my spine?” Orion asked, turning to look at Luna as they walked across a bank of clouds overlooking the lake, “And why are you laughing?”

“Ahahahahahaha! I’m sorry, but I think it’s better if you didn’t know what I just heard back in the waking world.” Luna said, tears streaming down her face as she walked alongside her new friend.

“Okay then… that’s not creepy at all…” Orion commented, stretching his wings out a bit, marveling at the fact that they could feel so connected even in this dream world. The sun’s rays peeked over the mountains in the distance, but never completely came up.

“Hey Luna, if this place is all an illusion, why do my wings feel so real?”

“Hmm? Oh, that… well, at this point, your body has gone through the initial changes, so right about now your form looks like a bald earth pony… the next physical change should be the growth of your wings, then the last thing would be your coat. This is actually about when I should be helping coax you along mentally.” Luna said, a far off look in her eyes as she seemed to be gazing through the fabric of the dream world and actually seeing what was going on in the tower where he slept.

“Heheheh… would you do me a favor please child?” she asked, apparently having seen something that she found amusing.

“What do you need Princess?” he replied, confused about why she was laughing.

“When you wake up, please tell my sister that it’s improper for her to peek on others while they’re asleep.”

He blanched at Luna’s request, realizing what was probably happening while he was unconscious. “She isn’t…” he choked out, blushing furiously.

“Never again! I’m never helping Luna with one of these spells ever, ever, ever again! I swear that if she tries this spell again in my presence I'll drop the sun on whatever she's fooling around with! And WHY the BUCK DID I LOOK A SECOND TIME?!” the Princess of the sun wailed, jerking the sheet back over the hairless, prone pony that was starting to grow two pointed, bony nubs from in between its shoulders.

Shuddering, Celestia muttered to herself, continuing the flow of magic into the runes on the floor, which had turned from a yellow to a bluish color as the spell reached the halfway point, “Looks like the lovechild of a bald chicken and a…… I don’t even know…”

“She did. I have to say, it’s rather amusing to watch her reaction.” She answered, smiling like a madmare before composing her face once again and turning to face him full on.

“Now, back to business, your wings are starting to sprout, but for them to grow in at full strength, you’ll have to concentrate on what it feels like to go through the motions of flight.” She instructed, her horn glowing slightly as the world below them spun and finally settled with their cloud hovering over a gorge filled with jagged rocks.

“And how do I concentrate on that?” he asked, face blanching as he looked over the side and imagined what her answer would be.

“Like this…” Luna said, pushing him over the side and sending him hooves over flank to the deadly chasm below.

As Orion fell to the ground below, Luna could clearly hear a variety of expletives and rather amusing combinations of swears spew forth from his mouth. Finally, he managed to stretch his wings out and pulled out of the fall and into a controlled glide. This did not however, do anything to curb his tongue, as he continued shouting and swearing until he had flown to another cloud below the one Luna now occupied alone.

“Such language… really, it’s like I’m surrounded by sailors on shore leave.” Luna noted with a wry smile.

Somewhere along Equestria’s southernmost edge, on a ship rolling in the waves of the Maredeterranian Sea, a pony called Shore Leave got a chill up his spine.

“CAPTAIN! I think a storm’s comin’ in!” he called out from his post atop the Phoenix’s Nest.

“What makes you say that?!” Captain Aye Patch hollered back, “It’s been nothing but clear sailing the entire time we’ve been out here!”

“Something my mum used to tell us! When you get a chill up yer back, either trouble’s on the way or someone’s talking about you!” Shore replied matter-of-factly.

“Then I guess we’d better batten down the ship, ‘cause there ain’t a soul out there that thinks you’re important enough to talk about!” Captain Patch retorted sarcastically, rolling his one eye and returning to his cabin to chart the next leg of their course back to port.

“Damnit Luna, you scared the shit out of me just now!” Orion yelled up, catching his breath while he rested.

“No need for that kind of language now…” Luna scolded gently, touching down on the cloud beside Orion, “It was necessary to give you enough of a shock so that you would stretch and move your new wings in the waking world. Otherwise you might never be able to fly in your new home.”

“Well… still… ugh… I have to say thank you now don’t I?” he said, holding his head in his hooves and rolling his eyes.

"Hmmmm... That would be nice, but after cussing me out on the way down, I think I’ll settle for an apology.” She responded, laughing at him softly.

“How about I just settle for not cussing at you again?” Orion offered sarcastically.

“I could just throw you in the dungeon when you wake up.” Luna reminded him, “But no, I shall think of something, don’t worry. Now, you’re transition is almost complete, just a couple things left to do to focus you on your new body… what color would you say your coat is?”

“Uhhh… a darkish grey I suppose?” Orion guessed, looking at his foreleg.

“Alright, if you could please focus on that color in your mind for a little bit………… Excellent, your fur is growing in, next should be your mane, the style can be altered once you wake up, but right now we just need to think colors. What would you prefer?”

“Well, I always thought purple and black mixed nicely… kind of striped like this?” Orion said, gesturing to his tail, which carried a royal shade of purple mixed in with inky black in a rather pleasing combination.

“Hmmm… That does look good on you…” Luna noted, nodding her head approvingly, “Just focus on the way those colors look, the way the hairs blend from one to the next almost seamlessly… I’ll focus the magic to replicate the color as best I can for your mane………”

After a few moments of silence, or rather, Orion being quiet while Luna’s horn hummed with power. Finally though, the magic coming from her horn died down and she looked at him with a wild grin plastered on her muzzle that could have given Pinkie Pie a run for her bits.

“I think you’re going to like the results.” She said, wrapping one wing around his withers and pulling him close, “And thank you so much for agreeing to this. I can already tell that we will be good friends!”

Orion tried to hide his blush, which was helped slightly by his coat, but not by much, “No problem at all Luna… I mean, you’re giving me the best gift anyon- anyPONY could ask for.”

“Regardless, I wish to tell you something in private, and I trust that you can keep a secret.” Luna said, removing her wing from him and giving him a bit of space.

“Sure thing Princess, what do you need to tell me?” he asked, cocking his head to the side in wonder, his mind already coming up with a dozen unlikely scenarios for any hidden motives the lunar diarch may have.

“Part of the reason I have brought you to this world, and have even given you a new for is because I need some help… You see child, believe it or not, I still have difficulty with Equestria the way it is… A millennia of banishment would leave anypony out of touch, but I am a Princess, and I cannot relate to my own people anymore… Never mind making true friends. That is part of the reason I have brought you here... You are from a world much harsher than this one, you are jaded and hurt, but in you I still see a spark of hope... You remind me of myself in many ways, and I would very much like it if you would be my friend and my confidant.”

At that point, Orion’s eyebrows had shot up so far they were practically floating in midair.

“You will have your own life in Ponyville as promised, but I would like somepony to talk to about the world, another to share my feelings with that can help me see my home anew, and I wish for somepony else that can appreciate my work and can get others to see its beauty the way that you do... I do not need a student to write me letters like my sister does, I need a real friend. Will you help me?”

Luna confessed all of this to him, her voice cracking, a stream of emotion spilling forth and tears brimming in her eyes.
There were no words exchanged for a moment, he was too stunned to speak in the face of such trust and pure emotion. Finally, when he had processed everything, he nodded mutely, trying not to cry along with the Princess… HIS
Princess…

She cried out happily, clapping her forehooves together and pulled him into a nearly bone crushing hug. When she finally released him, he started gasping for air and muttered something about knowing how Fluttershy felt, which rather killed the mood a bit, but still got a giggle from Luna.

“Well then, I believe that it is about time you woke up… your new form awaits, and I wish to see your face when you look in the mirror for the first time.”Luna said, standing and igniting her horn, a flash of light encompassing them both as he was pulled from the realm of dreams and into reality.

His eyes fluttered open and he was greeted by darkness. His entire body was covered with the plush cover, and for the first time, he was struck by the sheer size difference between humans and ponies. Where he had just barely fit on the pad when the spell began, he now had plenty of room to stretch out and not worry about falling onto the floor. After noting the difference in size, he remembered that he was now without that most basic of human traits, hands. He eventually found his way out from under the covers, but before he could begin examining his new body, he found his field of vision occupied by two giant turquoise orbs. He blinked. And they blinked back.

“Eeek!” he screamed, in a completely manly way that could not have ever been confused for a newborn puppy having its paw stepped on. He felt a tug emanating from his shoulders and looked back to see wings flared and looking exactly like they did in his dreams. Dark grey feathers the same shade as the fur now covering his sides and just about everything else that he could tell. He stood up, his center of gravity shifting from what he was accustomed to, but that was probably normal since he was now on four legs instead of two. Most of his weight was now on his front half, which would explain why ponies always seemed to struggle to stand upright…

“Oh sister, didn’t I tell you he’d turn out well?!” Luna said excitedly, sidling up next to the older alicorn.

“Yes Luna, I have to admit, it was not a pretty process on this end, but I can’t argue with the results… How do you feel child?” She responded.

“I feel… a little off balance honestly…” he responded, “but really good too.”

“That would be because your system was cleaned out during the transition. Everything foreign to Equestrian soil was purged, and the energy was put towards growing things like feathers, fur, bones.”

Celestia noticed his face blanche noticeably as Luna kept talking, “I believe the details are upsetting him a bit Luna… Maybe we could just show him the mirror now?”

“Oh fine… but I still like talking about the process…” Luna groused as her magic grabbed the mirror off the wall and hovered it in front of him so he could fully appreciate his new looks.

He had no concept of what was good looking in this new world, but he had to admit to himself that he wasn’t bad at all… The grey fur of his body was interrupted slightly where the color changed to a deep black that ringed the front of his muzzle, and his fetlocks were shaggy with black hooves peeking out. While he almost certainly wasn’t as large as Big Mac, he wasn’t tiny either. He still stood at about the same height as Luna, but it was hard to judge with that horn of hers.

The biggest surprise for him though, was his hair and his eyes… on earth he’d had a rather short haircut, and eyes that couldn’t fully settle on grey or blue… Here though, his eyes were a deep shade of green that he had only ever seen in cats, and his hair, which was normally curly to the point of breaking combs, was now straight and down to his withers, and it was streaked with royal purple and inky black just like his dream… He was literally living his dream!

“I take it that you like it?” Luna asked, materializing behind him as he held a hoof up to his face and poked his cheek, the image in the mirror copying him perfectly.

He nodded dumbly, spreading his wings, barely having to think about it for them to respond. He tucked them back to his sides as best he could before turning around to look at the rest of him. The first thing he noticed was that his tail looked like a recoloring of Fluttershy’s, and his flank was indeed blank…

“We’ll give you some time to rest now; the magic should still be working on finer details inside your brain, making sure the right connections are there for your wings to let you fly among other things. Please feel free to browse the castle if you have to get out, and we’ll post a guard at your door to help you in case you need it. We’ll see you tomorrow child.” Luna said kindly, wrapping a wing around him once again and nuzzling him gently before standing up to go, along with her sister.

“Wait…” he said, staring after the two royal sisters. “Thank you both for everything… I mean… this is just…”

“My little pony, it was nothing at all. We live for the happiness of those under our protection. When Luna chose you, you became protected by both of us and the whole of Equestria just like anypony born in this world. Now please, do not feel you owe us anything.” Celestia said, interrupting his fumbling attempts at a proper thank you.

“And besides, I can always find something for you to do should you continue to press the point.” Luna joked, grinning and winking at him as a blush crept across his muzzle.

“Now if there’s nothing else child, we’ll leave you be until tomorrow, you will have much to learn before we can send you out on your own after all.” Celestia said, turning and opening the door to the room.

“Orion” he said, blurting out the word so randomly that Celestia’s magic faltered with the door handle for a moment and both sisters looked at him confused. “My name here… a human one won’t fit… but there’s a name… one I would hear in my dreams when I was flying… Orion Borealis…”

“Hmmm… that is a good name… The hunter and the northern lights. Though here in Equestria, their roles are more commonly considered to be the guard and the lights of friendship… that name suits you, Orion.” Luna remarked, smiling softly at him and turning once again to the door, “Goodnight then Guardian of Friendship, we shall see each other in the morning…”

With that, the sisters of the Sun and the Moon left, and Orion went back to examining himself in the mirror.

“Heheheheheh…… oh man, I wish my mom were here for this…Look Mom! No hands!” he said to himself, giggling like a lunatic as one of Luna’s night guards stood outside the door.

“Great…” Aegis Shield said, rolling his eyes, “Another crazy pony in the castle… you’d think we had enough madmare’s around here between the Princesses and those girls from Ponyville…”

Author's Notes:

Looking for someone that can help me get the hang of formatting on this site, please send me a PM if you can help.

Well damn... missed my deadline by about two hours, but i still got it done. Anyway, as i said before, drop a comment and a thumb if you liked this chapter, i promise that after this things start getting back to the goofy, off the wall random funny stuff that the description promised, it's just that any good story needs a good setup first...

btw: if you spot all the puns in this chapter and point them out to me in a PM, you get a cookie :D

P.S. if you leave a comment and i start talking to you, chances are pretty good that i'll want to use your OC in later chapters if you have one, if you don't that's fine too, i'll find some way to slip in my favorite readers regardless.

P.P.S. I am blatantly borrowing Aegis Shield because he has an awesome name and i loved the Spartan Stallion fic, so no offense meant to the original author, only flattery. and if i accidentally borrowed a character without knowing, send me a PM and i'll get right on fixing that.

P.P.P.S. You're awesome if you read this far, so have a cookie anyway! :D

Arrival in Ponyville, AKA Party at Luna's Place!

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It had been about two weeks since Orion was brought to Equestria, and all things considered, he had acclimated rather well. Sure he had needed a crash course in how to properly hold… well, anything really… with hooves. And yeah, he may have accidentally knocked over a priceless vase or smashed through a window in the castle one or six times while getting lessons from Aegis Shield in how to fly. But all things considered, not too bad. He still didn’t have a cutie mark, but that was expected given that his last couple weeks had been spent studying Equestrian living 101 with Luna and occasionally Celestia.

“I think you’re starting to get the hang of this.” Luna said encouragingly from the ground, as Orion tried to hover in place in the middle of the night court.

“Thanks Luna, but don’t you think it might be a bad idea to do this in the throne room?” he replied, looking around him and making sure to steer clear of anything breakable, “I mean, what if somepony needs to speak with you? It’ll look kind of goofy if you’re giving flying lessons to a grown ma- I mean, grown stallion.”

“Believe it or not Orion, I’m perfectly content to be caught looking goofy if it means that more ponies will see me as approachable.” Luna replied, rolling her eyes, “Besides, I’m rather hoping that word gets around that I have a student of my own… might give Blueblood something to moan about that isn’t related to his personal cleaning routines.”

“What was that?” Orion asked, momentarily losing his focus and dropping to the ground about ten feel below.

“Are you alright?!” Luna asked, rushing over to where he was sprawled out on the marble floor in a daze. His eyes were literally spinning around in his head.

“Ugh… I feel like I’m not improving anymore.” He confessed, shaking his head until his eyes refocused.

“Well… it is true that you seem to have hit a wall… Maybe it is time for you to go out and learn on your own…” Luna mused aloud, tapping her hoof to her lower lip in an almost diabetes inducing display of cuteness.

“I have to say, as much as I love the living space in the castle, I think I’d be better off at this point trying to live on my own and making friends who aren’t royalty… no offense Princess…”

“None taken Orion. I also get tired of the royal treatment… Now then, let’s just go over a few more things before we try and put you out in the real world.” Luna said, walking towards the door to the throne room. She was about to reach for the handle when the doors flew open and several guards spilled inside, looks of sheer terror on their normally stoic faces.

“Your Majesty, we tried to stop her, but she’s too much!” one shouted out before collapsing, his wings littered with bits of colored paper and what looked like silly string.

“Truly Princess… She’s a force of nature that we are not prepared for!” another guard exclaimed from the pile, his head poking out of the mass of armor, and a party hat dangling from his horn, “I recommend calling on Capt. Armor immediately before she…”

“WHERE IS HE?!” a voice yelled from the hall outside, simultaneously upbeat and terrifying, “I KNOW YOU’RRE HERE SOMEWHERE!”

The faces of the royal guards; usually calm and steely, had degraded into expressions of sheer terror. One of them even started sobbing, “No more cake please mommy! I’ll eat my vegetables, just no more cake!”

“Oh dear…” Luna said, her eyes growing wide, “I believe my sister told Twilight about your arrival a bit too early…”

“Why do you think that?” Orion asked, his knees only shaking a little as he steeled himself to meet whatever had incapacitated royal guards and infiltrated one of the most secure locations in all of Equestria.

“Because…” Luna began, shortly interrupted by a wad of streamers and what looked like frosting slamming into her face and forcing her to sit down in utter shock.

“HEEEERE’S PINKIE!” echoed through the hall as a blue and pink blur zoomed through the doorway, circling Orion and letting off what sounded like gunshots in every direction around him.

Orion cowered on the floor, his wings instinctively covering him as much as they could, and his forelegs draped across the back of his neck. Eventually the gunfire ceased and a scary silence fell on the throne room. After a few minutes, he worked up the nerve to look out and see the damage. When he opened his eyes though, all he could see was an inky blackness with a ring of light blue and HOLY BUCK THOSE ARE EYES! GIANT FREAKING BLUE EYES RIGHT FREAKING THERE!!!

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! I don’t know who you are yet, but I’m Pinkie Pie and we’re gonna be best friends!” The blue eyes said energetically
As soon as his brain kicked back on, Orion’s first instinct was to jump in the air, scream in such a way that was completely masculine, regardless of any shattered glass that resulted from said scream, and tear off towards the exit at the back of the room.

If the Wonderbolts had been in the room to see how quickly he flew for that door, they may have made him an honorary member on the spot. If anypony else were in the room to see Pinkie Pie however, they would have wondered how an earth pony learned to teleport. Needless to say, his escape attempt was thwarted as Pinkie seemed to materialize in front of the door Orion was barreling towards, and crushed him in a hug that would have killed him as a human. Luckily for him, Ponies are remarkably springy when it comes to blunt force trauma and overenthusiastic hugs…

“Ohmygoshwe’regoingtohavesomuchfunIcanalreadytell,andwe’llbethebestoffriendsandhangoutandpartyandI’llintroduceyoutoeveryponyinPonyvilleandthisisthebestdayever!Imeanreally,Inormallydon’tgetdoozy’sfrommyPinkiesense,butI’vebeenhavingthisdoozyforlike,twoweeks,andthenwhenTwilightsaidthatPrincessCelestiawantedustomeetsomeponyIjustknewthedoozyhadtobeyousoIsnuckmypartycannonintoCanterlot,whicheverponysaidwasabadideabutItotallybroughtitanyway,andthenIfoundyouandnowwecanPARTY!” (Translation for this is provided in the Authors Notes section below)

Orion’s brain tried to process everything that had just spewed forth from this pink party abomination’s mouth, eventually gave up trying, took a nice holiday in Manehattan, and left Orion instructions to simply nod his head and continue breathing.

“So are you excited or what?!” Pinkie asked, grinning so wide that her teeth actually went beyond her face.

Orion nodded and breathed.

“Alrighty then!” Pinkie shouted, pulling the still stunned Princess Luna from across the room… while still sitting in one place… seriously, how stretchy was she?! “You hear that Princess? Let’s get this party started!”

He nodded and breathed.

Pinkie scraped some of the frosting from Luna’s face before pronking (It’s a real word, look it up) over to a DJ booth that had appeared out of nowhere.

Luna chose the absence of the pink party pony as an excellent time to snap out of the shock at being shot in the face by a party cannon.

“Orion, don’t panic, just calmly get up and go through the door behind you… I’ll try and mount an offensive to take out that party cannon…” Luna said numbly, not even bothering to wipe the rest of the frosting from her face.

He nodded and breathed.

“Orion? Hello?” Luna said, waving her hoof in front of his muzzle.

He nodded and breathed.

“Great……” Luna groaned, turning to find Pinkie Pie in the main hall. It wasn’t that hard actually, she was busy sitting the passed out guards at various tables around the hall. The lights had already been dimmed and a white unicorn was starting up the music at a DJ booth. Just as she was about to storm over to the pink menace, Luna noticed that a small group had just entered through the main doorway, Celestia among them.

“SISTER!” Luna yelled in her best Canterlock (the royal caps lock for those of you reading that aren’t noble born) “HELP US STOP HER! WE BELIEVE SHE HAS BROKEN ORION!”

He nodded and breathed.

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight yelled, teleporting herself next to the party pony, “Will you settle down for a second and stop this party?!”

“No can do Twilight!” Pinkie responded over the growing volume of the music, “You can’t stop a party prematurely, Party
Planner Rule Number 3!”

“But you might have hurt the pony you’re throwing this party for!” Twilight argued, trying to get her to see sense as the two royal pony sisters closed in on the Element of Laughter.

“No I didn’t silly.” Pinkie answered, looking at Orion still sitting in a daze by the back door, “You’re fine aren’t you?!” she called out across the room.

He nodded and breathed.

“See silly? He’s fine!” Pinkie said, focusing her attention once again on straightening the party hat on one of the unicorn guards and mumbling to herself, “I swear you unicorns are always so hard to get the hats on.”

“ENOUGH!” Luna said, having finally closed the distance between Pinkie and herself, her horn flared to life and the party decorations vanished, the guards were teleported to the infirmary, which rather startled the nurse on duty, and the DJ set was turned off by removing the power cables. This of course prompted the DJ to yell out Oh come on! “THOU HAST INTRUDED ON THE SANCTITY OF THE NIGHT COURT, ASSAULTED THE ROYAL GUARDS, AND HAVE BROKEN OUR NEW FRIEND ORION! WHAT SAY YOU TO THESE CHARGES, BEARER OF THE ELEMENT OF LAUGHTER?!”

Pinkie Pie sat on her haunches and put a hoof to her lip, as if in deep concentration, finally standing back up and cocking her head to the side as she prepared her undoubtedly iron clad defense, “Well DUH!”

…or not…

“I mean, yeah, I broke into the castle, but who can’t do that these days? And yeah, I threw a party with your guards, but I mean, are they really good guards if they can’t handle something like a little party? And I still say that I totally didn’t break the new guy. HEY NEW GUY! ARE YOU BROKEN?!”

Orion nodded and breathed.

“Huh… well okay, so maybe I went a little overboard…” Pinkie admitted bashfully, “But I mean come on! How was I supposed to know a little party would shock him that badly? He’ll be fine in a minute or so, just let Auntie Pinkie at him for a moment.”

“Besides the fact that we are at least a millennia older than thou, we believe that letting you at him is EXACTLY what broke him in the first place!” Luna replied angrily, wrapping a wing protectively around Orion.

He nodded and breathed.

“Just let me see him for a couple seconds Princess Prissy.” Pinkie continued, somehow materializing in between Luna and Orion, startling the ruler of the night.

“Princess Prissy?!” Luna shouted incredulously, “How DARE you!”

She would have most likely gone off on a tirade of medieval insults, but a white wing placed around her shoulder stopped the Moonbearer cold.

“Give her a chance little sister.” Celestia said calmly, trusting her student’s friend to do the right thing, “After all, she hasn’t
done anything malicious yet. I believe this is rather standard procedure for her actually…”

“Well, normally she doesn’t shoot goddesses in the face with her party cannon, but yeah, Pinkie Pie usually goes overboard with new ponies.” Rainbow Dash interjected, hovering off to the side and trying not to laugh at what had just taken place in the usually dull throne room.

“Yeah yeah Dashie, now everypony shush… This stallion is suffering from acute party sensory overload. Princess Celestia, I’ll need a metal bucket, a glass of water, and a ball peen hammer.” Pinkie said, switching from her usually goofy self to what could almost have been mistaken for a professional… a professional of WHAT exactly still remained to be seen though…

“Alright then my little pony…” Celestia said, summoning the required tools in a moment with her magic and watching the whole scene with an amused smile.

“Why do you need all this again?” Luna asked skeptically, giving Pinkie Pie some space to work on Orion.

“The hammer and the bucket is for this…” Pinkie said, slamming the bucket over Orion’s head and banging on the side of the bucket with the ball peen hammer. Orion responded by jumping a full ten feet into the air, his wings flaring out and carrying him blindly forward at full speed. Rainbow Dash whistled, impressed at the gray, black, and purple streak as it passed by, then winced as he hit one of the marble columns full force.

“…and what was the water for?” Luna asked, shock and horror at Orion’s response second only to her curiosity.

“Well banging buckets on somepony else’s head is thirsty work.” Pinkie answered nonchalantly, taking a long sip from the glass and beaming at the princesses shocked faces and her friends doing their best not to hurt themselves as they simultaneously smacked their foreheads with their hooves.

As Orion peeled off the column… and I’m quite serious when I say he peeled off the column, you could have rolled him
up and hidden him in a roll of wrapping paper, he was that flat at the moment… His eyes noticed a few things about the room. One being that he was now in the middle of what looked like a meeting between the Elements of Harmony and the rulers of the land, and the second thing he noticed was that the floor was getting much closer than he liked at a rather fast pace… and then things got dark.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Orion bolted up in bed, a huge ache manifesting in every part of him that wasn’t his wings. He squinted his eyes open, not wanting another shock like the one he got in the throne room. He thought he had been prepared to meet Pinkie Pie, but he wasn’t prepared enough it seemed…

Much to his surprise, Luna, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were all sitting and chatting off to the side of his bed.

“Hey champ, good to see you’re awake.” Rainbow said, smiling, “I gotta say, I’ve had my share of wipeouts, but that was a hay of a way to go down.”

Ah yes, of course the daredevil would only be here to comment on his flying skills…

“Rainbow Dash, you should know better than to say something like that to an injured flyer.” Fluttershy scolded, “Now let me take a look at you, you poor thing…” and just like that, Fluttershy had, well, fluttered over to your bedside and pulled the covers off to check for anything that might warrant extra care.

Orion fought the urge to yank the covers back on, reminding himself that he had gotten used to walking around without clothes, and that there was nothing wrong with having somepony like Fluttershy check him for injuries. Speaking of which, he probably needed to check himself for anything that wasn’t visible. He stretched out his wings as far as he could, happy that there didn’t seem to be anything broken or bruised about them. Though he did notice that Fluttershy seemed to blush slightly when his wings were extended, and so he folded them back, moving his legs as much as he could without looking ridiculous. Finally, he rolled out of the bed and walked around the room. He was aware of Rainbow Dash and Luna’s eyes on him the whole time, but he didn’t care about that. Finally content that nothing was out of sorts aside from a residual ache that was completely understandable given that he had apparently slammed into rock at full speed.

“So, to what do I owe the honor of having two Elements of Harmony in my room?” Orion asked wryly, Luna giggling a bit at his remark, “And please don’t tell me that if I open my door, Pinkie Pie will have an, I’m sorry for sending you into shock party waiting.”

“Well, uh… It’s not that we particularly had to be here exactly…” Fluttershy said, “It’s just that you hit that pillar so hard, that I wanted to make sure you were okay… and I couldn’t really tell because you were unconscious… so I just kind of stayed here… If that’s alright with you… but I couldn’t really ask before so, please don’t be angry…”

“I’m just here because I remember all the times I wiped out and didn’t like waking up to nopony being there to explain stuff, and Luna is pretty cool to hang out with.” Rainbow Dash explained, “Anyway, no guarantees about Pinkie not having another party set up… it’s kind of her thing you know?”

“I suppose that’s as good as I can get. Where are there others?” He asked Luna, not caring about manners given the fact that he still had a bit of a headache.

“Ask me nicely, and I may just answer you.” Luna replied, sticking her tongue out and smirking at Orion.

He sighed, putting his hoof on top of his muzzle, as if he were pinching the bridge of his nose, “Please oh mighty Princess Luna, won’t you grant mercy on this broken young stallion and see fit to bestow upon him the gift of knowledge about the other Elements of Harmony and your beloved sister?”

Luna sniffed, seemingly satisfied with Orion’s act of groveling… Act being the operative word in this case… “ If you must know, Celestia and the other elements went to grab some food down in the kitchens. I reminded them that we could have ordered something up, but my sister reminded me that you may not react well to seeing Pinkie again so soon after waking up.”

“Well that makes sense I suppose…” Orion conceded, “But I’m pretty sure I could handle her now that I’m ready.”

“Nopony is ever ready for Pinkie, you just learn to cope…” Fluttershy added, her voice barely audible.

Silence reigned in the room until Rainbow Dash broke it.

“……… any ideas about what we can do until they get back?” Rainbow asked, boredom clearly written on her face.

Everypony in the room looked around, trying to come up with something fun… suddenly, something caught Orion’s eye in the corner of the room.

“Is that what I think it is?” he said, pointing at the metallic tube.

Luna looked at where he was pointing and smiled deviously, “Mares and Stallion, I think I know what we can do for fun…”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Down in the royal kitchen, Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Celestia were happily digging into a large cake. Or rather, Celestia was digging in… Seriously, she was muzzle deep in the cake, with bits of icing flying to the sides as she dug in. Rarity was politely nibbling on a small slice and dabbing her cheeks for crumbs after every bite. Twilight was reading the recipe card for the cake while idly sucking on a fork that once held a piece of cake, but had fallen off in transit to her mouth. Pinkie Pie was drawing a diagram of the cake and trying to figure out how to modify her party cannon to fit larger cakes like the one Celestia was devouring… The problem was apparently in the edging at the bottom. And lastly, Applejack was slicing a couple of apples to wedge into her piece of cake, which would probably ruin the flavor given the fact that it was a carrot cake.

Without any warning, save for Pinkie Pie suddenly reaching for an umbrella with a surprised look on her face, there was a pop of magic as Luna, Orion, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash materialized on the table dressed like pirates.

“YAAARR!” they screamed, pulling the string on what was undoubtedly Pinkie Pie’s own party cannon, and blasted the cake devouring troupe in front of them with frosting, streamers, and a mixture of confetti and glitter.

“That’s for shooting me in the face!” Luna shouted, her horn glowing as the random batch of buckaneers disappeared in a flash of dark blue colored magic.

There was a scary sort of calm that fell across the group in the kitchen, with everypony present covered head to hoof in some kind of party related paraphernalia, except for Celestia, who had already been fairly covered in icing before the surprise pirate raid. Pinkie Pie was also an exception, because she had managed to get her umbrella open in time for the
shots that were fired, she was only half covered in glitter and cake batter.

“I suppose I should have seen that one coming…” Pinkie said, everypony else in the room glaring at her for having brought the offending firearm with her in the first place.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Meanwhile, back in Orion’s room, the four vengeful vandals were busy laughing their flanks off.

“Oh man! That was the best ever! Did you guys see Rarity’s face?!” Rainbow Dash howled.

“Or the way that Twilight jumped when we popped in and yelled!?” Orion replied, his wings spread out beneath him as he rolled on the floor, “And Pinkie Pie! She’ll have a tan line made out of glitter because of that stupid umbrella!”

“This was the best prank I’ve pulled on Tia in YEARS!” Luna cried, tears streaming down her face as she recalled the look her older sister had on her face when her head popped out of the cake and there was a ring of icing around her muzzle.

“Oh my… That was really something else.” Fluttershy admitted, having been the reluctant one of the group, even she had to see the humor in what they had done. “Do you think any of them will be upset with us?”

“Oh hay yeah!” Orion said, having to calm down a bit because of the pain in his sides. “But it’ll be SOOOO worth it… And I got to blast the premier party pony of Ponyville! How many others can say that?”

“Not a whole lot dude!” Rainbow Dash said, wrapping a wing around Orion, “Man, if it’s true that you’re moving to Ponyville, we’re gonna have sooooo much fun it won’t be funny!”

Orion grinned like a loon and turned to Luna, “So when am I moving down to Ponyville anyway Princess of the Pirates?” he asked, shrugging off the brown vest and the hat Luna had conjured up for his outfit after coming up with the plan.

“Well if you must know, I was going to suggest that you move down there as soon as Tia and I were able to find a vacant place for you to inhabit. If you wish to move sooner though, I’m sure that you can find someone to put up with you for the time being.” She replied jokingly, her own pirate outfit dissolving as she magic’d it back to her closet in the Silly Costumes drawer.

“I’d offer you a place at my home… but Angel bunny doesn’t take kindly to visitors lately…” Fluttershy said quietly.

“And I’d love to hang out with you more dude, but I don’t let anyone stay at my place after Scootaloo stayed over the night that one time. Nice kid, but dang, she nearly collapsed a cloud house!” Rainbow Dash said, “You might be able to stay with Twi or AJ though, they usually have space for visitors, and I know that Applejack’s family is big on hospitality.”

“Well that seems like it’s fine with me.” Orion admitted, “What do you think Luna? Should I stay or should I go?”

“Truthfully Orion, there is not much more you can learn about Equestria without experiencing life in it on your own… I think we should talk to the others once they are cleaned up and we can see where to go from there.” Luna advised, once again wearing the mask of a ruling Diarch.

“Works for me… but maybe we should go apologize first?” Orion suggested.

“That would be a very smart idea…” a calm voice said from behind the grey pegasus, chilling him to the core as he slowly turned to see Princess Celestia and the other four members of the group glaring at Luna, Rainbow Dash, and himself.

After profusely apologizing to the Princess of the sun, as well as the rest of the victims of the Party Pirate’s little raid, everypony settled down while Luna used her magic to remove every trace of the cannon’s spent ordinance from the newest arrivals to Orion’s room.

“Ah Ain’t gonna lie,” Applejack began, her accent oddly calming, and motioning to Orion and Luna, “If I hadn’t seen what Pinkie did with that cannon of hers to you two, I’d be fightin’ the urge to buck ya both in the head.”

“What about me?” Fluttershy asked meekly, hiding under her hair.

“Shoot sugarcube, I can’t be upset with you. Ah know that you only got roped into it by these three idiot’s.” Applejack answered.

“And what about me huh?” Rainbow Dash asked, hovering over Applejack and looking down at her upside down.

“A’ll deal with you when we get back to Ponyville…” Applejack growled, “That ain’t no way to behave and you know it.”

“Uhhh…. Can I ask a question and not mean to be offensive?” Orion said, raising his hoof while sitting on the floor.

“What is it sugarcube?” Applejack responded, still glaring at Rainbow Dash.

“Are you two dating or something?” he asked, deciding not to beat around the bush with the question. (HA! Did you see what I did there? Oh come on, that’s funny…)

Applejack’s face turned about three shades of orange lighter, and Rainbow Dash’s wings stopped moving for a second, sending her crashing to the ground on top of her friend.

“WHAT!?” they both shouted back, untangling themselves and standing up.

“Why would you ask something like that Orion?” Twilight interjected, “I’m not sure if you know this, but that’s very rude… Asking anypony if they’re dating is rude in fact… Where are you from where that’s acceptable?”

“Uhhh… I’m from……” he fumbled, trying to come up with something other than Earth. Luckily, Luna came to his aid.

“He’s from another land. He’s lived a nomadic life out beyond Saddle Arabia, and because of this he is still learning the more minute details of decorum in Equestria. I brought him to Canterlot to learn, and wish for him to return with you six to Ponyville to learn more and make friends.” She said, trying to give Twilight Sparkle as many details as were safe without causing undue attention.

Twilight pondered this for a moment or two, and then smiled at Orion, “I guess that makes sense.”

Luna breathed a sigh of relief.

“That actually sounds a bit like what Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville for. It’s a good place, you’ll like it.” Twilight continued.

“And darling, if you’re going to be moving to Ponyville, you’ll need some nice clothes. While not a lot of ponies appreciate fashion these days, I believe it my duty to ensure that every handsome stallion is looking their best. Besides, it’s so rare that I get to make clothes for male clients!” Rarity said, also smiling at Orion.

“Well thank you Miss Rarity, I truly appreciate it.” He responded, “Believe it or not, I used to wear clothes on a fairly regular basis before coming to Canterlot. And I’d be happy to help you work on any clothes for males if you need any help.”

“Oh my, he really is a rather charming stallion isn’t he?” Rarity tittered, turning to Fluttershy, who simply nodded and smiled softly.

“Now that we have established that he’s a nice stallion, can we focus on where he’ll live and how he can earn some money?” Luna suggested, cutting the rest of the group off as they giggled and chatted amongst themselves in hushed tones, all the while Orion looked at the group with confusion.

“I might could see if he can stay at the farm with my family.” Applejack suggested, “It’s kind of out of the way, but that just means he can ease into life in Ponyville right?”

The group nodded their assent while the Princesses looked on calmly. Orion was getting a bit embarrassed though. He had so far been told he was handsome not once, but a few times, and apparently being a stallion in Ponyville was a big deal.

“OOOOH! I know what he can do for a job!” Pinkie exclaimed, “He can help me and the cakes at the shop!”

“Uhhh… will you be shooting me with the party cannon if I work at the shop?” Orion asked, concern in his voice at the thought of being a test dummy for some of Pinkie Pie’s inventions.

“Of course not, silly!” Pinkie said, giggling at his question, “I use Gummy for testing the party cannon!”

“You shoot gummy with that thing?!” Fluttershy asked, gasping in shock.

“Oh nonono Flutters… HE fires the cannon at ME!” Pinkie answered, as if this were the most sensible thing in the world.

Throughout the room, the sound of hooves smacking faces could be heard.

“Well, I think I can handle working in a bakery.” Orion said, “I mean, I used to work in a food shop, so it can’t be that much different.”

“WHEE!” Pinkie said, jumping up and down in place, “NEW FRIEND! NEW FRIEND! NEW FRIEND!”

With that, everypony in the room was grabbed by a pair of bright pink forelegs and pulled into a spine snapping hug of affection. Orion looked at Luna, who was struggling to escape the hug for all she was worth, and chuckled to himself.
If this is what it’s like with these ponies, I think I can manage. He thought to himself. Before the thought had even a moment to settle in his mind though, Rainbow Dash somehow managed to wriggle her way closer to Orion and whispered in his ear.

"Just so you know, i'm single..." She then winked at him and turned away like nothing had happened at all.

Or maybe I'm already in over my head...

Author's Notes:

Pinkie's Monologue Translation:
“Oh my gosh we’re going to have so much fun I can already tell, and we’ll be the best of friends and hang out and party and I’ll introduce you to everypony in Ponyville and this is the best day ever! I mean really, I normally don’t get doozy’s from my Pinkie sense, but I’ve been having this doozy for like, two weeks, and then when Twilight said that Princess Celestia wanted us to meet somepony I just knew the doozy had to be you so I snuck my party cannon into Canterlot, which everypony said was a bad idea but I totally brought it any way, and then I found you and now we can PARTY!”

Sorry about being late with this one. I know i sad i'd have it up by today, but here it is about quarter after midnight. Anyway, enjoy, like, favorite, comment, PM me, just let me know how you feel about the story. night ya'll, i'll be working on the next chapter tomorrow, and i may have it up in time :D

Apple Pie

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Chapter 4- Apple Pie
AKA: Eat Your Hearts Out, Shippers!

After one last dinner with the Princesses, Orion and the Elements were whisked away to a large chariot pulled by four members of the royal guard. Rainbow Dash of course insisted on flying back to Ponyville herself, so off she zoomed, leaving Orion alone with five well known Mares in a royal carriage… He was pretty sure he’d seen a romantic comedy that had this kind of setup, but he couldn’t remember the name. Oh well…

“So Orion, I have to ask, and please don’t think me uncouth for wondering, but why do you not have a cutie mark?” Rarity asked as they took off, “I wasn’t staring, but I couldn’t help that your flank is, well, blank…”

Why would she need to tell me she wasn’t staring? Aren’t we all naked anyway? He thought to himself before answering.

“Oh… well, where I come from, ponies don’t really get cutie marks… there are those that eventually get a mark of sorts… but those are usually by choice.” Orion tried to explain, clearly seeing the confusion on the faces of his new friends as he tried to put the concept of a tattoo into something they could understand.

“I’m sorry darling, but that just raises more questions… Can you perhaps explain it again?” Rarity asked politely.

“To put it simply, I’ve never found my special talent, and if I have, then I’ve simply not acknowledged it for one to
appear… And it’s a rather common sight for other ponies where I come from to not have a cutie mark at all.” He reiterated, this time seeing a few nods from the mares that were looking at him.

“Well that’s no good then is it?” Pinkie pie said, pouting a little as if she were deep in thought. “I know! You can join the Cutie Mark Crusaders!”

“Uhhh… Pinkie… you sure that’s a good idea?” Applejack asked, her face and Rarity’s both showing signs of worry. “Ah mean, you know what kind of craziness they get up to…”

“Of course silly! I mean, how much trouble could they get in if they had an adult watching them while they try and find their talent? And it might help Orion figure out his talent!” Pinkie responded, shocking every other passenger in the chariot at how sensible that actually was.

“Well, let’s just see how things go when we reach Ponyville. I mean, if you’re serious about me helping at Sugarcube Corner, then I’ll probably be busy with that a lot of the time anyway.” Orion said, looking out over Equestria as they rode along through the sky.

“Oh don’t be silly!” Pinkie exclaimed, “The Cakes give me plenty of time off!”

“That’s just so ya don’t wreck the place in a cupcake bakin’ frenzy.” Applejack said, looking sideways at the pink baker,
“Or they might just have him running errands. In any case, let’s not make plans ‘til we know what’s gonna happen.”

“Thanks Applejack.” Orion said, welcoming the voice of reason that the orange farmer offered, “Besides, according to Luna, I’m supposed to meet with the Mayor first thing and explain my situation. Then from there I’m free to do what I like as long as it’s not disruptive to the town, so even I’m not sure what I’ll do yet.”

“Well ya know that you’ve got a place to stay on the farm for the time being. But if ya don’t do something to earn get out on your own, we might just strap ya to the plow for awhile.” AJ joked, tipping her hat up slightly and giving Orion a friendly smile.

“As enticing as lugging a giant hunk of metal sounds, I think I’ll try and see what I can do at Sugarcube Corner.” He responded, laughing and turning to look out over the side of the chariot once more.

He had gotten a good look at the land below when he had practiced flying from his tower room back in Canterlot, and of course he had studied maps of the land when he was learning about this world from Luna and Celestia… well, mostly Luna…

Unfortunately, his thoughts were interrupted by a purple blur whizzing past his nose.

“Hello… Orion? Did you hear what I said?” Twilight asked, waving a hoof in front of his muzzle.

“Wha-who-where… sorry… I was kind of zoning out there… what’s up?” He responded, blinking and shaking his head.

“Ugh… I was telling you some things about Ponyville that you might find interesting.” She answered, “Now if you were paying attention, you’d have heard that the town was founded by earth ponies. Every year Spring is ushered in with Winter Wrap-up, and has to be done without magic. The split in the sexes is roughly five and a half mares to one stallion. Certain noticeable landmarks are the town hall, Quills and Sofas, Carousel Boutique, Sugarcube Corner, Sweet Apple Acres, and the Library, and the Spa. You’ll be working at Sugarcube Corner for now assuming Pinkie can convince the Cakes to let you work, and you’ll be staying at Sweet Apple Acres. Wednesdays are half price at the market. And lastly, the Everfree Forest is extremely dangerous to go in alone. Do you have any questions?”

Orion raised an eyebrow, “Yeah… why did I need to know half of that stuff?”

“Well excuse me for trying to keep you informed about your new home.” Twilight groused, frowning and marking Tell newcomer interesting facts about Ponyville off her checklist.

“And some of that stuff is pretty dang important you hear?” Applejack interjected, “Specially that part about half price Wednesdays at the market. You’re gonna be livin’ with the Apple family for awhile, ya’ll are gonna pull yer weight one way or another. And if Pinkie Pie ain’t using ya at the shop, yer gonna be working for the farm, that means chores and errands.”

“I think I can do that.” Orion answered confidently, “But that still doesn’t explain why I needed to know there’s seven mares for every one stallion.”

“I said five and a half.” Twilight corrected, smirking with an air of mild superiority.

“Anyway, why would that make a lick of difference in my living in Ponyville?” He continued, voicing his confusion.

“That’s because of what happens in the Spring and Summer…” Fluttershy answered, looking to the rest of her friends for confirmation and receiving nods of approval. “And considering that it’s already early spring you’ll learn about that stuff when we get there… I’m sure Big Macintosh would be happy to explain…”

“Explain what?” he asked again, this time only receiving cryptic smiles from the other passengers of the chariot.

“It’s just that being a male in Ponyville comes with a few perks.” Rarity explained, trying to steer the conversation in a slightly different direction, “Think of it this way darling, if there were only one mare for every stallion, how do you suppose the males would treat her?”

“Well, they’d probably try and be really friendly, give her things and earn her affections and just be closer. I suppose she’d be rather popular…” Orion responded, still not quite getting the point.

(Hey, I never said he was exceptionally bright…)

“Now just flip the roles silly, and you already know how you’re probably gonna be treated by everypony in Ponyville!” Pinkie said, giggling at his confusion.

“So… what you’re saying is that I might have multiple mares hitting on me?”

(Let’s hear it for the boy, he finally gets it.)

“That doesn’t sound so great…” he muttered, just loud enough for a certain white unicorn to hear.

I’ve never been good around girls… even the ones that thought I was alright still scared the hell out of me! What will I do if I suddenly become a rare commodity in this town?

“Why wouldn’t it be good darling?” Rarity asked, trying to be discreet by pulling him off to the side with her magic and lowering her voice to speak with him, “What could possibly be better than to be surrounded by eligible mares, most of who will by vying for your attention?”

“I’m just… it’s nothing… I guess I just feel more comfortable around other males…” he answered, remembering all the times that girls in his life had strung him along or used him to get something for free. “Guys are more straightforward about things and they’re easier to get along with…”

Now, it should be noted that for those reading, his meaning is quite clear, he has had a bad history of women in his life not being honest and even leading him on for their own gain… What a certain Miss Rarity was hearing was an entirely different story.

Oh my goddess, he’s into Stallions… This changes everything! Although… that would explain why he keeps stretching his wings in front of Fluttershy without a care… and that could be why Princess Luna was so familiar with him. After all, no need to worry about indiscretions if the other pony simply isn’t into your entire gender…

“Are you alright there Rarity?” Orion said, waving a wing in front of her face, the unicorn’s eyes unfocused as if she were on another planet.

I wonder what kinds of stallions he likes… Oh, I’ll bet he’s really one of the cute silent types when he’s around the other males, like the main characters in my books! He’ll probably fall for a strong, hard working stallion of few words, but he’ll coax Orion out of his shy ways with tenderness, and they’ll become one under a moonlit sky near a lake after confessing their undying love for one another! And then Orion will tell the stallion of his dreams about his darker side, and that’s when they’ll get out the riding crop and the bit… Oh I’ll bet he’d look marvelous topping a well built powerhouse of a stallion… He’d hold the crop in his mouth, and he’d make his mate hold the bit in place and moan as he was whipped… His wings would even unfurl to their full size as he takes his lover from dusk to dawn…

By this point, Orion was growing worried about Rarity, her usually porcelain white coat was starting to grow a pinkish red hue over her entire body. Her face in particular looked like it was heating up to the point that steam would billow out of her ears. And creepier still, she had a weird look on her face that made her seem like she was about to start drooling.

“RARITY!” he yelled, clapping his hooves in front of her face, finally getting a reaction out of her in the way of an embarrassed squeak and her horn lighting up in shock.

“Oh I do apologize dear… I was just imagining some things that might look, well, particularly good on you…” She explained, the redness in her face growing a shade darker for a second there before she magically cooled her body down and returned to her normal pale self.

“Oookaaayyy…” Orion said, sufficiently baffled by this point, “If you’re already getting ideas about that, then I was wondering if we could stop by the boutique tonight so you could get my measurements. Not that I don’t enjoy going around in my natural colors like everypony else… but I feel more comfortable with at least something on…”

“Oh of course darling!” Rarity said, lighting up at the thought of making clothes for her new friend. “And I can get you outfitted to attract just about anypony that might catch your eye… and just out of curiosity, how do you feel about latex?” She added, winking at him suggestively.

“Errrrr…. It’s good for some things I guess…” he said, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable.

“Just don’t bother wearing any of those fancy clothes when you come to work at the bakery!” Pinkie chimed in, rescuing Orion from the fashionista. “If you aren’t careful, you’ll be wearing what you’re cooking!”

“Oh don’t worry darling… anything I make for Orion will be stain resistant.” Rarity said, her voice taking on an almost creepy aspect and a blush flashing across her muzzle again.

“So what does everypony do for fun in Ponyville?!” Orion asked, his voice gaining a tone of mild hysteria as he tried to get away from whatever topic was making Rarity act so weird.

Pinkie Pie perked up at the mention of fun, then calmed down enough to be understood when she spoke.

“Ohmygoshthere’sthisplaceyouhavetogotocalledtheHangingNotethathastheseawesomemusicianscomeinandtheyplayandit’samazing!”

…Okay, so she tried to calm down……

“Uhhh… what?” he asked, simply staring at her blankly.

“She said that there’s a club called the Hanging Note that hosts various musicians and they play really good music…” Fluttershy said, trying to be helpful, and then proceeding to go back to hiding in her hair.

“Aw shoot. There’s lots more to do around town than some new fangled club. We’ll give ya a tour once we touch down.” Applejack said confidently.

“Speaking of which, how much farther is it?” Orion asked, trying to see ahead and only getting a face full of white guard flank for his troubles.

“We’re about five minutes out sir.” One of the guards said, turning his head to look back at the passengers in the chariot. “And please stop looking at our flanks, it’s not very polite.”

Orion blushed while the rest of the group laughed, and a few minutes later, they touched down in the main square of the town.

“Thanks for the ride guys. Here’s something for your trouble.” Orion said, digging few bits out of the pouch of money Luna had given him to get settled. She had said there was enough to get him a week of supplies and a bit extra, so hopefully he wasn’t giving the guards too much.

Each of the pegasi guards took the money without question or comment and flew off back to Canterlot while Orion turned to see the rest of the chariot’s passengers and a newly arrived Rainbow Dash standing in a semi circle and staring at him.

“So… where to first?” he asked, not entirely sure what to say.

“Well, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia told you to go to the Mayor as soon as you arrived, but I need to get back to the library and check on Spike, anypony else want to show him around town?” Twilight said, looking around at her friends.

“I’ll show him to the mayor’s office. I know how to get there faster than anyone.” Rainbow Dash said, stretching her wings and hopping into the air, hovering in place and looking at Orion expectantly.

“I’ll come along and show him to the Cakes after that!” Pinkie answered excitedly, “And then I can get started on planning his Welcome to Ponyville Party!”

“I will tag along as well,” Rarity said, “As much as I’d love to go back to the boutique and see Opal, I’m sure the little dear will be fine until I can get Orion over to take his measurements.”

“And I’ll need to show him how ta get to the farm from here.” Applejack replied matter-of-factly.

“I need to get home and check on Angel Bunny and the others… the last time I left him in charge of things, I came back and everyone was playing a game where they stacked the feed bags into walls and were throwing my dishes at each other…” Fluttershy said, looking down at the ground and scraping her hoof through the dirt.

“I don’t think that was a game Fluttershy… I think your animal friends had a war in your house…” Twilight noted, one eyebrow quirking up and a concerned look showing in her eyes.

“I’m sure they were just playing pretend… but either way, I’d rather not leave them alone long enough to find Angel in some kind of trouble.” Fluttershy said, “So if it’s all the same to you, I’ll be going now…”

“Alright Fluttershy, see you later.” Orion said, wrapping a wing around her side and leaning his head in like Luna usually did to him when he stayed at the castle.

Fluttershy blushed a furious red, mumbled something that sounded like “okaygottagobye!” and zoomed off out of town leaving a dust cloud trailing after her.

“Geez… You sure you’re the fastest flyer in Equestria, Dash?” he asked, his eyes growing in surprise and turning to look at the sky blue pegasus.

“Shut up Orion. Now are we gonna get going or what?” Dash responded, giving him a withering look for suggesting that somepony else could be faster than her.

“Lead the way.” He said, opening his wings and springing into the air to follow the Wonderbolt hopeful as she tore across the sky.

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After an hour of going over and filling out forms that were sent to the Mayor’s office in advance, most of which designed specifically for him given his unique way of coming to Equestria, Orion and Rainbow Dash both left town hall and were greeted by a small crowd of less than happy mares.

“Dashie! You guys took forever!” Pinkie complained, picking herself up off the ground where she had most likely been throwing a mild tantrum at the delay.

“Even I have to complain a bit darling… Had I known that simple paperwork would take so long, I’d have at least dropped by the shop to check in on Opal.” Rarity said, pouting as a handkerchief levitated to just under her horn and wiped away a bit of nonexistent sweat.

“Sorry about that you guys, I didn’t know there was so much paperwork involved in moving to a small town like this.” Orion apologized, “But that’s probably the worst of it, so now we’re free to go so whatever else you guys want to the rest of the day.”

“Snack time!” Pinkie cheered, grabbing Orion by the foreleg and zooming across town to an all too familiar building that looked like it was made of gingerbread, icing and gumdrops.

“How did you… weren’t we on the other side of town?” Orion asked, trying to make sense of being effectively teleported by an earth pony dragging him.

“Well we could have gone slower silly, but then I’d be late to start planning your party!” Pinkie replied, as if this were the most normal thing in the world. “Now, let’s introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Cake… HEY MR. AND MRS. CAKE! I GOT SOMEPONY TO SHOW YOU!”

As Orion began rubbing his ears to get his hearing back, an orange and blue coated couple walked in from the back with strained smiles on their faces.

“Why hello Pinkie dear, we thought you were in Canterlot on Element business…” Mrs. Cake said, greeting her assistant baker.

“What brought you back so soon?” Mr. Cake asked, before his eyes drifted to Orion, who was still sitting down, still a bit jittery from the high speed kidnapping. “And who’s your new friend?”

“That’s why I’m back early!” Pinkie answered, jumping in place and inhaling for another patented Pinkie Pie tirade, “This is Orion, he’s new to Equestria, and me and the girls went to Canterlot, and I shot Luna in the face with the party cannon, then she got revenge while dressed like a pirate by shooting everypony else with the cannon, and I accidentally put Orion into shock, but then I helped him get better. And now Princess Luna wants him to live here and I said that we could use some help around the shop, and since he’s a pegasus I figured he could help us do the deliveries that we’d normally have trouble with and he can help us with customers and stuff like that. So can he work here pretty please?”

To their credit, the Cakes were used to Pinkie’s antics, and actually followed her little spiel, turning to look Orion over once she was finished talking and just sat there grinning.

“Hmmmm…” Cup Cake muttered, “It would be nice to expand our deliveries to places like Cloudsdale, and we could even use
him to pass out fliers at the market… Plus it’d be an extra pair of hands to clean the shop and work the register… What do you think sugar bun?”

Carrot Cake looked at Orion and seemed to be weighing the options, “Well, he would be able to help us out a bit, but are we doing well enough to pay for Pinkie AND him AND the kids?”

“If we take him on, we could drum up more business and make any extra money we might need.” Cup Cake argued,
“And he looks like he’d pull in some of those mares that keep leaving us because they say we’re bad for their figures…”

“True… Still, only one way to be sure if he’s got the know-how to call himself an employee of Sugar Cube Corner…” Carrot conceded, looking Orion square in the eye and closing the distance, trying to look intimidating. It might have worked if Orion hadn’t noticed how skinny Carrot Cake was.

“What is the most important ingredient in any good piece of baking?” he asked, completely serious.

Orion’s mind went into overdrive trying to figure out an answer that would satisfy the angry looking orange stallion.

“………Love?” Orion guessed, cringing as the clichéd line left his lips. He saw Pinkie Pie looking solemn out of the
corner of his eye, that couldn’t be very good…

“Well actually, it’s usually sugar or flower, but Love works too!” Carrot Cake said, his face breaking into a smile and his hoof wrapping around Orion’s neck as he pulled him into a friendly hug, “Welcome aboard kid, you can start tomorrow afternoon around two.”

“WHEE! Orion gets to work here! Orion gets to work here! Orion gets to work here!” Pinkie said, singing and hopping around in a circle as Mr. and Mrs. Cake laughed along with her and Orion just sat there dumbfounded.

“I got a job? Just like that? No resume, no application needed?” He asked, his jaw hanging lower and lower as he realized that he had literally been dragged into a sweet shop and been hired on the spot.

“Why would anypony need something like an application?” Mrs. Cake asked, “I mean, it’s not like you don’t have a reference, Pinkie Pie vouched for you, and the Princesses themselves sent you down here, the least we could do is help you get on your feet.”

“That’s just… wow…” Orion sputtered, a grin slowly creeping onto his face as he let it sink in that he was actually someone special here. This might not actually be one crazy event following another after all…

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After the Cakes giving him instructions for his first day on the job tomorrow, Rarity and Applejack had finally managed to catch up to Pinkie and him. They didn’t look too happy at having been ditched, and after Rarity threatened to ignore her party invitations for a week if she ever did it again, Pinkie apologized. From there, Rarity had yanked Orion out of the sweet shop by his tail, and Applejack, Rarity, and he went off to Carousel Boutique, with Orion suspended in a levitation spell in case Pinkie tried to kidnap him again.

After being gawked at by ponies for a good five minutes, he finally convinced Rarity to let him walk on his own four hooves. As soon as he was back on the ground, the first thing he did was stretch out as much as he could. He probably looked like an idiot with his flank in the air and his wings stretched out as much as he could get them, but it felt so good he didn’t care. Seriously, you have no idea how restricting those levitation spells can be…

“Oh my, Darling, please don’t do that out here in the street where everypony can see you… you’re attracting quite a bit of attention, and I don’t believe it to be the good kind…” Rarity cautioned, her eyes casting about the market street they were in at the time.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his head tilting to the side, the total picture of innocence.

“Well hey there stud.” A voice said from behind him, a pink hoof wrapping around his withers and a green haired mare getting in his face, “Was that little display for me?”

Apparently her words meant something important, because Rarity and Applejack both had the same shocked expressions on their face when the strange mare called him a stud.

“What? I’m sorry, who are you?” he asked, trying to be as calm as possible while hiding his confusion.

“Oh come on now sweet heart, don’t bother trying to play hard to get… I saw that little move you just did… I have to say, I really like that wingspan you’ve got going on…” as she was talking, her tail kept flicking against his flank, and the hoof that wasn’t acting like an unwanted scarf was busy tracing the edge of his wing… okay, that part actually felt kind of good…

“Dangit Daisy, can you not let the poor fella get himself settled in before trying to hit him up?” Applejack said, separating the bewildered pegasus from the rather touchy earth pony.

“Oh come on Applejack, you’ve already got Big Mac working at that farm all day, are you gonna hog this stallion too?” the mare called Daisy retorted, looking upset at AJ’s interference.

“One, Mac’s mah brother so Ah ain’t hoggin’ him, and two, ain’t no way in Tartarus I’m letting the new guy in town get roped into whatever you and yer little flower group has planned fer him.” Applejack rebutted, as Rarity started guiding Orion away from the conflict. He wasn’t going easily though, he genuinely wanted to know what the problem was.

“Oh please! He’d have liked it!” Daisy shot back angrily, her nostrils flaring. Suddenly, she noticed Rarity trying to drag Orion away and immediately tried to recompose herself. “Whatever, I’ll see you later stud!” she called out, winking at Orion and turning around, her tail swishing to the side a bit more than it probably needed to as she cantered back to the flower stall she was running with two other ponies.

“Ughhh! The nerve of some mares!” Rarity said huffily, this time using her magic to nudge Orion along beside her at a steady clip while Applejack caught up to them.

“Ah know, ain’t no cause to be calling him that. I’m amazed you didn’t just shove her away after what she did.” Applejack said, nodding her head at Orion.

“I’m sorry…” Orion said, “But I’m still confused… what did she say that was so offensive? And what did I do that she apparently thought I wanted to talk to her?”

“She didn’t think you wanted to talk darling, I’m afraid that’s part of the problem.” Rarity answered, her nose firmly in the air in indignation.

“And Ah ain’t gonna repeat what she said that was so wrong, cuz’ there ain’t no cause fer that kind of language among friends.” Applejack affirmed, shooting glares at any mare that looked at Orion more than once.

“Here we are Orion, if you could be a dear and wipe your hooves on the mat before coming in…” Rarity said, opening the door to Carousel Boutique.

Despite having seen the show plenty of times, and the boutique quite a bit as well, Orion had to admit that it was quite a sight to see in front of him. Everything just seemed to fit so perfectly in here. Every color matched or was coordinated with the section of the store it was in, and there was a simple elegance that couldn’t have been duplicated in boutique in the human world…

“Wow…” was all he said after looking around. He noticed that Applejack had taken a seat on the couch and was already looking bored, while Rarity was beginning to pull multiple bolts of various materials out from a shelf on the wall.

“Orion, could you be a dear and fetch me that measuring tape from the bench next to you?” Rarity called out, walking over to a stand in front of at least half a dozen mirrors while placing various fabrics around the steps.

“Sure thing Rarity.” He answered, scooping up the tape she mentioned in his hoof, then flew carefully over to where she was setting things up.

“Thank you dear, now, please lift your wings up so I can get your measurements.” Rarity said, manipulating the measuring tape as if it were a snake.

Orion spread his wings out for her and noticed her blush when he did so. Wasn’t this what she’d asked him to do? He couldn’t be doing anything wrong could he? Oh well…

Rarity quickly snaked the measuring tape around his neck, barrel, forelegs, and even the base of his wings. He had to admit yet again that those things were pretty damn sensitive… Finally, the tape dropped to the floor again and Rarity told him to relax and stand on the stage.

As he stood up there, Rarity’s magic gripped various pieces of fabric and held them up to his coat before she decided on a couple different fabrics and discarded the rest in a pile near the wall organizer. Orion fluttered his wings nervously as the materials Rarity had picked out started circling him in a glowing aura of magic. Scissors levitated near his wings and a sewing needle followed it close behind, stitching pieces of cloth as soon as the scissors had worked their magic on the material. Before he knew it, he was wearing a white vest that buttoned halfway up and had slits for his wings to fit through.

“Now I normally don’t do something this plain with my pieces, but your coloring and style just screams simplicity… and those wings of yours definitely need to be showed off without you constantly flexing them like you do…” Rarity noted as she finished with some of the smaller details of the vest.

“Rarity?” Orion asked, trying to move as little as possible while the scissors and needle were still whizzing around in the air. “Why do I need to not flex my wings as much?”

“Well darling, it’s just not something one does in polite society… and besides, there are the connotations it carries…” She answered, visibly uncomfortable. “I’m sure if you asked Rainbow Dash, she could give you a much more in depth answer, but for now, just promise me you won’t go around stretching them in public at least.”

“Still don’t get why, but alright…” he replied.

Thank you dear. Now don’t move… just this one last little thing, and, voila!” the alabaster unicorn said, stepping back with a flourish, gesturing Applejack over to inspect her work.

AJ whistled in appreciation, “I gotta say Rarity, ya did some good work on him. Heh, yer gonna have to beat the mares off with a stick when yer walking around on your own tomorrow!”

“Applejack, could I have a word please?” Rarity said, yanking her friend’s tail and dragging her to a corner of the shop, leaving Orion to admire the handiwork on his new piece of clothing.

He had to admit, the vest was a piece of art as far as clothing went. It had some pockets on the sides that could have looked at home on a pair of cargo pants, but they were blended in with the color of the vest so well that they weren’t easily seen unless you knew where they were. He even found that he could use the tips of his wings to get into the pockets, so for the time being, he wouldn’t need saddlebags. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the fabric wasn’t even a flat white, but it actually had stripes woven into it that made him seem sleeker, more athletic. And the silver buttons down the middle were beautifully crafted in spirals. He was in the middle of unbuttoning the vest to get a better look at what the inside was like when Applejack’s startled voice cut through the shop.

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“Dear Applejack, I don’t know if you’ve noticed any of the signs, but I don’t believe Orion will have to worry about beating any mares off with a stick…” Rarity said when the two of them were out of earshot from Orion.

“What are ya talking about Rarity? I know Ah’m not the only one that thinks that is one nice looking stallion. And you’ve seen how he keeps… flexing… even I know those are some nice wings, and Ah’m normally not into flyers.”

“Darling, what I mean is that I don’t believe Orion is into mares at all. I talked to him on the ride over, and he said he always felt better around other stallions! He even said that a lot of attention from the mares in this town would be bad.” Rarity argued, trying to get her friend to see what she felt was obvious.

“That just might mean that he’s had some bad experiences in the past. That don’t mean anything.” AJ rebutted, her nostrils flaring a bit. She had been fighting on Big Mac’s behalf for years when rumors about him being into colts were first starting up. There was still the occasional gossip monger that needed reminding that nopony was anything until proven otherwise.

“Darling, you saw his reaction to Daisy’s advances. He didn’t even flinch when she called him that derogatory slur.” Rarity pressed, determined to prove her point.

“Well that could just be a cultural difference. He’s from someplace that don’t even have cutie marks, who’s to say they have the same slang as Equestria?”

“And you saw how he hugged Fluttershy. Stallions don’t hug other ponies like that! And to top it off, look at his hair! It’s almost as long as Fluttershy’s. Not that it doesn’t look marvelous the way he’s wearing it pulled back like that… but still.”

“Ah’ll admit, he’s a bit different, but dangit Rarity, quit trying to kill my fantasies!” AJ said, growing frustrated at her friend. “Ah think Ah know what’s going on here… you just want to keep him to yourself. Why would you try and keep him from everypony else by saying he’s a colt cuddler?”

“I’m not making it up!” Rarity said passionately, her usually calm demeanor breaking slightly as she tried to contend with the stubbornness of the apple farmer. “Besides, I have a sense for this sort of thing, and it’s never been wrong before.”

“Oh well if you’re gut says it’s true then it must be. Like the time you were convinced that Zecora was a witch…” Applejack retorted, not buying the fashionista’s story for a moment.

Rarity was about to say something else, but she got distracted by something behind Applejack that made her eyes pop out of her head for a moment before turning back to AJ with a smug look on her face. “Then if I’m so full of it, tell me when was the last time you saw a straight stallion doing that?”

Applejack looked back and saw Orion stretching his wings out and inspecting the details of his new vest. “So he’s admiring yer handiwork Rarity, I hardly feel that’s a reason to think he’d be in the same crowd as Caramel.”

“Well now he’s undressing in front of us…” Rarity said, her eyes boggling in her head once again, a large red blush crossing her face.

“He’s what?!” AJ said, turning to see that Orion was indeed trying to undo the buttons of his vest in front of the two mares.

“ORION!” Applejack yelled, startled and embarrassed at having seen a stallion taking his clothes off. Even she knew that you were only supposed to take off or put on clothes in private.

Orion jumped, spinning around to see a beet red Rarity sitting on the ground with her tongue hanging out slightly, and Applejack pulling her hat over her eyes as she tried to cover up a blush that was growing across her muzzle.

“What’s wrong?!” He asked concerned, still leaving the vest half unbuttoned, and his wings flared out in surprise.

“Nothing at all sweetie, please continue…” Rarity said goofily, all trace of her usual grace evaporating at the sight of a half dressed stallion on her modeling stand.

“Put yer clothes on and yer wings away!” Applejack said, still hiding her eyes.

Orion looked down confused, his vest was still on him… was this some kind of joke? Regardless, he did at least fold his wings.

“Is yer vest buttoned back up?” AJ asked, daring to take a peek and instantly growing a shade darker as her blush spread to her entire body.

“Here dear, let me help you with that…” Rarity said, using her magic to finish undoing the buttons and taking the vest off him entirely.

“Thanks Rarity. It’s a really nice vest by the way. And I really liked the detailing on the buttons and the fabric with that little cross weave.” Orion said, figuring that complimenting the fashionista was the fastest way to avoid any trouble he may have gotten into just then.

“Oh not at all darling… the pleasure was entirely mine I assure you…” Rarity said, something about her voice suggesting that she wasn’t exaggerating about the last part. “Just take this with you, and if you need anything else in the future, or you just wish to hang out and chat about whatever, do feel free to drop by.”

“I’ll remember that Rarity, thanks again.” Orion said, stretching his wing out to pull her in for a hug and a nuzzle like he had given Fluttershy.

“You ready to go now AJ?” he called behind him, releasing the dress maker from his grip and walking past her to the now orange and red farm pony. As he walked past Rarity though, he could swear that he felt her tail flick against his flank. Oh well, might have just been a breeze.

“Sugarcube, if you promise not to put that thing on in front of me or anypony else, then Ah’m ready to show you to the farm.” Applejack said, trying to get her mind out of the gutter, but storing the image of him with his wings spread and that vest half undone for later use.

“Is it a bad thing to put clothes on in front of others?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“Yeah… Yeah it is.” AJ replied simply.

“Huh… weird… that’s like, the opposite of what it’s like where I came from… But alright. I promise not to get dressed in front of others.” Orion mused out loud, bringing his wing up in a mock salute as he promised.

“Alright then… now come on, it’s gettin’ late and Ah wanna be home in time for dinner.”

And with that, Orion and Applejack left the boutique to head off into the sunset, bound for Sweet Apple Acres.

Author's Notes:

Ten-thousand internets to the person that comments with a list of the shipping possibilities i included in this chapter. don't bother listing them out as OCxwhatever, just give me the names of the characters Orion might hook up with.

Okay, sorry that this chapter is all weird and not very funny. Hell, for all i know, it might not make sense and the subtler jokes and hints aren't very good. Anyway, i might not get another chapter up tomorrow, or i might. It depends. there's some stuff going on with me that might mean i have less time to work on this, but i appreciate everyone that's favorited this and i'll try and keep updating as much as i can. Seriously, this story means a lot to me and i don't want to give it up for anything. I'm tired, it's 2:30 in the morning, goodnight folks.

Apple Pie part 2

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Chapter 5- Apple Pie Pt. 2
AKA: Make Your Own Punny Title, I Got Nothing…

Applejack and Orion walked in silence up the dirt road leading to Sweet Apple Acres. He was starting to get a little antsy though. He was trying to keep his promise not to stretch his wings out, and it was driving him nuts. Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Applejack decided to break the silence that had grown between them since leaving the boutique.

“If ya wanna go for a short glide, ya can. It doesn’t matter if yer flyin’, Ah just don’t want ya flexing them wings of yers in front of everypony, specially not Applebloom… ya hear?” she said, her accent growing heavier as they walked. Orion wondered if it just came out stronger when she wasn’t around her other friends…

“I got it AJ.” He said, jumping into the air and beating his wings until he was at a reasonable height to start circling around. It felt good to fly now that he had wings… Maybe that was why Rainbow Dash was always flying…
He touched down after a few more minutes, the top of what was clearly a bright red barn breaking over the top of the hills on their left as they got closer to the main gate of the farm.

“Hey Applejack, how come it’s a bad thing for me to flex my wings anyway?” he asked, not for the first time, “I know you said Rainbow Dash would probably be able to tell me, but if it’s something you’re not supposed to do, I’d like to know sooner rather than later.”

Applejack sighed, pressing a hoof to the bridge of her muzzle, “It just ain’t proper. Something’s just aren’t done cuz of
what they hint at. Fer Pegasus stallions, stretchin’ yer wings is one of em. Matter of fact, that grabbin’ thing you keep doing ain’t too proper either.”

“Grabbing thing?” he wondered out loud… “You mean when I hug somepony else?”

“Is that whatcha call it?” AJ responded, raising an eyebrow, “Where’d ya even learn that?”

“Princess Luna would do that to me whenever one of us went off to go do something else… Kind of like saying goodbye she said.” He answered, suddenly wondering if maybe he should have taken his social cues from somepony that wasn’t a thousand years out of date…

“Well that ain’t what it means nowadays… Granny Smith sees you doing that, she’s liable to chuck the mill stone at yer head.” The orange mare said candidly, laughing a bit to herself, “I can’t wait ta tell Rarity and Fluttershy that you thought you were just being friendly.”

“So what does it actually mean?” he asked, trying to get her to stop avoiding the question.

“It’s kina hard to put into words, honestly, I don’t even get half the stuff about pegasi, just what I pick up on from Rainbow’s pals when they come to the market… tell ya what, after dinner, why don’t ya go on down to the library and ask Twi fer a book about it. She’s probably got somethin’ that can help ya.” Applejack answered, shutting down any further attempts from Orion to bring up the subject.

As they crossed the threshold at the gate, Orion noticed that a majority of the trees that were always shown bearing fruit were completely bare.

“What happened to the apples?” he asked, motioning with his hoof, “I thought it was spring around here.”

“Yeah… It is Spring…” Applejack answered, looking at him funny, “But that don’t mean all the trees around here are gonna start growin’ apples at once. We’d never be able to collect em all if that were the case. Right now it’s the Southern Orchard that’s giving us the apples. The Eastern Orchard is starting to bloom, and they’ll be ready fer harvest after we’ve finished with the Southern ones, then the Northern Orchard after that. It’s on a rotation thing ya see?”

“Oh… so that’s how you guys are able to keep fresh apples stocked year round?” Orion guessed.

“Eeyup…” A deep voice said from next to them, Big Macintosh standing over Applejack, but just about eye level with Orion.

“Holy crap!” Orion yelled, jumping into the air and hovering for a few seconds before lowering himself to the ground. “How the hay did you sneak up on us?”

“Now watch yer language there youngin’…” an aged voice called out from the farm house, “I might not hear everything like Ah used to, but I can pick up when a young stallion’s usin’ words he’s got no right usin’…”

“Granny” Applejack called out, trying not to laugh at Orion’s embarrassment and failing miserably, “We got us a guest fer awhile! Princess Luna sent him ta live here in Ponyville and Ah said we could board him ‘til he gets a place of his own!”

“Well alrighty then youngin’, Ah’ll set another place fer supper.”

“Sorry for scaring you like that fella.” Big Macintosh said, his low voice as calm as he looked, and his voice missing the distinctive accent that the rest of the Apple family seemed to display, “Not often we get visitors out here I haven’t seen around town before. Figured you might be a new friend of AJ’s, so I came over to say hi, and when I head you all talking about the apples, I figured I’d put my two cents in.”

“Huh… Well that’s cool… Creepy, but cool.” He answered, scratching the back of his head with a wing before extending his hoof for Big Macintosh. “Name’s Orion, like Applejack said, she offered me a place to stay at your home until I can find somewhere else, I’ll try not to stay too long and be a bother.”

Big Mac simply nodded, tapping his fore hoof against Orion’s and smiling in that tired way that any blue collar worker seems to have. “Don’t worry about being a burden. If I know AJ, and I do, then you’ll be running errands for us until you’re out of here. Besides, the Apples pride themselves on hospitality.”

“Well alright then…” Orion responded, surprised that Big Mac, the famously quiet farmer, had just made not one, but two mini speeches. Just how inaccurate was the show anyway? “So do you normally get visitors?”

“Nope.”

“So you pride yourselves on hospitality, but you don’t normally entertain guests?”

“Eeyup.”

“………Do you normally talk in one word answers?”

“Eeyup.”

“Are you just screwing with me?”

“Nope.”

Apparently the show wasn’t that inaccurate after all…

“Ain’t no use trying ta get more out of him than that. Big Mac only really talks when he’s got somethin’ ta say. AJ interjected, again, failing to hide her laughter at Orion’s expense.

Orion groaned and smacked himself in the face with a wing… and managing to run smack into a tree while his vision was obscured. His vision swam for the second time in as many days, and his eyes started to resemble those of a certain gray mail-mare. He picked himself up off the ground and started to catch up to the two laughing apple farmers, only wobbling slightly as he tried to get the world to stop being inhabited by duplicates of everything.

“Is he always like that?” Big Mac asked his little sister.

“Eeyup.” She replied, smirking at him as her friend finally managed to walk in a straight line long enough to catch up.

“Ughhh… I just don’t know what went wrong… that tree came out of nowhere.” Orion groaned, his wingtips massaging his temples.

“That tree’s been here almost as long as Granny Smith.” Applejack replied jokingly, “If anything, it’s thinkin’ that ya’ll are the one that came out of nowhere.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac agreed.

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“That dinner was delicious Granny Smith!” Orion exclaimed, after having eaten almost as much as Big Macintosh.
Hey, you run around Ponyville and run into a tree and see if you’re not hungry…

“Ain’t no trouble at all youngin’.” The Apple family matriarch responded, “Now, Applejack says yer new here in town. Did she give yah a tour of the place yet?”

“Yes Ma’am, AJ and her friends showed me around town all afternoon. Though I’m pretty sure a good chunk of that was dealing with city hall and Rarity making me something to wear.” He admitted, smiling.

After introducing himself to the elder of Sweet Apple Acres, the four of them sat down to a gorgeous spread of Apple Pie, Apple Fritters, Apple fries, Apple juice, and celery. Apple Bloom was missing because she was having a Cutie Mark Crusaders sleepover at Sweetie Belle’s place.

“That’s good. I’d have a whole heap of chores ready if one of my own weren’t being good hosts.” Granny Smith said, glaring at her two oldest grandchildren, “Speakin’ of which, what are ya gonna be doin’ around town to earn yer bits?”

“Well, I have a job at Sugar Cube Corner starting tomorrow, but once I figure out what my special talent is, who knows.” He answered.

“Well, if yah ever find that yah need some work to do, Ah know these two can always use some help.” Granny Smith said, smiling and getting up from the table, “And speakin’ of chores, everypony helps with the dishes, so let’s get them goin’.”

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After the dishes had been finished, Orion took off flying for the library. It had gotten dark out while they had dinner, and he was starting to see the first few stars of the night come out. As he glided over the darkening landscape, he couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the small town. There were only a few businesses open at this point in the evening, but almost every home was letting out light as the families caught up and rested from their days. Ahead of him, he saw the all too familiar shape of the Golden Oak’s Library. He alighted on the ground softly and knocked at the front door. When the door opened, he was surprised to see that it was Spike… but he didn’t look much like the short, round, baby dragon from the show. He was easily as tall as Orion, and his snout was longer and his spines were actually spikier… and to top it off, he had wings!

“Can I help you?” Spike asked, his voice still retaining that youthful note despite his more grown up appearance.

“Uhhh… yeah…” Orion eloquently answered, his brain still trying to catch up to the fact that Spike wasn’t anything like he’d expected.

“You must be new… Don’t worry, I’m a dragon, but I’m one of the nice ones that don’t eat ponies. Name’s Spike by the way....” The green librarian said sarcastically, cracking a friendly smile and showing off some of his rather pointy teeth.

“Oh, sorry about that… you just surprised me is all… I knew there was a dragon working here named Spike, but you look different than I thought you would…” Orion answered evasively, “Anyway, I was wondering if Twilight was around? I need to find a book about… well I guess you could call it body language.”

“No problem dude. Come on in. Twilight’s out at one of her friend’s places right now, but I’m the one that does most of the shelving, so I’m probably better help anyway.” He replied, opening the door fully and inviting the grey pegasus inside the giant tree.

The interior was thankfully similar to the show. There was a central table for studying, and there was a wall of books that circled from one side of the door to the other, the only break being at a couple staircases that led up to Twilight’s living quarters and a staircase that led to the basement. The only part that was really different was another door next to the basement steps that Orion assumed would take one to another section of the library.

“Here we are!” Spike said, clambering down a ladder holding a medium sized book with a red cloth cover and gold lettering along the spine.

“The Language of Wings” Orion said out loud. “Awesome! This sounds perfect!”

“Cool, then in that case I’ll check it out from our system and it’ll be due in three weeks.” Spike said, giving Orion another jagged toothed grin, “So what brings you to Ponyville?” he asked conversationally, as he bagged the book for Orion.

“Well, I moved to Equestria not too long ago, and I was staying in Canterlot with Princess Luna. Then she sent me down here to Ponyville today.” He answered, looking around at some of the details of the library he had missed, and also trying to be as evasive about himself as he could.

“Cool!” Spike said enthusiastically, putting the bag on the counter for Orion to grab when he was ready to leave, “So what’s your name anyway? And what do you think of Ponyville so far?”

“My name’s Orion, and it’s pretty cool. I got a job with the Cake’s, I’m staying at Applejack’s place for now, and I’m just happy to be here… It’s a lot nicer than where I came from.” Orion said, “I just need to find something to do for fun around here. Pinkie mentioned something about a club… I’m thinking I’ll check it out as soon as I figure out where it is.”

“Oh you’re talking about the Broken Note.” Spike said, nodding his head sagely, “That’s a pretty cool place, not gonna lie, just be careful. Mares apparently like to mess with a Stallion’s drink if he’s not looking. Nopony’s dumb enough to try that with a dragon, but if you’re gonna go, bring a friend unless you want to deal with foals. Especially this time of year.”

“What about this time of year?” Orion asked, getting a little worried at the tone Spike’s voice took on at the last part.

“It’s Spring, so about half the mares in town will probably be in heat. And since there’s not a lot of stallions in Ponyville, it’s kind of a free for all with the single ones.”

“So what… should I carry a stick with me or something?” Orion asked sarcastically, pretty sure that Spike was just messing with the new guy. Sure he’d read about what could happen if a mare was in heat, but he doubted that one would go so far as to be forceful.

“Well, Caramel and Big Macintosh seem to prefer MACE when they go out, but I guess a stick would work too.” Spike said seriously, “In any case, you should be fine for now, things don’t start getting crazy until about the beginning of summer.”

Orion got a sinking feeling in his gut that Spike wasn’t pulling his leg…

“You’re serious?” he asked incredulously.

“Yep. Most places don’t have the same kind of stuff to worry about, but supply and demand you know? Manehattan has about an even number of the sexes, so nothing too special happens there, Ponyville though… totally different story. Seriously, there’ve been times that I haven’t seen Big Mac for weeks, because he had to hide from about half the town.” Spike explained, his face never showing anything other than a serious expression.

“That sounds… I don’t even know… funny? Scary? Something like that…” Orion said, his wings flapping nervously as he listened and imagined having to hide from a roaming group of Mares.

“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You’re staying with the Apples, so I’m sure Big Mac will teach you a few things about avoiding anything you don’t want.” Spike reassured him, smiling softly and placing his arm around Orion’s withers in a friendly manner. “Anyway, if you’re looking for something to do tonight, I hear that they’re having half price night at the Broken Note, if you don’t feel like dancing, there’s a couple bars on the outskirts of town you might want to check out.

“Actually Spike, I think I’m gonna go back to the farm and get some rest. I start work at Sugar Cube Corner tomorrow, and I’d rather not show up tired or hung over you know?” Orion said, stowing away the information about the local watering holes for later use.

“Well, you have a good night then.” Spike said, showing Orion to the door and seeing him out. Orion took off into the night sky, soon out of sight among the clouds that had drifted in from the Everfree Forest.

Spike closed the door and was starting to go upstairs when he realized that the bag with the book Orion had wanted was still on the counter.

“Crud… I’m probably gonna have to run that over to him tomorrow… Oh well, what’s one more errand from the usual list Twilight leaves.” Spike said, shrugging and heading up to the room he shared with Twilight, petting Pee Wee as he walked past his stand. “He seems like a nice enough guy too. Be cool to have another dude hanging around this town.”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“INCOMING!”

Orion hit the deck as soon as he could, a twenty pound sack of flour sailing overhead, shortly followed by Pinkie Pie… for the umpteenth time that day…

“Dangit Pinkie!” Orion hollered, checking on the cupcake’s he’d been charged with icing. “Can’t you test that cannon in your room?!”

“Well yeah, I could, but then you wouldn’t be able to see the new stuff I did to it!” She replied, picking herself up off the floor.

“Besides, Pound and Pumpkin are safe, and I’m firing at a safe target.”

“You just painted a target on the wall with red icing! And something tells me that the Cake’s wouldn’t think their kids are too safe with your party cannon going off in the kitchen, and their kids being protected behind a donut box bunker!”

“Oh relax silly!” Pinkie responded, waving her hoof at him nonchalantly, “The twins are fine. HEY POUND! PUMPKIN! YOU GUYS ARE ALRIGHT AREN’T YA?”

“YOU KNOW IT PINKIE!” Pound yelled back, taking his helmet off and looking over the top of the wall of filled donut boxes, “TRY THE NEW COOKIE DOUGH SHELLS NEXT! GUMMY SEEMED TO LIKE THOSE!”

“ON IT!” Pinkie shouted. How no one in the front of the store was bothered by this was beyond Orion.

It was his first day on the job, and already Orion was considering asking about hazard pay. The Cake’s had been nice and showed him how to properly ice the cupcakes in the shop. Cup Cake had wanted him to stand outside of the shop to advertise, but Carrot had insisted he learn to do some of the kitchen work so that he could help his wife at the front counter. It had even been a pretty nice job for awhile. He had some time alone with his thoughts, quietly icing the baked goods, even getting creative a couple times, and after the Cake’s had checked on him after the first hour, they’d been pleased with his work…

………. Then Pinkie Pie came in off her lunch break… So far the casualty rate was three dozen cupcakes blown off the counter by a rogue wad of confetti and glitter, two pies and a tray of candy canes lost to Pinkie’s appetite alone, and he had taken a direct hit from one of the experimental rounds Pinkie had affectionately dubbed the Cookie Dough Fuster Cluck… While he was using a shower out in behind the shop to wash off the cookie dough that had stuck itself in his fur and feathers, Pound and Pumpkin Cake had come back from school and set up Fort Cookie, and from then on, he had been lucky to get through even a half dozen cupcakes without having to avoid ordinance or Pinkie or BOTH!
While he finished the cupcakes that he could and put them in a relatively safe place, (there was no actually safe place form Pinkie Pie) he went out to the front to ask the Cakes if it was alright for him to take a break.
“But you just started hitting a really good stride sweetie!” Cup Cake protested, “Why would you want to take a break now?”

Before he could answer, a loud blast echoed from the kitchen, a white cloud exploding out and the twins, Gummy, and Pinkie all stumbled out covered in what could only be twenty pounds of flower. They all looked at one another and hit the floor laughing.

“Ahh… Yeah… forgot to warn you about how to deal with that…” Mrs. Cake said, grinning nervously, “Well at least they didn’t get started on the sprinkle rounds…”

“You’re right… they were too busy shooting off the CDFC shells.” Orion answered dryly.

“The CD’s are what now?” Carrot Cake said, walking over to see his kids and one of his employees looking like ghosts.

“The Cookie Dough Fuster Cluck.” Orion explained, realizing that he had just abbreviated the name for the newest menace to baked goods warfare.

“Orion! Language!” Cup said, glaring at him and shooting her gaze over to the twins, who were still doubled over on their sides laughing at each other.

“No no, That’s the name Pinkie gave it. Then she shot me with it.” he explained, not wanting to lose his new job over a misunderstanding.

“Oh… well in that case, I don’t see why you can’t take a break while Pinkie finishes up your job. Were there any other casualties in the kitchen?”

After listing the baked goods that had fallen prey to Pinkie’s obsession with her party cannon, Mr. Cake suggested that Orion just take the rest of the day off.

“Don’t worry about cleaning up any of the mess. Pinkie knows that if she destroys more than two trays of anything that she has to clean up by herself.” He explained, “And here’s your cut of the tips for today.” Carrot slipped him a small cloth bag of bits, which Orion accepted grudgingly. He didn’t feel right taking money from the cakes without putting in a full day’s work. But then Mr. Cake pointed out that he still had some cookie dough and glitter in his hair, and Orion felt better about accepting the money.

“Maybe I should get my hair cut…” he mused out loud. His mane was, after all, pretty long, even Fluttershy’s hair looked like it was a bit shorter than his. And even though it was pulled back in a neat ponytail, he still couldn’t help but think that people were staring at him.

“There’s a place right around the corner that gives a pretty good manecut.” Carrot Cake suggested, pointing just up the road to a sign bearing a picture of a pony silhouette with their mane flowing behind them. “Normally I’d suggest the barber I use, but something tells me you don’t want a buzz.”

“Thanks Mr. Cake. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. What time do you want me here?” Orion asked, turning to his employer and smiling. Everypony was so friendly so far.

“Well, tomorrow we’re actually having a special celebration. Since it’s the tenth anniversary of Sugar Cube Corner, we’re going to be staying open for an entire 24 hours. Would you mind popping in during the evening to cover the night shift? There’s not a lot of ponies that will be out anyway, so it should be perfect for you until your pace improves a bit more.”

“No problem sir. So, stop by around 5 then?”

“Yeah, that’ll work fine.” Mr. Cake agreed, ducking as a stream of donuts sailed over his head from inside the shop. “I have to get going now, looks like Pinkie set off the Glazed Goods Gatling, I gotta go do damage control now. See you tomorrow Orion!”

Given the thing’s he’d seen just in that afternoon, Orion knew there wasn’t any point in sticking around. He knew it would only get weirder if he stayed. Instead, he set off up the street, careful not to stretch his wings as he wandered towards the mane stylist Carrot Cake had pointed out. Before he could get half way though, he was sideswiped by what he could only describe as a Technicolor blur.

“Holy Horse Feathers! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” The blur said, as Orion’s eyes spun in their sockets from the impact. Seriously, was this becoming a daily occurrence? The sun comes up, the rooster crows, Orion gets hit by something heavy?

“It’s alright… I should have been watching out for ponies zooming around like a bat out of hell.” He said sarcastically, standing up on wobbly legs, amazed that nothing seemed seriously injured.

“Well ya don’t have to be angry about it…” Rainbow Dash said, pouting on the ground with her hooves crossed in front of her chest. “I said I was sorry.”

“It’s whatever…” Orion finally said, not too bothered by the whole thing now that he knew he wasn’t injured. “What were you flying so fast for anyway?”

“I was practicing a new trick and I lost control.” Dash said, standing up and looking a little better now that Orion wasn’t being a jerk, “Tried to stop, but you know how it is with wings… you get going at a certain speed, and if you try and brake too soon, you’re likely to tear ‘em out of their sockets.”

Orion grimaced. He’d been subjected to a fair amount of gruesome images about flying injuries when Luna was teaching him about flying, “Well, good thing you’re not hurt. Love to talk, but I have to go get my mane cut.”

“Whoa whoa whoa there speedy.” Dash cut off, blocking his path, “Why you in a rush huh?”

“Because I just spent the afternoon as an accidental target for Pinkie’s newest Party Cannon ordinance, and I’m pretty sure that if I don’t get my mane cut, somepony’s going to think I’m the new filly on the block.”

“Why in Equestria would you want to get your mane cut darling?” an all too familiar voice said from behind Orion, “I saw Rainbow Dash slam into you, and I wanted to see if you were alright, but you’re clearly delirious if you want to cut your beautiful mane.”

“I gotta agree with Rarity on that one dude.” Rainbow added. “I normally don’t go for the whole long hair thing, cuz it gets in the way if you’re flying, but it looks good on you. Seriously, you’ll have a special somepony in no time with the way you look, don’t go messing with that.”

“As uncouth as Dashie normally is, she’s right darling. You’ll have many a wandering eye on you with your looks and build… if you absolutely insist on getting it cut, at least come with me to somewhere that isn’t Mane Street Stylists…” Rarity said, gesturing at the store Orion was heading towards before Dash slammed into him, “Honestly, their styles are entirely out of season, and gaudy to make it even worse.”

“Uhhh… okay… I guess.” He said hesitantly, counting the bits in the bag from Carrot Cake, “But I’ve only got like, twenty bits, so it can’t be anywhere that expensive.”

“That’s more than enough for a simple styling session at the spa dear, and while we’re there, you can stretch those wings of yours out and get the most wonderful massage you’ve ever had.” Rarity said, smiling kindly at him. “Dash, you’re coming too. I insist that you go and get a hooficure for once, and I will not take no for an answer.”

“Come on Rarity! You know I hate having other ponies touching my hooves!” Rainbow exclaimed, “Besides, it’s bad enough you’re dragging Orion to that place, but do you really have to drag TWO awesome pegasi with you? All they’re gonna do is snip a few split ends, maybe show him a different way to brush his mane, then stretch him out and start rubbing him down with oil and… his wings might get worked over too… all spread out and stuff……..”

As her mini tirade trickled off, the sky colored mare slowly turned a darker shade of blue, then finally took on a reddish hue not unlike Fluttershy and Applejack had yesterday.

“Shall I take it then, that you’re alright with me dragging you both to the spa?” Rarity asked, shooting a knowing grin at her friend, which to Orion looked like a cat that had its prey right where it wanted it…

Rainbow Dash nodded, opening her mouth in a crooked grin like she had just had the best idea ever. “I think that’s an awesome idea Rarity… But we should probably stay in the same room as Orion through the whole thing… you know, make sure he gets the best service those spa ponies offer…”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea Dash. Come along now, both of you.” Rarity said, clapping her hooves in excitement and starting off towards the spa. Orion tried sneaking off, but he was stopped by an outstretched wing.

“Oh no you don’t big guy… you’re coming with us…” Rainbow said, laughing and giving Orion a gentle shove to follow the alabaster fashionista. Seeing no other way out, he followed.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Orion had to admit, even though he hadn’t gotten much done about his mane. A minor trim was all the spa ponies were willing to do even after he told them that he wanted it cut short, they had mumbled something about it being a crime to do anything more than clean up the split ends and trim about an inch off. Then Rarity had insisted on using her frequent visitor’s points to treat him to a massage while her and Rainbow Dash sat getting their hooves done and stared at him. He had to admit, the massage felt amazing, especially after they got to his wings… but his two friends watching him like a hawk just kind of killed the mood.

He still felt weird about stretching his wings out after being told by Applejack that it wasn’t considered polite, but Dash’s wings were stretched out too while she watched him, so maybe it was just Applejack messing with him. He almost asked Rainbow Dash what it meant for a stallion to stretch their wings out, but she had started drooling by that point, so he figured the hooficure was something else, and he didn’t want to interrupt that. He was heading back towards the farm by this point, and the sun was starting to get closer to the horizon. He crossed the threshold of the main gate, and was about to go inside the house when a voice called out his name. He turned around to see none other than Derpy Hooves sitting in the dirt at the bottom of the steps.

“Are you Orion Borealis?” she asked, her face scrunching up as she looked between the label on a box in her hooves and him underneath was a red book, “I have a package for you if you are.”

“Uhhh, yeah. I’m Orion.” He answered, unsure of whether or not he should address her by name. Even though the show had addressed her as Derpy, it had been wrong about Spike, who was to say.

“Cool. If you could just stamp this for me, I can give these to you.” She said, smiling and holding out a clipboard with an ink pad at the bottom. He pressed his hoof to the pad and then to the large square at the bottom of the form. Apparently that was the right response, because the next thing he knew, Derpy shoved the package and the book at him and started to take off for her next delivery.

“Damn… never even got a chance to ask her name…” he mumbled to himself as he went inside the farm house, cradling the
package under his wing.

“Who are you?” a small voice said as he entered, startling Orion out of his private reverie. Sitting on the couch in the living room was Applebloom, Scootaloo, and even Sweetie Belle. Sticks and mud in their manes, and their coats spotted with what was hopefully berry juice and not blood.

“Uh… I’m Orion… I just moved to town and your sister is letting me stay with you guys until I can get a place of my own.” He responded, still taking in the mess the girls were covered in.

“That’s cool. Ah’m Applebloom, this here’s Sweetie Belle, and that’s Scootaloo.” The youngest Apple responded, smiling and pointing at her friends in turn. They all seemed older than the show portrayed them. If he had to guess, he’d say that they would be about in upper middle school if they were human children.

“Whoa!” Sweetie Belle said, her eyes growing wide for a moment as she looked at Orion, “You’re a blank flank too!”

“Hey, you are... but yer a grownup… Oh NO! Gils, do you know what this means! We might be blank flanks forever like Orion!” Applebloom wailed, covering her eyes with her hooves as looks of terror came over all three of the crusaders.

“Hold on girls… you won’t be blank flanks forever…” Orion said, trying to stop the impending flood of tears, “I’m not originally from Equestria you see. Where I’m from, most ponies don’t have a cutie mark. It doesn’t mean I can’t get one, it just means that I need to figure out what my talent is first.”

“You mean you don’t know what your talent is either?” Scootaloo said, looking a bit hopeful. “But how come you’re not sad about not having one?”

“It doesn’t mean I don’t have one… it just means that I haven’t figured out what it is yet. Where I’m from, a lot of ponies go through life without knowing what they’re special talent is, so it’s normal to not go out of your way to look for it. Since I’m moving here though, I’m going to try and find out what mine is. You’ll get yours soon enough, don’t worry.”

“Ah guess that makes sense… but how are ya gonna go lookin’ for yer talent?” Applebloom asked, sniffling but not crying.

“I know! Why doesn’t he join us?!” Sweetie Belle said, her voice layered with so many sweet intentions that it would have given him diabetes if that were a thing in this world. He’d asked Luna, it wasn’t.

“Yeah! Then we’d have an adult that could help us try the stuff Applejack says is too dangerous fer fillies!” Applebloom exclaimed, high fiving Sweetie Belle and grinning, all traces of their previous sadness now completely gone.

“I wonder if he could help us figure out why our zipline failed and we could give it another go!” Scootaloo added, joining her friends in a huddle that was so full of energy, Orion was surprised they hadn’t blasted off through the roof yet.
“Maybe you should ask Applejack first girls… I still have work I have to do, and I still need to get settled into town first.” He said, trying to avoid getting roped into something like Cutie Mark Crusaders Extreme Sports Players or something.

He started inching his way along the wall towards the stairs, making a break for it as they continued to discuss the merits of having an adult join their club. When he was finally in the room the Apples had given him, he decided to see who would have sent him a package. Looking at the royal seal in place of the normal postage stamp, he could only assume it was either Luna or Celestia. He opened the box and saw a small crystal with a hole bored into the base, and a pair of headphones not unlike the ones he’d seen on a poster for Vinyl Scratch when he was in Canterlot. The only other thing in the box was a small scroll, which he unfurled with his hoof, and read quickly.

Dear Orion,

Celestia heard from Twilight that you’re settling in well, though you’re apparently a bit “touchy feely” when saying your goodbye’s to others. I can only assume that is partially y fault for not explaining some of the minutiae of body language in Equestria. Don’t worry about any misunderstandings, just go to the library at the first chance and check out a book called The Language of Wings. This should explain the things I forgot to cover while you were at the castle. Also, I remember you saying that you would miss the music from Earth, so I used my magic to get a hold of your “lap top” and then Celestia helped me pull the music off of it and stored it into this crystal. You can thank Cadence for the crystal when you get a chance, and to use it, you simply plug the headphones into the crystal, then say the name of the song you want to hear. It should always play at the volume you want, and responds to your moods. Just a small parting gift until I get time away from the castle to visit you down in Ponyville. Hope everything’s going well.

Yours,
Princess Luna

P.S. Feel free to send me a letter sometime via Spike… Hint, hint…

Orion chuckled to himself a little at Luna’s obvious attempt to get him to communicate. And she was right, he should
probably tell her about his first day, and some of the crazier things he’d heard about the mares in this town. But first, he had to test this crystal out!

He plugged the headphones in, the crystal glowing a soft green, not unlike the color of his eyes. He put the earphones on and said the first song that came to mind. "Play Spring..."

Instantly, the soothing sounds took hold of him and he flopped onto the bed, relaxing at the familiar sounds. His mind started to drift into the void, and he was almost asleep when the sound of tiny hooves pounding on the floor outside his room pierced through the music. He sighed and got up, putting his vest on and sliding the crystal into one of the pockets so that he could listen to his music some more when he wanted to later. He opened the door to see the CMC running down the hall towards what he had been told was Applebloom’s room. The only thing he was able to make out as they tore off down the hallway was Sweetie Belle telling them that Rarity had said to play quietly.

Great… Orion thought, Did she follow me back to make sure I didn’t take scissors to my mane?
He walked down the stairs to see not only Rarity, but also the rest of the Mans 6, sans Pinkie, sitting around the living room chatting while Applejack brought out a tray of iced tea.

“And Darling, you should have seen him earlier this afternoon… Oooohhhh… I love watching a stallion get worked over, but he does this thing when they got to his waist… it was just so, well, sexy!” Rarity was saying in an enthusiastic whisper, “And the best part is, I don’t think he knows what he looks like!”

“Who looks like what?” Orion said, coming down the stairs, wondering what his friends were talking about. Apparently it was girl stuff, because all five of the mares sitting in the living room turned a deep shade of red when he walked in, “Or, maybe it’s none of my business…” he said, hoping that he hadn’t just made another faux pas.

“It’s alright Orion, maybe it’ll teach Rarity not to gossip.” Twilight said, the first of the girls to return to her normally composed self, “How did you like your first day at Sugar Cube Corner? And did you get that book from Spike you left last night?”

“Oh, so that’s what the book was… Yeah, the mail mare came here not too long ago and gave me a book and this thing from Luna.” He said, pulling his music crystal out of his pocket and showing it to the purple librarian and her friends.

“Oh my goodness it’s lovely!” Rarity said, “But dear, why on earth are you hiding a gem like that in your pocket?”

“It’s not a gem Rarity, it’s a crystal. From the looks of it, I’d say it has music engrained in it via magical imprinting.” Twilight said, cutting off Orion who was about to say almost the exact same thing. “See? He even has headphones hooked up to it. Can I see it Orion?”

“Uhhh… sure, I guess so… just be careful. It’s got a bunch of songs from home that I can’t find here in Equestria.” Orion said, holding the crystal out for Twilight to grab with her magic.

“I wouldn’t worry about breaking it anytime soon, these gems are specifically reinforced to not crack unless you manage to practically drop the moon on it.” Twilight said nonchalantly.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Many miles away Canterlot Castle, Luna looked up from the book she was reading as she prepared to raise the moon for her night to begin.

“Tia? Did you hear something? I could swear somepony said something about me….” She asked, looking across to her sister, who was enjoying a lovely piece of cake and tea.

“No Lulu, we’ve been over this before. If somepony else in the story makes a joke that could refer to us, the author will write in that you have some kind of response for comedic effect.” Celestia responded, not even cracking a smile as she quite effectively shattered the fourth wall.

“What author? Tia, did you hire another ghost writer for your autobiography?” Luna asked, a confused look on her usually regal face.

“Nothing Luna, don’t worry about it. I’m causing the writer enough stress by mentioning it and breaking the fourth wall anyway.”

Damnit Celestia, can you at least lower the omnipotence for the purposes of the story?

“No, sorry about that though. If I ‘lowered it’, then I wouldn’t be a very good Omnipotent Goddess now would I?”

“Sister? Are you talking to yourself?” Luna asked.

“Yes dear, now eat your moon pie and go start your night.” Celestia said.

“You should be careful of that sister… That is what happened before I became Nightmare Moon, I started talking to myself, convinced that there was somepony there with me called Rider.”

She means “writer”

“Yes, I know. Now get back to Sweet Apple Acres.”

Jerk

“Nonsensical hack”

You have a fat flank

“Well I can do magic and fly, what do you have?!”

………At least people can’t make Sarah Jessica Parker Jokes about me……

“YOU TAKE THAT BACK!” Celestia yelled, blasting a hole in the wall opposite her.

Ok ok ok ok! Just don’t point that thing at me!

“Deal. Now get back to the story.”

Princess Luna, having only heard half of this discussion, was of course concerned about her sister, but figured that when one is older than at least one Millennium if not multiple ones, and responsible for raising the sun over an entire world, minor episodes like that were understandable…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“Oh my, it’s so beautiful though… Orion, can you activate it for us?” Fluttershy asked softly, her eyes growing wide as she stared at the crystal.

“Sure… let me think of a song though… Luna said that it’ll play the perfect song to fit any mood, but I want a good song to start you guys off on… I got it.” He then put the headphones on Fluttershy and put the crystal close to his mouth, saying evenly, “Play Elements of Harmonics.”
From her reaction, he assumed it was safe to say that she enjoyed the music. Seeing that she had started smiling and moving her head back and forth to the beat, he turned to Applejack.

“Do you know where your brother is AJ? I wanted to talk to him about a couple things.”

“Well, he should be comin’ in any minute now. He usually does after workin’ all day.” She responded, and sure enough,
not two seconds after she finished, Big Macintosh stepped into the room and looked at the group of girls and Orion and nodded his head, walking to the kitchen to get a drink.

Orion followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from him.

“Hey Big Mac, I was wondering… I talked to Spike last night, and he said that during Spring and Summer a bunch of the mares in town go crazy… he even said that you went into hiding for a couple weeks one time to avoid a small army of them looking for you… is that true? Or was Spike pulling my leg?”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac answered solemnly.

“So he was joking?” Orion asked hopefully.

“Nope.”

“So the mares around here really go nuts when they’re in heat?”

“Eeyup.”

“Is it bad?”

“Depends” was all that the red farmer said as he sipped on a tall glass of water and munched on a couple of pretzels.

“On what?” Orion asked.

“How many of ‘em want you.” Big Macintosh said, “See, around here, there’s about one of us for every five or so of them. Of that 20 percent, about half or more are married and seen as off limits. You and I are in the 6-10 percent of the population in Ponyville. That’s about 50 or so of us altogether. You put us 50 or so up against a small army of about 600 some odd mares, and every Stallion in Ponyville has an average of about 12 mares that are possible mates. Though there is room for fluctuations depending on tastes, availability, and just how bad the heat gets each season. Oh, and of course, you can’t forget to factor in the 10 point hotness scale mares around town use.”

Orion’s eyes bugged out of his head at not only everything that Big Mac was saying, but the fact that Big Mac WAS saying it… seriously, who knew there was such a thing as fancy mathematics and Big Mac could actually use it…

“That...... That’s a lot to take in…” Orion said numbly, Maybe moving to Ponyville was more dangerous than staying on Earth after all… “Wait… you said there’s a ten point scale? So if somepony was low on that scale, do you think they’d be safe?”

“Mmmmmm… it’s possible… but you’d have to ask some mares about where you fall to know for sure.” Big Mac conceded, finishing his snack. “In any case, I wouldn’t sweat it too much… you got wings, so worse comes to worse, you can just fly away.”

“What if I’m at a bar and one of them tries to slip me something?” Orion asked, panic rising as the horror stories Spike had told him suddenly grew larger and more terrifying inside his mind.

“Ain’t nothing you can do about something like that besides watching your own drink, not taking drinks from anypony else, and keeping a clear head in all but the safest situations.”

“And what if I get cornered and jumped?! How do I protect myself from a heat crazy mare that knows how to ground a pegasus?!”

“Calm down alright… listen, I’ll show you a few tricks I picked up over the years. Come on up to my room in about five minutes and we can practice alright? I still got some energy left in me from today, and I got some time before I go down for a nap anyway.”

“You’ll teach me some self defense?” Orion asked, stunned.

“Eeyup.”

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you Big Mac!”

“Don’t mention it. It’s the least I can do for a new guy. If we don’t look out for our own, then we ain’t much better than some of those Diamond Dogs.”

After finishing his sentence, Big Mac walked out of the kitchen and through the living room to reach the stairs. He nodded politely at the mares in the room, who were still passing around the headphones and the music crystal.

“You girls done with that yet?” he asked, suddenly feeling a bit more comfortable now that he knew a few things for certain, and had a self defense lesson with Big Macintosh in a few minutes.

“Oh this is simply amazing darling… although some of the songs are a bit weird, they’re also amazingly exotic! I don’t know how your musicians made some of those songs, but they’re beautiful.” Rarity said.

“And I have to really admire the beauty of the spell’s construction. Luna really went above and beyond anything most unicorns would have been able to manage. I’ll bet the crystal empire is the only other place you could find one of these with as good a result.” Twilight complimented, “I’m actually a little jealous.”

“Ah’m thinkin’ of asking the Princesses fer one of these next time we have to meet with them fer Element business… Sure would make bucking some of them trees go by faster.” Applejack added.

“It’s… very nice…” Fluttershy said, still blushing when she looked at Orion.

“I like that one song… something about going a club and dancing and getting cooler…” Rainbow remarked, smiling at Orion, “I wonder if there’s a way to get that on vinyl... I just know that song was awesome, just like me!”

“You’re talking about 20 Percent Cooler. Yeah, it’s a pretty good song.” Orion said, chuckling to himself, leave it to Rainbow Dash to find the song based on her catchphrase.

“Hey, can I ask you girls something?”

“Of course darling... What’s on your mind?” Rarity asked, scooting closer to where Orion was standing, always hungry for a juicy piece of gossip… or maybe she just liked being near him… hard to tell with her honestly…

“Big Mac told me something about a ten point scale here in Ponyville… Where do I fall?” he asked frankly, trying not to be evasive about his question.

“Why would you want to know something like that?” Twilight asked, “Everypony knows those are just used by school fillies to degrade one another and set up social stratification amongst groups for the later development of severe self esteem issues.”

“Actually Twilight… I kind of use that scale for some of the stallions around town… and some of the girls too…” Fluttershy admitted, hiding behind her hair as everypony ogled at her confession. “I mean, I could never ever EVER make myself talk to a stranger… but it’s nice to imagine things… and I don’t want to be with somepony that I don’t find attractive in my fantasies… so I uh… keep a little book with ponies scores…”

“Well Ah never would have thought Fluttershy would be the one…” Applejack said smirking, “Ah gotta admit Twi, I use that scale doohickey too… but Ah try not to judge a pony just on their looks.”
Everypony in the room turned to face Rarity.

“What? Why are you all staring at me like that?” she asked, whipping her head around at the sudden attention. “Oh alright… so I keep tabs on certain ponies that I find are above average… I’m still not so crude as to base my affections on a silly number… usually…”

“I used to use one all the time when I went colt watching in Cloudsdale.” Rainbow Dash confessed, “I haven’t used it in awhile though, on account of all the training I have to do for the Wonderbolts.”

“Why do you need to know something like that though Orion?” Twilight asked, shooting glares at her friends for using something she apparently didn’t approve of.

“I was just wondering… because I’m not to what Equestria considers attractive. I mean, where I come from, we have VERY different ideas of what to look for in a partner…” he said, trying not to open himself up for teasing from the mares in front of him, this was always where it started… he showed a hint of low self esteem, and then the teasing and manipulating would begin.

“Well I don’t think there’s any one way to judge a pony’s appearance.” Twilight said, cut off preemptively by Rarity putting a hoof in her mouth and stepping forward.

“As Ponyville’s Premiere Fashion Designer, and watcher of all things fabulous, allow me darling.” She said, removing her hoof from Twilight’s mouth. She then proceeded to walk around Orion, examining every aspect of him in minute detail.

“Hmmm… not bad… not bad at all… good shape, nice healthy coat…no cutie mark, but really, that will come with time… and your mane and tail style are simple and well suited for you… one last thing darling, could you please spread your wings for us as wide as you can?”

“I thought that was rude…” Orion said, “What if I offend somepony?”

“Oh I don’t think anyone will mind considering the circumstances.” Rarity replied, winking at her friends and placing her hooves under his wings, coaxing them to spread.

Holy shit that feels weird! Orion thought, his wings stretching out fully after having Rarity’s hoof brush them. He immediately regretted letting them spread out like that though, when Fluttershy fainted, her coat having somehow turned from a buttery
yellow, to a bright red.

“See? I just made Fluttershy faint!” Orion protested, gesturing with a hoof at the downed Pegasus.

“Darling, she’s scared of her shadow, she was probably startled by a dust bunny brushing her hoof. Now don’t you dare put those magnificent wings away.” Rarity chided, magically placing Fluttershy on the couch to rest, a goofy grin plastered across her face, “Well girls? What do we think?”

The rest of the group hadn’t reacted as badly as Fluttershy, but they were all wearing a matching shade of maroon… he was pretty sure he saw Rainbow Dash’s jaw hanging, a string of drool threatening to fall to the floor below.
Applejack was the first to speak. “Ah reckon he’s at least an eight and a half… He ain’t no earth pony, but the boy’s got himself some bulk… add another half a point cuz of the fact that he’s from somewhere exotic…”

“Full points…” Fluttershy mumbled in her sleep, “I really like his mane…”

“Nine point eight easy...” Rainbow Dash said as if in a trance, wiping the drool from her mouth, “You got some really… really… really nice wings…”

“If it will help you feel better about yourself Orion, I’d have to give you an 86.4. Your score may improve though if you display a good enough mental acuity and general friendliness. Like I said, appearances aren’t everything.” Twilight said huffily, she clearly wasn’t interested in the whole affair.

“He’s gotta at least be an eight. Maybe a nine depending on how good his cooking is.” Pinkie Pie said from behind Orion.

“GAAAHH!! Pinkie! Will you quit doing that?!” Orion said, jumping into the air and hovering in fear of the pink earth pony that seemed to wreak more chaos than Discord ever could.

“Oh do come down from there darling…” Rarity chided, though her vantage point offered her a nice enough view for her purposes. “And I’ll have to agree with Rainbow Dash, you’d get about a nine point eight. A nine point four at the worst. Your wings and your coloring really are something else sweetie. They give you a foreign appearance, and make you seem like a warrior. Who wouldn’t want somepony like that for their own.”

“Alright girls… thanks… I guess… anyway, I need to go do something with Big Macintosh upstairs, so I’ll see you all later.” He said, flying to the top of the staircase and trotting down the hallway to Big Mac’s room.

As he vanished behind the door of Big Mac’s room, Fluttershy sat up, her head still feeling like it weighed a ton, and her coat still tinted to about the same shade as Appleblooms hair. “Why do you think he’d be worried about how he looks? Do you think the poor dear is worried about impressing somepony?”

“Who knows Fluttershy… I still want to know why you think he’s into Stallions. It seemed pretty obvious to me that he wanted a MARE’S opinion on how he looked.” Twilight said, glaring at Rarity.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told Applejack, there are too many signals for them to all be simple culture differences. Think about it, what other colt or stallion goes to the spa willingly? What other kind of stallion will take his clothes off in front of a lady without batting an eyelash, and then there’s still the stretching.” Rarity contested, “Besides, he’s much too fashionable to be completely straight I’m afraid… all the gorgeous ones are into other males.”

“That’s just a stereotype.” Twilight retorted, “And I don’t see what going to the spa has to do with anything. And the clothes thing could just be you freaking out over nothing. Remember the Gala? We all got dressed in front of Spike because like he pointed out, we’re always naked anyway.”

“I dunno Twilight… I mean, most guys, if they see me popping a wingie, they get this cocky look in their eyes or they start checking me out… he didn’t do either…” Rainbow Dash added, causing Fluttershy to blush at her casual use of the slang “wing boner”.

“Besides, it’s like Ah keep telling everypony about mah brother, just cause ya ain’t seen ‘em with nopony before don’t mean they’re into other males. He might be savin’ himself fer marriage.” Applejack said, siding with Twilight in the argument.

“I have to agree with Rarity on this one girls.” Pinkie said, “I was flirting with him all afternoon and he didn’t do anything but keep working on those cupcakes the Cake’s had him doing.”

“Were ya flirtin’ with yer party cannon?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah! That’s like, the best kind of flirting!” Pinkie Pie answered, throwing her hooves in the air as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Ah don’t think he considers getting’ shot with cookie dough and streamers ta be flirtin’ Pinkie” AJ answered honestly, her friend’s hair deflating slightly.

“Fine then, how about a little bet. Twenty bits and a trip to the spa on the loser says that Orion, if not Orion and Big Macintosh both, are into stallions.” Rarity said, indulging in one of her few unladylike pastimes.

“Ah’ll take that bet. Cuz Ah know mah brother’s as straight as the path of Celestia’s sun, and Ah think yer fulla manure about Orion.” Applejack said, tapping her front hoof with Rarity’s and sealing the bet.

Suddenly, from upstairs, all the mares heard a loud thud that shook the ceiling.

“What in tarnation was that?!” Applejack yelled, looking at the ceiling, which as it happened, was right under Big Mac’s room.
All the girls looked around at the group and simultaneously galloped, flew, and in one case teleported to the door sealing off Big Mac’s personal space from the rest of the house.

Each of them pressed an ear to the door and tried to listen to what the commotion was, when Orion’s voice said breathily, “Easy Big Mac, I haven’t been doing this as long as you, take it easy or you’ll break me…”
A deep Eeyup resounded through the door before another thud hitting the floor and a short yelp from Orion.

Every eye brow the Mane 6 possessed was now firmly embedded in the ceiling above, and five pairs of eyes looked to Twilight Sparkle.

“What?” she asked, “I’m not barging in there…”

“You have to know a spell… I have to know what’s going on in there.” Rainbow Dash hissed.

“Same here.” Fluttershy answered, practically giving her friend ‘The Stare’

“I got a bet with Rarity says you need ta show us inside that room Twi. I promise Ah’ll share that trip ta the spa.”

“And I wanna see Big Mac and Orion going at it.” Pinkie said, grinning like a madmare even more so than normal.

“Aarrgghh… Fine!” Twilight said, conceding defeat, “I have a one way mirror spell I know… give me a second…”
Her horn glowed with its usual purple aura, a wide beam silently bursting from her and hitting the door like a wall of fog. As the magic faded from the door, so did the door it seemed. They could still see the borders of the door itself, but most of it had turned practically into glass.

“Now we can see them, and they can’t see us.” Twilight said proudly, her words falling on deaf ears as four jaws hit the floor at once, and one Fluttershy passed out yet again. This time though, her face bypassed red and turned purple. Hers and Rainbow Dash’s wings alike were completely extended, and Twilight was pretty sure she could see Dash’s pulse in one of her wings…

“Oh please girls, it can’t be that HOLY HORSEFEED!” she said, turning around and seeing Orion pinned down under Big Macintosh, who was practically sitting on top of the pegasus, his wings pinned out to the sides under Mac’s forehooves, and the both of them covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

Suddenly, Big Mac’s ears flicked at the noise Twilight had made.
“Did you hear something?” he asked, his deep voice once again resounding through the door.

Five mares covered their muzzles with their hooves, and Fluttershy kicked a leg and giggled, getting a mouth full of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash hooves for the noise.

“I think you’re imagining things… can we switch things up and try that one position? You know, where you had me on my stomach? I think I can handle it this time.”

“Are you sure? That’s a pretty advanced move… I don’t want ya complaining tomorrow that you’re hurting.” Big Mac said, flipping Orion over as he folded his wings in to his sides and got on the floor with his tail in the air and his muzzle on the ground.

“Alright then big guy… like I said though, no sense in rushing… we got plenty of time to learn here…”
Twilight had seen enough. She stopped casting the spell and gave the two their privacy, mass teleporting herself and the others back down to the living room.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Nopony had moved or talked for at least half an hour. The sun was now firmly setting, and only the sound of blinking could be heard in the Apple Family living room. Finally, Orion came clambering down the stairs, his body dripping with sweat and his breathing ragged. His legs seemed wobbly too, but that might just be because of… no, there was no excuse… He was walking on wobbly legs because he most likely just got his brains bucked out by Applejack’s brother.

“Hey guys… everypony alright?” he said, noticing that Fluttershy was no longer passed out. “Glad to see you’re alright Fluttershy, I was worried I’d scared you a bit earlier.”

“Oh no Orion… it’s perfectly alright… happens all the time.” She responded, her face flushing, but managing not to faint as he fluttered his wings out to stretch them a bit.

“Cool. Hey Applejack, has your brother always been that much of a hard-ass when it comes to pushing your limits?” he said, turning to the blushing farmer.

“Uhhh… Ah… maybe?” she responded, her brain trying to shut down for her protection.

“Damn… gonna be rough the next few times then… I’m going to the kitchen for some water. Anypony else want some?”

Six heads shook to the side, their mouths dropping open more and more by the minute.

“Alright, suit yourselves.” He said, disappearing into the kitchen and coming out with a glass of water a moment later. He stood in front of the mares and gulped it down like he hadn’t had anything to drink in months. “Dang it’s hot in here… Aren’t you girls hot?” he asked, tugging at the collar of his vest.

“Darling…” Rarity said, the first to break the mass stupor they were all under, “Where is Big Macintosh? I thought you two were working on something…”

“Oh him? He passed out after about half an hour… he told me beforehand though that he likes to take a nap after something like that anyway, so that was kind of expected. Still wish we could have kept going a bit longer though.”

“You don’t say… Oh dear…” Was all the rose colored fashionista could get out before her brain decided to stop thinking and just keep breathing.

“Yeah… seriously, it’s like, ridiculously hot in here…” Orion said, undoing the buttons on his vest and stripping out of it, stretching his wings to work out the kinks Big Mac and him had worked up while working on breaking various pins and grips. He remembered all too late about a couple points of Ponyville etiquette though, as six bodies collapsed on the floor simultaneously… more than a couple of them wearing a goofy grin too…

“Well shit… Ahhh, I’m sure they’ll be fine. I need a shower…” Orion muttered to himself, walking back up the stairs and draining his glass as he reached his room. “Today went pretty well I think.”

The Real Chapter Six

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The Real Chapter Six
AKA: Nopony Knows How to Hold Their Liquor Pt. 1 of ?

Orion woke up feeling like he’d been hit by a truck. Which for all intents and purposes, Big Mac probably was... Last night’s workout had been short but intense, but he felt a bit better knowing at least some basic ways to get out of a hold. There was something else nagging at the back of his mind too, but what was it… Ah well, he was sure he’d remember it eventually.

He walked down the stairs, the aged wood feeling soft and warm beneath his hooves… or maybe it was just his mind telling him that it was a homey feel… who knew anymore what was real and what was in his head. He abandoned a sense of reality about the same time he accepted that Luna and ponies in general were a real thing. He finally reached the end of the stairs and remembered what else about last night had been interesting.
The girls were still passed out in the living room.

Or rather, half of the girls were still passed out in the living room. Fluttershy was still unconscious with a goofy grin on her face, and Rarity and Pinkie Pie lying on their sides snoring… huh… Dash’s snoring in that hospital episode seemed to be a pretty realistic example of ponies snoring…weird.
He was about to try poking them when he saw a scroll lying on the floor with what he was pretty sure was Twilight’s cursive inside.

Dear Orion,
Sorry about last night, we were all very tired, so don’t worry about why we passed out. Don’t question the reason, just accept it. Applejack and I were the first ones up this morning and we were able to wake up Rainbow Dash as well. The other’s didn’t respond, and if they’re still asleep when you get up, please do your best to either wake them up or help them get home. Applejack is leaving to go do her farm work with Big Macintosh in the Southern Orchard, I’m going back to the library to write a report for Celestia, and Rainbow Dash said to ask you, “If his wings beat both ways, ask him to call me.” Not sure what it means, so ask her yourself. Oh, if Pinkie Pie doesn’t respond to anything conventional, just drop a sugarcube in her mouth and stand back.
Sincerely,
Your very accepting friend Twilight
P.S. If you want to talk about ANYTHING, come find me.
P.S.S. Applejack said that if her brother hurts you, to let her know.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

IN THE DINING ROOM OF CANTERLOT CASTLE:

Celestia was in the middle of enjoying a nice plate of cinnamon toast when a familiar burst of green flame erupted in midair right in front of her. Unfortunately, she wasn’t used to such early deliveries from her student, so before she could catch it in her magic per normal, it got a little wet… Actually, it got a LOT wet… hay, it fell into the pitcher of orange juice.

“Oooohhhh… shit.” The solar princess swore, much to the amusement of the two guards posted at the kitchen door.

“What could she possibly be learning about friendship this early in the day?” She wondered out loud, making a mental note to have the two guards who snickered run a couple laps around the castle after their shift was over.

As Celestia read a letter devoid of her student’s usually collected thoughts, her eyes grew wide in shock, and finally, a devious grin took up residence on her face.

“Oh by my sister’s icy teats, Luna’s going to have a fit when she hears that her little crush is rutting the pride of Sweet Apple Acres…” she muttered to herself.

“What about Big Macintosh Sister?” Luna asked, having just teleported to the dining room for what was effectively her dinner.

“Nothing Luna, I’ll tell you later…” Celestia said, burning the letter, “Let’s just say that your little friend Orion has managed to find himself a few close friends since he moved to Ponyville…”

“You never stop being weird, do you?” Luna responded, too tired to even bother trying to make heads or tails of her sister’s response.

“Not as long as the author keeps writing the way they do…” Celestia noted.

I thought we agreed that breaking the fourth wall would only be done by a trained Professional Pinkie Pie…

“Tough. Now go back to the real story.”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Orion put the letter down and shook his head. He didn’t try and make sense of what Twilight said except the obvious… which at the moment meant that there were three passed out mares in the living room, and his job was to get them home one way or another. He went to the kitchen to get a glass of water to help him out. When he got back, the only one that was showing signs of stirring was Rarity. Figuring that she would be the easiest to rouse, Orion knelt on the ground, folding his hooves under him and using his muzzle to nudge her head. When all she did was twitch her eyebrows, he decided to try using words…

“Rarity… Rarity, time to get up…” he said softly, not getting a response.

“Come on now, it’s time to get up off the floor.” He said, this time a bit louder… still nothing.

“Alright… we’ll try this the interesting way…” he said, his wingtip dipping into the glass of water. He flicked the water on her face, and still all she did was to wrinkle her brow. “I’ll bet if your precious mane got wet, you’d be up in a flash.” He said, jokingly holding the wet feathers over her mane.

Rarity’s eyes shot open in an instant, and the next thing Orion knew, he was sailing through the room after taking a straight shot of the fashion designer’s magic to his face.

“Oh my stars! Darling, are you alright?!” Rarity said, getting up and running over to the wall she had just dented with his skull, “You really shouldn’t sneak up on a unicorn dear. Really, we have a tendency to shoot off a bolt of magic if we’re startled too much.”

Orion’s head bobbed around on his neck like it was attached by a rubber band. “Now they tell me. You know Twilight, for the brightest young witch of your age, you really are a dumbass…” he slurred, his eyes rolling around in his head… He was considering going to one of the doctors in town if this kept up…

“I beg your pardon dear?” Rarity asks, a warning tone in her voice, “What did you just say?”

“Urghh… Nothing Rarity… give me a minute while I get my eyes to stop seeing doubles…. Again…” Orion mumbles, his hooves pressed into his eyes to try and stop the sickening swirling sensation everything seems to have taken on.

“In the mean time Orion, would you care to tell me why I am on the floor of Applejack’s home? And why you woke me up? Don’t you know it’s rude to wake a lady up prematurely?” Rarity said, rising to her hooves and walking around the living room a bit before noticing Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie.

“Ugh… You and the rest of the gang kind of passed out last night after I forgot about proper etiquette and not only stretched my wings in front of you, but also took off my vest because I was hot from working with Big Mac.” Orion explained, “Twilight left a note to get you guys up if you weren’t already, and to see you all home. I don’t have work until five anyway, so it wasn’t going to be an issue… but this stupid headache won’t go away now….”

“I’m so sorry darling… I didn’t realize you were trying to help us out like that… truly, you are a gentlecolt even IF you woke me up by threatening my precious mane.” Rarity said, her voice and looks softening as she skimmed the tiny letter left by the purple librarian. Her mind raced with the images of everything she and her friends had seen the previous night, and she blushed at the memory of having seen something so intimate and so… aggressive…… It really was a shame that Big Mac had claimed him; otherwise she might just be tempted to try and steal him away. On the other hand… Rainbow Dash’s message had given Rarity the spark of an idea... a wonderful, devious, delicious idea....

“Hello? Equestria to Rarity…” Orion said, fanning her face with his wing, “You there?”

“What? Oh yes sweetie… I’m still here, just got caught up in my thoughts is all…” she replied sheepishly, “I’ll be more than happy to take Fluttershy back to her cottage; it’s not that far from where I live. But Pinkie I believe has to be at her work soon, so if you could please see to her.”

“Yeah sure… just have to find a sugar cube somewhere…” he said, mumbling to himself as he walked to the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets. When he finally found the sweet little blocks and back into the living room, Rarity and Fluttershy had already left.

Taking Twilight’s message to heart about standing clear, Orion dropped the sugar cube into Pinkie’s mouth and flew over behind the couch, ducking down like it was a bunker made out of steel.

And he waited…

And waited some more…

Jeez… it had to be at least a full minute now… why did Twilight say to take cover?
Orion poked his head over the top of the couch to see if she was even awake. Nope… she was still passed out on the floor.

“Is she dead?” he wondered out loud, walking around the couch and kneeling beside her. He prodded her nose with his hoof
and checked to see if the sugar cube was effective at all.

As it turns out, poking Pinkie’s nose was a horrible, awful, painful idea… As soon as he made contact with the normally hyperactive pink pony, a spark of static flew between them, knocking Orion back on his flank, and Pinkie’s eyes shot open. They looked around for an instant before focusing on Orion’s face, only a few inches from her own. Her smile seemed to just appear on her face, her face twitching the appropriate muscles too fast to register, and the next thing he knew, Orion was on his back as a shock wave rolled across the room. Pinkie flew up into the air, her hair puffing up and her eyes shrinking to pinpricks as she literally bounced off the walls.

You think I’m joking… no, she bounced from laying on her side to the ceiling, then from the ceiling to the floor again, and repeated this process a few times at roughly the speed of a slow moving bullet. Albeit, a bullet that’s made out of a super ball… attached to the nose cone of a bottle rocket… fired from a moving train... Okay, so he kind of lost sight of her she was moving so fast… Anyway…

When Pinkie finally calmed down, she sat down in front of Orion and cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowing as if she were considering something about him.

“Hey Orion?” she finally said, “How old are you?”

“Uhhh… I think we have a different calendar where I come from… how old are you?” he responded, remembering that Luna mentioned something about the girls being fully grown adults.

“I’m 19.” Pinkie said. “Now, how old are you?”

“Oh, wow… so our calendars aren't that different after all… I’m 20… why do you want to know?” he answered, surprised that there were some things that just didn't seem to fit the expected biology of a pony… then again, the Cake twins were probably still early school age… maybe ponies just aged faster at first, and matured quickly after a certain point.

“Because I’m planning your party silly!” she replied happily, smiling like only Pinkie Pie can manage, “And I needed to know how old you were so I would know to get cider or anything fun like that.”

“Uh huh…” he answered flatly, “Well anyway, according to Twilight’s note here, you’re supposed to be at work this morning, but I guess I could walk you to town if you want. I’ve got nothing else to do today, so I may as well see the town a bit more.”

“Okey-Dokey-Lokey!” Pinkie agreed, following Orion to the door. He was about to go out, then stopped and asked her to wait for him while he ran up the stairs to grab his vest. As he went up the stairs, Pinkie noticed the scroll left on the living room floor. She zipped over and read the note, her eyebrows shooting up at the thought that Dash would ask Orion if he went both ways… Then again, that probably wasn’t a bad idea…

As she was trying to figure out how she’d breach the subject with the grey pegasus, a sharp rapping came from the front door. Pinkie opened it to see an out of breath Roseluck looking around the living room behind Pinkie, her face flushed red and her body gleaming slightly from sweat. If Pinkie had to guess, she’d say that the flower mare had run here from her home on the other side of Ponyville.

“Heya Rosey!” Pinkie greeted, smiling.

“Hi Pinkie. Where’s Big Mac. I need to find him by yesterday.” The red maned mare responded, sounding more than a little stressed.

“Well, according to Twilight, he’s in the Southern Orchard.” Pinkie answered, surprisingly direct. Something about Rose gave off the vibe that she was not in a joking mood.

“Thanksgottagobye.” Rose said quickly, galloping off and following a sign near the entrance to the farm that pointed to the trail leading to the Southern Trees.

“Hmm……I wonder what that was about…” Pinkie mused out loud as Orion came back down the steps wearing his vest, this time already unbuttoned so he wouldn’t overheat and he didn’t have to worry about any miscommunications. He also had his music crystal in his pocket and his headphones around his neck.

“Ready to go Pinkie?” he asked, looking out the door at the road leading to Ponyville.

“Sure am Orion!” she replied happily, “You know, with the white vest and the headphones, you remind me of one of my other friends… But she’s a unicorn, not a pegasus.”

“Who’s that?” he asked, amazed that he might be able to have a normal conversation with the normally insane pink mare.

“You wouldn’t have heard of her if your music is different. She’s kind of popular here though. Her name’s Vinyl Scratch, but her stage name is DJ Pon3.” Pinkie explained, looking off into the distance as they walked just long enough to miss Orion’s smile at the mention of one of the fan favorite characters.

“Believe it or not Pinkie, I have heard of her. She’s a pretty big name where I come from. We’ve also heard of Octavia.” He said, surprising the hyperactive baker.

“Really?! Well then, I know who to call up for your party!” Pinkie said excitedly, shifting into party planner mode, “Let’s see… this means that I’ll need to get spike to send them both a letter today… I wonder if they’ll both be willing to show up after that breakup? Oh well, I have enough dirt on them to where they’ll have to show up for the party. I’ll need to talk to Applejack about getting a few barrels of cider, maybe see if Princess Luna has any moonshine let over after that Winter Solstice celebration, OH! And I can’t forget Berry Punch for the wine and hors d’oeuvres… can’t remember the last time I had a cheese plate that good….”

As Pinkie rambled on about what she would need for the party, Orion popped his headphones on and listened to Party Hard. Back on the farm however, there was more than a bit of trouble brewing for a certain farmer.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Roseluck had been running up and down the rows of trees looking for the red stallion of Sweet Apple Acres. She’d even gone to the extent of looking in some of the trees themselves. Her breathing was becoming ragged, her face flushing a deeper red as the very thing spurring her on started to make it too difficult to carry on. Finally, she spotted Applejack kicking the fruit off one of the trees.

“Applejack!” Rose shouted, running over to the orange mare, “I need your help! No, I mean, I need your help to find the person to help me!” she said, her eyes wild and shifting.

“Uhhh… Sure thing Rose… what can Ah do fer ya?” AJ responded, sizing up the crazy looking flower salespony.
“I need your brother for something. I need him right now actually. I’ve been looking everywhere for him. Where is he?!” she asked hysterically, Applejack beginning to worry about the poor mare.

“He’s over in the barn, up in the hay loft. Ah sent him to go get some tools to prune the dead branches from the trees and he…” AJ trailed off, Roseluck having vanished in a cloud of dust as soon as Applejack said hayloft. Applejack scratched the back of her head with a hoof and watched the usually calm pony galloping off full tilt towards the barn in the distance.

“Well that was weird…” Applejack said to herself, musing out loud, “Last time Ah saw her like that was when she was chasin’ Big Mac with that crowd of Heat crazed fillies last summer……… Ah Buck…”

Applejack ran after the flower mare as fast as she could, leaving her own trail of dust as she tried to head off the Heat driven female.

In the barn, Big Macintosh had just finished bringing down the last of the tools that AJ had sent him for when he heard a mare’s voice calling out his name.

“MAC! BIG MACINTOSH! WHERE ARE YOU?” the mare called out urgently.

“Ah’m in here.” Big Mac answered, poking his head around the corner and seeing Roseluck standing in the entrance.

As soon as she saw him, her eyes grew wide and a smile popped on her face that would have made any other stallion shiver, but Big Mac was made of stronger stuff… plus, you know, being around Pinkie Pie and Twilight when she had that nervous breakdown kind of numbed him to the effects of a crazy smile.

“I need you right NOW Big Mac.” Rose said, walking over, her pace at odds with the urgency of her tone, “I need a big strong stallion like you to help me…”

“Well what do ya need?” he asked calmly, looking her in the eye as she grew closer.

“I need you to help plant a seed…” she answered breathily.

“…. A seed? That’s it?” he asked, his face scrunching up in mild confusion.

“Yes. But not just any seed… It’s a very important seed… And I need you to help me plant this seed as many times as you can… as fast as you can…”

“I’m sorry Miss Roseluck, but I don’t quite follow you… what kind of seed is it?” he asked, a blur of orange in the corner of his sight drawing his attention.

“RUN BIG MAC! SHE’S IN HEAT!” Applejack hollered, His eyes growing wide in comprehension as Roseluck pressed her forehooves against his chest and pinned him to the wall of the barn.

“I need your seed Big Macintosh…” Rose said, her eyes wild with lust and her breath coming out ragged and wanting; her forehooves moving from his chest to his belly and even lower still, trying to grab what she wanted.

“NNNNOPE!” he shouted, spinning against the wall and breaking her hold long enough to land on his front hooves and take off running.

Roseluck snarled in frustration as her prey ran out of the barn, the entrance being blocked after him by his sister, who was twirling her lasso overhead, waiting for Roseluck to make the move that would let her be captured.

“Now just calm down Rose… take it easy and nopony gets hurt…” Applejack cautioned, watching for any
movement that would telegraph Roseluck’s next move.

Unfortunately, Roseluck had other plans. She didn’t try and go around Applejack, and the orange farmer was unprepared for a direct charge. As Rose bowled Applejack into the air and took off after the large red earth pony, she snarled and snorted like a feral creature.

“I’LL GET YOU YET MY PRETTY!” She yelled, chasing after Big Macintosh with all her might.

Nopony Can Hold Their Liquor Pt. 2

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Chapter 7- Nopony Can Hold Their Liquor Part 2

AKA: A Tale of Two Stallions

“Thanks for getting her here Orion.” Cup Cake said gratefully, “We were worried when she wasn’t in her room. Good to know she was with a nice stallion like you.”

“No problem at all Mrs. Cake. Just so you know, she kind of slipped into party planner mode while we were walking over here. I’m not sure if that means she’ll be more of a handful or less though…” Orion answered, his headphones hanging around his neck, but still blasting some loud music.

“Oh dear… Well, it’s a good thing that your shift doesn’t start until after hers then dearie.” Cup said, pinching the bridge of her snout with a hoof.

“That bad?” he asked, chuckling slightly, “I wish I could help.”

“Well, now that you mention it hun, you can. Think of it as a bit of overtime, and you won’t have to be near the shop either, so you’re out of the danger zone.” She responded, a spark of genius shining in her usually warm eyes.

“Uh oh… you’re not gonna ask me to stand out here in a cupcake costume are you?” Orion asked, backing up skittishly, images of his first job as the mascot for an ice cream shop flashing through his mind.

“What? What kind of employer would make you do that? Oh no dearie, but you will be doing some advertising for us.” Cup Cake said, pulling a receipt out of her apron and giving it to Orion, “Around the corner, near the Town Hall, you’ll see a copy shop. Give them this receipt and take the flyers they’ll give you. Then if you wouldn’t mind, hand them out to as many ponies in the market as possible. It’s still a bit early, so you’ll have it easy up until about lunch time.”

“I think I can do that ma’am.” He replied confidently, flashing a smile and turning to fly up the road to the shop Cup Cake had mentioned, she receipt in his vest pocket.

“Such a sweet boy.” Mrs. Cake said, her thoughts interrupted by a loud crashing from the back room that acted as the kitchen for the Cake family, “Oh shoot… What are those children destroying now?”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Orion was doing pretty good at the market. He’d managed to give out most of his flyers by the time mid day rolled around and ponies started taking their lunch breaks, flooding the market place.

“Yo! Orion!” Spike called out, waving at the grey pegasus through the crowd of ponies, “What’s up man?”

“Hey Spike.” Orion said, smiling at the friendly drake. “Not much really. I’m just handing out flyers for Sugar Cube Corner. They’re staying open for 24 hours as a special anniversary thing for the shop.”

“Cool. Hey, do you guys still carry sapphire cupcakes?” Spike asked, his tongue flicking out and running across the front of his teeth.

“Well, if we don’t already, I’ll see if the Cake’s can help me make a few for you when my shift starts at 5.” Orion answered, smiling back easily. He might not be used to Spike looking like he did, but at least he seemed like an easy going dragon.”

“Awesome. Oh yeah, Rainbow Dash was looking for you at the library earlier. What’s up with that? Are you making a move on the fastest flyer in Equestria?” Spike said, winking suggestively at his friend, nudging him with an elbow.

“Heheheh… No dude, it’s not like that I promise. I mean, she’s cool, but I don’t know… she seems like she’d be more trouble than anything. And as much as I like a girl that can take charge, she just seems like she’d take anything as a challenge.” Orion answered, chuckling and shaking his head. “Besides, I don’t think she’s into me like that.”

“True enough. You’re not exactly a Wonderbolt…” Spike commented.

“Oh give me a break… I didn’t even have wings until a couple weeks ago.” Orion shot back wryly.

“Dude, seriously? How did you get wings then?” he asked.

“Long story short, I won the lottery and got to move here to Equestria. Because my people look so different, and it would be difficult for me to fit into Pony society, they even helped me change forms. It’s not all bad to be honest… though I do miss
having fingers…” Orion explained, summing up his adventures thus far.

“That sounds pretty weird… Although, Twilight’s been working on this really weird spell lately that sounds kind of similar.” Spike said, having learned long ago not to question some of the craziness that magic seemed to bring out in the world.

“That’s it? You’re not even remotely curious about where I’m from? …Nothing?” Orion asked, his mouth hanging open in shock at how easily his story was accepted.

“Let me put it to you this way dude,” Spike began to explain, “Equestrian society has a pretty relaxed attitude about everyone’s past. Namely, no one cares where you come from, the only thing that matters is where you go from here. You’re a cool guy from what I’ve seen. The Princesses like you, the girls like you, the Cakes are getting some help, and you’re trying to live your life peacefully. If that’s how you are all the time, then your past doesn’t matter.”

“Wow… that’s pretty deep dude… you been hitting the philosophy section of the stacks?” Orion asked, his eyebrows raised in amazement and respect.

“Nah…” Spike denied, smiling, “I finished that section when I was still in Canterlot.”

“Well, all those books on ethics still didn’t seem to stop you from hitting your greed growth stage that one time though, now did it?” Orion countered, smirking at the teen drake, who looked back at him in shock.

“Who told you about that?!” he whispered, ducking his head a bit and looking around in case anypony else heard.
“Seriously, nopony was supposed to know that was me. The Mayor promised to keep it under wraps…”

“Relax man, Pinkie’s not the only one out here that knows things.” Orion answered, glad some of his knowledge from the show was still good.

“Just promise you won’t tell anyone else?” Spike begged, “I’ll do anything man, just don’t go telling folks. I like living here!”

“Relax Spike, I’d never tell anypony about that. I was just joking. But, if you still want to do anything to help me out, I’d really appreciate it if you’d help me hand out the rest of these fliers.”

“Done, but I am SO getting you back for that one.” Spike said, relaxing a bit and giving Orion a bit of a shove for scaring him like that.

“Whatever dude.” Orion replied, smiling and handing Spike half the remaining pile. With any luck, he’d have all the fliers handed out with enough time to relax before work.

Between Spike flying over the growing crowd in the market place and scattering the flyers over everypony, and Orion getting a surprisingly positive response from most of the mares around town, the two friends were soon done. They then went around the market to see if they could find something to eat. Luckily, there was a pretty well known restaurant nearby, and the two sat down at one of the tables outside and ordered a couple sandwiches and a large order of hay fries.

“So…” Spike asked, talking around a bite of dandelion sandwich and reaching into a pouch he was wearing to bring out a gem to munch on. “What are you going ot do with your day now that your chore from the Cake’s is finished?”

“Not sure. I went to the spa the other day, that was nice, so I figured I’d see what else the town had going on.” Orion answered, sticking his snout into the hay fries and coming up with a cluster of them sticking out the side of his mouth, and one on top of his snout.

“Uhhh... you got a little something…” Spike said, pointing at Orion’s nose, causing him to go cross eyed before he spotted the offending snack.

When they were done eating, they got up and started to head in the direction of the library. According to Spike, all the major shops, clubs, and really anything fun, was to the south of the library. When they got to the old tree though, a sky blue blur came careening out of the sky and almost sideswiped Orion… again… luckily, he’d seen her this time.

“You alright Rainbow Dash?” Orion asked, leaning over the downed pegasus, who’s eyes were spinning around in their sockets. Maybe this town was just cursed for pegasi?

“Aaah!” Rainbow Dash yelled, jumping up and preparing to fly off. before she could though, she realized that it was Orion asking, not a certain blonde mail mare.

“Sorry about that dude… I thought you were Derpy for a second there… flashback from when she tried to help me fix Town Hall…” Dash explained, blushing awkwardly and landing on the ground.

“You mean the mail mare?” he asked, finally having a chance to figure out her real name.

“Yeah, well, Derpy’s the nickname everyone knows her by. She runs into things so often that her eyes are kind of always googley looking… Her real name is Ditzy actually. Anyway, I’m alright. What brings a handsome stud like you out here to the library though?” Dash explained, blushing a bit when she said stud, but she kind of liked how he didn’t respond to it… It made him aloof… cool…

“Me and Spike were just coming here to start looking around town for stuff to do. I have off work until about five, so I figured it would be fun to just get to see more of the town.” Orion answered, looking back at his dragon friend, who was shooting him the stupidest grin he’d ever seen.

“Cool, cool… hey, did you read that note Twilight left you at the farm?” Dash asked, her eyes lighting up like she’d just had the best idea in the world.

“Yeah… There was something in that you wanted to ask me right? What was it…” he said, frowning as he tried to remember the exact wording. “Oh yeah! You wanted to know if my wings beat both ways, or something like that… Anyway, yeah they do.” He said, flapping his wings up and then down as if to prove it. “Why would you wanna know something like that anyway?”

“No reason!” Rainbow said quickly, she knew that if you never tell the other pony you like them first, because you just end up looking stupid. But she still couldn’t keep her face from blushing when he not only admitted to being bi, but then beat his wings right in front of her! This guy was just being a tease now! “Anyway, do you wanna hang out sometime? I mean, you have stuff to do today, and you’ve got work tonight right? Maybe I’ll drop by Sugar Cube Corner and say hi!”

“That sounds like fun Rainbow, I’d like that. Where are you off to?” Orion answered, smiling kindly, still a bit confused about why she was blushing, but whatever.

“I’m just going inside to check out some of the Daring Doo stuff. I heard they got a new book out last week!” She replied excitedly, flying towards the door (doesn’t she ever walk anywhere?) “Anyway, I’ll see you later.”

“Sure thing Rainbow.” He agreed, watching her zoom into the library and turning to Spike, “Is she always weird like that?”

“Dude, I’ve lived with mares all my life, I live with one, and I deal with her, and the rest of that group on an almost daily basis… I still don’t know if they’re all insane or not.” Spike responded seriously.

“Why was she looking at me funny when I flapped my wings anyway? I’ve seen her do it all the time.” Orion asked as they walked off down the street.

“Couldn’t tell you dude. Ponies have different social cues from body language than dragons. And I’ve been bored in the stacks before, but never so bored that I’d read a book on body language for a species that I’m not a part of.”

“I’ll bet if you had, you’d have an easier time of trying to get with Rarity.” Orion commented, getting a shocked expression from Spike as his reward.

“Who told you about that?” he asked, the crest over his eyes shooting up slightly, and his voice staying remarkably calm, “I got over that about a year ago, but I still never told anyone.”

“Like I said before dude, Pinkie’s not the only one that can know things.” Orion responded, smirking.

“Dang… remind me to never get on your bad side.” Spike said, following his friend as they rounded a corner outside one of the buildings Orion had learned was a popular night club with some of Ponyville residents. Though he wasn’t sure about the name… something about a place called The Riding Crop just sounded weird…

“Nah, I’m not one to hurt folks… and I doubt I’ve got the strength to hurt you. No, if anyone, I’d watch out for-”

“BIG MACINTOSH! GET BACK HERE AND GIVE ME A BABY!”

The pegasus and the dragon turned around to see a dust cloud kicking up in the street as a very familiar large red farmer came plowing down the road, zigzagging through the crowded streets as best as he could. Following hot on his tail was a dark red maned mare who was shouting at him to stop running. As Big Mac drew closer, he spotted Orion and Spike. He made a beeline for them and shouted for help. Orion wasn’t sure what to do, but Spike seemed to know what was up and took wing.

“Come on!” Spike yelled, “We gotta fly him back to the library!”
Without another word, the two took off, flying over the crowds and yanking Big Mac off the ground as quickly as possible, adjusting their flight path to hide in the branches of the library.

“Thanks for that fellas…” Big Mac panted out, worn out from running all the way from the farm to avoid the Heat crazed mare. “I don’t know how much longer I could have gotten away from her…”

“No problem dude. We still have a space set up for you if you need to hide out for a day or two from Roseluck.” Spike said, chuckling slightly and peeking out from the cover the leaves provided to make sure the coast was clear.

“Does that happen often?” Orion asked, looking at the two guys sharing the branch with him.

“Once in awhile… I was hoping that it would be a quiet Spring this time around.” Big Mac said, finally catching his breath and calming down. “Spike and Twilight let me stay in the basement to wait these things out, but avoiding those mares long enough to GET here isn’t always easy…”

“Yeah, but at least you have a few good stories to tell to the other guys when you sell to the bars around cider season.” Spike said sarcastically. “Anyway, you gotta lose some weight dude. Even with Orion helping me get you up here, you’re no lightweight.”

“Excuse me for being an Earth Pony. Here I thought you dragons were supposed to be strong.”

“We are. But I’m still technically a toddler by draconic standards.”

“You’re a toddler?” Orion asked incredulously, “How? You're practically as big as Big Mac...”

“Genetics dude. I’m a dragon. It takes me about a hundred and fifty years to be considered a teenager, until I’m in my 40’s, I’m still a toddler. And it’s not until I hit around the 250 year mark that I’m an adult. By pony standards though, I’m 15, so almost a legal adult in Equestrian society, but even then, i have to wait until i'm 17.” Spike explained, almost like it was a rehearsed speech he’d prepared for new ponies.

“That’s… that’s just… wow…” Orion said, shaking his head at all the implications this little revelation would have if any of the FIM-FIC writers knew that about Spike.

“In any case, Rose went running off back to her stand. She’s given up for now, so we need to get you down to the basement.” Spike said, looking at Big Mac.

“Eeyup. Thanks again for the help Spike. I can’t thank you and Twilight enough.”

“Don’t mention it. Just lose a couple pounds so it’s easier to rescue your fat flank.” Spike joked, grabbing under his red friend’s front leg, Orion mirroring the move, and they glided down to the entrance to the library and went inside.
Once inside, the boys were astounded to see something unusual even by Ponyville standards…

There was not one, but TWO book-forts in the main room. And these forts weren’t just being used to isolate their readers, they were actually protecting the mares who made them. Pillows were flying furiously between the two hard bound structures.

Twilight had fortified her position behind what appeared to be at least two editions of the full Encyclopedia Equestriana and was shooting pillows across the room almost as fast as the shells from the Party Cannon. Meanwhile, halfway up the stairs was a smaller, more colorful fortress that actually resembled an old colonial camp. And at the center of it all in her usual Technicolor glory, was Rainbow Dash… who was alternating between hoarding the pillows that missed her walls, and carrying out a crude form of aerial combat by dropping the pillows she had collected on top of the encyclopedic bunker…
In between volleys, the two girls could be heard yelling out critiques of the other’s tastes in literature.

“Your aim is about as good as those stupid dictionaries horn head!” Rainbow yelled, ducking as a pillow nearly decapitated her.

“They’re Encyclopedias! And they’re a lot better choice in reading material than those overhyped rags you like Feather-Brain!” Twilight shot back, ducking inside hr fort as Dash dropped about twenty pillows on top of her fort… How had she even carried all of those?!

“Don’t you dare talk about Daring Doo like that! The Crystal Horseshoe was ONE bad book! It doesn’t ruin the series as a whole!”

“I still say that there’s nothing rewarding literary-wise about that 50 Shades of Neigh crap! And don’t think I don’t know what you do with it! I had to unstick at least 20 PAGES after you returned it!” Twilight yelled, her face red as she shot the pillows back at Rainbow Dash’s fort, collapsing a whole chunk of the wall.

“How many times do I have to tell you!? That was Rarity! Like I’d read that piece of manure!”

“Well you still have overdue fines!”

“If somepony didn’t write the due dates in Scootaloo-Scratch, then MAYBE some of us would know WHEN you wanted them back!”

Spike sighed and pinched the bridge of his snout with a claw, calling for a cease fire while the three males walked through the room to the basement. As they walked across the battlefield, Orion was amazed they didn’t trigger any trip wires. This was absurd to worry about of course… Especially since the booby traps had been set up along the base of the stairs leading up to Dash’s fort, and Everypony and dragon reached the safety of the basement in one piece, though they could hear the pillows whizzing through the air again before they shut the door.

“Sorry about that Orion. You’re new, so you probably don’t know about the feud between those two.” Spike said, laughing embarrassedly, “Big Mac, you know where the stuff for your little “retreat” is, why not get Orion to help you set up while I get those two to cool off?”

“Works for me…” Big Mac said, waving a hoof at Orion to follow him down the steps.

So, while the brave young drake went about the business of calming down and cleaning up after two very different kinds of readers, Big Mac and Orion pulled a mattress out of a closet, threw some sheets on it, and just relaxed, Big Macintosh telling stories about seasons past where he had spent up to two weeks away from the farm, instead living in the basement of the library.

“The funny thing is, nopony ever checks for me here.” he said, laughing, “They all assume I hide somewhere on the farm. There’s only been one mare that ever thought to check for me in here, and she’s scared of the dark, so she never looked in the basement!”

“No freaking way!” Orion said, laughing so much that his sides started to hurt, “How come nopony ever thinks to check somewhere new?”

“I guess they figure that I’m not comfortable away from the farm. They’re partially right, but I need a vacation just like anypony else. Besides, staying in the library ain’t so bad. I learned a few things from some of the books they don’t keep on the shelves.” Big Mac said, his laughter dying, but the smile staying on his face.

“So is this where you learned your fancy mathematics?” Orion guessed.

“Nope. I was always good at math. It’s why I’m in charge of the book keeping for the farm. But I did learn a few things about History, some basic Agricultural Science, and the last time I was down here, I was trying to find something on Zap Apples, to see if there was a way to grow them year round.”

“Any luck?”

“Nope…”

As they finished talking about what it could mean for them to grow Zap Apples year round, Spike poked his head through the doorway and told them that it was safe to come back up.

“You go ahead Orion, I’m gonna catch a nap. I’ll see you around. And let Applejack know where I am if you see her.” Big Mac said, laying on his side and drifting off to sleep, the day of farm work and running catching up to him.

“Got it.” he responded, climbing the stairs and following Spike back into the main section of the Library, where Twilight and Rainbow Dash were still glaring at each other, although this time they weren’t behind fortifications and there was no pillow based warfare going on.

“It’s all good Orion, I made them dismantle the tripwires, and they’ve worked out a truce. Just do yourself a favor, don’t ask them why they were fighting… They said something about a late fee and then it went downhill from there.” Spike cautioned, motioning to the bickering mares.

“Thanks for the tip dude… Anything else I should know?” Orion asked, wondering why Spike was always shown as the baby in the show, it seemed like he was playing the role of a dad at that particular moment.

“Yeah, don’t try and talk books with them unless you like being the moderator for a debate.” Was all he said in reply, chuckling as he walked back to stand between the girls, who seemed to notice Orion’s presence for the first time.

“Hey Orion!” Dash said excitedly, her wings perking up behind her, making her look like she was going to take flight at any second. “What was it you said earlier about how your wings beat?”

Ignoring the oddness of the question, he simply replied by flapping his wings for her again and answering that they beat both ways. Why he was having to explain basic pegasi anatomy to Rainbow Dash was beyond him. Then again, he supposed that she never did finish flight camp… maybe she missed the part about how wings actually worked?

While he was staring off into space though, he missed Rainbow shooting Twilight a victorious look, as well as both mares blushing furiously for a few seconds.

“Awesome! Anyway, Orion, I got some questions for you.” Dash said, not wanting to miss a beat, she flew over and wrapped a wing around him, “What do you say we go over to the reading room and continue this conversation?”

“What conversation?” he asked, shortly interrupted by Twilight.

“Oh no! You are not doing stuff like that in my library!” she shouted, taking Rainbow Dash’s wing from around Orion with her magic, “He may not know what that means yet, but you sure as HAY do Rainbow, and I’m ashamed of you for trying something while he doesn’t know the full implpications!”

“Uhhh… what?” Orion asked, trying to make sense of what was happening and failing miserably. From what he could get from Twilight’s outburst though, he was pretty sure that Rainbow had just done something inappropriate… he just didn’t know what……

“Jeez Twilight, relax, if I was bothering him, I’m sure he’d say something.” Dash said grumpily, “It’s not like you don’t wanna get to know him better anyway…”

“That’s still no excuse to try hogging him!” Twilight shot back angrily, “If you are going to try and do that kind of stuff, leave! If you want to stay, then watch it.”

“Umm… for the record, I think I’d like to stick around here. I start work at five, and it’d be nice to get some reading done on a couple things in the meantime.” Orion interjected, trying to stay neutral

Twilight shot Rainbow Dash a smug look of triumph, and the sky colored pegasus seemed to pout, perking up as she realized something. Twilight had forbidden her from doing anything in the library, but she never said anything about just some simple flirting…

“I think I’ll stick around too… might show you where they keep the good books.” Rainbow Dash said, sidling up to Orion, this time careful not to put her wing around him.

“Okay then… So what kinds of things do you read Dash?” he asked, curious about what, if anything, the weather mare read beyond Daring Doo.

“Well, mostly adventure books, some books on trick flying, there’s a history book about the Wonderbolts that’s always cool to check out, and then there’s my favorite series, Daring Doo. You look like a Daring Doo kind of guy, so I’ll go get a few and show them to you.” Dash answered, perking up and running up to the second floor to bring back a few samples of the aforementioned material.

Twilight showed Orion to the couch and was about to ask if he wanted some tea while he was visiting, when the door burst in, and a rather tired looking Fluttershy entered. She greeted Spike and Twilight warmly before catching sight of Orion and freezing in place and her pupils shrinking to pin pricks.

“Hey Fluttershy…” he said softly, worried that his presence was off putting for the yellow pegasus.

“H-hi t-there Orion…” She mumbled, her head somehow managing to hide behind her mane without even moving… it almost seemed like the mane itself was a separate creature whose sole purpose was to hide her face when she was nervous…

“Sorry if I’m making you nervous… I was just helping Spike hide Big Macintosh and decided to stay and get some reading done.” He explained, careful to keep his voice low and non-threatening.

“Oh no… It’s perfectly alright… I mean… you were here first, and, well, you’re not making me nervous… well, you are… but not a bad nervous… it’s just… ummm…” Fluttershy said, eventually trailing off into incomprehensible squeaks and mutters.

Figuring it was best to try and change the subject, Orion looked at her kindly and tried to continue the conversation, “So Fluttershy, what brings you to the library?”

She seemed to perk up a little bit, though still flapping her wings a bit nervously, “I’m actually here because one of my little critter friends is sick again, and I was wondering if Twilight still had a copy of Supernatural’s floating around…”

“Yeah Flutters, we got it.” Spike said, walking up to the timid pegasus and holding out an old book that looked like it’s cover was made of wood… weird… they didn’t put little details like that in the show…

“Oh thank you Spike!” She said, her face lighting up, “Now Mr. Bearington can get over that nasty chest cold… He’s been living on my couch for the last week… and not that I want to force him… but he does make it a little hard to get around my living room…”

“Heh… I can imagine that a fully grown grizzly bear would make it a bit difficult to get around.” Orion said, his laugh causing Fluttershy to blush slightly, but at least she didn’t seem like she was going to faint or run off… or run off and then faint… So he was probably making headway.

“Well… it’s not that he does it on purpose… but I don’t think he quite realizes that he’s so much bigger than anypony else… And I remembered a remedy in here,” Fluttershy motioned at the book in her saddlebag with a wing, “That is supposed to make any animal feel 100 percent better within a couple hours. So hopefully he can go back to his cave by tonight and he can start getting out on his own again.”

“Well that’s good to hear Fluttershy. You’re always so good with animals. I’m kind of jealous.” He replied, still chuckling at the shy pegasus trying to talk about evicting what sounded like a lazy bear in such a roundabout way. It was kind of cute.

“What are you at the library for Orion?” She asked, looking around and noticing that Twilight had left the room, and Spike was preoccupied trying to put a giant stack of books back on one of the upper shelves.

“Well, it started off with Spike and me looking around the town, then we had to save Big Mac from Roseluck. Spike brought him to this safe house thing in the library, and then I kind of got roped into talking books with Rainbow Dash.” He explained, realizing after he was done that had he said that anywhere else but in Ponyville, he would have been subject to more than a few awkward stares. As it was, Fluttershy seemed to just soak it all up and nodded as if this were normal.

“Well… it is Spring after all… and Big Macintosh is one of the more popular stallions… Not that you’re not nice too… just that, well, everypony knows Big Mac, and you’re still new, so not many mares have noticed you… But they will! I’m sure they will… you’re very nice…” Fluttershy said, pausing to hide behind her hair every now and then.

I wonder if she realizes how cute she looks when she does that? Orion wondered, interjecting when Fluttershy seemed like she was talking herself in circles again.

“I actually prefer not having a lot of ponies notice me… it makes me feel exposed… like I don’t fit in.” He told her, smiling softly and sitting down on one of the cushions on the floor.

“Really? Oh but why?” Fluttershy asked seriously, as if Orion had just admitted to wanting to jump off a cloud without his wings. “You’re such a nice pony… you’re not loud o rude… you have a nice laugh… your eyes are very pretty… and your mane is something I haven’t ever seen on a stallion… you look very nice…”

Fluttershy kept talking to herself after that last part, though between her volume dropping to an almost inaudible level, and the fact that her face was now very safely hidden behind her mane, he couldn’t hear a word of it. Which was probably for the best, because he probably wouldn’t have had a clue about how to respond to such phrases as, “Perfectly shaped flank”, “Beautiful wings that I just want to wrap myself in”, and “I wouldn’t mind if you took me right now on top of the pile of dictionaries in the back”.

Now you’re just making stuff up!

No I’m not! She totally said that!

Bullshit! This is Fluttershy we’re talking about!

Are we really going to do this right now? We’re trying to write this chapter with as little Fourth Wall Fuckery as possible, thank you.

I still say that you can’t have a timid character like Fluttershy say things like that unless you have Orion and her in a romantic setting with possibility of explicit sexiness!

And I say that we’re confusing the readers with this little aside. How about this?

Dear Readers, as the author is currently having a silly moment and writing down everything that is happening inside their head, I feel it important to note that the last comment Fluttershy is reported to have said, may or may not have actually been said. I also declare this to be an extremely weak bit of existential comedy, and wish for you to please return to the story and forget that this part ever happened.

Better?

Much. Now get back to writing. I’m just your inner critic anyway.

………Fuck you………

After sitting in silence for a few minutes while the writer was talking to itself, Orion broke the quiet and asked if Fluttershy knew anything about body language for pegasi.

“Well… I didn’t do so well in school when it came to social studies…”

“Oh… was it that difficult?” Orion asked, no stranger to difficulties in school.

“No, the material was surprisingly easy… it was the presentations… I never actually did one… so I kept getting bad grades…” Fluttershy admitted. “But I can answer anything you might want to know about…”

“Okay then… what can you tell me about wings? Like, Rarity and Applejack I shouldn’t do a couple things, like stretching them out, but I see you and Rainbow doing things like that all the time… what’s the difference?” Orion asked, trying to downplay his confusion and failing miserably.

“Well……That’s a bit of a touchy subject actually…” Fluttershy said, blushing slightly before laying on a cushion next to Orion and sweeping a quill, ink, and paper over in front of her. “You see, there’s two different kinds of body language with Pegasi. There’s the normal things like the way one might move their hooves or laying their ears back… and we share those things with Earth Ponies and Unicorns. But Pegasi also have wings to worry about… and there’s even differences in how mares and stallions are supposed to use that language…”

“Okay…” Orion said, grasping everything so far, “So am I doing things that males just shouldn’t do?”

“Short answer?…….Yes.”

“I thought Equestria was supposed to be equal everywhere…” Orion muttered, turning back to the yellow mare, “So what kinds of things am I saying with my wings when I do stuff like stretching them out? Or when I hug other ponies?”

“Is that what you think that means?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes growing wide, “When you put your wings around another pony and nuzzle them?”

“Yeah… I thought that was a hug type of thing… I mean, it feels like it should…”

“Oh no Orion… A hug is when you wrap your forelegs around another pony. Wrapping your wings around them is something you only are supposed to do with a younger sibling, or a very special somepony… It means that you’re taking them under your wing and you’re protecting them… it’s a very special thing to express physically… In fact, most of the things pegasi do with their wings when it comes to body language is reserved for very intense or strong emotions.” Fluttershy corrected. Orion had to admit, if Ponyville ever needed a new teacher, Fluttershy might just be a good choice.

“What about when you gesture like it’s a third pair of hooves?” he asked, remembering how she had gestured towards the book earlier.

“Well… that’s more or less just something every pegasus does now and then if we don’t want to lose our balance and we need to point something out… That’s one of the exceptions…” She admitted embarrassedly.

“Okay then… So, what I thought was a hug was a way of saying that the other pony was under my protection, like a sibling or a special somepony… So that explains why Luna did that to me every now and then… she was letting me know she was watching over me… that makes some sense actually.” He muttered, staring off into space for a minute before turning back to face Fluttershy with an intense look of confusion. “So what was I telling everypony when I was stretching my wings in public?”

“Ummm……Well… not that it’s your fault… because you didn’t know… but you were telling everypony that you were open to stud a mare if she wanted…” Fluttershy explained, the only thing keeping her blush confined to her face was the fact that they were talking about it in a purely academic aspect.

Orion blinked………… “I was what?” he asked. “I don’t know what that last part means, but I was just stretching them to work some soreness out of the joints.”

“Well… Studding a mare is when a male shows off how fit he is, and then hopes that a nearby mare is interested, so they usually go somewhere private and well……he uh…”

“They buck like bunnies.” Rainbow Dash finished, gliding down from the top steps, a pile of books balanced on her back, which Orion had to admit looked remarkably difficult.

“They WHAT?!” Orion hollered, “How does that even work?! How does stretching your wings out mean that you’re ready to be a father?!”

“The way it works is this champ.” Rainbow Dash explained, seeing as Fluttershy had retreated into her hair again, “In Equestria, there’s about two fillies born for every colt. That means you’re in the group that is in the minority. Since you’re in the minority, you ultimately get the final say in any partner you take on. Since you want to attract attention though, if you’re a stallion, you want to let everypony know that you’re in good shape. Then from there, mares come to you and try and woo you. It’s a pretty sweet setup if you ask me. I don’t think you quite appreciate how much trouble it is to wine and dine a stallion in the hopes that they’ll want you as their special somepony.”

“I understand how difficult it is to be expected to pay for a date if that’s what you’re saying.” He muttered, still trying to process that in Equestria, he was basically in the stereotypical girl’s role in the dating scene. “So when I stretch my wings out…”

“You’re showing everypony around you that you’re a very nice, strong, healthy stallion that is ready and willing to start a relationship, and possibly be a father.” Fluttershy finished, almost quoting her flight school biology textbook.

“Holy shit……I basically flashed everyone in the marketplace…. That’s why that one mare called me a stud… That’s why everypony blushes when I do that…” he mumbled to himself, trying to process that he was the Equestrian equivalent of a guy flexing as he walked down the street… or a girl pulling her shirt up as a bunch of guys walked past… He felt dirty……
“Wait a second…” He said, frowning and his voice getting a bit louder, “You called me a stud earlier!” he said, pointing a hoof at Rainbow Dash, making sure that his wings stayed firmly at his sides.

“Well yeah. But I thought you knew what it meant… And besides, I was only kidding… kinda…” Dash said, blowing his complaint off. “It’s not like I was that mare at the market, trying to practically jump you in the middle of the road.”

“That’s… okay, that’s true… but still! You should have known better!” Orion admitted, though still feeling a little hurt, not to mention dirty.

“Dude, you’re a male in a female’s world… you get special treatment in ways you don’t even know, a little teasing isn’t that much to put up with. Besides, if anypony ever manages to hurt you, you’ve always got me willing to jump in and defend your honor!” Dash said, wrapping her wing around him and nuzzling him.

“Uhhh… is there anything else you’d like to cover?” Fluttershy asked, frowning slightly at the friendly display she’d just witnessed, partially out of jealousy, partially because Dash had just admitted to calling Orion a stud and not even tried to apologize… still, he didn’t seem too upset in the end, so she wasn’t going to push it.

Orion looked at the clock on the wall and almost ran out of the building immediately. He was five minutes late! On his second day on the job!

“I wanna say yes Fluttershy, but I have to get going, I work from tonight until early tomorrow morning. I’ll see you around though and we can go over some more stuff. Gottagonowbye!”

And with that, Orion took off out the door in a grey, purple, and black blur as he zoomed across the sky to Sugar Cube Corner.

After he left Rainbow Dash nudged Fluttershy with her hoof.

“Not bad at all. Did you see how he didn’t try and push me away when I wrapped my wing around him? I’m telling you girls, you gotta move fast, or the good ones will get taken.”

“What I saw was you being a big meanie to somepony that didn’t know any better. You should feel ashamed of yourself Rainbow Dash. You not only called him a name like stud but you didn’t even apologize for it! And then you tell him you’ll protect him, and then try to take advantage of him!” Fluttershy replied angrily, “I think you need to follow after him and apologize right now!”

“Relax Fluttershy, if it bothered him that much, he would have said something. Seriously, it's not like you can take advantage of a male anyway, they're not the ones that can get pregnant, and they all want one thing anyway… besides, I think you’re just jealous. If you were the one making these kinds of moves and getting results, you wouldn’t say a thing!” Dash shot back, still stubbornly refusing to take responsibility for trying to take advantage of Orion.

“Fine. Then I’ll just to apologize for you.” Fluttershy answered, her small burst of assertiveness fading away, and a small glimmer of a plan shining in her eyes, “And who knows, he might like me better once I spend some time with him. He might want a mare that cares about his feelings, and doesn’t just treat him like some sort of trophy. And you know Rainbow, just because he's a stallion doesn't make it any less horrible to take advantage of him... Imagine how you'd feel if he tried to pressure you into something you didn't want...”

With that, Fluttershy stormed out of the library, determined to show Rainbow Dash that not only was she wrong, but convinced that she could show Orion what a real mare was supposed to act like.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Even after hauling ass across town, Orion still ended up being late by a whole fifteen minutes. He thought the Cakes would fire him, or at least dock his pay, but as it turned out, they had been busy cleaning up a mess Pumpkin made while trying to help her mom at the register… and somehow managed to spill not one, but three entire sheet cakes. When he arrived, the Cakes just seemed to be happy to have another set of hooves to help clean up the shop. This was easy enough, since most of the shop’s customers had already left to go home, and allowed Orion the chance to listen to some more music while reflecting on what he’d learned from Fluttershy.

As he finished mopping and sweeping the shop, the Cake’s gave him instructions to run the shop. They also told him that Pinkie Pie would relieve him of his shift at about 3 in the morning. He almost asked why they would trust him after only having him work for them for a day previously, but then he remembered that they lived just upstairs, so it wasn’t like he was really being left alone anyway. And besides, they had given him a list of things to do if he got bored. Sure most of it was just things like ice the cupcakes, design something to advertise for the shop, reorganize the display case, and things of that nature, but at least they were things that could occupy his time.

“Now remember, if you need anything, or you just want some company, Pinkie Pie is right upstairs, top floor, last door on the left.” Mrs. Cake instructed, shooing her own children up the stairs to their rooms. “And don’t worry about waking her up, she managed to get her hooves on a couple ice cream cakes and a bag of sugar today, so she’s probably still up there working on the master plan for your party.”

“Ughhh… I really don’t want a party…” Orion muttered, “Not that I have a choice in the matter though, do I?”

“Afraid not kiddo. She’ll throw you a welcome party whether or not you want one. It’s just her way of showing new ponies that they’re part of the town I guess… In any case, remember, always smile when serving a customer, and the dark chocolate chip muffins are half off.”

“Got it Mr. Cake, you guys go take your break now. You’ve been here since the store opened up this morning, you need your rest.” Orion answered, smiling at the orange stallion, who threw him a grateful look back before following his wife up the stairs.

“Well… looks like it’s just you and me now…” he said to the empty room, the baking equipment sitting in the sink in a mountain of bubbles and sprinkles. The dishes could wait. Mrs. Cake had shown him a corner of the shop that he could relax in and have a cup of tea while waiting for any customers to show up.

“Been way too long since I had some good tea…” he muttered to himself, “Forgot to ask for some in Canterlot… damn. Oh well, May as well see what this place has.

As it turns out, the shop had a surprising variety of teas in one of the cabinets. He could only assume that one of the Cakes liked the stuff, because he had only seen Pinkie eat sugar or drink soda. How she hadn’t gotten some kind of diabetes was beyond him… Then again, she never seemed to stop moving, so that may be why she looked to be in as good a shape as she did…

He finally managed to get a pot of what was most likely mint flavored green tea brewed and set up on a tray. But as he walked through the door separating the kitchen from the front of the shop, he was surprised to see that there were actually customers. He apologized, set the tea tray down on a table near the cooling racks, and set about tending to the small amount of customers that had trickled in from outside while he was working on his tea.

“So you’re the new guy huh?” a purple mare with what looked like a fruit cup minus the cup as a cutie mark. If it weren’t for the amount of time he’d spent on some of the brony forums, he might not have known her name.

“I sure am Miss Punch. What can I get for you?” he responded, a shocked look crawling across her face.

“And just how do you know my name?” she asked, her eyebrows climbing higher and higher up her face.

“Uhhh… Pinkie was telling me about some of the ponies in town, and she mentioned you when she was talking about refreshments for her next party.” He said, half fibbing, half not so much.

“I guess that makes sense… still nice to know that a handsome stallion like you knows my name.” she answered, leaning a bit over the counter and winking, “Now, I need a dozen of the red frosted cupcakes, and a cherry pie as well.”
“Got it!” he answered happily, ignoring the awkward wink and getting started on packing the ordered sweets. No way would Berry Punch be flirting. She had a filly for Pete’s sake!

The rest of the line moved along in a manner similar to his first order, the ponies would make some small talk, place their order, he’d give them the baked goods for their bits, and the next pony would step up. There were only a couple awkward moments, the first being when Mr. Rich and Diamond Tiara showed up and asked for three dozen éclairs, two three layer chocolate cakes with buttercream frosting, and a large lollipop for Diamond Tiara. As he was packaging their order, Orion tried to make the poor joke that with all the food he had ordered, Mr. Rich must have been throwing a party. Filthy responded with a rather bored response, but Diamond Tiara stared at Orion like he had dropped from outer space.

“Why are the Cake’s letting a blank flank loser work here?” she asked, her voice dripping with condescension, “Daddy! Why is the freakish pony handling our food?”

“Now Diamond Tiara, just because the young stallion doesn’t have a cutie mark does not make him a freak. Nor does it give you the right to talk down to him.” Filthy replied, but not in a firm way… more of a, I’ve had to tell you this a hundred times and you’ve never listened, so I’m just not going to bother trying kind of way.

“Actually, Diamond Tiara,” Orion said, leaning his head down to be almost eye level with the filly, “I’m not from Equestria. I was invited to live here in Equestria by Princess Luna. And I don’t have my cutie mark because where I come from, very few if any ponies ever find their special talent.”

“Sir, I will ask you kindly to not fill my daughter’s head with such lies.” Filthy Rich said, “Please just finish our order so that we can leave.”

“Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to think that one of the Princesses, even one like Princess Luna, would stoop so low as to associate with a grown pony without a special talent. You probably just made that story up to make yourself less sad about how pathetic you are.” Diamond Tiara chipped in icily.

Orion had to literally bite his tongue to keep himself from cussing the malicious little fill- no… she was just a bitch! Anyway, he had to literally bite his tongue to keep from cussing the little bitch out right there in the shop. He settled for tacking another ten bits onto the order’s total. Not that a pony like Filthy Rich would notice anyway.

Aside from that bit of nastiness though, the rest of the evening passed by quietly. Orion swapped between finishing his pot of tea, and catering to the odd customer that wandered into the shop. Time seemed to pass by quickly enough, the clock changing subtly from six in the evening, until it read midnight. By this time, even the night owls had stopped coming in, and as he looked outside, it didn’t even look like there were any lights on in the surrounding homes. He figured that this was as good a time as any to get started on some cleaning in the back room. Not like he wanted to leave it all for Pinkie Pie after all…

As he washed the pots, knives, spatulas, and pans, Orion popped his headphones on and listened to a song he had almost forgotten about...

It was probably because of this that he didn’t hear the bell ring as the front door opened. Luckily, he was almost done by that point, so when he went back out to check the front, the yellow pony that had entered had only been standing there awkwardly for a few minutes.

“Oh! Sorry Fluttershy, I didn’t hear you come in. What’s up?” He greeted kindly, gesturing his wing at the display case and the pastries laid out on shelves around the back wall, “What can I get for you?”

“Oh… I’m not really here for food Orion… I just wanted to hang out some more. I like being around you…” She replied softly, her hair hiding a hungry look in her eye as she looked the grey pegasus up and down, not unlike a cat might look at a mouse before toying with it.

“Okay. That works I guess. I mean, it’s been quiet for awhile, so I doubt anypony else will be dropping by anytime soon.” Orion conceded, “And I like hanging around with you Fluttershy. You’re a nice break from the craziness the ponies in this town seem to get up to.”

“Well I’m glad I can help relieve you like that.” Fluttershy answered, a shy smile creeping across her face, “Oh! I almost forgot, I got Mr. Bearington back on his paws again. He took one sip of that remedial soup form the book and he practically shot out of bed.”

“Seriously? Wow… what was in that stuff?” He asked, walking over to the other side of the counter and leading Fluttershy to a nearby table and sitting down.

“Oh just the usual things… there was some celery, some tomato, a nice salmon for flavor, and about three cups of habanero peppers for extra pep.” She said, waving a wing nonchalantly. “How has work been for you tonight?” she asked, leaning closer to him over the table, looking for all the world like an innocently concerned friend. Of course, if you knew anything about pegasi body language, you’d know that her intentions were anything but innocent.

Luckily for those of you still reading, Orion didn’t have a clue, and so we get to watch some more of his awkwardness!
“Work was alright… there was some trouble with Filthy Rich and his daughter, but other than that, nothing much. I was actually about to make another pot of tea, would you like some?”

“Oh that would be lovely.” She answered, her eyes staring back into his own with a lidded expression that tried to convey that she wanted more than tea from him.

“Excellent! I’ll go see if they have anything besides that peppermint green… it was alright, but not exactly that great… I don’t know if anypony has white tea, but it’s a wonderful thing to try late at night.” Orion said, standing up and hurrying off to the kitchen, he continued talking as he gathered up the tea set from earlier and began rifling through the cupboards to see what else the Cake’s had stocked.

“Can I help you look?” Fluttershy offered, appearing behind him without a sound… she was really good at that actually… if it weren’t for her coloring, he’d bet money that she was a ninja.

“Sure. You probably know more about the kinds of tea around this place better than I do.” He conceded, trying to back up and let her through, but his tail end hit an obstruction when he ran into her outstretched wing. She slid the feathery appendage up his back lightly, eventually wrapping around his withers and drawing him close to her side. She smiled kindly at him and bent over to look into the cabinet, forcing him to lower his front half to see inside as well.

“If you’re unfamiliar with something… the best thing you can do is learn from somepony else…” She said softly, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, “And I do happen to know my way around tea, so I’ll show you how to tell certain kinds apart. The Cakes have a nice little assortment, and the key to telling them apart aside from appearance, is smell.”

“I know that much about tea… but there’s too many other smells in the air around this kitchen… it’s hard to pick up the differences.” Orion said, leaning over the container he had already identified as an black morning tea.

“Then close your eyes…” Fluttershy coaxed, brushing the tip of her wing over his eyes. He shut them and she held up a small container of loosely packed grey leaves, “Now inhale… what do you smell?”

“It smells like… almost nothing… there’s a hint of flavor… but it’s so mild I can’t pick anything up…”

“That’s because this is a regular white tea… it has almost no scent of its own, and if it has a flavor, that will be almost all you can smell.” Fluttershy instructed, changing out the container for one holding a denser blend with pieces of dried fruit and dark green leaves rolled into tiny balls. “Now what about this?”

“I smell citrus… and a touch of cinnamon?” he answered, inhaling deeply, “It also has a bitter scent to it… like it has a lot of flavor packed away into a really small space…”

“That’s a blend of green tea and spices with dried peaches.” She said, “It’s one of my favorites, but you have to be careful, it has a very strong taste, and about one teaspoon will be plenty for an entire pot of tea.”

“That’s cool… How did you get so good at this?” he asked, opening his eyes and looking at her. She was blushing from the compliment, but Orion was worried that he’d done something to embarrass her. He checked his wings and saw that they were still held firmly in place at his sides.

“I spend a lot of time with Rarity, and she actually showed me a few of these tricks.” Fluttershy admitted, “Now, close your eyes again, there’s one more I want you to try…”

“Okay… ready when you are…” he said, his eyes closing firmly.

Fluttershy picked up a special blend from the back of the cabinet that Mrs. Cake had showed her once. It was the same tea they served to couples on Hearts and Hooves Day… It was called Lover’s Blend. “Now inhale this one deeply… it’s a very special tea…” she instructed, waving her wing over the top so that the smell permeated the air around them.

Orion inhaled and his eyes flew open. This was something completely new to him. It smelled sweet, but also strong… with just the barest hint that it had a gingery undertone… he was at a loss for words…

“What do you think of this one?” Fluttershy asked, hoping that the aroma would at least work a little to help things along.

“It smells delicious… What’s it called?” he replied, his eyes losing their easy going appearance, and instead looking alert and curious.

“It’s an apricot chai tea… it’s a very special tea that normally is only served once a year… but I think this would be perfect for tonight. It’ll keep us awake, and it tastes just as good as it smells.” Fluttershy answered softly, a smile playing across her lips as she stood up holding the container.

“Well…” Orion said, standing up and blushing as he realized how close the two ponies were, “I’ll get started on the tea then… and you can go relax out in the lobby if you’d like…”

“I think I’d like that Orion… Just hurry so we can keep talking… it’s dark out, and I don’t like being alone at night.”

“Sure thing Fluttershy.” He answered, turning to get started on the water. If he had eyes in the back of his head, he might have noticed Fluttershy eyeing him up and biting her lower lip slightly as she drank in the sight of his haunches, as well as the tension his wings were exerting by trying to stay closed. “I’ll see you in the front soon then…”

As she walked out of the kitchen, Orion breathed out, having finally realized that he was holding his breath around the yellow pegasus, and relaxed his wings. They splayed out to either side of him as he got to work on getting the tea tray set up nice and pretty for two. A stray lock of hair fell into his eyes and he blew it out of the way as he reflected on how much she seemed to have changed over the last couple of days. It almost seemed like she was trying to be closer than just a friend… but that was ridiculous… right?

“She’s the element of kindness… of course she’d want to be kind to you… it doesn’t mean anything, so stop working yourself up. Besides, you’ve hardly been a pony for any time at all, so it definitely isn’t a smart thing to start thinking about them like that dude… come on… first things first, get your feet back under you, learn about living here so you stop goofing up, and MAYBE after all that, you can try and think about relationships…” he muttered to himself, pouring the boiling water into the pot and dropping in the leaves. As he carried the tray out into the main room of the shop, he saw her sitting at a table in the corner, facing him with those half lidded eyes again… her hair flowing almost like water over one side of her face, giving her a mysterious, almost alluring quality.

“Oh gods… this is sooooo not going to be easy…” he muttered, walking over to sit down next to her and pouring the tea.

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay. I started writing this section of the story and expected that i could make i fit into one chapter, but since i try and cap my chapters around the 11000 word count, i figured this was a good stopping point. Things in this section of the story should be wrapped up nicely by the end of the next update. with that being said, a couple notes i want everyone to read.

First thing to point out, What Fluttershy said about one person pressuring another is something i believe one hundred percent. no matter the sex, gender, orientation, or station in life, if a person pressures another to do something they don't want to, the one that pressures the other is always in the wrong.

I want to also take this moment to point out that the chapter updates will probably each take about three to four days each from here on, as i'm going to try and work in multiple aspects of a larger story arc.

last thing to note, i'm still undecided who Orion should end up with... so cast your votes below. Also, if you have any ideas about the next chapter/storyarc, let me know in the comments or storyarc. I'll stop talking now, look for the next chapter sometime wednesday night.

Fluttershy's One Night Stand?

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Chapter 8- Nopony Can Hold Their Liquor Pt. 3
AKA: The part where some silliness is had; and possibly some sexy times……maybe.

HA! See? She just wants to help you adjust to life in Equestria! Orion thought to himself, looking across the table at the pegasus mare that had been talking with him for the last two hours, at least, about all kinds of intricate signals he could give off with his wings. She had even told him a couple of stories about when she was a filly and had accidentally made a very rude gesture at her flight coach. He had been hard pressed not to hit the ground laughing, but he’d managed to contain his mirth for her sake. Even though he recognized that she was opening up and being friendlier than he had thought possible, he still felt like one wrong move would break her. Still, at least he had learned all the signals he’d been missing the last couple of days… And from what he could gather, he was becoming rather popular with the mares around town.

“So do you have any more questions?” Fluttershy asked, shifting her tea cup over to the side and leaning over the table slightly, only one of her eyes visible, the other being hidden behind her pink mane.

“I think I have the important parts down…” he replied, furrowing his brow in concentration, “Putting my wing over another pony means I want to protect them, doing that and nuzzling them is something you only do with a special somepony, flexing or stretching my wings when I’m not flying is like a billboard saying that I’m single and looking, and brushing my wing over another pony’s cutie mark is like asking them out…… those are the important ones right?”

“Mhmm… And don’t forget, if a mare takes advantage of you in any way, it’s not your fault.” Fluttershy added, “No matter what they say, or how they may act afterwards, if they do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell them in a clear way, and don’t back down.”

“I’m not so worried about that last part… Stallions are physically stronger anyway, and if worst comes to worst, I have wings to get out of a bad situation.”

“That may be, but there’s lots of mares out there that will try and take advantage of you. They might try to trick you, pressure you, some might even try and drug you…” Fluttershy said seriously.

“Okay…” Orion answered, surprised that the whole drugging another pony thing was a reality. “Can I ask though? Do you know anypony that has ever actually tried to drug a stallion?”

“Not in Ponyville… but there’s stories about cities like Trottingham, parts of Canterlot, and Manehattan has a reputation for it as well…” Fluttershy responded.

“Whoa……And I thought the worst I’d have to endure was Rainbow Dash’s jokes…” Orion said chuckling, his nonchalant front ruined slightly by the fearful look in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t worry Orion… Like Rainbow said, if anypony tries to hurt you, she’ll be there… and I’ll be there too.” Fluttershy said softly, walking around the table and slipping under his jaw, resting her cheek against his neck and nuzzling him softly.
Orion froze for a second or two, then relaxed into the caring gesture, surprised at the tenderness Fluttershy was showing him. He didn’t exactly consider himself close to a lot of ponies in this world yet, but he was definitely sure that Fluttershy was as good a friend as he could hope for. While they stood there, he happened to steal a look at the clock and saw that it was almost time for his shift to end. He broke the physical contact and started cleaning up the table, explaining the situation to Fluttershy.

“Oh my… I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that you were getting off while it was still dark out.” Fluttershy said, blushing. “Umm… If it’s not too much trouble, could you help me walk back to my home? I wouldn’t ask you to help me after just finishing up your own work, but I’m scared of the dark…”

“I don’t mind at all Fluttershy.” Orion assured her, “It’s funny actually, you’re the second pony I’ve heard of that’s afraid of the dark. The other one was a mare that tried to jump Big Mac while she was in heat. That wouldn’t happen to be you would it?” He asked, laughing as he took the kitchen.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy said to herself, blushing furiously, “I didn’t think he’d hear about that so soon…”

“What was that Shy?” Orion asked, coming back into the front area.

“Nothing! Nothing at all…” the yellow pegasus replied hurriedly, trying to fight the blush that had come over her as she remembered the things she’d wanted to do to Big Mac that day she’d found him in the basement of the library. The only thing that had saved them both from some of her twisted fantasies had been the fact that the light bulb in the basement went out as soon as she tried to go down the steps, and the shock had brought her back to her senses.

“Okay then… You just looked like you were imagining something fun is all…” Orion said lamely, wiping down all the tables and counters as he kept an eye on the shy mare. He had about five minutes before Pinkie Pie was supposed to take over, and he didn’t want to leave the place messy for the overzealous pink sugar bomb.

Finally, the shop was clean enough for him, and almost as if on cue, Pinkie Pie came zooming down the stairs and standing at attention, saluting him with a hoof exactly as the clock struck three.

“Special Baker Pinkamena Diane Pie, reporting for duty!” She barked in a militaristic tone Orion had only seen so far in this world from the Royal Guards and Luna when she addressed anyone while she was angry about something.

“Uhhh… At ease?” Orion said weakly, returning her salute with his wing and looking at Fluttershy for confirmation that this was the correct answer.

“Cool!” Pinkie said happily, hopping around the room, looking at random tables and checking the cash drawer. “You did a good job of watching the shop on your own Orion…The first time I did it, there was cake batter everywhere and the Cakes didn’t let me near the oven for a month!”

“Thanks… I think… how did you manage to get cake batter everywhere?” he asked, looking at her curiously as Fluttershy walked up behind him and nudged him with her hoof, trying to get his attention.

“That’s a long story involving Gummy, a spatula, a bottle rocket, and my first Welcome to Ponyville Party.” Pinkie answered, giggling to herself, “The funny part was, it was a party for myself!”

“Umm… Orion… Maybe we should get going now? I know a few of the nocturnal animals near the Everfree are particularly… playful… at this time of night.” Fluttershy said quietly, making eye contact with Pinkie and hoping that she would get the message. Orion, for the most part, just kept looking at the baker quizzically wondering what the bottle rocket could have been used for.

“I hear you Flutters!” Pinkie said enthusiastically, her limbs stretching bizarrely and pushing Orion and her out of the front door. “Orion, I’ll come find you when we need you at the shop again, in the meantime, here’s a chunk of the tips for the day, now get going and help Fluttershy get home… And Orion?”

“Yes?” he answered, concerned about the dark tone in her voice as he was pushed out onto the street and a sack of bits forced into his vest pocket.

“If you hurt Fluttershy… in any way… I’ll find you…” Pinkie said, her hair flattening, her color sapping slightly, and an evil gleam in her eye.

“G-g-g-got it P-p-pinkie…” he stuttered, making a mental note to never cross the baker on anything… EVER!
As he went ahead of Fluttershy to stand under one of the street lamps in the main road, Fluttershy looked at Pinkie, who’s hair had re-curled, and her usual smile replacing the sinister look on her face.

“You know Pinkie… That was really mean. He wasn’t here for last Nightmare Night, remember? He might think you’re going to hurt him.” She said, frowning at her pink friend.

“Yeah, but at least now if you two try anything, he might say no.” Pinkie said slyly, “You’re not the ONLY one that wants a piece of him you know…”

Fluttershy blushed, hurrying away from the shop to start towards her home with Orion.

“Heheheheheh… I LOVE making her blush like that!” Pinkie said, giggling to herself as she tried to find something else to clean before getting started on making the donuts for the morning crowd. “Besides, it’s not like they’ll actually do anything yet, right Writer?”

I can’t say anything Pinkie… now please quit breaking the fourth wall. Seriously, my computer screen is getting a crack in it, and I blame you.

“Oh please… you wrote me to be a character that can break the fourth wall, and you’re upset when I do what you made me for… You really need to think that logic out better.” Pinkie replied, watching her friends walk into the night with their wings around each other. “Besides, they’re cute… Although, I still say Pink and Grey are a nice contrast. Opposites attracting and all that... Hint hint.”

Pinkie, I seriously don’t know who, if anyone he’ll end with. It’s his story, his decisions. All I do is tell the story to the folks in this dimension.

“Metaphysics aside, you already know what’ll happen right?”

Nope

“So you can’t tell me?”

Eeyup

“… Celestia’s right, you are a hack…”

I swear if you mention that fat flank and her ridiculous insults again, I’ll turn this into a reverse version of Cupcakes with a dash of Rainbow Factory.

“Shutting up…”

Good girl. Now, you go do your stuff for the shop and get that surprise ready for later, I’ll tail those two to see if this story will need a mature rating.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Orion and Fluttershy had a rather uneventful walk back to her cottage. The highlight for Fluttershy had been when Orion thought he saw something watching them from the bushes and he flared his wings in a reflex to appear larger and stronger than whatever was watching them. As it turned out, it had simply been a cat that looked at him disdainfully before dashing off into the dark again, leaving Orion looking like an idiot, and Fluttershy with an eyeful of fully extended wing-aaaahhhhh horsefeathers…

After getting Fluttershy snapped out of her stupor, they continued walking through the night. They finally arrived and Orion finally got his first look at Fluttershy’s cottage. He also noted that it was relatively close to Sweet Apple Acres. How had he never seen this place form the sky over the Acres?

“Would you like to come inside for a bit?” Fluttershy offered, pawing at the ground nervously. She must have felt obligated to offer, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable either. And as nice a time as they had had together at Sugar Cube Corner, he wasn’t sure if it would be proper for them to be alone in her home.

“I don’t want to impose… Actually, it’s only about a three minute flight from here back to the Acres, so I should probably get going.” He said diplomatically, smiling kindly.

“Oh it’s no trouble at all… And I’d like to. You put up with me at your work most of the evening, and you walked me home… the least I can do is get you a cup of tea before you head off.” Fluttershy objected, suddenly scared that he would leave before she made any real headway with him.

“Well… if you feel like you have to… I just don’t want to be a bother…” he responded awkwardly.

“Oh it’s no bother at all really.” Fluttershy assured him, opening the door and letting him in. “We just have to be quiet… Please, go on up the steps to my room, and I’ll be right up with the tea. We can’t stay in the living room because most of my little friends are sleeping.”

“uhhh… alright…” Orion answered, trying to step as lightly as possible up the wooden steps. When he reached the top, he noticed Angel hopping out of a small bathroom. He looked at the grey pegasus intensely before looking behind Orion to see Fluttershy’s shadow moving around in the kitchen.

“Hello there Angel.” He said softly, knowing better than to lower his face to the rabbit’s level. He had mixed reactions about the bunny in question. On the one hand, he’d seen how he treated Fluttershy in the show, on the other; Fluttershy seemed to like him… Better to play neutral. “I’m Orion… I’m one of Fluttershy’s new friends.”

The bunny just kept looking between him and somewhere off behind him, his ears twitching slightly as both Orion and Angel heard the clink of ceramic on ceramic.

“Fluttershy said for me to wait for her in her room.” he continued, this time the bunny perking up noticeably, “Do you know which door I go through?”

The white creature looked between a couple doors before pointing to the one on the left. Orion tried the knob just as Fluttershy reached the top of the steps, her eyes widening in fright.

“Oh no… Orion, please don’t open that door!” she said about as panicked as she could, while trying to remain calm. “That’s uh… an art room… you don’t want to see some of that…”

“Okay… Sorry Fluttershy, I didn’t know you were so protective of your art… I was just going into the room Angel pointed me towards.” He replied lamely, taking his hoof off the doorknob and pointing at an empty section of the floor. “Well… he was just here anyway.”

“Oh don’t worry about it Orion… I might show you some of the things in that room someday… just not right now… Anyway, my room’s the other one. Can you get it please? I have to balance the tea.” Fluttershy responded, moving her head to indicate the tea set balanced on her back.

“Oh! Of course… There you go.” Orion answered, opening the door on the right, holding it open for her.

“Thank you. Now… can I interest you in a massage?” Fluttershy offered, setting the tea down on a nightstand and sitting on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside her with a wing.

“Uhhh… I thought I was just being offered tea?” he said dumbly. “I didn’t know that tea with you included masseuse services.”

“Oh well you see, I’m rather well known for my massages… and I’m also excellent at Pegasi massage. Which I’m guessing you’ve never had…”

“I actually got a massage with Rarity and Rainbow Dash at the spa a couple days ago.”

“The spa’s nice… but Aloe and Lotus aren’t as good at Pegasi massage as I am. I’m the town champ you know.” Fluttershy continued, her sales pitch getting a bit more pressuring as a smile of pride grew across her face. Orion swore that when she finished her sentence, he could hear a distinct sound like a rubber duck, and the sounds of a hundred brony’s keeling over from diabetic shock.

“If it’s that great… I don’t see the harm in it…” Orion responded, “What makes it so different from a normal massage though?”

“Well… a proper wing massage focus almost entirely on the wings… and it’s something that gives you a completely different feeling from normal massages. Especially since the wings of a Pegasus are much more sensitive than anything else on a pony. They have to be for feeling air currents.” Fluttershy responded, handing him a cup of tea, “Drink this first though, it will help you relax and appreciate it more.”

“It’s not drugged is it?” he asked sarcastically, chuckling at his rather morbid joke and missing her look of horror as a result. Luckily, she realized he was kidding before he looked up from his cup.

“I’d never think to drug somepony as nice or handsome as you.” she replied softly, so quiet that he only heard the first part.
They both finished their cups and set them aside, Fluttershy instructing him to lie face up with his head on the pillows, his wings spread out to the sides as much as possible. They actually went a tiny bit over the edge of the mattress, and Fluttershy had to seriously resist the urge to pin him down and try to make him hers…

“Now, this might feel a bit… intense…” she cautioned, “If you need me to change what I’m doing for whatever reason, just let me know. The safe word is bunny. So if you say that, I’ll stop doing everything immediately.”

“You know, I’ve heard of safewords before… but never in the context of a massage.” Orion noted, looking back at her as she stood over him. Literally, she had two hooves on either side of his body, staring down at him.

“W-w-well… just relax and ummm… enjoy…” Fluttershy said, blushing. She hadn’t realized he was into that… Maybe she would show him the ‘art room’ sooner than she thought…

As she worked her hooves gently into the joints of the wings between his shoulder blades, she noticed that he seemed to stiffen before melting into what could effectively be called a pony shaped puddle… Was he really this sensitive? She hadn’t even gotten to the edges of the wings let alone the sides of his chest where the wings were usually held against when not in flight.

“Does that feel alright Orion?” she asked, leaning her head down to just behind his ear and speaking softly as her hooves continued to press and squeeze various parts of his back and the base of his wings.

“Mmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm” was all he could say as his head lolled about from side to side, the sensations running up his spine threatening to put him in a trance.

“That’s good… would you like to feel a bit… more?” Fluttershy asked, blushing as she thought of all the different ways that statement could be taken.

“If it feels as good as this, I’ll be your slave.” He said, his voice sounding a bit giddy, a shiver running up his spine and back down only to root itself behind his navel as he felt his core tense up.
Fluttershy splayed her hooves out to his sides, with the front hooves planted in front of his wings. She lowered herself until she was practically laying on top of him, her wings stretching out to match the pose he held on the mattress, her wing tips falling short, but reaching far enough all the same.

“This is called, The Pony with Four Wings… It’s a very special technique… and I’ve only practiced it with three other ponies before… just tell me what you feel…” she said, her voice taking on a slight rasp, her breath tickling his ear and sending another shiver down his spine as he felt her warm weight pressed into him… it was almost a safe feeling, if a bit restrictive…

“Okay Fluttershy…” he said, trying not to moan as he felt the tips of her wings glide softly across the front ridge of his wings. The sensation was beyond words, but oh so heavenly…

“What do you feel when I do this?” she asked, pushing her body forward, grinding against him gently as her wings brushed against his, the tips of her yellow feathers intermingling with his grey ones, separating them with ease and reaching to the root of each level of feathers.

“Oooohhh… I feel like my wings are being opened… there’s air hitting my skin and it’s sending sparks across my everything…” he said softly, barely able to form words as her feathers grazed his bare flesh.. Something that now felt alien when his whole body was covered in fur or feathers.

“And this?” Fluttershy asked, breathing down the back of his neck and tilting her head to grasp one of his secondary feathers and tugging gently. His head shot up from the pillow, his back arching up beneath her and his hindquarters rising suggestively.

Aaahhhh… what was that?” he asked, his eyes unfocused as he looked back at her, her kind look tinged with a look of passion. She was about to lean in and see how he would react to a kiss, but before her lips could meet his, his head flopped over onto the pillow, his breathing level and his wings retracting slightly as his entire body seemed to just give up and pass out.

“Oh shoot… And I wanted to see how far we could get tonight…” Fluttershy lamented, pressing into him with her body again, breathing in his scent and admiring the way he managed to look attractive even while drool started to drip out onto the pillow. She knew that her massages could be intense if she wanted them to be, but they had never put a pony to sleep from sensory overload before… Maybe it was that last tug on his feathers? Oh well, it would still be nice to cuddle with him in her bed.

Fluttershy gently helped close his wings a bit more and flipped him onto his side, wrapping one wing over him from behind. She snuggled herself up into his back, his hair splayed out beneath her cheek as she nuzzled closer to him and relaxed, holding him to her safely, possessively…

……………………………………………………Meanwhile, Angel stood out in the hallway, a used syringe in one paw, tranquilizer still dripping from the tip onto the floor as he watched his “owner” snuggling up to the newcomer. It was hard enough to maintain control around here without the food giver bringing another pony into the equation. Besides, he could smell the pheromones coming from her a full mile away, and the last thing he needed was for the newcomer and her to do anything that might bring a newborn into Angel’s home. No, there’d be none of that as long as he could help it. And if they left the door open again in the future, he’d just get out the bear tranq and a syringe and sabotage them again.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

By the time Orion felt the fog in his brain lifting, he’d been awake for at least five minutes. Granted, that five minutes of hazy consciousness had been rather nice. He felt like he had a warm blanket wrapped around him, which was weird… he didn’t remember having a feather blanket in his room at the Acres… Wait a second… how had he gotten back to the farm last night? The last thing he remembered was being invited into Fluttershy’s house for tea… then things got kind of fuzzy… Oh well, at least he had a warm blanket around him… and did his blanket just move? Was there someone else in his room? Was there someone else in his bed?!

Who’s there?!

....Is what he tried to say, his mouth only cooperating to the point of making the sound “Whooooozaa…”

“Oh good! You’re up! I was worried I’d hit a nerve or something last night…” Fluttershy answered, removing her wing from around him before he got the wrong idea about her… She didn’t want to seem like she’d taken advantage of him last night after all.

“Fluuurshh?” he said groggily, his tongue feeling a lot like a cotton wad stuck in his mouth, “Waaamah?”

“You’re in my bed silly.” She said, giggling, “And don’t you worry, I was a true gentlemare last night and didn’t do anything after you fell asleep. I have to say though, I didn’t know my massages were that strong…”

“Massssjj? Wha massssjj?”

“Well, last night, we came back from the bakery and had tea, then I gave you a massage, and before I was finished, you passed out…” Fluttershy reminded, her words stirring brief flashes of sensation deep within his brain… he could remember laying on her bed, she was standing over him… there was a really nice feeling, then a sharp stabbing sensation in his back leg and everything went fuzzy and dark…

“Remmmbr somfitnow…” he mumbled, trying to raise his head and failing miserably. His whole body felt like it weighed a ton… He finally focused all his energy into one quick motion and managed to sit up. Turning his head still felt like it took more energy than the times he’d tried distance running, but he was able to see that he was indeed in Fluttershy’s room, sitting in her bed, and with her leaning her head over his shoulder and looking at him funny.

“Is everything alright Orion? Did I do something wrong last night?”

He shook his head. Truth be told, he could hardly remember much of last night after the tea… a horrifying thought flashed through his mind before he quickly dispelled it. No way would somepony like Fluttershy drug him. He was probably just a lot more tired from working at the bakery than he realized, and the tea and massage must have pushed him over the edge. Still, the blank patch of his memory wasn’t exactly comforting, but it kind of reminded him of the time that he stayed up for a couple days straight for finals… He crashed so hard that second night that he completely forgotten when his last meal was before falling asleep.

Finally, after working his jaw to get the feeling back in his face, he felt confident enough to try talking again.

“You’re fine Fluttershy… I think I was just way more tired than I noticed… That must have been one hay of a massage…” he said, smiling calmly and turning to face the blushing mare, who was alternately looking at his face and at the bed… at least, he thought it was the bed… wait, waking up… male…

“Buck.” He said calmly, looking down to see nothing less than a full on morning glory pressing against his stomach. He quickly looked for something to cover it up with before realizing that he had wings now, and used them like a shield, looking away and blushing furiously. Fluttershy, to her credit, tried to act like she hadn’t seen anything, but the rosy shade her coat took on told a different story entirely.

Luckily, the two awkward pony’s morning reverie was interrupted by a panicked banging on the door downstairs.

“FLUTTERSHY! OPEN UP! IT’S IMPORTANT!” A raspy voice called out, the hoof banging on the door only serving to obstruct any attempts to identify the voice from the bedroom.

“I’ll be right back…” Fluttershy said, getting up from the bed. “Umm… you can use the shower across the hall if it’ll help…” She said, blushing again before hurrying out of the room and down the stairs.

Orion thought a shower would help him not only get rid of the remaining fuzziness in his head, but would also probably help with his not-so-little problem…

If there was one thing he was always thankful for, it was the fact that the showers in Equestria were at least somewhat similar to the ones on Earth. Seriously, if he’d had to relearn how a bathroom worked, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what kinds of ponies would volunteer to be his teacher…

The hot water poured over him and seemed to rinse the grogginess from his every joint. Seriously, he wasn’t sure what caused him to sleep so hard, but he was thankful for the deep rest. He hadn’t slept like that in years. As his mind wandered to other times on earth, and dreams long since passed, his entire body began to relax again; which was good, because having to deal with THAT problem first thing in the morning made relieving oneself rather difficult. As he rinsed the feather soap from his wings and stepped out to grab a towel, he was greeted by the violet eyes of one all too familiar pegasus…
Orion handled the unexpected bathroom intrusion fairly well. He only shrieked like a little girl for about five seconds, and he managed to fight the urge to pelt Rainbow Dash with a shampoo bottle long enough to call her, “stalker”, which seemed to do the trick at getting her to leave the room in a hurry.

He stood there on the bath mat, still dripping water off his coat and wings, his mane hanging down and his legs spread in a defensive stance as he caught his breath and tried to stop the crimson blush streaking across his muzzle. He looked around for the towel he’d seen sitting in a shelf nearby when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He quickly realized that when Rainbow Dash had been in there, she’d not only probably seen him showering, but she probably saw what looked like a smaller, darker leg, poking out from his undercarriage. He resisted the urge to scream in frustration before resigning himself to just toweling off and wrapping the towel around his flank for good measure.

“Am I going to be flashing everypony today?” he wondered out loud.

Outside the bathroom, there was a bit of a different mood going around.

“Holy buck Fluttershy… did you see him? I mean, you probably got more than your fair share of glances in last night, nice move by the way, I didn’t expect you to beat me to him, but holy BUCK is that stud packing!” Rainbow Dash said excitedly, her words starting to blend together a bit like Pinkie Pie’s tended to.

“Rainbow… I really don’t think you should be talking about him like that. He’s a wonderful stallion, and not just a stud. Besides, I keep telling you, we didn’t do anything last night. He passed out while I was giving him a wing massage.” Fluttershy objected, trying to get Rainbow Dash back downstairs. She had barreled past Fluttershy when she heard that Orion had spent the night, and Fluttershy hadn’t been quick enough to stop her from going into the bathroom.

“A wing massage? And you guys didn’t get any further? I thought that move was like, a hundred percent effective in netting a stallion…” Rainbow Dash said thoughtfully, “But I’ll bet you wanted to do more last night, didn’t you Flutters? Come on, don’t lie to me.”

“I… I did… but I don’t know if he would feel the same… Besides, we just met recently, and I don’t want to keep him from trying to find somepony else in town before I try and keep him for myself…”

“Oh come on Fluttershy, if you want him that badly, just take him into that ‘art room’ upstairs and show him how you can use some of those toys you’ve got. You know you’ll both enjoy it.” Rainbow pressed, grinning like a madmare as she tried to get her shyest friend to open up and live a little. She may be competitive, but even she wouldn’t try and steal anypony away from Fluttershy if she liked them.

“I… I might… someday… if he’s up for it… and we both like each other…” Fluttershy admitted, blushing slightly at the thought of her and Orion in THAT room…

“That’s the spirit!” Rainbow said proudly, “And you’ll get your chance really soon. Pinkie sent me to find Orion and give him this invite.” She said, reaching into her saddlebag and pulling out a small piece of colorful paper with the word PARTY in bold print on the very front. “She also gave me one for everypony in Ponyville, but she wanted Orion to get the first one. Anyway, I was getting worried because I couldn’t find him until I checked here, but now that the first one’s delivered, I gotta fly the rest of these to everypony else. Party starts after dark, see you there!”

With that, Rainbow Dash zoomed out of the cottage in a technicolor blur, the rush of wind she generated slamming the cottage door behind her.

“What was that about?” Orion asked, descending the staircase with a towel wrapped around his lower back and stomach.

“Pinkie Pie wanted you to have this…” Fluttershy said, handing him the invitation with a wing while looking away and blushing. She could only think of one reason why he would be wearing a towel…

“A party?... Ah crap… She’s probably got the newest mods for her party cannon done too…” He grumbled, putting the invitation down on Fluttershy’s kitchen table, “So what do you want to do today in the meantime?” he asked, turning to her and removing the towel, finally confident that his… problem… had resolved itself.

“Well… I was going to take care of the animals for a bit… we kind of slept until lunch time anyway, so they’re probably really hungry… After that, I don’t know…” she answered,

“Well, I have the rest of the day off… do you need any help around here?” he offered, not wanting to just be the kind of guest that shows up and leaves without even offering something in return.

“No, that’s okay. I was happy to spend time with you last night!” Fluttershy said, blushing and looking away with a soft smile,

“Besides, I think that it might upset the animals if somepony new tried to take care of them…”

“Alright then…” Orion said, bowing his head and heading for the door, “I guess I’ll just try and find something to do around town that keeps me away from Pinkie then.”

“I wouldn’t worry about ruining any of her plans… She has a way of managing to keep a party under wraps until the last minute…” Fluttershy offered, following him outside and closing the door behind her. “And feel free to come by and visit if you want.”

“I think I’d like that Fluttershy.” He said, taking to the air and flying off into the distance, his mind drifting off to happy, foggy memories of the night before.

Orion drifted through the clouds over the town, alighting on one hovering not too far from the Sofas and Quills shop in town. He took in the surrounding area and was amazed at the various buildings that the show never really bothered with showing. There was what looked like a house sized molar in the distance, which he could only assume was the office for Colgate. There was of course the Apple family farm peeking over the crest of a hill even further from town. There was of course, Carousel Boutique, with its namesake appearance. What caught his eye the most though, was what appeared to be a shop on the street behind Sugar Cube Corner… It had a giant vinyl record stuck to the awning over the front, and a small crowd was gathered in front of it.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, touching down at the edge of the crowd.

“You didn’t hear? DJ Pon3 is in Ponyville!” a blue unicorn stallion said, looking back at him. He had a DJ PON3 logo on his saddlebags.

“Seriously? Why did she coming here?” Orion responded, craning his neck to see what everypony was gathered around. “Is she inside or something?”

“Yeah man. She’s inside signing records, shirts, whatever. And it’s really cool, cuz the last time she was in Ponyville was for that fashion pony’s show. That was at least a couple years ago.” The blue unicorn responded.

“Doesn’t she live in Fillydelphia?” Orion asked, again testing to see what parts of the canon from earth transferred.

“Well, she was born in Filly yeah, but she was raised here in Ponyville! And then she went off to Canterlot and got really famous, but it’s always something special when she comes back. She does an extra special show whenever she’s in town.” He explained, “Hey, you don’t seem like you’re from around here… but you must like music right?”

“Yeah… I love music. Who doesn’t?” Orion answered, nodding his head and looking at the unicorn in front of him, “And you’re right. I guess you could say I’m from out of the country… Name’s Orion. What’s yours?”

“Bass Beat. My folks were musicians in Fillydelphia. That’s why I’m such a huge fan of Pon3, Filly doesn’t exactly put out a lot of musicians…” Bass answered. “Nice headphones by the way. Are you going to get them signed by her?”

“Well, I don’t have anything else to do today, so I was just looking around the town. I didn’t know there was a music store.”

“Ah dude… you have to know where you can get music… Most ponies would go crazy if they didn’t have something to listen to. Tell you what, here, take this…” Bass said, handing Orion a record with his magic… The cover almost looked like some of the fan art he’d seen for some of Mandopony’s songs… The title said that it was called Broken Records and Scratched Decks

“That’s one of her newer albums. I have another copy at home, and I’m here to get her to sign my bags and her first record anyway. You got something to listen to music on?” Bass continued, quirking an eyebrow up at Orion as he examined the record.

“Uhhh… I have a crystal that I listen to music on…” Orion said, pulling the glowing stone form his pocket, his headphones still attached.

“Holy horse feed dude! Those things are insanely rare… You can’t buy them from a shop… you have to have to know someone that knows crystal kingdom magic! How far away are you from?” Bass Beat said, his eyes goggling at the sight of the crystal.

“Let’s just say it’s a bit farther away than the Gryphon Empire…” Orion answered, trying to be as vague as possible.
“Anyway, I wonder how her stuff sounds compared to the stuff I listen to usually…”

“I guarantee you dude, it’s a different experience. In fact, when it’s your turn in line, why don’t you tell her you have some music from outside Equestria? I hear she’s been looking for a different sound lately anyway. Maybe you’ll get lucky.” Bass suggested, smiling and turning back to face the front of the line, pulling out what looked like a Vinyl Scratch biography and reading it while he waited for the line to move.

As inviting as the thought of standing around for gods know how long was… Orion figured that if he wanted to see Vinyl Scratch, he could just wait until she performed at whatever concert she was here for. He felt bad about leaving Bass Beat after he’d been nice enough to give him a record for free, but then again, hospitality and kindness seemed to be almost engrained into the attitudes of the citizens on Ponyville. He took to the sky again, this time trying to scope out a place to grab a bite to eat. He’d managed to check the time against the clock tower built into the Town Hall, and sure enough, it was almost three in the afternoon and he hadn’t had a thing to eat since last night at the bakery.

There was a café near the spa, and he figured that it looked like it would be worth a try… One thing he’d learned shortly after coming to Equestria was that while ponies were biologically vegetarians, they had managed to come up with foods that sounded like they were created by an omnivore… And wouldn’t you know it; they had managed to combine two of those foods into one dish at this café.

“What would you like today sir?” a young mare asked, her prim and proper, albeit friendly, attitude accented by what looked like a serving tray for a cutie mark.

“Umm… yes, could I please get a double veggie burger with hay bacon?” Orion asked, the waitress jotting down his order.

“Would you like any sauces on that? Anything besides the bacon?”

“Oh, uh… if you could put some lettuce, onions, and a splash of ketchup, that would be great.” He answered.

“Alright then… anything to drink?”

“Just some water please.”

“Okay, that’ll be right out sir.” She said, smiling slightly and turning to saunter off to the kitchen inside.

As his mind wandered, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time, a grey mare passed near to his table and sat down behind him, placing her order with the server and idly looking out at the skyline of the town. When his food arrived, Orion was pleased to see that everything looked delicious. Even though he had to admit that the heavily hay based diet of his new form took some getting used to, the flavor was actually rather good. He scooped the burger up with his wings and took a huge bite, reveling in the way they were almost able to perfectly mimic the flavor of bacon from Earth. He’d never gotten a good answer about why that was, but it was nice to have something reminding him of where he came from. As he set the burger down on his plate, he noticed a small glob of the ketchup and burger juice had leaked onto some of his primaries… and wouldn’t you know it, no napkins at the table…

“Excuse me, ma’am? Can I get a couple napkins please?” he asked, trying to get the attention of the server as she passed by his table, getting no response.

“Here, you can use some of mine.” The grey mare behind him said, hoofing over a small pile of the brown paper napkins that were supposed to be stocked at all of the tables.

“Thanks.” Orion said gratefully, looking back at the mare and smiling, astounded that there was another pony with his coat
color. He’d been told that certain colors were rare among ponies, like Luna’s, Rainbow Dash’s, and Orion’s own coat. In fact, the only other pony he could think of that shared his coloring was Octavia… but it couldn’t be……

“Um… Ma’am, can I ask your name?” he said, turning to face her again, “Sorry, it’s just that I thought you might be-”

“Octavia.” She said politely, offering him a hoof, which he bumped politely, even if his jaw was hanging a little loosely.

“Uhhh… wow… I didn’t know you were in town…” he said awkwardly. As much as the fandom seemed to build up Vinyl Scratch, he’d always preferred Octavia as a musician. “Are you here with Vinyl Scratch?”

“Ugh. Please don’t mention her…” Octavia said, pressing a hoof to her forehead, “The only reason I’m here in Ponyville is because I owed Pinkie Pie a favor, and she called it in. I’m just here for the night to perform for one of her parties. Apparently there’s a new pony in town, and she’s planning something beyond what she usually puts on for newcomers. I’m sorry, I never caught your name, what is it?”

“Orion Borealis. I think you’re here to perform at my party actually…” he admitted bashfully, “I have to admit, I’m actually a bit of a fan of yours.”

“Well, it’s good to see that there are those who enjoy good music still… I was worried that most of the ponies in this town would be too engrossed in Vinyl’s work to appreciate my own.” Octavia said, smiling softly and nodding graciously,

“Would you care to join me at my table? I enjoy solitude as much as the next pony, but it’s nice to have company every once in awhile.”

“I’d like that, thanks.” Orion said, blushing lightly and grabbing his food to change tables.

“So, Mr. Orion, why don’t you tell me about yourself… where did you move from?” Octavia asked, sipping at her drink.

“Well… it’s not exactly a place most ponies have heard of… I actually moved here rather suddenly at the invitation of the Princesses.” He said, scratching the back of his neck nervously with a wing… well, he brushed it really… it’s difficult to scratch much of anything with pegasi wings.

“Well if you’re from so far away, how do you know of my music then? I wasn’t aware my work had spread so far…” she asked, pressing him with her words. There was one thing that Octavia didn’t like, and that was secrets.

“It reaches further than you know Miss Octavia.” Orion countered, trying to dissuade her line of questions with flattery. “Besides, just because one isn’t an Equestrian by birth doesn’t mean they can’t appreciate fine music.”

“Hmmm… I suppose you’re right… So, what works of mine do you enjoy?”

Orion almost choked on his burger, the momentary panic buying him enough time to remember a rather well knows song from the fandom…

Please let this be one of those times the fans got something right! He silently pleaded, taking a drink of water and clearing his throat.

“Well… you’ve done so many pieces it’s difficult to say… actually, my favorite piece isn’t one of your solos. I liked the duet you did with Vinyl Scratch… I believe it was called Remember How We Met in Fillydelphia.”

Octavia’s face took on a small scowl, as if she’d just bitten into a lemon.

“Hmmm… Well, that was always a good seller… Can’t say I particularly enjoy it as of late though… There’s a lot of songs from that album I don’t like now.”

“Umm… if you don’t mind my asking… what’s wrong? I mean, you seem kind of upset about something… Does it have to do with Vinyl Scratch?”

“You must be the only pony in Equestria that hasn’t heard about it.” Octavia mused out loud, sipping form her cup and setting it back down on the table, frowning at the table cloth. “It’s about Vinyl and I… we had a fight… again… And I’m worried that this one will be the last. I kicked her out of the house you know. She was yelling, I was yelling, everypony on the block heard, and then she locked herself up in that room of hers and blasted her music until I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wish she’d grow up and learn to deal with things like an adult… She’s almost 26, and she acts like she’s still a school filly.”

“That sounds like it was pretty rough on both of you… Do you two fight often?”

“Not often… about once a year or so. Usually it would be over something stupid like the dishes, remembering certain dates, coming in late… This last time, I’d gone to the club she works at and I saw her with another mare… They were nuzzling right up there on stage and I lost it.” Octavia continued, looking Orion in the eye as she spoke, “I’m sorry… I don’t normally talk to other ponies about relationship things between her and me, but you seem like somepony that’s a good listener…

“Well, I can understand needing an ear to chew off every now and then. Did you at least let her tell her side of the story? It kind of sounds like you jumped the gun a little and she felt hurt that you didn’t trust her enough to be given the benefit of the doubt.”

“Oh please!” Octavia said darkly, shooting daggers at Orion, “I know what I saw… What would somepony like you even know…”

“I might not know you two personally… but I know how it can feel to be hurt by someone you care about… and I know how much the thought of being betrayed by them can play on your fears and emotions… I’m not saying that you’re in the wrong. I’m just saying that maybe it would help things between you two if you gave her a chance to explain… things might not be what they seem.” He said calmly, hopefully he hadn’t crossed some kind of line. The last thing he wanted to do was upset someone he looked up to.

“…… I think I should be going Mr. Orion.” Octavia said, scowling and standing up from her seat, “I will see you at the party, but please, don’t talk to me ever again…”

With that, she walked off out of the café, leaving Orion to stare at his half finished burger, his appetite gone…

Author's Notes:

Okay folks, first off, sorry about updating a day late. My computer decided to bug out and i lost most of what i had before. As a result, i decided to change the ending for this and drag this section of the story out for one more chapter. I swear, this time it's true. The original ending just seemed too forced and too fast... So boo hoo, you have to read another chapter :/
Also, if this one seems a bit... off... it's because i've been feeling down lately with relationship problems of my own. Nothing to worry about, but there you have it. I'll hopefully have the fourth and final part up sometime either sunday or monday... it's a fairly straightforward chapter, and will be much funnier than this one. no seriously, i hate writing serious stuff unless it's a ridiculously in depth bit of meta or a purposely dark story. This chapter is an exception because i need a build up and it's important to show character depth and development.

Done speechifyin' now, please leave a comment to let me know what you think, like the story if you haven't already, and tell your friends :)

oh, and for you shippers out there, just try and guess who Orion ends up with, i dare you >:)

Not Quite Chapter 10

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Chapter: Not Quite Ten Chapters Yet... I'm Actually Pretty Sure This Is Nine... Yeah, It's The Ninth Chapter. Should Have Just Said That... Oh Well.

AKA- When It’s Time To Party, We Will Always Party Hard!

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN INTERACTIVE CHAPTER! IF YOU SEE THE LITTLE BLUE LETTERS, RIGHT CLICK AND OPEN THE LINK IN A NEW TAB! AND LEAVE THAT TAB OPEN TO LET THE PLAYLIST CONTINUE!
ENJOY!

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Octavia wandered the streets of the urban town of Ponyville, her mind teeming with memories of growing up not far from the library. She had gone to school in the same building that now stood on the outskirts of town and played host to the current generation of young fillies and colts. She remembered once going into the Everfree Forest on a dare, easily traversing the dark path until she heard a twig snap and ran out screaming about Timberwolves. Then there were the bittersweet memories of her later years in the town…

The most painful being the day a certain white unicorn and her family had moved in next door. Octavia had immediately been intrigued by the new arrival to the town, but when she tried to make friends with her, Vinyl had practically bitten her head off. For the next couple of months, the white unicorn would actually become a well known bully… It wasn’t until Octavia helped Vinyl run from a group of older colts she’d picked a fight with that she began to make any headway. After that afternoon on the run, they began talking on a regular basis.

It was just casual small talk at first, usually as they walked home from their music practice near the record shop… but eventually they began to spend time together in earnest. In fact, Vinyl invited Octavia to her first sleepover… That night, Vinyl finally told her why she was always picking fights, always trying to act tough and brash… She was scared… That had been her first time seeing the vulnerable side of Vinyl Scratch, and it was her first time that she felt protective of her.

“Why are you doing this to yourself Octy?” she mumbled to herself, addressing herself in the same stupid pet name her marefr- no, her EX marefriend had always used. “SHE hurt YOU… You are not going to let yourself be suckered in to giving her another chance… You’ve given her too many already…”

“Umm… Ma’am? Are you alright?” a nearby cherry vendor asked, scratching his chin with a hoof.

“I’m fine… just arguing with myself…” Octavia said earnestly, looking him dead in the eye as if daring him to try and call her crazy.

“Uh huh… You know, it’s been my experience that if you’re in the kind of place that you’re talking to yourself, it helps to talk to somepony else.”

“Oh please… Like I could talk to ANYpony else about my relationship issues…”

“You might wanna start with the other pony involved in that case… Seems as good a place as any to start off.”

“Ugh! You’re the second pony today to say that to me! Why the buck does everyone feel like they know what to do in my situation?!” She objected loudly, glaring at the vendor angrily.

“If it’s not just one pony saying it, then there may be a good reason… Most folks don’t try and give bad advice on purpose, and if enough folks are saying the same thing, then maybe it’s a good piece of advice.” The cherry salespony said calmly. He may not have been a therapist, but he had been a bartender once, and you got enough experience on the job to learn a few tricks here and there.

Octavia, meanwhile, was opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, unable to form a counterargument against the simple wisdom the vendor had just shoved in her face. Maybe he was right… Maybe that other stallion had a point, Orion was it? Yes… maybe they both had a point. As much as she argued with herself that giving Vinyl a chance had only come back to bite her in the past, even she had to admit that there had been far more good times with her than bad… Maybe she deserved just one more chance?

“Fine…” She finally conceded, going back to talking to herself and walking in the direction of the record store Vinyl was most likely at, “But if there’s even a hint that she’s lying to me, I’m walking away and tossing what’s left of her things onto the street when I get home…”

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“Alright! Who’s next up to hang out with the one and only DJ Pon3?!” Vinyl called out excitedly, whooping it up for her fans, who were crowding into Spinner’s Records.

“Whooo! That’s me!” a blue unicorn hollered, stepping up to the table and rifling through his saddle bag, before remembering that he could use magic, and pulling out one of Vinyl Scratch’s first albums.

“Wow dude, I didn’t think that one sold a lot of copies… I’m impressed you have one. First edition?” Vinyl asked, appraising the record placed in front of her.

“Yes Ma’am! I’m a huge fan. I love Wub-step and, techno in general, but you’re hands down my favorite artist.” Bass Beat answered excitedly

“Well glad to hear it dude…” Vinyl replied absently, signing the record and looking at the line stretching out behind him. She’d been signing things for the last four hours, and it was starting to get to her. Hay, she could even swear that she saw Octavia walking over… oh buck… that was actually Octavia!

“Vinyl…” Octavia said, her voice level, “We need to talk.”

“Hey! What’s the big idea mule? You can’t wait your turn in line with the rest of us?” a particularly irate light blue pony with a palm tree on her flank, and way too much gel in her mane, called out from the queue.

“Who are you calling a mule?!” Vinyl Scratch shouted at the fan, “That’s my marefriend, you bitch!”

That seemed to shut up any protesting voices in the line, allowing the quiet Vinyl needed to announce that she was done doing any signings for the day. Bass Beat walked away triumphantly holding what was likely the last bit of signed Pon3 paraphernalia from her visit to Ponyville.

Vinyl continued shooting angry looks at various ponies in the group that was now filing out of the record shop, as Octavia and her went to a back room to try and talk things over. As the door shut behind them, Vinyl steeled herself for what would most likely be a very, VERY awkward conversation.

“So… I assume you can guess what I want to talk to you about?” Octavia began, her face as composed as ever.

“I’m guessing it’s something to do with why you kicked me out of our place last week?” Vinyl guessed.

“Err… well… in a way yes… it’s more about what I saw that made me that angry with you…… I want to hear your side of the story.” Octavia said haltingly, her eyes downcast, and her usually stoic face almost looking… guilty?

“Are you actually going to listen this time?” Vinyl asked skeptically.

“Yes… I need to know the truth though, and I can tell if you’re lying.” Octavia responded, sounding hurt.

“And you’re not going to just tune me out, or hear only what you want to, and you won’t take anything out of context, or stop me in the middle of what I’m saying because it sounds bad?” Vinyl continued, having learned over the years that if you weren’t abundantly clear about the expectations of a talk, that it could blow up in your face.

“I promise Vinyl… just tell me what happened that night.” She answered, gritting her teeth in frustration at her marefriend’s stalling.

“Alright then… If you are actually going to give me a chance, I’d better make sure this is all out in the open in one go…” Vinyl said, muttering to herself and flaring her horn. “Here’s a little trick I picked up from my Neon Lights at the club… he’s useless at taking notes when he’s making a new set, so he figured out a way to transfer his memories onto a flat surface…… like a projection screen… anyway, here’s what happened that night.”

And with that, her horn touched a mirror hanging on the wall, the surface rippling as Vinyl Scratch channeled her magic into it and recalled that night at the club.

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Vinyl had just walked into the club, and already she could tell that it was going to be a crazy night. The lights were being
tested for another of Neon’s crazy shows, the bartender was going over his stock like the bottles of liquor were vital supplies in an emergency shelter, and the bouncers were psyching themselves up with a friendly shoving match. Not that the bouncers really need to psych themselves up anyway, they were two of the largest unicorn Vinyl had ever seen, even bigger than some of the lunar or solar guards at the palace.

“Heh… males…” She commented to herself, walking over to her set and inspecting the equipment to make sure Neon hadn’t tampered with anything before she showed up. Seriously, once you’re pranked in the middle of a gig, you never forget…

“Gonna be a good show tonight Scratch?” Neon asked, poking his head over the railing of the catwalk he patrolled each night. “I got this wicked new show idea, projects a spinning record behind you when you’re doing your thing, and there’s a line that runs across it and responds to the music.”

“Mhmm, that’s nice Neon.” Vinyl commented absently, her eyes scanning each knob, switch, and slider on her set, making sure everything was exactly how she wanted it for the night’s performance. “Hey, did you touch my bass tuners?”

“Yeah, I had to tweak those things to be a bit quieter. Seriously, you blew one of my lights the other night with that last bass drop.” Neon confessed nonchalantly. “Still don’t know how the hay your marefriend manages to put up with you working on that stuff in your home. You two must go through like, at least a dozen window replacements a year.”

“It was only seven broken windows last year!” Vinyl shouted up, agitated that Neon had messed with her set AGAIN!
“And besides, you can’t play my music without a kick flank bass drop! It’s just not my work without that vibration in your bones.”

“Well whatever, Hey, I hear that the owner’s daughter is dropping by tonight. And she’s a DJ that’s trying to learn the ropes. You might be playing babysitter tonight.” He hollered, his mind already switching focus from Vinyl to the arduous task of getting his lights to respond exactly the way he wanted.

“As long as she’s old enough to buy her own drinks, and as long as she doesn’t put her hooves on my gear without me knowing, I couldn’t care less.”

“Glad to hear it Scratch.” A gruff, masculine voice chimed in from behind Vinyl, the surprise almost causing her to drop a record as she was checking it for scratches.

“What’s good Cash Box?” Vinyl greeted, narrowly catching the record in her magic before it smashed into the ground. “Me and Neon were just talking about you.”

“So I heard. Anyway, he’s right. My daughter is trying to be a DJ, and I told her I’d let her watch you tonight while you worked. Do me a favor, if you think she can handle it, give her a chance to spin a song or two. I know how important it is in this business to get your name out there, and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind the break.”

“Something tells me if I say no, I’m not going to be working here much longer.” Vinyl commented dryly.

“Hay no, I wouldn’t fire you over something like this. No, you’re worth way more to me working here. But, I’ll give you an extra fifty bits if you let her take the reins for awhile. And I’ll double it if you manage to show her enough to where the crowd likes her.” Cash said, grinning like a shark.

“Sounds good, but where is she?” Vinyl asked, pleased at the thought of an extra hundred bits if she got the new girl to do a good job. She’d never fancied herself a teacher, but how difficult could it be to teach the boss’s kid a trick or two on the set.

“She’s in my office, I’ll go get her and send her out, you just keep getting ready. We’re opening up a bit late tonight, so take the extra time and give her the run down.” He said, marching off to his office on the upper level of the club.

“I can’t believe THE Vinyl Scratch is going to give lessons to a newbie…” Neon commented, looking at her curiously over the railing.

“I can’t believe we’re still talking about it.” Vinyl shot back sarcastically, directing a light to shine right in his eyes with her magic and laughing hysterically as the brightness cut through his thick shades.

It was another few minutes of tinkering and tweaking before Vinyl heard a polite cough from behind her. She stood up from where she was fiddling with the wires under her set, and turned to see a young Earth Pony mare with a deep blue coat and a neon orange mane. Vinyl had to admit though, the contrast was eye catching…

“So you’re the boss’s kid huh?” she began, holding her hoof out politely, “Name’s Vinyl Scratch, What’s yours?”

“I’m Juke Box.” The young mare responded quietly. “Anyway, my dad said you could show me a few things.”

“Sure can. In fact, I’m just about finished with getting my set ready, then I show you what does what, and with any luck, we might have some time to find a place in the gig to stick you in on your own. Sound like fun or what?” Vinyl asked, shooting Juke a friendly smile. “By the way, I gotta ask, what’s your special talent? You want to be a DJ, so I’m guessing music… right?”

“Well, actually, my talent is rock climbing… but you can’t really make a living off that, so I got into music, and I really liked listening to your stuff, so I started learning how to DJ, and my dad said that if I kept at it for a full year, that he’d introduce me to you.” Juke answered bashfully.

“Well, you can’t use magic, so I’ll need to tweak how I teach you a little. Usually, I just manipulate everything I want to with my magic you see. Still, this should be fun.” Vinyl said, the young mare amusing her a bit with how she’d gotten involved in the world of Disc Jockeys.

For the next forty minutes or so, Vinyl finished setting up her station, then gave Juke the grand tour of what everything did and how it worked. She even made a deliberate point of showing the young mare how to manipulate the switches and sliders almost as fast as Vinyl’s magic. The last step was showing Juke how to change out the discs without disturbing the song, which she was surprisingly good at...

“Jeez kid… you sure you’ve only been at this for a year?” Vinyl commented, impressed by the speed Juke was able to switch from one of Vinyl’s songs all while keeping the notes smooth and uninterrupted.

“Well, I practiced a lot, and I studied how you did things when I saw some of your videos.” Juke Box answered, a small blush coming on her face as she was praised by the mare she looked up to.

“Well if you’re able to do that in front of a crowd, I just might let you play a few songs tonight.” Vinyl promised, smiling warmly and standing at her post as the first of the evening’s clubbers walked through the doors. “Now get ready, cuz this is gonna get loud!”

Vinyl placed her headphones on, giving her an undistorted sense of the music being played, as well as drowning out the sounds of the crowd as the room quickly filled to capacity and the lights started dancing across the sea of ponies. She also made sure to slide a pair of headphones over Juke’s head as Vinyl grabbed the mike.

“Alright everypony!” She called out into the mic, her voice washing over the crowd and getting them to start pounding the ground underhoof, “Are ya’ll ready to party?!”

The crowd roared back in approval as Vinyl’s magic encompassed the first two records of the night and started them spinning, a wave of charged air washing over her and Juke Box from behind as the wall of speakers hummed to life.

“Then let’s get this thing STARTED!” she shouted, the needle dropping the needle and bringing the song to life. It was one that Octavia had helped her with and started out with an electric cello and violin playing a powerful call and response melody as the bass built up slowly, eventually building to the point that anypony in the room could feel it in their chests. The mass eventually hit its peak, sounding like a heartbeat before stopping, the crowd freezing as Vinyl leaned into the mic, taking a deep breath and ordering the crowd…

“Drop it!”

The crowd went crazy, everypony jumping and twisting their bodies as the brunt of the song slammed into them in a wall of pure sound and the lights went berserk.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“Is this all you’re going to show me Vinyl?” Octavia asked angrily, stamping her hoof on the ground. “You’re just playing out your set from that night! I only care about what that mare was doing with you!”

“And I’m trying to show you Tavi!” Vinyl bit back, her voice raising in volume and intensity, “And you said you’d let me finish explaining before you interrupted! You always pull this shit Octavia! You never listen to me, you always have to be right!”

Octavia almost started screaming back in her face right then, but Vinyl was right… She had agreed not to interrupt, and here she was not ten minutes later doing just that.

“Sorry…” She said grudgingly, glaring at the floor, “I won’t interrupt again…”

“Thank you!” Vinyl replied, her voice still raised angrily. She turned her attention back to the memory screen spell and refocused the image on a later moment in the set.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Vinyl had been on fire up to that point in the night. Every song she touched got the crowd more and more amped. She was beginning to feel a little light headed herself from the energy of the throngs of ponies, and decided that now was as good a time as any to try and mellow things out a bit. She pulled out an old record with some more of Octavia’s handiwork on it, mixed in with a much more subtle bass, and some rather spacey effects thrown in for good measure.

“Alright everypony, you fine folks have been busting your flanks all day, you’ve been dancing so hard I think they feel the vibe in Las Pegasus, now let’s all grab that special somepony and mellow out for a bit. If you don’t have a special somepony, grab someone from the bar, that back corner is looking pretty full of singles, just ease on down back to Equestria and let the music take ya…” Vinyl said over the mic, her usually raspy voice managing to take on a smoother quality, the crowd responding by cheering relatively softly, a few of the club’s patrons even called out for Vinyl to join them on the floor. She just chuckled and shook her head, motioning for Juke to get closer and watch as she adjusted the switches and slides for the song to be loud enough for everypony to hear, but low enough for the mood to stay in that intimate range.

“You see what I did there?” Vinyl asked, turning to Juke Box, “The key to DJ’ing isn’t necessarily about having the hardest beats, it’s about reading the crowd and making the music fill the void. If everypony that shows up is tired, you amp them up. If they’re too hyped, you mellow them out. If they seem like they’re getting too into a hard track and things start going south, you have to transition the music to something different in the blink of an eye, and you have to do it right… There’s a bit more to it than those videos, huh?”

“Yeah… How did you learn to do that though? I thought everypony would get upset when you put on this stuff… How did you know they needed a rest?” Juke asked, looking from the crowd to the equipment in front of her to Vinyl.

“Like I said kiddo, it’s all about reading the crowd. For me, when I get light headed, that’s my own system telling me the crowd is giving off too much energy. You let that happen and the crowd moves you, not the other way around. You always want to stay in control. Remember, when you’re dealing with music, the musician is always in charge.”

“Cool…” was all Juke could say as she looked out on the crowd, which had changed from a mass of wild manes and gyrating mares to a tighter packed sea of couples… It was so bizarre… she knew which two ponies, or sometimes more, were together, but she could also see everypony staying connected…

“Hey Juke, I’m gonna go get a drink from the bar. Tell you what, when this song ends, I’ll let you spin a couple tracks.”

“Seriously?! You think I can do this?” Juke asked, feeling a little overwhelmed. Sure, she had been practicing for a year, but she had never actually done anything in front of an audience.

“I’m telling you Juke, no better time to learn than the present. Besides, I’ll give you an intro and hype the crowd up. If anything starts to go south, I’ll step in. No harm done.” Vinyl reassured her. “Now, just wait here and I’ll be back in a second with some water, you figure out what tracks you’re gonna layer and how.”

Vinyl walked over to the bar and managed to navigate the sea of bodies, some of which tried to get a bit too close for comfort, and got the bottles of water for herself and Juke. She had to admit, she’d done a good job of mellowing the crowd out, there were only a couple ponies that tried to hit on her as she made her way back to the set. One was a Pegasus mare with a white coat and yellow mane. The other was a purple unicorn stallion that looked like he was just barely legal. All in all, not a bad night.

When she got back to the set, Juke Box was standing near the set with a couple records held gently between her teeth, smiling at Vinyl Scratch.

“You ready for this then?” Vinyl asked, gesturing at the crowd, which had started to become a bit more active as the song started to wind down.

“Mhmm… I think I can do this…” Juke said around the records.

“Well then, let’s get you set up!” Vinyl said excitedly, grabbing the mike and lowering the music so nopony in the audience would notice as she swapped the records on the deck out for the ones Juke Box had.

“Okay everypony, how you all doing out there?!” Vinyl called out over the crowd, a resounding cheer answering her, “I got a special treat for you tonight. She’s a promising young mare, here to play for you fine folks for her first time ever! Stomp your hooves for my girl, DJ Sp1nn3r!”

The crowd erupted in applause for the new DJ as Vinyl Scratch stepped away from the mic and let Juke Box do her thing. To her credit, she only hesitated for a moment, before grabbing the mic in hoof and starting to work the crowd.

“Alright everypony! Who’s ready to rock out!?” Juke asked, smiling and surveying the crowd, receiving hollers, cheers, and more applause in response. “Alright then! Let’s spin this shit!”

The needle dropped and a heavy ‘THUD’ erupted from the speakers, the force blasting Vinyl’s and Juke’s hair forward as a concussive wave flew over the crowd and started rippling across the audience as the beat picked up, each beat of the bass doubling in speed with each succession until it was a wall of force. The sound suddenly stopped for a second, everypony drawing in breath, and a howl echoed from the record as the bass kicked back in, higher pitched and alternating between fast and slow rhythms. The rest of the song followed, with a chanting chorus in the background contrasting with an electric guitar riff that tore through any rests the bass took. It was like something out of a rock opera mixed in with Vinyl Scratch’s own Wub-step… and it worked!

The crowd had exploded into a frenzy of dancing, jumping, and spinning. It was a miracle that everypony could fit on the dance floor, and even the wall flowers had decided to get in on the action. Vinyl smiled over at Juke proudly as she watched her tweak the switches at just the right times to prevent overlapping sounds. She even stopped the music for a second, getting the entire crowd to freeze in place before spinning it forward and causing another wave of excitement and energy blasted across the room. Vinyl nudged her with a hoof causing her to turn just in time for Vinyl to give her an encouraging nuzzle.

“You’re gonna get along just fine kid.” Vinyl said, “Seriously, if my first song went over like that, I’d be retired by now with a fortune!”

“You really think so?!” Juke replied, blushing at having gotten such high praise from her own personal idol.

“Definitely... In fact, I think I’m gonna take a bit of a break and let you take the next few tracks.” Vinyl said, smiling and ruffling Juke’s hair with a hoof.

“Awesome! Thanks Vinyl!” Juke exclaimed, this time nuzzling Vinyl before turning her attention back to the set, making sure everything was perfect as she swapped out the record with the bass track on it for a different record.

Vinyl meanwhile, walked off the stage and went to her boss’s office to tell him the news that his kid just might be the next big star in music.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V\

As the spell melted, the magic having stopped being channeled, Octavia found herself staring at the floor, utter disgust in her eyes… How had she let her anger and insecurity get hold of her like that… She’d seen Vinyl doing something completely innocent, and immediately assumed that she was going behind her back.

“Vinyl, I-” Octavia started to say, getting cut off by Vinyl’s hoof in her face.

“Octy, I don’t wanna hear it… I can understand that what you saw and what actually happened could be seen as two different things. I can even see where you might get an idea like that and freak out. But do you know what hurts me the most? It’s that you didn’t give me the benefit of the doubt. We’ve been together for years now, and you apparently didn’t think enough of me to even hear me out until now. Hay, you honestly think that after everything we’ve been through, that I’d cheat? I’m sorry Tavi, I understand that you felt hurt, but right now, I’m the one that’s hurt…” Vinyl said, a tear streaking its way down her cheek and dropping to the floor.

“Vinyl… I don’t know what to say other than… I was wrong. I was completely and totally wrong… I hurt you by freaking out, I hurt you by believing that you would do something like that, and I hurt you by not listening… Sweetheart, I’m so sorry… I know I don’t deserve this, but please… please let me try and make this right…” Octavia said, her usual mask of aloofness shattering as tears of self loathing and regret streamed down her face freely. Her voice cracked and she tried to move closer to the white unicorn she’d wronged.

Vinyl backed away from Octavia’s advances, her tears stopping.

“I cried over you, you know? When you kicked me out… I broke down, right there in the street… How could you just blindly think that I’d do something like that? And here you are asking me to just forgive and forget?! I’m sorry Octy… I love you, you know I do… I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t… but I need time…” Vinyl said, sitting down across from Octavia, just out of reach.

Octavia tried to get her tears to stop, but they just couldn’t… Here was the love of her life saying they’d been hurt by her actions… and there wasn’t a thing she could do to make it right. The pain of being so close, and yet so far away was too much to bear… She sniffled and nodded her head, trying to compose herself again… It was selfish to cry over something she’d done, rather than try and fix it like she should.

“What can I do?” she asked, her eyes still red and puffy from crying as she looked at the white mare sitting across from her. “I need to know what I can do to make this up to you Vinyl… I need you back… and I know that I was the one to push you away, and it’s so selfish of me, but I need you Vinyl….”

“The only thing you can do now Octavia, is wait… I said I needed time, and that’s it…” Vinyl replied coolly, her face a perfectly stoic mask as she watched the grey earth pony collapse onto the ground sobbing.

A minute passed, the only noise being the sound of Octavia’s hitched breathing as she cried into her hooves, prostrate on the ground with sorrow.

Another minute passed…

And another…

Finally, after five minutes of silence, Vinyl stood up, walked over to lay down beside her marefriend, and slung a foreleg over Octavia’s withers.

“Okay…” Vinyl said, smiling softly at the grey mare as their eyes met.

“Huh?” Octavia asked, confusion plastered across her face as she wiped away a few more tears, her eyes finally seeming to have stopped the waterworks temporarily.

“I said okay… it’s been time.”

“I… I don’t understand…”

“I said I needed time, and time has passed.” Vinyl answered, grinning and nuzzling Octavia.

“You mean… that was it? That was all you needed?” Octavia asked, her face still a thick mask of confusion, but this time there was hope in her eyes.

“Yeah…… I can’t stay mad at you Octy…Especially when you’re crying like that… I’m still hurt that you assumed the worst of me… but I think you learned your lesson.” She said softly, smiling as Octavia’s face changed from one of sorrow, to one of joy. Granted, the tears started again, but this time they were tears that Vinyl liked seeing. “Now, are you going to hug me, or am I just laying on the ground for nothing?”

Octavia’s only response was to tackle the white unicorn and pressing their lips together fiercely as relief washed over them both.

Author’s Note: For the purposes of length and the rating of the story, I will quickly sum up the next several hours of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia’s life for you…

They bucked like rabbits in heat. And it was messy and beautiful and amazing.

Seriously, when they walked out of that back room, there were puddles of love juices everywhere on that floor. In fact, the new guy working at the shop got a small commemorative pin after cleaning it up, and he was forever after known as “The Mop Colt Ponyville Deserves, Not The One It Needs”… which was a fairly long title, and was later shortened to simply “Moppy”…

After leaving the store, they wandered around town before Pinkie Pie showed up out of a pickle barrel and reminded them that they were both performing at the party starting in an hour, and that they had better get going to set up. They then headed over to the town hall and set up their stuff, Octavia on one side of the room, and Vinyl Scratch on the other. Octavia had brought along an electric cello that was hooked up to a wall of speakers behind her, and Vinyl’s set had been transported in full from the club she usually worked at, and was likewise hooked up to a wall of speakers.

As ponies began filling up the room as the party started, both musicians kept shooting each other furtive looks, waiting for the cue from Pinkie Pie to begin playing. After a while of standing around awkwardly, with supposedly everypony in attendance, the performers were beginning to get antsy. Finally, the double doors opened, and Rainbow Dash flew in, pushing a rather disgruntled looking grey pegasus in a white vest in front of her. Pinkie Pie then loudly announced that the guest of honor had arrived, and to get the party started.

Author’s Note again: And now, for something completely different…

Orion was not happy… And it may have had something to do with the fact that he’d been forcibly shoved all the way from the reservoir to the town hall by a certain cerulean mare, or it may have been that the same mare decided that he wouldn’t notice the fact that she was occasionally groping his flank as she pushed him, or it may have been the fact that after arriving at the party, she finally relented long enough for him to get on his own four hooves, and the first thing she does is zoom past him, whipping his flank AGAIN with her tail and winking before disappearing into the crowd…

In any case, anypony looking at him would have no issues with describing him as absolutely pitiful looking. Still, they say it’s easy to approach someone when they look down, and the citizen of Ponyville seemed to be no exception. As the MUSIC kicked in, he was surrounded by a sea of technicolor manes and coats, various names that sounded for the most part like poorly hidden puns bounced around inside his head, and his vision began to spin until a familiar orange hoof landed on his shoulder and helped pull him out of the crowd.

“Looked like ya needed a breath of fresh air there sugar cube.” Applejack said, laughing.

“Yeah… either that or something to drink…” Orion replied, giving the element of honesty a grateful smile.

“Well, there’s some punch Pinkie Pie made over on the table.” Applejack offered, pointing at a far wall past the sea of ponies.

“Is there anything stronger than punch?”

“Well, if yer wantin’ something to kick ya in the teeth, Ah brought some barrels of cider, and Berry Punch brought some of her stash… All depends on whatcha wanna taste really.” She suggested, “Ya like apples or grapes more?”

“At the moment, just anything to help me relax…” He responded, looking around nervously. “Between pissing off half of the entertainment and getting groped by Rainbow Dash, I’m not exactly feeling at ease here…”

Applejack frowned when Orion mentioned Rainbow Dash, hiding her disapproval quickly and making a mental note to give that mare a piece of her mind later once Orion was feeling a bit more comfortable.

“Hmmm… Well, Granny always said that the best thing fer wandering hooves is a good strong drink, and as much as I hate to admit it, Berry Punch makes a stronger drink than the family cider… How about we go get ya a glass?” Applejack offered, steering Orion through the crowd.

“That sounds like a good idea to me…” Orion agreed, his wings fluttering nervously for a second as they passed through the crowd. When they finally got to the refreshment table, he was amazed to see an enormous spread. There were two giant bowls of pink and purple punch, several crates of what looked like red and white wine, and a small pyramid of cider barrels... not to mention the treats laid out on the table around the drinks.

“Son of a… Where the hay did she get all this food?” he asked, his jaw hanging down loosely.

“Well, Ah sort of helped her in the kitchen a bit this afternoon, and the rest of it’s stuff donated by the Cakes. Ah think they went a bit overboard cuz of the fact that yer not just a new pony, yer a new employee.” Applejack answered, chuckling at the goofy expression on his face. “Now come on flyboy… let’s get ya somethin’ strong and a seat. If what I hear about Berry Punch is right, she likes to make that stuff so strong ya have trouble standing after a couple glasses…”

“She sounds like somepony who knows their craft.” Orion commented.

“Oh she knows about alcohol alright… Do yerself a favor; don’t ever get in a drinking contest with her.”

“Duly noted. Now let’s get some social lubrication in my system…” he said, reaching for the nearest bottle of red wine and a plastic cup. He poured the drink in until it was at about the three quarters mark, then stopped because Applejack swatted him in the back of the head with a hoof.

“Ya don’t need that much ya moron.” She said laughing, “Now come on, Ah think Twilight’s got a table near one of the musicians.”

“Great… loud music and crowds… just what I need to unwind.” He said snarkily, Applejack ignoring his complaints as she led him to the table off to the side of Vinyl Scratch’s setup.

“There you two are.” Twilight said, a bubble of magic keeping most of the sound away from the table. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d been swallowed up by the crowd Orion.”

“No such luck I’m afraid.” Orion responded, smiling weakly and taking a long draught from his cup, draining almost half of it at once. “… Damn! That is some good wine!”

“Ugh… Ah told ya ta take it easy…” Applejack lamented, face hoofing and trying not to laugh at the glazed look his eyes had suddenly taken on. “Ah swear, one of these days Ah’m gonna find out what the hay she does ta that stuff ta get it so strong…”

“It’s probably just a difference in fermentation time Applejack… I’d guess that if you let the cider barrels sit for a bit longer, that they’d develop a stronger alcohol level.” Twilight interjected, taking a sip from a mug of the very cider being mentioned. “Though personally, I like the fact that your family’s cider is weaker… it’s a nice drink for social gatherings if you want to keep your faculties.”

“Not gonna lie here Twi… you really need to lower the vocab a bit when you’re at a party… I love reading, and I can understand you… but it’s like…… Why would you say stuff like that outside of a lecture?” Orion slurred, his cup now completely empty and his eyes rapidly losing focus. His wings hung limply to the ground beneath his seat, and he was wobbling just enough to warrant Applejack keeping an eye on him.

“Easy there sugarcube… You better start taking it a bit slower. Don’t need ya passed out at yer own party…” She cautioned, nudging him back to the middle of his seat.

“I’m fine AJ… just, weird… I haven’t had anything to drink drink since I came to Equestria….. s’different… Stronger or something… Or I’ve got a weaker system now. Hard to tell…”

“I assure you Orion, it is simply that the drink is stronger in Equestria.” A soft voice said from behind him, prompting all three ponies seated to turn and see a smaller version of Princess Luna standing and watching them with a touch of amusement across her face.

“Hey Luna!” Orion greeted happily, hugging the princess with a wing and nuzzling her as Twilight’s jaw hit the table and Applejack watched the lunar diarch and grey pegasus curiously.

“Hey Luna… Ain’t you a bit er…. smaller than the last time we met?” Applejack asked, taking note of Luna’s missing wings and diminished stature.

“You are correct honest Applejack… I heard a rather… interesting thing from my sister regarding how Orion was being received in Ponyville. And I decided to come visit.” Luna explained, somehow managing to push the rather cuddly grey stallion off of her and sitting down at the table. “As it turns out, I arrived in time for one of Pinkie Pie’s parties. And not wishing to disrupt the celebration as I did on my first Nightmare Night, I decided that a change in appearance would not go amiss. What you see now is simply a minor disguise spell.”

“So yer here in secret?” Applejack summed up, “And what did ya hear about Orion that woulda brought ya down here in the first place?”

“Well, as Tia heard from Twilight, I believe you found our friend in a rather compromising position with your own brother?” Luna said, looking admonishingly at Twilight and Applejack, both of whom blushed and suddenly found the musical performances rather interesting.

“Wait… who heard what about me?” Orion asked, his confusion only fueled by the drink he’d just drained. “No, you know what, I’m going to get another drink, I’ll be back in a bit and I’m gonna want to hear this…”

“Ah don’t think that’s a good idea sugarcube.” Applejack said, trying to stop him, but Luna held up a hoof to stop her, and shooed Orion away to go get more refreshments.

“I believe that learning one was ‘outed’ by accident is allowance enough for a bit more alcohol.” Luna noted diplomatically, but seeing the worry on Applejack’s face, she comforted her, “And should the drinks prove too much for him, I know my share of cures for inebriation.”

“So… I’m guessing Princess Celestia told you about the letter I sent?” Twilight guessed, trying to break the uneasy atmosphere at the table.

“Yes… Your letter was interesting to say the least. I must admit Twilight, I am rather surprised that you would be pressured into using your magic for the purposes of spying.” Luna replied, smiling wryly at the purple unicorn. “But while I confess to being surprised by the letter, I would very much like to hear what happened from you all in person… But I believe that calls for the other four to be present, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, but how will you-” Twilight began to ask, when Luna’s horn lit up a deep blue, and a moment later, the other four of her friends were teleported to empty seats around the table with understandably confused looks on their faces.

“What the buck?!” Rainbow Dash swore, “I was about to beat the flank off of Carrot Top at hoof wrestling!”

“I must say Twilight, teleporting us with no warning was rather rude…” Rarity agreed, albeit it with much less cussing.

“Uhh… Girls?” Fluttershy said, trying to get the attention of Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie (who was still carrying on a conversation about the economic impact of cupcake icing being used in donut shops instead of the traditional glaze).

“What is it Flutters?” Dash asked, still grumbling and glaring at Twilight, who was resisting the urge to laugh along with Applejack.

“I don’t think Twilight was the one that teleported us… I think it was Princess Luna…” the yellow pegasus said, pointing with a hoof at the lunar princess who was watching the four new additions to the table with a mixture of interest and amusement.

“WHAT?!” Rarity practically screeched, her eyes darting around the room before settling on Luna. “Oh my goodness… And here I am without having put any effort into my appearance… Oh please don’t look at me your highness, I know a few beauty spells, and I’ll be presentable in just a moment…”

“Relax Rarity.” Twilight said, her horn lighting up and forcing Rarity to look at her, “The Princess is here incognito, and she came to enjoy the party, not meet with her subjects about matters of court… Now, we talked about this, so please just relax.”

“That’s rich… Twilight telling Rarity to relax around royalty…” Dash noted, smirking and bumping hooves with Applejack.

“Anyway.” Luna continued, trying to bring the group back to a semblance of focus, “Before Orion manages to lurch his way back here, I want to know why you all seem to think that he’s into stallions.”

“I actually don’t think he’s into stallions…” Rainbow Dash said, drawing everypony’s eyes to her except for Twilight, “He told me the other day that his wings beat both ways. And then he spent last night with Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy went beet red and sunk under the table.

“Rainbow! I don’t think that he even knows what that phrase means.” Twilight pointed out, “And come on, Fluttershy probably wouldn’t do something like THAT with anypony she’d just met.”

“Who doesn’t know what what means?” Orion said groggily, wobbling where he stood, “And either that third cup of wine did a LOT more to me than I thought, or there’s more of you now…”

“Orion, glad you could join us…” Luna said, making space between her and Applejack for him to sit. “And what do you mean third cup? You went back for seconds didn’t you?”

“Well yeah… but while I was over there, I got talking to Lyra and Bon Bon, real sweet couple by the way, and they invited me to go to this club with them sometime, and we got talking, and I kind of drank my wine while I was there… and then I got another cup, and I was on my way back over here, and I got talking with Cheerilee, and I think she was hitting on me, and then I finished my drink AGAIN before I got back… so this is my fourth cup.” He explained, rambling and making wild motions with his hooves and wings, which was doing nothing but distracting Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Applejack was simply shaking her head at the silly, goofy pony Orion had turned into after a few drinks.

“Uh huh… Well, Orion, we were just talking about you.” Twilight said matter-of-factly, “In fact, there’s something I believe the girls and I should admit to. Right girls?” she said, looking around the table.

“Alrighty then Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said giddily, “I’ll go first! Orion, I’m very sorry, but I saw you and Big Macintosh getting your freak on back at the farm house.”

“I did too…” Fluttershy added quietly, her eyes looking everywhere but Orion as another blush crept across her face.

“Me too.” Rainbow Dash said, not even bothering to feign an attempt at regret.

“I happened to see as well darling, and I’m very sorry for viewing such an intimate moment between you two.” Rarity said, fanning herself with a hoof as the memory caused a wave of heat to roll over her.

“And Ah’m sorry too… though I don’t see why, ya’ll were rutting mah brother after all…” Applejack said finally, glaring at the table.

“Wait… what?” Orion asked, the confusion seeming to sober him up enough to not seem so groggy and unbalanced. “What did you guys see? What do you mean rutting your brother Applejack?”

“We uh… well, that day we were all at the farm house, and you had just gotten your gift from Luna… well, when you and Big Macintosh went up to his room, we heard some loud thumping noises, and well… we took a peek with my magic, and we saw you bent over with Big Macintosh on top of you and kind of assumed that you two were being, well… intimate…” Twilight explained, Orion’s eyes growing wider and wider with each new piece of information.

“So wait… you all think… you saw…” he said, his jaw hanging loosely as he looked around the table. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, holding his sides as he fell off his seat and hit the ground, Luna’s magic grabbing him and righting him soon after as his laughter died down.

“Oh gods… you guys… that wasn’t me and Mac being ‘intimate’…” he tried to explain, unable to keep a straight face. “Hell, I don’t even know where you all got the idea that I was into other dudes, but I’m not… not that I know of anyway… Big Mac was showing me some self defense moves.”

“……WHAT?!” the group said, leaning into him from their seats around the table.

“If you’re not gay, then what the hay was all that stretching around town for?! And why are you so cool about putting on and taking your clothes off around us?!” Rainbow demanded, “Hay, I can buy that you play for both teams, you told me that much at least… But there’s not a single straight stallion I know of that puts out the signals you do.”

“Uhmmm… Actually, Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy said, sitting up a bit taller at the table, “I spent most of last night getting Orion up to speed on pegasi body language… he honestly didn’t know he was giving out signals… straight or otherwise…”

By this point, the rest of the table’s reactions should be noted.

Rarity had put a hoof to her mouth to cover the look of shock, and her fur was swiftly turning a lovely shade of pink at the realization that while Orion might not be part of her male on male fantasies, she now had a shot at making him part of HER reality…

Rainbow Dash was somewhere between livid at being wrong, and ecstatic about the fact that either way, he was fair game.

Twilight just looked embarrassed, and slightly uncomfortable.

Pinkie Pie had been grinning and giggling the entire time regardless of what was said… this had not changed in the slightest.

Luna was watching everything with a bit of a distanced appreciation that one might see on a patron at an art museum. Then again, she was well versed at hiding her true reactions to various situations anyway… so who knew?

Orion was looking around with his head cocked in confusion, a small smirk on his lips, and a quirked eyebrow as he looked around and tried to figure out how all six mares managed to get the wrong impression of him.

And of course Applejack was rolling on the floor laughing her head off with humor and relief… humor because of the look on Rainbow Dash’s face, and relief that she didn’t have to rough up Orion in defense of her brother’s honor.

That’s quite the difference in reactions, no? Now… back to the party.

“Well… how do we know for sure huh?” Rainbow asked, grasping at straws. There were only a few things that bugged Dash, and being wrong was one of them, even if it happened rather frequently.

“I can think of one way!” Pinkie said, bouncing around the table to stand behind Orion and Applejack.

“Pinkie, what in tarnation are y-” Applejack started to ask, cut off as Pinkie grabbed her by the back of the head and forced AJ’s and Orion’s lips together.

Everypony’s jaw at the table dropped with an audible THUD, and while Orion knew in the back of his foggy headed tipsy state that this was probably a very, horribly bad idea… it wasn’t that bad… Applejack tasted like cinnamon and smelled like fresh cut grass. He began to lose himself in the forced intimacy and his eyelids began to droop as his whole body began to relax… he didn’t even realize that Pinkie’s hoof had left the back of his head a good ten seconds ago.

Applejack was experiencing something rather similar. Because, while she’d never have admitted it to herself, let alone anypony else, she was strangely attracted to the strange grey stallion. Her mind began to wander and tried to figure out why she hadn’t already forced them apart when she realized that he was enjoying this as much, if not more, than she was… Just what the HAY was going on here?!

“See?” Pinkie said, popping between the two ponies, breaking the kiss and shoving Orion into a sitting position on the ground. She pointed to a rather… prominent protrusion, and smiled with glee and victory as she looked around at the others around the table. All of whom, Luna included, were staring wide eyed at Orion’s not so little problem. “I told you all I knew how to check! At least now we know he likes Applejack. Who’s next?”

“Uhhh… I’ll go if nopony else wants to…” Fluttershy said, her hoof raising as her eyes stayed glued on Orion, who was still trying to figure out where Applejack’s lips had vanished off to.

“NOPE!” Applejack said, her eyes looking around the table and finally resting on Orion on the ground. She pulled her hat off and tossed it on top of the growing issue in a single smooth motion before turning to glare daggers at Pinkie.

“Now dagnabit Pinkie Pie! You know better than to do something like that! That was inappropriate and immature, and you are a grown mare that should know about respecting other ponies boundaries! We talked about this after you tried playing matchmaker with Big Mac and Caramel!” Applejack ranted, her explosion of precisely pronounced pronunciations and the hat now covering Orion’s shame drawing the attention of all seated to her.

The pink party pony seemed rather saddened by her friends reaction, and fearing another repeat of the time they’d tried to throw her a surprise party, Applejack quickly cut off her tirade and put a foreleg around Pinkie.

“Look sugar cube, Ah know ya meant well, but you’ve gotta quit tryin’ ta push ponies inta doin’ things they don’t wanna do… Now if Orion had tried kissin’ me on his own, and I felt comfortable with it, that’d be one thing… but ya went and done it on account of a silly idea ya had to see if he liked mares…. Now, Ah think ya should apologize ta him, me, and everypony else at the table…” the orange apple farmer said, giving her friend a soft smile to know that she wasn’t mad at her anymore.

Pinkie sniffed, and then sat on the ground next to Orion, who had finally managed to notice his… unique predicament, and was holding the hat to his crotch for dear life.

“I’m sorry Orion… I shouldn’t have made you and Applejack kiss like that… And I’m sorry if I embarrassed you by pushing you to the ground and showing everypony your thingie…” Pinkie said, sniffling as she tried not to cry, hoping that Orion would accept her apology.

“Uhhh… it’s… it’s okay Pinkie Pie… It wasn’t that bad actually. Just took me by surprise is all…” he said, having sobered up exceptionally fast, “And I wouldn’t worry about the pushing me to the ground part…I mean, it’s not like we wear clothes much anyway right? So I guess privacy is kind of relaxed in that regard.”

“Technically, Pinkie, that was sexual harassment.” Luna noted, winking at the pink mare, “But since nopony seems to be the worse for wear, I wouldn’t worry about any serious implications.”

“And I wouldn’t call that a thingie either…” Rainbow Dash piped up, “It looked like he could brain a manticore with what he’s packing!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity said, fanning her face, a blush glowing under her coat that pretty much matched the rest of the group, “True though that may be, you still shouldn’t talk like that!”

The next few moments were filled with the group breaking into pairs and debating what animals Orion could and could not injure or kill with his pride, while Orion tried his best to sink into the ground. For the purposes of the rating (again) and word count (again, real sense of déjà vu…), the conversation are excluded from this story, and may be posted later for blackmail/reasons of humoring the world.

Luckily, all the awkwardness had done wonders at hiding the offending instrument, and as such, Applejack was able to once again don her trademark Stetson, though, there was a moment of awkwardness where she and him made eye contact and both broke out into furious blushes. By this point in the evening, both the musicians had reached a point in their respective sets that they were both able to step away from their stands and enjoy the party for themselves.

Let’s check in on them shall we?

“Tavi! You have to meet these two! They know this awesome bar in town we should check out while we’re here! They have a special thing on Thursdays for couples.” Vinyl said, shouting a bit over the music that she’d put on autoplay when they went on break.

“For the last time Vinyl, I don’t want to go to a fillyfooler bar.” Octavia objected, rolling her eyes and trying not to laugh at her marefriend’s childish reaction to making new friends. “The last time I did, it was on accident, and I left with you, remember?”

“So? This time, we might end up leaving with a third!” Vinyl retorted, the joke grating against Octavia’s nerves… She may have been a bit… possessive… of Vinyl, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have fantasies like any other healthy pony, and Vinyl knew this… As long as she didn’t bring up the rest of the things they brought out when they got intimate, she wouldn’t have to kill the white unicorn.

“I think you’re just scared that I’ll end up tied up again, and you won’t know what to do with the crop and bit.” Vinyl said seductively, whispering into Tavi’s ear and making her blush as a result.

“Oh shut up you little minx…” Octavia growled, shouldering her way past Vinyl to get to the open bar for a nice refreshing glass of wine and a cupcake.

They two musicians sat and ate their refreshments quietly, before Vinyl noticed something off in the distance. It was a table right next to her set that she hadn’t realized was there before… And there was a grey pegasus at the same table as Pinkie Pie… Now that she looked closer, that was the same stallion the party was for!

“Tavi! Tavi!” Vinyl said, shaking her roughly with a hoof, “Isn’t that the guy you bitched out earlier today?!”

Octavia looked at where Vinyl was pointing, and saw that it was indeed Orion. Though she still felt guilty about being so rude to him earlier, she didn’t feel that the phrase bitched out quite fit either.

“Yes, that’s him… Why do you ask Vinyl?” she replied, as proper as ever, even at a wild party like this one.

“I think you should go apologize.” Vinyl said seriously, lowering her shades to allow Octavia to see her red irises. “You told me that he was only trying to help you out earlier, and you blew him off for giving you some real advice… That calls for at least an apology in my book. Hay, if you did it to me, I’d want an apology and some sexy times, but he’s not me, so the apology is all he’s getting.”

“I see your point Vinyl, but wouldn’t that be awkward? I mean, I was rather rude to him, and he may not want to talk to me.” Octavia said, being uncharacteristically avoidant of the proper behavior.

“That’s foal’s logic and you know it. Besides, he’s sitting at the same table as Pinkie Pie, so we’ve got a buffer if things go sour.” Vinyl said, dragging Octavia up with her magic, and grabbing their drinks for good measure.

As they crossed the hall, Octavia was amazed that everypony had managed to fit in… honestly, despite the lack of young fillies and colts, there was still a sizeable amount of ponies in the room, and yet it didn’t feel cramped… it felt almost like wearing a warm blanket. She’d been in concert halls with better space, but they usually felt cold and stoic. This town’s populace was warm, active, alive… No wonder so many ponies would travel to this little town at least once in their lives…
They finally made it to the table at the tail end of a conversation involving the density of an object needed to brain an Ursa Minor and where one would strike the creature with said dense blunt object, when a dark blue unicorn noticed their approach.

“AH-HA! More ponies joining our little circle! Come here my little ponies, come here. Sit!” the dark mare invited, making room between herself and Pinkie Pie.

Octavia politely refused, waving a hoof in dismissal and shaking her head while smiling politely. “Actually,” she began, making eye contact with Orion, who was looking at her like she’d just saved his life from a burning building, “I just came here to apologize to you… Orion, I’m sorry for how I acted earlier… you were just trying to help another pony, and I treated you like you were… well, something you’re not…”

“And actually dude, I wanted to thank you… If you hadn’t talked to her when you did, she might not have heard my side of the story from our little fight… but she finally gave me a chance to explain, and we’re fine now.” Vinyl said, piping in and shooting Orion a smile, “So yeah, thanks for that. And I hope you’ll accept her apology too.”

“Uhhh… I don’t see why I wouldn’t… I mean, I was kind of butting in when we talked, and I was more worried I might have made things worse between you two. I’m glad to hear it all worked out.” Orion said, smiling warmly, “Why don’t you two grab a seat. Seriously, I think the group could use a distraction.”

“Don’t mind if I do!”

“Oh we wouldn’t want to impose…”

The two mare stopped, locked eyes, and chuckled awkwardly as they both tried to reach an agreement on whether or not to stay. Finally, Vinyl seemed to win the argument, and they both sat down at the now rather crowded table.

“I believe that our little circle of friends might have outgrown the table…” The blue unicorn said, her horn lighting up. “Allow me to make everypony more comfortable…”

With that, her horn lit up, and everypony was levitated upwards and backwards as the table expanded and more chairs popped into existence. At last, the table was large enough to fit 20 ponies with plenty of elbow room… All in all, rather impressive spell work if you didn’t account for the fact that Luna knew the kind of magic for trans-species metamorphosis…
As the evening wore on, the conversation grew louder, the atmosphere grew friendlier, and Orion began to feel more at ease, if also a bit more sober, which was just as well really…

Eventually, other ponies around the area began to realize that there was suddenly a very large table with open seating, and the seats were soon occupied by Lyra and Bon Bon, Cheerilee (Who’d had a bit to drink and was giggling to Luna that she wished there were a way to scare a couple of her students into not being such little monsters), both of the cakes (who were taking a break from moving trays of fresh treats to the buffet table), Ditzy Doo and her colt friend Whooves, and even one of Applejack’s cousins who had helped supply the party with some extra cider barrels. True to form, he bore a name that was also the title of the fruit the family was known to grow, and so Cameo Apple joined the table of lively, slightly tipsy mares and stallions. As the night grew longer, and the moon reached its zenith in the heavens above, Luna suggested a game to help everypony have a bit more fun. Pinkie soon seconded the motion, and enough of the ponies seated at the table were willing to go along with it for it to be a reality.

“Now, before we begin, I think we’ll need a couple more ponies to help close the gap in the sexes, and we’ll need drinks. Rainbow Dash, could you please go get Spike and Big Macintosh from the library? I believe you will find Spike and Big Macintosh in the basement. I will go and get some drinks from the refreshment table.” Luna instructed, trotting off to the drink table as Rainbow took off at breakneck speed through one of the skylights.

“Anyone know what she’s going to have up play?” Orion asked, looking at Applejack quizzically.

“No clue sugarcube… Ah just hope she doesn’t have us playin’ seven minutes in heaven or spin the bottle…” Applejack answered.

“What’s the matter AJ?” Vinyl asked, leaning over the table a bit and wriggling her eyebrows suggestively, “You scared of getting matched up with a real mare? Or are you scared of finding out just how much of a Stallion your new friend is?”

“Enough Vinyl.” Octavia said, swatting her upside the back of her head with a hoof. “I’ve told you multiple times to not tease other ponies.”

“Ow! That hurt Octy!” Vinyl complained.

“Oh please… You’ve had worse when you got into that bar fight in Manehattan.” Octavia said unrepentantly, Bon Bon and Lyra chuckling at the display.

“You two are just such a cute couple, you know?” Lyra said, Bon Bon nodding enthusiastically behind her. “And Orion, you shouldn’t worry about her joke. I know a few stallions that would probably be really glad to meet you if you still want to come with me and Bon to that place we told you about earlier! Not sure how much you remember about the invite though, you were pretty tipsy at the time.”

“I’m fine Lyra. Right now I’m just worried about what kinds of games we all signed up for…” Orion responded politely, choosing to ignore the fact that Lyra just offered to set him up with one of her guy friends.

“I’m back!” Luna said triumphantly, no less than ten bottles of wine and two barrels of hard cider floating in her grasp. “I forgot the cups, but no matter, I can just conjure up a set of goblets, and everything should be set. Has Rainbow Dash returned yet with the last two members of our little group?”

“Got ‘em right here!” Dash called out, her and Spike gliding in form the skylight carrying a rather irate looking Big Macintosh.

“I told ya’ll that I didn’t wanna come here!” he groused as the flying duo set him down on the ground. “I might run into HER if I’m out in public!”

“If you’re talking about one Miss Roseluck, I wouldn’t worry Big Macintosh.” Luna said absently, her horn flaring to life as 20 silver goblets appeared on the table in front of each seat. “I have taken the liberty of placing a cloaking spell on you, so the chances of Miss Rose finding you are nonexistent.”

“Well… I still wasn’t through with the book I was reading…” Big Mac said, continuing to grumble, but taking a seat at the large table regardless.

“And it will be there when you get back. Now, let us begin the game!” the dark regent said, grinning wildly as she looked around the table. “The name of the game is Truth or Dare. I will erect a truth ward around us so that there will be no cheating, however, whatever your dare is, it must be something they can do while either standing on or around the table, and should you wish to pass, you may, but you must drink from your cup as a penalty. You will drink for one second for each pass. If you pass four times, you drink for four seconds. Does everypony understand?” Luna instructed, scanning the faces of everypony in attendance.

When everyone had nodded their approval and filled their cups, Luna grinned like a maniac and looked to Twilight.

“Twilight Sparkle, truth or dare?”

“I choose truth.” The violet librarian answered quickly. She wasn’t going to be the first to do something ridiculous.

“Do you have a crush on Princess Celestia?” Luna asked.

Twilight’s mouth opened and closed much like a fish before scowling and taking a one second gulp from her cup of cider.

“It is now your turn Doctor.” Luna said, nodding at the brown stallion around the other side of the table.

“Who?” Pinkie asked, looking around like an owl.

“Whooves actually, I changed my name when I moved here.” The stallion said cheerfully before pointing at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie Pie, truth or dare?”

“Dare of course!” she responded happily.

“I dare you to get up on the table and do a one pony rendition of your Smile song.” He said, smirking with pride at having given the baker a challenge in her native tongue, broken-4th-wall-ese.

FOR FUCKS SAKE! CAN I NOT HAVE A CHAPTER WHERE NOPONY BREAKS THAT DAMN THING?! IT’S NOT EXACTLY CHEAP TO REPAIR YOU KNOW!

“Sorry about that mate, but I just HAVE to see this…” Whooves said, confusing not only Ditzy Doo, but also Lyra, who was seated next to him.

“Uhh… Who are you talking to?” Lyra asked.

“Just the author. They’re a human, so it’s the only way to talk to one in this universe.” He said nonchalantly.

WHY THE BLUEBERRY FUCK DID YOU JUST TALK ABOUT HUMANS WITH LYRA?!?!?!

“What are humans? Are you alright?” Lyra asked, concerned about the mental health of the stallion next to her, while Ditzy Doo simply shook her head.

Huh…… Okay… so I guess this isn’t one of THOSE stories after all… alright then…

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie had managed to finish her song and dance routine. Complete with a full brass band worked by herself while marching and singing the chorus and backup…… It was one of those things where you just had to see it for yourself to believe it…

“Alright then Dr.” Luna said, “Pick who goes next.”

“How about you?” Whooves said, pointing at the dull red stallion next to Big Macintosh. “Cameo was it?”

“Okay… How about you, Spike, truth or dare?” he said, his voice carrying neither the usual twang of the Ponyville Apples, nor the drawl of an Appleoosan.

“I’ll take truth.” Spike answered.

“Who was your first kiss?” Cameo asked, grinning maliciously.

“Twilight.” Spike replied quickly, a look of horror growing on his face as he realized that once he started talking, that he couldn’t stop. “I had just read a book on pony dating stuff, and I asked her to help me practice… Shedidn’twanttobutIthreatenedtotelleveryponyaboutthestoriesshewroteaboutApplejackandRainbowDashinhersparetimeandigottastartrunningnowOHBUCK!” The young drake took off like a shot as purple blur chased after him through the crowd. Both runners apparently forgetting that they could use magic or fly, but nopony was about to tell them that as everyone was in stitches except for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who just grimaced and slugged their drinks back in an attempt to forget what they had just learned.

“Damn Cameo… I didn’t think we’d see stuff like that until at least the third pass through the group…” Orion said appreciatively, taking a draught of his drink out of boredom and remembering instantly how strong the wine was…

“Well, since you liked it so much there Orion, why don’t you go next?” Cameo offered.

“Nah, I’m good… besides, I think it’s only fair that one of the girls go next. It’s been a guy the last couple of times.”

“Fair enough. How about you Miss Rarity?”

“Oh very well darling… Bon Bon, truth or dare?”

“I’ll take truth thanks” Bon Bon replied.

“You and Lyra have been together for ages now, and I have to know if it’s true that the spark fades a bit after a good amount of time. So tell the group, when was the last time you got royally bucked until you couldn’t walk straight?”

“Rarity!” Octavia gasped, as Vinyl hit the ground laughing (again), Bon Bon turned a lovely shade of red, and Lyra did a rather excellent silent imitation of a famous Earth painting called The Scream.

“Ah ah ah, she is perfectly within her right to take a drink instead of answering, and a lady does not have to pull punches when involved in a game… Even if it is a drinking game…”

“Oh no! I’m a light weight, and I’m putting off the drinking as long as I can. Lyra sweetie, sorry, but I’m telling them.”

“NOOOO!” Lyra cried, grabbing her wife, the silent scream finally becoming audible.

“Last night. We were fooling around or at least four hours, and afterwards, I had to get her to use her magic to help me to the bathroom because I couldn’t work my legs right.” Bon Bon said seriously.

“Well… That’s certainly something to congratulate you both on… Four hours straight, really?”

“Yep… both with toys and not.”

Well there goes the fucking rating!

“Well then… moving on I suppose…” Rarity said, choosing the next pony to lead the downhill charge that the game had suddenly taken on. “Octavia, darling, why don’t you choose the next person…”

“Well alright, I suppose… Luna, truth or dare?”

“I shall choose dare. I’ve never declined a challenge.” Luna answered smugly.

“Alright then… Since Vinyl and myself have been playing for everypony tonight, why don’t you join us… I dare you to sing a song for everypony on top of the table.”

Luna gulped and muttered to herself, trying to figure out a song to sing for everypony, before clambering up onto the table top and belting out an ancient Equestrian drinking song. At one point, she drew enough attention to the group that Berry Punch climbed up and started singing along! The tune went something along the lines of this…

“I bang on the door but you won't let me in,
'cause you're sick and tired of me reeking of gin.
Locked all the doors from the front to the back,
And left me a note telling me I should pack.

I walk in the bar and the stallions all cheer,
They order me up a whiskey and beer.
You ask me why I'm writing this poem,
Some call it a tavern but I call it home.

Buck you, I'm drunk,
Buck you, I'm drunk,
Pour my wine down the sink I've got more in the trunk.

Buck you, I'm drunk,
Buck you, I'm drunk,
And I'm going to be drunk till the next time I'm drunk!

You've given me an option, you say I must choose,
'tween you and the liqour, then I'll take the booze!
Jumpin' on Western down to the south side,
Where I'll sit down and exercise my Equush pride.

Buck you, I'm drunk,
Buck you, I'm drunk,
Pour my wine down the sink I've got more in the trunk.

Buck you, I'm drunk,
Buck you, I'm drunk,
And I'm going to be drunk till the next time I'm drunk!”

After a rousing applause from the other party goers, Luna climbed back down off the table and slugged back a full two cups of wine. Suddenly feeling much more flexible, and showing this to everypony by lolling her head about on her neck, Luna chose Applejack to continue the game.

“Well alrighty then… Lyra, truth or dare?”

“I’ll take truth. There’s no way in Tartarus I’m risking a dare after that little show… Nice lungs by the way Luna.”

“Thank you sweetie, now please stop moving around so much, you’re making me dizzy…”

“…I’m sitting still, but whatever…”

“Okay Lyra… How many other ponies have ya been with before settling down with Bon Bon?” Applejack asked, the truth ward around the table causing her to blurt out the first question that popped into her head.

“Well, I’ve never really been with another pony before Bon Bon… I mean, I dated yeah, but I didn’t really feel that kind of closeness until Bon showed me that it was alright…” Lyra answered, blushing as most of the table had a ‘dawww’ moment.

“I was with like, seven ponies at least, before I met Lyra…” Bon Bon said, the truth spilling from her lips unbidden. “In fact, she’s not really the best I’ve ever had… but I love her more than I ever did anypony else.”

Now, it has to be said, that for anyone reading this that has heard their partner’s number, there is a certain feeling of possessiveness, of jealousy and anger that flares up inside of you. And at that moment, Lyra showed that emotion by crying, grabbing Bon Bon with her magic, and pulling her into a hug so intense that it was actually starting to crush her ribs a little bit.

Luckily, after hearing that Bon Bon loved her, despite not being the best pony to share a bed with, Lyra relented slightly and allowed her to keep breathing. But inside her head, Lyra had already formulated a plan to get revenge on her spouse. Not the best? Well, she couldn’t wait to see what Bon Bon thought after the whipped cream, rope, zucchini, and Super Sticky Tape were brought out…

By this point in the game, Spike was apparently through being chased by Twilight, as he walked over, carrying her over while she pouted, and sat down at the table once again.

Applejack chose to ignore their approach, as she wanted the game to keep going. After all, it was just getting good!

“Your turn Pinkie.” She said, pointing at her fellow Earth Pony.

“Oooh! Spike, truth or dare?!” Pinkie asked excitedly, bobbing up and down in her seat like she was sitting on a chair made out of Super Balls.

“Dare!” Spike responded quickly, “The last time I took a truth, I ended up getting chased by my own sister!”

“Well then you’re gonna HATE this!” Pinkie responded, laughing (well, more like cackling like an evil scientist, but whatever…) “I dare you to SHOW everypony at the table how you and Twi made out!”
Spike took a moment to process the dare…

Then promptly grabbed not hit cup, but the nearest barrel of cider, uncorked it, and took a good three second drink of the contents. He then slammed the small barrel down and belched out a fireball roughly the size of Big Macintosh. His eyes unfocused, and a small curl of steam escaping one of his nostrils, he looked at Pinkie smugly and simply said “Pass…”

Pinkie Pie just shrugged, then pointed at Orion and said “Your turn cutie.”

Orion blushed, “Truth or dare?” he asked, shaking his head and making eye contact with Big Macintosh.

“Dare.” Big Mac responded simply.

Orion thought for a moment… what would be a good dare? All of a sudden, inspiration struck. Almost every Brony’s dream was about to be realized…. Orion had just been given the chance to ‘ship two of the characters!

“I dare you to kiss Fluttershy, seriously, for at least ten seconds…” he said, grinning in a way that wasn’t too different from Pinkie Pie…

Big Mac reached for his cup and was about to drink when a blur of yellow jumped up on the table and snatched the cup from him. Fluttershy downed the drink in one gulp, then pounced on the red farmer.

…………It was messy……………

About a minute later, after enough of the ponies around the table had convinced Fluttershy that it had been well over the ten second limit, everypony returned to their seats. Granted, this time Big Macintosh was a deeper shade of red, and Fluttershy was sporting a rather goofy grin and smiling at Orion like a child might look at Santa Clause…

“Uhhh… okay… Rainbow Dash… your turn…” Orion said, petrified, and wondering if he had just unleashed some kind of monster on one of his few guy friends.

“Uh huh… Rarity, truth or dare?” the polychromatic pegasus asked, looking at her unicorn friend, who was still staring at Fluttershy like they’d never met before.

“Hmm? Oh yes, I’ll take truth dear…” She answered absent mindedly.

“Ok, was there ever a time that you weren’t all prissy and neat freakish?” Rainbow asked pointedly, trying to snap Rarity out of her trance.

“Well, if you all must know.” Rarity said, turning back to face the table at large, most of which was taking sips of their drinks freely. “I used to rather enjoy playing hoofball with my father… I was rather good too. Anyway, I had no qualms about getting a little roughed up or dirty then… until one day we went outside to play after a rainstorm. Our yard had a rather large hole my father had recently put in to start a garden, and it had filled with water and just looked like an ordinary patch of shallow, wet dirt to me.” She explained, drawing out her story like only a truly talented attention fiend can, tears were even starting to gather at the corner of her eyes.

“Anyway, he threw the ball to me, and I went long to catch it… and the next thing I knew, I was up to my neck in loose mud and sinking! By the time he’d gotten to the hole and fished me out, I’d been completely covered and terrified! And ever since, I can’t even stand to think about being touched by mud for fear it will swallow me whole!”

“What about that time you swapped out with me at the Sisterhooves Social?” Applejack asked, leaning over the table, “Ya’ll didn’t seem ta mind the mud pit when you were hidin’ out there for a little while…”

“That’s because I had a small shield around me allowing me to breathe and stay clean. I dropped it at the last minute, and I still spent the rest of that race just trying not to think about it…” Rarity answered, shivering.

“Well, I gotta admit Rarity, that’s at least a pretty good reason. Now, who’s next? I know, how about you Ditzy?”

“Okay. Doctor, truth or dare?” Ditzy asked, turning to her companion.

“I want to try truth. I always do daring things… might be nice to try something else you know?”

“Yeah yeah, Okay then… Tell everypony what your favorite adventure was.” Ditzy said, cutting him off, knowing full well that once he started, that he would NEVER stop…

“Hmmm… tough call… could be that time I destroyed the Daleks… the other time I destroyed the Daleks… that night in Cairo with a certain Queen of the Nile named Cleo… No, maybe the time I stopped that batch of nanites from transforming the whole of London… No, that’s not it. What about the time I healed all those sick folks at that hospital in New New York? OOH! I know what it is!” he mused out loud, babbling off a list of things that would only make sense to another time and space traveler, the Author, or anypony who was familiar with a television show from Earth.

“The time when the Weeping Angels invaded Man- I mean… Manehattan. That was a HELL of an adventure. Happened about 1200 years from now actually, so no worries for this group.” Whooves said, beaming around at everypony, who just kind of looked at him like he’d grown another head on his flank…

Well, everypony but Luna and Ditzy looked at him like that… Ditzy just smiled and shook her head. Luna was looking at him like he’d just personally insulted her.

“Now Doctor, if there were going to be an invasion of sorts, and I know about it, then it’s a non issue. Especially since you’ve told me when and where it will happen.” Luna chided, frowning.

“Yeah well, you’d think so… funny thing history. Not always set in stone, but you do what you can.” he responded nonchalantly before pointing at Ditzy, “Now it’s your turn to choose someone Derpy!”

“Right. How about you Luna?” Ditzy/Derpy said, smiling kindly at the dark blue unicorn.

“Very well then… Orion, truth or dare?”

“Uhhh… Dare?” Orion answered, unsure of what exactly to expect. It couldn’t be too bad, right?”

“I dare you to get up on the table, and recite a poem for everypony to hear.”

“Uhhh…. I don’t know any poems off the top of my head…” he answered lamely, “Can you think of another dare? I really don’t think I can handle much more alcohol right now…”

“Hmm… I could dare you to take your vest off and do a little flexing on top of the table… Twilight’s letter was quite clear that you didn’t seem to have any issues with those simple tasks…” Luna responded, smirking maliciously. The rest of the ponies spread around the table were wearing various faces of desire, lust, and indifference. Oddly enough, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Bon Bon were looking at Orion with lust. Lyra, Vinyl, Applejack and Cameo simply looked interested, but not exactly lusting after the strip show. And the rest of the ponies around the table simply looked like they couldn’t care less. Nevertheless, it was the ponies looking at him with lust in their eyes that persuaded Orion to opt out for the poetry recital.

He stood up on top of the table and cleared his throat, drawing a complete blank until he recalled a short poem he’d read once in college…

“Come slowly, Eden,” he recited, his voice taking on a honey tone as he tried to impart the emotion of the poem into every word.

“Come Slowly Eden,
Lips unused to thee.

Bashful, sip thy jasmines
as the fainting bee,
reaching late his flower,
round her chamber hums,
counts his nectars-alights,
and is lost in balms...

And so, my sweet jasmine flower,
won't you grant this bee a pleasant hour?”

As he got down from the table, those who had looked at him with mere interest had for the most part, joined the ranks of those looking at him with lust, and those who had looked at him with lust now seemed to be on the verge of tears. Even the indifferent seemed to be intrigued by the grey pegasus.

“Damn…” Rainbow Dash said, flying over to his side, “That was so cool Orion! I’m not usually into poetry… but the way you were talking up there… I got chills!”

“Uhhh… thanks Rainbow… but I’m not really a good public speaker.” Orion said, sitting down and draining another cup of wine to steady his heart rate.

“Ah gotta call you out on that one sugarcube…” Applejack said, pressing into the side not currently being hogged by Rainbow Dash. “Ah ain’t ever heard a fella talk like that, and it was somethin’ else entirely… Hay, if a stallion were ta talk ta me like that, I’d probably let him rut me right then and there…”

“Whoa there sis!” Macintosh called out across the table, “You give the fella his space now. Nopony’s in their right minds at the moment to be saying things like that and you know it…”

“Ah was just tellin’ him the truth!” Applejack retorted, wrapping her arms around Orion’s neck protectively, “Ah ain’t botherin’ ya, am I sugarcube?” she asked, whispering softly into his ear.

Orion couldn’t seem to get his mouth to work, between Applejack whispering in his ear and Rainbow playing with his wings in a drunken haze, he didn’t think he could get his body to listen to anything if he tried.

“Uhhh… I think I need another drink…” he said, grabbing the cup of wine in front of Luna.

“Orion! no!” Luna shouted, reaching for the cup as he drained her drink in a single gulp. A moment later, everything seemed to slow down, and then there was blackness all around him……………

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Author's Notes:

Okay... Sorry about the delay. As you can see, there was a metric FUCK TON of writing involved with this chapter... Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and just fyi, the next several updates will be shorter chapters from various characters points of view, and they will be coming out in quick succession in order to get viewership back up. I'm hellbent on breaking the 300 barrier in a single day.
As always, leave a comment, i love hearing form the folks who read this story, and if you haven't already, toss a thumb up and i'll love you forever.

Hope you all enjoyed, and hope the last part of the story makes sense, i wrote it at like, 4:30 in the morning on very little sleep.

Night everyone!

P.S. Anyone know how the stories get into the top of the "Hot List" on here? I've always wondered...

Chapter X

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Apple Of My Eye- Chapter X

AKA: The Morning After Chronicles: part 1- Applejack

The sunbeam crawled its way across the floor. It had traveled for many millions of miles to this place in order to spread its warmth and happiness. True, the sun may have been controlled by one of the creatures that lived on this planet, but the light itself was free of such restrictions. It loved nothing more than to spread its happiness to all it came across. Finally, after several minutes of zooming across the inky void of space, it had arrived at its destination.

Come, creature… embrace me as I brighten your life with my gifts! It called out in the language all members of the visible light spectrum shared.

And so, having offered up its good will, the light shot straight into Applejack’s eye and burned her retinas into an unrecognizable pool of nerves and pain. And all this after just waking up from a long night of hard drinking and partying.

“Son of a floppy dicked, backstabbing mule! Why the fuck did I open my damn eyes to this shit?! Buck whoever thought alcohol was a good fuckin’ idea, with a ten foot dong, up the ass, and no lube! FUCK!” She swore, instantly closing her eyes again and pressing the pillow to her face, waiting for the parasprite buzzing in her… well, everywhere really… to calm down, and for the tiny gnome sitting on top of her head to stop pounding away at her skull with a hammer and chisel.

After another few minutes of total darkness and muffled swearing, our orange heroine decided there was nothing left to do but face the day head on… though it couldn’t hurt to close the blinds first, right?

After fumbling with the draw string on the shades, Applejack felt safe enough to open her eyes again.

“Ssss…” Applejack hissed, drawing in a breath sharply as the room came into stark contrast, if still a bit wobbly… Oh wait… that was her doing the wobbling…

“Shit… What the hay happened last night?” she asked herself, staring into a small mirror on the wall near her dresser, “Ah can’t remember shit………”

As the orange apple farmer continued massaging her temples, trying to remember what had happened to her, she noticed a piece of parchment pinned to the headboard of her bed.

“The hay?” she asked, squinting and focusing on the pointed horn writing… after all, only Unicorns and authors had this kind of precision when they wrote Equuian.

To whom it may concern,

Her majesty Princess Luna, Regent of the Moon and Diarch of the great land of Equestria, wishes you a good morning, and wishes to reassure you that due to the extravagance of the festivities last night, you were seen safely home by no less than two members of the Lunar Guard. This courtesy has been extended to all party goers, and everypony who was still conscious enough to give directions back to their homes was seen safely back. Those who were already unconscious by the time the Guard escorted everypony home, which may or may not include members of your family, and they can be found in the Town Hall, where cots and blankets were provided. Please ensure that all of your personal belongings made it back with you safely, and if you have any questions regarding the events of last night, please contact: Private Hang Over, Delta Company, Unicorn Division, for a quick memory spell. He will be stationed at the Town Hall for the remainder of the day, tending to any and all who were in attendance last night.

Regards,
Captain Obvious, Commanding officer for the private guard of Princess Luna,
And Colonel O’Corn, Second in command of the private guard of Princess Luna.

Well... there was one thing explained… Apparently she’d at least been conscious when Luna had her guards play cleanup, or else Luna just happened to know where she lived... That was always possible too... And now she could at least stop straining to remember everything now that she knew there was a unicorn whose whole job was helping blackout partiers like her. Still… something was nagging at the back of her mind… what was it though?

She made her way downstairs to check the time and make some food. Big Mac had probably already started on the chores. She’d yet to see him lose his head when he drank, and Applejack was pretty confident he hadn’t broken that record last night. Luckily, the clock only read eleven in the morning, so she hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep, but she’d at least woken up before it was the afternoon.

As Applejack reached for the coffeepot to pour herself a cup, an ear splitting shriek tore through the house, and a clatter of hooves resounded through the wooden structure…

“What the hay?!” Applejack yelled, looking up at the ceiling, her heart rate skyrocketing from the sudden sound. Before she could even move to try and figure out where the noise was coming from though, there was a thudding crash from the stairs, and the front door was opened and slammed shut in a split second. She made it out of the kitchen in time to see a trail of dust settling back to the floor.

“Ah swear… if Big Mac brought home a mare and that was her tearing through my house just now… Ah’m gonna get the shears and make sure he can’t go around gettin’ in that kind of trouble ever again…”

Having drained a couple cups of coffee, Applejack left to head into town and see about getting that memory spell.
As she got closer though, it was beginning to look like she wasn’t the only pony with some amnesia after the party ended… There was a line out the door for Celestia’s sake!

“Uhhh… s’cuse me,” She said, tapping a green mare already in line, “Is this to see that Unicorn from the royal guard?”

“Uh huh… I just woke up like, ten minutes ago and found that note, so I came over here… everything’s a blur after I took that shot of Moon Shine that blue unicorn conjured up. I think her name was Loony… but whatever, I just hope I didn’t do anything stupid last night.” The mare replied, looking back at AJ tiredly.

“From the looks of things, Ah don’t think anypony remembers what happened, so Ah’m not worried about makin’ a fool uh mahself.” Applejack answered, taking her place in line behind her fellow partygoers.

Interestingly, the line seemed to move rather quickly. It wasn’t even five minutes before Applejack was in the next group up for the spell. Granted, those five minutes had been funny to watch. As each group came out of the Town Hall, there was usually at least one pony that had a look of horror on their face as their friends teased them about something from the night before. The most entertaining was when she saw the flower sisters congratulating Lily about making out with no less than three separate stallions.

“I’m telling you Lily, if you have a chance with any of them, you’d better pounce on them soon. I hear that grey pegasus one is still single.” Daisy said, nudging her friend.

“But I don’t know if he was actually into me, or if he was drunk too!” Lily complained.

“Well you don’t see him around here do you? So he was probably sober enough to know what he was doing. Besides, I don’t know why you’re complaining, at least the male you’re after was at the party. Big Mac didn’t even bother showing up last night!” Roseluck complained.

“Well, I guess so… still… I don’t remember seeing him after he kissed me. It’s like he just vanished…”

“He probably just went home with somepony else sweetie. But he still kissed you, so you’ve probably got a shot if you jump him soon.” Daisy said, continuing to fill her friend’s head with horrible advice.

“Besides, if I wasn’t already working on Mac, I’d jump that new stallion in a heartbeat. You all saw what he was doing in the market the other day, showing off those wings of his… if he’s not looking for some company, then my mane isn’t red.” Rose said, nudging her friend.

“Yeah… I’ll find him and I’ll make him mine!” Lily said, with frightening resolve.

“That a mare!” Daisy said, hoof bumping her friend as the trio of unashamed stalkers walked off to their homes.

Applejack just sighed and shook her head. Great… another group I gotta warn Orion about… she thought to herself. Seriously, why are they all attracted to him? I mean sure, he’s a sweet stallion, and he ain’t too bad looking… but it seems like everypony wants him without getting to know him…

As Applejack continued contemplating what it was about her new friend that seemed to warrant so much attention, another ear splitting shriek tore across the sky. A trail of cloud vapor followed the mare flying overhead as she raced across the sky and headed for the Everfree Forest… Funny… most girls screamed as they were going AWAY from that place… Oh well, probably a one night stand of Rainbow’s that had woken up and remembered that she had a coltfriend. Wouldn’t be the first time really… There was that time with Raindrops…and that noble pony’s wife… and more than once with Ditzy Doo when she’d first moved to town, before Dinky came along.

“Next!” the guard at the door hollered, counting out the next ten ponies in line, Applejack barely getting into the group as number 9.

“Okay everypony. My name is Private Hang Over. I’ll just be doing a simple memory recall spell with all of you, so if you could please step inside the circle on the floor… thank you… now, close your eyes and focus on the earliest memory you have of the party last night, from there, the magic will rebuild the synaptic pathways and you’ll slowly begin to remember everything.” Hang Over instructed, oddly friendly for a Lunar Guard. “The more prominent the memory, the quicker it will return to you, so don’t be surprised if the first thing you remember is embarrassing as all Tartarus.”

Applejack focused on the earliest memory she had of the party… She was talking with Twilight as they looked for a table. It had been just a few minutes before Orion arrived, and she had just finished setting up the barrels of Sweet Apple cider. She felt a comforting warmth pass over her as the unicorn guard activated his spell, and she could not only feel the effects of her hangover lessen, but she also could feel her head get a little less foggy. Like somepony had reached inside her head and dusted it all out.

She opened her eyes and looked around, her eyes locking on the table where the group had played truth or dare… That’s right… She and Orion had kissed there! Pinkie Pie had a bit of payback coming her way now… On the other hand, she also could remember how warm he’d been, and even though he was fairly tipsy at the time, he’d seemed to enjoy it… and Applejack had to admit, he wasn’t the worst by a long shot when it came to kissing…

“Ahhh buck…” she said, “That stallion’s more trouble than he’s worth… now he’s got ME thinkin’ about him… shit… Okay AJ, think now, what else happened?”

She sat at one of the chairs still set up along the walls of the Town Hall and thought hard. It didn’t matter what the Unicorn had told them about things coming back slowly, she needed to know as soon as possible if she’d done anything to possibly damage her business…

“Alright girl… think… Ya’ll played Truth or Dare, things were awkward sure, but nothing too bad… Heh, gonna tease the hay outta Big Mac fer what Fluttershy did though. And then there was that stuff with the poem, damn nice poem too… Then after that, Ah started getting’ friendly with him… Ah shit, that’s right… Ah freaked him out a bit and he grabbed Luna’s drink… Then he kinda passed out… What was after that?” Applejack asked herself, tapping a hoof to her forehead.

“Oh fuck… I remember now…”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Orion had kind of slumped over the table for a while. Luna had told them not to worry about it too much. It turned out, the Princess had gotten tired of wine and cider, so she’d magic’d her drink into her own drink called Moonshine. She’d offered a much smaller sample of the drink to the ponies at the table, and Applejack had to admit, it was strong, but it went down smooth…

All of a sudden, Orion sort of twitched in his seat, and the next thing AJ and the rest knew, he had climbed up on top of the table and started lolling his head around at the group, a wild look in his eyes not unlike the one he’d had after those glasses of wine, but this was a step further up the ‘crazy scale’.

“Heeeyyy guys…” he said, somehow able to speak without slurring his words. Not bad…

“Orion…” Luna said, reaching up with her hoof to try and coax him down from the table. “Little one, please come down from there…”

“Nnnope!” he replied, prancing off to the side, getting dangerously close to the edge of the table before extending his wings and stabilizing himself. He stopped for a moment, looking around the table. Octavia and Lyra looked like they had never seen a drunk pony like him before. Vinyl and Bon Bon however, were whistling and egging him on. They were soon joined by Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Spike.

Big Mac, Twilight, and Luna however, seemed concerned for him, and tried to corner him on the table top. Seriously, how the hay was he dodging them so easily when he was this drunk?!

After avoiding the edge, and Big Mac’s outstretched hooves for the third time, Orion looked at the cheering mares and waggled his eyebrows.

“You like this girls? Guys?” he asked, his speech starting to slur slightly, “Hmm? I remember now… doing… this…” he said, spreading his wings wide and striking a pose that Applejack had to admit was pretty damn hot, “This is sexy right? You girls think I’m a sexy thing, don’t you?”

Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie whistled and hollered cat calls, Bon Bon and Vinyl were rolling around in hysterics. Applejack and Fluttershy meanwhile were both simply watching this impromptu show with a deep rose colored blush covering their faces.

He noticed Applejack first, and leaned in closer to her, his flank wriggling in the air as he got muzzle to muzzle with her.

“You know AJ… you’re pretty cute… I don’t say this, like ever… seriously, I don’t know what is considered sexy in Equestria… but I know you’ve got it girl… Why don’t you get up here with me?” he said hoarsely, wrapping a wing around her and ushering her to join him on the table top.

“Vinyl!” Orion said, leaning his head back and looking at the DJ upside down, “Can you put on some sexy music for a sexy show with two sexy ponies?”

“On it boss dude!” Vinyl cried, running off to her set and getting everypony’s attention on the mic. “Hey Everypony! We got a special treat for ya’ll tonight! For one night only, the guest of honor is gonna give us a show!”

As the crowd hollered and hooted, Vinyl switched out the music for a better beat, and turned the music up to max. As A QUICK, HEAVY BEAT blared over the speakers, Orion pulled Applejack close, Big Mac and Luna’s protests drowned out by the music, and he started rocking in place, hypnotizing Applejack and causing her to mirror his movements.

As the music hit the first chorus, Orion spun away, his wing tip traveling down the front of his vest and flicking a couple of the buttons open. He winked at her seductively, and all she could do was continue the dance, wriggling her body and cantering backwards and forwards, her tail and mane coming undone from their hair bands, and creating a wave of gold as her head started thrashing around to the beat of the music. But even this extreme movement stopped as Orion did the unthinkable, peeling off his vest and jumping into the air. He flipped backwards over her head, twisting in the air to glide out over the crowd before landing back on the table, his vest now completely off and hanging from his mouth as he stood on his hind legs, his wings stretched out fully and falling backwards into the crowd.

The crowd at least had enough ponies who were paying attention, that he was caught and he crowd surfed his way back to the table to wrap a wing around Applejack, pulling her up on her hind legs. He pulled her close and did the strangest thing she’d ever seen. He started moving on his back two legs while holding her and leading her in a quick series of steps. After sashaying back and forth on their hind legs, he opened his wings again, spinning her in place and letting her fall backwards, only to catch her at the last moment and plant a quick kiss in her throat. As the song ended, the party goers erupted into cheers and applause, and he hopped down to mingle. That was about the last Applejack saw of him for the next hour.

As he continued to walk about and flirt and talk and just generally become the life of the party, Applejack couldn’t help but notice that Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were looking at her funny.

“What is it girls? Ya’ll ain’t ever seen a mare dance before?”

“Not like that we haven’t…” Dash said, smirking, “I gotta say Applejack, you either have a hay of a lot of self control, or you’re just not into stallions.”

“What the buck is that supposed to mean?” She shot back, glaring at the polychromatic pegasus.

“That was probably the hottest thing I’ve ever seen a stallion do. Seriously AJ, if he’d pulled me up there, I’d have jumped him right there on the table.”

“I have to go with Dashie on this AJ.” Pinkie Pie said, nodding sagely, “He got up there and was all, whoosh! I am a sexy beast, and I will have you! Look at my awesome body. Nopony doesn’t want what I can do to them!”

“Now come on girls… sure, it was pretty impressive, but Ah mean, he’s had a few drinks, that’s nothin’ but liquid courage.” AJ said, rebuffing her friends.

“Say what you want, but I bet you’d be pretty buckin’ jealous if he was making out with another mare.”

“No way… He’s mah friend, and that’s it.”

“Good. Because right now he’s making out with Lily over by the punch bowl!” Pinkie said, grinning and blushing,
“And he’s gooood……”

“What?!” Applejack hollered, spinning to face the punch bowl, seeing only Lily standing there by herself in a daze. “Ah don’t see him there you liar!”

“You just missed him!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing off into the crowd.

“Hahahahah! AJ, I’ll give you fair warning since we’re friends… That stallion’s open game right now and I aim to win!” Rainbow said, zooming off over the crowd.

“Consarnit you two!” Applejack yelled, chasing after them.

For the rest of the night, Applejack tried to track down Orion. You’d think it was easy after that little stunt on the table, but he was a freaking ghost! She searched in the crowd for what felt like hours, only stopping every now and then to grab a cup of punch. By the third time she went to the drink table, she noticed a purple and black tail trailing out from underneath the table cloth. She knelt down and lifted the cloth with a hoof only to find herself nose to nose with Orion. But right now, he had tears in his eyes…

“Applejack…” he blubbered, “I don’t feel good…”

“Awww… come on Sugarcube… let’s getcha to Luna, she probably has a spell to help ya feel a bit better… then we’ll get you back to the farm and off to bed… That sound good?” Applejack said, wrapping a hoof around him and helping him stand up and walk back to the table. He was absolutely pathetic at that moment… and it was just so bizarre to see him acting so down after the show he’d put on.

Finally, they’d reached the table again, and saw Twilight nursing a cider mug, bobbing her head slightly to the music, and Luna surrounded by a veritable mountain of used cups, some of them still dripping the clear liquid Applejack now knew was Moonshine. Had she drunk those all by herself?

“Uhhh… Luna?” Applejack said, getting the Princess’s attention by tapping her with a hoof. Luna jumped slightly and blinked away a glazed look in her eyes.

“Huh? Oh… Yes Applejack, what is it?”

“Orion here ain’t feeling too good… do you know anything that could help him out?” AJ asked.

Luna rolled her eyes and gestured for Applejack to follow her outside. “Alright, do me a favor Applejack, set him down over there.” Luna instructed, gesturing to a spot on the grass outside, the light spilling out from the windows and illuminating the usually dark street outside.

“Alright…” AJ agreed, helping Orion settle down on the ground. “And yer sure this’ll help him feel better?”

“Pretty sure…” Luna said, her horn lighting up. “I’ve had a bit to drink, even by my standards, but I should be able to get this right… By the way Applejack, what did you think of his little show? I believe he drafted you without really asking.”
“It was alright…” Applejack admitted, “Gotta say, he sure knows how to put on a show… and he was pretty darn attractive… especially when he nipped my neck at the end…”

“WHAT?!” Luna cried, her horn firing off at the prone stallion, a field of dark blue energy growing out form the center of him until he couldn’t be seen for the magical field.

When it had settled, what Applejack saw shocked her so much that she fainted right on the spot…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“FUCK! Orion!” Applejack shouted, her memory having completely returned.

She took off like a fruit bat out of Tartarus, tearing across the town in search of the grey pegasus that had been here less than a week, and was already at the center of a HUGE storm of trouble…

Waking Up Horny- The Morning After, Part 2

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Apple Of My Eye- Chapter 11
Waking Up Horny

AKA- ……Never Mind, I Like That Title Just Fine…

Twilight had never had the most steady sleep schedule… Between the late nights spent reading until dawn, and the fact that no matter how tired she was, the library always needed to open at the same time. Needless to say, she was one of the first ponies in the town to stir the morning after.

Still… there are certain things that are better slept off…

“Ughhh…” Twilight groaned, rolling out of bed as the clock downstairs struck ten, on the dot. “Why did I think that it was a good idea to do body shots with Vinyl? Sweet Celestia, I’m still dizzy… Where the hay is that sobriety spell?”
As she was digging through the pile of scrolls and scraps of paper on her desk, she heard another groan come from under the covers of her bed.

“What the?!” Twilight yelped, turning in place as something under the sheets rose up in the middle of her bed.

“Twilight dear… why in Celestia’s name do you have to be so loud in the morning?” Rarity asked, groggily kicking the comforter off of her to look around Twilight’s room, blinking slowly in a morning haze.

“Rarity…” Twilight said, her voice taking on the strain of one trying not to freak out completely. “What are you doing in my bed?”

“Oh don’t you remember darling? I had to help you back to your home after you finished one of those ridiculous drinking games with Vinyl and Berry Punch. Honestly though, how those two convinced you to play is beyond me. In any case, you started mumbling something about feeling alone, so I decided to spend the night with you and keep you company.” Rarity explained, passing a brush through her mane until it had returned to its normal shape.

“So… wait. You were sober?” Twilight asked, finally finding the spell and flaring her magic to rid her system of the residual alcohol.

“Well of course my dear! A lady never allows herself to be less than in complete control of her faculties. I mean, for goodness sake, imagine if I’d lost my sense of self control and ended up dancing with Applejack and Orion on the table like that?” Rarity said, looking genuinely offended that Twilight would think anything less than the best of her.

“What? They danced on the table? It couldn’t have been that bad… could it?”

“Darling, I know this is a stretch, but when was the last time you went to a club?” Rarity asked, sizing up the violet librarian.

“Well… what kind of club are we talking about? Because I went to the country club with my parents the last time I visited Canterlot…”

“Sweetheart… I mean a club where there is loud music, ponies straddling each other on the floors, and occasionally, shows where stallions and mares will put on AND take clothes off on stage for money.” Rarity pressed, being sure to paint a very specific image for her delightfully clueless friend.

“Three weeks ago, Lyra and Bon Bon’s anniversary…” Twilight answered quickly, apparently not so clueless after all… “You were taking a break from business and were spending time with your family out of town.”

“My… well… how specific… In any case, think about those kinds of shows, now imagine that instead of a random stranger, it was your friend and the new colt on the block…” Rarity finished, cursing the fact that her coat allowed her blushes to show so easily.

“That’s…. that sounds……wow.” Twilight responded, her eyes growing unfocused as flashes of last night were remembered, and the blanks filled in with Rarity’s explanation.

“Mhmm… It was certainly something to see darling. And luckily for me-err… I mean, US… we know a few tricks to get him to put on a show like that.” The white fashionista said, winking at her friend as she climbed out of the bed and headed for the bedroom door. “Now, Twilight, I believe it is customary for on to nurse themselves back to health the morning after such… festivities… so, what do you say we go grab a cup of tea from Sugar Cube Corner?”

“That sounds great Rarity!” Twilight said, smiling gratefully and following her friend downstairs.
As they entered the main part of the Library, neither unicorn could help but notice that Spike was asleep on the floor, with his head in the fireplace, and smoke billowing from his nostrils with every breath.

“Is he alright like that?” Rarity asked, pointing at the young drake.

“He does that sometimes… I think he like the way the stone feels on his scales or something…”

“It’s also great for muffling the noise you make when you snore…” Spike interjects, his eyes still closed.

“See?” Twilight said happily, before realizing that he had just answered her… which meant he must have been awake.
“Spike… how long have you been awake?”

“About the same time you rolled out of bed and the clock chimed. Unlike you Twilight, Not only can I handle my drinks, but I also know when to stop myself so I don’t wake up with a hangover.” Spike said sarcastically, lifting his head up out of the fireplace and smirking at the purple mare.

“I can handle my drinks!” Twilight argued, not wanting to give him any chance to hold this over her head.

“Yeah, up to about the fifth mug of cider… then you got some of that moonshine and kind of zoned out. Next thing you know, you’re up on stage dancing to Pon3 and doing shots with Berry Punch and the DJ herself.” Spike said, standing up and crossing his claws over his chest and grinning smugly, as Rarity tried to hide a laugh at Twilight’s expense, and Twilight herself began to grow a darker shade of purple.

“Oh shut up…” Twilight mumbled, walking towards the door, “Come on Rarity, let’s go get some breakfast…”

As Spike made to follow them, he was stopped by a shimmering force field.

“Not you smarty-drake…” Twilight said, sticking her tongue out at the young dragon. “You’ve got chores to do… I want the encyclopedias and Adventure shelves alphabetized by the time I get back.”

“But you and Rainbow Dash were the ones that pulled them out of order with your little book fort war!” he objected, pouting on the couch.

“Then you should have no problem finding the books that are out of order.” Twilight said finally, shutting the door on her companion.

“Twilight, don’t you think that was a bit unfair? If you and Rainbow Dash really were the ones that put the books out of place, shouldn’t you be the ones to clean it up?” Rarity said, frowning disapprovingly at her friend as they walked through the almost completely deserted street.

“Yeah… but he was being so smug about last night… Besides, I’ll make sure to pick up a jeweled cupcake when we reach the shop.” Twilight said, her promise to bring Spike a treat seemed to do pacify Rarity, and they walked the rest of the way in silence.

…. Well, it was mostly silent… there was a loud shriek at one point, but it was probably nothing. If living in Ponyville had taught her one thing, it was that nothing in this town was ever normal. A shriek after a night of partying was probably the least crazy thing that would happen today.

Having finally arrived at Sugar Cube Corner, Twilight and Rarity were aghast to see that the few patrons who were there looked like they’d just come back from Tartarus. There wasn’t a single pony NOT complaining about their head, not remembering anything, or nursing a cup of coffee while holding their stomach.

“Uhhh… Mrs. Cake? Did you let the twins make the coffee again?” Twilight asked, Cup Cake having just come out from the back, herself looking a little ragged and worn out.

“Oh no dearie… This is just some of the crowd that was at that party last night. I gotta say, I haven’t had that much fun since me and Carrot got married… but it’s a good thing I left early.” Cup said, smiling softly, her statement breaking off with a yawn. “From what Pinkie Pie told me about last night, it sounds like it was something to remember… too bad there’s not a lot of ponies that do…”

“Yes well, it was certainly something to see while it lasted.” Rarity said, smiling graciously and passing about five bits across the counter top. “Is there any chance we could get a cup of your strongest morning tea?”

“Oh of course sweetie. I’ll get right on that for ya, just take a seat wherever, and I’ll have it right out. Everypony’s moving slowly this morning anyway, so there’s not much of a rush for me.” Mrs. Cake replied, taking the money and scooping it into the register drawer.

As Cup Cake walked off to get their tea ready, Rarity and Twilight sat down at the one table not surrounded by grumpy, tired, and sore ponies, and started chatting about other things. As it turns out, they didn’t have to wait long for their tea to be brought out, and they had only gotten half way through their first cup when Pinkie Pie came down the stairs and smiled at them. Twilight had to admit, it was a neat trick to see Pinkie moving at a normal pace, and also being quiet…

“Heya girls!” Pinkie said, keeping her voice low, but still managing to put the same enthusiasm in her words as ever. “I’m surprised you’re up already Twi. The way you were going to town last night, I thought you’d sleep in about as late as Rainbow Dash.”

“Well, I’m used to not getting a lot of sleep. And besides, Somepony has to open the library every morning.” Twilight answered, sipping form her cup.

“I wouldn’t worry about that today Twi. Most ponies are in recovery mode. I’ve been busy too, between cleaning up the Town Hall from last night, and making sure that anypony that came in had a nice dark corner they could relax in. Honestly, the morning after some of my parties is just as important as the party itself.”

“I completely agree Pinkie. In fact, I’m amazed that there are this many ponies out and about after last night… I thought for sure that most of them would be in bed for a couple more hours at least.” Rarity chimed in.

“What do you mean Rarity?” Twilight asked, looking at the other unicorn curiously, “I thought the town was being too quiet. It was only a little bit of alcohol, how much damage could that do to a whole town?”

“Think about it Twilight. There was almost every single pony in town at that party last night. And there were more than enough drinks to go around. Plus, it didn’t start winding down until almost dawn! Honestly darling, I know you have a steady schedule for your mornings, but I’d assumed you at least could allow for other ponies who aren’t as regimented and disciplined as yourself.”

“Mhmm… Rarity’s right Twilight. You need to learn to give other ponies time to recover. Besides, not every unicorn knows how to do a sobriety spell.” Pinkie said, nodding sagely.

“How did you know about that spell?” Twilight asked.

“After the way you were drinking last night? You’d have to have used magic to flush your system. If you’d waited naturally, you’d either be asleep until noon, or you’d still be drunk.” She answered, rolling her eyes like it was all common knowledge. “But you know, it’s a good thing that you girls are okay. Princess Luna is about to come in and ask for our help with something.”

Before Twilight and Rarity could begin asking their friend what in Equestria she meant (and before the author could toss a proper bitch fit about her casual Fourth Wall breaking.... again...), the front door of the shop slammed open, causing several patrons to grab their heads and start complaining.

Luna ran in, looking around frantically before hurrying towards the stairs. As she was about to climb them though, she noticed the three sitting at their table and rushed over to them.

“I need your help!” She exclaimed, “I’ve lost Orion!”

“What?!” All three exclaimed, with various looks of disbelief.

“How did you lose him? And what kind of position were you in that you were in charge of him?” Twilight asked.

“I thought he’d managed to get back to Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack last night Princess.” Rarity interjected, “And I’m certain that you stayed at the party… So what do you mean you lost him?”

“Ooh! I know!” Pinkie exclaimed, waving her hoof in the air like she was part of a quiz game. “Maybe you kidnapped him
from Applejack’s farm last night before you went home, and he got out and headed back here, and he knows some kind of huuuuge secret about you and Princess Celestia, so you need to find him again!”

“Wha- no!” Luna exclaimed, interrupted again by Pinkie Pie.

“Then you two must have whisked yourselves away to Las Pegasus, where you got married in a chapel by a pony dressed like Neigh Diamond! But Orion sobered up and didn’t want to be married to a Princess, so he ran off, and now you need our help to go on a cross country trip to find him before he can annul the marriage!” Pinkie guessed again, this time Luna only gaped at her in shock.

“No, that’s too silly… I know! You didn’t actually help Applejack and Orion back to the farm, you put that cloaking thingie on them and they stayed at the party. But since you were the only one that could see them, you three partied together, and this morning, after getting black out drunk, you’ve forgotten where he ended up, and now we’re gonna go on a slightly smaller search that will involve a Manticore, a forbidden temple and a golden idol, a time travelling carriage, and one of us getting arrested!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted, causing the surrounding ponies to glare daggers at the four mares sitting around the table. “Will you be quiet and let the Princess tell us what happened?”

“There’s no time. Long story short, things happened last night, I spent the night with him to help sort things out this morning, but he ran off before I could do him again. Now I don’t know where he went, and if we don’t find him in time, then there’s no happy ending!” Luna said, her eyes darting around to the three mares listening.

“What? What does some of that even mean?” Twilight asked, Rarity and her sharing a look of confusion… Had Luna really just said some of that? What the HAY happened last night?!

“No time for talky girls!” Pinkie said, standing and whisking the four of them outside in a moment… just exactly how, nopony could really tell… “Now everypony split up and look for Orion!”

With that, Pinkie Pie zoomed off down the street, heading towards the farm.

Rarity just shrugged at Twilight and started trotting off to her boutique to start her search in familiar territory.

“Thank you for your help Twilight Sparkle. You are a very good friend. Now quickly, time is running out… I shall continue searching for him on the edges of the town, as I can move faster than anypony else. I need you to start your search at the Town Hall. I have a feeling that he will wander there some time.” Luna instructed, spreading her wings and taking off.
Having absolutely no clue what exactly was going on, Twilight simply shook her head and wandered down the road towards Town Hall. If she had a bit for every time that she got dragged into some kind of crazy series of events… well she’d be living somewhere other than a tree, that’s for sure…

When she got to the Town Hall, Twilight was surprised to see a small group of Lunar Guards standing outside in a huddle. They seemed to be going over a plan of sorts, but Twilight knew from her brother that you never interrupted soldiers in a huddle. So instead, she decided to wander to the back of the building, and sat down on a bench to see if Orion showed up.

The day was getting on, and ponies were starting to wander about their business. Though, a fair amount seemed to be heading out of the Town Hall, Twilight kept to her post for awhile more. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her, and she looked around the front of the building. There was a line of ponies congregating to get into the building. Most looked confused, and were holding a small piece of paper like it was an invitation. But that couldn’t be it could it? They’d all been at the party just the night before, why would they be so eager to come to another one?

“I’ll never understand some ponies…” Twilight muttered to herself, walking away. “If Orion ends up at Town Hall, at least there are some Lunar Guards there. Luna probably told them to keep a look out for him too, so there’s no harm in trying somewhere else… I wonder if he’s at the hospital…”

With a new destination in mind, Twilight set out for the local hospital. She was almost there when another shriek cut across the sky.

“Seriously… who the hay is that?” she asked herself, walking up the path to the large building on the hill.

Nurse Red Heart greeted her with a smile as she entered.

“Good morning Miss Sparkle.” She said warmly, “And how can I help you today?”

“Well Nurse, I need to know if one of my friends has checked in here…”

“I’m afraid that Miss Dash hasn’t been with us in about a month. She seems to be taking it a bit easier since she broke her wing the last time. Which is good… if we saw much more of her, we’d have to start giving her a frequent visitors card.” Red Heart answered, laughing at her own joke.

Twilight chuckled a bit too before remembering why she’d come in, “Actually, I was asking about a new pony in town. His name’s Orion. Grey Pegasus?”

Red Heart looked at her clip board for anypony checked in that matched the description and frowned.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, there’s nopony here today like that… have you considered the fact that he may be in the Town Hall? I know that’s where the Lunar Guard is helping ponies who were at that party last night. Maybe your friend found his way there?”

Twilight considered this. It was possible that he’d gone in while she was on the other side of the building…

“Alright Nurse, I’ll check there again. Thanks for your help!” Twilight said, rushing out the door.

“No problem Miss Sparkle! And tell your friend Rainbow to stay safe!” Red Heart called after her as the violet unicorn hurried out of the hospital.

Twilight ran full tilt back to the town center, seeing from a distance that there was now a longer line than before, leading out the front doors of the Town Hall. How had had everypony partied last night, that this many of them needed help remembering what happened?

As she got closer, Twilight saw a flash of orange standing outside of the structure, looking around frantically.

“Applejack!” Twilight called out, closing the distance. “I need your help!”

“You and me both!” Applejack called back, looking at the unicorn with a strange, worried look in her eyes.

Sex, Drugs, and Bunnies... The Morning After, part 3

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Apple of My Eye- Chapter 12

Sex, Drugs, and Bunnies… Evil, evil bunnies…

AKA- It’s Always the Quiet Ones

Please Note, themes of BDSM are in this chapter, feel free to look it up on Wikipedia if you don't know what BDSM is. DO NOT GOOGLE IT! GOOGLE IS A LIAR!

Floors are, by their nature, meant to be extremely supportive and strong. This is meant to be a good thing, because if they were soft and marshmallowy, well, it wouldn’t make for a very easy time to walk around, now would it? Granted, if floors were softer, then a certain pegasus would have probably been more comfortable after waking up, the morning after a now rather infamous celebration in the town of Ponyville……

As it was, however, Fluttershy opened her eyes slowly, feeling like her entire body had been sat on by a grizzly bear, and her head felt like there was at least one, if not an entire hive of bumble bees whizzing around inside…

“Mmmmm…” she moaned, lifting her head off the ground at the bottom of the stairs. “……What time is it? And why am I on the ground?”

She picked herself up off the floor and stretched out as much as she could, but it still felt like she had knots all throughout her body. She looked around and saw that almost all of her little critter friends had already gotten up and gone about their business for the day. Few ponies knew it, but animals really did have things they did during the day…

“Wakey wakey little ones.” She said softly, yawning and getting the attention of the few stragglers in her home. “Come on now, time to get up… I think…”

One of the furry residents looked at her with a funny look.

“What time is it anyway?” she asked the room at large, rather embarrassed at having disturbed them without really knowing what time it was…

Her best animal friend Angel came up behind her and tapped her hind leg with his foot, holding a large watch up for her to see that it was already noon! How had she slept so late?!

“Oh… my… I’m just late for everything today, aren’t I?” she said, making sure to scold herself inside her head for having disturbed her little animal friends nap time.

“Please go back to sleep little ones… I’ll come get you all up when nap time’s over… sorry…”

The young mice, ferret, and cat that were lounged about the main room of her home simply nodded groggily and went back to snoring while Fluttershy walked out of the room quietly and headed for the kitchen.

“Oh dear… Angel Bunny, how could I wake them up from their naps like that? I’m a horrible pony… I wonder how I could make it up to them?”

Angel squeaked out something that could have meant one of two things. He could have been saying You could have a special snack ready for them when they wake up from their nap, or he could have said Make me my food first you stupid mule! And don’t skimp on the carrots and the Iceberg Lettuce! I hate that romaine shit and you know it!

………What? Rabbits have a complicated language okay!

For the purposes of her sanity though, Fluttershy had long ago adopted the policy of interpreting anything he said in the nicest way possible.

“I think a nice treat for everyone is a wonderful idea Angelkins.” She said, smiling at her bunny friend.

He just glowered in response. He hated it when his pony didn’t listen to him… it made his life that much more difficult. Honestly, he didn’t need the added stress. He was already in charge of the rest of the animals when she left; all he asked for was a bit of blind obedience once in awhile. It was bad enough that she’d come in late last night, and then she’d been acting so weird that he’d had to resort to using the tranquilizer on her when she came barreling down the steps after making so much noise upstairs last night.

“Oh, and here you go Angel, sorry I wasn’t awake in time for your breakfast.” Fluttershy said, sliding a bowl of carrots, iceberg lettuce, and grapes across the floor to him.

………Okay…. so maybe he’d cut her some slack… as long as she didn’t do anything else to annoy him of course…

“Now I just wish I could figure out why I ended up on the floor…” She mused out loud, preparing one of her special critter snack trays.

The more she thought about it, she couldn’t really remember much form the night before… She remembered going to the party with Rarity and Twilight… then she was trying to hide under the table cloth from some of the louder ponies… then the party started… and then she was teleported by Princess Luna over to her friends and they were talking… what happened after that?

Oh right… They’d played that game. Now she remembered.

Fluttershy smiled softly, remembering how her friends seemed to be having so much fun, and she’d been lucky enough to avoid being chosen for anything, which was nice… Then Orion had dared Big Mac to do something… what was it though… her memory got fuzzy at about that point… Weird. She only ever had trouble remembering things if she’d had something to drink. But the only thing she’d had at the party was some of Pinkie Pie’s special party punch, and that didn’t have any alcohol in it.

“Oh wait… that’s right…” Fluttershy said, her eyes dilating in shock as she remembered stealing Big Macintosh’s drink and finishing it all before kissing him. “I didn’t get any truth’s or dares… but I stole one of his… Why would I do that? It hasn’t been that long for me… has it? Think Fluttershy… Heat was about three months ago… You managed to ride that one out with some of Zecora’s tea… and Pinkie Pie sleeping over that one time… So why would I kiss Applejack’s brother like that?”
Ah fuck…… Angel thought, looking up at the yellow mare from his seat on top of the table where he was polishing off the last of his food. She’s getting all weird again. Maybe I should bust out the tranq set BEFORE she starts trying to bring more ponies around here…

Fluttershy’s face had taken on a rather interesting shade of pink.

Five bits says she’s remembering what happened.

“Oh dear…… I remember now…”

Told you so! :D

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

The previous night, roughly a half hour after Orion and Applejack’s dance on the table:

“I’m sorry Miss Fluttershy… but I really don’t dance.” Big Mac protested.

“Oh you’ll dance big boy… now come here…” Fluttershy responded.
“No really… I’m not good at dancing.” He continued protesting, somehow unable to get away from the usually timid mare.

“Then I’ll lead… I’d like that actually… having a big, strong stallion like you…all to myself and following my lead……” she said, her voice dropping into an alluring tone and her eyes hypnotizing him… what was it his sister had warned him about? The Stare?

“Look Ma’am… I really don’t-”he began, his words being cut off as she kissed him suddenly… again… It really did feel nice now that he thought about it…

“I’m not giving you a choice sweetie…” she said, staring into his eyes, both her tone and her gaze telling him silently that she was going to have him one way or another. “Now, I know I want you… and I can tell that at least some part of you wants me… so why not make this easier for us both, and just go along with it…”

“W-what makes you say I want this too?” he asked nervously, her muzzle inching closer to his own. Damn, she had a nice mane…

“Because silly… I’m not holding onto you… you’re holding onto me.” She said, smirking as he looked down and saw that it was true. Her wings and forehooves had released him, but his own hoof was hooked around her foreleg, pulling her closer to him.

“…… Oh fuck…” he said softly, his voice barely audible over the sounds of the ponies surrounding them as they stood in the corner.

“Hmmm… well if that’s what you really desire…” Fluttershy said, inching her muzzle closer and closer, eventually reaching his ear with her lips, she whispered softly to him, “If that’s what you want so badly…. Then maybe we SHOULD skip the dancing, and go back to my home… I have a few things I’d like to show you…”

By this point, it didn’t matter that this was one of his sister’s friends… This was a mare who wasn’t chasing after him, and who he had caught himself looking at on more than one occasion. Not only that, but between her new demeanor and his own instincts as a male, he was willing in that moment to do just about anything she asked him to…

Big Macintosh nodded dumbly, gulping as he saw a cheshire smile grow on her face, her wings wrapping themselves around his neck and drawing him down to her level for one more kiss… but this one was different… this one was slow and deliberate… her tongue daring out and pressing themselves against his lips until he relented, allowing her entrance. He could feel the sweetness of the moment permeating his brain, leaving him in a stupor that usually could only be gotten from something as overpowering as full out sex… But here was a mare that only needed to talk to him, to look at him, and to tease him… and he was willing to do anything…

“Now…Why don’t we take this party somewhere a bit more… private…” she said sweetly, breaking the kiss and simultaneously snapping the red stallion out of his foggy train of thought.

“Uh huh…” was all he could manage, his brain still offline for the most part.

“Oh and Mac? For tonight, it’s ‘Yes Ma’am’… do you understand?”

“Eeyyyyes Ma’am…” he responded, narrowly avoiding a slip up. Why did he suddenly care if he said the wrong thing anyway? What had this mare done to him?

“There’s a good colt…. Now, follow me…” she said, walking away and shaking her hips subtly to the sides as she slipped through the crowds and into the night, her new plaything following after her closely…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“Oh… my…” Fluttershy said, putting a hoof to her lips at the memory… She’d been so uncharacteristically bold… But what had they done afterwards? She had woken up on the floor, and Big Mac wasn’t in her home that she could think of… only one way to be sure though…

She flitted up the stairs, careful to stay as quiet as possible. She peeked into her bedroom and was relieved to see that her bed was undisturbed. But she still had a nagging feeling in the back of her mind… where else could Big Mac be though? She sat on the end of her bed and thought for awhile, her eyes wandering as she considered possibilities, and suddenly focusing on s piece of clothing on her night stand… a very specific piece of clothing… the kind of clothes that one would only see in the kinds of places that one needed a password to enter…

She was staring at a set of leg binders…

Oh shit…

If those were out, then Mac was probably in…

Before she could finish the thought, Fluttershy ran out of her room and down the hall to THAT room. She carefully opened the door and was greeted by the familiar dark red and black stripes of the walls. The X-Cross leaning against the far wall and the line of hooks bearing various riding crops, floggers, blindfolds and bits were all in their usual place… The rolling cage was still in its usual corner and still empty… the only part of the room not immediately visible was behind the curtain…

Fluttershy walked over softly, carefully opening the thin black curtain with a wing and peering inside. There, asleep in his restraints, and still attached to the massage table, was none other than the large, red stallion she’d brought home the night before.

“Oh my…” she squeaked. “This is not good… what if he wakes up? What if he remembers? He must have been here all night… what do I say, how do I explain all this?”

Before she could completely lose herself to this newfound state of shock and panic, the logical part of her brain kicked in and she quickly undid his restraints. He didn’t stir at all, instead, he continued breathing levelly and calmly. She could see his eyelids moving somewhat as he continued to be lost in sleep. There was one stroke of good luck at least…

“I have to get him out of here…” she said, trying to shift his weight from the top of the massage table to her back. “Holy buck! He’s so heavy!” she squeaked, finally succeeding in getting him off the table. As she struggled to walk out of the room, his hooves scraped against the floor and she was sure that he would wake up… luckily, he was either a heavier sleeper than she thought, or else she was more paranoid than normal.

She finally managed to carry him out of the Art Room, and was walking down the hall towards her room, when her hoof caught on a loose floorboard and she found herself unbalanced… with a huge, heavy stallion on her back… oh buck…
She only had time to register the fact that she was tipping over before gravity took control and carried them down the stairs.

Big Mac slipped off her back, and she spread her wings instinctively to keep from hurting herself.

Unfortunately, the time it took for her wings to unfurl and glide her down the steps to where she could stand safely on her hooves, was also the exact amount of time it took one large red apple farmer to come tumbling down the steps and land in a heap at the bottom....

“Oh dear…” Fluttershy said, standing there at the foot of the steps, looking down at Big Macintosh in shock, his head lolling around as he came to...

“Ughhh…Did anypony get the plate number on that carriage?”

Anna Peeling Apple In Cider

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 13

Anna Peeling Apple In Cider (SFW)

AKA- Try Saying That Title Out Loud ;-)

Big Macintosh was a strong stallion. A lifetime of farm work and home cooked meals would do that to just about anypony… But being as big and strong as he was, had sometimes gotten him injured. Like the time he’d accidentally hit a young tree too hard and ended up felling it in such a way that it landed on himself. That little stunt had caused him to take a good two weeks sick leave from most of the chores. Then there was the incident with Hearts and Hooves Day… He’d accidentally moved a house about four blocks over while bouncing. Needless to say, Berry Punch still had issues with him over that. And to top it off, he’d strained himself to the point that the doctor told Granny Smith not to let him leave his bed for four whole days.

But as bad as some of those injuries were, nothing in his long list of injuries included Getting thrown down a set of stairs by a mare half his size while asleep… As odd as it was, there was a certain, testosterone fueled part of his brain that was somewhat satisfied at having an injury based story that not many other stallions could compete with. Still, the majority of his brain, being practical and down to earth had only this to say on the subject…

“Horse apples this hurts……”

“Ughhh… Did anypony get the plate number on the carriage that just hit me?” he asked, starting to try and get back on his hooves after the rather abrupt wake up call.

“Oh my, oh no no no… Big Mac, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked, flitting to his side and trying to help him sit up, also checking him for anything broken.

“Son of a mule, that hurt… What the hay is this floor made out of? Oak?” Mac said, finally sitting up, though not very steadily.

“I think it’s mahogany actually…” Fluttershy said, unsure if she was supposed to answer the question or not. “Now wait right here okay? I’ll be right back with some icepacks for whatever hurts.”

“Right now Miss Fluttershy, that’d be just about everything… and some of that ain’t from the fall… I work all day on the farm remember?”

Fluttershy didn’t say anything… she just worked in silence, taping various ice packs to any part of Big Mac she could get her hooves on and blushed, imagining the red stallion working up a sweat under the sun, his muscles rippling with each movement... Goddesses was that hot...

By the time she was through though, he felt like a snowman, and was pretty sure that he could run into a wall and only have the wall touch the icepacks. Still, it was a nice gesture, even if he was a bit cold…

“Are you feeling any better now?” Fluttershy asked, avoiding eye contact and leading him to the couch in the living room.

“I’ll live… Sorry if I said something out of line… But last night really was something special…” Big Mac began, trying to gauge her feelings about what happened the night before. True, she’d had a bit to drink, but it was still the same Fluttershy, right?

“I uh… I don’t remember a lot of what happened last night beyond us leaving the hall actually…” Fluttershy said quietly, shocking the red farm pony to his core.

“You mean you don’t remember anything that went on between us?”

Seems to be a recurring theme in this town…… oh well!

She shook her head. “I don’t remember anything… I know we left the party, and the next thing I know, I’m lying on the floor and waking up…”

Big Macintosh thought about this for a minute. If it was true that she at least remembered her leading him away, there was still a chance that this could change from an awkward ‘morning after’ and instead be something more… Besides, he hadn’t been lying when he said that he’d found last night to be special… It took a special kind of pony to get some of those
responses and feelings from him… and from what he’d seen of her, Fluttershy knew exactly what she was doing. So why was she acting so timid now?

“Miss Fluttershy, are you alright?” he asked, his voice low and soft. He inched closer to her slowly so as not to startle her.

“I… I don’t know… I mean… I’ve only ever done that with one or two other ponies, and I don't remember what we all did, but I know how I found you this morning, and I'm freaking out, and I don’t want to scare you off because I really like you and now I’m worried that you’ll think I’m some kind of freak and you’ll never want to see me again and that’d be just awful!” she said, her emotions finally breaking the dam and spilling out in a torrent of words that could only be described as ‘Pinkie-esque’

As long as she stays out of Cupcake territory, I think we’re good.

“I wouldn’t worry about scaring me off Miss Fluttershy…” Mac said slowly, reclining on the couch slowly and closing his eyes as he tried to stave off a throbbing headache.

“W-why not?” she asked, looking at him oddly.

“Well… if you want to know the reasons, I’d have to explain everything that happened last night…” he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. “Would you be alright with that?”

……No… No, no, no… Don’t you do it Big Mac!

Fluttershy just nodded slowly, mentally preparing herself for hearing about the part of her that was a monster.

“Alright then… but I need you to promise to hear everything….I’m not going to stop until everything that happened is out in the open between us, alright?

Think of the rating! Please don’t do it dude!

She nodded again, this time making eye contact with Big Mac as he took a breath and began telling her everything…

……Why doesn’t anyone listen to me?!

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

They had walked to Fluttershy’s cottage in silence. Occasionally, Fluttershy would look back to make sure that he was still there, but that was about it. The first time they spoke outside of the party was when they arrived at the front door.

“You know Big Mac…” Fluttershy said softly, “When we were back at the party, and Orion dared you to kiss me…… Why did you try and skip?”

“Well… I guess it was because I didn’t want to take advantage of you…” he said, thinking quickly, “I mean, you’re always quiet around me… so I figured you didn’t like me that way, and I’m not one to push himself on a mare… I know what it’s like on the receiving end of that sort of thing, and I wouldn’t wish that on anypony.”

“So you didn’t do it because you were uninterested?” She asked, “Because, well, I mean, that is, if you weren’t interested, that would be alright… well, not really alright… but I could understand it.”

Big Mac chuckled softly in the dark, her forward attitude form earlier having given way to her much more common display of social anxiety. Even here, where it was just the two of them, she seemed to act like everypony had their eyes glued to her.

“Well I wouldn’t say I’m not interested… I just haven’t really gotten the chance to know you aside from that one time you tried to jump me when I was staying at the library.” He said, smirking at the slightly painful memory of being tackled down a dark flight of stairs by a pink and yellow blur. “I have to say, if you really wanted to, you could have a pretty good future as a member of a pro hoofball player…”

“Oh… I couldn’t do that to somepony else… I mean, there was the one time… but that was my first real experience with Heat… and you were just, there, you know? I’m normally in control of myself…” Fluttershy admitted, blushing and opening the door to her home, “Would you like to come in?”

“Well, I believe that was the reason I came out here with you.” Big Mac said, smiling lazily, “Assuming that you aren’t gonna try and jump me again once that door is closed…”

“Um… well… not if you don’t want me to…” she said, pawing the ground awkwardly, “We could just make some tea and talk… I mean, I know Applejack… but I haven’t really spent a lot of time getting to know you…”

“Tea and a talk sounds wonderful Miss Fluttershy.” He agreed, walking in the front door.

“We just have to be quiet… my little critter friends are all asleep.” Fluttershy cautioned, “Here, let’s go into the kitchen. That should be a good place to talk.”

“Lead the way then.” Mic said, holding out a hoof and trying his best to lighten his hoof steps so as not to make any noise.

They went into the kitchen and Fluttershy made a pot of sleepy time tea, while waiting for the water to boil, she sat down at the table and tried to think of something to break the silence. Luckily, she didn’t have to worry for too long, since Big Mac seemed to have an idea about what to talk to her about.

“So Fluttershy… why don’t you tell me why you decided to kiss me back at the party.” He said, smiling kindly at her.

“Well… it’s not that I especially WANTED you to… not that it would be a bad thing… but I didn’t want you to do it… because if you did, then it might just be because you were dared… and I wanted to know if you thought of me as more than just a friend that you kissed on a dare…”

“So you thought it was a good idea to take the lead?” he replied, quirking an eyebrow up as the pot of water began to whistle, “And steal my drink on top of it all…”

“Oh yeah… I’m sorry… it was kind of a spontaneous thing really…. I mean, not that I’ve never thought about kissing you… I mean… it’s kind of something I think about a lot… but I didn’t know if I could stop you any other way………” Fluttershy stammered out, taking the pot off the stove and pouring them both a nice cup of soothing tea.

“You know Miss Fluttershy, you don’t need to be so nervous around me.”

“Oh I know I don’t have to… It’s just that, well… I’ve never been good at talking to other ponies… especially the ones that I really like…”

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“I really said those things?” Fluttershy asked, her face a mixture of horror and happiness. She wasn’t sure whether to feel scared about hearing Mac’s response to her little confession, or proud of herself for having gotten up the courage to finally tell him.

“Eeyup. And don’t you worry about saying the wrong thing… If you’d offended me, or I hadn’t felt at least something, then I wouldn’t be here right now, would I?” He said, reassuring her by putting his foreleg around her and pulling her close.

“Oh… I guess you wouldn’t… well, what happened next?”

“Heh… well, now that you ask….”

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“You know…” Big Mac said, breaking Fluttershy out of her stuttering streak, “If I’d wanted you to stop, I could have pushed you off at just about any time I wanted to…”

Fluttershy gulped in shock. “You mean… you LET me kiss you like that?”

He chuckled and scratched the back of his head with a hoof. “Well… it’s funny you mention that… You see, normally, I would have done something to stop you. I mean, let’s be honest, it’s not exactly a secret that a bunch of the single mares in this town have tried to jump me at one point or another. And I’m good at protecting myself, but still… something about the way you kissed me back there…… it felt right in a way… like, you were in complete control of yourself, so was I, and you just kind of forced me to see you a different way.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to force you into anything Big Mac… Really, I’m sorry…”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing… It’s just something that I need to think about. Shoot, did you know I’ve never been in a relationship before?”

“What?! A nice, big strong stallion like you, and you’ve never had a special somepony?” Fluttershy asked, absolutely shocked.

“Eeyup…” was all he said, looking into his tea.

“Well…… I mean… if you wanted to… we could try and hang out again.” Fluttershy said, scooting her chair closer to him and hiding her face with her hair.

“I think it’d be nice to get to know you better… I wouldn’t mind at all if you wanted to drop by the farm sometime actually.” He offered, smiling and draining his cup of tea. “But right now Miss Fluttershy, I should probably get some shut eye… I’m thinking that a bunch of ponies are gonna be pretty tired tomorrow, and I don’t plan on being one of them.”

“OH! Of course!” Fluttershy said, springing out of her seat and putting the tea stuff away. “If you want, you could take my bed for the night… I can always sleep on the couch with my little critter friends.”

“Now that just wouldn’t be right… me making you sleep on the couch like that. Tell you what. I’ll take the couch.” He said, frowning slightly.

“Oh but if the animals wake up and see somepony strange, they’ll be so confused and upset… this is really the best option. Besides, I have a very comfy couch.” She said, defending her idea that he sleep in her bed.

“I’m really not too keen on that idea still…” Mac protested, Fluttershy shooting him a look that said You will do what I say or else! “However, since you make such an excellent point about the critters, I’ll just go along with it...” he said quickly. He knew that look well… that was the look Granny Smith had given him when he was little and wouldn’t do his chores… It was never followed by anything good.

“Good. Now, you go on ahead to the bedroom upstairs, and I’ll be up later to make sure you’re nice and comfortable.” Fluttershy said, pointing at the staircase and directing Big Mac to march himself on up the steps.

He obeyed, shaking his head at having been outgunned by possibly the most timid mare in the whole of Equestria. But when he got to the top of the steps, he was a little confused… there was the bathroom on the right, sure, but here were two other doors too…

“I guess I’ll just try this one…” he said, opening the door on the right. “Hmmm… darker than I’d think… and she’s got some interesting stuff in here too… Didn’t know she was into woodwork.” He said, noting the large black cross against one wall. He finally noticed the sectioned off corner in the back of the room and headed for it.

“I remember AJ telling me about Miss Rarity’s bed… had some curtains around it… maybe Miss Fluttershy like that style too.” He commented to himself, opening the curtain and seeing the massage table.

Now it should be noted right about now, that while Big Macintosh was familiar with a great deal more than simply farm work, he’d never visited a spa in his life, nor had he ever gotten a massage, beyond his little sister walking on his back from time to time. So seeing a long, thin, cushiony table with a sheet on it, his mind made a fairly logical leap…

“Huh… must be one of them beds like they have in Prance.”

He reclined on the table, pleasantly surprised to notice that it was indeed rather cushiony and soft, and just long enough for him to stretch out. Though it was on the thin side, he’d never been one to toss and turn in his sleep, so he didn’t worry. Instead, he simply let his weariness take him off to sleep, his mind full of pleasant images and memories from the evening.

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“Are you alright Miss Fluttershy?” Big Mac asked, having finished his story, and seeing tears running down her face. “Did I say something that bothered you?

“No… no… it’s not that Big Mac… I just… I’m sad…” Fluttershy said, tears welling in her eyes.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s just… I wanted to tell you for awhile now how I felt… and I did, and you didn’t push me away… which means there’s a chance that there might be something between us… but I can’t remember anything… I can’t remember actually getting the nerve up to tell you… It’s like, all the little things that make a moment special are missing from that for me… I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad you want to see if there can be something between us… but I’m sad because it feels like we just suddenly arrived here… there was nothing in between for me… it’s confusing and sad and happy… I don’t know…” Fluttershy said, sniffling and trying to put words to an emotion that is difficult, even impossible to describe.

“Well you know Miss Fluttershy… You might not remember it, but as long as one of us remembers it, then it’s real right?” Big Mac asked, trying to help calm her down and make her happy again.

She sniffed and looked at him, “I guess…”

“And I didn’t make any of that up. That was you whether you remember it or not. And that means that you always have the potential to live those experiences again, possibly better… After all, you already told me how you feel once. So a second time should be easy.” He said, tossing a small joke into his pep talk to hopefully cheer the mellow mare up a bit.

“I… I guess you’re right…” Fluttershy admitted, smiling as her tears dried.

“Though that all still doesn’t explain how I woke up on the floor or found you like I did…” She muttered to herself, just barely inaudible to her companion… but very audible to a certain white, fluffy tailed little hellion who had been listening from the staircase. He smiled maliciously as he remembered what HIS night entailed…

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Meanwhile, downstairs the previous night…

Angel was not a happy bunny. First he had to put up with the yellow pony always getting his food orders wrong. Then he had to console her when she’d start crying if he didn’t want to drown in her tears. That pony was ALWAYS crying it seemed… And now she’d brought back ANOTHER pony, and in the middle of the night no less! And does she have the common courtesy to go upstairs and just do whatever, like she did with the grey pony so at least they’re out of earshot? NO! She decides to make a pot of tea… AT 2 IN THE HOPPING MORNING!!! Does she realize how sensitive bunny ears are?! He couldn’t have slept through that tea pot going off if he tried! And then to top it off, she sends the other one upstairs, probably to get ready for that stuff… Oh no… Angel was getting his beauty sleep if it killed him…

Step one, get out the bottle of tranquilizer. CHECK

Step two, find the box of needles from the first aid box to administer the tranquilizer. CHECK

Step three, wait for the yellow pony to leave the kitchen so he can sneak up on her. CHECK

Step four, tranq the yellow pony. CHECK

Now that she was taken care of, and sleeping peacefully on the floor, he had to make sure that the other pony wasn’t going to start moving around and making noise…

Angel hopped up the steps, looked in all three rooms, and found the red pony in none of them. Or at least not in sight… As he was about to close the door to THAT room, the curtain in the back corner moved. Angel was no dumb bunny, and he knew that the only time something moved, was if it was made to move… and sure enough, when he looked back there, the red pony was lounged out on the weird table thingie the yellow pony liked to use every now and then with the loud blue pony…

At least the red pony was already asleep… that saved Angel having to mess with the tranquilizer set again. Seriously, it’s hard to work a syringe when it’s almost as big as you are…

Still… he wanted to be sure that the red pony wouldn’t be roaming around in the middle of the night… Ah HA! There was something…

Angel took a length of rope out of a pile on the floor, trying his best not to imagine what it was used for, and quickly tied the red pony to the table as best he could. It was a good thing that he’d watched the orange pony that one time… otherwise he wouldn’t know what to do with the red pony. Still, at least now Angel could get a good night’s sleep. And since the yellow pony wasn’t going to be needing it tonight, might as well sleep in her bed!

And so, Angel’s night ended fairly well. The yellow pony incapacitated until at least late morning, the red pony sorted out just as easily, and a nice big comfy bed to himself.

It’s good to be the king…

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Angel was startled out of his reverie by Fluttershy's stomach growling loudly.

“Oh my… we missed breakfast, didn’t we?” she said, asking Big Macintosh, who was closer to the clock. He looked over and nodded emphatically.

“Eeyup… Maybe we should go get some food form town?” he suggested, waving in the general direction of Ponyville.

“We could talk some more, maybe learn a bit more about each other?”

“I think I’d like that…” Fluttershy said, smiling and hiding her blushing face behind her hair.

The two ponies got off the couch and began walking towards the door, opening it just as a dark blue unicorn was about to knock. Instead, her hoof collided with Big Macintosh’s head and making a sound like two blocks of wood colliding.

"By my wings! I’m so sorry Macintosh! I was just trying to see if Fluttershy was here.” Luna said hurriedly, her eyes wide in shock.

“Eeyup… she’s here…” he said, massaging his head with a hoof and trying to get his eyes to refocus.

“What’s the problem Princess?” Fluttershy asked, stepping out of the cottage and closing the door behind herself and Big Mac.

“I need your help…”

Post Party Pinkie Pie

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 14

Post Party Pinkie Pie

AKA- And Now, For Something Slightly Different…

Pinkie Pie is arguably THE pony to see if you want a great party. Not only was she the Element of Laughter, but she was also a graduate from the University of North Manehattan (go gryphons!). She held a Masters in Geological Studies, Bachelors of Baked Goods and Armaments (which are, surprisingly enough, the same thing in Equestria) and a Doctorate in, you guessed it, Interdimensional Communication and Physics (She’d single hoofedly pioneered the field actually…). She was so far ahead of the curve for what ponies considered reality, she was able to safely communicate across the 4th wall, putting her in the same league as one of the Pony Sisters.

Our hyperactive pink little super powered Earth Pony was currently bounding her way around Ponyville, unsure as to where exactly she was headed, but greeting everypony by name along the way.

“Wait a minute….” She said, stopping just outside the town limits, a few yards from the Everfree Forest, “Why am I out here again? I feel like I forgot something important…”

You’re looking for Orion, remember?

“Oh yeah! Thanks Narrator!” she responded, confusing anypony within earshot, and doubling back towards the town. “Not sure why I was heading towards that spooky forest anyway… Anypony with a brain knows not to go in there. Maybe I should ask around town?”

Seems like a good idea to me… Is it alright if I tell the readers how your night ended after the party while you find somepony to talk to?

“Go ahead. They might think it’s kind of funny! Or maybe not… But that’s okay too. I can always make everypony smile one way or another!” Pinkie said, bouncing off back to the town, as a convenient flashback set in…

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The party had started to wind down, and Pinkie was none the worse for wear. Despite almost going drink for drink with Berry Punch and Vinyl Scratch, she was still exceptionally coherent.

“I’m telling you guys!” Vinyl said loudly, herself and her two drinking buddies the only ones still conscious around the hall, “I love Octy, I really do… but DANG does she make it hard for me to show her! I can’t make a song for her cuz she doesn’t like listening to my stuff, and if I even TRY and suggest spicing things up in the bedroom, she gets all moody!”

“Maybe you should try getting her drunk?” Berry Punch suggested uncertainly, while staring at a particularly blurry section of the wall, “I mean, yeah, she kind of passed out after that fifth shot, but I mean, there’s gotta be a middle ground with her to where she just starts to loosen up…”

“Maybe you two should go talk to a counselor.” Pinkie suggested sagely, taking a sip from her bottle of sarsaparilla. She’d stopped drinking the hard stuff around the time she noticed that everypony else was starting to wind down. (Wind down, pass out, whatever)

“Nah… Counselors are for ponies with problems…” Vinyl said, waving a hoof dismissively in Pinkie’s direction. “I know! I’ll make a song for her! Maybe I could use some sound clips from her stuff…”

The three party-hardy creatures were interrupted by a tall Unicorn stallion in the uniform of the Lunar Guard.

“Are you Miss Pie?” he asked, looking at Pinkie.

“Yep! Who are you? I know you’re a guard, but I mean come on, who can’t tell that? Nopony, that’s who. Now what’s your name? I know everypony in Ponyville, and if you’re here in Ponyville and I don’t know you, then I can’t keep saying that, can I?” Pinkie responded, catching the usually stoic guardspony off guard.

“Uhhh… I’m Stone Wall, part of her Majesty Luna’s Lunar Guard. Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, Miss Pie, It’s been brought to our attention that almost every citizen in town was at this party. Is that correct?” Stone Wall asked, breaking his training and showing a look of confusion as he looked around the hall.

“Sure is! Everypony except for the little ones and anypony watching them tonight was invited. And I’m pretty sure that everypony showed up… There might be a few that just didn’t feel like coming here, but I mean really, who doesn’t like parties?!” she answered, still full of energy despite the fact that dawn was only a couple hours away…

“Well I’m afraid that I couldn’t tell you Miss Pie. They don’t cover partying in Guard training.” Stone said, smirking at the infectiously happy pink pony. “Now, I’m here under orders from Princess Luna to ensure that everypony makes it home if at all possible, and I have a small squadron outside the building willing to not only help transport everypony home, but also help you clean up the Town Hall.”

“Oh that’s okay.” Pinkie said dismissively, “I can clean this place up easy. And if you need help figuring out where somepony lives, I can tell you.”

“I’m afraid that I can’t accept that Miss Pie. Princess Luna’s express orders, Do not let Pinkie clean the hall, it may end up becoming a cleaning party, and then it only goes downhill from there.” He said matter-of-factly By this point in the conversation, Berry Punch and Vinyl Scratch had finally taken notice of the Lunar Guard, and were edging their way towards the wall to try and avoid any trouble Pinkie may have accidentally dragged them into.

“Well then I can still help you get everypony back home!” Pinkie volunteered, her smile becoming a bit forced.

“Negative to that offer as well Miss Pie. The other part of Princess Luna’s orders were, Do not let her try and help move anypony back to their home, as it will most likely turn into a musical number. Don’t look at me like that, just trust me.”

“Then just what the frosting are you talking to me for?!” Pinkie asked in exasperation, her short amount of patience apparently reaching its limit.

“I’m simply here to make sure that you exit the hall in a quiet manner, and that any other party goers that are conscious are seen safely home. Now, if you and your two friends trying to sneak off would follow me outside, I’ll make sure a guard personally sees you all to your homes.” Stone said, the look of trained indifference finally returning to his face as he gestured to the front doors, grabbing Berry Punch and Vinyl in his magical grip and lifting them easily.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” Berry objected, “I know my rights! What’s the big deal!”

“Can it Berry Punch, you’re drunk!” Vinyl said, laughing at her friend. “Besides, we’re not in trouble. He’s just gonna make sure we all get home safe.”

“Then if we’re not in trouble, why were you following me?!” Berry asked, trying to glare at her Unicorn friend, and failing miserably as she noticed that Vinyl had suddenly learned how to clone herself… or at least, it looked that way…
Pinkie just sighed and shook her head. Her friends were all special in their own ways, but sometimes they could be really silly.

The three mares were led to the doorway and deposited just outside the doorway.

“Now then, seeing as you three are all conscious, and presumably sober.” Stone said, his eyebrow raising as Berry Punch launched herself towards one of the bushes near the doorway and throwing up, “Well… two of you are at least presumed sober… Is there anypony inside that lives with you that can be escorted back safely as well?”

“Oh! My girl Octavia is in there. I think she was asleep on the steps to my set. Grey Earth Pony, snooty manecut, little bow tie…” Vinyl said, raising her hoof and gesturing at one of the platforms, where sure enough, there was a passed out Octavia, one hoof dangling off the side.

“Alright. Miss Pie? Miss Punch?” Stone asked, grabbing Octavia and carrying her out of the building with his magic.

Pinkie shook her head, and Berry kept muttering something about everypony needing to just sit down and stop moving…

“Alright then… Aegis, escort Miss Punch to her home. Crescent, you’re in charge of Miss Pie, and I’ll take care of Miss Scratch and her marefriend.” Stone Wall instructed, selecting two more Lunar Guards from the twenty or so standing at attention outside of the hall. Aegis was a Pegasus Stallion, and Berry Punch started cuddling up to him almost immediately. Crescent, meanwhile, was a Unicorn mare not much older than Pinkie.

“The rest of you, go inside the Town Hall. Those who cannot be roused are to be placed on cots in the back, those who can are to be taken home and a note left for them once they awaken. After everypony is accounted for, begin cleaning the hall itself. You all have your assignments, now get to it!” he barked, the group of guards saluting smartly before hurrying inside, while the three remaining guards went off into the night with their respective charges.

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Did I miss anything?

“Nope… Seems like you told them everything. Oh, and they know I met with Rarity and Twilight and Luna at the shop a little while ago, that everypony is acting all sick and angry, and that I’m looking for Orion now, right?”

Yep. That was actually covered about three chapters ago. And maybe if you didn’t serve so much alcohol, they wouldn’t be as sick?

“Oh shush.” Pinkie reprimanded the Narrator, “Now help me figure out the trajectory for this quartenary trampoline…”

While the flashback had been going on, Pinkie had managed to set up a multi level trampoline on the side of the hill directly underneath Rainbow Dash’s home. She started out by bouncing on one trampoline, then when she got up to the second level, she used the extra momentum to climb up higher and higher… kind of like an exceptionally springy staircase…

Looks fine to me… Although are you sure that just bouncing into her room is a good idea? What if you miss the trampoline on your way down?

“Who said I was coming back down silly?”

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Rainbow Dash was having a wonderful dream… seriously, this one ranked up there with her Wonderbolt dream where they made her the team captain on the spot after watching one of her practice sessions. Although, it did have a completely different feel… this was a more intimate dream…

“mmmrrr no dude… you take the emerald idol to Daring before it’s too late….what’s that? A final kiss?... well I’m not going anywhere tied up on this altar… so get over here champ…” she muttered to herself, the string of odd snippets broken up by
a loud snore and a small fit of giggling.

“RaaaaaiiinnnboooowwwwwwwDaaaasssssshhhhhh! Waaaaaakkkkkkeeeee UUUPPPP!” came ripping through the cloud house as Pinkie Pie shot up through the floor and landed on top of her friend.

“WHAT THE BUCKING HAY!?” Rainbow screamed, bolting up in bed and almost throwing her friend off. “Pinkie?! What are you doing up here? Why did you wake me up?”

“Please don’t move Dashie…” Pinkie said, hugging the weather pegasus for dear life, “Seriously. I really don’t want to fall all the way back down….”

“Then why did you come up here in the first place?! HOW did you come up here in the first place?!” Dash questioned, looking at her floor and seeing a nice new hole punched through the cloud material…. A hole that went down two more stories and was centered perfectly over a series of ridiculously tall trampolines…

Rainbow Dash looked at her friend Pinkie, then back to the hole, then back to Pinkie, back to the hole…

“Ya know what? I don’t wanna know…” Rainbow muttered, flopping backwards onto her bed and groaning. “This is SOOO not a good way to wake up with a hangover…”

“Yeah, sorry about that Dashie, I really am… but I needed to get your help with something kind of important, and everypony else is feeling too icky this morning.” Pinkie explained, her frame starting to shake a little, “Can we please maybe keep talking on the ground? I just kind of realized how bad of an idea this was…”

Rainbow Dash sighed in exasperation before wriggling her frame around underneath Pinkie’s full weight. Seriously, the clouds didn’t give her ANY support at all… What’s with that?!

Finally, she was in position to spread her wings and glide them back down to the ground.

“Oh Sweet Pony Sisters, thank you!” Pinkie exclaimed, making out with the ground in a significantly messy fashion while Rainbow just looked at the small super structure Pinkie had built out of trampolines and what looked like super sticky tape wrapped around some of the support beams for the Sweet Apple Acres barn…

Meanwhile, across town, Applebloom had wandered over to the family barn to see if there were any supplies she could use to fix up the CMC tree house…… but when she got there, all she found was a roof sitting on the ground, and four very familiar red walls laying on the ground in a pile.

“Ah horse feed…” the youngest Apple swore, “How many times do we have to raise this stupid thing before it stays up?!”

“So uh… Pinkie… what exactly made you decide to catapult yourself up to my house, the morning after one of your parties?” Rainbow asked, deciding that for the time being, ‘Pinkie Being Pinkie’ was NOT enough to satisfy her curiosity.

Pinkie filled her in on everything that Princess Luna had told them, which wasn’t a lot, but she told Rainbow anyway.

“I’m thinking he’s in some kind of compromised, vulnerable state, and that Luna is gonna try and get him back to normal…” Pinkie guessed, tapping hoof to her chin and imagining Orion tangled up in a magically possessed blanket or something.

Rainbow Dash’s mind was elsewhere entirely… And no, we’re not going to give out details, just suffice it to say that the mental image woke her up better than several cups of coffee, and her face turned a lovely shade of magenta. After a few more moments of hypothesizing, she even began to get a small nosebleed…

“R-right… So, we gotta start looking for Orion right? Well, he probably didn’t get that far from the farm, so I’ll start doing a flyby over the orchard. Pinkie, how about you go back to the Town Hall and see if the others have gotten back there. If I don’t find anything, and nopony else has, then we can meet up there in about a half hour and work out a search plan.” Rainbow instructed, slipping into her Weather Manager voice.

Pinkie saluted smartly, turned about in a very neat and organized fashion with a stern and concentrated look on her face…… then began to bounce off towards the town, leaving a zig zag trail behind her while humming a song about some kind of crystal ball and digging holes…

The Morning After Kerfuffle: Finale!

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 15

Involuntary Incantations

AKA- Lunar Deities Make the Worst Drinking Buddies

Orion woke up with a heavy feeling across his chest… he blinked the sleep out of his eyes, and stared up at the ceiling of his room in the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. He could tell from light spilling through the curtains that it had to be close to midday when he woke up…… still, something seemed off…

A throb shot through his skull and he cringed as he remembered vaguely drinking the night before. Still, this was by far the mildest hangover he’d ever had to bear through. But he was still too warm.

Okay, why was he so freaking warm?

Oh right… he had a heavy blanket on…

“Well, better kick this off and see if I can’t get some more rest…” he thought to himself, closing his eyes and trying to gently shift the large blanket off his prone frame.

…. It wasn’t moving… why wasn’t it moving?

He turned his head to look down at the blanket and saw blue…

”Why am I seeing blue?” he wondered, his mind slowly processing. “Aren’t me sheets red?”

Looking further down, he realized that he had the familiar red sheets across him, and the large blue blanket was lying on top of them… Well at least now he knew why he was warm.

He stretched his wings out to try and pry the covers off of him so that he could slip off the side of the mattress.

No such luck…

“Mmphhmmm… Oree… don’t leave just yet… you’re so nice to snuggle with…” he heard from behind him.

He’d be lying if he didn’t say that the unexpected voice startled him. In fact, it startled him to the point that he fell out of the bed rather clumsily, and only barely contained what would have undoubtedly been a very, very, little-filly-like scream…
His brain shot into overdrive in a second, to try and assess the situation. There were a couple important things that it noted in that instant, and they will now be listed in order of importance…

1- The blue blanket was actually a wing connected to a certain blue alicorn…

2- The wing had been splayed out over where he had been sleeping…

3- Judging from where the sheets had been mussed up, it was safe to say that she had been spooning with him while he
was asleep!

“Wh-what the hell happened last night?” he said quietly, not wanting to disturb the mare in his bed…

Okay, his brain now had to note a fourth important thing…

4- His voice was no longer the low baritone he was used to… it almost sounded like he’d gotten younger…
He hurried over to a mirror on the wall and examined his face for any signs of some kind of age spell…

“No fucking way…” he said, his jaw dropping in shock. His hoof coming up to squish his features to make sure he was actually seeing himself… not a picture of somepony else…

No such luck. He had definitely changed… the face he saw was his… but at the same time, it wasn’t…

In place of the square-ish jaw line he’d grown used to seeing, and the longer muzzle… he saw a smaller face with larger eyes, softer features overall, and a shorter muzzle that rounded off to a smaller mouth…

“Okay…” he said shakily, trying to keep himself in control, “So I got a makeover… This isn’t too bad… a bit more feminine than I’m used to… but that’s all right?”

As he thought over the possibilities for what could have changed the way his face looked, he sat down and was alarmed to feel something… off… about the rest of him… had his hips always been so wide when he sat down?

“Oh no…. no no no…” he begged, moving the mirror off the wall and down to the floor, where he proceeded to straddle it and looked to see what else had changed.

……
......
……
......
……
......
……

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

By the time that Luna had shot up from her place on the bed, Orion was already half flying, half galloping down the hall, jumped the stairs, and burst through the front door of the farm house.

“Gotta go fast… just gotta go fast…” he kept saying, his eyes flying around in his head to check if anything else had changed overnight. He took to the sky at speeds that would have made Rainbow Dash, Spitfire, and most of the Wonderbolts blush. Not able to restrain the sudden burst of manic panic that seized him, Orion was soon flying at altitudes that made the land beneath him look like a quilt.

Tears had started to streak back from his eyes after the first few minutes of insane flying. He was crying partly due to the speed tearing at his open eyes, and partly due to the shock. As his brain started to register the fact that he was crying, his burst of energy was reaching its limit, and he suddenly felt like every little thing was weighing him down and threatening to cause him to fall into unconsciousness.

His strength suddenly dwindling to empty, he spread his wings and tried to land on a nearby cloud. Luckily, he found a small bank of cumulus clouds that looked friendly… he landed, partially burying himself in the fluffy material, and would have been content to stay there, quietly sobbing, were it not for the small part of his brain that was still working to maintain his sanity.

Come on now pal… it said calmly, Maybe our eyes were playing tricks on us… That mirror might have been enchanted for all we know… Hell, that voice thing might just be a thing that happens first thing after you wake up… now calm down…

Orion began taking deep breaths, trying not to hyperventilate as the tears started to slow down a little.

Now let’s take this slow… we went out drinking at that party last night… for all we know, we did NOT shtup Luna… She may have just been playing the best friend and trying to make sure we got home safely…

“But I’ve never had a friend sleep in my bed and SPOON ME!” Orion argued out loud, glaring up in an attempt to see his own mind for a face to face discussion.

….. Okay… so there’s that bit of weirdness… but hey, remember what we learned about body language here? It might be harmless!

“Fluttershy said the whole 'putting your wing over someone else' thing was only for couples!”

And ponies you’re protecting… Come on now, Luna brought us here, she probably just feels responsible for what happens with us… now stop freaking out about that and give yourself a once over. For all we know, you got shitfaced and got a tattoo instead of a cutie mark.

“I don’t think they have tattoo parlors here…” Orion pointed out, glaring at a small cloud man he’d constructed in order to talk to an feel a bit less crazy.

Just do it smartass.

“Fine…”

He scanned his legs, sides, and wings, breathing a sigh of relief that he had avoided the, admittedly small chance, of a new drinking tattoo or some kind of hand related cutie mark. He wasn’t even sure why he would have wanted a hand related cutie mark, but hey, whatever.

“So that’s at least one less thing to worry about… what next?”

Check your hair. Make sure you didn’t get it cut into anything goofy.

“It’s a mane… and I don’t think anything happened to it…”

Shut up and check… you remember the time you got that reverse mohawk?

“Got it, got it…” he grumbled, shaking his head and feeling the full weight of his long mane waving around him. He even checked to see that his tail hadn’t changed overnight. Luckily, both parts checked out.

Okay then… so we know there’s a couple possible reasons that Luna might have snuggled up to us last night… and there’s nothing screwy going on with our coat, mane, or tail… what next.

“We could always check to see if we’re COMPLETELY crazy… you know, apart from the whole talking to a cloud man thing…” Orion suggested.

…. Good point… I think Pinkie might be wearing off on us…

Eeyup…

Did you hear something?

“Nope… So… should we check now?”

Are you going to scream like a filly again?

“No… I don’t think so…”

Then now is as good a time as any to check.

“Okay then…” Orion said, taking a deep breath and bracing himself. He laid himself out on the cloud, his wings spread out to
stabilize him as he reclined and looked down his stomach…

…
...
…
...
…
...
…

“AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!” He screamed again, this time at least a bit more in control… though he still screamed like a little school filly…

Then again, any male would probably have the same reaction to waking up and noticing a few VERY IMPORTANT pieces of him were suddenly nonexistent.

“Whe-he-he-here are they!?” he cried, planting his face in the cloud next to him and sobbing openly… “What did I do to deserve this?”

Hey now… I’m sure it’s nothing too awful… I’ll bet one of the unicorns in town knows a spell for something like this…

“I’ve been castrated you fucker!” he yelled, kicking the head off the cloud man, tears now literally pouring down his face. “They didn’t just walk off! I must have done something horrible!”

All of a sudden, an image of him trying to make a move on Luna in a drunken haze popped into his mind… he could just see it now… him pushing and leaning on her, trying to get some of that hot alicorn action… and her turning him down. Then he decides to just see how far he can push her, and her blasting him in anger, taking his manhood away as a lesson!

If she castrated you, then why would she have been snuggling up to you this morning? He heard, the logical part of his brain unhindered by the decapitation of the cloud man.

“Th-that doesn’t matter… the point is I’m a horrible person and I should just die!” Orion howled, his emotions running all over the place. He felt afraid, angry, remorseful, sad, and terrified all at the same time…

Come on now… get a grip on yourself… let’s just think now… what else could have gotten you like this?

Rather than answer himself of course, Orion continued to cry into the cumulus pillow he was currently hugging close. As was his right… And so he stayed for about a good thirty/forty minutes, alternating between sobbing, gently crying, and yelling out
“Why me, oh gods, I didn’t even get a chance to use it half as much as I wanted to”……

Finally, after calming down a teensy bit… or perhaps considering jumping off the cloud to the ground below (it was about fifty-fifty at that point, give me a break!), he looked down and happened to see a large patch of bright blue flowers near a tree line.

What are those? The logical part of his mind wondered, and why do they look so familiar?

“I think I’ve seen those……” Orion murmured, “………Oh fuck! Are those……”

He spread his wings and glided down to the edge of the flower patch and looked a bit closer… He had definitely seen these somewhere before.

“Poison Joke!” he exclaimed, taking a couple steps away. “But wait… those only grow near the……” He began to say before gazing up at the suddenly ominous looking woods in front of him.

“The Everfree Forest… But how the hell did I get all the way out here? I’d have had to fly across the whole town to get here from the farm!”

Well you DID tear across the sky like a doped up comet…

“Oh yeah… wait… did I get into some Poison Joke last night?” he wondered, looking around to see that the Town Hall was just barely visible from the section of the woods he was at. “I know I do some stupid stuff when I drink… but did I manage to get here last night?”

It would explain why Luna was sleeping in your bed… maybe she wanted to magic the Poison Joke off of you?

“No… There’s only the one cure for Poison Joke… and the only pony that knows how to make that potion is Zecora.”

Then why don’t you go find Zecora and get her help?

“You mean walk into a forest we only know from the show, which is only PARTLY factual, to find a zebra that lives in an isolated cabin, all the while avoiding whatever kinds of monsters live in said forest?”

…… Well I didn’t say it was a GOOD plan… but it’s better than nothing right?

“Maybe I should go back to town and see if one of the others will help me… Twilight might be able to whip up the potion.”

Yeah, but do you really want to be known as “that guy who lost his EVERYTHING to a plant”?!

“……… Aren’t you supposed to be the logical part of my brain?”

I’m allowed my moments to be emotional… I work hard all the time! …Okay, some of the time… But still I don’t need you criticizing me!

“I’m not criticizing you! Relax… let’s go see if we can find a path or something to Zecora’s place…”

And so, the slightly schizophrenic pegasus began to search the tree line for any possible opening. As luck would have it, he didn’t need to really bother looking all that hard. He rounded a corner of particularly dense foliage and ran smack into the forest’s resident zebra… headfirst… and yes, it hurt.

“Oww! What the- Ohmygosh… I’m SOOoooo sorry about that Zecora. I was looking for you actually. Are you alright?” Orion exclaimed, shaking his head and looking up at the tall Everfree denizen in mild shock and awe.

“Well hello there my darkened mare, what brought you to me on this day fair?” Zecora asked, apparently unfazed by the accidental collision.

“Wow… you really speak in rhymes… cool. Anyway, I need your help. See, I think I might have fallen into some Poison Joke last night, and I was wondering if you could help…” Orion explained, his brain stopping dead in its tracks as it registered what the zebra had said.

“Did you say… Mare?” he asked, Orion’s eyes growing huge with worry.

“I’m sorry if I was too frank, but please, feel free to check your flank.” She responded, motioning with a hoof towards Orion’s rear.

He stood there, his face somewhere between confusion and fear. He turned his head around to examine the back half of his body, (which was surprisingly easy with an Equestrian body...) and flicked his tail to the side…

For the third time that day, Orion found himself screaming… luckily, this last one did NOT reach Ponyville. It did, however, nearly deafen a certain Zebra that was standing within three feet of the blast radius.

“I take it then, by your scream…” Zecora mumbled, massaging her head to try and work out the wall of sound she’d just been subjected to, “That things are not as they would seem?”

“No!” Orion wailed, tears streaming down his face, “They’re not! I woke up and thought I’d been castrated… now I find out I don’t have anything TO castrate! Oh gods…. What happened to me?!”

“Calm yourself, my winged friend… we’ll find a way to fix this in the end.” Zecora said, sitting down next to the crying mare, and pulling her close with a hoof for comfort. “Now, come with me dear, to my hut, we’ll soon find out just what is what…”

Orion sniffled and stood up with the potion maker. If anyone could help him now… it would be her…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

They had been working in Zecora’s hut for awhile now, Orion having explained his/her story… or, at least what could be remembered… Zecora had given him/her a quick once over to confirm that the pegasus was in fact completely female in form, which hadn’t been as awkward as one might think, and Zecora had started work on a couple brews that might help restore him/her to his/her original sex.

……Okay, you know what, we’re just going to use female pronouns with Orion for now… because the whole him/her, he/she thing is really weird…

“So… just what do you think might have happened?” Orion asked, shifting awkwardly in her seat, where Zecora had put her to drink a potion that would soothe her nerves, and ease the shock.

“There are any number of things that could have caused this, Poison Joke, Hearts Desire, or even Hidden Bliss… In any case, I would not fret, my special brews will fix you yet!” Zecora answered, hurrying between the various shelves around her hut and the various small cauldrons she had ringed around the fire pit in the middle of the floor.

“I’ve heard about Poison Joke… but I didn’t think Hearts Desire worked that way… and I’ve never even heard of Hidden Bliss…” Orion replied, her nerves relaxing slightly for the first time all day. What time was it now anyway? He wasn’t sure of a lot of things, but he was pretty sure that he’d gotten at least Luna’s attention that morning with how he’d escaped the Apple farm house.

“A tricky thing, that Hearts Desire… It can do any number of things, from good to dire. If you sought better insight in the female mind, that flower may have put you into this bind. As for the Hidden Bliss, the only thing I can say is this… It is a plant that must NOT be played with, else you’ll find your whole world gone forthwith…” Zecora responded, smiling as a small cloud of green smoke billowed from one of the cauldrons, shortly followed by a blue plume of smoke from another, and a shower of red sparks from a third.

“Wow… I didn’t think there were that many dangerous plants in this land…” the grey pegasus commented, dragging her hooves along the floor and trying not to imagine what would happen if none of the potions worked.

“The plants themselves are not so bad.” Zecora interjected, working furiously on the last cauldron. “The trouble is not letting the effects drive you mad.”

As she finished giving out this last piece of enigmatic advice, the last cauldron began to boil over with purple bubbles that soon disappeared in the tongues of fire lapping at the bottom of the iron pots.

“Now quickly come, and try this one.” Zecora motioned, having scooped out a ladle full of the purple potion into a small wooden cup, “It’s the trickiest potion, and easily overdone…”

Orion took the cup and downed it in one gulp. She had been afraid of what it would taste like, but was pleasantly surprised to taste something similar to vanilla… then the aftertaste kicked in, and she dropped the cup, writhing on the floor, her insides on fire and her vision blurring.

Zecora stood there, watching for any tell tale changes, frowning as Orion got back to her hooves, with absolutely nothing changed in the slightest…

“This is not good, but now we know; Hidden Bliss is not the cause of your woe. Come quickly now, and drink this draught, it is something of my own craft.” Zecora instructed, shoving another wooden cup into Orion’s hooves, this time filled with the green potion still billowing out a small cloud of smoke, “While these potions may yet cure, they must be taken with your body pure.”

“So wait… if I try one of these cures and it doesn’t work, then I have to drink this green stuff to make sure that the other potions don’t hurt?!” Orion asked, her voice taking on an angry edge as she downed the newest brew… at least this one was about as abrasive as milk…

“That’s what I said, was I not clear? Or perhaps you simply could not hear…” Zecora answered, trying to change the atmosphere to one of friendly banter.

The unexpected sarcasm from the usually calm Zebra was enough to make Orion laugh a little bit and ease the tension some more. She had to admit, once you got past the whole experience of waking up in a new body (again) it wasn’t so terrible… She still wanted to change back to normal, but it wasn’t as scary with a calming presence like Zecora around.

“Okay… what are we going to try next?” she asked, handing Zecora back the wooden cup.

“Next up is something rather new, a cure for Hearts Desire is this next brew…”

Again, Zecora handed her the cup filled with the red brew, Orion drank, and again, it had a pleasant taste. Unlike the last potion however, this one neither burned nor had an aftertaste that kicked her in the back of the teeth… It didn’t do anything
in fact… Orion was just left sitting there on the ground, blinking and waiting for something to happen.

Zecora frowned again. This was the second cure, and it had also had no effect… There was only one last thing to try, and then they were out of options…

“Well, that one was rather a bit of a letdown, I’d rather hoped that would take away your frown…”

“Well… there’s always the chance this was just Poison Joke, right?” Orion asked hopefully, unable to read Zecora’s expression as she turned around got another cup of the green purifying solution.

“Come my friend; let us still hope… there’s always the chance that it was Poison Joke.”

“You know that one didn’t exactly rhyme…” Orion pointed out, taking the green potion and slugging it down while Zecora glared at her.

Ignoring the snide remark about her manner of speech, Zecora spooned out the last resort, the Poison Joke cure, and handed it to Orion.

She took the cup in hoof and looked into the blue contents, silently begging whatever powers there were that controlled Orion’s life for a bit of mercy. She even went so far as swearing off drinking if it worked.

She raised the cup slowly to her lips, taking a deep breath… and then Zecora pushed the bottom of the cup upwards and poured the contents down Orion’s throat…

She sputtered and coughed, rolling around on the floor as the potion shot down her throat. It felt like her insides were being frozen over, and her hooves started to shake and her teeth chattered.

“W-what w-was th-that for?!” she asked, getting to her hooves shakily and glaring at the zebra who was watching her closely.

Zecora shrugged, “You were taking too long to drink, so I merely helped you over the brink…”

If it weren’t for the sheer audacity of her response, and the weirdness of the situation, Orion was pretty sure she’d be nursing a grudge… As it was though, there were bigger problems on her plate… namely, the fact that NOTHING had changed about her in the slightest.

“It would seem that we were both quite wrong. Your trouble is not of plants, but magic strong…” Zecora said, shaking her head and wrapping Orion in a comforting hug, “I do not know what ails you so, but do not despair and give in to woe. There is a mare in Ponyville with great magical strength, she may yet be of aid, and will help at any length.”

“Thanks Zecora…” Orion said sadly, her eyes shining with new tears as she started to realize that her chances for fixing everything were falling. “I really appreciate the help…… I’m pretty sure I’d still be walking around the edge of the woods crying if I hadn’t bumped into you…”

“Think nothing of it my newest friend. I’ve confidence it will all be right in the end…” the zebra assured her, walking them both to the door, “Now, I’ll see you safe to the treeline, but from there on out, you must try not to whine…”

Orion laughed at the small display of ‘tough love’, and nodded in agreement, the two mares setting out from the hut and heading back towards Ponyville.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“Ah’m tellin’ ya’ll, he ain’t anywhere near the west side a town!” Applejack yelled, butting heads with Rainbow Dash.

“And I’m telling you AJ!” Rainbow shot back, “He’s not anywhere near the orchards or the lake! So quit trying to double check! We’ve already got ONE pony who has to triple check her lists, we don’t need another!”

“Uhhh… I know that he’s not anywhere near my cottage or the Everfree Forest…” Fluttershy added, the tension between her two most competitive friends making her shake with fear a little bit. Luckily, Big Macintosh was there to lean on.

“He wasn’t anywhere between the Hospital and here.” Twilight added, frowning as she crossed another section of map off. So far they’d covered about 2/3rds of the town and the outlying area looking for Orion. Luna herself had instructed her guards to scan the areas further out in case he’d run off faster than they realized. Unfortunately, none of them had come back yet, so they had no way of knowing what the results of that search were…

Rarity came galloping over to the small group outside the Town Hall, trying to catch her breath and informing Twilight that he hadn’t been seen all morning in the shopping district, the spa, or the area of town around the boutique.
“I even went door to door and showed them pictures of him to make sure.” She explained.

“How did you get a picture of Orion? He hasn’t exactly sat still for any photo shoots that I know of….” Twilight noted, eyeing her fashionista friend suspiciously.

“Yes well… I may have accidentally set up a hidden camera just before I had him try on that vest… I wasn’t expecting quite the show he gave us, but there were a couple of appropriate shots that I was able to use to help search for him…” Rarity admitted bashfully.

Twilight just frowned and added a small note to the bottom of her map, reminding her to talk to Rarity about her slight voyeuristic tendencies at a later date.

Pinkie Pie came bouncing over, hopping around the group and telling everyone gathered that she’d checked everywhere from Sugarcube corner over, and had found neither hide nor hair of the grey stallion.

“It’s SOOO weird too!” She exclaimed, finally having stopped hopping long enough to take on a serious expression, “I even checked all my best hiding places for Hide and Seek, and he wasn’t there! I mean, I know he’s not me, but still, he had to know SOME good hiding places, and I couldn’t find him in ANY of the good ones! He wasn’t even under the bridge hiding away like a troll or anything!”

Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow all held a hoof up for Pinkie to stop talking, but nothing stopped the pink menace until a dark blue aura wrapped itself around her muzzle and stopped the stream of chatter.

Everyone in the group turned around to see Luna walking up to the group. She was still in her more inconspicuous form, but the Princess still commanded an air of respect. Still, she was lacking her usually confident attitude, and looked not unlike a mother whose child has wandered off. Her head even hung low with fatigue and worry.

“None of my guards have found him yet,” she informed Twilight, who scribbled out the outlying areas of the town, in response, “But it hardly matters at this point… too much time has passed now…”

“I’m sure he’s fine Princess…” Twilight comforted, “He’ll probably be on his way back soon… Just what happened to him anyway? You still haven’t told us…”

“It is not something that is easy to say Twilight Sparkle… It was a grievous error on my part in the first place, and even though I swore that I would fix it, the time is drawing near that I will be powerless to fix the wrong I have done to him…” Luna answered, shaking her head. “If he ever comes back, he may not even forgive me!”

“Ah’m sure it ain’t that bad Princess…” Applejack said, wrapping a hoof around the lunar deities withers comfortingly. “If it was all that horrible, then Ah’m pretty sure Ah’d remember something.”

“That is the POINT!” Luna roared, stamping her forehooves on the ground in frustration, “You were in such shock that you collapsed as well! I’ve made one enormous mistake after another and it’s ALL MY FAULT!”

“Don’t say that Luna…” a calm voice said from just outside the circle. It had an almost melodic quality to it, but the entire group felt like it was familiar all the same…

They turned as one to see the grey body, wings, and excessively long mane of none other than Orion. But just as quickly as everypony seemed to be ready to celebrate, they all noticed other things… the smaller frame, the wider hips… and the face! This wasn’t the same pony they all thought… was it?!

“Hey guys.” Orion said, smiling uneasily and raising a wing in greeting. The tension was only broken as Rainbow plowed into the grey pegasus and slammed them both to the ground.

“What the HAY dude!” Rainbow shouted, “You disappear, come back, and now you look like a mare! What happened!?” Rainbow yelled, hugging her friend before dropping them both back to the ground, half angry at her friend, half glad to see them back, half confused by the changes…. Yes she realized it was three halves, but she’d never been that good at math.

Orion took a deep breath and began to explain everything from the moment she had woken up, to the flight back to town, where she’d only found everypony because she’d heard one of the townsfolk complaining about the search party at Town Hall being stupidly loud.

“So that’s what all that screaming was about?” Twilight asked, apparently unfazed by the fact that one of her friends had effectively woken up to a surprise sex change.

“That’s all you’re curious about?” Dash interrupted, waving her forehooves wildly at Orion, “Look at him! Her! Whatever! Twi, this is some serious stuff right here!”

“Is this what ya’ll meant by screwin’ up big time Princess?” Applejack asked, looking to Luna, who had been remarkably quiet up to this point.

“Indeed it is….” She admitted, walking over and nuzzling Orion, “I am so sorry for having put you through all this Orion… I truly am… I cannot do anything now but hope that you will one day forgive me…”

She then went on to explain the particulars of what had happened after Applejack, Orion, and she had left the party the previous night. She even went so far into detail as explaining that the spell could only be cast on a conscious subject, and that his fainting afterwards had prevented her from amending the problem right there.

“In truth, I had meant to be awake when you awoke this morning, but I gravely underestimated how late you would rise Orion…” she said, “I am not used to being awake in the daytime, especially after having consumed as much moonshine as I did the previous evening. I ended up sharing the bed with you in the hopes that your rising would be enough to wake me up as well…”

“Hold on there…” Applejack said, interrupting, “You mean to tell me that you two shared a bed in MAH house?!”

“And what do you mean his ‘rising’?” Dash asked, glaring at the Princess. Her piercing gaze mimicked by Rarity, and to a lesser extent by Pinkie Pie.

“It’s just another way to say that when he woke up, so would Princess Luna.” Twilight explained, wanting to avoid any misunderstandings as easily as possible. “But Princess, if all we need is for Orion to be awake, can’t you just cast the counter spell on him now and fix this?”

“That is part of the reason that I cannot but beg for your forgiveness Orion…” Luna said, lowering her head in shame. “The spell has a small window of opportunity in which one may cast the counter spell. This is part of the magic meant to refrain anypony from abusing it for their own ends. If the subject is not changed back within 12 hours of the initial casting, then they are stuck like that for an entire celestial year…”

Orion, who had been quiet up to that point, and who had thought that the day had given up any nasty surprises it had to offer, found herself unpleasantly surprised yet again…

“…… A CELESTIAL YEAR?!” she yelled, everything in sight suddenly growing fuzzy and spinning dangerously. The ground suddenly felt like it gave way and Orion collapsed in the street, causing the six mares and Big Mac to rush forward and make sure that their friend was alright.

“Perhaps I should have mentioned that a celestial year is one calendar month…” Luna noted bashfully.

The New Girl In Town

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 16

The New Girl in Town

AKA- Now For Some Plot Development… Ha!

When Orion woke up, he was surprised to see everypony he knew in the room… wait… whose room was this anyway?

“Oh thank goodness you’re awake! I was afraid I’d broken you…” Luna said, apparently the first one to realize his consciousness.

“I’m okay Luna…” Orion said, yawning and stretching his forelegs in the air. “Geez… how much did I drink last night that everypony came to check up on me? And where am I?”

Everyone in the room suddenly developed an intense interest in their hooves at this point.

“And why does my voice sound funny? Heh… reminds me of this dream I just had… I got turned into a mare, and I ended up spending the whole time freaking out about it. It was pretty trippy too… all of you were there. Well, Spike wasn’t, but the rest of you were… weird, right?”

“Right now we’re in the ‘Nurses Office’ of the Town Hall… nopony uses it, but it has everything just in case.” Twilight explained.

“ And as for you, Orion…” Luna said, levitating a hand mirror to him, “I’m afraid that it wasn’t a dream…”
Orion looked into the mirror, and sure enough, the same feminine features he’d seen in his ‘dream’ were staring right back at him.

“Huh……… well… that’s new…” he mumbled, everypony scrutinizing his reaction carefully, ready to block the doors and windows at a moment’s notice.

“You are taking this much better than we had anticipated.” Luna noted.

“Well… I think I got all the screaming and crying out of my system already… so there’s not much left really…” Orion answered hollowly. “Uhhh, Luna… what does this mean for me exactly?” he asked, poking his cheeks and running a hoof through his disheveled mane.

“Well… luckily, things like this are not unheard of in Equestria.” Luna admitted, “Granted, this is the first time the one who was transformed was changed unwillingly by a Princess… but it is still not unheard of… I must admit, my knowledge on what to do in this situation is rather limited.”

“Well, the first thing we should do is focus on the deadline for the spell.” Twilight chimed in, stepping closer to the bed. “Right now, you’re looking at being stuck like this for the next month… is this going to affect your day to day life?”

“I don’t think so… Hey Pinkie, if I show up to the shop like this, would that cause any issues?” Orion replied, looking at the baker, who was calmly bouncing in place and humming… well, that’s pretty calm by Pinkie Pie standards…

“I don’t have a problem working with you no matter what sex you are silly-billy! But we might need to talk to the Cakes before you show up for work tomorrow.” She answered, grinning. “OOOHHH! Should we have a ‘Wow, You Got Turned Into a Mare!’ party?”

“No!” Everyone answered, effectively shutting her down in record time.

“Well phooey…” Pinkie huffed, sitting on the floor and pouting.

“Okay, so your work won’t be affected… and you haven’t exactly been around town long enough for everypony to freak out that you’re gone…” Twilight mused out loud, interrupted by Rarity and Rainbow Dash simultaneously objecting.

“I beg your pardon?” Rarity said loudly.

“Like HAY ponies won’t notice!” Dash exclaimed.

“What?” Twilight asked, her train of thought derailed almost completely by her friends reactions, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know if you noticed this before this whole ‘sex change’ spell happened, but Orion was a rather handsome example of a stallion. And he certainly received more than his fair share of attention.” Rarity explained.

“Yeah Twi, just because you’re one of those asexual types, doesn’t mean the rest of town wasn’t either checking him out, or noticing that there was a new face around.” Rainbow added, “If word gets out that he got changed, there might be more than a few issues with certain ponies in town.”

“Then what do you two suggest?” Twilight asked, “And Rainbow, for the record, I’m not asexual. I just have high standards for anyone I would be in a relationship with, and I’ve yet to find that pony for us to begin dating.”

“You know darling, you really should go to that counselor I recommended for help with that whole ‘teacher/student’ complex of yours…” Rarity suggested, just loud enough for the room to hear. Though to their credit, everypony but Rainbow Dash pretended they were momentarily deaf… Rainbow Dash instead opted to start giggling and pointing at Twilight.

“As for Orion’s current, well… state of affairs… I recommend that he adopt a new identity for the time being. Perhaps playing the role of a distant relative that has come to visit Orion in his new home?”

“And what about when ponies start to notice that Orion and his ‘distant relative’ are never in the same place? Or for that matter, that Orion isn’t anywhere at all!” Dash said, pointing out the rather obvious flaws in Rarity’s plan. “I’m not saying that the whole relative thing isn’t doable, but I seriously think that we need a better strategy if we’re going to pull it off… For starters, Orion, you’re gonna have to pretend to be your cousin or something, sorry dude, but there’s no way out of it. And that’s just the start of my plan.”

“What sort of plan is it then Rainbow?” Twilight asked, leaning in excitedly. If it weren’t for the circumstances, she’d be complimenting her friend on how thorough she was being.

“Well, instead of trying to make up some really weird explanation about where he went to, we fake his death!” Rainbow exclaimed proudly. “Nopony’s gonna ask why they haven’t seen a dead pony for a month. And he can pretend to be his cousin, who is taking his place at the bakery.”

If there had been a camera in the room, it would have captured the funniest sight imaginable… Six mares and one stallion with their jaws on the ground in shock, all looking at the one mare puffing looking absolutely satisfied with herself, and one particularly pink mare rolling on the floor laughing so hard that tears were arcing in the air in defiance of all known laws of physics.

“I…… I don’t even know where to start…” Orion croaked, “What makes you think that faking my own death is going to solve anything?!”

“Well it works in my adventure books all the time.” Rainbow reasoned, “And besides, I don’t hear anypony else coming up with anything else.”

“How about I just explain the situation to anypony who asks?” Orion suggested, trying to avoid any fake funerals. “And if they don’t ask, then they don’t need to know.”

“As simple as that all sounds Orion… Ah do think Dash might have a point about one thing.” Applejack said, finally putting her two bits forward. “Ah do think that yer gonna have ta pretend ta be a relative… It’ll make things easier on ya, and we can just tell everyone that ya went back ta Canterlot fer a bit. Luna’s already here anyway, may as well use what we have.”

“I agree with Applejack.” Twilight said, nodding, “Though I’m a little surprised that the Element of Honesty is the one that came up with the best plan…”

Applejack simply shrugged, while Rainbow proceeded to pout in the corner. If anyone had bothered to listen, they would have undoubtedly heard her talking about nopony appreciating a good plan if it bit them on the flank.
After a general consensus, everyone in the room agreed that Luna would leave town, with an illusory spell to make it look as if Orion was getting in the carriage with her, and Orion would fly back to the farm in secret, only to walk into town the next day for everyone to meet the new mare on the block.

“One thing we may want to cover before everypony leaves to go about their business…” Luna said, getting the attention of the room. “What shall Orion’s name be while he is pretending to be a mare?”

Orion blinked, realizing for the first time that he couldn’t use the name he’d come to be rather attached to. What WOULD he be called? It had been difficult enough to think up Orion in the first place… how the hell was he supposed to know a good female name in Equestria? From what he could tell, most ponies had names at least somewhat descriptive of their trade, talent, or personality… but he didn’t exactly have a trade, he didn’t have a talent that he knew of yet, and he certainly didn’t know where to begin by choosing a name based on his personality.

“Well, what about Twinkle?” Twilight suggested, “I used to have a pet goldfish named Twinkle.”

“Yer goldfish was named Twinkle Sparkle?” Applejack asked.

“Yep! I got it from a book. Pretty good name, right?” Twilight responded, grinning at the orange mare and completely oblivious to the less than enthusiastic looks on everypony’s face.

“I’d prefer not to be named after a goldfish… and I don’t think I exactly fit the name…” Orion pointed out, cringing slightly as he said the name.

“Seriously Twi, he needs a way more awesome name than that!” Rainbow Dash admonished, “Something like… Coolie! That’s a mare’s name, right? And it works… kinda… Coolie Borealis! The second hottest piece of flank in Ponyville!”

“I’m concerned about who you think the first hottest ‘piece of flank’ is Dash…” Orion said snarkily, crossing his forelegs in a look of mock contemplation.

“Me of course!” She responded brazenly.

“Rainbow, dear, with all due respect… please be quiet, and stay quiet until we leave…” Rarity said, rubbing her forehead with a hoof in annoyance at her polychromatic friend. “He makes a rather cute mare, and a name should reflect the beauty one hopes to exude. Perhaps something charming like Gemma. It calls to mind the beauty and shine of a gem, and retains the class of a respectable name.”

Orion looked at Rarity while she seemed to stare off into space before sighing and looking around at everypony else.
“Anyone else have an idea? I’m afraid I’ve got nothing…”

Fluttershy mumbled something that nopony quite caught, but was interrupted by Pinkie Pie jumping on the bed and shoving her face in Orion’s, frowning in concentration as she stared him down. Finally, she smiled and hopped down.

“Uhhh…. What was that for?” Orion asked, more than a little scared.

“I was checking what kind of a mare you are so I could figure out a good name for you!” Pinkie responded, “It’s a first for me, getting to help name somepony that can answer. Pets don’t really tell anypony what they think of their names, and I’ve never gotten to name a new foal, so I was trying to figure out a good one!”

Pinkie continued to stand at the foot of the bed grinning ear to ear, every eye on her expectantly.

“………And?” Orion finally asked, breaking the silence.

“I got nothing!” Pinkie said energetically.

Small grunts of pain resounded though the room as everypony simultaneously face-hooved… hard…

“How about Blossom?” Applejack suggested, “Or some kinda flower?”

“I think the less time he spends around Rose and her group, the better…” Twilight suggested, “At least for the time being.”

“Yeah, true… Ah did overhear them talkin’ about Orion this morning anyway. By the way fella, heads up, Ah heard at least one of em talking about her crush on ya.” Applejack conceded.

“Well that’s just great…” Orion huffed, leaning against the wall behind the bed as the group began discussing possible aliases for him in small groups.

“I have an idea…” Fluttershy mumbled, barely audible.

“What was that Fluttershy?” Orion asked, apparently the only one to have heard her.

“I said I have an idea… I was thinking Aurora…” She answered, still too quiet to fully understand…

“Little louder, if you don’t mind…” Orion said, trying to coax the shy mare, who was pressing herself more and more firmly into the side of Big Macintosh for comfort.

“Aurora." She finally squeaked out, hiding her face behind her mane, which would have been annoying if it weren’t so dang cute…

“Aurora…” Orion thought, rolling the name around in his head as the group quieted down after noticing that he seemed to have found a name he liked. “That might work pretty well.”

“Indeed.” Luna agreed, apparently having heard the suggestion. “Aurora would be a fine name for you Orion. The real aurora borealis is a bright, beautiful sight to behold. Always illuminating the night to guide those otherwise lost in the dark…”

“I think she just picked the name because it sounded nice.” Orion noted, taking Fluttershy’s slight nod for confirmation that he’d guessed correctly.

“Well then it’s settled. Until this spell wears off, Orion, you’re going to have to respond to Aurora. Think you can do that?” Twilight said, a note of finality in her voice. He wondered briefly how she had come to assume the leadership role in the same room as a Princess and a Goddess…

“I think I can manage. Now I don’t know about everyone else, but this has been a crazy day. So what’s say we all go do whatever and just unwind a little.” The newly named Aurora said, rolling out of the bed and standing up to face her friends. “And when did you all get taller?”

Luna cracked a wry smile and put her wing around Aurora, “My dear friend, we did not grow at all… you simply shrank… And I have to agree with something that Rainbow Dash and Rarity mentioned earlier… you do make a rather cute mare!”

Aurora’s face heated up in a fierce blush, which only seemed to fuel the laughter and jokes at her expense. Luckily for her, one of Luna’s guards poked his head into the room and told the Princess that the guards and Luna had just been called back to the castle by Princess Celestia. Luna said her goodbyes to her Ponyville friends, instructing them to watch over Aurora, and shooting a warning glare at Rainbow Dash and Rarity in particular.

As Luna left, Aurora leaned in closer to Twilight and whispered, “Do I want to know why Luna just glared at those two?”

Twilight just chuckled softly, looked at Aurora and responded, “If you don’t know, don’t worry… let’s just say that last night was very interesting… and I think that Luna’s a bit protective.”

Aurora just shook her head and gathered her vest, music crystal, and headphones from a small table near the bed. As she put the vest on, she remembered that it wasn’t considered polite to dress in front of other ponies, and looked to Rarity for whatever look of horror was probably smeared across her face. Funnily enough, Rarity and the others didn’t show the slightest sign of discomfort or embarrassment at what Aurora was doing.

“Okay, what gives?” she asked, now more than a bit confused, “I just put on my clothes in front of you all, on accident, and nopony’s acting mortified…”

The mares looked at each other quizzically, before Fluttershy seemed to understand the confusion, and whispered something into Rarity’s ear.

“Oh! Oh I see… Aurora dear, you have to understand, it’s really only stallions that have to worry about their modesty… you see, there’s less of them, and there are several rather foul words associated with those males that seem to, shall we say, ‘give it up’ too easily.” Rarity explained, walking beside Aurora and leading the way for the group to leave the room.
As they walked out into the late afternoon sun to an almost deserted Ponyville, Rarity continued explaining the ins and outs of social mores between stallions and mares.

“So you see darling, while a stallion might be expected to act more modest and reserved, at least in regards to things like clothes and physical displays, mares who wish to find a special somepony or be part of a herd have much more freedom in how they express themselves.”

“Wait… I get that males are the ones that get asked out around here… but you’re telling me that all the trouble I was getting into by stretching my wings out or unbuttoning my vest was because I came off as ‘easy’?”

“Well if you want to simplify things, yes.” Rarity conceded, “It doesn’t sound exactly… fair… but it’s simply how things are. Besides, with so few males, it’s really for their protection that they act less promiscuous… it gives certain mares ideas that it’s okay to do things that the stallion in question doesn’t consent to, and while it’s not an excuse, it certainly clears up any communications about their intentions.”

Aurora blinked… She’d never thought of Equestria as sexist… BUT IT TOTALLY WAS!

“How do the guys around this place put up with that crap?” she asked frankly, “Shouldn’t both sexes have the same freedoms and social liberties as the other?”

“Yeah, I’m totally in favor of guys wearing socks or taking their vests off!” Rainbow chimed in, grinning as she glided overhead, somehow managing to do what looked like an aerial backstroke. “I mean shoot, if anypony gave you trouble while you were a male, I’d have told them to shove it.”

“Well thank you for that Dash.” Aurora said, missing the devious grin on her cerulean friends face. “But what was that other part you said? Something about mares trying to find a special somepony or a herd?”

“Well Aurora,” Twilight interjected, noticing that Rarity was having a bit of trouble explaining the WHY of Equestrian society, “Think of it this way… with about one stallion for every five mares, there’s a LOT of imbalance in terms of partnering. At least, there is if everypony is in an exclusive relationship. In fact, the Griffin Kingdom and the Crystal Empire both have fairly balanced ratios between males and females, so while it’s common to only see couples in those areas, Equestria for the most part allows for either exclusive relationships, or for multiple ponies to be involved at once. In fact, it’s not too uncommon for there to be weddings between a stallion and multiple mares, or even multiple stallions with multiple mares. It’s all a matter of personal preference, and numbers. The less males available, the higher rate of ‘herd’ style relationships…”

“Yep! Welcome to the majority Aurora.” Dash said sarcastically, “If you see a guy you like, well, for starters, that will get awkward in a month. And two, you’ll probably have to share them.”

“I think I’m good on finding a stallion…” Aurora replied uneasily.

“Well, if you want to try your hoof at dating in the time it takes for the spell to dissipate, you can always try that club Spike told you about, The Riding Crop. There’s also The Broken Saddle if you feel adventurous.” Twilight mentioned, blushing slightly, “Of course, I only know about that last one because I read the mailing directory for Ponyville for a research project on the Postal Service in Equestria.”

“You read a LOT, don’t you Twi?” Aurora guessed, quirking an eyebrow at the unicorn prodigy.

“Ya know, as much as Ah love just talkin’ about social norms and all that, Ah think it’s about time Ah got headed back ta the farm. Aurora, ya better come with me so Ah can explain things to Granny. Big Mac, you get home before dark or Ah’m gonna come lookin’ fer ya.” Applejack said, “Near as Ah can tell, Applebloom’s been on her own fer about a full day now, so Celestia knows what kinda damage there is waitin’ at home…”

“Sounds like a plan AJ.” Aurora agreed, shaking her head at all the possible antics the CMC could have gotten up to in the absence of an adult. “See you girls later!”

With that, the orange apple farmer and the newest addition to the population of mares began walking off towards the rolling hills that made up the orchards and farmland. Fluttershy and Big Macintosh wandered off to who knew where, but nopony tried to stop them.

“Still a nice looking flank…” Rainbow hissed at Rarity as soon as their two friends were out of sight, “And did you see that blush?”

“Oh my yes…” Rarity agreed. “A shame about that gorgeous build, but it did transition well into those curves…”

“What are you two whispering about?” Twilight asked, shooting her friends an annoyed glance.

“Nothing Twi!” Dash answered, her eyes darting back and forth nervously.

“Just sharing our opinions on Aurora… While she’s essentially Orion in a new shell, it is nice to note certain differences.” Rarity supplied, her more thorough answer easily accepted by the local librarian.

“Well, just remember, we’re responsible for helping Aurora acclimate. That means teaching her everything about life in Ponyville. And that means no trying anything funny. So Rainbow, watch it on the pranks.” Twilight cautioned, “Now, I need to get back to the library and check up on Spike. I’ll see you girls tomorrow.”

The mares said their goodbyes, leaving Pinkie, Rainbow, and Rarity standing in the road, all smiling at each other conspiratorially.

“You know, I think we should take Aurora out for a night on the town sometime soon…” Dash suggested, waggling her eyebrows. “Maybe we should show her THAT club?”

“I don’t know what you’re suggesting Rainbow Dash,” Rarity answered, turning her nose up slightly at her friends implications, “But I think that it is the job of a good friend, such as myself, to make sure that Aurora enjoys herself… So please do me a favor darling, and make sure to stay out of my way while I get my hooves on that stunning creature…”

“Just remember girls.” Pinkie said, her hair spontaneously straightening, a commanding gleam in her eye, “I’m after her too… and I like wining almost as much as you do Dashie…”

“Y-yeah, well, nopony beats me! I’m the fastest flier in Equestria! And I’m gonna be the first to get her too…” Dash said, Pinkie’s scary side startling her a little.

“Well then… should I venture to guess that this is now a small competition?” Rarity suggested, her eyes glancing between Pinkie and Rainbow Dash.

“Of course! May the best pony win.” Dash agreed, holding her hoof out.

“I’m in too! I love games!” Pinkie said, her hair audibly curling back to normal.

“Then I shall compete as well. But just because I am a lady, does not mean that I will not go to any measure to win…”
Rarity conceded, smirking wryly at her friends. “Now, who’s hungry? I hear that there’s a lovely pasta special tonight at a Neightalian restaurant not too far from here.”

“Oooh! That sounds awesome!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Yeah, that could be good. Let’s go!” Rainbow agreed, flying off before doubling back to where Rarity was still standing. “I suppose I should let you lead the way though… huh?”

And so, he last group went off to gorge themselves on pasta and breadsticks, the challenge set to see just who would succeed in wooing the newest citizen to Ponyville.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack had explained the situation to Granny Smith, and Applebloom had, surprisingly enough, stayed out of trouble. Once everypony was reintroduced, Aurora went to her room to relax and listen to some music, and Applejack had retired to her own room.

Thoughts raced through her head as she thought back on the previous night.

“Girl, what are ya doin’?” she asked herself, laying on her bed and staring at the ceiling. “Last night was all cuz of everypony drinkin’… You know better than ta let yerself go down that road… This farm needs ya, and ya can’t afford ta give it any less attention than ya do already…”

Still… that dance last night was really something… So was that kiss… her mind argued, And you can’t deny that it felt nice, that you enjoyed having somepony acting like that towards you…

“He probably ain’t even interested… Ah mean, come on. What are the odds that somepony that knows the Princesses, and looks like THAT no matter what kinda goofy sex changin’ magic they’re under, would be interested in me?”

But what if? What if they ARE interested? Do you want to lose that kind of chance? You see how Rainbow acts towards him, and Luna didn’t seem to have a problem with YOU when she was here. You could have a serious shot!

“Shutup already… Ah’m tired. If things happen, then they’ll happen. Ain’t no use worrying about stuff Ah can’t control anyhow.”

Just remember, you can tell everyone whatever you want, but you can’t lie to yourself…

“Whatever…” Applejack said finally, shutting her eyes and quieting her thoughts until she slipped off to sleep. Her mind filled with images and thoughts of a certain grey pegasus.

Teacher's Pet Part 1

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 17

Teacher’s Pet

AKA- Let The Shipping War BEGIN!

It had been a week and a half since Aurora arrived in town, and Sugar Cube Corner had never been busier. At first, it was just the odd customer that wanted to see Orion’s cousin, most of them just wanting to meet anypony related to the stallion that had put on a strip show at his own welcoming party. And most of them had not been disappointed. Aurora was almost exactly like her cousin, and just as attractive. There had been more than a few arguments among the stallions and mares about what her type was, and how they could attract her attention. Unfortunately for all of them, she was a hard working mare that wanted nothing more than to come into work, do her job, and relax. She had even taken to wandering around town accompanied by the local dragon Spike. This had in turn started a few rumors in and of itself, but most of them had been started by jealous ponies whose partners were interested in the grey pegasus.

There were a few ponies though, that were not content with simply watching from a distance…

“Heads up Aurora!” Dash cried out, trying to back pedal midflight and failing miserably… so much so, that the local weather manager was soon tumbling down the street of Ponyville after slamming into the startled grey mare… hard…

Dash sat up, shaking her head to dispel any dizziness from her crash landing, and looked down to see that she was straddling Aurora right there in the middle of town… Perfect.

“Heh… You alright there Rory?” Dash asked, blushing but not moving from her seat atop the less than happy mare.

“Dash… we’ve talked about this… slow down when you’re over my airspace.” Aurora said, a bite in her voice, “And quit calling me Rory… I hate that nickname…”

“Yeah I know. But why does it bother you when I call you Rory? I worked for awhile to come up with that nickname.” Dash answered, helping her friend up off the ground and flapping her wings just subtly enough to glance off Aurora’s flank without attracting attention.

“You didn’t come up with it, you heard Pinkie use it. And I hate it because Pinkie only calls me that when she tells me to duck after firing her party cannon.” Aurora answered, shaking her head and trying to get her eyes to refocus. If Dash kept ramming into her like this, she was seriously going to have to invest in a crash helmet… “I think you knocked a few of my feathers out of place too!”

“Ah relax Aurora, you can just preen them back into place later. Hey, if you need some help, I could show you a few tricks.” Dash offered, her eyes lighting up at the possibility of doing something so intimate with the grey mare.

“I’m good… Spike showed me a few books on wing care. They had some tips in there that I wanted to try anyway. And besides, I thought preening was a private thing with Pegasi.” Aurora answered, recalling a passage from The Language of
Wings.

“Well yeah… but I mean, it can’t hurt to have some help now and then right? I mean, I remember Fluttershy needing help this one time with a loose primary. That was embarrassing, but better to get help than let something happen to it, you know?” Dash reasoned, blushing slightly.

“Yeah… I guess… Still, I think I’m good. If I need help, I’ll call you.” she responded, rolling her eyes at her friends crazy antics and starting to walk back to the bakery to finish out her shift.

“So Aurora. What’ve you been up to lately?” Dash asked, walking alongside her.

“Mostly just work, Rainbow. Sometimes I’ll go hang out and read a book at the library. Haven’t really been up to much…”

“Any luck on figuring out what your special talent is?”

“Heh… Not a bit… I’m honestly not sure what I’m going to do besides this job at the Corner, and I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever be able to get my own place. I feel bad crashing at Applejack’s, you know?” Aurora said, slipping into the conversation more than she’d intended.

“Not really… I mean, Applejack’s cool about helping folks out like that. And it’s not like rent for your own place is exactly expensive around here.” Dash responded, wrapping a wing around Aurora and pulling her close to walk alongside.

“Uhhh… Dash… could you not do that? I know it’s not really viewed the same as when I would do it, but it’s still a little difficult to walk like this…” She complained, trying to push the touchy blue mare off just a bit.

Rainbow Dash frowned and tucked her wing back to her side. “You know Rory, it’s not that big a deal… Besides, I kinda wanted to ask you if you wanted to do something with me say, tomorrow. It’s your day off, right?”

“Yeah… it’s my day off… but I kind of planned to try and see what other work there was around town so I could start saving some more bits.”

“Like I said, don’t sweat it. I can help set you up with a place of your own if you’ll do me this one tiny favor tomorrow night.” Dash pleaded, stopping and turning Aurora’s face so they were staring into each other’s eyes.

“Okay Dash… what is it?” Aurora asked, wondering just what it could be that would have THE Rainbow Dash asking for help.

“I’ve got a friend coming into town… and I kind of need you to pose as my date at this club… and I know you’re technically a straight-ish stallion yourself, so I figure that this isn’t asking too much, right?” Rainbow said, blushing furiously but still powering trough her short explanation.

“……Are you kidding me?” she deadpanned, “You want me to pretend to be your date tomorrow night, for a friend of yours that I don’t even know, and for that, you’re going to set me up with my own place? Did I miss anything?”

“Nope, you got that pretty quick.” Her friend replied.

“Have you ever heard of a saying, too good to be true?” she asked, taking note that other ponies were looking over at the two Pegasi standing in the middle of the road.

“Not really… I mean, it’s not like I’m asking you because I like you or anything…”

“You’ve hit on me… in front of the entire group… and from what I’ve heard about how things work in Equestria, some of the stuff you did when I first got here was borderline sexual harassment.”

“Oh come on, I just like kidding around and joking with you is all!” Dash responded, laughing hollowly and flapping her wings nervously.

Aurora sighed, massaging her temples with her wingtips before responding. “Sorry about the attitude Dash, you really don’t deserve it, but I didn’t get much sleep last night for some reason, and this day just keeps dragging on forever, and I just feel WEIRD… but yeah, I'll be your date tomorrow...”

Rainbow perked up almost instantly, grinning ear to ear before pulling Aurora into a bone crushing hug. “Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” she cried out, releasing her friend long enough to let her breath, while she pumped her hoof into the air in victory.

“I’ll swing by the farmhouse say, tomorrow around nine? Don’t bother dressing up, you just have that one vest anyway, and it doesn’t really fit you the way you are now. But you still might wanna do something with your mane.” Rainbow advised, having finished her little celebration performance.

“What’s wrong with my mane?!” Aurora asked huffily, stroking it with a hoof over her shoulder.

“Nothing’s wrong with it… but it could look better, you know? Anyway, just stop by Rarity’s and ask for her help. Tell her that you’re going out with me tomorrow night while you’re there.” Dash instructed, rising off the ground and looking like she was about to take off.

“Whoa! Where are you going? And why do you need me to tell Rarity something like that?”

“Just do it! I’ll pick you up tomorrow night!” Dash shouted, taking off into the sky, leaving Aurora alone in the middle of the main street with at least a dozen ponies looking at her funny.

Aurora blushed and tried to ignore the stares she was now getting from various ponies on the road. Oddly, most of the looks she was getting were from stallions, and they almost looked… sad? She was on her way up the road when she heard somepony whistle at her from out a window.

Oh gods… why is everyone looking at me? Could it be because of my mane? Rainbow said I should do something with it… and WHY DO I CARE?! I didn’t care before… why am I freaking out now? She thought to herself, speeding up her pace until she was finally safely back at the bakery.

“There you are Aurora!” Mrs. Cake said, snapping her from her thoughts. “I was just looking for you…… Are you alright dearie?”

“I’m fine Mrs. Cake… I just… I didn’t sleep that well last night, and I’ve just felt weird all day… Is it alright if I leave early today?” Aurora responded, shaking her head and sighing.

“Of course dear! At least you have the decency to ask to leave… Pinkie just kind of takes off sometimes.” Cup Cake answered, smiling kindly. “Now why don’t you get going sweetie. Try and find something to help you relax, and feel better. In fact, you’ve been working so hard the last two weeks, why don’t you take a couple days off.”

“Thanks Mrs. Cake.” She answered gratefully, wrapping a wing around the blue baker in a hug, “I really appreciate this. Hopefully things will get better when this spell wears off.”

“Well, everything in its time sweetie. And you should be a bit more confident! You make a very nice looking mare. Why, I remember when I was your age, I envied the ones that looked like you… but that was a different time entirely… now, enough chit chat, you get on out of here unless you want to buy something, and you go get to relaxing!” Cup responded, laughing as she shoved the young mare out into the afternoon light of Ponyville.

Aurora blinked, mildly confused in the afternoon light of the small town… She’d had days off before, so this wasn’t a new concept for her… but what did she actually want to do at that moment? She’d never exactly been a huge fan of wandering aimlessly, so that was out. And most of her friends were either still working, or they were Fluttershy. Aurora liked Fluttershy, she really did… but seeing her at the Apple farm so much over the last week was more than a little weird. And it wasn’t even because she and Big Macintosh were effectively dating. There was just a new kind of vibe she got from Fluttershy that hadn’t been there before… it was weird…

Maybe I could go see the ponies at the spa about my hair? She thought.

“I thought Rainbow said to go see Rarity…”

Yeah, but do you think it’s a good idea to take advice from the one mare least likely to be found in the spa? At least the spa has a couple ponies there that are actual stylists. No slight on Rarity, but she’s a dressmaker. Not exactly a pony that deals with hair on a regular basis…

“I’m not about to start arguing with myself.” Aurora swore silently, “I’m going to go back to the farm and ask Applejack’s opinion. She’s the most honest pony around, and she’s been there for me since day one. Plus, she’s Rarity’s friend. If anypony can tell us what to do, it’s going to be her.”

Suit yourself. Just remember that I suggested the spa.

“Shut up…”

“Who are you telling to shut up? I haven’t even gotten a chance to say hello yet silly!” Pinkie said, out of nowhere.

“Gah!” Aurora yelped, “Pinkie! Quit doing that!”

“Sorry Rory, but I wanted to get your opinion on these new glitterbombs I made…” Pinkie said, pulling out a small orb made of what looked like rubber… but with a fuse sticking out of part of it… and it was already lit!

“Pinkie! Throw that damn thing away! It’s gonna go off!” Aurora shrieked, ducking behind a small cluster of barrels.

“Oh you silly-willy-billy! It won’t go off until the perfect moment of comedic timing!” Pinkie assured her, waving the lit explosive back and forth, and tossing it from hoof to hoof. “You see? I made it out of this bouncy ball I found, and I stuffed the whole thing with sparkly glitter, not so sparkly glitter, and cookie dough!”

“Why would you put cookie dough in a glitterbomb?” Aurora asked, still cowering behind the barrels and waiting for the whole thing to explode and take Pinkie’s hoof off…

“Well it wouldn’t be a glitterbomb without cookie dough! Now, do me a favor and duck.” Pinkie answered, her face suddenly becoming rather serious, and her hoof winding back in a classic baseball pitching stance.

Aurora hit the deck behind the barrels and looked up just in time to see the bomb being thrown… right behind her…

“BUUUUUCK!” Aurora hollered as the bomb went off, the blast practically gluing her to the side of the barrel and covering every inch of the surrounding twenty feet in bits of chocolate chip cookies, freshly baked by the blast, and a fine mist of neon pink and green glitter.

“You alright there Rory?” Pinkie asked, poking her head around the barrel to see her friends dazed look, her eyes spinning around like pinwheels in their sockets, and her usually dust colored coat now sufficiently livened up.

“Why yes Miss, I’d LOVE more pie!” Aurora said, giggling and collapsing onto the ground, leaving a clean outline on the barrel when she peeled herself off and fell to the ground unconscious.

“Uh oh… I think I put too much Egg Nog in the explosive core… Well that’s not good.” Pinkie said seriously, sitting next to her friend and putting on her ‘thinking’ face. “Oh! I know what to do!”

Pinkie dragged Aurora up off the ground and laid her across her back. Humming a simple tune to herself, and walking down the street to leave the glitterbomb’d area for somepony else to clean up, Pinkie started off for Carousel Boutique.

“If anypony can help clean you up, it’s Rarity!” Pinkie said, apparently trying to make conversation with the unconscious mare across her back. “It’s okay you know, you don’t have to say anything! I’m always happy to help a friend!”

As they bounced down the street, Pinkie and the newest victim of her Party Arsenal attracted more than a few stares…

“You know,” Pinkie said, after reaching the halfway point to the boutique, “You really should have known better than to stand in front of a live glitterbomb. That’s just basic safety Rory. But, nothing we can do now… Say, do you like singing? I love singing! In fact, I think I’ll sing a song right now…”

And with that, everypony on the street was treated to the sight of a glitter covered grey Pegasus, unconscious and laying across the back of a bounding Pinkie Pie, who was singing a strange tune that nopony had ever heard before…

“It’s, not, EASY having yourself a gooood time!” she sang,

“Greasing up those bets and betters!

Watching out they don’t four letter!

Hug and kiss you both at the same time!

Smells like something, I’ve forgotten,

Curled up, dried, and now it’s rotten.

I’m not a baker tonight, don’t wanna BE a sad guy!

I’m just a loaner baby, and now you’re going my way!”

“Pinkie Pie, what in Equestria are you singing?” Rarity asked, having opened the door to the boutique and rushed out as soon as she saw her friend’s tell tale pinkie hair bobbing up the path.

“I don’t know Rarity! But it sounded fun!” Pinkie answered, dropping Aurora on the floor… face first… “I just brought Aurora up here because she got in front of a new glitterbomb I’m working on, and I figured that if anypony could help her look less……sparkly, that it would be you! You know how to get glitter off right?”

“Now see here Pinkie. It’s not very good manners to just barge in on me in the middle of work, and expect me to be able to just stop what I’m doing to help your latest victim to look less… shiny… Although, that shade of pink does go marvelously with her coat…” Rarity protested. “Now, if you want me to help, you have to ask politely. And since I highly doubt that Aurora was silly enough to jump in front of one of your ‘party favors’, then I expect you to apologize once she is awake again. Understood?”

“Okie dokie lokie…” Pinkie replied sadly, her hair deflating just slightly. “Rarity? If I interrupted you at work, I’m sorry… what were you doing anyway?”

Rarity blanched slightly (rather hard to tell, given her pale coat) and started laughing nervously, “Well Pinkie… it’s not that I was exceptionally busy… and not that I don’t love helping my friends… it’s just the principle of the matter you see?”

“So… you weren’t doing anything, were you?” Pinkie surmised, smiling coyly at her friend and plopping herself on a nearby cushion.

Rarity sighed and levitated Aurora onto a couch near the door, careful not to let any glitter fall off onto the floor.
“No Pinkie, I wasn’t… It’s not exactly Gala season, and with the exception of the odd dress order from Canterlot, business has been rather slow… You’re actually the first pony to be over here all day… I just feel like if something were to happen to put me on the map again, then I’d have more business, but I just don’t know… nopony in this town is willing to model for me after that first Gala Fashion Show incident, regardless of the positive review I received the second time around… and Fluttershy still has mild panic attacks when she’s around a camera.”

“Well why don’t you just tell your auntie Pinkie Pie all about it over a nice cup of tea.” Pinkie said, steering Rarity towards the kitchen, her friend smiling and leaving Aurora unattended in the main lobby.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Spike had finally managed to slip away from Twilight, not an easy feat when she was in the middle of a reorganizing binge, and was happily on his way to Carousel Boutique. There had once been a time that he’d had a crush on the shop owner, but then Twilight got him to realize that it was just a crush, and that he’d have more opportunities to find love as he got older. Still, the boutique held more than its fair share of memories. Besides, he understood that a business like Rarity’s wasn’t exactly booming in the small town of Ponyville. Luckily for him, this meant that Rarity would periodically empty her gem stash, and Spike was always more than willing to help her get rid of anything that wasn’t completely fabulous.

“Hello? Rarity? You in here?” he asked, opening the door to the boutique.

Hearing no answer, he decided to look around. It wasn’t like her to leave the shop unattended, so she was most likely upstairs or in the back… still, he’d learned a while ago not to go wandering in the shop, because the one time he had, he ended up getting whacked by a bolt of cloth by accident. And besides, the front room was nice enough.

“Mmmrrrhh….” Spike heard from off to the side. He spun on his heels and saw what looked like a large shiny bird sprawled out on the couch… wait, no… those were hooves…

“Oh my goddess… is that a glitter covered pony?!” he asked, trying not to fall down laughing.

“Wha-huh?” the pony said, lifting it’s head. It was weird… half of the mare’s face was covered in the glitter, and the other half was completely clean… in fact, there was a clear line around her body where the glitter just stopped.

“Did you get dipped in a giant tub of glitter?” he asked, leaning in to get a closer look, trying to figure out why the pony
looked so familiar.

“No… I got hit by one of Pinkie Pie’s ‘party favors’.” She replied grumpily, rubbing her forehead with a wing.

“Oh geez! Is that you under all that stuff, Aurora?” Spike asked, his jaw dropping.

“Yeah… it’s me… freaking great. I get a break from work for a couple days, and the first thing that happens is a glittery explosive to the everything!” Aurora griped, sitting up and looking around. “How the hay did I get here anyway?”

“Dunno dude.” Spike answered frankly, “Maybe you sleepwalk?”

“Ha freaking ha… I’m already freaking out about my mane, don’t make me paranoid too…” Aurora griped, shooting a venomous look at her draconian friend.

“…What?”

“I don’t even know… I just feel…. Weird…”

“Maybe that spell is starting to change the way you think?” Spike guessed.

“Well, whatever. Right now I just want to be less… shiny…” Aurora said, rubbing her temples with her wingtips. “And here I thought that getting run over by Rainbow would be the most painful part of my day…”

“Aurora? Are you awake darling?” Rarity called, opening the door to the back room and walking through. “Oh good, I was beginning to worry. And Spike, you’re here too. When did you arrive dear?”

“I just walked in Rarity. Found Aurora like this… we were just talking.” Spike answered, smiling kindly at his unicorn friend.

“Well, could you please help her up to the bathroom? I need to get out my heavy duty beauty kit to get all that glitter out.” Rarity instructed, walking into a side closet and rummaging around.

“Right… come on Aurora. You haven’t really been upstairs here, have you?” Spike said, helping Aurora to her hooves and leading the way.

“Can’t say I have…” Aurora answered, following the drake up the steps and down a hall lined with admittedly gorgeous scenery paintings.

“Well, here we are. This is Rarity’s room. The bathroom’s in there, pretty easy to figure out. I’ll leave you two alone now.” Spike said, opening the door for Aurora.

“You’re not sticking around?”

“I learned awhile ago that mares tend to get angry if I stick around when they’re trying to clean themselves up or really anything involving the bathroom.” Spike said, scratching the back of his head with a claw and blushing.

“What happened?” Aurora asked knowingly.

“Nothing! I just heard Rarity scream one time when I was downstairs, rushed up to help, and got pegged in the face with a shampoo bottle… It turned out that she just thought she saw a spider while she was grooming herself, and that’s a bad thing to walk in on apparently…” Spike answered, trying to skim over the parts where he’d been chewed out by not just Rarity, but Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash as well… well, Rainbow had mostly laughed at him, but still.

“Well… okay then… anyway, I’ll see you around later. I have a couple days off, so we could hang out if you want.” Aurora said, smiling at her friend.

“Sounds cool Aurora, I’ll see you around.” Spike replied, turning around and leaving her on her own.

Aurora looked around the room awkwardly… True, she was technically a mare at the moment, but still… she’d never really been in a mare’s room besides Fluttershy, and that was a unique situation anyway. It was a little odd too… Rarity was so meticulous about things, and especially her appearance. But her room was actually rather messy… there were clothes tossed on chairs and stools, and socks clumped in a drawer that was open and its contents revealed. She knew it wasn’t polite to go snooping in other’s things… but it was hard to resist that little voice in her head telling Aurora to see what kind of socks Rarity wore. One thing she’d learned recently, was that socks were the pony equivalent of lingerie.

There were other things as well of course, but the most common piece of risqué clothing in Equestria were socks. And just like with different fabrics having different meanings, the fabric of a sock could mean something different. He knew that Applejack wore cotton socks to sleep in sometimes, because Aurora had stumbled across them while doing some laundry. That had also been when she got her lesson in Equestrian clothing, but that was irrelevant.

Just as she was rifling through the sock drawer, and finding an interesting mix of cotton, silk, and lacey pieces, Rarity opened the door to her room. Aurora froze, and Rarity’s magic flickered momentarily around the kit levitating next to her before dropping it completely to the floor and spilling the contents while she stood there with her jaw hanging open in shock.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Rarity felt she was doing a rather good job of not freaking out given the circumstances… After all, she had just had a minor therapy session with Pinkie Pie, who was currently left downstairs unattended in her kitchen, and was about to help her newest friend (and minor crush) to clean a rather large amount of glitter off. And what should she see when she walked into the room but said friend (and crush) standing there next to Rarity’s bed with a lacey sock hanging off of a wingtip… and blushing!

“………Well darling, if you wanted to try those on, why didn’t you say so?” Rarity said, an evil glimmer in her eye as she stared at the glittery Pegasus.

“I… I need an adult?” Aurora said hesitantly, her eyes growing wide.

“Sweetie…” Rarity said, closing the gap, “I AM an adult…”

Teacher's Pet Pt. II

View Online

Apple of My Eye- Ch. 18

We're Getting Closer to the Important Stuff, I Swear!

AKA: Writers Block suuuuucks!

“Rarity… I’m really not sure this is something you should be doing to me…” Aurora said, trying to fight off Rarity’s magic while reasoning with the fashionista.

“Sweetie… what did I say about moving? It’ll only make things more painful if you struggle.” Rarity replied, repressing a gleeful chuckle and focusing intently on the mare in front of her.

“Just make it quick…” Aurora begged, having resigned herself to her fate. She knew that once Rarity set her mind on something, there was no force in Equestria that would dissuade her.

“Oh darling… I said that you’d enjoy it… and you’re not the first pony I’ve done this to, so relax and just enjoy the ride. You didn’t seem to find this uncomfortable a few minutes ago…” The Unicorn chided, clicking her tongue reproachfully at her forlorn victim.

“I already told you! It still hurt then! Even if it did feel a little good… But now I don’t want to do this!” Aurora shouted, straining every muscle in her body to break free from the Unicorn’s grip.

“And I already told you, that you don’t have a choice! Now settle down or I’ll make you keep quiet!” Rarity shot back, her voice rising in volume, but still retaining the dangerous overbearing tone of a hunter focusing on their newest prey.

“Why me?!” she cried, tears falling from her eyes as pain shot up her spine.

“Because you were asking for it… now Aurora, I’m going to release my hold on you… but don’t you dare try and run.” Rarity replied, the glow of her horn fading and the magic holding her friend in place dissolving… though not for long, since as soon as she was able to move on her own again, Aurora made a mad dash for the door, her efforts at escape stopped instantly by the door slamming in her face as Pinkie Pie bounced inside the room.

“Hey Rarity! I heard some noises up here from the kitchen, is everything alright?” Pinkie asked, oblivious to the Pegasus sliding down the back of the door, her face practically fused with the wood.

“Yes darling, I was just helping Aurora preen a few of her loose feathers before starting on the de-glittering process, and when I got to the primaries, she kept complaining. So I ended up having to restrain her while I found the one that was bothering her… It was practically broken in half! So I plucked it, and she was just running for the door when you came in.” Rarity explained, holding a few downy feathers and one long one that had been split in two up in her magical grip.
The pink Earth Pony leaned in to get a better look and whistled at the mangled state of the preened primary.

“Geezie-Cheezey! How was she walking around with that thing like that?! Don’t busted feathers hurt Pegasuseseses?” Pinkie asked, looking around, “And where is she anyway? You said she was headed for the door…”

“I believe that the feather was most likely broken recently, and went unnoticed because Aurora hadn’t tried flying with it yet. As for where she is, I believe you knocked her out cold… again… when you opened the door. Could you see to her while I dispose of these feathers?” Rarity answered, absentmindedly waving a hoof at the open door with the unconscious mare behind it on the ground.

“Okie Dokie Loki!” Pinkie agreed, bouncing over to her friend and moving her to Rarity’s bed. If Pinkie weren’t such a pure soul, she might have noticed that the position Aurora ended up in on the bed was less than polite… but she was a pure soul, so the idea of a pony lying on their back, their wings flopped out to the sides, and their legs splayed out wasn’t anything even slightly obscene.

Rarity, when she finally came back into the room anyway, had other thoughts on the matter…

“Pinkamena Diane Pie!” She exclaimed, her eyes growing wide while her pupils shrank to pinpricks, “I don’t mind a little competition over the poor mare, but for Celestia’s sake, have some decency in my home!”

“What’s wrong Rarity?” Pinkie asked, her head cocked to the side in confusion, “I just wanted her to be comfy, so I put her on your bed.”

“I’m sure you intended to make her very comfy darling… but there is such a thing as modesty!” Rarity reprimanded, levitating Aurora to where she was lying on her side with a blanket over her. “Now, THAT is an appropriate way to make an unconscious pony comfortable.”

“Well excuse me for not having magic.” Pinkie grumbled, rolling her eyes and breaking her smile for a moment. “What do we do now though? Sleeping ponies aren’t as much fun as ponies that are awake and can play games with you!”

“Well dear, she’s unconscious because YOU opened the door, so I believe that you can at least have the patience to look after her with me until she wakes up… I can’t imagine it will take that long for her to wake up… this is the second time today after all…” Rarity noted, pulling a makeup and brush kit from the bathroom and gesturing for Pinkie to sit next to her on the floor.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

For the second time that day, Aurora slipped back to consciousness with a splitting headache… At least this time it hadn’t been caused by an explosion, so thank Luna for the little things. Still, she was getting really tired of the whole “unconscious patient” shtick.

She could hear voices nearby talking, but rather than tell them that she was awake, Aurora figured it would be more interesting to listen in…

“Do you think she’ll get up soon? I’m getting bored!” Pinkie complained.

Good! Maybe you’ll learn not to throw bombs in front of ponies and hit them with doors when they’re running for their lives! She thought, resisting the urge to smirk.

“Oh please don’t go getting stir-crazy on me now Pinkie… I’m almost through putting the last touches on your hooficure.” Rarity chimed in, “And to be fair, you’ve been the source for not one, but TWO possible concussions for the poor dear today alone. Not to mention whatever physical trauma she probably has to go through on a daily basis to avoid any aggressive suitors.”

……… Okay, that’s a new one… but at least Rarity understands that I keep getting smacked around… But if she knew that, then why did she restrain me and pluck me like a chicken?!

“Rarity, this takes forever!” Pinkie whined, almost on par with Rarity’s famous little tirades whenever the phrase ‘Dirty Hooves’ was mentioned.

“Oh shush now darling. I know you can sit still long enough. You certainly do whenever I manage to convince you to go to the spa with me.”

“Yeah, but that’s when I’m relaxed and not worrying about my friends…” Pinkie responded glumly. “I mean, it’s like you said… I ended up hurting Aurora twice today, and I don’t like hurting anypony ever even once a day! I’m a horrible friend…”

“Oh sweetie…come here… I’m sure Aurora will forgive you once she wakes up… now come here and give me a hug.” Rarity said, concern filling her voice as Aurora heard the sound of fur rubbing against carpet and the muffled sniffling of a certain pink party pony.

……Well now I feel like an ass… I should probably let them know I’m alright… Aurora thought, worried that if she played dead much longer, that she’d end up causing Pinkie more harm emotionally than Aurora had received physically…

Aurora stretched out, her eyes staying closed as she pretended to be waking up slowly. She heard Pinkie gasp and Rarity sigh with relief as she sat up and stretched her forelegs out before opening her eyes.

“… Okay, what did I hit this time?” She asked sarcastically, causing Pinkie Pie to giggle, her hair curling back up with an audible ‘poof’.

“Well dear, if you must know, you ran into the door to my room trying to run after I helped you with those ruffled feathers.” Rarity said, standing up and levitating a makeup kit back to her bathroom as Pinkie just sat there smiling at Aurora, a single tear being wiped away quickly by a forehoof.

“Well at least you know that thing won’t be breaking anytime soon.” She commented dryly, smiling at Pinkie, silently reassuring her that she was, in fact, okay now.

“I was sooooo worried about you Rory!” Pinkie said, no longer able to contain her enthusiasm, pouncing on the bed to wrap the Pegasus mare in a bone crushing hug. “I’m sorry for the glitterbomb and the door, please don’t hate me forever!”

“P-Pinkie.” Aurora gasped, having to fight for air, “S’okay. Please. Lemmego!”

“YAY!” Pinkie cheered, tightening her hug for a split second before releasing Aurora and letting her fall in a heap on the floor before bouncing around the room humming to herself before stopping suddenly and running out of the door.

“Goddesses… how is she that freaking strong?!” Aurora wondered out loud, once her lungs were working normally again.

“I wish I knew darling. Now, I don’t believe that we’ve had a chance to work on getting that glitter out of your coat and hair, so if you’d just follow me into the bathroom, we’ll get you sorted out in no time at all!” Rarity chimed in, helping Aurora to her legs, and smiling kindly.

“… And you’re not going to keep plucking me?” she asked cautiously, eyeing Rarity’s horn in case it flared to life with another spell to hold her in place for the unpleasantness of another pony preening her.

“Darling, I tried to explain to you before, the moment you tried to fly, that feather would have done far more harm than good. I was doing you a favor, even if it didn’t seem like it. Now, please trust me on this.” Rarity answered, frowning slightly at her friends hesitance, “And please don’t stare at my horn… it’s not one does in polite company…”

“Oh!” Aurora responded, blushing slightly, “Sorry… I guess I could use some help getting this stuff out of my fur… but please don’t do that thing where you held me in place.”

“I promise not to restrain you dear. Now, let’s get going. I’ve already started drawing the water, nice and warm, but nothing too uncomfortable, and I even tossed in a scoop of my own special bath beads to help you feel nice and refreshed. Now, come along.”

Aurora finally caved and followed the white Unicorn into the other room, where sure enough, there was a rather sizeable bathtub filled with warm, bubbly water. She looked in and was surprised to see that the water was almost emerald in color. When she asked why, Rarity explained that the beads she’d added were scented and contained oils that helped pull out any dirt from a ponies coat.

“Honestly dear, it’s like you’ve never had a real bath.” Rarity commented.

Aurora bit her tongue to keep from reacting to the rather rude comment, reminding herself that Rarity didn’t mean to be mean… and besides, she was right… Instead of arguing, she slipped into the water and sank up to her chin in the warm soapy water, reveling in the scent of fresh clover and mint, while feeling the glitter and grime start to seep out of her coat.

“Ahhh…. This is really nice…” Aurora sighed, her eyelids suddenly feeling heavy and her mind beginning to wander.

“Mhmm… Tell me darling, have you never tried something like this?” Rarity asked, watching her friend practically melt.

“Can’t say I have… it wasn’t something I ever had the means to try where I came from… heck, I was lucky to find a good tea shop near where I lived before.” Aurora answered, the water starting to feel like it had permeated her entire body.

“Oh my! Pardon me for thinking ill of your old home, but it sounds like a horrible place to have lived.” Rarity noted,
picking up a bath brush in her telekinetic grip and starting to coax the glitter from the Pegasus’s mane.

“It’s okay. I know that it was rough there… heck, not long before I came here to Equestria, I was almost killed!” she snorted, completely missing the shock value that her statement had on the Unicorn behind her.

When Rarity heard that Aurora had been robbed, the shock was enough for her magic to completely lose focus and dissipate, dropping the brush in the water with a splash. The sudden noise was enough for Aurora to turn around in confusion, before seeing the look of horror on Rarity’s face.

“Is everything alright Rarity?” she asked, still oblivious to the cause of her friend’s shock.

“Oh… yes… I’m fine darling…” Rarity responded mechanically, “I just can’t believe you went through such a traumatic ordeal…Why don’t we change the subject… I’d hate to make you relive something like that.”

“Hmm? Oh! The mugging…. I’m sorry Rarity, I didn’t mean to scare you or anything… it’s just, moving here to Equestria is a huge difference from where I was before… everything is cleaner, nicer… I don’t think you all even have robberies!” Aurora said, stumbling and trying to make the whole experience less awkward.

They stayed silent for awhile longer, Aurora stewing inside her head and blowing bubbles just under the water, Rarity doing her best to focus on her friend’s hair… And this awkward silence stretched on until finally Rarity couldn’t pretend that there were any leftover pieces of glitter or dirt anywhere in Aurora’s mane. In fact, with the exception of her face, which was still half covered in pink glitter, Aurora was pretty much completely clean.

“Well… I believe that you can step out of the tub now if you’d like…” Rarity said casually, “Your mane is cleaned, and the oil should have gotten everything out as long as it stayed submerged… the only thing left now is a thorough facial.”

“A what?!” Aurora asked, her jaw dropping and her face turning a bright maroon.

“A facial darling, nothing extreme, so calm down please. I’m going to get the soaps and the mud mask kit now while you dry off. And please don’t forget to pull your mane back so that your hair doesn’t get caught in anything while I finish helping you get that glitter off your face.” Rarity replied, chalking the reaction of her friend up to the same hatred Applejack had for anything beyond bathing or a massage when it came to beauty.

While Rarity went off to get her things, Aurora had to fight off the image of a facial involving her and the fashionista… it wasn’t easy… Finally, she was completely dried off, and her mane was pulled back in a ponytail (heh). Just in time too, as Rarity poked her head back into the bathroom and called her out to the master suite.

“Now, if you’ll sit right here please….” Rarity instructed, gesturing to a cushion set on the ground in front of a large metal bowl and an assortment of soap bottles.

Over the next hour or so, Rarity not only cleaned Aurora’s face, she exfoliated, scrubbed, rinsed, and moisturized it… By the time she was finished, Aurora felt like she’d taken a belt sander to the face, but the Unicorn meant well, so she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

After Rarity was satisfied with the progress made, she invited Aurora to stay for dinner.

“Well… actually Rarity, I was kind of hoping to get back to the farm… I needed to ask Applejack something.” Aurora replied politely, smiling uneasily at her friend. She had heard that Rarity didn’t take rejection well… no matter what was being rejected…

“Why ever would you want to walk all the way back to the farm at this time of day dear?” Rarity asked, looking positively aghast that her generous offer was being declined. And for the FARM no less…

“Well, it’s not that late is it?” Aurora said, uncomfortable at the present situation.

“It’s after dark darling! I don’t care if you do prefer being out and about at night, no friend of mine is going to be on their own at night without a good meal in them. Now come along.” Rarity pressed, walking out of the bedroom and dragging Aurora by her tail… which wouldn’t have bothered her, except that she suddenly felt exposed and embarrassed… and turned on? Okay, that was definitely being filed under the ‘Weird’ category…

“Rarity!” she whined, scrabbling for a hoofhold on the floor, “I’m a grown pony for Luna’s sake! And I needed to ask AJ about my mane…”

Rarity stopped dead in her tracks, her magical grip releasing out of shock for the second time that day. “What was that?” she asked, turning to the grey Pegasus, "Why in Equestria would you want HER opinion on anything having to do with fashion? Not to say that Applejack isn’t a wonderful mare, but honestly, she has no sense of style!”

“I wanted an honest opinion, and AJ is the most honest pony I know okay!” Aurora shot back, sitting firmly on her tail.

“That may be, but I believe that I am more than capable of giving you unbiased advice on what would suit you.” Rarity huffed, now sitting on the floor and pouting. “I mean, really! I work all day to make ponies as beautiful and handsome as possible, and my own friend doesn’t want to come to me for fashion advice! What kind of a designer am I?” She asked, tears starting to gather in her eyes.

Fearing an oncoming flood, and also feeling guilty for ignoring how Rarity might have felt about things, Aurora sighed and resigned herself for what would most likely be a long night…

“I’m sorry Rarity…” she said softly, wrapping a wing around her friend and hugging her apologetically, “I should have come to you first. Will you please help me do something with my mane?”

“Why of course!” Rarity replied, perking up almost instantly and levitating Aurora alongside her as she cantered off to the kitchen. “But first, we need to have some dinner. I love working as much as the next pony, but I haven’t had anything
except a dandelion sandwich all day.”

It took only a moment for Rarity’s magic to whip up a simple meal of hay fries and veggie burgers. When she asked about the existence of such things as veggie burgers, Aurora was surprised to find that actual hamburgers existed in places like the Griffon Empire, though they were made of fish, and that enough ponies in the North seemed entranced by the whole concept, that they started to replicate the texture in a vegetarian form.

“The funny thing about it all,” Rarity noted, while waving a hay fry around like it were a finger, “is that even though it seems like such an uncouth dish to eat, the nobility has been positively smitten with the silly things. It’s such a social crime NOT to have at least some form of veggie burger available, that I myself decided to bend to the will of fashion and bought a pack. It’s not exactly something cheap either, despite the appearance.”

“If it’s not cheap, then why did you get it? And why are we eating it if it’s not a special occasion?” Aurora asked, taking a large bite out of her own burger and reveling in the texture. She’d been without a hamburger for almost a month, and it was nice to almost have a taste of Earth…

“Well I wouldn’t say it’s not a special occasion. This is the first real time we’ve spent together in ages! And besides, I believe that you are a kind enough pony that you deserve the best in life.” Rarity replied, batting her eyes at her guest and flipping her hair. The subtle act of flirting was lost on the Pegasus however, as she seemed more entranced by her dinner than anything.

“You know darling, it occurs to me that you’ve been in Ponyville for almost a month now… and yet, you don’t seem to be in a relationship of any sort… is there a reason for that?” Rarity asked, finally choosing to forsake subtlety and go right for the throat.

Aurora almost choked on a hay fry, and when the coughing finally subsided, she looked at her friend quizzically. “Why would you want to know something like that?” she asked. “Is it a bad thing to not have a special somepony?”

“Well I wouldn’t say it’s a bad thing per say… It’s just that, even if you don’t have a special somepony, it’s very odd to find a pony without a best friend of sorts. I mean, we are social creatures after all… And I’ve noticed that you’ve rather isolated yourself from anypony else in anything other than a casual sort of manner.” Rarity noted, peeking over the rim of
her glass, gauging Aurora’s reaction.

She furrowed her brow, thinking back on the time she’d spent in town thus far… Sure enough, Rarity was right! Aurora hadn’t really gotten to know anypony beyond the surface, and she hadn’t let anyone else besides Luna get close to her, but there was a different reason for that, and a darn good one. Imagine the reaction if they knew where she really came from!
She’d almost let it slip when Rarity was washing her mane, and Rarity had acted stunned to the point of silence.

“I guess I just haven’t really felt any pressure to get to know anypony…” she finally replied lamely, her excuse met with a look of skepticism from Rarity.

“Well sweetie, I believe that tonight I can help you in taking that first step to really making a close friend… who knows, you might even find a special somepony soon enough… You certainly have the looks for it to be an easy enough job.” Rarity replied, smiling as she finished her meal and stood up from the table. “Now, as soon as you are finished, meet me in the front room in front of the mirrors, we’ll figure out a new mane style for you that will leave everypony stunned!”

Having said her bit and leaving Aurora to eat in silence, Rarity left the kitchen to go get ready for the mane styling session.

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“Okay Rarity… this is no time to lose your head… So she’s not exactly the most perceptive mare out there… hay, in a few weeks, she’ll be a stallion again, and Celestia knows we don’t need the stress of competing with other mares at that point.” Rarity muttered to herself, digging a small black kit out from under the sink in her bathroom.

But what if she just doesn’t like us? Part of her wondered.

“Oh please, we’re one of the most charming mares in this town! And besides, Fluttershy is out of the picture, and she was the only one I really had to worry about in terms of looks… Not to speak ill of Rainbow and Pinkie, they just don’t exactly give off a feminine charm like I do.”

Still, what if that’s the reason Aurora hasn’t tried to make a move yet? Besides most likely being new to dating, what if she’s just not into what everyone else thinks is “pretty”?

“I’m sure she has excellent taste… she’s just shy. Imagine, having no inclination to even try and make a close friend! I’ll bet she’s secretly pining for somepony to break past her cool exterior and pull her into the world. Imagine how romantic it would be… The mare, hidden away in an ivory tower of her own emotions and doubts, bravely rescued by her one true love, who whisks her off to parts unknown and shows her the world of possibilities!”

I still say this isn’t going to end well… Besides, you’re only one of a number of ponies eyeing her up… We’ve got to compete against Rainbow Dash. She hasn’t shut up about her “big plan” to sweep Aurora off her hooves for days now. Don’t you think that you might be a bit late?

“Nonsense. Besides, Aurora told us herself that she hadn’t even given thought to something as natural as a best friend. I’ll bet that she’s in the same boat as Twilight was when she first moved here… albeit, Aurora seems to have at least a bit more common sense when it comes to interacting with others…”

Okay, fair point. But what are we going to do if we go down there and it turns out that we get rejected?

“Oh shush. We’re going to help our friend fix her mane, we’re going to bond, and come Tartarus or Hydra, we’re going to do our best to drop as many hints as possible so that she sees us as a possible suitor!”

“Rarity? Is everything okay?” Aurora called from downstairs, her voice heavy with concern. “I heard shouting…”

“Everything’s just fine dear!” Rarity called back, “Just talking to myself!”

Great move there… Now she thinks we’re crazy.

“No, everypony talks to themselves from time to time. Now, what was I saying?”

Dropping hints like Ditzy Doo drops furniture while operating a moving company…

“Right, thank you, I’m going to go down there, and even if I don’t sweep her off her hooves, I can certainly make an impression that she’ll keep thinking back to. And in the worst case scenario, we miss the chance to try a relationship while she’s a mare, and we still have a stable foundation to build off of once the spell wears off in a couple weeks. That at least puts us ahead of any other mare in town.”

Except for Rainbow Dash. You know as well as I do that everypony sees her stalking Aurora.

“Oh do shut up.” Rarity said finally, forsaking her lady like behavior for a mental victory as she made her way downstairs to tend to her friend.

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“Alright darling, now, let’s see… your mane is rather easy to work with, nice and straight, but able to hold curls if you want it to… What were you thinking?” Rarity asked, circling around Aurora with a pair of styling scissors in her magical grip, eyeing the Pegasus as an artist would a block of marble before making the first chip.

“Well, I don’t really know… I’ve never really had my hair this long before, so I’m not exactly sure… I guess a trim to start off with would be nice.” Aurora answered, unsure if this was a good response or not.

“Well, a trim would be a nice starting point, but it’s usually best for one to have an idea of the finished product before beginning. Remember darling, it’s always easy to go shorter, but growing it out takes time… or a rather expensive potion from Zecora…”

“Um… Okay, I’m really bad at these kinds of decisions, and I need something that I can work with once this spell wears off, so would it just be easier if I told you why I’m wanting a new style?” Aurora asked, shifting uneasily on the cushion Rarity had placed her on.

“Oh well of course that would help!” Rarity exclaimed, smiling, “That should have been the first thing I asked you dear, I’m sorry. But that is an excellent idea.”

“Well, I kind of got talked into going with Rainbow Dash to this club tomorrow night… I’m not sure what kind of place it is, but Dash said I should do something with my hair…” Aurora confessed, blushing. Why was she blushing? What the hay?! It’s not like going to a club with a friend was that big a deal, right?

Rarity frowned for second or two, the voice inside her head momentarily shouting out TOLD YA SO! Before she returned her focus to the project at hand.

“Oh did she?” Rarity asked, “And how in Equestria did she manage to convince a pretty mare like yourself to go to something as uncouth as one of the local clubs?”

“It was more like, she needed a friend to go with her for the ‘couples night’ they have at the club, and I guess she just felt more comfortable asking me… And she said she could help me find a place of my own pretty cheap if I went with her… I really don’t know… but then she said I should do something about my mane, and I got like, super self conscious about it for no reason, and well… here I am… Can you help me Rarity? Please?” She said, everything just spilling out with no hope of being filtered in the slightest.

“Well of course I can help you silly. Now, while I believe that what Dash did was rude, and exceptionally manipulative, I cannot allow one of my friends go on a ‘date night’ without looking their best. Even an event like a club shouldn’t be without an air of fashion sense… Now let me think about this for a moment.” Rarity replied, smiling graciously, and noting in the back of her mind that Aurora hadn’t really agreed to a date, as she had agreed to put up with Dash for a night as a friend. There was still a chance…

“Anything?” Aurora asked, interrupting Rarity’s moment of mental celebration.

“Yes dear, now, it’s important that the style you go with reflect your personality. Rainbow Dash is extremely rough around the edges, so her mane reflects that. I am refined, so my mane style also reflects that. Now, a pony like Fluttershy is one that tries to avoid others, and even goes so far as to let her mane be another thing she can use to hide away… You’re rather up front about things, while still being exotic and mysterious, and from what you told me upstairs, you’re from a rather dangerous place before this… so there should be a bit of an ‘edge’ to your style as well… so something away from your face for the most part, perhaps have a section fall in front of your eyes, that’s always such a lovely effect, and it would help accentuate those gorgeous looks of yours… Hmmm… I’m thinking short in the back, just enough to pull back if you want, and longer in the front, with one side tucked back and held in place, and the other side falling in front with a bit of a sharp angle to add that air of mystery and danger… what do you think darling?”

As she talked to herself, moving Aurora’s hair about with her magic, Rarity found herself getting more and more excited about the way things were going between herself and Aurora. This little mane styling session would allow her plenty of opportunities to drop hints, compliments… and nothing was quite as relaxing as a nice brushing…

Aurora, meanwhile, just sat there and looked at the mirror, her mind wandering as Rarity rambled, fussing over the long black and purple locks of hair. She would periodically nod and smile, picking up bits and pieces of conversation. The parts she picked up on however, were rather embarrassing, and they only served to fuel the blush that was slowly taking up permanent residence on Aurora’s face… When Rarity said that she had a gorgeous face, Aurora felt like she was melting on the spot… Why was she feeling like this?! She’d always seen Rarity as cultured, elegant, and possibly very beautiful. But she’d never felt embarrassed or less attractive by being in the same area as her… and especially not when they were alone! She just couldn’t figure out what in the world was fueling these feelings! It was almost like being back in middle school and first realizing that everyone was changing, looking more adult, more attractive, less like a child…… Was this pony puberty?

“Darling? Sweetie are you alright?” Rarity asked, waving a hoof in front of Aurora’s face as she stared into the mirror with a glassed look to her eyes.

“Huh? Oh, yeah… I’m fine Rarity… just got caught up thinking… what were you saying?” Aurora fibbed, blushing now more than ever.

“I was saying that I think you should go shorter in the back, with longer locks up front so you can have half pinned back and the other half giving you a mysterious, alluring look… Does that sound good to you?” Rarity summed up, rolling her eyes and smiling at the rather adorable display of absentmindedness. “And you should really consider getting another vest darling. The first one looked so good on you, and it’s such a shame to see you without it.”

“Well, I didn’t see the point in wearing something that was too big, and if I got something new, then it would be a waste of bits and material in a few weeks…” Aurora reasoned, “And I like your idea for the mane style…It sounds… nice…”

“You don’t sound so sure dear.” Rarity noted, frowning worriedly for a second.

“No, I like it, really… it’s nothing. Let’s do this.” Aurora replied, forcing herself to sound confident.

Rarity looked at her skeptically before deciding not to press the issue, instead starting on the project at hand, pausing from time to time to think of possible fashion options for Aurora that would go with the new style. Periodically, She would take a break from brushing and cutting her friend’s hair to ask what she thought about how it was looking. Each time, Aurora would snap out of another glassy look and say that it was coming along great. At one point, Rarity caught Aurora staring at her in the mirror as she worked, though she quickly averted her eyes when the fashionista made eye contact and blushed furiously, it was all Rarity could do to suppress a squeal of excitement.

I knew it! She cheered inside her mind, Aurora my dear, all too soon, you’ll be like putty in my hooves, and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie will just have to admit that the hottest couple in Ponyville is none other than Rarity and Aurora! And eventually, Aurora will revert to being that most delicious of stallions Orion!

She was finished restyling Aurora’s mane not long after, but continued brushing her friend’s hair for awhile, watching in the mirror as Aurora’s eyes closed and her entire frame seemed to relax. Yes, there were few things as quick to relax a mare as a nice brushing…

“Having fun dear?” Rarity asked, leaning in and practically whispering into Aurora’s ear.

“Mhmm… It feels really good Rarity…” she responded breathily, “Its weird… my whole body is just feeling warm and fuzzy… Is this normal?”

“Oh yes darling… in fact, I’d be a bit concerned if you didn’t feel this good… would you like to feel something a bit better?” Rarity propositioned, leaning in and wrapping her forelegs around the grey Pegasus in a hug, the brushing continuing with the help of her magic as her lips drew closer to Aurora’s exposed neck.

Aurora’s eyes snapped open all of a sudden, her face glowing a brilliant red and her wings snapping open so suddenly that Rarity was flung backwards.

“ThanksforthehelpRarity,IreallyappreciateitbutIshouldbegoinghomelikerightnow!” Aurora blurted out, rushing to the door, stopping only for a minute at the threshold to turn around, race back to Rarity, wrap her wings around the stunned Unicorn in a quick hug, and gallop back out the door and into the dead of night.

Rarity just sat there in her front room, looking between the place Aurora had been sitting, and the door she’d just left through. As her brain hurried to process what had just happened, she couldn’t help but break out into a face splitting grin that would have given Pinkie Pie a run for her bits.

“Oh my…” Rarity said, giggling furiously to herself, “It seems I made a rather large impact on the poor dear…. I guess this might be easier than I thought…”

Plot Development... (HA!)

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 19

Party Pony Rock!

AKA- How I Learned To Stop Worrying, and Love the Club.

Applejack was not a happy farmer… Not only was she forced to deal with the Cutie Mark Crusaders latest act of minor vandalism (one of the older trees near the farm boundaries had somehow managed to catch on fire while they were trying to earn their botany cutie marks); but she’d been continuously distracted from her work with images and daydreams about a certain Pegasus popping into her brain, and they both confused her and calmed her down, which just confused her more… Then she’d also had to go hunting for Big Mac in the evening when he’d seemingly disappeared. And she couldn’t even be mad at him when she found him, because he’d been in the barn the whole time giving Fluttershy a tour of the family property! Needless to say, having no outlet for her worsening mood was not something that she enjoyed… So when the opportunity for her to cut loose some of her pent up agitation presented itself, Applejack was glad to meet that opportunity halfway with a smile…

Unfortunately for one grey mare, this opportunity called for group participation… and she was part of the group participating whether she wanted to be or not.

“AURORA!” Applejack yelled, stomping out of the farmhouse and running down the path to the front gate, “What the hay do you think yer doin’ comin’ back here this late?! And lookin’ like a five bit Manehattan Escort?! Don’t you know that the Apple’s have standards, and when yer livin’ with somepony willin’ ta give ya a roof over yer head, that ya abide by THEIR rules?!”

By this point, Granny Smith already had Applebloom’s ears covered, and was joining Big Macintosh in looking out the window at the verbally aggressive spectacle outside. Applejack had managed to not only reach the grey mare by this point in her tirade, but she’d taken off her hat and was fixing Aurora with a look that rivaled The Stare.
Aurora wilted under the look and started shaking like a leaf, having just flown as fast as she could from Carousel Boutique, her heart was already racing. Now, hearing Applejack’s apparent rage directed at her, she didn’t know what else to do besides take a page from Fluttershy’s book and making herself as small as possible.

“And look at me when Ah’m chewin’ ya out!” Applejack said angrily, “Ah can’t believe you have the gall to come flyin’ in here at this time of night! Where were you huh?! Do you know how worried Ah was gettin’ about you?!”

“I’m sorry Applejack…” Aurora mumbled, her voice barely audible but still holding that quavering note of fear and sadness… She hadn’t meant to make AJ worry. She’d meant to come back to the farm sooner, but between the weird thoughts that kept popping into her head when she was at Rarity’s, and the sudden rush of warmth that seemed to envelope her while Rarity was brushing her hair, she ended up camping on a cloud until she cooled off and felt a semblance of normalcy. Looking back on it, she should have just come straight to the farm, but her mind just couldn’t focus today…

“Sorry ain’t gonna cut it Missy!” Applejack shot back, preparing to blast her with another tirade about how worried she’d been when Aurora hadn’t showed up for dinner, when a large red stallion stood between the two mares.

“And just what are you doin’ now Big Mac?” Applejack asked, glaring daggers at her older brother, “Ah’m still plenty mad at you fer runnin’ off this afternoon while Ah was on Crusader’s clean up.”

“That’s enough Applejack…” he said firmly, his brow wrinkling slightly in a frown, “Look at how upset ya got the poor girl.”

AJ followed his hoof, and for the first time that night actually saw Aurora… Her hair was cut and brushed, and her coat was freshly cleaned, she looked amazing… and yet, she looked absolutely pitiful. Her eyes spoke volumes about how sorry she felt, how upset she was, and how scared… Had AJ been that harsh on her that she had scared her own friend? She’d never meant for that to happen… she was worried that something had happened to Aurora, and here she was, safe and sound… she should have been happy to see her friend, and instead, she was yelling…

Applejack’s frustration just seemed to dissipate as she looked at Aurora, a sense of guilt growing in its place.

“Look Aurora… Ah’m not really mad at you… Ah’m sorry Ah yelled, today’s just been really bad here at the farm, an Ah took it out on ya, and that ain’t fair… I’m sorry Aurora…” Applejack said apologizing, but reminding herself that she had no right to expect her friend to forgive her just like that.

“It’s okay AJ, I’m really sorry too…” Aurora said, looking up at the Earth Pony, the swirling sea of emotions inside her mind mirrored in Applejack’s emerald eyes. “It sounds like we’ve both had a long day… do you want to go inside and talk about it?”

AJ smiled softly, her shoulders sagging, “That sounds mighty nice Aurora… Come on, Ah think there’s still some coffee left.”

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“Sorry again about bitin’ yer head off back there…” Applejack said uneasily, pouring two cups of coffee, one for Aurora, one for herself.

“It’s alright AJ.” Aurora said, smiling with relief. “I mean, yeah, you scared the crap out of me, but I get that you weren’t really mad… Were you really that worried though?”

“A bit more than Ah care to admit…” she replied, looking into the pitch colored brew in her cup before glancing up to look at the grey mare again. “Now Ah gotta ask, cuz seein’ it in the light is a might different than in the dark, what happened to yer mane? Ya look like Photo Finish got a hold of ya.”

“This is actually Rarity’s hoofwork… And I kind of like it… It’s a lot easier to manage than the long mane I had before too… what do you think?” Aurora asked, looking at Applejack expectantly.

“Well, Ah think it looks really fancy, and Ah sure wouldn’t want it, but it suits ya… makes ya look a might bit prettier too… not that ya weren’t before, just, ya look prettier now than a did before…” Applejack answered, stumbling over her words towards the end, and blushing furiously, which got a giggle from Aurora.

“I think I understand what you meant.” She reassured her friend, stretching her hoof across the table and placing it atop Applejack’s.

After sitting in silence for a little bit, holding hooves no less, Aurora and Applejack blushed simultaneously, placing their hooves in their laps awkwardly, trying to look at anything bu teach other.

“Anyway… Why’d ya go ta Rarity ta get yer hair cut? And what made ya want ta cut it in the first place?” Applejack asked, trying to change the subject.

“Well… promise not to laugh when I tell you?” Aurora responded uncertainly

“Heh… Ah promise not ta make fun of ya if ya lost a bet.” AJ responded, already coming up with a story in her head about why her friend’s hair was suddenly styled like one of those fancy ponies in Las Pegasus.

“Well… I didn’t lose a bet… but it wasn’t exactly by choice… I kind of agreed to go with somepony to this club tomorrow night, and they said that they’d help me find somewhere to live on my own that was cheap enough to afford with what I have already… And then they said I should do something with my mane, I wanted to come find you and get your opinion, then I had a glitterbomb explode in my face and got taken to Rarity’s. She helped me clean up, then I told her I was thinking about doing something with my mane, and then it just kind of snowballed… So what do you think?” Aurora said, trying to sum up her afternoon without sounding like a crazy pony.

AJ, to her credit, didn’t laugh until AFTER her friend was done talking, and even then, she managed to stay in her seat. When she finally regained her composure though, she smiled amicably at Aurora and reassured her that the look actually worked for her.

“Only problem Ah see really is that yer tail doesn’t match the manecut.” Applejack noted, “But don’tcha worry about that, Ah got a pair a clippers upstairs that can help ya out.”

“Thanks for the offer AJ, but does it really matter if the mane and tail don’t match?” Aurora questioned, relieved that her friend approved of her new hairstyle.

“Well, it’s not that it’s important, but ya wanna look put together for this date of yers, right?” she said, cocking an eyebrow at the Pegasus, “Though personally, Ah ain’t too keen on the idea of ya going to a club with somepony just to get a deal on a place ta live... Sounds sketchy at best. Who made the offer anyway?”

“……It was Rainbow Dash…”

“… What? Couldn’t quite catch that there sugarcube…”

“Rainbow Dash…”

“One more time now… almost heard that one.” Applejack teased, secretly amazed that somepony other than Fluttershy was able to talk that quietly.

“RAINBOW DASH!” Aurora barked, her face flushing red with embarrassment. “And it’s not a date, I’m just going with her to a club I don’t know, on couples night! Are you happy now?”

“Calm down there sugar… Ah ain’t gonna tease ya about somethin’ like that. Ah’m just worried. Rainbow’s a nice young mare, but she can be a bit pushy… You sure this is just ya’ll two goin’ as friends?” Applejack responded, smiling and taking a sip of coffee.

“I think so… I mean, I’ve never really been all that big on relationship stuff, but I made it clear that I’m just going as her friend, and because I wanted her to stay safe at this club thing.”

“Aurora, Ah wouldn’t worry none about Rainbow getting’ in trouble… She’s actually managed ta get kicked out of her fair share of bars because she WAS handling herself… Just be careful that ya don’t go hurting anypony’s feelings too much if ya can help it.”

“I think I can do that.” Aurora agreed, nodding at Applejack’s advice, somehow missing the not so secret warning that went along with it. “Besides, I kind of just want to see what the club scene in Equestria is like anyway…”

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“If I hear the phrase ‘Dye Job’ from you jerks one more time, I’ll come over there and kick your flank from here to Canterlot!” Dash yelled, glaring at a group of snooty looking Unicorns sitting at a corner table before turning back to Aurora, who was seated across from her. “Sorry about that Rory. I just really hate that joke. I heard it just about every day when I was growing up…”

“It’s okay Dash… I understand. But don’t you think that it was a bit overboard?” Aurora responded, sipping from her glass of soda and looking around at the surprisingly modern club. There was a nice dance floor on a raised platform, a DJ booth set into the wall behind it, and the rest of the club was occupied by tables, a bar, and ponies standing in groups and talking.

“Well, I mean, I usually just try and stop things before they get out of hand. So I kind of get this reputation for overreacting… But if it stops with me, then I’m willing to accept that. Besides, I didn’t like the way they were looking at us.” Dash replied, admiring her date’s new hairstyle. “By the way, I really like your mane.”

“Heh, I gathered that…” Aurora said, laughing at the foalish line. “You’ve told me that at least four times since you picked me up.”

“Yeah, but it just seems… cooler. I like that.” Dash replied, blushing.

“Well, I’m glad everypony seems to like it so much… It feels really different from having long hair.”

“I guess… I never really grew my mane out to know. It takes way too much effort to keep it out of my face if it gets too long. And the last thing I want when I’m flying is to get distracted by my hair!”

“Heheheh… Well, your mane suits you too.” Aurora answered, draining her soda. “Hey, I’m going to get a refill, you want anything?”

“Um, no, that’s okay…” Dash replied, blushing as she watched Aurora walk away towards the barn. Whether she knew it or not, Rory had changed more than just physically these last couple weeks. She carried herself differently, and even her body language had changed from the loveable socially oblivious new boy, to a mare that was putting out all kinds of signals... (Though Dash was still pretty sure that she didn't have a clue.) Even now, when she was walking, Dash noticed her hips swaying just a bit more than normal, her tail swishing to the side on occasion… and it was hot.

“Daaaaang…” Dash commented, leaning back to keep Aurora’s flank in view, “I am SO glad she said yes to this…”

“Said yes to what?” a voice chimed in from behind Rainbow Dash, causing the weather pony to fall out of her seat in shock.

“P-Pinkie Pie!” Dash exclaimed, scrambling to stand like nothing had happened. “What the hay are you doing here?!”

“Oh silly Dashie… I’m here to make sure that you don’t steal Rory from me!” She replied, giggling, “After all, it’s bad enough that I have to compete with Rarity, but you’re way less subtle, and way more of a threat right now.”

“Uhhh… Okay…” Rainbow replied, looking at her friend uneasily, “Wait, I’m a threat?”

“Well duh. I mean, come on, Aurora was pretty oblivious when she was a stallion, and she didn’t exactly get any more perceptive since then. Besides, My Pinkie Sense says that something big is coming her way, and since you’re the only one around my Rory, then you’re the one I have to look out for.” Pinkie explained, her tone becoming surprisingly serious.

“I gotta say Pinkie, I can respect that you’re willing to face me head on to compete here, but can I just ask for this chance? If you want to make a move, then I promise not to interfere.” Dash suggested, noticing that Aurora was walking back over with her new drink, thankfully too distracted by watching a couple of very… enthusiastic… mares dancing on the floor to notice that Pinkie was there.

“Alright then Dashie, that seems fair. Just so you know, I’d like you to leave me and her alone now though so I can make my move!” Pinkie agreed, smiling warmly at her friend with a malicious gleam in her eye.

“What?! No! Pinkie, I mean, if you want to try and make a move anytime OTHER THAN tonight!”

“Well then you should have said that before making the offer silly!” she answered, bouncing around Rainbow Dash and heading for Aurora, who was still seemingly hypnotized by the dance floor.

“Get back here you!” Dash called out, galloping after Pinkie, intent on keeping Aurora for herself…at least until she could make her move… then she could hang out with anypony she wanted AND be able to brag that her marefriend was the coolest flyer in Equestria!

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Aurora had begun to realize something over the last couple weeks as a mare… Being a mare in this town was a lot like being a guy on Earth. Spike had mentioned that stallions tended to garner most of the attention at clubs and bars. And while Aurora had been hesitant to believe him, she was seriously rethinking her position on the matter. It had taken WAY more time than it should have for her to get the bartender to refill her drink. And at least three stallions managed to get served before her when they’d showed up AFTER her!

“Great… I’m turning bitter…” She said, rolling her eyes and frowning at herself. “I swear, after this stupid spell wears off, the first thing I’m doing is going to a club and buying every mare a drink…”

A sudden change in the music caused her to look towards the dance floor, where a couple of Earth Pony mares were dancing… At least, it looked like dancing… but it was a lot more intimate than she’d thought was possible with an equine form… and she wasn't exactly sure it was legal to perform in public…

At least it looks more tame than some of the stuff on Earth… part of her thought, And hey, is it a bit warm in here?

I don’t think so, Another part of her chimed in, But do you feel that? Feels like a draft almost…

Well, we’re basically naked…

No, not that… did we sit in something?

……No… what the f-

Aurora was jolted out of her thoughts by a giant pair of blue eyes taking up the entirety of her perception.

“Ahhh!” she screamed, dropping her drink, the only thing keeping it from shattering on the ground a pink hoof catching it in mid fall.

“What was that about buying mares drinks?” Pinkie asked, smiling as she stood back up eye to eye with Aurora, the drink now somehow balanced on top of her head. “You know, here in Ponyville, we don’t usually make the pony we’re buying the drink for catch it. But this is okay too!”

“Pinkie! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Aurora scolded, torn between anger at being startled, and laughing at the bizarre ease with which her friend was balancing a drink on the wild tangles and curls of her hair…

“Sorry Rory, but I saw you over here and I just thought, ‘gee, she looks like she could use a friend right about now’ and here I am!” Pinkie said, hugging Aurora tightly, and drawing the attention of just about everypony in a twenty foot radius.

“Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash yelled, getting the attention of anypony NOT already staring at the three friends, “I told you to keep your hooves off my date for tonight!”

“Not my fault you left her unattended Dashie!” Pinkie said cheerfully, sweeping Aurora off her hooves and zipping over to the dance floor. Seriously, HOW THE HAY DID THAT DRINK NOT SPILL AT ALL?!

“Uhhh… Pinkie… what are you doing?” Aurora asked, looking around to see almost every eye in the club on them and Rainbow seemingly too stunned to react for a bit.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m kidnapping you for a dance silly!” the pink ball of energy replied. If it weren’t for the fact that she was always cheerful and meant well, Aurora could swear some of this was malicious…

“I don’t really know how to WOAH!” Aurora began to say, before Pinkie pulled her up onto just her back hooves, pressing their bodies together and almost looking like she was about to start a tango. But that was impossible right?

Wrong…

The music somehow switched over to a distinctly Latin flavor, and Pinkie began taking the lead, spinning and dipping Aurora so quickly and skillfully that she was starting to get dizzy and lightheaded.

“You’re really good at this.” Pinkie commented, her usually energetic voice dropping to a sultry tone as she leaned in and purred in Aurora’s ear. “Most ponies don’t know how to dance like this… but I like it… it’s so intimate. So passionate…”

Before she could say another word, Rainbow swooped in and yanked Pinkie off of her, letting Aurora drop back to all four hooves on the floor.

“Pinkie! Cut it out! I’m the one that asked Aurora out tonight, she said yes, let us have our date in peace okay!” Rainbow said, chewing out the party pony, who kept glancing between Dash and Aurora, who was looking on anxiously.

“But that’s not fair Dashie!” Pinkie whined, her expression getting serious. “Friends share, and it’s no fair keeping Rory all for yourself.”

“I keep telling you Pinkie, if she wants to hang out with you, or you want to invite her on a date YOU set up, go for it. But don’t interrupt MY date with her just because you can’t wait!”

“Is anyone gonna ask how I feel about this?” Aurora chimed in, Rainbow and Pinkie both looking at her for a second before going back to glaring at each other.

“Pinkie, I love you like a sister, you’re practically my best friend, but you’re seriously starting to get on my nerves. Just please, all I’m asking is for a chance to show Aurora a good time.” Rainbow said, trying to reason with the pink baker.

“But that means she might fall for you and then you two will be super special friends that are more than friends and I’ll start to see less of you two like how we never see Fluttershy or Big Mac anymore, and that’s the worst thing that could ever happen!” Pinkie retorted, panicking in that way that made everypony around her wonder if she might have accidentally gotten into any strange powders recently…

“Pinkie, even if me and Dash were dating, which we’re not…” Aurora began to say, putting awing around her friend comfortingly, missing the look of dismay that flitted across Rainbow’s face, “We wouldn’t be hanging out any less...”

Pinkie sniffled for a second, looking up at Aurora, “You- you mean it Rory?”

“Of course I mean it Pinkie. You’re the first pony I really met from Ponyville, even if you did attack me and Luna with a cannon, and that’s a special kind of bond right there. Besides, I work in the same place you do, and if I was going to be dating anypony, they’d obviously have to come by the shop sometime. So don’t worry about seeing any less of anypony.”

“You know, that actually makes some kind of sense…” Rainbow chimed in, prodding the grey and pink ponies off the dance floor and back over towards the bar. “Although, I don’t like how you’re just flat out cutting me off like that Aurora.”

“What do you mean Dash?” Aurora asked, confused, “You invited me here so you could get in the door cheaper, right? It’s not like this is a real date…”

Before Dash could speak up and tell Aurora how she really felt, how she wasn’t just another bit of fun for the aspiring Wonderbolt… How she actually felt a connection, and felt like she could be herself, without all the boastful attitudes and fronts she put on for everypony else… She felt like she could be vulnerable around the grey Pegasus… before she could say any of this, a thick, familiar accent cut through the din of the surrounding atmosphere.

“Now what in tarnation is goin’ on with you three?” Applejack asked, seeming to materialize behind the bar, looking at all three of her friends skeptically. “Ah gotta say Aurora, when ya told me that Dash was takin’ ya to a club, Ah thought she’d at least go somewhere else besides a filly fooler bar… About as subtle as Big Mac comin’ down the stairs there Dash.”
“What? Filly-fooler bar?” Aurora asked before being pushed aside by Rainbow, who was now blushing madly and glaring at the orange Earth Pony.

“Mind your own business Applejack!” Rainbow said, her anger putting her on the defensive immediately. “And what are you doing here anyway? Stalking us? I seem to recall that you were one of the ones that wanted to leave her alone until she got all settled into town. Why the sudden interest?”

“What?! Ah’ll have you know that the Apple family supplies most of the clubs and bars in town with hard cider in the Spring, and Ah was just makin’ a delivery. But Ah suppose other ponies workin’ is something ya don’t know too much about considerin’ that Ah only ever see ya takin’ naps in mah apple trees!” Applejack shot back, blushing at the implication that she was interested in Aurora in more than a friendly sense. “And if Ah were interested in Aurora as more than friends, Ah’d make a move just as easily as yer goin’ about it. But Ah’d have the decency ta treat her to a real date, not just the local ‘fooler’ bar!”

“Oh yeah?! That’s some big talk coming from somepony that’s too afraid to admit that she’s attracted to the new pony on the block, let alone do anything about it!” Dash retaliated, playing on Applejack’s bluff.

“Is that a challenge?” Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes predatorily.

“I think it is!” Dash replied, “And I don’t know you’d even bother, because I’m the one that’s gonna swoon her off her hooves! Right Aurora?”

When no answer came, both ponies looked over to see Pinkie Pie staring at the entrance to the club, and no Aurora…

“Buck! Where’d she go?!” Dash exclaimed, jumping into the air to hover and try to spot her somewhere in the bar.

“Ah wouldn’t waste mah time looking around here RD…” Applejack said, her brow furrowing with worry. “Ah wouldn’t be surprised if she decided ta split after seeing us act like that… We gotta learn not ta get competitive over EVERY little thing…”

“Yeah…” Dash admitted, “Sorry about saying some of that stuff AJ… I just really, really like this one, and the last time I went out with anypony, it didn’t end well… I’m really hoping that she’s the one, you know?”

“Ah know Rainbow… Heck, Ah’d be lying if Ah said Ah wasn’t interested in her too… Plus, she goes back to being Orion in a few weeks, and that ain’t exactly a downside… Still, we shouldn’t let anypony get in the way of our friendship. What do ya say Dash, truce?” Applejack replied, holding out her hoof for Rainbow to bump.

“Yeah AJ, we’re cool…” Dash said calmly, before leaning in with that competitive glint in her eye once again, “But I still say that this one’s gonna be mine.”

“Oh yer on missie… But no interfering with each other. We gotta respect Aurora just like any other pony with feelings, and her decision is final. We clear on that?”

“Oh yeah. And may the best mare, which is me, win!” Rainbow agreed.

“Now we just gotta figure out where in Equestria she went off to!” Applejack said, ending their little parlay and looking around the dimly lit club, which was almost full to capacity at this point. eventually, her eyes were drawn to a certain party pony sitting on the ground and looking back and forth from Rainbow to Applejack, as if waiting for round two to begin...

“Oh! Was she supposed to stay here?” Pinkie asked, noticing Applejack's attentive gaze, and pulling Aurora’s soda off the top of her head and taking a sip.

“That would have been great if she did, yeah.” Dash answered, trying not to get frustrated with the pink pony of antiphysics.

“Whoopsie… I thought we were all done hanging out with her for tonight… She seemed to be getting tired anyway.”

“Now sugarcube, Ah’m not gonna get upset, but what do ya mean ya thought we were done hangin’ out with her?” AJ asked, leaning over the bar and doing her best to stay calm.

“Well, you two were arguing, I was watching you, and Aurora was talking to this other pony that came up, and they were laughing, then the other pony said something about going to bed, which was good, because Aurora seems really tired, so they left. I guess they’re gonna have a sleepover or something. I just remember being really impressed because usually I have to have been friends with somepony for like, at least a week, before we have a sleepover.” Pinkie answered, babbling away as Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked at each other with mutual expressions of shock and worry and horror.

“Pinkie!” Dash exclaimed, “We need to go find Aurora NOW before something bad happens!”

“What could happen Dashie?” Pinkie asked, “They were just gonna go for a sleepover…”

“That probably ain’t the kind of sleepover either you or Aurora have in mind.” Applejack said seriously, jumping the bar and leading her friends through the crowd. “Now we gotta hope we get to em in time… Luna knows what an innocent thing like Aurora’s gonna think when they get to wherever they’re goin’…”

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SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE CLUB

“I’m glad you decided to come with me…” Daisy said, “I have to admit, I’ve been feeling kind of down lately, and I feel like you’re just the mare to help me feel better…”

“Oh it’s no problem at all!” Aurora replied happily, “I was hoping to relax a bit tonight anyway, and that wasn’t gonna happen in that crowd… so it’s kind of like you knew exactly what was on my mind when you said you knew somewhere less crowded.”

“Oh trust me sweetie, my place is nice and quiet… and we can get to know each other a bit better while we’re there too… sound nice?” Daisy asked, twining her tail around Aurora’s, the move not even registering on Aurora’s radar.

“Sounds good to me… I like learning more about others when the chance arises.” Aurora replied, tiredly, the weariness in her voice ringing in Daisy’s ears as an almost lustful tone.

“Oh don’t worry sweetie… you’ll get to learn all kinds of things about me… maybe even yourself too…”

Author's Notes:

WHOO! damn these things are taking longer to write each time... Then again, i've actually got work now, so that's awesome, but it leaves me less time to write. Anyway, before ya'll leave, cuz i know most of you don't comment, and that's cool, i just wanted to address a couple things.

1- I hope nobody was upset that the story is leaning more towards the slice of life/romance tags than the humor one for this section.
2- hopefully, after reading this chapter, Dash isn't so flat and annoying in terms of character development.
3- hopefully, Pinkie's motives for pursuing Aurora/Orion are clear now, if not, just PM me or leave a comment asking about it.
4- hopefully, this chapter developed ALL the possible suitors for Aurora/Orion, and the next few chapters will flow a bit smoother.
5- I am going to post a blog post with the images of Aurora pre-mane cut and post-mane cut, as well as a post with Orion with long hair, and what he will look like after the month long spell wears off. So look out for that sometime soon.

In Which Things Start to Heat Up...

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 20

In Which Things Begin To Heat Up…

AKA- Hide and Seek Is a Lot Less Fun When You Grow Up.

Twilight was a good student. She stayed up late sometimes to keep studying, but aside from her insomniac ways, there wasn’t really anything bad you could say about the purple unicorn. On this particular occasion, our studious Celestial protégé was sound asleep, (having crashed after two all nighters) and was happily dreaming about what it must be like to be a Princess. She could feel the wind flowing over her wings as she glided over the whole of Equestria, showering the good little fillies and colts with books and scrolls filled with knowledge of all kinds. Beside her was Celestia herself, guiding her student and directing her towards any small foal she’d forgotten to give a book to. It was a familiar dream, and one that Twilight particularly enjoyed. Normally, they would finish up her route, go back to Celestia’s private quarters, and stay up until the wee hours reading and telling stories of ages past and battles fought against the creatures of Chaos that Discord had brought to the world. On this occasion however, Celestia pointed a hoof at a small foal that had somehow missed Princess Twilight’s gifts. Never one to leave anypony out of a good time, Twilight drifted down to the ground and landed right in front of the small filly.

“And what kind of a book would you like to have little one?” Princess Twilight asked, kneeling down to the child’s level and smiling kindly.

The little pony looked up at her with eyes as big as saucers, beaming up at her Princess and opening her mouth to tell the book loving Triarch what kind of literature would sate her thirst for knowledge. But instead of an angelic voice full of excitement, Twilight was blasted with what she was sure was an excellent impression of the Royal Canterlot Voice…

“We want you to wake up and help us!!!”

Twilight shot up in bed, her eyes snapping open and searching around manically. She even teleported to the top of her dresser with her horn leveled at the door for good measure. Let it never be said that the Librarian didn’t know how to defend herself…

“Whoa there Twi!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, holding her front hooves up in a gesture of surrender, “Careful with that thing, it’s probably loaded!”

“Aw hush up Dash.” Applejack said, pushing past the prismatic Pegasus and standing in front of the Unicorn currently hyperventilating on top of her dresser.

“What are you all doing in my bedroom?!” Twilight asked, once she had regained her composure slightly, though still not enough to want to come down from on top of the dresser.

“Aurora’s been kidnapped!” Dash responded, with much flailing and waving of limbs.

“What do you mean kidnapped?”

“It usually means that ya get taken somewhere without yer permission.” Applejack explained, surprised that she had to define a word for Twilight… she was practically a walking dictionary.

“No, I mean, who kidnapped her? How?!” Twilight responded, rolling her eyes as she jumped down from on top of the dresser.

“We don’t know who she went with, but it happened like, twenty minutes ago!” Dash answered, clearly on the verge of a panic attack… Her hair, as messy as it usually was, had begun to spring off in small bunches much like Twilight’s did when she began to talk about ‘Magic Kindergarten’.

“Whoa whoa whoa… you say she left with someone? Where were you all?”

“We were at the ‘fooler’ bar,” AJ answered, putting a hoof around Dash’s shoulders comfortingly, “Me and Dash started getting’ competitive over her, and while we weren’t looking, Aurora left with somepony else, and we don’t know who! Ya know how she is Twi, she don’t know if she’s giving off signals or not, and she sure as hay don’t know how ta read when somepony else is interested… And we tried gettin’ Pinkie ta find her, but her Pinkie Sense wasn’t pickin’ anything up, so she went off on her own while me and Dash came here ta get you! She could be in some real trouble right now and we need yer help ta find her fast!”

“You’ve gotta help us Twi!” Dash cried, tears actually starting to streak their way down her cheeks at this point.

“Okay okay… just give me a moment. I’ve got to get a scrying crystal out, and then we need a map of Ponyville. AJ, you know where the maps are downstairs, if you could go get one…”

“Say no more Twi.” She responded, galloping out of the room and thundering down the steps.

“And Rainbow…” Twilight started to say, before seeing the sad state her usually brash friend was in. “…There’s a box of tissues in the bathroom, go get them and try and keep yourself together. We’ll find her, and I’m sure that as oblivious as she is, nothing bad will happen…”

Rainbow sniffled, nodding her head and walking to the bathroom to get the tissues Twilight mentioned.

“Ah ‘ot uh ‘apsh!” Applejack said, bursting into the room with several large scrolls in her teeth.

“Great, just lay them on the floor, and spread them out. Those are the most recent maps right?” Twilight directed, sifting through several drawers with her magic, trying to find a scrying crystal that hadn’t been used up yet… she had a tendency to break them pretty fast when she was trying to find a book that was overdue, or just plain lost.

“Yes Ma’am! Even made sure not to wake Spike up while Ah was down there… poor little fella fell asleep with his head in the fireplace again.” AJ answered.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake!” Twilight exclaimed, glaring at the dragon in question through the floor, “I keep telling him not to do that… I swear, one of these days I’m going to get a door with a lock for that thing…”

Both Applejack and Twilight were snapped out of their short discussion about Spike’s sleeping habits by a loud honking sound coming from the bathroom.

“Uhhh… Twi? Are ya trying ta hide an elephant in yer bathroom… again?” AJ asked, glancing at the closed door.
“Ya know what the vet told ya about teleportin’ exotic animals fer yer studying…”

“It’s not an elephant, it’s Rainbow Dash. She’s a wreck all of a sudden and she just looked like she needed a moment to herself and a box of tissues…” Twilight explained before turning her attention back to examining the contents of one of the drawers, “AH HA! I found it! Rainbow, get out here!”

“You found her?!” Dash asked, poking her head out of the bathroom hopefully.

“Not yet, but I found the crystal. Now all I have to do is hone in on her aura… this would be easier if she were a Unicorn… but hopefully that spell from Luna will be giving off some pretty large bio-magical waves…” Twilight dictated as her horn flared to life and channeled raw magi into the scrying crystal. The gem hummed to life, hovering over the spot on the map marked ‘Library’. “Alright, now that the crystal is zeroed in on us, I can expand the field to scan for her…”

Twilight pumped another jolt of magic into the crystal, causing it to lift off the map and start circling the parchment. It started spinning around faster, picking up speed, until it came to a stop without warning in the middle of the road leading to… the Library?

“What’s that mean Twi?” Dash asked, leaning into the map so that her nose was about an inch from the still moving crystal.

“It… it means that she’s walking up the road right now… Assuming I did this right, that crystal now represents her on the map, and wherever she moves, she is… At the rate the crystal is moving, and assuming her course doesn’t change, she should actually be at the front door right about-“ Twi rambled, her explanation interrupted by a series of loud knocks…shortly followed by a muffled string of swears as the sleeping dragon in the fireplace undoubtedly hit his head after being startled awake.

The three mares sitting on Twilight’s floor were too stunned to move as they listened to Spike open the door, invite whoever it was inside, and direct them up the steps…

Rainbow in particular held her breath as they heard the visitors hoof steps resounding against the stairs, their guest reaching the top of the steps, walking towards the door, and opening it to reveal…

“Pinkie Pie?!” Twilight and Applejack exclaimed at the same time, Dash having passed out immediately after her friend poked her poofy pink head in.

“Hey girls! Guess what!” Pinkie said happily, still only peeking around the door.

“Pinkamena Diane Pie, this ain’t no time ta be playin’ jokes. We’re tryin’ ta find Aurora, and ya’ll done got the crystal all screwed up to where it followed you and not her!” Applejack reprimanded, turning to glare at the map rather than her friend… she wasn’t really mad at Pinkie, but she was seriously getting worried about Aurora…

“What about finding me?” Aurora asked, poking her head in the door and causing Applejack to twist her head back around to look and almost getting whiplash in the process.

“Awww… you ruined the surprise Rory!” Pinkie whined, finally walking into the room and sitting down to a very stunned Twilight and Applejack, and very unconscious Rainbow Dash.

“No seriously, what about trying to find me? Was I lost or something?” Aurora asked, walking in and sitting down next to Rainbow Dash, poking her snoozing friend with a hoof. “And what happened to her?”

“You… we… Ah thought we’d lost ya fer a while there Aurora…” Applejack stammered out, her eyes still wide with surprise, but quickly filling up with relief and happiness.

“Silly filly.” Pinkie Pie chided, “She wasn’t lost. She went back to Daisy’s place, and I ran into her as she was leaving!”

“What?! Daisy?!!” Rainbow Dash shrieked, sitting bolt upright, instantly alert, she looked around at the others in the room before her eyes saw Aurora.

“Oh my Goddesses you’re safe!” Dash cried out, wrapping Aurora in a bone crushing hug, even wrapping her wings firmly around them to make sure that she didn’t break out. “Don’t you ever run off on us like that again!”

“Dash… air…” Aurora gasped out, tapping a hoof on her friend’s back. When Rainbow finally released her, and she managed to catch her breath, Aurora explained what happened after she left the club…

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“So, why was a nice mare like you at a club like that anyway?” Daisy asked, sidling up to Aurora as they walked through the darkened streets of the town.

“Well, it started out with one of my friends asking for me to come with her tonight because it was couples night, and I guess she wanted to get in with the discount… Aurora explained, staring up at the stars that covered the dark fabric of the night sky.

“And you bought that? Sweetheart, there’s no such thing as couples night unless it’s Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“Really? Huh… well, I guess she just wanted some company then. It’s always hard to tell with her…”

“You’re kidding me…” Daisy said, quirking an eyebrow at the grey mare next to her, “Did you seriously not catch the hint she was sending?”

“What hint?” Aurora asked.

“Nevermind… So I take it that you’re not that involved when it comes to things like dating?”

“Well… I haven’t really been in a relationship per say…” she responded, trying to skirt around the question. “I mean, I’ve never really gone out with anypony.”

“Awwww… I’m sorry, but I always love finding the cute innocent ones… it makes things interesting for me.” Daisy commented,
“So, what kinds of things do you like then sweetie? And I don’t think I really got your name before. I’m Daisy…”

“Well, my name is Aurora, and I like stargazing, reading, wandering around and exploring new places… I also LOVE music.” Aurora answered, about to say more but getting cut off my Daisy.

“No no sweetie… I mean, what kinds of things do you like about other ponies? What flips your switch so to speak?” Daisy corrected, trying to get a bit closer to the Pegasus next to her.

“Well… I don’t really know what I find attractive… where I’m from originally…let’s just say that there’s different standards of beauty… but I know that I’m kind of interested in getting to know who a person really is, you know? Like, looks can change, standards for ‘beauty’ evolve, but if you’re with someone that’s nice, sweet, someone you can talk to and you both support each other, then that’s something special…”

“That… that’s actually really sweet… I mean, I always read about stuff like that, but I didn’t think there was anypony out there that actually believed it… you know Aurora, you’re really sweet…” Daisy commented, blinking away a small tear that had started to form in the corner of her eye. “So how have you never found a special somepony?”

Aurora shrugged, looking around at the quiet road and thinking…

“I guess I just never really was able to get past the fear of being rejected… Besides, even if I found somepony soon, I doubt that it could last… I’m not really feeling like myself lately, and I wouldn’t want to end up hurting anypony because something’s wrong with me…”

“Aurora, look at me…” Daisy said, stopping in front of a house and wheeling around to face the grey Pegasus. “I think that anypony that views love like you do is a very special mare… and I’d count myself among the luckiest ponies in the Equestria if you were mine…”

As she spoke, Daisy started to close the distance, her eyes lidded and her voice soft. When she had finished speaking, her eyes were closed and her lips were only an inch or so away from Aurora’s.

Aurora smiled, blushing slightly as she closed the distance, her head tilted to the side as she pushed closer……and pulled Daisy into a hug.

Her eyes shot open and Daisy began floundering for words.

“W-what are… why… what?” she finally said, pressing her body in closer to Aurora’s, trying to see if this was just the shy Pegasus’ way of showing affection.

“I really appreciate what you said Daisy… I was never good with others before I came here… and ever since I arrived, everypony’s gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, and wanted… and it’s just so great, you know?” Aurora said, trying to put words to her feelings. “I mean, hay, I just met you a few minutes ago, and you made me feel so happy about a lot of things I’ve been thinking about lately… thank you Daisy…”

Daisy froze, realizing that she had tried to take advantage of this sweet, trusting, beautiful mare… when did she become the kind of mare that just looked for pleasure, rather than love… maybe this was a chance to turn things around? As Celestia as her witness, she’d not let this opportunity go to waste.

“You know Aurora, I’m really glad that we met each other… maybe I can see more of you around town?” Daisy asked, finally pulling away from the hug and smiling at Aurora.

“I’d like that Daisy… You’re a good friend, I can tell…” Aurora greed, smiling and spreading her wings to fly away into the night. “Goodnight Daisy, and don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find your special somepony soon enough.”

As Aurora began to coast off into the night sky, Daisy smiled and went into her home, closing the door behind her and muttering, “I think I’ve already found them…”

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“And after she walked Daisy, home, I found her lying on a cloud and looking at the stars!” Pinkie finished, “And I told her that you two were looking for her, and that we should probably go tell you that everypony was okay.”

“How did ya manage ta find her if she was on a cloud?” Applejack asked, “Ya don’t got any wings…”

“Don’t ask her that…” Aurora said, grimacing, “I’m still not sure where she got that trampoline from…”

“Oh relax Rory, it’s like I told you, I keep trampolines stashed all over town in case of trampoline emergency!” Pinkie replied, giggling as Aurora rolled her eyes, Dash still hadn’t picked her jaw up from the floor, Applejack was massaging her temples with a forehoof, and Twilight just looked on with an amused expression.

“Well, now that everypony’s found, and we know that nothing bad happened, can you all please leave so I can get some sleep?” Twilight asked politely, “Seriously, I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep in days because of the write up I’m working on for Celestia.”

“Is this your theory of multiple universes?” Aurora guessed, taking a small bit of pleasure at managing to surprise everypony in the room for a second time that night.

“How did you know about that?” Twilight asked, frowning.

“I keep in touch with Luna… she sends me a letter about every three or four days…” Aurora explained, shrugging,
“Though I still don’t get why she feels the need to keep spraying her perfume on the paper… it makes me sneeze every time I open one of her letters and a wave of ‘New Moon’ smacks me in the nose…”

Applejack was fighting the urge to laugh, and losing, at Aurora’s continued oblivious state when it came to anything to do with ponies flirting with her.

On the other hoof, it means less danger of somepony getting hold of her before you do… her brain reminded her, You just have to figure out how to make her see what your intentions are, and she’ll be all yours… I mean, come on, nice honest strong mare like you, who could resist?

“Why are you smiling all goofy like Applejack?” Pinkie asked, her face suddenly only inches away from the orange Earth Pony’s.

“Uhhh… no reason… just thinkin’ ta myself…” AJ fibbed, her face scrunching up like she’d just eaten a lemon… or a pear…

“Aurora…” Dash said, finally speaking, “I want you to promise me something…”

“What is it Dash?” Aurora responded, leaning closer to the rainbow maned mare who was still staring at the floor hard enough to make it burst into flame.

Instead of answering though, Rainbow looked up, her face an odd mix of relief, anger, worry, and jealousy. She sprang up from her seat on the floor and tackled Aurora onto her back, pinning her down and getting right in her face before speaking.

“Don’t you ever do something like that again! You had me worried sick! I was crying Rory, do you know how big a deal that is?!”

“I’m sorry Rainbow… really, I didn’t know it would upset you that badly if I went off on my own…” Aurora apologized, trying not to laugh at the funny look on her friends face.

“Alrighty then Dash, now let the poor mare up… Ah think we all need ta just go home, get some rest, and calm down… we can all talk about this more tomorrow.” Applejack said, trying to keep the cyan Pegasus from doing anything stupid.

“Hmph…” Dash pouted, getting off from on top of Aurora and starting for the door, “Fine. But Aurora, you owe me one. And the next time I ask you out, don’t go wandering off with some other mare you just met.”

Having said her piece, Rainbow stormed out of the room, slamming the door to the library on her way out as she disappeared into the night.

“……Is she going to be alright?” Aurora asked, looking around at the other three mares in the room.

“Ah think she just needs some space fer now sugarcube… She was pretty upset when ya disappeared, she was cryin’ and everything… and fer a mare like Rainbow, cryin’s a big deal… She’ll be alright after some sleep, just, be careful around her alright? She cares about ya more than ya know…” Applejack said, pulling the grey Pegasus into a comforting hug. It wasn’t right to blame Aurora for any of this really… she didn’t seem to know just how much Rainbow really cared about her.

“Well, if we’re all through being moody, I think Twilight wants to get back to sleep.” Pinkie said, jerking her head to indicate the now grumbling Unicorn heading for her bed.

“That might be a good idea… Night Twilight.” Aurora said, fanning a wing at the Element of Magic and heading out the door, followed closely by Pinkie Pie and Applejack after they said their good nights as well.

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Aurora lounged on a cloud floating over the farmhouse of Sweet Apple Acres. Her wings were spread out and enjoying the minute breezes that would kick up every now and then, each one ruffling her feathers in such a way that it almost felt like she was being caressed by the night… As she laid there under the night sky, Aurora wondered, not for the first time, if she’d made the right decision in agreeing to come to Equestria…

Sure, it was a lot safer, friendlier, and cleaner here… but she still felt like an alien. She didn’t belong here like everypony else. The fact that she was still a blank flank only seemed to drive that point home whenever she saw herself in the mirror…And ever since she came here, she only seemed to screw things up. Tonight’s fiasco with Rainbow Dash and Applejack was just the latest in a string of things that she felt responsible for…

But as she thought back on all the things that seemed to just pile on guilt, Aurora remembered all the good things that had happened… there were the friends she had made. The sense of purpose that seemed to fill her every morning… She thought back on the laughs she had shared with her friends over the simplest things. The joy Luna seemed to show when there was someone to appreciate her nights…
She finally came to the conclusion that, alien or not in this world, despite any screw ups she might make, Equestria… no, Ponyville… was her home.

Aurora opened her eyes, feeling a weight lift from her chest as she stood atop the cloud, gazed across the sprawling land below, the stars twinkling above, and the moon shining softly in a cool embrace, and smiled.
“I’m home…” she said, her smile growing as she felt a tear streak down her face. “I’m really, finally somewhere I can call home…”

Arbitrarily Numbered Royal Decree 1,308

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 21

Royal Decree Number 1,308

AKA- Pre-Hearts and Hooves Day Lunacy

“Aurora? Aurora, are you back here?” Cup Cake called, poking her head into the back room of Sugar Cube Corner.

“SHHH!!!” Aurora hissed, poking her head out of a cabinet. She’d obviously been watching Pinkie Pie, because there was no conceivable way that she should have been able to fit…

“What are you doing in there?” Cup asked, crouching down to be eye level with the scared looking mare.

“Pinkie’s looking for me… I told her last night that I’d hang out with her on my break today, and then I heard one of the twins talking about a ‘surprise’ she had for me…” Aurora explained, her eyes darting around the room, looking for any hint of the pink menace.

“Well that doesn’t sound so bad… so why are you hiding in the tea cabinet?” Cup pressed, still a bit confused.

“The last time she had a ‘surprise’ for me, it involved being blindfolded, spun around, and walking over a trap door that led to the basement…… true, the landing area was a foam pit and we went out for ice cream later, but still!”

Cup Cake just rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to laugh at the silliness her employees got up to.

“You know, she really does mean well dearie…” Cup said, trying to coax Aurora out of the cabinet. “And as much as I love having an employee so dedicated that they’re willing to stay around the shop during their break, I’m not too happy about that employee sitting on top of my favorite teas…”

“What? Oh! Oh I’m so sorry Mrs. Cake… I’ll get out now…” Aurora said, somehow stumbling out of the cabinet without dislodging anything in the process.

“Thank you dear… now, it IS your break, and technically I can’t make you do anything right now, but seeing as it’s a slow day around here, and you’ve probably spent the last half hour stuffed in a tiny cupboard… I’m going to ask that you take the rest of the day off.”

“But… but if I’m off the rest of the day… Pinkie might find me!” Aurora exclaimed, her eyes growing in terror. Seriously, there was just no keeping up with Pinkie, and working with her most days had made Aurora especially prone to mild panic attacks when it came to her friend’s antics.

“Well you know… that’s just a risk you’ll have to take. I’m not letting you hide away from the world. So unless you have a good reason for why you absolutely can’t be around Pinkie, then you’re on your own.” Cup chided, shooing Aurora towards the door.

“No you can’t, please!” Aurora pleaded, blushing, “It’s more than just fear! Every time Pinkie gets close she gets all touchy and I start feeling weird…”

Cup stopped, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“What? What do you mean sweetie? Are you sick?”

“I don’t know… but ever since last week, I keep getting these feelings… I feel like I’m burning up from the inside, and it only gets worse when somepony touches my wings or my flank… or my ANYTHING really… and Pinkie is always hugging me and it drives me insane because I don’t know what to do, but everything just feels fuzzy, I can’t focus… I’ve tried looking for an answer at the Library, but I can’t find anything.”

Cup Cake was now blushing right along with Aurora. Unlike Aurora however, she knew the reason the Pegasus was feeling so out of sorts…

“Aurora, sweetie… I know that you’re not going to stay a mare for much longer, the spell wears off next week… but I think we need to have a talk…”

“Talk? Talk about what?” Aurora asked, sniffling slightly as the panic started to subside. “I’m not a freak am I? Oh Luna, you’re going to fire me, aren’t you?! I’m sorry!”

“No sweetie, no… it’s just…” Cup began to say, before getting cut off.

“Found ya!” Pinkie shouted, head popping out of the cookie jar and making Aurora and Mrs. Cake both jump into the air and scream.

“AAAAHHH!” Aurora screeched, galloping out the door to the kitchen.

“Geez Rory, I didn’t know you wanted to play tag!” Pinkie said excitedly, chasing after Aurora in a blur of pink, leaving Cup standing there in shocked silence.

“…………I swear, if the twins take after those two, I’m closing the shop…” she said, shaking her head and digging out one of the personal sized dark chocolate cakes she kept hidden around the shop… you know, in case of cake emergency…

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Luna strolled the halls of Canterlot Castle. She was up late for her, and the midday sun of her sister was starting to give her a headache… briefly, she considered the idea of casting a spell on the sun so that its albido matched that of her moon.

Then she remembered the last time she had tried to mess with her sisters Day, and reconsidered. The most frustrating thing about her insomnia was that she had no idea why she was suffering from it! She had tried relaxation spells, a soothing bath with crystals that were enchanted to help lull the user to sleep, and had even tried counting sheep… She was the ruler of dreams for Faust’s sake! Surely there had to be something that could help her regain her sanity and her sleep…

As she looked out on the city from her balcony, Luna saw families milling about. Children were running around haphazardly, their parent trying to catch them. Lovers and young couples were walking slowly, leaning on each other and nuzzling openly in the streets…. In the years before her banishment, Luna recalled that such open displays of affection were commonly reserved for couples that were bound together for life, and that a pony could risk public mockery for dating outside their “kind”… She recalled that the Unicorns had been especially prejudiced in that regard, and that a family member could be disowned if they were found with an Earth Pony or a Pegasus.

Truly, her subjects had come a long way… Celestia had seen to it that her sister’s 1000 year absence had not been wasted, and had ensured that Luna returned to a much more open and loving Equestria. There was more love in the land than could have ever been imagined in years past. She wondered briefly what it was that had changed in the land to create such a happy populace…

“Something on your mind, sister?” Celestia asked, appearing beside Luna and startling her slightly.

“Neigh Celestia… We are merely having trouble succumbing to the pull of Our own realm of power…” Luna replied, turning her attention back to the city sprawling below.

“You must be tired Lulu… you’re reverting back to the old way of speaking…” Celestia noted, trying to follow her little sister’s gaze as it traveled between the couples walking the streets of their city.

“We are indeed tired… We should be asleep at this time of day, and yet, there is something preventing such a thing from happening.” Luna agreed, shaking her head and going back inside the tower to her room.

Celestia followed, smiling coyly… she loved it when Luna missed the obvious. It gave her the chance to play a being omnipotent.

“Lulu… Do you ever feel lonely?” Celestia asked, sitting on the carpeted floor of her sister’s room across from the dark blue alicorn.

“Tis a cruel question Tia…” Luna replied, “Thou knows that to be a tender subject.”

“So then you don’t have your eyes on a special somepony?” Celestia asked, still feigning innocence.

“… It is not that We do not have Our eyes on somepony… We just do not know what to do in order to woo them…” Luna admitted, blushing. “And the last time We were around them… it did not end so well…”

“Well to be fair, you did leave, shall we say, a rather large impression…” Tia said, giggling, “But I believe that I know how you can make some headway in your pursuit of your crush. After all, Hearts and Hooves Day is just around the bend, and I'd be remiss if my sister were without a special somepony to spend the day with...”

“Truly?! Oh sister, that would be wonderful!” Luna cried out, leaping forward to give Tia a hug.

“Yes Lulu… but after I tell you my plan, you have to promise to go to bed.”

“Oh of course Tia!” Luna replied happily, a saccharin sweet grin plastered on her muzzle as she hugged her sister.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Somewhere in Equestria, a Griffin named Ironclaw, who was deathly allergic to adorableness, keeled over… but that was okay, since everyone that had ever met him agreed that he was a bit of a prick…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Meanwhile, in Ponyville:

“Okay! Okay! I give up!” Aurora screeched, flying out of the bell tower she had been hiding in, only to be found by Pinkie Pie… for the fifth time…

“Awwww… don’t be upset Rory…” Pinkie said, placing a hoof on her friend’s back reassuringly, failing to notice the fact that Aurora’s entire body tensed up at the physical contact. “I’m the champion at Hide and Seek, so it’s not like you really had a chance anyway!”

“Gee thanks…” the grey mare replied sarcastically. “Now, what was it you wanted to surprise me with Pinkie?”

“What? Who told you I had a surprise for you Rory?” Pinkie asked, looking genuinely shocked.

“I heard the twins talking about how you had a surprise for me… and I’m really tired, so please just cut to the chase and tell me what the surprise is…” Aurora answered wearily.

“Well I was going to take you to see a movie with me in the library basement… but if you’re tired, then I understand. You don’t look so good anyway Rory… have you been getting enough sleep? You kind of have that weird look Applejack did when she wouldn’t stop working for like, a week…” Pinkie replied, a look of concern replacing her usual happy-go-lucky grin.

Aurora blinked… Equestria had movies?

“What?” she asked dumbly.

“I said you look like Applejack after she didn’t sleep for like, a week.”

“No no, not that… What was in the basement of the library?”

“Uh… a movie?” Pinkie answered unsure.

“………you have movies?”

“Well duh. Sure, they’re not all that great… there was that ‘Dusk’ saga… but that wasn’t really a saga, just four really bad movies about some silly filly that couldn’t decide between being a werepony or a vampony… I hated it. If they’re gonna show a movie with vamponies, they absolutely should not have the blood sucking characters glow in the dark.” Pinkie answered, rambling on about how she preferred old school scary movies where the blood was made out of red food coloring and the villains had the style to pull off a fedora and striped sweater, over the newer kind that simply used way too much magic for the effects.

Aurora, for her part, overcame her shock relatively quickly, regaining her ability to talk somewhere between Pinkie’s analysis of Nightmare on Everfree Lane and her rant about the ridiculous concept of House of Glue.

“Pinkie!” Aurora half shouted, snapping her friend out of her rambling one sided conversation.

“Yes?” Pinkie responded, cocking he head to one side and looking at her friend quizzically.

“……I think I’d like to see a movie very much…”

“Whooo! Awesome!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping into the air and whooping it up. “Come on then Rory! We have to get there soon or Twilight will give our spot to somepony else! Luckily, I have a few options for us, so as long as we get there quickly, then you can pick out the movies and I’ll make the popcorn!”

As Aurora was dragged through town by her hyperactive friend, she couldn’t help but smile… Pinkie may be able to run a pony ragged in a heartbeat, but her enthusiasm and humor were infectious.

Meanwhile, Pinkie was running through possible ways in her mind to subtly tell Aurora that she liked her… Well, she was alternating between planning and arguing over which movie out of the Hayraiser series was the best…

….Well it’s never been said that Pinkie was a focused mare…

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“Never again…” Aurora groaned, walking back to the Apple Family Farm alone as dusk began to fall across the land.
Somehow, Pinkie Pie had managed to find a three part movie that took the better part of ten hours to finish… and almost made Aurora cry uncle and run out of the library basement… “Who the hay watches scary movies in a bucking basement anyway?! That's just asking for trouble! Especially with ponies walking around overhead while the killer was doing the same bucking thing on screen!”

She just kept shaking her head, trying to get the images of several main characters being skinned alive in one of the final scenes out of her memory.

“I swear, as soon as somepony invents eye bleach, I’m buying a gallon and carrying it with me whenever I watch one of Pinkie’s movies…”

As she continued to complain to the empty air around her, Aurora rounded the curve that led to the hill upon which the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres rested. There were even worn grooves in the dirt path where Applejack and Big Macintosh would haul the sales cart on market days. She was rounding the corner to go through the main gate, and imagining the delicious home cooked food waiting at the farm house, when she noticed something weird……

“Did AJ get a new applecart?” she asked, getting closer to the farm house and the strangely shaped object parked at the front steps.

Aurora’s brain kept working, trying to figure out why the dark shape on the path ahead was so familiar… finally, in a mental leap not unlike being tackled by a crashing Rainbow Dash, she realized why the cart was so familiar.

“Oh shit! What is Luna doing here?! This can’t be good!” she exclaimed, taking off and flying quickly to the front door, slamming the door open and seeing Applejack and Luna sitting on the couch, flanked by two Lunar Guards.

Applejack looked like she was about ready to start sweating bullets, and Luna didn’t exactly look comfortable either… but when they both noticed Aurora standing there in the door looking at them wild eyed, Luna at least seemed to relax a bit.

“Ahhh, so good of you to finally arrive.” Luna noted, smiling slightly and patting the couch cushion next to her with a hoof. “Come in Aurora, have a seat… I have an urgent matter I need to discuss with the two of you…”

Aurora sat down and started shifting in her seat uneasily, not much though, just enough for Luna to notice and frown slightly.

“Does my presence worry you?” the lunar diarch asked, doing her best to soften her voice.

“No Princess… I’m just…it’s nothing…” Aurora responded, looking at the floor.

“Hmmm… well, I do not believe you, but I will respect your privacy.” Luna said, trying to get the grey Pegasus to look up, but to no avail. “And please, call me Luna… you used to not have a problem with that…”

“Ya said there was somethin’ ya needed ta talk to us about, Princess Luna?” Applejack said, interrupting nervously.

“Yes. There is an issue of grave importance which I require your assistance in. Aurora, Applejack, I have been reflecting on the current state of Equestria. It has changed much in the time I was in exile, and while there is certainly nothing I can do to change the past, I can hope to alter the future for the better.” Luna said, standing up from the couch and beginning to pace back and forth on the hard wood floor of the farm house.

“What do you mean Luna?” Aurora asked, leaning forward expectantly, “You make it sound like some kind of disaster is coming to Equestria…”

“Neigh dear Aurora, it is not anything that is coming to the land… it is something from the past that must be fixed in order for Equestria to continue to flourish. I fear that if it is not amended swiftly, that it shall be the beginning of dark days for all…”

“What do ya need us ta do Princess?” Applejack asked, getting to her hooves and looking like she was ready to take on the entire Everfree, and the Badlands to boot.

“This ghost from the past is none other than me, honest Applejack… I have upon much this day, and realize that aside from my foray out on Nightmare Night, that I am essentially a relic from the past. If I continue to rule and interact with others as I did those thousand plus years ago, then it will only bring ruin to the land.” Luna replied, lowering her head, her ethereal mane hiding her face and a tearful tone of voice issuing forth from the ruler’s lips. Never before had either Applejack or Aurora witnessed the proud Alicorn in such a pitiable state.

“… What can we do to help?” Aurora asked, sidling up to Luna and wrapping a wing around the night Princess comfortingly.

Luna looked up, a tear in her eye and a smile on her muzzle as she looked at both the ponies before her.

“I need you two to help me put together a sleepover.”

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“Ah don’t care if she IS a Princess of Equestria. She had no right leadin’ us on like that!” Applejack griped as she and Aurora walked down the road to Ponyville in the dark. “Ah mean really! Actin’ like she’s in some kinda danger, or makin’ us thin she IS the danger… talkin’ about all sorts uh trouble comin’, and all she wanted was fer us ta put together a dang sleepover at tha farm!”

“Yeah AJ, I know…” Aurora agreed, keeping her distance from the irate farmer, “But come on. You have to admit she at least had a good excuse for wanting a sleepover as badly as she did… I mean, come on, you heard her back there… after she stopped laughing at the looks on our faces…”

“Yeah, Ah know…” the orange pony responded, making a face and trying at a poor imitation of Luna’s voice, “Ah’ve never had a sleepover, and Tia said that it’s important fer every young mare ta have one, and better late than never, and blah blah blah…”

“Don’t forget the part about us being the only friends she really considers close enough to even TRY and have a sleepover with.” Aurora chimed in, silencing Applejack’s grumbling. “I mean, imagine if you only had a small handful of friends after all the years she’s been around? It’s not like she can just make friends with ponies on the street. They’re either scared of her, or they’re too respectful to be honest about anything, or they’re after something.”

“………Ah guess that’s a pretty good reason… but she still coulda just outright told us. Ah mean, Ah’m glad she asked permission fer it ta be at the farm. But asking that kinda thing and then asking us ta go get the others so we could have the dang thing tonight?! She definitely needs some kinda lesson in social skills… maybe some kinda little book on manners too… Ah think Granny has one hid away somewhere ta threaten us if we start actin’ up…” AJ admitted, frowning at the ground.

At least Ah get ta spend some time with Aurora… She’s been actin’ real distant lately… wonder if she’s okay? Applejack though as they walked. Maybe Ah should just ask her?

“What’s on your mind AJ?” Aurora asked, speaking up before the farmer had a chance to figure out how to break the ice.

You...

“Nuthin’ much… just wonderin’ why Luna figures a sleepover’ll help get her up ta speed on makin’ friends… Sounds like Twilight when she went all crazy and hexed that doll.” Applejack replied, edging closer to the Pegasus, trying not to be too obvious about it.

“I guess everyone needs to start somewhere… I’m still not sure how I managed to get you all to be my friend… I didn’t exactly have a lot of close friends before I came here.” Aurora mused out loud, looking up at the stars overhead and zoning out as Applejack closed the distance and they walked past the outer edge of the town.

“Now how is it that a nice pony like you always sounds so upset about life when ya talk about where ya came from?” Applejack asked, her face only inches from Aurora’s, which was certainly enough to startle the grey mare out of her thoughts.

“I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Aurora stammered out, blushing and trying to back away from the orange Earth Pony, only to feel her side pressed against a building. Applejack had actually cornered her! BUCK!

“And yer blushin’ an awful lot… everything alright with ya sugarcube?” Applejack asked, oblivious to the fact that just being close to the orange mare was enough to send shivers up Aurora’s spine, causing her wings to start extending, the feathers ruffling.

“I-Ah-Uh………” she babbled, doing an excellent impression of a flustered Fluttershy, though a bit louder.

Applejack placed the side of her foreleg against Aurora’s cheek, dragging it down the Pegasus’ neck and frowning.

“Ya feel like yer burning up!” she exclaimed “Sugarcube, we gotta get ya some help… come on, climb on mah back, Ah’ll take ya back ta the farm.”

“No!” Aurora objected, leaping off the ground and feeling the cool night air as it caressed her coat, cooling her down almost instantly. “Really, Applejack… I’m fine… just do me a favor, please, just please don’t touch me…”

She hadn’t meant for her words to sting, but after hearing that the pony she liked didn’t want her nearby, Applejack was hard pressed to keep her spirits up. They ended up agreeing that since Aurora had wings, she’d be better suited to go get Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity, while Applejack would get Pinkie Pie and Twilight. As soon as Aurora was out of sight though, Applejack just sat down in the middle of the street and tried not to cry…

“Was it somethin’ Ah said? Did Ah do somethin’ wrong?” she asked, feeling a lone tear run down her muzzle. “Ah was
just worried about her… and she all but dang near took mah head off.”

You act kind of like that if somepony tells you you’re sick… Maybe she’s just as prideful as you are? Her inner voice suggested.

“Then why is she just now startin’ ta get ta act like this?”

Maybe it’s the spell? Remember, underneath that feminine physique is a stallion. And that can’t be feeling good… imagine being stuck in the wrong skin. I’ll bet that spell worked over her mind too, so right now she’s probably feeling a bunch of things that she can’t even figure out and that’s only making her act crazier.

“Ah’m a mare too! And Ah don’t have any of those goofy emotion thingies messin’ with mah head…”

You were just crying because the pony you have a crush on said they didn’t want you right in their face… if that isn’t over reacting, I don’t know what is.

“Shut up… ya don’t know nothin’! If she’s not feelin’ good, then come Tartarus or Parasprites, Ah’m gonna make sure she’s alright! And Ah can’t do that right now without looking like one of them control freaks ya hear about in the news… Ah just wish there were some way fer me ta at least ask her how she feels about me… least then Ah’d know where ta go from here…”

Well, you said you’d wait until after the spell wore off and she was back to her old self… but maybe this sleepover thing will give us a shot to at least try and get a bit closer to her.

“But what’s honestly gonna happen that me an’ her end up getting’ closer? Ah can’t try anything crazy like Rainbow, Ah know better than ta treat a pony like a piece of meat… And Ah ain’t got the style of Rarity… what do Ah even have ta offer?”

Well for one, you’re honest, so there’ll never be a shred of doubt about anything in her mind… and besides, you don’t need to work hard at appearances like Rarity because you’re already plenty strong. And besides, if you didn’t have any attractive features, why would so many ponies say you brighten up their day? And there was that time with Lotus…

“Alright, enough of that…” Applejack warned, getting up off the ground. “Ah ain’t gonna start feelin’ sorry fer mahself, and Ah ain’t about ta play psychiatrist with mahself either… Let’s just go get the other two and get back to tha farm…”

Why not go pick up Twilight first? If you go to Pinkie’s, you’ll probably just end up talking about Aurora, and that’ll turn into a competition, and then it’s all downhill. At least Twilight is a neutral party. Besides, she’s studying friendship, so she’s probably got something that can help us out.

“That’s actually a pretty good idea.” Applejack agreed, trotting off down the street towards the library, “Alright then, Twi’s it is!”

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Twilight was about to head upstairs to bed for the night, a relatively early night for her, when a sharp knock rang out from the door.

“Ughh… I swear, if this is anything less than the King of Prance, I’m just gonna close the door…” she mumbled, walking over and opening the door to see an out of breath Applejack.

“Oh! Hey there Applejack… what’s up?” Twilight greeted, surprised that her friend was here rather than at the farm house with Aurora. Over the last week, she had learned that the only places Aurora seemed to frequent were her work, the library, or the farm. And it wasn’t exactly a secret in the group that aside from Rainbow Dash and Rarity, Applejack was interested in their friend.

“Ah need yer advice Twi… Ah was walkin’ over here with Aurora ta come get ya fer a sleepover at the farm, and she started actin’ funny.” Applejack began, walking through the door and sitting on one of the reading cushions scattered around the room.

“Whoa whoa whoa… what about a sleepover?” Twilight questioned, her interest piqued, “And what do you mean by ‘acting weird’?”

“Ugh. Sorry Twi, mah brain’s kinda scrambled right now… let me start at the beginning…” Applejack said, apologizing and taking a breath to tell the purple unicorn about Luna coming over to the farm and trying to make small talk in that fancy Canterlot talk she does when she’s all flustered about somethin’, then she covered Aurora coming back to the farm, the awkward conversation with the Princess of the Night, and the subsequent griping and complaining that had happened on the road to town. Finally, she got the part about Aurora burning up to the touch and freaking out when Applejack tried to help. When she was done taking, Twilight looked like she was deep in thought about something or other.

“Well? Ya got any thoughts on what Ah can do?” Applejack asked, the silence weighing on her more than some of the manual labor on the farm did.

“Well… I think that it might just be a side effect of the spell… but there’s always the possibility that she might be trying to figure out her own feelings.” Twilight suggested.

“What do ya mean?”

“Well, for the moment at least, she’s completely biologically female… that means different hormones than what she lived with for her entire life up to this point. And it may just be that those hormones are in flux due to the spell starting to wear down as the month ends… But toss in the fact that she has you three chasing after her, and that may be confusing. I mean, we know that Orion was straight… but what if Aurora is too? And you three are pursuing her thinking only about what she’ll be like after the spell is gone, not what she’s like at the moment.”

“So yer sayin’ that fer the moment at least, we’re all barkin’ up the wrong tree?” Applejack surmised, frowning slightly.

“I’m just saying that it might be more prudent to either ask her flat out what she feels about the whole incident, or wait until she’s back to normal.”

“Well… that’s somethin’ Ah can live with at least. Now, are ya gonna come with me back ta the farm? Or do Ah gotta find Pinkie on mah own?”

“Neither!” Pinkie said, poking her head out of the basement with a goofy grin that made Twilight and Applejack jump. “Sorry for eavesdropping Applejack… but I was in the basement watching a monster movie marathon, and I kind of heard everything… well, actually, it was just that you said between the ‘squelchy’ sounds that those silly actors made when they were being eaten.”

“I thought that I kicked you out of the basement already Pinkie!” Twilight said, glaring at her friend, “How did you get back inside?”

“Twi… can we please just skip the argument where she leaves us all in the dust and nopony walks away knowin’ just what the hay she meant when she explained things from her point of view?” Applejack suggested, getting a happy nod from Pinkie as she bounced from the far doorway over to them.

“Ugh… fine… But Pinkie, I don’t want to catch you sneaking into the basement again, okay? What if Spike had walked in and saw some of those movies? I don’t care if he’s only a couple years younger than me, I don’t think they’re appropriate for him to see.”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Meanwhile, in the basement, a certain purple teenaged dragon had the horror movie he’d been watching with Pinkie Pie paused and was listening intently, trying to munch on a bag of obsidian quietly.

“She’s gonna be piiiiissed when she finds out where Pinkie gets all those movies from…” he said to himself, chuckling softly as he thought about all the extra gems he’d managed to get by trading movies to Pinkie. “Speaking of which, I gotta see if Film Reel can hook me up with some fresh stock…”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“Alright, now that we got that headache out of the way… Pinkie, do ya wanna come with me and Twi back to the farm fer a sleepover with Luna?” AJ asked, turning to her fellow Earth Pony.

“Sure Applejack! Just let me get my stuff from downstairs, and I’ll be right behind you gals!” Pinkie responded, zipping off back down to the basement, leaving Twilight and AJ shaking their heads.

“We better start walking then… no point in waiting to lock up anyway, she’ll just figure out a way to get out without using the door.” Twilight said, starting for the door, followed by her friend. “I swear, one of these days I’m going to run a scan and see if she has a unicorn horn inside her head or something…”

And so the pair walked back to the farm in silence. They were a bit worried when Pinkie Pie didn’t show up to walk with them, but their concern was short lived when they noticed an especially bouncy shadow waiting for them at the main gate to the farm.

“What took you girls so long?” Pinkie asked, smiling. If it weren’t for the fact that she said it with genuine curiosity, AJ and Twilight might have thought she was mocking them…

“Some of us can’t seem to bend reality to suit our needs…” Twilight said with a snarky tone of voice.

“Well then I should teach you two how to do it sometime… it’s really helpful if you have to go somewhere or find
somepony.” She replied, leaning in and grabbing them both by the back of their heads to pull them into an impromptu huddle. “Don’t tell anyone… but that’s how I always win at hide and seek…”

“Ya don’t say…” Applejack said, rolling her eyes and pulling her head out of Pinkie’s grip. “Now come on gals. Ah don’t wanna know what kinda trouble Applebloom’s gettin’ up to with the Princess here…”

With that, the trio went inside the farmhouse, and were greeted by a rather odd sight…… Aurora was wearing makeup!

“Well it’s about time you three showed up!” Dash commented, lounging on the couch, “Princess Luna already got the part of the book where we do makeovers.”

“Ah never woulda guessed…” AJ replied, walking forward and sitting on the ground next to Rarity, who was putting the final touches on Aurora’s eyeliner… and while Applejack wouldn’t bother with makeup most days… daaaaaang it looked good on Aurora…

“What do you think Applejack darling?” Rarity asked, leaning back form Aurora, who was blushing furiously underneath the blush Rarity had dabbed on her cheeks. “I was going for a bit of an elegant edge… rather like the manestyle… but I don’t know if they match completely…”

“It looks fine ta me Rarity…” Applejack responded, before realizing how uncomfortable Aurora looked, and remembering what Twilight had suggested back at the library, “But what do ya think about it Aurora?”

“It feels funny…” was all she said, doing her best yet again to imitate Fluttershy, who was watching from across the room and looking just a touch uncomfortable with the Lunar Guards still posted in the living room… and the large blue alicorn sitting next to her…

“So how long did it take ya ta round up these three?” Applejack asked, scooting over to sit next to the grey mare, who in turn leaned a bit closer to the apple farmer, though that may have just been to get away from Rarity’s makeup kit…

“Well… it wasn’t too bad. I went to Fluttershy’s house first and got her. I also saw Big Mac, so I was worried that I’d interrupted dinner, but they said they were just finishing up and were heading for the farm anyway.” Aurora said, staring into space as she recalled what she’d done after splitting up with Applejack. “So they walked here by themselves while I went to go get Rainbow Dash and Rarity.”

“Uh huh… and uh, Aurora, where’s mah brother now?” Applejack asked, gritting her teeth slightly.

“He’s upstairs in his room. Luna said this was a ‘mares only’ event, and that he wasn’t allowed to leave the upstairs unless he heard a fight breaking out.”

“Mhmm… well, that’s alright Ah suppose… So what happened next? Ah kinda ran inta Twi and Pinkie at the same place, so Ah had an easy job.”

“Well, it took a while to find Dash’s place, because she apparently moved it to be closer to the farm, but when I got there it sounded like she was working out or something…”

“Workin’ out?” Applejack questioned, quirking an eyebrow and looking at the couch to see a suddenly red faced Rainbow Dash. She might not be a Pegasus, but she knew full well that workout equipment wasn't in Dash's home, “Whatcha mean by that sugarcube?”

“Well, when I got there, I tried calling out her name, but she didn’t answer… so I went inside, and I heard these grunting noises and some gasping and some heavy breathing… And when I called her name inside, she kind of sounded out of breath, and she was all sweaty when she came down the stairs… so I told her about the sleepover, she said okay, and then we went over to Rarity’s house.”

“Ugh! Rainbow Dash! I hope you at least had the decency to fly through a cloud or something to wash off after doing something like that!” Rarity complained, shooting Rainbow a dirty look.

Unfortunately, Rainbow Dash was too busy trying to hide under her wings for her response to be heard, so Aurora had to explain…

“Well, before we got there, Dash asked if I could help her with something. I asked what she meant, and she said that it was something she didn’t get to finish before I showed up, and I guessed that she meant a shower, so I told her I knew what she meant. She just kind of sat there while I flew off and came back with a raincloud for her to use. She said thanks, I jumped on the cloud, and when she was done cleaning up we went to the boutique.” She explained, looking around at the various looks of anger, embarrassment, and surprise plastered on her friends faces. “And then we picked you up Rarity, and then we came back here… and why is everyone looking at me like that?”

“Don’t worry about it sugarcube.” AJ said, laughing and wrapping a hoof around her friend’s withers, “Just promise me ya’ll won’t ever change.”

“Uhhh… okay?”

“Well, now that everypony is here, I officially declare this sleepover OPEN!” Luna proclaimed, rising from her seat and unleashing the Royal Capslo- I mean, the Royal Canterlot Voice, upon the room, her horn flaring to life and materializing various piles of pillows around the room, a mountain of blankets, and what looked like a double king sized mattress on the floor.

“Why do I have a really bad feeling about this all of a sudden?” Aurora asked, whispering to Applejack.

“No idea sugar, but Ah got it too…”

Sleepover Shenanigans

View Online

Apple of My Eye- Ch. 22

Sleepover Shenanigans

AKA- It Is Late, I am Tired, and My Computer Keeps Dying.

After Luna officially opened the sleepover with a short lecture on the importance of establishing and strengthening the bonds of friendship, during which Twilight took notes like a madmare, Pinkie somehow managed to shove everypony but herself and Luna into the kitchen.

“Why are we in here again?” Aurora asked, looking through the doorway into the living room where Pinkie and Luna were huddled up.

“She said something about a game… still not sure why we aren’t getting any of the instructions though…” Dash commented, sneaking up behind Aurora and pulling her close with a wing. “So listen… about what happened back at my place… that wasn’t exactly exercise you heard…”

“Oh I know it wasn’t, Dash.” Aurora said, cutting her off and grinning mischievously, “I just thought it would be fun to tease you a bit.”

“Y-you know what I was doing?!” Rainbow exclaimed, blushing a deep crimson and resisting the urge to hide behind her wings.

“Well yeah. Anypony could have known you were preening.” She said simply, rolling her eyes, “Not sure why you’re so embarrassed by it though… also can’t figure out why you kept chanting ‘yes, yes, yes, oh Celestia that feels good…’ It hurt like crazy when Rarity helped clear out a few broken feathers from my wings last week.”

If Rainbow Dash had been red faced before, the color was now approaching a purplish hue.

“You let her do what?!” she exclaimed, her eyes growing wide with shock, before narrowing and turning to glare at a certain white coated Unicorn who was deep in conversation about something or other with Twilight.

Confused by the outburst, Aurora looked over at Applejack, who was sitting on the floor watching the awkward debacle unfold with an unreadable expression seated next to Fluttershy, who was blushing just as badly as Rainbow had been.

Applejack walked over, standing in front of Rainbow Dash and fixing her with a gaze that had been perfected after years of lookin after her little sister, and occasionally her older brother.

“Now Rainbow, let’s not start anything here… ya know Rarity wouldn’t take advantage of anypony, and Ah’m sure neither of them knows what that little ‘moment’ usually means… Well, Rarity probably knew… but Ah doubt she MEANT it like that… Let’s just ferget it fer now, and ya’ll can talk it out later. Remember, this is a sleepover fer Luna and ya’ll are friends, so play nice.”

Rainbow simply hmmph’d and sat down on the ground, leaving a very confused Aurora out in the cold. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear that Rainbow was jealous about something… but what was there to be jealous of?

“Alrighty ponies!” Pinkie said, bouncing over, “Pick your hooves up and get over here double time! We’re gonna play Dodgepillow!”

“Dodge-what now?” Applejack asked, stepping into the living room to see that the usually cozy living space had been magically redecorated… and expanded?

“The hay happened ta mah living room?!” Applejack exclaimed, stepping into the room.

“Wow… Hey Pinkie, I don’t know if it was you or Luna that did this, but can I get you guys to do this with Spike’s room in the Library?” Twilight asked, looking at the new addition to the Apple Family Home.

“I agree with Twilight… I’d love it if one of you could make my fabric room a bit larger…” Rarity said, following her fellow Unicorn into the arena like room. The walls had somehow been expanded to fit a space at least four times larger than what the living room had originally encompassed. The lack of furniture only served to make the room feel like a gymnasium. The only odd thing was a red stripe across the middle of the room and the mountain of various pillows pushed to one side.

“How the buck are the two of ya goin’ on about this like it’s normal!?” Applejack exclaimed, grabbing onto Aurora for support as she tried not to completely lose it.

“Uhhh… AJ, not to be rude… but this is Pinkie and Luna. One’s an Alicorn Princess, and the other’s Pinkie… are you really surprised?” Aurora pointed out, walking into the room and sitting near the wall halfway between the AJ and Rainbow in the Kitchen, and the rest of the group.

“Come on AJ.” Rainbow growled, pushing her orange friend forward into the room. “I heard something about Dodgepillow, and I’ve got a score to settle with a certain Unicorn...”

As everypony gathered on the red line, with Luna pacing up and down the line like a drill sergeant, an all important revelation settled on the group of friends… This would NOT be a normal slumber party…

“Now then, Pinkie Pie has informed me that there is a necessity for games and other fun things in order for a slumber party to be complete. Therefore, if I could have Twilight Sparkle stand with me…” Luna instructed, prompting the purple Unicorn to scramble over to the Moon Princess’s side. “The first item for this evening will be a rousing game of Dodge Pillow, as suggested by Pinkie Pie. This will be followed by an event of another pony’s choosing. Everyone will have a say in tonight, and noise is not a problem and any damage will be fixed before daybreak, so be at ease Applejack.”

“Dibs on the first activity!” Rainbow exclaimed, waving a hoof in the air frantically.

“The first activity is already Pinkie Pie’s…” Luna reminded her, smiling kindly, “But your enthusiasm certainly makes you an excellent choice for a team captain. Who else would like to lead a team?”

“I’ve never been a team captain…” Aurora mused out loud, stepping forward, “Can I be the other captain?” she asked,
smiling at Luna.

“Of course you can Aurora…”Luna said, nuzzling the grey Pegasus and winking conspiratorially at Rainbow, AJ,
and Rarity behind her back. All three seemed to have various looks of jealousy or embarrassment.

“Alright alright…” Rainbow said, breaking up the awkward moment between the Princess and Aurora, “Let’s get started. This is just Dodgeball with pillows right?”

“Not exactly… Pinkie Pie, will you please do the honors of explaining the game to the others?” Luna said, stepping to the side and allowing the pink Earth Pony to bounce to the center of the room.

Once she had everyone’s attention, Pinkie stood on her hind hooves and pulled a chart seemingly out of thin air, staring down the rest of the group with what can only be described as a ‘war face’… complete with riding crop at her side and a four star general’s helmet pulled from Celestia knows where…

“Alright you Fillies, listen up and listen up good!” she barked, smacking the paper with the crop on the paper diagram. “The name of the game is Dodgepillow. As some of you might have guessed, it’s like Dodgeball, but there’s one big difference… It isn’t Dodgeball!”

Around this point, everypony but Twilight was either rolling their eyes or trying not to laugh. Twilight was too busy taking notes of the chart behind General Pinkie.

“Now, there are two teams, we’ll call them team Red, and team Blue. And in case it wasn’t clear enough already, it will be Red vs. Blue. The aim of the game is to hit everypony on the other team with pillows until your team wins! Pegasus and Unicorn ponies have to be hit by a pillow three times to be out. You can use magic if you’re a Unicorn, but no shields. And Pegasus players can do aerial raids on the opposing team. Earth Ponies have to be hit five times rather than three for them to be out. Princess Luna will be the referee, and one of you may choose to sit out. Be warned, if you cross the line and you’re not a Pegasus, you have to stand still while the other team line up to gets a free shot at you. Forts are allowed, but you have to have at least one player out in the line of fire at all times. Any questions?”

Fluttershy raised her hoof, prompting Pinkie to nod at her.

“W-would it be okay with everypony if I just sat this game out?”

Since nopony objected, she walked over to sit by Princess Luna.

“Alrighty then, since there’s no more questions, let’s get this game a goin’ girls!” Pinkie exclaimed, tossing off her four star helmet and zipping back over to the line with the rest of the group.

“Uhhh… okay then…” Aurora said, looking at Dash and gesturing with a hoof, “I guess you pick first?”

“Applejack.” Rainbow said without hesitation.

“Pinkie Pie.” Aurora said, amazed that Dash would give up the chance for a player that defied logic and apparently physics…

“Twilight.” Dash said, glaring at Rarity, the angry look zooming right over her head.

“I guess you’re on our team then Rarity.” Aurora said kindly, looking at Pinkie once the teams had been divided up. “So how do we decide team colors then Pinkie?”

“Like this silly…” Pinkie said, winking and yanking on a chain that Aurora could have sworn wasn’t there before. As soon as the chain was pulled, each team was coated in what Aurora really hoped was water…

No such luck. As the shriek from Rarity would indicate, this was definitely not water covering her from head to hoof… But it was certainly wet…

“Pinkie…” Aurora said, trying to remain calm, but still keeping her eyes closed. “What am I gonna see if I open my eyes?”

“Well, you’d see that you, Rarity, and I are on the blue team.” Pinkie said innocently, as the others got over their shock.

Opening her eyes, Aurora saw that she and the other two were indeed on the blue team… the only reason she knew this was the fact that next to her were two pony shaped blobs of blue paint… She stretched out her wings and felt the goop spread from her sides down to the fur that her wings were covered in.

“Pinkie Pie… Why are we covered in paint?” Aurora asked calmly. She had to admit, despite the panic attacks, her run-ins with Pinkie’s Party Cannon had gotten her used to being covered in less than ideal substances…

“Well, I wanted everypony to know the team they were on and I wanted it to be a surprise… besides, this way, we can see if anypony’s hit!”

The once rather upset teams were now looking at each other perplexed and thinking the same thing.

That actually makes some sense…

“Pinkie Pie… I will forgive your…… rather over the top method for the moment, if for no other reason than the fact that I know a spell or two for quick cleanups.” Rarity said, her expression shifting instantly and somehow managing to show raw anger through the paint, “But if you ever dump paint on me so help me Luna I will bribe the Cakes to withhold any sweets from you for a month!”

Pinkie nodded her head in shock at the sugar based threat, and looked over at Luna, who had been on the sideline trying not to hit the floor laughing.

“O-Okay then my little ponies… time for the battle to commence! Each team, to your sides, construct your fort, and begin the game at the sound of the Royal Canterlot Whistle!” Luna instructed, building a wall of light between the two teams so that they couldn’t see what the other was doing in terms of preparation.

After ten minutes of pillow fort building, coordinated by Rarity, Luna pulled out a megaphone, dropping the wall and blasting everypony with what can only be described as auditory warfare.

“LET THE GAMES BEGIN!”

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( . .) Page break bunny says Hi!
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War… war is hay… you spend your days in a dug out trench, hoping that the next fly by doesn’t have a bomb with your name on it… you can’t so much as stick your head over the top without being shot at, and your partner is a real help, whining about every single thing and not even trying to fight back with you… the only real help to your side is yourself, the fly-girl for your side, and the fact that the other side can’t seem to aim worth a hill of jelly beans… Speaking of which, here comes the fly-girl now… uh oh… looks like she got winged on this last blitz…

“Ace! You alright girl?” you call, rushing to the only other competent fighter on your side.

“Commander…” the useless one whined, “What do we do? We’ll be in big trouble if we don’t have anyone out there soon…”

“Then get your pale butt out there and make yourself useful!” you bark back, shoving some ammo into their arms and kicking them out into the field of combat. She might be useless right now, but let’s see how the enemy likes it when she’s focused by anger.

“Hey Private!” you shout over the top of the bunker, “Ace said that the other teams flyer thinks that your taste in fashion is three seasons out of date!”

“What?!” she exclaims, turning her glare to the skies, the shadow of the enemy falling over the ground as the Private locks and loads.

“I’ll DESTROY HER!” Private yells, firing off a series of quick shots that, unbelievably, hits their mark!

But before there’s a chance to celebrate, the Red’s flyer manages to not only get a shot off at the Private, hitting her right between the eyes and downing her, but the idiot aims the crash landing right at our bunker!

“Crud!” you yell, grabbing Ace around the middle and bolting from out of the shelter, “Come on Ace, you’re still in this, and now they’re one flyer down. We need you to help us out here!”

“I- I can’t do it… they clipped my wings good…” she says, wincing in pain and looking over at the Private, dodging the enemies fire and screaming for help. “Leave me here and go help her out!”

It’s all I can do not to tear up at the act of valor. I settle for nodding and rushing over, opening fire on the enemy gunners.
The one in the Stetson is dangerous, but not nearly as much as the one with the book next to her. Stetson Red has a ridiculous amount of firepower, but no aim, Book Red aims true, but the shots are slow, and as long as you stay alert, you can usually avoid them. No telling what kind of damage they’ll do to us if they try working together…

“Get down Private!” I shout, shoving the whiney one’s head down to the ground just in time to dodge a shot from Stetson that would have gotten her square in the chest.

Unfortunately, the time it took me to shove Private out of the line of fire was exactly the amount of time it took Book to get a shot off at me, clipping my leg.

I go down hard, a sitting duck as Private runs back to the ruined bunker, attempting to hide behind any cover she can find. I swear, I’ll see her court-martialed for cowardice if I get out of this alive…

I catch a bit of movement out of the corner of my eye, it’s Stetson. She’s left the Red bunker and is rushing up the battlefield right at me! Crud! I’m a sitting duck, and even if she’s taken a couple shots already, she’s still dangerous!

I look back and see Ace just now starting to get up, her stillness saving her as the other side seems to not deem her a threat. Me however, they’ve seen what I can do. I kept them all hunkered down in that shelter of theirs for awhile after this whole conflict started. Plus, Stetson has it out for me after I nailed her with a couple shots early on.

Speak of the devil, Stetson is right there, a mere yard away and smiling like she’s already won… I know it’s over as she grabs some ammo up off the battlefield, leftovers from Private’s weak attempts at an assault. She levels her weapon at me and I brace for what comes next… I know I won’t last long.

“It’s over…” she says, “And you’ve had this comin’ fer awhile now…”

“Just make it quick…” I shoot back weakly, “I know we’re gonna lose, but at least make it quick for us… Ace doesn’t deserve to suffer anymore, and Private’s just useless… better to put her out of her misery soon…”

“Who are you calling useless?” a voice asks from behind me, an all too familiar whiney voice sounding out from behind a small shield, protecting her from the stray shot by Book Red. Private winks at me, firing off two quick rounds that slam into Stetson… I could almost hug Private at this point… but unfortunately, in the time it takes her two shots to hit the enemy, they’ve already launched a volley back that puts Private down for good. I close my eyes as I hear her last cries ring out before she hits the ground and Stetson levels her gaze at me.

“I’ll give ya this much… ya’ll don’t know when ta quit…” she says, “Now, I was sayin’ I gotta score ta settle with ya…”

“Yeah… But at least we got one of yours.” I say, grinning as she fires off two quick shots, each one slamming into me as I fall into blackness…

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“Pinkie Pie! That is three hits, please leave the court now!” Luna cried out, the instructions prompting a metal helmet wearing pink head to pop out of a pile of pillows.

“Awww… I was just getting to the good part!” she whined, walking off the court where Aurora was left hiding behind a clump of pillows and rubbing her bruised wing. One of Applejack’s shots had somehow managed to get air born, and had clipped the sensitive appendage at almost full apple bucking force.

“Ya alright over there Aurora?” Applejack asked, her and Twilights assault stopping while they checked on the one
remaining Blue Team member.

“Yeah… I’m fine girls… just give me a moment…” Aurora replied, laughing slightly, “And Twi, sorry about hitting you in the horn earlier. I was aiming for your face!”

“Ha ha, very funny Aurora, Now poke your head over those pillows so I can get a clear shot at you.” Twilight responded sarcastically, readying a veritable barrage of pillows behind her, ready to launch at a moment’s notice.

“Hey Luna, what’s the score so far?” Pinkie asked, “I know me, Rarity, and Rainbow are out, but how many hits for those two?”

“Twilight Sparkle has two more hits before she is out, as does Aurora. Applejack however, is on her last point. Rarity’s little barrage and whatever it was you did that flooded the Red team with pillows at the beginning really did some damage.” Luna replied calmly. “As it stands now, Red team has the advantage, but if Aurora can get off a quick shot at Applejack, she can tie the game up.”

“Ya hear that Aurora!” Pinkie hollered, “Nail Applejack and you could still win this for us!”

“Do what now?!” Applejack replied, blushing and stamping over near the sidelines, “Now look here, Ah ain’t gonna do nothin’ with nopony unless we’re rightly courtin’! And Ah don’t care what kinda gossip yer hearin’ but Ah-”
Her tirade was cut off however, by a pillow slamming into her flank, causing her to jump.

“Sorry AJ!” Aurora called out, looking sincerely apologetic, “But your back was turned, and I could actually take that shot without Twilight unleashing that pillow tsunami on me.”

“Don’t worry about it sugarcube!” Applejack replied, blushing and leaving the court embarrassed, “Just have fun out there and look out fer Twi’s sneak attacks!”

“Sneak what now’s?” Aurora asked, poking her head over the cushion mound in confusion, only to have no less than ten pillows bury her as Twilight released her grip on them from their position hanging overhead.

“….That.” Applejack said, laughing and trying to cover her blush with her hat as Twilight started cheering that she’d won.

“So did everypony have fun?” Luna asked, smiling at the group as Rarity cleaned the paint off of everyone.
There was a chorus of Yes’s, and one No from Rainbow Dash.

“What’s wrong Rainbow?” Aurora asked, looking at her friend worriedly.

“I wanted to nail Rarity at least once, and she took me down midflight! How is that okay?”

“Oh please Rainbow. I don’t know why you were gunning for me in the first place, and it was a game after all. You can’t win them all you know.”

“She’s right Dash, an’ Ah don’t think it was real sports mare like of ya ta go aimin’ fer their fort when ya crash landed just cuz ya got hit midair.” Applejack admonished.

Rainbow continued to pout, eventually mumbling something along the lines of “Still totally not cool…”

“Well, except for miss Grumpy Goat here, I think that went great Princess Luna!” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling the entire group, Alicorn and all, into a hug, “So what are we gonna do now?”

“Truth or Dare!” Rainbow shouted out, breaking away from the hug and hovering a couple feet off the ground, “And I dare Rarity to go roll around in a mud puddle outside!”

“Simmer down now girl…” Applejack said, yanking Rainbow back down to the ground. “We ain’t doin’ Truth or Dare again. And will ya just talk yer issues with Rarity out already?”

“Yes darling, I’d love to know what I’ve done to upset you so much…” Rarity said, stepping forward.

Dash thought about it for a minute or two with everyone watching her, finally nodding in consent and walking into the kitchen, holding the door open and gesturing for Rarity to follow.

Once they were alone, Dash rounded on Rarity like a cop interrogating a serial killer.

“Alright, you know what you did.” She hissed, trying to keep her voice down, in case anypony was eavesdropping. “So drop the innocent act already and let’s settle this like mares.”

“Darling, I assure you, if I knew what I’d done, I’d be apologizing for it profusely. Please… just tell me what happened…” she replied, looking shocked and more than a little worried.

“You bucking preened Aurora!” she growled, her glare now set from ‘Stun’ to ‘Kill’ “You know what that means for a Pegasus, and you bucking did it to her anyway! You know how I feel about her, and you took advantage of her like she’s nothing more than just some gem for you to collect!”

“Rainbow!” Rarity exclaimed, cutting her off mid tirade, “I assure you, I don’t know what preening means for a Pegasus other than removing some old and broken feathers. If it means something more, I’m sorry. I’m a Unicorn dear; most of us don’t really know what kinds of meanings go along with Pegasus or even some Earth Pony actions mean. Why is it such a bad thing for me to help Aurora stay safe? If she’d tried flying with those feathers, they would have not only thrown off her flight path, they might have scratched up her wing and seriously hurt her…”

Rainbow took this new information in stride, retreating a little bit from her anger, though still nursing a bit of jealousy and resentment.

“Did you at least keep the feathers for her?” she asked simply.

“Well, no… they were rather mangled, and she never asked for them.”

“Did you help her stretch her wings out beforehand?”

“No…”

“Did you have any cool rags on hand for after the feathers were removed?”

“…No…”

“Then did you do ANYTHING that might have helped lessen the pain for her?

“I… I suppose not… But Rainbow, it’s not like I knew what I was doing beyond the basics…” Rarity said, looking dejectedly at her cerulean friend.

“What you did is you hurt her!” Dash exclaimed, her anger back, “You meant well Rarity, I get that, but you hurt her! When we preen, those feathers are still attached to nerves usually. If you don’t properly prepare for them getting removed, then you can do more harm than good by taking them out. And you threw them away! Do you know what a Pegasus does with their feathers when they’re plucked? We keep them! They’re special to us. They’re the one piece of us that stays around forever…”

“Dash… I-I’m sorry… I didn’t know…” Rarity said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m so sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize to me Rarity…” Rainbow said, her anger slipping away at seeing the regret in her friend’s eyes. “You hurt her. I can’t just let that go… not right now… we’re still friends, and I don’t think she realizes what you did… it’s funny, but I get the feeling that she’s not like other Pegasi. Even if she came from another land, there should be some things she would know that she doesn’t…… She’s vulnerable… and I want to help protect her…”

“Rainbow… that sounds like a beautiful sentiment… I thought you were pursuing her simply because of her popularity… but you genuinely care about her, don’t you?” Rarity said softly, pulling her friend into a hug. “I have to admit, between the three of us, you and Applejack have the purest of intentions. And I simply cannot allow myself to be a hindrance to either of you. I am sad that I’m giving up my shot at a future with her, but I am happy to see that one of the ponies who might make her life brighter cares so deeply for her…”

“I don’t need your approval…” Rainbow said, trying not to tear up herself, “I’d have beaten you anyway…”

“Oh hush now, we’re having a moment…” Rarity chided, chuckling and wiping away a tear as the two friends came to a silent understanding.

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“What do you think they’re talking about in there?” Pinkie Pie asked, being careful not to move as Twilight worked a brush through her wildly curly mane.

“There’s no telling really…” Aurora noted, struggling to find ANY knots in Fluttershy’s mane that she could brush out, and instead settling for going through the motions and hoping it felt relaxing.

“A better question is this…” Applejack said, frowning slightly, “Who suggested a brushing circle, and how the hay did I agree to it?”

“It is a feature of slumber parties that I read about in one Twilight Sparkle’s books.” Luna explained working on Applejack’s mane, “And since such things were not ‘Proper’ before my banishment, I thought it might be fun.”

“I’m still worried about those two…” Twilight noted, glancing at the kitchen door from her seat on the newly restored living room, “I heard some yelling in there a few minutes ago, then things got quiet…”

“I think that I heard them mention wings a couple times…” Fluttershy added, still trying to figure out how to use the brush on Luna’s constantly shifting mane.

Their questions were soon answered, however, when the kitchen door opened to reveal the two ponies in question laughing about something or other as they walked into the room.

“Hey Dash.” Aurora greeted, “Everything alright?”

“Huh? Yeah, of course it is.” Rainbow answered, blushing slightly and trying to look away nonchalantly, “Just, you know, stuff coming up, and I wanted to talk to Rarity about it…”

“Yes, there was a thing… and I offered my advice…” Rarity supplied, avoiding eye contact.

“Well if it weren’t nothin’ big, why don’t ya share with the group?” Applejack suggested, suspicious of the two mares and eager for an excuse to get out of the brushing circle.

“Mmmm… Nah! I’ll let you girls figure it out when the time comes…” Rainbow replied, winking at them and joining in the
brushing circle, landing between Pinkie and Aurora, with Rarity sitting between Fluttershy and Luna.

They all sat in silence for awhile, each one lost in their own thoughts, before the silence was broken by Aurora gasping in a way that would have made a surprised Pinkie Pie proud.

“Ijusthadthebestideaever!” she exclaimed, jumping up and running upstairs, zipping back down moments later holding something in one hoof.

“What was that little outburst about?” Luna asked, standing up and walking over to see what Aurora had brought back down with her, smiling when she recognized what was in her friend’s grip. “I was beginning to wonder if you liked that crystal.”

“Oh yeah Luna, I love this little guy. Never needs a recharge, always knows what I want to listen to… I found out the other day that if you hook it up to a speaker or something, it will read the mood of the room and play a song for everyone to enjoy.”

“Odd… I don’t recall asking Cadence for that feature when I got you that gift…” Luna mused out loud, “Oh well, one of the suggestions in the book was music and games, so why not play something for us all to enjoy, and let us figure out a new game to play.”

“You got it Lulu.” Aurora said, smiling before realizing something very important. “Uhhh…. Can you magic up some speakers? Nothing too big, but, you know, something bigger than my headphones…”

“Of course!” Luna replied, grinning from the thought of music yet to come, and also from the pet name Aurora used for her.

In no time at all, a small pair of speakers had appeared on the floor in the center of the group, and Aurora had hooked up the crystal.

“Alright girls… if this works like it did before, it’ll read the mood of everypony, and we’re gonna have a song for everyone to enjoy.”

After a few moments of silence, the speakers started blaring an all too familiar SONG.

“………Well I mean, it’s nice and all… but what kind of mood is it reading from everyone that it’s playing a song like that?” Twilight asked, looking around. Everypony except for Pinkie Pie and Herself was too busy blushing or looking mortified to respond, and she was pretty sure that Pinkie didn’t hear her because she was too busy dancing.

“Who cares Twilight?” Pinkie exclaimed, spinning on one hoof, “It’s catchy!”

“I’m sorry you guys had to hear that…” Aurora said, hastily unplugging the crystal, “That’s actually a really annoying joke where I come from… It’s a good song, but I can’t hear that without freaking out a little… I’ll go hide this away now…”

After Aurora left the room with the crystal, most of the awkward feelings seemed to dissipate and the girls seemed to return to their normal selves.

“Well… that was certainly… interesting…” Rarity noted, forcing a smile. “What does everypony think about another famous sleepover game?”

“What game do you mean?” Luna asked, her interest visibly piqued.

“I’m talking about a little game I used to play with my old schoolmates… all we need an empty bottle of some kind. Applejack, I believe you have a stash of them in the basement, do you not?”

“Ah do… but what’re ya gonna do with it?” she replied.

“You’ll see. Can you please go get one of the long skinny ones?”

“Ah suppose Ah could…” Applejack answered, getting up from her spot in the circle and walking over to the basement door in the kitchen.

“Alright, and where is Aurora? I mean really, how long does it take for a mare to put a silly little music crystal away and come back? Princess Luna, Rainbow, could you please go get our missing friend and bring her back?” Rarity continued, smiling kindly at the Lunar Princess and the weather manager. The two of them nodding slowly before going up the steps to Aurora’s room.

“Rarity… what’s going on?” Twilight asked, “I don’t think it takes two ponies to go get one from her room right upstairs…”

“I know darling, but this way, those three are out of the room, and I can talk to you three in private.” Rarity answered quickly, her voice dropping to a low hiss as she leaned in conspiratorially. “Now, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, I believe you both know this, but Aurora has managed to attract the attentions of not only Rainbow Dash and Applejack, but I suspect Princess Luna as well… Twilight dear, I am not saying this as a slight on you, but I do know that you are not always the keenest on picking up relationship signals.”

Twilight looked less than pleased with the unintentional slight, but she couldn’t fault the logic behind it…

“So what do you need to talk to us about?” she asked, “And I know I’m not the best at noticing things like that, but I thought you had a thing for Aurora as well…”

“Well I do, but I’ve decided that I simply cannot compete with those three. I mean, if you knew the reasons for Rainbow Dash alone, you’d think it were a story right out of the Romance section of your home Twilight. As for Luna, Aurora is the first truly close friend I believe she’s had in a millennia, and Applejack rarely gets this protective of anypony, and given her work ethic, I find it unlikely that she’ll find another pony she feels this way about anytime soon…”

Pinkie pie and Fluttershy nodded, as if understanding the situation perfectly. Twilight still looked a little unsure, but nodded for Rarity to continue as well.

“Now, what I am proposing is a game of Spin the Bottle. I’m sure you all know that I am a bit of a romantic when it comes to the idea of fate, and I’d like to see which one of our three suitors the Universe sees fit to pair Aurora with. What I need you girls to help with, is to make sure that Aurora doesn’t try and run away.” Rarity explained seriously, “I’m sure we’ve all seen or heard about how skittish she can be when she’s not being oblivious. Especially as of late, she’s been running away from anything having to do with physical contact. So I need you three to help me hold her in place when she’s spun. And to promise that if any of us spins her, we’ll take the non kissing option.”

The other three members of the secret meeting all nodded their agreement, though Twilight and Fluttershy looked a little hesitant.

“Are you sure this is a good idea though Rarity? I mean, what if we hurt Aurora’s feelings by doing this?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, I promise you this, if I thought there was even the slightest chance that this would hurt Aurora, I would never have suggested it. For starters, the game is set up so that whomever is spun can be either kissed or asked a question. The spinner chooses, so it will ultimately be up to those three to muster up the courage and go for the kiss. As for Aurora, if she manages to spin the one that she likes, it will be quite obvious, and no harm will be done.”

“Well… alright… I just hope this works out as well as you think…” Twilight finally conceded, her voice a little more sure this time as she agreed to help. After all, that was what friends did for each other, right? They gave each other the push they sometimes needed to be happy…

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Applejack couldn’t be sure… but she was fairly certain that something was up when she came back upstairs with the empty bottle between her teeth. For one thing, Dash, Aurora, and Luna were all out of the room, and Rarity was whispering something to the other three hastily, stopping abruptly when she walked back into the room.

“Oh good! Applejack’s here!” Rarity exclaimed, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary, “Now if only those other two would hurry up in collecting Aurora, we could start playing.”

“Uh huh… Care ta share what ya’ll were talkin’ about before I showed up?” She asked calmly, always one to give others a chance to do the right thing.

“Whatever do you mean darling? We were just discussing the rules for the game… you know, to save time once everypony is seated…” Rarity said, clearly hiding something.

Oh well, she’d drop it for now… after all, she knew where Rarity was sleeping tonight… and there was no way the Unicorn was going to leave without spilling the beans… for now, she’d be patient.

Applejack’s silent appraisal of her friend’s ability to hide secrets away was interrupted by a loud thud coming from upstairs. Concerned, Applejack ran up the steps to see Luna and Rainbow Dash sprawled on the ground in a two pony pileup outside the bathroom door. It would be funny if it weren’t so worrying… weren’t they supposed to be getting Aurora?

“What are you two doin’ out here?” she asked bluntly, “And where’s Aurora?”

“Wazzat?” Dash asked, shaking her head, “Sorry, that mare’s got a hay of a strong kick when you catch her off guard…”

“Indeed… We may have accidentally barged in on Aurora, and were rather forcibly expelled as a result…” Luna admitted blushing. “I should take the blame for it though… I heard her crying in the lavatory and tried to comfort her as best I knew how.”

“Yeah, next time you want to try that Princess, I don’t suggest throwing the door open and scaring the poor mare half to death. What I’d love to know is why I’M the one that got bucked….”

“Didja try an’ get in between the two of em ta stop Luna?” AJ guessed, her ears picking up small hiccups from inside the Restroom, as if someone had just finished having a good cry.

“Yeah…” Dash responded, her ears perking up at the hiccupping sound as well.

“Then I would venture a guess that the blow was meant for whoever was in the way, not specifically any one pony Rainbow Dash.” Luna said bashfully. “On the other hoof, you were bowled into me, so I believe we both came out a little less than spectacular on that front…”

“Well, why don’t ya both just go on downstairs, Ah know how ta handle a cryin’ pony…” Applejack said, gesturing back to the staircase with a hoof and walking closer to the bathroom door. “Aurora? Sugarcube? Ya alright in there? It’s me, AJ, is it alright if Ah come in?”

“Go away… please… I’ll be down in a while… just leave me alone for right now…” Aurora said through the door.

“Sugarcube, if this is about that song, it’s alright… nopony had a problem with it, really. Or is it somethin’ else eatin’ at ya?”

“It… it’s just… never mind…” Aurora said, opening the door, her short hair somehow managing to obscure her eyes, and making it that much more difficult for Applejack to tell what was on her mind. “We should get back to the group…” she said, walking down the steps, leaving Applejack standing glued in place…

She hated seeing Aurora like this… the poor mare didn’t deserve whatever was making her feel upset, and it just didn’t sit right with AJ that she couldn’t do anything to help… Even if she tried getting closer to her, Aurora had a certain sense of pride that kept her from asking for help… It was a trait that Applejack knew well. But it made her want to help her that much more… She wanted to be there for Aurora, to make her smile… And she wanted to protect her too… not like she wanted to protect Applebloom, or even how she would come to the defense of her friends… this was an emotion she hadn’t felt before… she didn’t rightly know what to even call the dang thing… she just knew that seeing Aurora hurting like this just burned her up inside, and she knew that she’d do anything to see her happy again…

Unfortunately, her moment of silent reflection was interrupted by a certain weather pony practically materializing right in front of AJ’s muzzle.

“GAH! Dangit Rainbow!” Applejack exclaimed, scrabbling backwards at the surprise appearance.

“What’d you say to Aurora? She’s downstairs acting all weird.” Rainbow asked bluntly, “Did you do something to her?”

“What?! No!” AJ replied, frowning, “Look, she wouldn’t tell me anything either. She just came out a the bathroom, lookin’ pathetic an tryin’ ta hide it, an she went downstairs before Ah could really try and figure anything out. Ah think she just needs some space fer now Rainbow, so let’s back off a little alright?”

“Fine… but I’m still worried about her… I mean, what if it’s something serious?”

“Then we trust her ta ask fer help.” Applejack answered sagely, “Ya can take a cow ta the water trough, but ya can’t make em drink Dash… Besides, even if we both care about Aurora like that, an don’t think Ah don’t care about her like you do, then we gotta also give her whatever space she might need…”

“Huh… you ever thought about writing a self help book for couples?” Dash asked, mulling over her friends words.

“If Ah ever do, Ah’ll sell it to ya fer a discount.” AJ said, smirking and heading for the stairs, “Now come on, we got a groups of friends down there, and Ah got a certain Grey Pegasus ta cheer up so Ah can try an make a move…”

“What? Like hay!” Dash retorted, flying over AJ’s head to try and beat her down the stairs. “There’s no way I’m gonna lose her to you AJ, you’d be working too much to be there for her.”

“Better than lettin’ her go out with the fastest mare in Equestria. How long ya think THAT relationship would last?” AJ shot back, causing Dash to blush at the innuendo, and distracting her long enough to fly into the wall. This allowed enough time for AJ to jump over her friend and reach the living room first, a quietly cussing prismatic mare following right behind the farmer.

“Well, now that everypony’s here, allow me to explain what we’re going to do now. The name of the game is Spin the Bottle, some of you might know how to play already, but we’ll go over the rules to be fair.” Rarity said, taking control of the group.
Aurora was flanked on either side by Rainbow Dash and Applejack, each taking turns looking at the grey mare hoping to see some kind of change. All they got for their troubles was several glimpses of an emotionless mask for a face. Whatever had been bothering her was either so bad that she just shut down and was going through the motions, or she was simply ignoring everything to maintain her composure.

“Eh hem…” Rarity said, clearing her throat and glaring at her friends, “If you two are done staring at Aurora, perhaps we can focus on the item at hand. Now, the basic rules of Spin the Bottle are simple, we take turns spinning the bottle, and whomever it lands on is the other pony involved in the turn. Now, usually one plays that whoever is spun has to be kissed by the spinner, but for our game, there is another option. The spinner can choose to kiss their partner, or ask them a question. There are no skips. If you don’t wish to answer the question that was asked, you have to supply an embarrassing story or fact about yourself.”

“That…. Sounds interesting?” Fluttershy commented. “Umm… are we really not allowed to skip any of them?”

“No.”

“Oh…. Oh dear…”

“Aw, relax Flutters!” Pinkie said, smiling and patting her friend on the head, getting an irritated scowl from the nature loving mare for her trouble. “If it comes down to it, just tell us something that you and Big Mac have done.”

“I-I-I-I d-don’t think th-that’s a g-good idea P-P-Pinkie…” she replied, blushing furiously.

“Can we begin the game already?” Luna asked, “I feel as if this is taking too long to begin such a simple game…”

“Of course Princess Luna.” Rarity answered, levitating the bottle to the center. “In fact, you may have the first spin, since you weren’t able to participate in the last game, and this is really your party.”

“Hmmm… we just spin it then?” She asked, using her magic and giving the bottle such a hard twist that it kept spinning for a full four minutes before finally giving a hint of slowing down.

“Errr…. Perhaps a little lighter touch next time Luna?” Aurora suggested, watching the bottle worriedly.

“Well nopony told me that…” She replied, pouting.

At last, the bottle stopped, pointing at Twilight. Aurora and Fluttershy both breathed a sigh of relief.

“Very well then Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said calmly, “Since I do not wish to interfere in my sister’s territory by kissing you, I wish for you to tell us all a secret.”

“Y-your sister’s territory? What the hay does that mean?” Twilight asked, looking shocked. “I mean, she’s my teacher for Your sake! What would I be doing kissing her?!”

“Oh. Forgive me if I misspoke…” Luna said bashfully, “I am used to that term meaning something different… Let us forget it, and please, tell us all a secret.”

Twilight still looked less than pleased, but she decided to let it go (despite several giggling ponies in the circle that would undoubtedly never let her hear the end of this when she was writing her next letter…)

“Okay… I guess I could tell you all this one secret… Well, you know how I’ve never really shown an interest in dating anypony in town?”

Everypony leaned into the circle… this was something that a couple of them had discusses at one point or another.

“Well… I actually have been sending letters to this one stallion… I haven’t even told Shiny yet, because he’s technically my brother’s subordinate… but yeah, I’m kinda sort of the marefriend of a Royal Guard…”
Needless to say, there was much gasping and clapping of hooves.

“I must say, that is a most excellent secret!” Luna squealed, hugging Twilight, “And we are honored that you shared it with us! Now I have something to talk with Tia about… Do you happen to know which squadron he is with?”

“I do… but he told me to keep it a secret from ‘Any snooping commanders or Princesses’.” Twilight retorted, quoting one of his more recent letters to her.

“……No matter. I have ways of finding out by my own means.” Luna said, pouting once again at being rebuffed.

“Well, be that as it may, it’s my turn now, right?” Twilight asked, gripping the bottle with her magic and giving it a solid twist, careful not to go overboard like Luna had.

This time, the bottle landed on Fluttershy, who immediately tried to run out of the circle, being grabbed by Rarity’s magic before she could get ten feet away.

“Now Fluttershy, I told you, you can’t try and skip, and in your case, you can’t try and run away either. Now, either sit still for a kiss, or tell us a secret.”

“I-I-I-I-I don’t have any secrets I can tell anypony!” she objected, her voice still somehow staying soft despite being panicked.

“Fine then, no sense trying to force her to tell us a secret.” Twilight said finally, crossing the circle and giving her yellow Pegasus friend a quick peck on the cheek. “Nopony said it had to be anything past a friendly kiss anyway Fluttershy, so relax.”

If Fluttershy’s face could have been described as red before, this was a new color in the visible spectrum.

Without saying a word, Fluttershy just walked to the center, spun the bottle with a wing and when it settled on Aurora, just waved a hoof at her, prompting her to speak.

“Umm… I don’t really have any secrets I can share…” Aurora said, mumbling and shuffling her forehooves in place. “I mean… most of the stuff that’s happened to me before I came here would probably be really shocking… I don’t want to upset anypony…”

Applejack couldn’t help be a bit concerned about this new piece of information… she’d heard Aurora talk about her old home in a less than happy manner before, but she didn’t think it was so bad that it couldn’t be talked about… Could this have something to do with why she’d been acting so odd lately?

“You do not have to tell anypony anything you are not comfortable with. “Luna said protectively, “I believe that perhaps telling them about our hijinks while you were staying with me at the castle should suffice for the moment.”

“Oh! In that case, there was this one time that me and Luna pulled a prank on one of the Solar Guard members as they were starting their shift… I forget most of it, but it involved a gravity spell, an inflatable raft filled with green gelatin…” she began, smiling for the first time in awhile, much to everyone’s relief.

And so the game went on, with everypony eventually getting spun sooner or later. A few less exciting turns involved Rarity talking about the time she’d accidentally worn an out of season whatchamacallit to something or other… truthfully, she tended to drift in and out whenever Rarity started talking… Twilight told them all some interesting stories about when she lived in Canterlot and went to that School for Gifted Unicorns. Pinkie talked about a couple of her crazier parties, and Fluttershy would cop out almost every time she got spun by giving the spinner a quick peck on the cheek.

For their part, Applejack and Rainbow told stories about pranks and mishaps at Flight Camp and the farm. Luna would tell the group about weird things that used to happen at court a thousand years ago, and about the odd prank she’d pull on Celestia once she’d returned. And Aurora told the group about her moments exploring the castle or flying around at night and just watching everypony going home.

Applejack had to admit, that hearing Aurora talk about just looking up at the stars and thinking about nothing… it was a really sweet picture… the simplicity of it and the way she used her words to describe everything. And the way that she described everything, even the most mundane thing, or something that AJ saw almost every day; as an outsider, seeing all these ‘normal’ things talked about like they were this magical, extraordinary occurrence…She just had a way of making them sound like it was something else entirely. What it must be like inside her head, AJ couldn’t begin to fathom. Suffice it to say that when Aurora talked, it was pure poetry to the orange Earth Pony’s ears…

There were a few moments that Applejack got a bit worried though… the first time was when Pinkie Pie got spun and she started talking about how she knew who everypony in Ponyville had a crush on, and started listing names… before she could do anything though, Rainbow Dash had tackled her and said that it was to ‘protect the privacy of anypony not in the game with them’…

After that spin, some of the highlights were when Pinkie spun and kissed Rarity. A few turns later, Fluttershy spun Luna, who told them all about a prank she’d once pulled on Celestia with a member of her Lunar Guard. They’d trebuchet’d a pumpkin into her sister’s room and cast a growth spell, so the tower room ended up exploding in a shower of pumpkin guts and shell, and sending Celestia flying into the moat… which had been filled with pink dye… the joke for the next decade at court had been about Princess Celestia changing her name to Princess Pink.

After Luna’s story was over, she spun Rainbow Dash, who told everypony that she had a crush on one of the ponies living in town. Luckily, nopony asked for details, Aurora especially refraining because she ‘didn’t want to intrude on anypony’s privacy without their permission’… Applejack had to smile at that… something about the mare’s sense of honesty and fairness just struck a chord with her… plus, seeing Dash wriggling in her seat while she tried to work up the courage to confess was hilarious. Several turns later, the bottle landed on Applejack after Twilight spun, and Applejack told them about the first time she kissed anypony.

It had been when she’d been living in Manehattan, and been tricked into kissing one of the older colts. They’d said it was a way high class ponies greeted each other… She’d ended up giving the poor foal a black eye when she bucked him in retaliation.

“It weren’t somethin’ Ah’m rightly proud of, but Ah still say it was worth it ta wipe that stupid grin off his smug little
face…” she commented, raising a hoof in triumph.

Applejack then went on to spin Aurora. And for Applejack, this was the highlight of the game. She’d finally landed the pony she wanted…

Aurora began to talk, figuring that AJ would tell her to talk about a secret or something, but she stopped the grey Pegasus in
her tracks.

“Whoa there filly… Ah think we’re all looking forward ta hearing more about yer time in Equestria… but Ah think it’s about time fer a change of pace.” She said boldly, standing up and towering over the stunned mare. “Now, if it’s all right with you, Ah’d like a kiss from ya…”

The one thing she’d always heard the other mares talking about in town was confidence. Whether you were asking a stallion
out, or even another mare, being confident could make the difference between being shot down, and ending up a couple. AJ had confidence, and she certainly wanted Aurora badly enough… So she was prepared to risk it. and risk it she did… Now all she had to do was wait for Aurora to say yes…

Aurora didn’t say anything, mere blushing furiously and looking up at AJ with huge eyes that seemed to say, Go ahead you sexy mare, I’ve been waiting for this…

Taking her silence as a cue that it was alright to continue, Applejack leaned down, taking her hat off to be polite, and got right into Aurora’s face.

“Ah’ve wanted ta do this fer awhile now…” she whispered, closing the distance and grazing her lips against Aurora’s as the Pegasus’s eyes closed slightly, giving her a half lidded look that just screamed for more.

Almost… just a little further and you’re golden! Her mind screamed, cheering her on as she steadied herself to press the kiss a bit further.

Before she could though, Auroras’ eyes shot open, her blush tripling in intensity as she scrambled to her hooves and backed into the wall furiously, screaming for everypony to back off.

Applejack’s heart sank… Had she done something wrong? Was she NOT what Aurora wanted? Had she pressed her luck too much?

No… that’s not it… her rational mind said, Look at how she’s panicking… I think something happened to her, and she’s reacting to the memory… maybe the kiss triggered whatever’s freaking her out!

“Aurora, what’s wrong?!” Applejack asked, panicking at the thought of accidentally triggering some kind of bad memory, and stepping forward to try and comfort the poor mare. “Talk to us!”

Unfortunately, her closeness only seemed to fuel whatever was bothering her, because Aurora responded by shrieking and trying to push past Applejack and the rest of the stunned ponies in the circle, aiming for the stairs.

“Nononononono! Don’t look at me! I’m a freak!” she hollered, bolting for the first steps, only stopped by the quick spell work of a Goddess and the Element of Magic.

“Aurora! Please tell us, that ails you?!” Luna asked frantically, the calm and relaxed mood of the sleepover now shattered as everypony began to openly worry about their friend.

“No! Let me go, you’re only making it worse! It burns so much more when I can’t move!” she screamed, writhing in the magical fields of her friends. “Just let me go, I’ll fix it and be fine in about ten minutes, just nopony touch me!”

Now everypony was just confused… What was happening to their friend?!

Twilight released her grip on Aurora, placing a barrier around the exits to the room, including the staircase.

“Princess, let her go. She can’t run away, so we can still help her… but I think we’re hurting her by holding onto her…” Twilight said, going into Crisis Management Mode.

Luna nodded, dropping her own grip and allowing Aurora to run to the farthest corner of the room, hiding in the pile of pillows still left over from before. The only clue that she was even in there was a pair of large green eyes peeking out from the mountain.

“P-please… just stay over there… nopony come near me… I don’t know what it is, but being touched by anypony makes it worse…” Aurora said, sounding for all the world like Fluttershy. “I didn’t want anyone to find out… I didn’t want you all to see that I’m a freak…”

“Aurora, hun, what’s wrong?” Applejack asked, careful not to approach the pillow pile hiding her.

“I-if I tell you girls… you’ll just think I’m weird…”

“We most certainly will not!” Luna said firmly, “We are your friends, and we are worried about you…”

Throughout the room, heads nodded in agreement, worried looks on every face, and more than a few eyes were on the verge of tears.

“F-f-fine…. But please don’t tell anypony else…” she said, still hiding safe behind her fluffy fortress.

Once everypony had promised to never speak a word of it to anyone, and a sound barrier spell was cast over the group, Aurora told them everything she could…

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Aurora told them about the last two weeks for her. How she’d randomly be overcome by a feeling of emptiness, and feel her entire body flush with heat that she couldn’t escape. How she felt like she was burning up from the inside out, and any little sensation, any touch from another pony, anything, only intensified the experience. She’d finally taken to hiding away whenever the weird sensations would take her over.

She told them about the difficulties she’d had falling asleep as well. How just by laying in bed, and feeling the sheets running over her coat and feathers were enough to start the burning ache in her core. She’d even been having fitful dreams, about things that she couldn’t remember clearly… only that when she opened her eyes, the burning was back and worse than ever. She’d taken to taking icy cold showers in an attempt to ward it off, and while that would work from time to time, it never fully quenched the inferno blaxing inside her.

Even flying had become a hazard, as she figured out the night she’d run into the night from Rarity’s shop. The cool air on her wings seemed to add fuel to the fire, and she almost lost consciousness from the bizarre sensations running through her. Hay, even the cleaning process to get rid of the glitter had been difficult for her, as she’d felt herself burning up like a pyre from within, especially when Rarity had helped preen her… The brushing and the closeness of the fashionista had been the proverbial straw that broke the manticore’s back, and she’d fled before Rarity could discover anything that would
label Aurora as a freak…

Oddly enough, whenever her mind was occupied, the burning, full body ache was dulled and in some instances forgotten. But as soon as she thought about the calm that gripped her body, the ache returned.

“I… I just don’t know what’s happening… and I’m scared… and I don’t know if I’m sick, or what, but I hate it!” she said emotionally, tears streaming down her face as she looked at her friends, who were all staring at her and blushing, their mouths hanging open.

“………Ya gotta be kiddin’ me…” Applejack finally said, breaking the silence. “Yer a mare fer a month, and it just happens ta be THAT time fer ya?!”

“W-what do you mean?” Aurora asked, wiping her tears away, the confusion now overriding her fear for a little while.
“Am I sick? Is this some kind of disease ponies get at this age?”

“No Aurora…” Luna said, blushing more so than anypony else in the room, even Fluttershy… “I suppose I am to blame once more for your current plight… You see, it is not something that I am exactly comfortable talking about… it was not an easy topic to broach with others a thousand years ago, and it is something that has stuck with me despite my acclimation to the world the way it is now…

“So it’s some kind of side effect of an ancient spell?” Aurora wondered out loud, poking her head out of the pile slightly.

“No darling… it’s… well… it’s rather odd talking about this with you really… even if we are more used to you as a mare than a stallion, we all still know that the spell will wear off sometime this week… and it’s a rather private matter among mares… and you just sort of threw it all out in the open…” Rarity said, trying to explain and finding herself at a loss for words. “I suppose we should have taken the timing of the spell into account and talked to you as you friends at some point…”

“So what’s happening to me?!” Aurora cried, frustrated, confused, and scared.

“Aurora, you’re in estrous.” Twilight said frankly, “This is the time of year when an adult mare’s body goes into overdrive and she’s at her most fertile. What you’re feeling is commonly referred to as ‘Heat’, and it can be very overpowering and overstimulating… most mares are used to it, only losing control when they choose to pursue a mate, like Roseluck going after Big Mac… but you were kind of thrown into a new body, so you had no way of being prepared for the new sensations like Heat usually creates.”

“And you’re a Pegasus on top of it all…” Rainbow noted, looking at Fluttershy. “It’s really weird for us, because we can’t
really even fly properly because our wings are so sensitive...”

“It’s not something we talk about a lot really…” Fluttershy added, looking down, “But I wish you had come to see me sometime… I have a few things I got from Zecora that help lessen the whole experience if you don’t want it to interfere with your everyday life…”

“I just wish you’d told me so we could have an ‘Aurora is Finally a Mare’ Party…” Pinkie said, trying to inject a little humor into
the otherwise tense atmosphere of the room. It didn’t seem to work too well at first, in fact, everypony was glaring rather venomously at her…

Until they heard a small chuckle from Mt. Pillow. They all whipped their heads around to see Aurora poking her head out fully, her cheeks red, her eyes bloodshot from crying, and a smile on her face as she started laughing.

“P-Pinkie Pie… Only you… Only you would listen to me panic and think to throw a party… Don’t ever change Pinkie…” she said, gasping for air. “I mean really… this whole time I was panicking, and I was just really horny?! The buck was I thinking?!”

After seeing their friend’s relief, a wave of ease washed over the group. First Applejack, then Rainbow, then Luna… finally, everypony was joining Aurora in laughing at the ridiculous fears that had been washed away.

“Heh, I’ll tell you what Aurora, if you need any help getting those weird feelings to go away, I’ll help you out. I know a few tricks.” Dash offered, winking at her.

“Like hey ya will!” Applejack retorted, standing in between Dash and Aurora, “She’s mah guest, so Ah’ll help her out. That alright with you Aurora?”

“I have no idea what you two are talking about,” Aurora replied dumbly, but still smiling, “Just promise me that the next time something goofy happens, you’ll warn me about everything beforehand.”

“I promise not to cast any more spells on you if it will help.” Luna said, smiling kindly, “And although I do not appreciate the advances made on you by certain ponies,” she said, glaring at Applejack and Rainbow half seriously, “I do think it is important that you know how to take care of any urges that may arise until the spell wears off…”

“I think I can deal with it a bit better now that I know what it is Luna.” Aurora said, smiling at her friend and teacher, “Besides, worst comes to worst, I can probably get a stallion from town to help me scratch that itch.”

At this point in the night, it has to be noted that the noises of seven jaws hitting the floor is quite a unique sound to hear. The shocked faces on everypony was quickly followed up by Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and even Princess Luna, fainting dead away.

“……… I wonder if that joke went too far?” Aurora mused out loud, as she continued giggling with relief, and Fluttershy, Rarity, and Twilight went to check on their fallen comrades. Pinkie instead to join Aurora in cracking extremely off color jokes.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Unseen by anypony that night, dark clouds gathered over the edge of the Everfree Forest. A rumbling of thunder rolling through the menacing creations as they advanced over the boundary of the forest, making their way towards not only Ponyville, but spreading out to also head for a certain farm not far from the tree line… the winds carrying with them an evil air… and whispers of things unseen by ponykind in ages…

This Chapter dedicated to Diamond Brook. Told ya i'd give you a chapter :)

Author's Notes:

Gods this chapter took forever... between going to training for 9 hours a day at my new job, i've had a family member pass on, my computer die three times, half my keyboard keys fall off, and just GAH! Luckily, this is a good place to stop the story for now. I'll be going on a two to three week break from the story to focus on my new job, and saving money for a new computer. Look for the next update sometime in early May, and i'm sorry for the wait folks. I really do love writing this story, and i'm not going to stop, but i really need to sort things out with work and school. and i genuinely need a new computer. Also, thanks to a certain reader giving me a lead, there will be new coverart for the story by the next update! So WHOOO!

As always, comment, like, share, whatever, and have fun with it.

PS, Sorry for the Rickroll, to give you a sense of how long i've been working on this, it was April Fool Days when i wrote that section. Don't hate me for it please :(

Emotional Storm

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 23

Emotional Storm

AKA- ….. You Know What, Forget the Joke, Here’s a New Chapter

“Well… I must admit… I didn’t know that such a pleasurable activity could be so exhausting…” Luna noted out loud, dabbing a towel across her brow as a smile played across her face in the dimly lit room. The lights had been extinguished as the night stretched on and a giant sleeping pad had been unrolled across most of the floor, with blankets and pillows scattered hither and yon.

“Mhmmm… I gotta say Luna, I don’t think that I’ve ever had somepony do THAT before…” Rainbow commented, lying on the mattress and panting, having finally stopped moaning.

“Well, it seems that there has been a surprising lack of information in the art of physical pleasure since my forced ‘vacation’… I’ll have to see about rectifying that with a book of sorts…” Luna responded, grinning proudly.

“It looked like a lot of fun.” Aurora commented, “I kind of wish that I’d joined in now…”

“As we’ve already discussed Aurora, while it wouldn’t exactly make your situation worse… we don’t want you to feel uncomfortable…” Twilight noted, rolling from her place near Rarity, both of the unicorns having worn each other out quite nicely.

“Twilight is right darling… as much fun as I believe it would have been, there is no shame in admitting when something is outside your comfort zone…” Rarity said, panting slightly from exertion. “And it’s not as if you were alone in watching. I believe Applejack volunteered to stay with you if you desired any one on one time…”

“Yeah… can’t say Ah didn’t offer.” Applejack interjected, laughing softly and looking up at Aurora with bedroom eyes from the pile of pillows she had been basking on since Fluttershy worked her over. “But like Ah told ya, it’s bad manners ta push a guest inta somethin’ they ain’t sure of.”

“I still say she’d have liked it… besides, I could have practiced one of my signature moves on her.” Rainbow commented, her legs finally having stopped shaking enough to let her stand up and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

“In any case, that was most enjoyable… what did you say the name for this was now Fluttershy?” Luna asked, looking at the yellow Pegasus, who’d proved exceptionally knowledgeable in the hour or so they’d spent working each other over in turn.

“Umm… it was a deep tissue massage with a bit of acupressure Princess…” Fluttershy responded softly, a relaxed grin on her face as she watched her friends slowly get back to their feet.

“Hmmm… we would have called it a ‘rubdown’ in the old days…” Luna noted, frowning slightly. “What does ‘rubdown’ mean these days? I have yet to hear somepony use the phrase in conversation…”

“I don’t think it means anything appropriate…” Aurora said, blushing.

“Oh please.” Twilight said, blowing a raspberry, “It doesn’t mean anything other than to rub something or somepony from the top down with your hooves, usually to give the other pony pleasure, or to work an oil, varnish, or other liquid based substance into a porous material.”

“Twilight, we love you, but you’re SOOooo wrong about that.” Pinkie interjected, giggling, “A rubdown is what you do when you’re with a stallion and you don’t wanna use anything other than your hooves to make them feel all squirmy inside…”

“Squirmy?” Luna asked, looking around to the confused faces of Aurora, Twilight, and Applejack. Fluttershy was hiding her face behind a pillow, and Rainbow Dash was trying not to laugh.

“Pinkie Pie… you’re so weird…” Dash said between fits of laughter, “I mean, of all the words to describe an orgasm, you go with THAT!?”

By this point, the confused faces had decided to take a page out of Fluttershy’s book and hide themselves behind a nearby pillow, in Twilight and Aurora’s case, it was to hide a blush. In Applejack’s case though, it was to keep from looking at Aurora.

“AAAAAND just like that, I think it’s time to go to sleep, anyone else?” Twilight asked, looking around the room frantically, trying to find an out.

“Oh come now darling… you act as though you’ve never been with a stallion before.” Rarity commented, the entire group watching as Twilight Sparkle began to squirm in her seat uncomfortably.

“You’re kidding me…” Dash noted, a look of disbelief on her face, “You, the filly dating the Royal bucking Guard, and one of, if not THE most powerful unicorn in Equestria, has never had a roll in the hay?”

Twilight cringed visibly, glaring at her polychromatic pal. “Don’t even start… I didn’t even hardly have FRIENDS before I came here… romance was completely out, and I lived in the same room as Spike until recently, so it’s not like I had a lot of chances…”

“Oh come now darling… I’m sure that a gentledrake like Spike would have happily given you some privacy to be with a special somepony if you asked.” Rarity chimed in, hiding her grin behind a hoof politely.

“You are SOOooo not getting the point…” Twilight grumbled, a look of general disdain on her face

“Oh I think she gets the point Twilight, she’s just being a silly filly about it to get under your coat.” Pinkie responded almost sagely… and with a surprisingly calm expression…

“Okay, who are you and what did you do with Pinkie?” Aurora asked sarcastically, eliciting a chuckle from the group, which was ended shortly by a series of yawns from about half of them.

“Hey Luna, I have to ask, aren’t you nocturnal?” Twilight asked, looking at the blue alicorn, “I mean, I’ve rarely ever seen you in the daytime… and you’re the Princess of the Night… so aren’t you, you know, awake when everypony else is asleep?”

“Tis a fair question… I believe that Aurora is best suited to answer though, I explained everything to her after I brought her to this land.” Luna said, deflecting to question to the grey mare who was walking over to the pile of pillows and blankets.

“Huh? Who’s asking me what now?” Aurora asked, her face turning to look back at the group while she bent over and picked up a particularly large fluffy pillow and a fuzzy purple blanket.

“Luna just threw you under the carriage for answering some of Twilight’s questions about Luna.” Rainbow said, smirking, “So, you’re probably gonna get grilled on just about everything having to do with her royal blue flank.”

“RAINBOW!” Applejack, Twilight, and Rarity exclaimed in unison, stopping for a second to look at each other in shock that they all had the same reaction.

“I don’t care how informal she wants this sleepover to be, it is BEYOND rude to talk about a Princess, and your FRIEND in such a manner.” Rarity scolded.

“And Ah won’t have ya insultin’ a guest in mah home!” Applejack continued, glaring down the cyan Pegasus.

“Not to mention the fact that I only asked about ONE aspect of her life, not EVERY little minutia of her existence.”

Twilight glowered, burning a hole into Rainbow’s head with her stare.

The tension in the room had gotten to just about the breaking point… before being shattered by a snort…

Everypony’s head swiveled robotically, turning to look at none other than Luna sitting firmly on her haunches, watching the group and trying desperately to contain her mirth at the bizarre scene in front of her and failing miserably. The usually composed, calm ruler wasn’t just chuckling… she was laughing so hard that she was snorting!

Eventually, the sight of the Princess laughing in such a…. well, such an UN-royal way… managed to get to everyone, and the whole group was laughing to the point of gasping for air.

When things finally calmed down yet again, and everypony was complaining about their stomach’s and sides hurting; and in Rainbow Dash’s case, that she couldn’t breathe, everyone decided to follow Aurora’s lead. Everypony grabbed a pillow and a blanket of their liking, and settled down on the cushion covered floor in a close knit circle. The only ones who seemed to
notice this though were Luna and Aurora.

“Uhhh… girls?” Aurora asked, the darkness serving as a cover for the flustered look on her face.

“Hmm? What’s wrong sugarcube?” Applejack asked, raising her head from her spot cuddled up to the grey mare.

“Is… is there any way I could get a bit more space? Please? I wouldn’t ask… but I mean… physical stuff right now is kind of the last thing I need if I want to sleep…” Aurora muttered, pulling the blanket up over her face in embarrassment.

“Awww… does this mean I have to move too?” Rainbow asked, perking her head up from where she’d been leaning gently against Aurora’s withers on top of the blanket.

“I mean… you don’t have to go really far away… but… I mean…” Aurora began to say, stumbling over her words, and certainly not wanting to offend anypony.

“I believe that a little bit of space around Aurora, given her present, er… condition… is not too much to ask.” Luna supplied, coming to her friends rescue.

After just a little bit of grumbling (from AJ and Dash), shuffling, and readjusting on the floor sized mattress, everypony had settled in comfortably enough, and gentle snores began to filter into the air from some of the more tired mares in the room.

Fluttershy and Rarity were the first to drift off to sleep, their breathing short and shallow, a small twitch of their legs the only indication that they were dreaming. Oddly enough, Pinkie seemed to drop like a stone, going from a twitchy tangle of blankets to a lightly snoring pile of pony in the space of a few seconds. Lastly, Aurora and Twilight fell asleep, their minds drifting off to dreams about fantastic lands, daring deeds, heroic quests and adventures worthy of epic poems…

Not really. Twilight was dreaming about visiting Equestria’s largest library and becoming a princess, and Aurora’s dreams are a different creature entirely… no, we aren’t going to go any further into detail, suffice it to say that it was very inappropriate for a Teen rated story.

Finally, the last three members of our little group were left awake, their eyes gazing around the darkened room and listening to the sounds of sleeping ponies, with background music provided by a multitude of crickets and a couple owls outside in the orchard.

“Are you two still awake?” Luna asked quietly, from her space between Twilight and Pinkie Pie.

“Eeyup…” Applejack answered softly.

“Yeah.” Rainbow replied, slightly less softly… “What about you Luna? Do you even sleep at night?”

“Not normally… but since I cancelled the Night Court for this little get together, I may as well take advantage of the reprieve…. I just can’t seem to relax I suppose…”

“Ah know the feelin’ Luna.” Applejack said quietly, her head tipping to the side slightly to watch the rise and fall of
Aurora’s chest underneath the blanket. “But Ah guess that’s what happens when yer sleepin’ next ta somepony like her…”

“You talking about Rory?” Dash asked, sitting up slightly and looking at the patch of slightly orange shadows.

“No Dash, Ah’m talkin’ about Mayor Mare…” Applejack deadpanned.

“Why are you thinking about Mayor Mare?” Dash asked, missing the sarcasm.

“I believe that she was making a joke Rainbow Dash.” Luna noted, quirking an eyebrow and smirking in the darkness. “Since you two are both still up, do you want to join me in the kitchen?”

“Sure Ah guess…” AJ responded hesitantly, getting to her hooves as quietly as possible.

“I’m good right here.” Dash replied, scooting a little bit closer to Aurora and trying to gently wrap one of her wings around Aurora’s sleeping form.

“Oh no ya don’t…” Applejack said, pulling the blanket off of Rainbow and glaring down at her friend’s silhouette. “Ah ain’t havin’ nothin’ inappropriate happen in mah home unless both ponies are at least awake ta consent ta whatever ya have in mind Rainbow… ‘sides, Aurora ain’t in her right mind and she’s vulnerable, ya really gonna try an take advantage of her like that?”

“Why does everypony think I’m gonna jump her the first chance I get?!” Rainbow hissed, standing up and getting nose to nose with the orange Earth Pony. “Seriously, I care about her as more than just a notch in my headboard… I just want to be closer to her, is that so wrong? And you were just about ready to jump her when we were playing Spin the Bottle anyway
AJ, so don’t you go acting all high and snooty at me!”

“Okay ladies…” Luna interrupted, grabbing them both in her telekinetic grip as she spoke with a stern tone, “I think it’s time for some kitchen time…”

Honestly… these two act like some of the castle guards after a couple of drinks… Luna grumbled to herself Good thing I didn’t bring any Moonshine with me this time.

As they made their way into the kitchen, both Rainbow and AJ had a rare moment of telepathy… those few and far between moments where two completely different individuals are able to see into each other’s minds and echo their thoughts in perfect unison and synchronicity. Some scientists and magicians have tried to figure out exactly what it is that fuels such occurrences, and they have never been able to identify it. The only thing they are sure of, is that this momentary glimpse into unified thought seems to occur in times of intense emotions. At that moment, Applejack and Rainbow were both overcome with an unerring sense of worry, with a dash of mild panic.

But the important thing isn’t what causes these moments… it’s what is thought in these moments… and in that instance, they were both thinking the exact same thing.

………We’re bucked……

“Now… since we’re finally alone, I have some questions for you two…” Luna began, setting the competitive mares down on the floor and sitting down so that she was at their height.

“W-what do you want to know Princess?” Rainbow asked, still a little bit shaken up from the impromptu levitation.

“Ah’m willin’ ta bet that yer wantin’ ta know what our intentions are with Aurora…” AJ guessed, recognizing the look in
Luna’s eyes as the same one that Granny Smith had when Big Mac brought a mare home for the first time.

“You are certainly perceptive Applejack.” Luna said, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement. “And you are also correct… I care for Aurora as one would a child, so to speak… I brought her here to Equestria, and she has been a good friend, and a good student… it is only natural that I would be protective of her in matters such as this, and especially after realizing that she is currently in Heat…”

Applejack cleared her throat, looking sideways at Rainbow, who was currently staring off into space with a dreamy look in her eyes and a light blush playing across her muzzle. “Ah’m sorry about kissin’ her lahk Ah did Luna… if I’da known she was in Heat, Ah’d have kept mah space…”

“Yes, well, we appreciate the apology… And I’m sure that Aurora does not hold a grudge against you, so neither shall I… but the past is not an issue. Especially since I know with no small amount of certainty that Aurora is still uninvolved in matters of the heart. My concern is with what you will do from here on out.” Luna answered, smiling slightly as she looked between AJ and Rainbow. “Perhaps you would like to tell me your intentions first Rainbow Dash?”

“Huh? Oh… yeah… well, I mean… that spell wears of soon, right? I mean, Aurora’s not going to be Aurora for much longer. I kind of want to wait until she’s back to normal before I make a move of ANY kind… right now I guess I’m just being protective…” Dash answered, her brow scrunched in concentration as she tried to put her emotions and intentions into words.

“It is interesting that you should use the phrase ‘normal’…. But tell me, is that how you feel as well Applejack?” Luna asked.

“Well… Ah mean… Ah don’t know… Ah want her ta be comfortable, and Ah know this ain’t a good time ta be tryin’
anything cuz of how confusin’ it might get fer her… but still… Ah can’t really deny that there’s somethin’ there that wasn’t there when he was a stallion…”

“Hmmm… well, it sounds like you both at least have honest and caring feelings for her… but I wonder what will come of them in the future…” Luna mused out loud, her soft gaze passing over them.

“What do you mean by that?” Rainbow asked, frowning.

“I only mean that things have changed quite a bit since I was banished… and even though I was not reconciled recently, it is still not long at all for those of us who have seen over a thousand years of history unfold… some things have disappeared, others have come about full circle, and then there is that most rare of occurrences, when something NEW happens… The relationships growing between you two and Aurora… it could go in just about any direction… it is interesting…” Luna explained, a small smile playing across her face as she seemed to lose focus of the room, her mind wandering to any number of possibilities.

“So does this mean that ya ain’t gonna try and scare us off?” AJ asked, poking her hoof idly at the floor.

“Oh no, make no mistake, if either of you two should hurt my protégé, there will be consequences.” Luna said sternly, her gaze focusing back onto the two young mares in front of her, her angry expression holding for only a couple seconds before breaking into a grin, “But I believe that you will find her a difficult individual to hurt…”

Almost as if on cue, a thunderclap rolled over the land, reverberating through the wooden structure of the house, the lights flickering out and a flash of lightning illuminating the three mares in an eerie green glow.

“What the hay was that?!” Rainbow shrieked, jumping up into the air and slamming into the ceiling by accident.

“That’s thunder, Dash… Ah thought all y’all weather Pegasi worked with it enough ta know it when ya heard it… ” Applejack answered, wincing slightly at the impact her friend had just made with the ceiling.

“Like Tartarus that was!” Dash exclaimed, bouncing back from the impact surprisingly quickly. “We don’t have any rain scheduled for another week, let alone a thunderstorm!”

“I have to agree with Rainbow Dash…” Luna said warily, “That light was not normal… certainly not of Pegasus design either. Quickly, we must check on the others.”

The two young mares followed Luna back into the living room, where the thunder (or more likely, Dash’s little meeting with the top of the kitchen) had managed to at least wake up Fluttershy, and now Rarity and Twilight were stirring.

“Wha- What’s happening?” Rarity slurred, lifting her head from on top of Fluttershy’s withers, which she had apparently rolled onto at some point after falling asleep, and the poor Pegasus seemed to be a bit too nervous to move her. “What are you three doing up?”

“We were talking.” Luna explained briefly, nodding to her two guards, still standing at attention near the front door, “I’m afraid that there is something I must see to immediately. I’m just glad to see that you are all alright.”

“Whoa whoa whoa… what do you mean there’s something you have to see to?” Twilight asked, now standing and not bothering to keep her voice down, which was causing Pinkie and Aurora to twitch in their sleep. “Princess, it’s just a storm…”

“No Twilight Sparkle… I may not know exactly what it is that is causing this evil air, but it is much more than a simple storm… But with any luck, I am simply worried over nothing… Nevertheless, as the guardian of the night, it is my duty to see to this disturbance.” Luna said firmly, careful to keep her voice down and lighting her horn up with magic to make the walls absorb some of the thunder and the noise from the five ponies that were awake, “And you should really be more careful Twilight Sparkle… it is bad luck to wake a sleeping mare.”

“Tell that to the storm outside…” Twilight grumbled, “And I was having such a nice dream too…”

“Oh yes, I am well aware… and by the way, that stallion of yours is really quite something to look at… for a Solar Guard anyway.” Luna replied, winking mischievously, “Now if you will all excuse me, I must go see what exactly is disturbing my Night…but do not let my absence keep anypony from enjoying this sleepover.”

With that being said, Luna’s horn lit up once more as she teleported to the cause of the nocturnal disturbance, leaving the seven mares alone in the room with nothing to do but sit and wonder.

“Well… I mean… it IS kind of nice not to have to go on some dangerous mission…” Fluttershy said, poking at the mattress and circling her hoof on her blanket, which she had draped around her like a cloak.

“That still ain’t somethin’ Ah’m too happy about…” Applejack said, “Ah’d rather be out there helping Luna with whatever it is that’s making such a ruckus…”

“If Luna can’t handle it, neither could we…” Twilight pointed out. “Not without the Elements anyway, and those are in Canterlot… even if I were able to get Spike up to send a letter, there’s still no guarantee that Princess Celestia would be up at this time of the night to read it and get the elements here in time…”

“Can’t she just poof them over here like she does those letters you two exchange?” Rainbow asked, hovering in place nervously… whenever she felt ill at ease, she had a habit of trying to get some distance between her and the ground.

“Of course not Darling…” Rarity interrupted, her brow scrunching up, “The Elements are highly magical artifacts that are resistant to all but the most powerful of magical spells. And a teleportation spell, even one performed by the Princess, wouldn’t be capable of budging the Elements.”

“……When did you read into the Elements so much Rarity?” Twilight asked, amazed and confused by her friend’s knowledge of the ancient artifacts.

“Oh please Darling, they’re beautiful pieces of jewelry that look like they were crafted by a master, did you really expect me not to look into them at least a little bit? Besides, I’m a Unicorn just like you, is it so out of character for me to read up on something to inherently magical?” She replied, quirking an eyebrow up at her purple friend.

“……You were tryin’ ta see if ya could change how it looked to go with yer outfits, weren’tcha?” Applejack guessed, her face an expressionless mask as she watched her friend twiddle her hooves nervously.

“Well… not all of them… I just wanted to know if there was any way I could make mine into a tiara like Twilight’s… I mean, it’s not difficult to find an outfit that works with my Element, but I wanted a little bit of variety…”

“Wow Rarity…” Rainbow said, chuckling softly, “You know, if we could find a way to relate fashion to a question, I think you’d be able to give Twilight a run for her money when it came to doing egghead stuff.”

Despite their best efforts, the four other mares couldn’t help but have a good laugh at the Seamstress’s expense. To her credit, Rarity took it in stride, only shooting Rainbow a dirty look for a few moments before cracking a smile at the joke.

And so the five PFF’s passed the time, talking idly and tossing ideas back and forth about what exactly was outside that Luna had gone to confront.

“Ah still think it’s some kinda monster from the Everfree…” Applejack said, putting her hoof down dramatically, not for the first time.

“Oh please… if it were something in the Everfree, then she would have taken us with her. After all, we managed to defeat Nightmare Moon and Discord.” Twilight said emphatically, rolling her eyes. “I think it’s some kind of ancient evil that only a chosen warrior can defeat… kind of like with Sombra.”

“Well what if it IS some kind of dusty old monster, and Luna isn’t the one that can beat it?” Rainbow suggested, crossing her hooves, “I mean, if Daring Doo was gonna go after some kind of cursed artifact, then she’d make sure that she either knew for SURE that she was the one to break the curse, or she’d bring backup… I’m just saying, safety in numbers…”

“Oh I’m sure that she’ll be just fine if it’s in the Everfree.” Fluttershy said with uncharacteristic confidence. “I mean, the only things in that forest are some fuzzy old Manticores, a couple of Cockatrice’s, they might need a bit of an attitude adjustment, but they’re not too bad overall. Oh, and I’m sure she’ll be fine with the nice Sea Serpeant!”

“Uh Sugarcube… Ah think yer missin’ tha point… It’s Luna… alone… not you.” AJ said, looking around the group,
“Ah’m not sayin’ that Ah don’t think she can handle herself… Ah’d just feel better knowin’ that she wasn’t alone…”

“Luna left to go somewhere by herself?” Pinkie asked groggily, poking her head up from the pillow she had been drooling on and startling the five mares already up and about.

“For Luna’s sake Pinkie!” Rainbow swore, shooting an extra five feet into the air, “Will you please not do that? You scared the hay out of me!”

“Sorry Dashie…” Pinkie said embarrassedly, “So what were you girls saying about Luna? Where’d she go?”

“We don’t know…” Twilight said nervously, “And I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t like it…”

“Well it’s not like we can exactly go gallivanting off by ourselves.” Rarity reasoned, “I mean, for one, we’d need to get past the guards, then we’d have to somehow manage to follow where Luna went, and then in the best case scenario, we’re facing something that is bad enough to warrant one of the Princess’s direct attention.”

“That… oddly astute…” Twilight said, raising her eyebrows, impressed by her friends logic. “Still, there has to be something we can do…”

“There is somethin’ we can do Twi.” Applejack said, looking around at the group. “We do just what Luna said and enjoy ourselves.”

“And just how the hay are we supposed to enjoy ourselves with Princess Luna out there doing who knows what with some kind of possibly malevolent force, bent on destroying ponykind!” Twilight replied, her hair starting to curl and stand on end in random little haphazard clumps, her eyes looking around erratically as she started to look more and more panicked.

“Easy there Twilight…” Pinkie said, jumping forward and hugging her friend, “Come on now, we don’t need another Smartypants incident…”

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Somewhere across Ponyville, a grey maned Earth Pony, who also happened to be the Mayor, twitched in her sleep. A repressed memory pushing itself to the forefront of her dreams.

“Mmm… go away… I’m too old to play with dolls…” she mumbled in her sleep, her legs kicking out lazily as her mouth turned up in a small smile, “Well… I guess as long as nopony sees me… heheheheh…”

Meanwhile, back at the Apple Farm, the oldest (and only) stallion of the Ponyville Apple family woke up in a cold sweat. After staring around the room hastily, a small clap of thunder making him jump and sending a chill up his spine.

“Nnnope!” he said to himself, digging an old doll that Twilight Sparkle had given him out from under his pillow, snuggling up with the soft companion and smiling as he drifted off back to sleep. “Mmm… They tried to steal you precious, but you’re safe now…” He said, grinning as sleep took him back into its loving embrace.

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“……Y’all just get a chill up yer back?” Applejack asked, looking around at the group, and at Aurora, still snuggled up under her blanket, snoring softly as her hair just managed to shield her eyes from view.

“Not really dear… are you alright?” Rarity responded, following the farmers gaze to the sleeping mare and smirking knowingly. True, it wasn’t a secret, but it was still nice to watch these kinds of things develop.

“Why would you get a chill?” Twilight asked, “The room is nice and warm… wait… don’t tell me that this is like Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense… Is that something that most Earth Ponies have?”

“Nope!” Pinkie squeaked, giggling, “If Applejack had my Pinkie Sense, then it wouldn’t be a PINKIE Sense, now would it?”

“I… I guess not… but that’s still a weird question to ask randomly.” Twilight said, frowning slightly as she forced herself not to push the subject further… every time she tried to follow Pinkie Pie’s reasoning, all she ended up with was a headache.

The group chatter began to die down relatively quickly. There just wasn’t much to talk about really, not with Luna gone off to do who knew what off in who knew where… Finally though, the silence was broken by the quietest mare in the group.

“Umm… Does anypony think we should wake up Aurora and let her know that Luna left?” Fluttershy asked, looking around the circle.

“I don’t know Fluttershy… I mean, it seems kind of mean to wake her up just to give her bad news like that…” Rainbow suggested, shrugging. “Besides, for all we know, Luna’ll be back by morning… no sense in making her panic in the meantime.”

“I agree with Dashie… She looks like she’s having such a nice dream too. I don’t wanna interrupt any happy thoughts and make her all sad and stuff.” Pinkie agreed.

“I also think we should let the poor thing rest… I mean, it’s not like tonight has been easy for her.” Rarity added.

“Whatcha mean by that? How did she have a rough time tonight?” Applejack questioned, standing up defensively. “Are you sayin’ she ain’t being treated right under mah roof?”

“Darling, it’s not a matter of how she’s been treated. It’s a matter of all the things that are going on with her physically and mentally right now. Do I really have to remind YOU of all ponies that she’s in Heat? AND this isn’t exactly a normal state for her to be in anyway? I’m not slighting you at all, but I’m simply saying we should be respectful of her own frame of mind. Would you really want to hear something that involves somepony like Big Mac or Granny Smith leaving to go off somewhere unknown while you were already in a rather chaotic whirlpool of emotion?”

“Ah still think she’s more than capable of handlin’ tha truth, and Ah say it ain’t right ta leave her in tha dark about somepony that’s a teacher, and practically a parent ta her. Ah say we wake her up if fer nothin’ else than showin’ her tha respect anypony deserves.” Applejack said emphatically, pounding her hoof down on the padded floor.

“Nopony’s saying we’re gonna keep her in the dark!” Rainbow said defensively, her wings opening in a subconscious attempt to look larger than she really was. “We’re just saying that she doesn’t need to be woken up with a bunch of panicked mares and a missing Princess, who happens to be her teacher!”

“Okay girls, settle down…” Twilight said, frowning at her friend’s arguing, “Look, for all we know, Luna will be back soon. She’s a Princess of Equestria after all. And I’m sure that whatever is going on, we won’t help the situation by upsetting anypony… that being said, we have a duty as friends to make sure that nopony is kept in the dark about anything that affects the friends they care about.”

“What do you mean Luna went out?” Aurora asked, her voice cutting through the tense atmosphere in the room. An eerily green flash of lightning illuminating the room and highlighting the shocked faces of everypony except for Fluttershy and Aurora. “And why was everyone shouting?”

“Well, you see Aurora, everypony was arguing about whether or not we should wake you up to tell you that Luna went out to face some kind of ancient villain thingy, and nopony could really agree. But that doesn’t really matter now since you’re awake just like everypony else!” Pinkie explained, the first of the group to snap out of her shock. “By the way, that was really good timing, have you ever considered doing standup?”

“Uhhh… I’m good, thanks Pinkie… what was that part about Luna facing an ancient villain?”

“Oh! Well, I’m not really too sure what it was exactly…I kinda woke up a little after she left and scared Dashie.” Pinkie admitted sheepishly.

“You were scared when she left, Dash?” Aurora asked, sitting on her haunches and shaking the remnants of a dream from her head.

“No! I mean, yeah, I mean… Pinkie startled me! Okay, yeah, I’m kinda scared for her… but I wasn’t scared because she left!” Dash said, defending her image, “I mean… she’s off fighting some big unknown thing in who knows where! Aren’t you worried?”

“Not really… I mean, do any of you realize how many nightmares she fights on a regular basis?” Aurora asked, looking around.

“What does fightin’ nightmares have ta do with fightin’ some big ol’ evil storm that’s shootin’ green lightnin’?” Applejack asked.

“Well… she managed to help me with my nightmares…” Aurora said cryptically, looking around the room. “In any case, I’m sure she’s fine, she’s probably finishing off whatever it is now and heading back as we speak! Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t get back to sleep with that thunder going on, so how about we all do something to keep ourselves busy?”

“Busy like, playing a game busy? Or busy like making cupcakes busy?” Pinkie asked, her hair starting to poof back up to its normal height.

“Uhhh… well…. Whichever you girls want to do I suppose…”

“We could make some apple pie in the kitchen.” Applejack suggested.

“That sounds like fun AJ.” Aurora seconded, smiling kindly at the farmpony.

“You heard the mare! To the kitchen!” Pinkie exclaimed, leading the charge through the door, the rest following her less than enthusiastically.

“…. Hey Aurora, are you sure she’ll be alright?” Dash asked, pulling the gray mare off to the side after everypony else had gone through to the kitchen.

“I’m sure Rainbow… she’s a grown Alicorn… she can handle things.” Aurora said confidently.

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TO BE CONTINUED…

Emotional Storm Pt. II

View Online

Apple of My Eye- Ch. 24

Emotional Storm Pt. II

AKA- Thar She Blows! (Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter…)

Why the HAY did she think she could handle this on her own?!

As she soared through the night sky, buffeted by howling winds and rain that threatened to freeze the skin form her bones, Luna couldn’t help but fantasize about how much easier this would be if she still had a connection to the Elements. What she had thought was a simple bit of nature magic gone awry had turned out to be something that made even an Equestrian Princess worry…

“Does it not have any weaknesses at all?!” She said, talking to herself while taking a breath in the shelter of a cave at the bottom of the ravine.

“It’s bad enough you apparently needed to RUIN my old home… but you just haaaad to go and spawn in the Everfree of all places… honestly, part of me wants to teleport you to Egryph and let the Sphinxes have at you… but that seems a bit overboard.” Luna muttered, glancing up at the top of the ravine that she had taken a chunk out of when she was thrown down from the sky by that thing. “You’ve got to have some kind of weakness though…. But what?”

From overhead, the clouds let loose another cacophony of lightning and thunder, as if mocking her, daring the younger Alicorn to test her luck with another blind charge.

“Fine, you want some, THEN I’LL GIVE YOU SOME!!!” she cried, taking to the air once more, managing to dodge the small cyclones forming in midair, silently thanking her lucky stars for the burst of agility as she watched out of the corner of her eye as one of the cyclones tore a hole straight through a block of marble that had once been a palace wall.

“Look at you child… so helpless… so weak…” a voice called from the storm clouds above, shocking Luna to the point that she got her wing caught in one of the smaller cyclones and shrieked in pain at the tearing sensation that she was sure had been a tendon or two. The only thing that kept her in the air after wrenching herself free of the malignant wind funnel was a quick healing spell she’d learned a thousand years ago from a field medic.

“Y-you can speak?” She asked incredulously, an edge of pain in her voice amidst the shock and anger.

“But of course. Then again, I’m not surprised you can’t remember me… after all, the last time I spoke, it was through your lips… Do you remember how powerful I made you? How happy we were together?” It answered, its laughter turning into a deep, bone shaking roll of thunder.

“You can’t be real…” Luna said, her voice now practically dripping with fear and rage. “You were destroyed! You tricked me! For a thousand years I was your prisoner! You ruined my life!!!”

“Hmmm… well, I guess the phrase ‘happy’ is a bit subjective… I was happy to have such a powerful host at any rate… now, since the reveal is gone, why not let us get down to business? You know, the part where you try and heroically defeat me, but end your miserable existence in a vain attempt to slow me down. Or, we can skip to the best part, where I kill you and begin my march on those that SHREDDED ME TO PIECES!” The voice said, its anger boiling over in a flash of lightning and a torrent of rain that froze against Luna’s wings and coat, weighing her down and chilling her to the bone.

“You’ll never hurt anypony ever again…” Luna said, gritting her teeth and pumping her wings deftly, shooting her upwards at speeds that would make a Wonderbolt blush. “You won’t be able to! I’ll tear you apart this time MYSELF!”

A titanic roar sounded through the sky as the Princess of the Night punched through the lower level of clouds, her magic flashing across the sky as bright and intense as any bolt of lightning, and just as quick…

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“Whoa Doggy… That last one was a roof shaker…” Applejack noted, looking out the window at the cloudy night sky, the trees in the orchard shaking with the force of the thunder rolling over the hills. “Rainbow, you ever see somethin’ lahk this when yer on the job?”

“No way… when my team puts on a storm, we keep that thing under control.” Dash replied, glancing up from her job of slicing vents in the crust of their third attempt at an apple pie. The previous two had been either eaten by Pinkie Pie before it made it to the oven, or Fluttershy had dropped it when she was carrying it to the oven and a particularly loud clap of thunder shook the house.

“It’s probably just a little storm that blew in from somewhere else…” Aurora said nonchalantly, nursing a cup of hot tea with Rarity and Fluttershy.

“That’s impossible.” Twilight said frankly, “The only places in Equestria that have storms that are capable of moving on their own are in the far north near the Crystal Empire. And even then, they have magic that keeps them at bay. If there’s a storm this close to a settled area, there’s at least one pony behind it.”

“You’re telling me you girls have never seen a storm that moved on its own?”

Everypony present just shook their head and regarded Aurora like she had suddenly grown another head.

“Come on girls, let’s cut her a break. She’s not from Equestria right? Maybe they have some kind of crazy magic that works the weather for them, rather than the hands on stuff Pegasi do… I mean, she doesn’t have her cutie mark yet and she’s the same age as us, it’s not too farfetched… is it?” Rainbow said, coming to the grey mare’s defense.

“Well, I mean, the weather changed on its own, but there wasn’t any magic about it… it just did its own thing and everyone adjusted to deal with it.”

“Oh my, that sounds horrible darling!” Rarity exclaimed dramatically, “You’re telling me that you didn’t know in advance if it would be sunny or rainy? How did you know what to wear?”

“Well, we kind of had these folks who had the job of predicting the weather… they used a lot of science stuff for that job, and they got pretty close most of the time… but it’s not like the weather was changing whole seasons in a day or anything.”

“What do you mean? The seasons are supposed to change in a day.” Dash noted, “If they didn’t, then you’d have a bunch of confusion, crops wouldn’t grow like normal… not to mention the headache that it would cause dealing with out of season clouds. Next, you’re gonna tell us that the animals take care of themselves.”

“Rainbow Dash, that’s not very nice… teasing Aurora like that.” Fluttershy said disapprovingly, coming to her friend’s defense. “Besides, it’s not like we don’t have sections of Equestria that have a life of their own… or is everypony forgetting about the Everfree that’s right next door.”

“Ain’t nopony forgettin’ about that place Shy. Dash is just sayin’ it’d be weird if everything just seemed ta grow and live on its own… there ain’t no rhyme or reason fer it.” Applejack interjected diplomatically.

“Well… I mean, aside from things like houses and businesses, things tended to grow on their own pretty well.”
Aurora said, looking around at the stunned faces. “I know things are different here, but where I come from, the weather shifts, the seasons change, animals care for themselves, and crops grow without any interference at all… in fact, the only reason I can think of that anyone DID try and change things were because it was just easier to live with… not that it was always necessary…”

“If it ain’t necessary, then why’d y’all do it?” Applejack asked curiously, the only one f the group that wasn’t still trying to process a land ruled solely by natural forces outside their control.

“I… I don’t really know…” Aurora admitted bashfully, the rest of the group holding their breath and waiting for her to continue. “I guess everyone just got used to it and stopped questioning things... but I mean, it wasn’t really ‘home’ for me either… it was more like a place I lived whether I wanted to or not… So I guess in the end, it doesn’t matter if I understood it or not. I’m here now… and it’s nice…”

“Well if you didn’t want to live there dear, why in Equestria did you stay for so long?” Rarity asked, taking a sip from her tea and dispelling the uncomfortable silence that permeated the room. “It certainly doesn’t sound like you enjoyed living there.”

“Well, you know how things are a bit, or rather, a LOT different than they are here?” Aurora said, chuckling to herself and looking around. “Well, one of the big things about living there was that you could move away just about whenever you wanted… but even if you moved to some far off place, you were still stuck in this huge web of things that there was no escape from… not all of it was good either…”

“Well how bad could it have been really?” Twilight asked, “I mean, aside from the whole crazy weather, how bad could it really have been for someone as nice as you to come from there?”

“It’s hard to describe really… I know that here in Equestria, you girls are used to dealing with things like Manticores, a Hydra or two, maybe a power hungry king or a spirit of chaos… but for the most part, Equestria is peaceful right?”

Everypony in the room nodded.

“Well, that’s something of a novelty for me… here, I can go out at night, no matter how late or dark, and I can go by myself and not worry about anything bad happening.” Aurora began, really wracking her brain to describe Earth without giving too much away.

“Well, as long as your cute flank stays away from the bars, yeah.” Rainbow joked, earning her a couple of appreciative giggles and one death glare from a certain orange Earth Pony.

“Well, back where I used to live… there was always this sense of danger…. No matter where you lived, there was always a chance that someone was going to attack you for some reason or another… usually they just wanted money, or maybe something you had… sometimes they just attacked folks for no reason though… and that was just something that everyone accepted as normal… it’s not something I like to talk about with folks here, because you’re all so happy… I don’t want to take that away from you…” Aurora said, looking around at the circle of stunned faces.

“Don’t take this the wrong way Aurora…” Pinkie said, breaking the uneasy quiet in the room, “But that’s the silliest thing I ever heard!”

“But it’s true!” Aurora shot back, “How is living in constant fear, to the point that you don’t even realize you’re afraid, even remotely silly Pinkie?”

“Not that part silly filly, I mean the fact that you’re trying to keep all that bad stuff bottled up!” Pinkie answered, smiling kindly at her friend, the small crowd of mares nodding their heads knowingly, much to Aurora’s confusion.

“………Huh?”

“What Pinkie’s trying to say,” Twilight said, stepping forward, “Is that we’re your friends. And good or bad, friends are there for each other… even if you think you’re doing a good thing by keeping those bad memories to yourself, all you’re doing is keeping all those bad feelings inside where they’ll just grow and hurt you more… if you share those emotions with a friend, and let them know what happened, then you open yourself up to get all the bad emotions out, and you fill the gaps in with the good emotions that friendship provides.”

“She’s right Aurora… I’m scared of a lot of things, but because I talk to others that I care about, and who care about me, I don’t feel so scared… I feel like I have all those ponies standing behind me no matter what, and that means a lot…” Fluttershy interjected, getting nods of approval form the rest of the group.

“Yeah, I mean, I know I’m awesome, obviously.” Dash said, stepping forward to give her two bits, “But every now and then, it’s good to know that if I’m not feeling a hundred and twenty percent awesome, I’ve got friends that can back me up.”

“Even you darling, who clearly didn’t come here from a very harmonious place, are cared about. You have friends in all of us, and just about everypony that you interact with. I’ve yet to hear anypony say a bad thing about you. You needn’t bottle up all those bad feelings and memories just because you’re worried that we’ll reject you, or you’ll scare us off… I’m the Element of Generosity after all, what kind of mare would I be if I wasn’t willing to sit down and talk to my friend about what’s bothering them.”

“And Ah ain’t gonna lie sugarcube, yer real special ta me an’ mah family. So Ah ain’t gonna leave ya out in tha cold if ya got somethin’ buggin’ ya.” Applejack said, walking up and nuzzling the grey Pegasus.

“Oh we all know how much you care about her Applejack.” Pinkie Pie said, winking suggestively, making everypony laugh except for AJ, Dash, and Aurora; all of whom simply sat there blushing and suddenly finding various parts of the kitchen fascinating.

“Well… I mean… if you’re all okay with it… I guess I could talk about my old home…” Aurora said, “Just not yet… There’s still a few more things I need to do before I’m ready to open up about all that.”

“And that’s perfectly fine.” Twilight said, smiling warmly, “Just as long as you remember that we’re always here for you.”

“Agreed. We’re not your friends without reason dear, never forget that.” Rarity seconded, smiling.

“And don’t forget about me.” Dash said, wrapping a wing around her, “After all, someone’s gotta beat off some of those mares when you turn back into a stallion. May as well be me.”

“Ah don’t think Aurora’s gonna have ta worry about that.” Applejack said, glaring at Rainbow Dash with a competitive smirk, “Cuz Ah’ll be there too.”

“Umm… I can’t really beat anypony up… but you can always come talk to me if you need anything…” Fluttershy volunteered.

“OOOH! Don’t forget about me!” Pinkie said bouncing around. “I totally know what it’s like to have mixed feelings about where you come from! Aurora, you have to promise me that when you’re ready to open up, that you let me know so I can throw you an Aurora’s Finally Found A Place To Call Home party!”

Aurora looked around the room at the smiling mares, all of whom had just told her in no uncertain terms that they were there for her no matter what… and she felt a deep sense of joy welling up inside.

“Y-you girls…” she said, smiling even as a couple tears streaked their way down her face, “Heh… I don’t know what I ever did to deserve this… but I don’t care… thank you, everypony…” she said, the group crowding around her for a group hug, Pinkie Pie somehow managing to wrap her forelegs around the entire group.

As the group hugged it out in the kitchen, Applebloom wandered into the room, glaring at them all in that righteously-angry way that is normally mastered only by experienced monks and parents of small children.

“Do any of you have a clue what tahm it is?!” she asked, huffing and stamping a hoof on the ground. “Ah don’t care what kinda sleepover y’all are havin’ yer too loud! Between you girls and that storm, Ah can’t sleep! And Ah got school in the morning’!”

“Heheheh… Sorry Sugarcube, we’ll try and keep it down now, y’all just go on back ta bed ya hear? Ah’ll even let ya sleep in a bit and Ah’ll write a note ta Cheerilee ta tell her why.” Applejack said, trying to appease the young filly.

“Alright then… but Ah don’t wanna have ta come down here again… almost lost it with those guards tellin’ me Ah couldn’t chew out mah own sister in our own house… by the way, AJ, Ah think whatever’s in tha oven is burnin’…” Applebloom said, walking out of the kitchen and glancing backwards nonchalantly.

“Ah Ponyfeathers!” Applejack swore, rushing to the oven and opening the door to reveal a puff of black smoke and a seriously burnt apple pie. “Well…looks lahk we ain’t gonna have any pie in the morning girls…” She said sadly, fanning the smoke away from her face as Rarity pulled the pie out of the oven with her magic and dropped it into the compost bucket near the door leading outside.

“Oh don’t worry about a thing Applejack.” Rarity said sweetly, “Besides, I’m on a bit of a diet, so pie really isn’t something
I’m supposed to eat right now anyway.”

“Well then what the hay was the point of us making the dang thing in tha first place?!” Applejack asked, frustration and lack of sleep finally showing their effects on the Earth Pony.

“Well… it gave us all a chance to talk and hang out… and besides, it was a nice distraction form that storm.” Aurora offered, smiling at AJ.

“Speaking of which, is that still going on?” Pinkie asked, peeking outside just as a bolt of lightning cracked down in the middle of the road outside, scorching the ground and letting out an ear splitting crack of thunder that shook the house to its foundations more so than any wind had ever managed. As the ringing in their ears started to dissipate, everypony became aware of a deep, malicious laugh rolling over the hills from the edge of the forest…

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“Why do you fight when you know that you cannot win?” the dark spirit asked, laughing as it watched Luna twitching on the ground where a lightning bolt had managed to find it’s mark. Even Goddesses have their limits, after all…

With labored breathing and shaking legs, Luna managed to stand up, glaring at the heavens that should have been decorated with her brilliant stars…. Instead of being covered by the sickeningly black clouds that dared besmirch her night…

“How dare you…” Luna said quietly, her magic pushed to the limit just to heal the damage being dealt to her, forget trying to on the offensive. “How dare you threaten my precious subjects, whom I have sworn to protect… Even if I look past the harm you did myself and my sister in the past, these actions alone are inexcusable… No, I may not be able to win, but I’ll see myself in Tartarus before I give up on trying to strike you down…”

“Well then… if that is how you feel, I’ll happily oblige!” the disembodied voice called down, ripping the clouds apart and tossing out a gale force wind that tore limbs from the surrounding trees and tossed them through the air, shredding anything that was unlucky enough to be in its path as it descended from the clouds and assumed it’s corporeal form. The darkness itself fused with the wind and the rain and the very lightning itself, the forces of nature creating a monster that stood towering over the Princess with eyes as black as the dark abyss of the deepest seas.

As the beast came more and more into focus, a part of Luna had to admit to being impressed… for the first time in her many centuries of exploring dreams and nightmares alike, here was a creature of such malice that it transcended any horror ever imagined by Ponykind. It was almost as large as an Ursa Minor, with a serpentine body made of storm clouds tinged an eerie green. Its head snaked upwards like a Hydra’s, with fangs as tall as most Earth Pony stallions, and made of ice from freezing rain. Equally large spines emerged along it’s back in an armor of frigid spikes that could easily impale any that dared to stand up to it. As if the creature weren’t already repugnant, it had fashioned a pair of draconic wings out of lightning that burnt the very air around the monster. Wherever its wings touched the earth, the ground was burnt to a cinder, scarring
the land.

“At last… I will see you destroyed… a pity really, you were such a good host once, long ago… oh well, you’ve far outlived your usefulness…” the horror said, speaking in a low rumble that was almost certainly the thunder itself given form and purpose…

“You say that you were part of me once… but I wonder about that.” Luna said defiantly, her words giving pause to the abomination’s onslaught as it listened, so sure of its victory that it was willing to afford her one last boast.

“If you were truly one with me, then you should know better than to insult me, threaten those I care about, and even worse… giving me a target…” She said, gritting her teeth and lunging at the creature, her horn lighting up with an ancient battle spell, every fiber of her being intent on shredding the creature to pieces and dispelling it to the wind.

“Awwww… so desperate… and so helpless…” the creature said, mocking her as it absorbed the spells and showed no change at all. “But I’m afraid that you bore me now… goodbye.”

She had no time to react, between the shock of seeing her foe absorb some of her most intense and focused magical blasts, and the tail of the creature whipping around in a burst of light and slamming her to the ground… All she could do was brace herself as best she could… Still, it wasn’t enough.

With a sickening crunch, she felt her wings break, the feathers ripped from her limbs limbs by the howling winds making up its tail. Luna found herself struck flat to the ground beneath her hooves, pain like nothing she had ever experienced before overwhelming her as her vision began to grow dark.

“I-I’m sorry everyone…” she choked out weakly, her eyes closing for what was likely the last time. “…I should have tried harder.”

As she lay on the ground in a broken heap, she noticed that the sound of the creature had grown quieter, and even with her eyes closed, things seemed to be brighter…

“Oh…” was all she could say, cracking an eyelid and seeing a field of purplish light in front of her. “So this is what an immortal sees when it ceases to be… It’s simpler than I thought it would be…”

“Well shield spells aren’t exactly known for being elaborate Princess…” a familiar voice said from behind Luna, the surprise actually motivating her to use what energy he had left to turn her head and look back at the source of the sound.

“Twilight Sparkle…” Luna said, stunned. “How… why… what are you doing here?!”

“Teleportation spell and Pinkie Sense, because you’re a Princess and a friend, and I’m here to help.” She answered
curtly, all of her energy focused on the shield standing between the abomination and the two of them.

“I’m afraid that even with your magic prowess, we will soon be overwhelmed.” Luna noted dryly, taking a moment to try and gather any residual magic she could find in the area to replenish her health and heal her wounds. She wouldn’t be doing anything beyond levitation for the next week, but at least Twilight had bought her the time needed to ease her pain. “And by the way, am I correct in assuming that you left the rest of the group behind to come here?”

“Nope, dead wrong Princess.” Twilight responded, “Pinkie’s bringing the rest of them. But she said there was something huge going down over here, and I was the fastest. Luckily, Pinkie was pretty accurate and it looks like I got here just in time.”

“The rest of them? I understand bringing the other Element Bearers, but surely you left Aurora behind…” Luna questioned, finally having gathered enough to begin setting the bones in her wings and standing up long enough to sit back down.

“I wish I could say that Princess… but you should know that Aurora’s not going to just sit back while you’re in danger…” she replied.

“NO! You cannot let her near this creature! It feeds off of any negative emotion, any fears, doubts, regrets… this thing is a fusion of the natural magic that saturates the Everfree Forest and the dark spirit that tempted me so long ago to become Nightmare Moon. You six may stand a chance, but somepony like her would only feed it and be consumed by its hatred and malice…”

“With all due respect Princess,” Twilight said, gritting her teeth with the effort needed to maintain the shield as the creature slammed down onto it in an attempt to break the spell, “You really need to learn to trust others every once in a while…”

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“DODGE!” Pinkie cried out, leaping to the side, the rest of the group following suit in a heartbeat. A split second later, the air was rended by another flash of lightning and a cacophonous clap of thunder.

“RUN!” the pink leader of the group hollered, hauling flank across the road and into the edge of the Everfree Forest, the others trailing behind. If it hadn’t been for her Pinkie Sense, the entire group would have blasted a dozen different ways by flying debris, lightning, and in one instance, an airborne pack of Timberwolves.

“How the hay are we going to be able to help Luna?!” Rainbow shouted, looking to Applejack for counsel, “I mean, if she’s in as much trouble as Pinkie says, then it’s because something happened that could take out a freaking Princess!”

“We simply will have to do whatever we can to save her and possibly all of Equestria… again…” Rarity chimed in, keeping pace with the group surprisingly well.

“But what could possibly have put her in so much danger?” Aurora asked, voicing the nagging doubt in everypony’s mind, “And if you girls don’t have the Elements with you, then how are we going to help?”

“Aurora, I love ya, but that’s just stinkin’ thinkin’. We’ve taken on Discord, Nightmare Moon, and who knows how many other crazy things, and we’re still here and fine. We’re gonna do whatever we gotta ta set everything right, ya hear?” Applejack replied, smiling confidently and hiding her own worry deep beneath a mask of calm.

“QUIT TALKING AND JUMP!” Pinkie shouted from the front, her order immediately obeyed, and just in time. A fog had crept over the ground, and as everyone jumped full force, they managed to make it over a felled tree that had been rolling towards them through the dark. They heard the ear splitting crunch as it shattered against a group of boulders they had just passed, nopony wanting to even try and think about what would have happened if they had been hit by it rather than the rocks…

“Are we almost there?” Rainbow asked, flying up until she was alongside Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah! She’s right over this ridge, I can feel it!” Pinkie answered. “EVERYPONY, WHEN YOU GET OVER THIS HILL, MAKE A HARD RIGHT AND HEAD FOR TWILIGHT!”

“Why a hard right?! It’s not like there’s gonna be any-MOTHERBUCKER!” Aurora asked, shouting over the noise the wind created as they reached the top of the hill and a veritable Leviathan made up of what looked like the very storm raging around them came flying up through the air. As it landed just a yard or so from the group, sending dirt and rocks and rubble flying up as the young mares hauled flank towards the glowing purple dome at the bottom of the valley.

“TOLDJA SO!” Pinkie shouted, giggling despite the circumstances, “NOW LET’S GET IN THAT BUBBLE!”

“Way ahead of you Pinkie!” Dash shouted, zooming forward at full speed, alerting Twilight to the groups presence just in time for her to open a hole in the shield for them to slip in as the monster let out a howl and shot a barrage of debris at the group, whipped up by the cyclone on its tail.

“The hay is that thing?!” Applejack asked, looking through the shield at the abomination in front of them. “And how the hay are ya holding it back with this tiny shield Twi?”

“Long story short, Shining Armor taught me a few tricks. Now we need to come up with something and fast!” Twilight answered seriously, “We’ve got an injured Princess, a pony that doesn’t have an Element to help protect them, and to top it
off, this shield is only going to last another ten minutes at most…”

“Twilight, is there any way that I could put up a barrier to prolong that time?” Rarity asked, “You can leave the shield up with a residual charge, my barrier underneath could actively extend the time, and you could focus on teleporting everypony out of here.”

“That wouldn’t work Rarity. I used up a good chunk of my magic on that long range teleportation, and the rest of it went into making this to keep Luna from being more seriously injured. Besides, from what Luna told me, that thing is after us as well as her… the rest of Equestria is just a bonus… Whatever we do, it’s got to be done here and now.” Twilight explained, bracing herself mentally as the creature shot a wave of icicles at the shield, each one shattering, but leaving minute fractures in the magical bubble that began to repair themselves slower with each successive hit.

“He’s worse than a dragon…” Fluttershy muttered, her fear finally catching up to her and causing her eyes to bug out as she stared at the creature.

“He’s also technically an IT, Fluttershy.” Luna said calmly, still focusing on replenishing her own magic from the surrounding area. “And its not even a real creature… this is just the form that it assumed this time…”

“What are you talking about Luna?” Rainbow asked, hovering in front of her face, “You mean you know what this thing is?!”

“Of course… It’s the same creature that you all rescued me from when you first harnessed the power of the Elements of Harmony.” Luna answered, unperturbed at the cerulean mare invading her personal space.

“But I thought that we just helped you remember all the good things that you’d forgotten when you were jealous of Princess Celestia…” Fluttershy said, doing her best not to collapse from terror. “Are you saying that that was inside you the whole time?”

“Indeed… it is a creature that feeds off of the darkest, most poisonous emotions one can feel… Jealousy and anger are just two of what that thing loves. The reason that I became Nightmare Moon is simple, at the time, I was the strongest source of all those empty feelings. In my moment of weakness, I agreed to let it merge it’s magic with my own, but it overpowered me, and it was only by the power of the Elements, and a thousand years in isolation, that I was able to weaken it’s hold enough for the next Bearers to free me completely and hopefully destroy it… unfortunately, it seems that it survived.”

“So what do we do now?!” Rainbow asked, looking around at the rest of the group, each of them just as worried as the next.

“……We beat it.” Aurora said simply, her words catching everyone by surprise. “I know I’m new, and I’m not an Alicorn or an Element Bearer, but Equestria is as much a home to me as I’ve ever known, and I’m not going to let some big bag of wind call the shots… But uh, it would be nice if you all could help…”

Luna was the first to speak up after the grey Pegasus, chuckling softly, “I have to admit Aurora, when I brought you here, I did not think that you would be the one to give ME a pep talk… you are right my student, this creature must be stopped here and now, and with all of us, there is no doubt in my mind that we can defeat it for good!”

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! You truly think you can defeat ME?! Oh Luna… poor, naïve, stupid little Luna… You and I both know that none of you stand a chance of destroying me…No, I am a force of nature. I am the darkness that resides in EVERY heart in EVERY land. You cannot defeat me anymore than you can hope to stop the rain from falling, the sun from rising, and the mortals from dying.”

“Oh yeah! Well that shows what you know! I’m a weather Pegasus, and that means the rain and the storms happen when I SAY THEY DO!” Dash said boldly, her nose pressing into the shield, glaring at the malicious creature.

“Then by all means Rainbow Dash, COME OUT AND TAME ME!” it shouted back as loud as thunder, it’s tail swiping in from the side, tearing up the ground beneath the dome and causing the barrier to collapse, the cyclone rending the very air and scattering the group across the valley. The last thing Twilight saw before blacking out from the shock of magical backlash, was her friends tossed around like ragdolls, Luna falling amidst a cluster of jagged rocks and landing with a sickening crunch that could be heard even over the howling wind and the beasts horrible laugh…

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TO BE CONTINUED EVEN MORE……

Emotional Storm Finale

View Online

Apple of My Eye- Ch. 25

Emotional Storm Pt. III

AKA- Jumping The Shark

Okay… As soon as they managed to get out of this, Luna was going to go to the Captain of the Guard and ORDER him to start making her work out more often. This was just ridiculous! First that little parasite showed back up, then she lost the chance to watch Aurora sleep because she had to clear up what she had hoped was a rogue Winndego. And now here she was, drained of magic, in massive amounts of pain, and lying on top of some really uncomfortable rocks… What did she do to deserve this?!

“Well, I must admit Luna… I’m surprised to see you open your eyes again.” The Storm Serpeant rumbled, mocking her, “I wonder, which of your little subjects should I eat first? There’s so many elements to choose from after all… Hmmm… I could start with the Element of Laughter…” it said, looking at Pinkie Pie, who was just now staggering back to her hooves after landing in a bush. “But I feel like if I eat that one first, the rest of them will taste funny. Oh what to do what to do…”

“You monster… do you have any idea what kind… of a painful future you’re creating… for yourself? Nothing… and I mean nothing… will stop Celestia herself… from reducing you… to ash after… this…” Luna warned, her voice far from regal as she struggled to breathe. If she weren’t an Alicorn that was kept alive by the moon’s power, she’d have surely passed away long before this point.

“Oh please… I have bested you, I have put at least one of your precious Elements out of commission, possibly for good. Lucky for her too,” it said condescendingly, looking at Twilight’s unconscious form lying in the middle of a ring of singed grass, the only proof of the shield spell that had protected them up to that point. “If she is dead, then it will spare her from seeing what I am going to do to the rest of them… Wasn’t she the element of magic? A pity, I’d have enjoyed the little boost she would have given me if I assimilated her… oh well. Back to the task at hand… do you have a particular favorite?”

“They’re all… my precious subjects…” Luna answered, trying to sit up and failing miserably, her back still broken and healing. She was powerless. “If you must hurt anyone, then start with me…”

“Oh my, so brave, so noble. Sacrificing yourself in the hopes that they can escape…I know you’re smarter than that Luna… what are you planning?”

“No tricks… I just want you to swear that if you take me, that you will leave them be…”

“Hmmm… an interesting proposition… even as broken as you are, you would at least be a decent boost to my power… and I must confess, there is a certain sense of nostalgia I get when I think of the centuries we spent in each other’s company… But on the other hand, why have just one of you when I can take you all!”

Before Luna even had a chance to roll her eyes at the predictable answer, she felt herself being lifted by the wind of the storm, a miniature tornado forming below her and lifting her up to the beast’s grinning mouth.

“If it’s any comfort, you didn’t seem to feel any pain the last time I consumed you.” It spoke, its focus solely on her.

“Go to Tartarus…” Luna said defiantly, a blur of motion on the ground below catching her eye as the beast opened its cavernous maw to subsume her completely.

“Heh… I’d be more worried about where YOU’RE going to end up if I were you… although, I was you for a time, it was fun… still, I need more power, and you need to go, now do try not to kick on the way down.” The beast said, grinning wickedly and dropping her into the void of what passed for its mouth, an all-consuming darkness enshrouding her as she felt everything that made her her dissolved.

I remember now… Luna thought, her consciousness overwhelmed by feelings of isolation and regret that she had thought had been purged from her mind after the Elements freed her. This feeling… this cold… for a thousand years… Tia, I’m sorry… I failed again…

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“Grab Twilight!” Aurora shouted to Applejack, helping Pinkie to her feet and helping Rarity hobble away from the creature, hunched over a cluster of jagged rocks.

“On it!” AJ shouted back, making a beeline for the downed unicorn and managing to slide her onto her back, “Dash! You got Fluttershy?” she shouted towards the treeline.

“Working on it! She’s out cold!” Dash replied, finally working Fluttershy free from the hollow of one of the trees nearby, somehow managing to hold her up by just her forelegs as she made her way quickly back to Aurora, Applejack running along beneath the blue and yellow Pegasi, Twilight somehow managing to stay on the Earth Pony’s back.

“Is that everyone?” Aurora questioned, concerned about the two unconscious mares.

“Everyone but Luna.” Applejack confirmed, “Ah don’t know where she landed, but out of all of us, she’s got tha best
chance against that thing. We gotta get outta here, get a message ta Celestia and get those Elements out and ready!”

“First thing we have to do is make sure that everyone’s okay!” Rainbow retorted, glaring at Applejack, “How are you going to just run off when we don’t know where the HAY Luna is!?”

“Rainbow!” Aurora shouted, “I know, I want to help Luna too… but if we don’t save you girls, then there’s probably no way to stop that thing… the Elements can put a freaking Princess in the moon for a thousand years! If you all are lost, then there’s no hope!”

“But… Luna…” Rainbow sputtered, glancing back at the creature as it lifted an all too familiar dark blue form up to its eye level. “We have to save her!”

“Rainbow! If we don’t git while the gittin’s good, there’s gonna be a lot more ponies in danger than Luna!” Applejack shouted, determined to save as many as possible.

“Her life is tied to the moon! As long as it’s there in the sky, Luna’s still alive.” Aurora reminded her friend, barely managing to keep from following the Cerulean mare… She didn’t want to know what would happen to Luna, but she knew that if they stayed, then everything was for naught.

Rainbow hovered in place for a few tense moments, looking between AJ and Aurora, and the beast that had Luna in its grip…

“Fine…” she said dejectedly, turning to follow the rest of the group up out of the ravine. “Hopefully the Element of Loyalty is still tied to me after this…”

“Ya can’t go thinkin’ like that Dash.” Applejack chided, “That thing ain’t like anything else we’ve ever faced before… hay, even with Sombra, we had tha crystal heart… this thing? Our best bet is ta stay together, and hope that Twi and Fluttershy wake up in time ta help us beat that monster before anypony else gets hurt!”

“I know that!” Dash bit back, straining to fly while holding Fluttershy up, “But you wouldn’t get it AJ, it’s like asking you to lie to buy us time to get the Elements… I just have this gut feeling that right now, I’m not so loyal, and it’ll know! And then we’re in the same situation as when we don’t have the elements!”

“Dashie, there’s nopony I know of that’s more loyaler than you!” Pinkie called up, finally able to gallop in a straight line, and helping Aurora with Rarity. “But I also know that unless we run now, it’s gonna be bad for a lot of ponies in a lot of places…”

“Let me guess, your Pinkie Sense is telling you that?” Dash asked sarcastically.

“No… it’s just this feeling I have… running right now is the right thing to do…” Pinkie replied, uncharacteristically serious, but understandably so given the circumstances. Her voice still holding the traces of grogginess hanging around her mind.

“Now quit yer jawin’ and haul flank!” Applejack shouted as they neared the crest of the hill. “Who knows how much time Luna’s buyin’ us, but we ain’t gonna waste it!”

The five conscious mares hobbled, flew, and ran their way through the woods, almost to the ruins of the old castle when a flash of light, different from the lightning strikes up to that point, caused everypony to stop and look back in the direction of the valley they’d just escaped from.

There, peeking over the tops of the tallest trees in the forest, was the grinning face of the creature they were running from. At least, it WAS the creature they had been running from… it had changed… Instead of a body made up of storms, it had a more corporeal form now, with a less serpentine shape to the head, but with eyes that glowed a sickly green, with slitted pupils that chilled them all to the bone just by looking into them… and even more worrying, the creature seemed to look directly at them, smiling wickedly…

“Can… can that thing see us?” Rainbow asked, gulping nervously as she landed on the ground gingerly, careful not to drop Fluttershy.

“No way… we’re like, at least a mile off now… and we’re tiny compared to that thing… how could it see us for the trees?” Aurora answered, glaring at the monster despite her own rising sense of dread.

“Maybe the big bad monster has some magic that lets it hunt down interfering little brats like yourselves…” a voice said, sounding as if it were right beside them all, the fiends mouth never moving except to widen its own sadistic grin.

“Uhhh… Girls… we should run again…” Pinkie said, looking around at the stunned faces in the group.

“Oh come now… running won’t do anything but make you tired… why not just come back… I’ll even make sure that you can see Luna again.” The monster said, its words sickeningly sweet despite its deep, threatening tone.

“Luna?” Aurora asked, the look of fear transforming to one of anger and disgust, “What did you do to her?!”

“Nothing she hasn’t already been through before… except that this time, she’s inside me, rather than the other way around.”

“Y-you ate the bucking Princess?!” Dash said, leaving Fluttershy on the ground and zipping up to just above the tree
line. “You did, didn’t you!”

“Hmmm… Is it really eating somepony if they’re still alive?” the beast mused out loud, watching the polychromatic mare ready to zip over to its waiting maw.

“Rainbow, don’t!” Aurora yelled, too late to stop the weather Pegasus from flying towards the waiting creature, fueled by blind rage. “Gah… Pinkie, Take care of Twilight and Fluttershy! Rarity, can you keep up with them?”

“The hay with me! Go stop her before that thing takes her too!” Rarity answered, as the grey mare took wing and flew after Rainbow Dash.

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“Interesting… that worked a bit better than I thought.” The creature thought to itself, smirking, “I wonder if Celestia’s subjects always been so foolhardy. Oh well, no matter. All I need to do is subsume one of them, and there’s nothing to stand in my way…”

“HEY UGLY!” a shrill voice yelled, piercing through the creatures reflective moment

……Just in time for it to see a flash of bright colors flying directly into its eye.

“AAARGH! That’s it! For that, you’ll suffer!” it howled, thrashing around and looking around for the offending insect that dared to try and strike it.

“Like I’m not suffering already! You just ate one of my friends!” The blue Pegasus said from directly above its head.

“Oh do shut up…” the creature growled, reaching up with its newly created claw, one of the more interesting side
effects of absorbing Luna again… so much raw magic to be had and used…

“Rainbow! Move it!” a new voice called, flying in almost as fast as the blue one had, pushing the creatures target out of the way just as it was closing a blood red claw around its prey.

“Well now, what do we have here?” the monster said, examining the voluntary victim in its palm, the newcomers wings broken from when it had grabbed hold of the grey pony. “Hmmm… you’re not an Element…but you might have something I can use…” it said, opening its mouth wide, a dark pit just waiting for new prey…

“Wha-what do you mean?!” Aurora screamed, as she was tossed into the air and swallowed by the darkness of the creature, the sudden cold overtaking her as she felt herself begin to drift away into the void before she even had the chance to scream.

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“What’s happenin?!” Applejack shouted, glancing back at Pinkie Pie, “Hey! What’s wrong?!”

Pinkie Pie, who had stopped dead in her tracks, carrying Fluttershy on her back and somehow managing to help Rarity hobble along with them as the five ponies continued their exodus.

“Sh…she…” she mumbled, staring into the distance.

“Spit it out Pinkie! What happened?” Applejack asked again, her eyes growing wide with fear.

“She’s gone……” Pinkie said flatly, her hair deflating. “Aurora, she…”

At the mention of the Pegasus’ name, AJ turned around, galloping back the way they came, careful to place Twilight on the ground beside Pinkie first.

“Stay here with them!” she ordered, hauling flank down the trail, trying not to think about what Pinkie said. “She can’t be gone… she can’t… she can’t, she can’t, she can’t, she can’t!” she kept chanting, her hooves striking the ground and hurtling her back towards the beast.

As she charged through the woods, an ear splitting roar shook the trees and nearly blew her off her hooves.

“The hay was that?!” she shouted, barreling ahead and eventually making her way to the edge of the valley, looking down to see the creature clawing at the ground, Rainbow Dash standing at the edge of the woods at the other side of the valley. Applejack almost asked what was happening, but even at this distance, the shock and confusion on Rainbow’s face was obvious. Whatever had happened, had stunned the normally outgoing mare to the point that she was beginning to look like Fluttershy.

“What’s goin’ on?” AJ muttered to herself, looking down at the thrashing creature in the bottom of the valley, “Aurora… where are you? What did you do……”

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“W-where am I?” Aurora wondered out loud, opening her eyes. Well, not really opening her eyes so much as… becoming conscious? No, even that wasn’t the right word…

Come to think of it, how was she even having these thoughts? Last she remembered, she had been falling into the gaping mouth of that storm creature. She remembered feeling very cold, then exposed, then… nothing? No… she had felt something… but it almost felt familiar…

“The word you’re looking for is hateful.” Another voice said from the darkness. If she’d had eyes that she could control, Aurora was certain that they’d have popped out in shock.

“Who are you?” she finally replied, surprised by the fact that talking seemed to feel the same as before. “And where are we?”

“You already know where we are…” the new, familiar voice answered, “This is the belly of the beast. Both figuratively and literally… And you also should know who I am Aurora.”

“……Luna?” Aurora guessed. “Wait… if we’re in this thing’s stomach, how come it’s not all, you know… stomachy?”

There was silence for a moment, then a small giggle from the void. “Oh my… I have to say Aurora, you certainly have an interesting way of looking at things… this monster’s stomach isn’t really a stomach… hay, even its existence isn’t like any other living thing… except perhaps the Winndego.”

“The Winndego? You mean that thing from the Hearth’s Warming Eve story? I thought those things were gone…”

“Well, not really gone exactly… they’re just too weak to do anything… but this thing is on entirely different level. For example, the Winndego gets its power in creating blizzards from the cold feelings in the hearts of others… but by opening our hearts to love, friendship, and other good, warm feelings, we effectively counteract their innate magic and dispel them without any conscious effort.”

“So… why didn’t this thing cause some kind of blizzard? It seems to me like it was sticking to storms… does it react to a different emotion?”

“Correct. Where the Winndego thrived on things like distrust in others, this creature gets its power from the inner turmoil in ourselves. Those dark feelings like isolation, regret, fear, sadness… the very emotions that filled me to the brim in the days before my transformation into the Nightmare.”

“You must have been like some kind of buffet to this thing…” Aurora noted, “So, Nightmare Moon was just you under this things influence?”

“I wish I could say that… no, the actions I took as Nightmare Moon were my own. This abomination merely served as a catalyst and focused my magic and blinded me to the harm I was doing to others. It twisted my desires and turned them on the very ponies I wanted to share my night’s beauty with.”

“……So it wasn’t really you then… if this thing influenced you in any way, then it’s not really your fault…”

“I wish I could accept that Aurora… but it’s too late now, it’s just one of the many burdens I must forever bear. I’m only sorry that I didn’t tell anypony about this while I could…”

“You mean even Celestia doesn’t know about this thing?”

“No… at least, not everything… I told her that there was a creature that was controlling me, but I asked her not to press further into it. And now, my own desire to hide my past has brought this thing back, and more dangerous than ever… I’m so sorry Aurora…”

“………So you’re just going to let this thing take control, hurt EVERYONE you’ve ever loved or cared about, destroy Equestria… and all because this thing is too ‘sad’ or whatever?”

“It’s not that! This monster is literally a spirit of anger, regret, isolation… nopony can stand up to it because unlike the Winndego’s, which were dispelled by learning to trust others and see beyond our differences, this creature is the embodiment of the feelings that reside within our hearts.”

“So all you’d have to do is get over your anger and regrets and you could easily destroy this thing.” Aurora coaxed,
“How hard can that be?”

“You tell me Aurora… I have the ancient blood of innocents on my conscience, a thousand years of waste, anger at my own sister for not even trying to see what was happening before I gave in to the darkness… I am too deeply stained by my own feelings to fight back… So tell me Aurora, how exactly do I just, ‘get over it’ to destroy this abomination?!”

“……Well you could start by not snapping at me……”

“…I’m sorry Aurora… it is my own fault, and now you are stuck here with me until either the elements can destroy it and free us, or else we’re banished to the moon for another thousand years or so to starve it…”

“You were on the moon for a thousand years just to starve this thing out?”

“Well that and because at its heart, I needed a bit of a timeout… though I still say a millennia was excessive… if it’s any comfort to you, you won’t die… it has subsumed you, which means that you’re a part of it now.”

“……we’re part of this thing?!”

“Well yes… why did you think it’s so dark?”

“So this thing is completely connected to us?”

“Yes… Why?”

“And you said that this thing originally fed off of you, right?”

“Yes. Now will you please tell me where you’re going with this?”

“Well it’s just that, this connection runs both ways… and you said that if there were a way to overcome all the emotions that this thing feeds off of, that it could be dispelled…”

“And I also said that I could never overcome my guilt. So we’re back to step one.”

“You can’t… but you’re not the only one that’s felt those feelings… alone, ignored, angry, full of regret…”

“Aurora… I know that you want to help, but if you try and make that extra connection to destroy it from in here… I don’t know what will happen to you…”

“With all due respect Luna, shut up and let someone else risk their life… besides, you already saved my life… time to try and repay the debt…” Aurora replied, cutting the Princess off and focusing on going further into the creature, her mind already set on her decision.

She felt her mind slipping deeper into the darkness, falling for what felt like ages, with only a vague feeling that she was getting closer to what passed for a heart in this creature of nightmares.

What’s this? You actually want to completely disappear little one? The creature’s voice said, cutting through the darkness as a pinprick of light appeared beneath her, growing larger slowly as she continued to sink deeper.

“Oh I’m not going to disappear… you are…” she replied, focusing on that bright light.

Really? You think so? Well, we’ll see about that… let’s see just how tainted your heart is little one… I’ve yet to meet a creature that was able to overcome all that I am.

“First time for everything then.” She shot back, the light finally growing to the size of a door as she realized that she wasn’t sinking… she had been flying towards the entrance to a tunnel! But a tunnel to what?

Go on then, look inside and face your fate… It’s all entertainment for me anyway… the beast said, as if reading her mind.

Not wanting to give it the satisfaction, Aurora didn’t even try and reply, instead, she walked through the archway with
her head held high and determined to find some way to get back at the creature that threatened to destroy her new life…

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The light began to fade away slowly, finally allowing Aurora to open her eyes, rubbing at them with her hoof to get those stupid little circle thingies to go away……… wait a second… hooves weren’t this soft…

Aurora looked down and noticed a few things, the first of which was the fact that she had fingers instead of hands… the other things she noticed kind of flew over her head as she tried to wrap her mind around the fact that she was human again… and male!

“What the fu-” they began to ask, looking around, interrupted by a splash of darkness on the ground in front of them.

You don’t recognize this place? You should… this is your life. Well, it was at any rate… but now it’s just a memory… one of many that I can pick and choose from… Interesting though… It’s been awhile since I got to see a human’s soul laid bare. You truly are a deceptive little morsel. The creature said, stretching out in front of the young man.

“Will you please stop talking like that.” The now once-again-human said, glaring at the shadow and trying to step on it out of spite. “For one, you sound like a bad Disney Villain, and two, it just sounds wrong…”

Sorry, did I make you uncomfortable? The shadow asked, frowning slightly, I mean, give me a break. The last time I had true sentience was when I was bonded to that drama queen of a Princess a thousand years ago.

“Uhhh… okay… so what, you’re not really evil then? This is all an act?”

Oh no, make no mistake, I’m as evil as anything you’ll ever see. My heart, if I have one, is as black as the bottom of a pit, filled with mud, and covered with a boulder at midnight and with no moon or stars out… I’m just saying that if I’m melodramatic, blame Luna.

The human blinked. “……You are not making any sense at all… but that’s at least a pretty good description.”

Thank you. Now, on to business.

“What kind of business? This looks like an empty concrete field.”

That’s true enough, give me a second… the creature said, the shadow grinning in silhouette, clapping its hands and causing the ground to shake. After a few seconds, what looked like an infinite number of doors grew out of the ground, and each door seemed to have a combination carved into it… Not so empty now, is it?

“….. No… now it’s a mostly empty concrete field with some freaky looking doors!”

………Look, just humor me and open one of the doors… in fact, here, try this one. The creature said, pointing at one of the doors marked XIII/XI/MCMXCII, which swung open and filled the air with the smell of rain…

“What the hell?” the man said, walking forward and through the portal, a landscape made up of high walls and the air shrouded in a thin mist, the sky the color of dusk in early spring...

Well now that you’re here, why not stay awhile? The creature said, peeling itself from the ground and shutting the door behind the human.

“What did you just do?” he asked, turning around to try and escape… and slamming face first into a wall instead. “Gah! Mother-”

Oh relax… it’s not physical pain anyway, you’re nice and safely inside me after all. This is all in your mind… well, what’s left of it. The creature said, gently chiding the human and reaching up to grab him by the arm, pulling the young man through the mist, his objections cut off as he heard a quiet sound echoing around him.

“What… what is that?” he asked softly, looking around as a patch of mist dissipated about thirty feet away. A young child was sitting, their knees pulled to their chest and sniffling like they had just been crying. Before he could so much as take another step towards the child to see if they were alright, more shadows emerged from the mist, taking the forms of other children, but significantly larger than the one sitting on the ground.

“g-go away…” the child on the ground said, sniffling and trying to stand.

“Now why would we do that? Besides, not our fault that you can’t take a joke you little creep. Why are you crying anyway? Your parents finally tell you that they never wanted you?” one of the children said, sneering down at the boy.

“Shut up!” the boy screamed, much to his and the group’s amusement.

“Right, that’s gonna make us stop.” The leader of the group said, laughing loudly and looking at his cronies, “You seem to finally be getting the fact that you’re useless. No one wants you around here, and we damn sure don’t want you getting comfy hiding behind the teachers. Ooohhh, you told the principal that I hit you, big freaking deal. The only ones who were there were you and me and these guys, and I don’t know about you boys, but I don’t remember hitting this little gaywad. You?”

The man watched with tears in his eyes as he remembered what came next… the group would look around, blind to what was about to happen, and then that little brat would bring out the nightstick he stole from his father… and then the pain would start… he wanted to close his eyes and make the memory go away, but the shadow following him held his head in place, and all he could do was weep with rage and pain… because of those little monsters, he’d been sent to the hospital with a concussion, bruised bones, his asthma acting up to the point that he’d been on assisted breathing, and a knot on his head the size of a golf ball. The hospital bill hadn’t been covered by what little insurance his family had, and his parents had to work themselves ragged for the next four months just to make ends meet… all because of him…

Hmmm… pity… you could have fought back, might have saved you all that pain.

“No… if I’d fought back, the rest of them would have ganged up… I’d have been killed…”

Oh please, children murdering another? Please, you knew back then, and you know now that they’re just little punks… you didn’t fight back because you wanted to play the victim. Admit it…

“No… shut up shut up shut up shut up!” the man screamed as the mist closed back in on the memory, the dull thud of the night stick on his body muffled and then disappearing as his tears dripped down his face.

Still not ready to admit the truth? Fine, let’s see what else we can watch now…

“Don’t… please…”

Not until you admit that you’re weak, useless, unwanted… not until I hear you give in and confess to being alone… until then, you’re a bit of a captive audience… so let’s see what else we can dredge up from that past of yours, shall we?

The creature wrapped itself around him, binding him in place and grinning as more scenes from his old life as a human flashed through the mist. The day his grandfather had died, the night he’d been out trick or treating and he was tied to a tree in the middle of the woods by the same bullies from school. The time he was tossed off the diving board at the local pool without knowing how to swim. He could still remember looking at the surface and seeing his classmates laughing at him as he lost consciousness. There was the time that he’d had his notebook stolen and his poems were posted on the lockers of everyone in the school… then there were the truly dark moments… those moments of weakness that he’d never forget…

There was the night he’d tried to hang himself at the age of 12 and failed, the burn from the rope still burning when he thought about it… The one time he finally lost control and took his revenge on the kids that had tormented him for years when he was 13, he’d ended up grabbing a hockey stick and breaking it over one of their heads, going down kicking and screaming and crying as the teachers around them in the gym tackled him to the floor… the night he found out that his girlfriend in high school had been going out with him on a bet… the night he’d spent in prison during his first year of college because he’d tried to help save a classmate from killing herself and she’d accused him of assault… his tears as he sat in that cold cell, the police officers treating him like scum without even hearing him out. He remembered sitting there, staring at a blank wall, his dreams of teaching gone in the blink of an eye. After all, who would hire a ‘violent offender’ to look after children, help them grow…

Well would you look at that… you know, for such a short lived human, you have certainly had a rough ride haven’t you?

The man’s mouth stayed shut, his tears speaking volumes.

Just think, all of that, all those others telling you time and again that you didn’t belong, you were unwanted… even the good things you tried to do backfired… I mean, wow, I have to admit, I’ve seen some nasty things, but just… you’re really screwed up in the head, aren’t you? Hell, I’d be hard pressed to find anyone in Equestria that had so many things blow up in their face like all that… and the night you got mugged? That knife HAD to hurt…

“s-shut up…” he said quietly, his words barely intelligible because of the sobs racking through his body.

Oh but why would I want to stay shut when I can help you? The shadow said, releasing him and standing over the man as he collapsed to his knees, clawing at the ground in frustration. Just think, with me, you’d never be alone… we’d be joined together, forever… you’d have my power so you’d never be weak… you’d never have to regret anything again because you’d be able to do ANYTHING! Doesn’t that sound so much better than trying to slog your way through life every day? Trying to fit into a world of ponies that can never understand how you felt when you were a human… just give up and let me take control… I promise, it’ll be easy…

“…You still don’t get it… do you?” the man said, looking up, his tears stopped, and his face contorted in a look of pure rage.

… Get what?

“The reason that I kept going… the reason that I kept living! I didn’t do it expecting things to be easier. Would it have been nice, hell yes… but if it got easier, it would have made all the good things meaningless.” He said, the shadow’s grip loosening and allowing him to stand. “You say this is all in my head, well let me show you why those bad memories don’t bog me down in this technicolor world…”

As the shadow backed away from the man, he held out his hand towards the mist, and just as the monster had summoned his worst memories and thoughts, he now brought to focus all the good things that he’d experienced in his life.

He showed the creature every precious family moment, the happy times he DID have with the few friends he’d made on Earth, his accomplishments, the happy dreams that inspired his poems and his writing. He watched with a smile as he saw the memories of the books that made him want to teach, the teachers that made him want to do better just to spite those who put him down… the joy in his parents eyes when he was accepted to college.

Then, just to prove to himself and the creature that he’d never give in, he showed the monster the good times he’d had in Equestria. His first encounter with Luna, and the kindness that she’d showed towards him. His introduction and minor battle with Pinkie Pie and her party cannon. Rarity managing to convince him for the briefest of moments that he was actually wanted… Big Mac acting like the older brother he’d never had. The Cakes giving him a job with little more than a good word from Pinkie, and the fun he had (even if it was a bit crazy) working in Sugarcube Corner. Conversations with Spike and jokes. The party where everypony had just been having a good time and no one was excluded no matter what. He saw the faces of his friends, past and present, human and pony. He nearly cried again when he thought back on all the things that the girls had done after that spell to help him get adjusted, never once teasing him or mocking him… and even some of the thoughts from the sleepover played out in front of him, the memory of that kiss with Applejack, the daydreams he’d had of creating a life for himself in this world…

“This… this is why I can’t give up… I gave into the darkness once when I tried to end my life on my own terms… never again…” he said finally, looking down at the shadow, which was writhing against the wall and shrinking. “Now, you don’t seem to react well to all these happy thoughts… so how about you do the smart thing and give up…”

Never! How could you ever think that a worm like you could beat me? huh? What gives you the guts to come up to me, in my own realm, and tell me to give up!?

“Because… I’ve already overcome everything that you are… I beat that darkness, and now, I’m in a world that’s nothing so far but happiness… and there’s no way I’m ever going to let the likes of you taint it.” He said, plucking the shadow form the wall and dangling it in front of him as he stared at it, the sad excuse for a monster shivering with fear. “So
I’m giving you one chance. Leave Equestria, and never come back. I want you to dissipate out there, alone and incapable of harming another living thing ever again…”

Even if I was stupid enough to want that fate, I can’t! It squeaked, I can never truly die! I am a fact of existence, for every bit of happiness and light, there has to be a shadow of sadness. And because of that, I can never lose, because I can never truly be defeated!

“…You can’t die? Is that what you’re saying?”

Are you deaf or just stupid? Of course I can’t die! You could cast destructive magic at me until you withered away to nothing, and I’d still be there, as a shred of my former self, but there nonetheless. Why do you think that the Elements couldn’t destroy me?

“……Then I’ll just have to do something that the Elements didn’t do…” he said, grinning and lifting the shadow creature overhead.

W-what the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you know who I am? What I am?!

“I know that right now, you’re a whiny little thing that needs to disappear… and I’m the one that’s going to make you disappear…” the man replied, opening his mouth wide and releasing the shadow from his grip…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Darkness… that’s all there is… but it’s not the same as it was before…

This darkness isn’t as deep though… Aurora began to grow aware of subtle changes in her environment. It also didn’t feel like her mind was dissolving… if anything, it was getting sharper, less fuzzy… Luna was gone though… where did she go?

“Luna…” She tried to say, amazed that the sound actually came out of her mouth… was she still inside that creature? Was this all some kind of horrible dream?

“Girls, I believe she’s waking up…” someone said, off in the darkness, the sound almost like a whisper.

“Huh? Where am I?” She asked the far off voice… “Am… am I dead?”

“No little one… you’re safe…” the voice said, somehow calming her… She tried to turn around and see anything besides the darkness, and the voice spoke again. “Now now… there is no reason to worry. You’re safe now… here… open your eyes… everyone’s waiting for you…”

…..Well that didn’t sound ominous at all… wait, ‘open her eyes’? She had eyes again?! Wait… there was more… She could feel her heart beating… She could breathe! The darkness was changing. What the hell was going on?!

“I… why… what’s happening?!” Aurora cried out desperately in the remnants of the darkness, the world suddenly looking like the dawn breaking through a heavy fog.

“Open your eyes Aurora…” another voice said, this time accompanied by a gentle pressure in her side.

She didn’t know how she know it, but Aurora could tell that her eyes snapped open at that touch. Light flooded her senses instead of darkness, and her weight was supported as her limbs touched down on the ground… but where was this floor? It didn’t feel like the forest, but all she could make out was faint shadows that the light can’t pass through. Aurora whipped her head around frantically, trying to see anything, almost closing her eyes to shut out the burning light, but still afraid to slip back into the dark…

“Is she alright Princess?” a voice said to my right… a familiar voice…

“Unfortunately, there is still some damage from the creature… but we will do what we can…” a third voice said, this one she at least recognized as Luna.

“L-Luna… what’s going on? What’s wrong with me?” She asks, secretly afraid of the answer.

“……Perhaps if it were just myself and Celestia with her for a moment…” Luna said, hesitantly.

There was a shuffle and scrape of hooves across what sounded like a stone floor. Finally, a door closed, and she could feel herself being lifted by magic, and a softness that was most likely a bed, pressing into her side.

“…Now that we’re alone… Aurora, we have some important matters to cover…” the voice that was most likely Celestia said.

“Okay… but before that.” She said, trying to keep the panic in her heart from surfacing, “can someone PLEASE tell me why I can’t SEE anything!?”

“Well… you see… you were swallowed by the creature, just like I was…” Luna said, her voice right next to the young mare, and a weight on the bed telling her that the blue Alicorn had most likely just laid down next to her. “But unlike me, you’re not an Alicorn… so the fact that you managed to survive after being absorbed is nothing short of a miracle…”

“Unfortunately, it seems that the miracle of your survival didn’t quite extend to all of you… we’re not sure if it’s the sheer darkness that made up that monster, or if it was something more… but in any case, it seems that your vision is lost for the time being.” Celestia said, finishing Luna’s thought and laying down on Aurora’s other side.

“So…. I’m blind forever?” She asks numbly.

“……Luna, remind me to have Twilight teach her some listening skills…” Celestia said, nuzzling the side of her face… which was a LOT more startling when it came out of nowhere…

“Tia! This is hardly the time to be joking!” Luna said angrily, pulling the grey mare close into her wings, “After all she has done, surpassing not only myself, but also the Elements… defeating that monster… you really think it is appropriate to jest about her health?”

“Of course not Luna… I am sorry Aurora, I was out of line…” Celestia said, just a hint of sadness in her voice. One couldn’t help but think that part of the reason she kept her regal appearance up in order to cover up for her poor taste in comedic timing…

“So… what happens now?” she asked, trying not to break the tension too quickly.

“Well for starters, we need to get that little stow away inside your body isolated.” Celestia said, “I have a feeling that its presence is part of the root cause for your blindness.”

“What thing? That storm monster?! I thought Luna just said I beat it!” She responded, confused.

“You did… but it’s still around… it is quite literally impossible to destroy it. But you have done something that we thought impossible… you overcame its darkness with the hope you’ve filled your life with. I do not know what exactly it showed you in that void, but I know from my own experience that it loves nothing more than to make its victims relive their darkest moments… even I could not overcome the regrets, the memories, the pain… but you somehow managed to do just that.” Luna explained, her wingtips stroking down Aurora’s back gently, soothing her frazzled nerves.

“I must confess, I was surprised myself when Luna explained what happened… that does not happen often. But now we must deal with a bit of an unprecedented hiccup… you see Aurora, from what we know of what happened between the creature and yourself, when you defeated it, you actually absorbed its essence. We’re not sure if this was an unconscious effort to protect Equestria from a future run in with the creature, but now you are a living container.” Celestia said, rising from the bed. “This comes with an entire different set of risks. And we would be poor excuses for Princess’s if we were not able to protect all of our subjects from a danger of this magnitude form surfacing again...”

“…So… what are you going to do to me?” She asks, scared that they might banish her from Equestria, sending her back to Earth where at least if that thing got loose again, it wouldn’t be able to do much more damage than was already there…

“Now, we protect you.” Luna said, nuzzling the young mare and giggling. “Now please stop making that face, you’ve no reason to be upset… you have no idea the lives you saved, the difference you’ve made… I know my own view of life has gotten significantly brighter in the time I’ve known you… and you have far exceeded any hope I might have had when I brought you here.”

“Protect me?”

“Indeed. As soon as you were brought here with the others, I sent a message to Cadence informing her that we may be in need of an artifact that is in her kingdom’s possession. She was kind enough to bring it to Canterlot in person…” Celestia answered, walking over to a different part of the room, her golden hoof covers clicking against the floor.

“Cadence is here? And she came in person?! How long was I out?” Aurora asked shakily, really resisting the urge to shake her head for fear of smacking Luna in the muzzle.

“You have been in mine and Luna’s care for almost three days.” She answered, clacking her way back towards the bed.

“Three days!” The grey Pegasus shouted, louder than she’d probably ever care to admit, “……Ah crap… I hope the Cake’s still want me working for them…”

The room was quiet for a second or two, the silence finally broken by Luna snorting and shaking with laughter as she hugged me tightly to her side.

“……it’s not that funny…” She said, hurt, “I’m trying to get some bits together to get my own place in Ponyville so I’m not mooching off of Applejack and her family…”

“I apologize Aurora… but after three days of being unconscious… most ponies first thought wouldn’t be about work…. It’s funny…” Luna said, fighting through her giggles.

“I have to agree with Luna.” Celestia said, chuckling softly herself, “Now, Aurora, if you could please stay still while I try and remember how to work this…”

“Oh for mother’s sake Tia, give me that…” Luna said after a couple minutes of Celestia grunting and fussing with whatever it was she was fighting with. “Now Aurora, right or left ear?”

“Uhhh… right?” She reply uncertainly. “Why are you ask-CRAP THAT HURTS!”

“I’m sorry Aurora… but the artifact we mentioned is an earring made of a very special crystal… and well, I wasn’t sure how you would react to a piercing otherwise…”

“Since when is getting a piercing going to fix my blindness!?” She questioned, turning to face Luna… who was coming into focus? Wait… what?

Apparently she was funny looking or just funny to listen to… because Luna was staring straight at her and giggling.

“What now?” Aurora asked, the shadows coming into further focus each time she blinked.

“Your face… I think the crystal is working, because your face just now was the cutest little look of anger and confusion I’ve seen in centuries!” Luna answered, smiling and letting her laughter trail off as she got up from the bed. “What do you
think sister? She should be safe now, yes?”

“I believe so… that monster was formed from much of the same raw magic that went into making Sombra the threat he was, and that earring is part of the same stone that makes up the Crystal Heart… And besides, I imbued a part of my own magic into it to keep the darkness at bay…”

“So… I have a supercharged, magical earring, and a shadowy parasite inside me now?” She guessed, trying to make sense of things still… “Does this mean I can’t ever take this earring off?”

“That would probably be for the best. But I have to say, it looks rather good on you.” Celestia answered, smiling kindly down at the grey Pegasus, who was finally able to look around the room and see that it was her old room in the castle. “What do you think Luna? Doesn’t she look cute with that gem ring?”

Aurora turned to look at Luna, hoping that she would come to her rescue and save her from Celestia’s teasing… but no such luck. In fact, Luna was blushing and trying NOT to look at Aurora… wait, what?!

“Luna… are you alright?” Aurora asked, looking at the Princess warily.

“Hmm? Oh, yes… it is nothing… We are just caught a bit off guard by Our sister’s question…” she answered, her
speech oddly stilted as she glanced over at Celestia and glared at the white Alicorn. “Perhaps, if thou are feeling better now, it would be a good idea to go see the others… All six of the Element Bearers are waiting in the adjacent room, and We are sure that they would be much relieved to see that thou are feeling in better health now…”

“I agree, you should go see your friends my little pony…” Celestia said, smiling kindly at Aurora and trying not to giggle at her Sister’s flustered expression.

“uhhh… alright…” Aurora said, more than a little confused by the royal exchange, and thankful for the out offered by the sisters. “I’ll just, you know… go check on the others…”

After she left and the door closed behind her, Aurora became aware of a nagging feeling at the back of her head… almost like she was being watched…

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“……Okay, I know we’re all worried about Aurora, but we really don’t need to worry. The Princess’s are going to take care of things.” Twilight said, looking around the circle of friends, almost all of them looking more dejected than she’d seen any of them in ages. Even Pinkie Pie, the perpetually perky pony of Ponyville, looked like she would never smile again… and her hair looked like someone had actually managed to straighten the unruly poof that was her mane.

“Well that’s easy for you to say!” Dash said, jumping up, “You’re not the one that she saved! I should be the one lying in that bed, and she should be the one out here, safe!”

“Rainbow Dash! Honestly, we’ve been over this. If she hadn’t saved you, then there’s no telling how things would have ended up… Besides, you were reckless when you went back there to try and fight that monstrosity by yourself.” Rarity said, coming to Twilight’s defense.

“I… I don’t mean to be mean Rainbow, but um… they’re right… I mean, I’m grateful that you helped get me to safety, but Luna told us to get the Elements, and if something had happened to you, then who knows what would have
happened…” Fluttershy said, speaking softly, trying not to exacerbate the situation.

“Now will y’all relax…” Applejack said, interrupting what was bound to turn into another fight, one of several that kept popping up after they arrived at Canterlot. She turned to Rainbow and tried to calm her down as best she could. “Dash, Ah know things ain’t sittin’ right with ya, but we gotta have a little faith that the Princess’s will know what ta do… yer not tha only one that’s worried either… Ah feel like mah stomach’s all knotted up and Ah couldn’t hardly sleep the last couple nights…”

“…you remember it too… don’t you AJ?” Rainbow said, looking up at the Earth Pony on the verge of tears.

“Course Ah do… ain’t like Ah’m gonna fergit that any time soon…” Applejack responded, looking away and shuddering… Besides Rainbow Dash, she’d been the only other one to see what happened after Aurora was consumed by that monster…

“Forget what?”

“Nothing Aurora… we’re just talki-AURORA!” Rainbow said dismissively, looking over her shoulder glumly at the grey
Pegasus before her brain processed the fact that her friend was awake and right there in the room with them!

“Rory!” Pinkie Pie shouted, her hair re-inflating as she launched herself at Aurora and tackling her to the ground in a hug that would have been considered a full on assault if it hadn’t been Pinkie giving it out…

“Pin-kie…” Aurora choked out, trying to tap out, “Air…”

“Oopsie… sorry Rory…” Pinkie said apologetically, letting her friend go and helping her up off the ground. “It’s just, well, we were all really sad… and worried… and now you’re here, and you’re fine and it’s just… you’re…”
Unable to continue, Pinkie contented herself to imply tear up with joy and back up so that the rest of the group could get a look at her.

“Heh, it’s okay Pinkie, really… that whole blindness thing was just a temporary side effect of being inside that creature… nothing to worry about.” Aurora said, smiling at her friends, who were all wearing similar expressions of relief.

“Come on Pinkie, move it so the rest of us can get a look at her…” Rainbow said huffily, trying to look upset while inwardly jumping for joy. “Aurora, what you did was really stupid, you know? I mean… you really, REALLY shouldn’t have pushed me out of the way like that… I mean… I’m glad, but…”

“Oh just get on with it and tell her how you feel!” Rarity said, exasperated with her Pegasus friend, and smiling with relief that Aurora seemed to be fine.

“I-I… I’m really glad you’re okay…” Dash admitted, blushing as she nuzzled Aurora.

“Heh… I’m sorry Dash, I probably had you worried, but there was no way I was letting one of my friends get eaten by that thing… and I’m glad that you all seem to be alright…” Aurora said, trying to fight the urge to cry. She had found friends that truly cared for her, and she was willing to do anything to make sure that they would stay out of harm’s way…

“Well next time… think about how everypony else would feel if ya… if ya…” Applejack said, sniffling and walking right up to Aurora, who smiled back regretfully and wrapped her wings around Applejack.

“I know… I’m sorry… I promise, I’ll try not to go getting eaten by giant, apocalyptic monsters again…” she said, hugging the apple farmer close, letting her cry silently into her side as she looked around the room and silently motioned for the rest of them to join her, Dash, and AJ for a hug.

As the seven young mares held onto each other, some crying, some smiling, and some breathing a huge sigh of relief, Celestia and Luna watched from the mirror in the upper room of the tower.

“You see, sister?” Celestia said, looking between the images and her sister, “You’re practically turning green with envy! I’m
telling you, you have a crush on your student.”

“……Oh shush. Even if I did, which I do not! Such a relationship would be inappropriate… it would be like Twilight and you starting a courtship…” Luna retorted, glaring at her older sister, who had done nothing but tease her in secret ever since she had brought the young mare into Equestria… granted, a few things had changed since then, not the least of which was a direct result of Luna’s own lapse in self-control.

“Oh believe me, I am well aware of the little ‘crush-on-teacher’ rumors that some put stock in… and I’ll be the first to admit that for a while, I do honestly believe Twilight Sparkle looked at me in THAT way, but that is different. That was a pony I had watched over since fillyhood. She is as much my own daughter as she is Twilight Velvet’s. But in your case, you brought them here from another world, and you have gone to some extraordinary lengths to be close to them…” Celestia teased, sticking her tongue out, “I say that you’re finally reaching that point in your life where you desire that one of a kind happiness that only a special somepony can provide…”

“And I say that you’re reaching that point in your life where you are turning into a nagging mother hen that had best stop teasing me unless she wants a repeat of the Princess Pink incident…” Luna shot back, shutting up her sister rather quickly.

“……I will say this much though Tia, you are right about one thing… they are certainly special to me… I just do not quite know what to do…”

“Luna….” Celestia said softly, all notes of teasing gone from her voice. “If there is one thing I have learned in my time as your sister, as well as watching the lives of those around me through the years, it is that there is no time like the present.
Besides, I believe that little spell of yours wears off tomorrow night. And Hearts and Hooves day is not far off… perhaps you could take a leave of absence from your post for a bit. It couldn’t hurt to try and be a bit closer to them than Canterlot…”

“You would bear the weight of the Sun AND the Moon just to let me have some time off?” Luna asked, skeptically, “What are your conditions?”

“Hmmm… you know, I was going to do it as a gift to my dear little sister,” Celestia replied, grinning mischievously, “But since you want me to set a few rules for you, I have two. You have to use the week off to try and pursue your own happiness, in whatever form it may take. And you must also spend that week without any help from the royal treasury… after all, you are not the only player in this game.”

“What?! You dare imply that I would try and pursue a mate in such an uncouth fashion as to attempt to buy their love?! Luna asked, offended and about to walk out the door, stopping on the threshold. “Um… say I were to accept your terms and take the next week off… would I at least have a moderate allowance for food and lodging and entertainment?”

Celestia smiled, “Gotcha!” She thought, pretending to think about it. “Hmmm… I suppose a couple hundred bits wouldn’t be too much of a burden on the royal purse… oh, but your guards will need to be undercover, and you’ll have to pay their room and board… I don’t want you going unprotected after recent events, but we wouldn’t want anypony thinking that you were scaring off any competition now, would we?”

“……You know Celestia, I forgot just how much you enjoy your little games…” Luna said, looking over her shoulder, “But on the other hand… it has been a while since I felt like this… very well, I accept your conditions.”

“That’s wonderful to hear Luna!” Celestia squealed, clapping her forehooves like a school filly that had just convinced her friend to send a love note to their crush, “Now, you go spend some time with them, and I will get the paperwork underway… oh, and Luna?”

“Hmm? What is it?”

“I really am happy to see you feeling like this for another… it is a refreshing change for you…” Celestia said, crossing the room and nuzzling her little sister. “I am also glad to see that the one who caught your eye is the same one that helped save
you… I love you Luna…”

“Awww… Tia… you’re being sappy again…” Luna said, grudgingly accepting the show of affection from her sister,
“……and for the record, I love you too. Now let me go so that I can tell everypony this news!”

“Heheheh… oh alright Luna…” Celestia said, smiling as she let her sister run off down the steps, looking significantly
UNroyal as she did.

As she walked calmly over to the window to fly back to her own room to draft the temporary leave of absence forms for Luna, she took a look into the mirror, her eyes focusing on Aurora as she sat on the ground, talking to her friends.

“This should be interesting to watch…” she commented to nobody in particular, smiling hopefully at the image and the possibilities that were running through her head eve now “I might even get to see a kiss.”

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner...

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 25 and a Half
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
AKA- Let’s Get This Story Back On Track…

Halberd wasn’t the most attentive guard in the castle… in fact, he’d been the pony on duty in the royal garden when Discord had started to break out of his stone prison. When he noticed the statue breaking apart, he’d merely commented to the gardener that one of the “decorations” looked like it needed a touch up… he’d also been posted as Princess Cadence’s personal guard while she was in Canterlot… Unfortunately, he got caught up in a conversation with a rather charismatic cloaked figure one night and didn’t notice the changeling sneaking up behind him to knock him out. Luckily, when he woke back up, Princess Cadence was alright, albeit, a tad bit surlier than before… But that had to have just been the pressure of organizing a wedding showing, right?

…The point is, Halberd just wasn’t very watchful, despite his job as a watchpony… and it was about to bite him in the flank.

Let’s watch…

Princess Luna had just walked into one of the guest suites to check on a young mare that had been brought into the caste a few days ago after some kind of accident. She had actually woken up yesterday, and Halberd couldn’t help but pay attention to the cutie after she was up and about again… in fact, all of the seven mares that the Princesses were hanging out with had their own charm… he had heard about a couple of them through the grapevine of the Guard’s barracks. If he was guessing right, the pink one had terrorized at least three squadrons before being stopped by Princess Luna. But how could this little ball of sunshine ever be threatening?

Then there was the purple one. If he was remembering correctly, her name was something Sparkly, and she was the personal student to Princess Celestia. There was something else important to remember about her though… what was it?

Ah, whatever, if it was really that important, he was sure that he’d remember it eventually… in the meantime, the six mares were all hanging out right down the hall from his post outside their friend’s door…

Time to do a little recon… he thought to himself, trying not to be too obvious as he angled his spear tip to catch a reflection of the group… or more exactly, their flanks…

Oh yeah… the pink and yellow one’s have curves in all the right places… the blue and orange ones look nice and tight without looking like a stallion, very important… and the Unicorns have got it going ON… geez… I don’t even know where to start. He thought to himself, drooling slightly as a dopey grin spread across his face.

Oh hay…who says this job doesn’t have any perks? Ooohhh… that’s right sweetie, turn around a bit for me… there we are… hmm? Is she looking at me? She is! This is awesome! Come on cutie… you know you want this… Halberd thought, noticing that the white Unicutie was looking back at him with an appraising eye. Maybe he should strike a pose or something? Yeah… that just might do it! Mares love a Stallion in uniform…

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“……Twilight? Your brother was Captain of the Royal Guard… do you have any idea what that Pegasus guard is doing?” Rarity asked, nudging her friend with a hoof, keeping her eyes glued to the odd stallion.

“Hmmm… I’m not entirely sure… Pinkie Pie, you’re random enough… does that make any sense to you?” Twilight responded, getting the giggly mare’s attention.

“…I’m not a hundred percent positive…. But I think he might have an itch he can’t reach…” Pinkie replied, “Oh! Maybe that other guard walking up behind him is gonna help him out!”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“Dang… this is working better than I thought… now there’s three of them looking at me!” Halberd said, a mildly smarmy grin on his face as he struck another pose.

“And what exactly are you supposed to be doing?” a voice said from behind him.

“Come on dude, don’t crowd me… I’m trying to impress those hot pieces of flank over there…” he responded, striking yet another goofy pose before realizing that there was someone behind him… uh oh…

Spinning in place and crouching in a defensive stance, Halberd was about to ask who went there, in a very official voice of course, but stopped short when he saw his superior officer, Sergeant Sun Storm standing and glaring at him.

“Uhhh… Sir, nothing sir!” Halberd said, snapping to attention and saluting the large Zebrican guard in front of him smartly.

“Private Halberd… would you care to explain what in Tartaurus you are doing at your post…” the Sergeant asked, remarkably calm given the silliness in front of him from a supposedly ‘professional’ guard…

“Sir, I was uhhh…. Scanning the hallway for threats to the Princess’s guest?” Halberd replied weakly.

“Really? Because to me, it looked to me like you were a bit too busy checking out Princess Celestia’s student and her companions to be scouting anything.” Sun responded, quirking an eyebrow and glaring at his subordinate.

“Uhhh…. I suppose I may have taken a break from surveying the hallway for that…” Halberd choked out, his life flashing before his eyes. “Sir, sorry sir, if I-”

“Can it Private. You’re just lucky that I’m not in a bad mood.” The Sergeant said offhandedly. “Besides, I just got through with the new recruits for the day, so I don’t exactly have any plans to make anypony else do drills for at least the next eight hours or so…”

“Thank you sir!” Halberd said excitedly, saluting again and smiling, “Permission to at least try and talk to the white Unicorn sir?”

“Permission denied, now get back to your job Private.” Sun Storm said, rolling his eyes and walking over to the group, muttering to himself, “I swear… one of these days, I’m going to figure out how to get through that thick head of yours…”

“Momma always said that I had a thick head in case I needed to break my way through a challenge.” Halberd said, smiling lazily but standing at attention and looking forward.

The Sergeant couldn’t even bring himself to try and fire off a retort to his subordinate, shaking his head as he approached the circle of mares. There was something he needed to do…

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“Oh my… is that a Captain?” Rarity asked, inspecting the newest arrival in the hallway from the Royal Guard.

“Actually, based on the silver armor and the star on the chest piece, that guard is a Sergeant.” Twilight informed her friend, squinting down the hall to get a better look at the guard, the details were a little fuzzy at this distance, but she was sure that those were the trappings of a Sergeant.

“And since when did you become so knowledgeable about military ranks?” Rarity questioned, her expression surprised, to say the least.

“My brother was the Captain of the guard, and I’m kind of going out with an officer.” She answered, frowning slightly, “I’m actually surprised that he hasn’t tried to visit me yet… we’ve been in Canterlot for almost four days now, and I haven’t seen him at all!”

“Oh come on Twily, you shouldn’t think like that. I’m sure that he’s busy off doing guard things. And we didn’t exactly come here for a planned vacation.” Pinkie said, actually making a good amount of sense…

“I guess, but-” Twilight started to say, before being interrupted by Pinkie.

“I mean, if we HAD come here on a vacation, then I totally would have brought my party cannon, my portable pool, my swim goggles and scuba gear, ooh! And I can’t forget my special we’re-on-a-vacation-in-Canterlot-Castle Cupcake tin! They’re shaped like the castle!”

“Well… I have to admit, those do sound interesting…” the guard said from behind Twilight and Rarity, somehow having made his way to the group without being noticed.

“Oh my!” Rarity said, jumping slightly in surprise, the rest of the group turning towards the guard.

“Sunny!” Twilight gasped, a large smile growing on her face in an instant as she launched herself at the Sergeant and giggling as she tried to tackle him to the ground.

“Heh… hey sweetie, how are you doing?” Sun Storm replied, shuffling back under his marefriend’s unexpected tackle-hug before returning her affections with a loving nuzzle and looking at the other young mares in the group. “Oh, hello everyone. I’m Sun Storm, Twilight’s coltfriend.”

“Oh my… No wonder Twilight has been hiding you from us…” Rarity commented, blushing, “You are certainly a wonderful example of Stallionhood, Sergeant... If you were with me, i'd be ever so scared that somepony might try and steal you away...”

“Rarity!” Twilight said, turning red with embarrassment, “That’s hardly appropriate!”

“Relax hun, it’s alright.” Sun Storm said, grinning and removing his helmet, revealing that the plume for his helmet was actually his own mane. “Anyways, I meant to come see you earlier, but I’m the acting Drill Sergeant for the new batch of recruits, so I’ve been kind of busy the last few days… Anyway, I was wondering if you’d let me make it up to you tonight.”

“W-what did you have in mind?” Twilight responded, flustered… it was one thing to be around the tall, strong stallion… it was a different one entirely to have her friends watching them…”

“Well, I was thinking, there’s that Prench restaurant you like just a few blocks away. And it’s been awhile since I got to take you out for a real date…” he offered, smiling warmly.

“I’d love to Sunny… but, well, we’re kind of still waiting for our friend… there was this spell, and it’s wearing off tonight, and we just want to be there for them…” Twilight explained sadly.

Sun Storm considered this, “Hmmm… well, this spell, do you all know when it wears off? If I remember right, most spells wear off relatively quickly once they reach their limit…”

“Luna said it would happen after the moon comes out tonight!” Pinkie supplied, bouncing around Twilight and Sun Storm. “I remember because Aurora was all surprised that the spell was already at its deadline, and I wanted to throw a party so I got the exact time from Luna so I wouldn’t throw the party too early, and then she started talking about a whole bunch of magicky stuff that didn’t make any sense at all, but I mean really, this was the kind of stuff that would probably confuse a Unicorn, and they’re MEANT to understand magic and stuff like that, and then-”

Luckily for everyone present, it was at this precise moment that not one, not two, but three separate hooves covered up Pinkie’s mouth at the same time. Rainbow, Rarity, and Applejack looked at each other, breathing a simultaneous sigh of relief.

“I think we get it Pinkie…” Rainbow said, chuckling and looking at the Sergeant, “Sorry about her, she gets a bit excited sometimes.”

“Excited? She's as hyper as a squirrel that got into a batch of mah family’s coffee…” Applejack chimed in.

“Well in any case, Sergeant, I’m sure that Twilight would love to accompany you out tonight, but it will have to wait until after sundown and we have all had a chance to check that Aurora… I mean, ORION, is alright.” Rarity said graciously, looking at Twilight as if daring her to contradict her.

“Oh? So your friend is under a sex-switch spell?” Sun Storm surmised. “Hay, I was under that one once… didn’t wear off for a week… how long have they been under it?”

“A month.” Pinkie said, somehow escaping her friend’s grasp for a second.

Sun blinked, trying to wrap his mind around that time frame. “……Wow… well, I mean, the invitation isn’t just for you Twilight. I heard that you all went through some kind of trouble… I heard a couple of the night guards talking about it last night… If any of you want, I’d be more than happy to treat you all out to a night on the town. Orion too, if he feels up to it after the magic works him over… again…” he offered. "Besides, if i remember right, somehting calming is gonna go a long way to helping your friend after that magic works its way out of their system..."

“Umm… I’d rather not… I actually was going to go see the animals in the Royal Gardens with the groundskeeper… it’s been awhile since I got to spend time with my little friends…” Fluttershy replied, looking at Sun Storm,
“But uh… thank you anyway…”

“And as much as I would love to accept your offer, Sergeant, I have already agreed to meet up with my friend Fancy Pants and his wife after checking in on Orion.” Rarity said, “Oh, and Pinkie darling, Fleur requested that you join us so that you might be able to show her some of your baking skills. She’s been taking classes, you see, and she would like to put them to the test against a pony that knows their way around the kitchen.”

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie replied excitedly, “Looks like I get to make some cupcakes tonight after all!”

“Okay then… what about you two? My treat.” Sun said, looking at Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

“If Orion’s feelin’ up to it, Ah guess Ah’m in.” Applejack replied, shrugging, “Truth be told, not too comfy with the idea of Dash being alone with him…”

“And we both know there’s no way I’m leaving you alone with Orion either…” Rainbow huffed, getting in her rival’s face. “Besides, I’m not the one that kissed him the other night, so I’m clearly more trustworthy.”

“Fer Luna’s sake, it was a game, you were just too scared, and Ah wasn’t gonna give up a chance ta try and git closer when Ah saw one.” Applejack replied, gritting her teeth. This wasn’t the first time they’d argued about that kiss over the last few days.

“……Do I want to know?” Sun Storm asked his marefriend, who just shook her head.

“Trust me, if I told you, you’d only have more questions…” she said, walking away from the group and tugging her special somepony along for the ride. “Girls, we’ll be back before the sun goes down.” She said over her shoulder, a wave of acknowledgement and a smile from Fluttershy letting her know that the message was received, despite the ongoing debate between AJ and Rainbow, and Pinkie chewing Rarity’s ear off about some kind of new cake recipe…

“Well… they seem nice….” Sun Storm said, looking down at the lavender Unicorn leaning gently into his side as they walked.

“Oh yeah, they’re wonderful friends… but sometimes, it’s nice to just get away and do your own thing… and it’s been a while since we got to spend time together, just the two of us…”

“Hmmm… that it has my dear, that it has… come on, there’s no one in the astronomy tower right now, we can have all the privacy we need up there…” Sun said, smiling and leading the two of them down the hallway for some much needed catching up.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 26

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

AKA- Somewhere, Someone is Calling Shenanigans…

“Uhhh… Luna?”

“Yes?”

“……is it going to hurt?”

“Only a little at first… then it will fade. You might even enjoy the sensations…”

“Okay… but, does Celestia have to be here to watch?”

“Not exactly… but she insisted…”

“Royal prerogative.” Celestia said, shrugging and smiling from her cushion on the floor across from Luna and Aurora. “Besides, due to the thoroughness of the magic at work, there is a chance that the monster sealed inside you could potentially break free…”

“That’s… actually a good reason…” Aurora consented.

“And just so you are able to relax a little bit more, I will be with you the entire time.” Luna promised, wrapping a wing over Aurora protectively. “Think of it as just a small way for me to show my gratitude after what you did in the Everfree…”

“Oh I’m sure you can think of something far more… interesting… to show your gratitude, Luna.” Celestia said, winking at her sister.

“………Okay… no idea what’s going on, but is it time yet?” Aurora chimed in, feeling the temperature drop in the room as the two Alicorn’s stared each other down.

“Almost… I lower the sun in about another three minutes, then, when Luna raises her moon, the magic will begin to unwind.”

The room grew quieter, the only sounds coming from Celestia as she sipped a cup of tea and perused a book.

“……Hey, Luna…” Aurora said, breaking the silence.

“Yes?”

“How come it's only Celestia’s magic in this crystal?” Aurora asked, nudging the earring with a wingtip. “I thought you had the most experience in dealing with that creature…”

“Well… I did…… but I was scared that if I added my own magic to the mix, that it would only weaken the seal… I didn’t want to risk hurting you and those around you… I didn’t want to hurt you…” Luna admitted somberly, looking away.

“……I think I’d have liked to have a piece of you with me though… it would have made me feel safe…” Aurora admitted, stretching out on her cushion and starting to drift off to sleep, “It feels better when you’re close…”
The royal sisters exchanged looks of equal parts confusion, surprise, and an emotion that can only be expressed with the phrase ‘Daaawwww’.

“Do… do you really mean that?” Luna asked, smiling and blushing while looking down at her protégé. “I… you… well, I mean, there’s something I wanted to tell you after you woke up, but things have been so hectic lately, I guess I forgot, but… I don’t want you to leave me either Aurora…. Orion… whichever!”

“Uh… Luna?”

“Not now Tia, I’m confessing my affections.” Luna snapped, glaring at her sister, who was trying not to laugh, “Now, as I was saying. I want us to always be together… you’re one of the first in a long time to ever truly see my night sky as I want it to be seen… and I want you to be there with me for every night from here on. Aurora… I… I think that I lo-”

Unfortunately, Luna’s words were cut off by a rather loud snore coming from under her wing, where Aurora had curled up, and was now fast asleep.

“Did… did she just…” Luna tried to say completely caught off guard by the unexpectedly unconscious Pegasus roosting under her wing.

“I tried to- tried to tell…” Celestia choked out, laughing hysterically from her pillow, rolling off and onto her back, her legs flailing about in the air as she guffawed at the perfect timing of it all. “The sun- the sun’s down… magic put her to sleep. Oh sweet ME it hurts to breathe now!”

“…………”

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Halberd was about to doze off, out in the hallway…

“Seriously…. I KNOW that both of the Princesses are in there… so why do I even have to be here? Nothing exciting ever happens…” he whined, sitting down and closing his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the silence.

…

“ART THOU BUCKING KIDDING US?!” finally broke the silence, the Royal Caps Lock shuddering through the hall and almost giving Halberd a heart attack. A second later, the door to the room was blasted off its hinges, slamming into the opposite wall and missing Halberd by inches as he scrambled to his feet and tried not to look surprised when Princess Luna stormed out and began looking around.

“YOU, GUARD.” She said, pointing a hoof at him, “THOU ART NOT DOING ANYTHING OF IMPORT. GO TO THE KITCHENS AND FETCH US THE LARGEST CONTAINER OF ‘CHUNKY BOULEVARD’ ICED CREAM THAT THOU CAN FIND.”

Halberd blinked and smacked the side of his head with a hoof… partly because he wasn’t sure if he was actually asleep, and partly because he was pretty sure that he had just lost a good portion of his hearing…

“Can… can you repeat that again Princess?” he asked hesitantly. “I don’t think I understood you…”

It was at this point that Princess Celestia poked her head out of the newly ventilated doorway and smiled kindly at him.

“My sister wants you to go to the kitchen and get one of the cartons of ‘Rocky Road’ ice cream for her.” She said, giggling and thinking for a second or two. “Actually, better make it two cartons, and a couple of spoons if you don’t mind.”

“Uhhh… yes your Majesty?” he replied, bowing shakily. No amount of training had ever prepared him for this kind of situation…

“Wonderful! Oh, and if you see a young mare named Twilight Sparkle, could you send her up in case things get-” the Sun Princess began to say, cut off by a rather bright blue glow emanating from behind her.

“Uh oh… Halberd, just go and get the ice cream, and bring three spoons, not two, and a bar of chocolate.” Princess Celestia instructed, dragging Princess Luna back into the room with her, shouting something to Luna about 'not letting those pesky tentacles get a grip on her' before another flash of light, this one a bright yellowish white, lit up the hallway and Halberd had to stumble away with spots in his eyes…

“Okay… that does it. Next time I put in for a transfer, I’m requesting something cushy, like the Crystal Empire…” he muttered, stumbling towards what he hoped was the staircase…

“………I went into the closet, didn’t I?” he asked, blinking in the dark and sighing, “Ugh… one of these days, I’m going to remember what door goes where in this castle…”

Eventually, he managed to extricate himself from the cleaning supply closet, and managed to find the correct door that took him to the stairs. After gliding down them in record time (a perk of being a Pegasus) and winding his way through the castle corridors towards the kitchen, he was surprised to find that the kitchen was… well, he wasn’t exactly sure what it was at that moment…

“The hay?!” he said, staring around in mild shock. There was ice coating the floor, and there were large blocks of colored ice around the room, some of them looking like they were half carved statues in an artist’s gallery… oh no… there was only one pony that would do this…

“Flambé…” he muttered to himself, groaning.

“You called?” a voice said from behind Halberd, making him jump, spinning around and in a defensive stance as he looked at the small Prench chef, still holding a small wooden mallet and an ice pick in his hooves, a crazy grin on his muzzle as he took in the sight of the guard pony in his kitchen. “Hmm… that’s a very nice pose you have there… come with me soldier, I wish to proposition you.”

“You want to WHAT me?!” Halberd replied, backing up against an oven that was currently encased in a thin layer of ice.

“I said that I want to position you, you know, you hold a pose while I carve your likeness into the ice.” Flambé said, looking at Halberd like it was the most normal question in the world, “It is my latest idea of culinary genius. I have taken the Princesses favorite flavors, extracted their pure essence, and distilled them in giant tubs of water to be made into blocks of ice. I then carefully carve beautiful figures that best demonstrate the flavors into the ice, and at the next state banquet, the entirety of the nobility will see the beauty of the Princesses refined tastes as I do! It shall be all the more wonderful when after a sampling of the ice, the nobles will be able to taste my food and truly appreciate it!”

While Flambé stood there making his speech, Halberd went about the business of grabbing a couple cartons of ice cream from the freezer (it was actually the counter, but the entire room was freezing, so whatever…) as well as a couple of spoons and a chocolate bar from the “Royal Confection’s” box near the door. As Flambé finished his little tirade, Halberd coughed, trying to get his attention.

“What is it?!” the chef asked excitedly, as if Halberd had just interrupted some kind of life changing revelation.

“Uh yeah, just wanted to let you know that that plan sounds awesome, but I have to be going now… oh yeah, and I’m taking these with me.” He said, gesturing to the snacks he had in hoof, “Princess’s orders. Good luck with… whatever it was you were doing…”

“Oh, why thank you, now be gone with you, I was in the middle of a burst of genius!” Flambé said, waving a hoof dismissively.

“More like a burst of insanity…” Halberd muttered, leaving the kitchen and hurrying back to the tower room that the Princesses were in. “I just hope that whatever’s going on in that room doesn’t leave too big of a mess…”

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……………

Aw crud…

He’d been gone for maybe ten minutes, fifteen at the most… and the freaking door was in a splintered heap of wood and metal, a good chunk of the wall was missing now, and he already knew who was gonna get the blame for this one…

“Guard!” Celestia’s voice called out, startling him out of his private pity party at the top of the stairs, “Do you have what I sent you for?”

“Y-yes your Highness!” he responded quickly, hopping over the rubble and entering the room… well, what was left of it…

“Excellent! If you could please bring the ice cream and chocolate here, and then you may relieve yourself of duty.” Princess Celestia said, smiling from her place on a large floor cushion.

“…Relieve myself of duty?” he said numbly, starting to object. “Majesty… I don’t think I can… I mean, my superior officer-”

“Your superior officer answers to me… and I say that you have earned a night off… in fact, take tomorrow off as well and get some sleep. Or, if you feel up to it, I believe one of the chef’s down in the kitchens is trying something new for this month’s state dinner… perhaps you could see fit to help him out?” Celestia rebutted, smiling and yanking a chunk of the rocky road ice cream out of the carton, the other carton levitating over towards Princess Luna, who was curled up on a separate cushion, and holding onto what looked like a large doll of some kind…

“Uhhh… I think I’ll just take tomorrow off and get some rest…” Halberd replied weakly, today was turning out seriously weird… “If you don’t mind my asking Princess… what happened in here?”

“Nothing to worry about my little pony… just some minor pest control and a makeover…” she answered cryptically, levitating a spoonful of rocky road to her lips, “Now, as I said, relieve yourself of duty. Go on, scoot. You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here…”

“Yes your majesty.” He said, clicking his hooves together and turning in place to stride out of the room with some semblance of professionalism… and promptly tripped over a piece of wall. “I’m alright…” he said, picking himself up and making for the stairway, trying not to look back at the Princess, who was now laughing softly as he disappeared down the stairwell, eager to go back to his barrack and take a nap. Today had really been too weird for his tastes…

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“Sho… ish he awake?” Celestia asked, speaking around a large ball of ice cream she’d just shoved in her muzzle. “If he ish, he needs chocolate… fasht.”

“Will you at least swallow before you try and speak?” Luna shot back, glaring over her shoulder at Celestia, “I swear, you’re worse than Blueblood sometimes…”

“You take that back!” the older Alicorn said, standing up and waving a spoon at Luna telekinetically. “I am nowhere NEAR that level of snobbery… besides, chocolate is an important thing for all of us right now…”

“How?”

“Chocolate makes anypony feel better inside… and between the hormone changes that the spell would have forced his body through, and that monster hiding away, we could all use a little bit of an emotional boost.”

Luna seemed to consider this, nodding her head and leaning her head down a bit to nuzzle Orion awake.

“Mmrrr… whaisit?” he murmered sleepily, burrowing his head more into the underside of her wing.

“It’s time to wake up Orion… come on now, open your eyes…” Luna coaxed, speaking softly and withdrawing the wing that was covering him. “We have chocolate for you…”

As she waved the chocolate bar in front of him, he slowly opened an eye and peeked out, his head still swimming and feeling like he was underwater.

“……you called me Orion… does that mean the spell wore off?” he asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his hooves, yawning wide as he tried to regain full consciousness. “Is it tomorrow?”

“No little one.” Celestia answered, giggling at the arguably cute wakeup. “It’s still tonight. The spell works much faster the second time around… Now quickly, eat the chocolate… it will help.”

“Here.” Luna said, breaking off a piece of the chocolate and popping it into his open mouth as he yawned again. “Make sure that you finish the whole bar… and afterwards, we can take you to see the girls again. I’m sure they will be overjoyed to see that you are back to normal once again.”

“Luna, I don’t think normal is a word that anyone should be using around those six… or you two… mmm, this is good chocolate though…” Orion answered, chuckling softly as the chocolaty taste melted on his tongue, a warmth seeping through him as he felt his insides unknot, and a comfortable feeling of peace overtake him… “Am I supposed to feel this tired?” he asked, looking at the two royal sisters and yawning as they watched him eating, their muzzles buried in their own ice cream cartons.

“It’s a side effect of the spell… you didn’t notice last time because you were, well… sloshed… but this time, we kind of woke you up early to make sure that it was you, and not that monster, that was in control of your body.” Luna answered, smiling uneasily.

“… So, why is everypony eating chocolate?”

“Long story short, it’s a feel good food.” Celestia said simply, “And after the weirdness that popped up when you were asleep, a little treat isn’t anything overboard.”

“You just killed an entire carton of ice cream… how is that a ‘little treat’? and what happened when I was asleep?”

“Tentacles…” Luna answered, shuddering, “And a bunch of other low grade stuff like levitation, speaking in reverse, throwing out curses in ancient Equuish… did I forget anything else Tia?”

“He threw you through the wall.” Celestia supplied, giggling, “You should have seen your face when you got launched! You had this look of, oh darn, not this again that was just precious!”

“Oh right… that… well at least that explains why I had rubble in my mane.” She admitted, shaking her head and littering the ground nearby with tiny flecks of stone and mortar. “Now, Orion, have you finished your chocolate?”

Orion nodded, shoving the last decadent square in his mouth, a small fleck of chocolate at the corner of his mouth.

“Then perhaps it is time to reintroduce you to your friends.” Celestia said, standing up from her cushion and dropping the carton in a nearby trash can. “Luna, are you going to finish that?” she asked, motioning at Luna’s own half-finished carton.

Luna looked down, rolling her eyes and tossing what was left at her sister, “Here, better you eating it now than sneaking it later before bed…” she said sarcastically as Celestia dove her muzzle into the frosty treat, polishing it off fast enough that Pinkie Pie would have been impressed had she seen it.

“So… where are they?” Orion asked, standing near the ruined doorway anxiously.

“They should be in the eastern tower. I can teleport us there if you’d like.” Luna offered, wrapping a wing around Orion and eyeing the chocolate clinging to the corner of his mouth.

“I actually think I’d like to walk…” he said, “I mean… no offense Luna, but teleporting alongside somepony just doesn’t feel that good on a full stomach…”

Luna giggled, nodding her approval and walking him out the door and down the stairs, leaving Celestia in the ruined room, not that she noticed, as she was a bit too busy finishing off every last speck of Rocky Road from the carton.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“So, Orion… how does it feel to be back in a male body?” Luna asked as they walked down one of the many large corridors that honeycombed the castle.

“It’s… interesting… I don’t know how to describe it really… I feel kind of the same, but different too… kind of like I’m a little less exposed. Does that make any sense?” he replied, thinking about it and looking around at the stained glass windows that decorated the walls.

“It does make some sense… but I’ve only been the subject of that particular spell once, and I felt like I was a bit more exposed as a male to be perfectly honest.” She said frankly, shrugging. “That manestyle looks good on you by the way… it shows off your face quite nicely.”

“Uhhh… thanks… it’s still a little weird after dealing with that long hair for so long though. My head feels lighter.” Orion said, shaking his head in an attempt at ruffling his mane that proved fruitless.

Luna giggled at the strange behavior as they rounded a corner and he smacked face first into a statue. “Oh my…” she said sympathetically, still laughing, “Are- are you alright?”

“I’m fine… just wish you’d stop moving around so much…” he said, his eyes rolling around as he tried to get his bearings back and push himself back to standing.

“……I never moved Orion.” Luna said simply, watching with amusement as her friend tried to walk a straight line and fell backwards to sit on his haunches. “Here, let me help…” she said, laying on the floor in front of him and tucking her legs underneath as she lit her horn up and touched it to his forehead.

“What are you-” he tried to ask, a feeling wrapping around him like a familiar blanket. “Oh wow… that does feel better…”

“Heheheh, that’s one of the few spells I actually created.” Luna bragged, smiling warmly as she stared into Orion’s eyes, “I wasn’t the most coordinated filly when I was still young, and I hated going to the healer, so I created my own kind of magic to heal minor wounds and headaches…”

“That’s pretty impressive Luna.” Orion admitted, staring back into her eyes and blushing at the close proximity. “I mean, you came up with a spell all your own as a filly? The most I did when I was little was make a game with my friends… we found out later that there was already something like it called Bombardment.”

“Hmmm… well it sounds to me as if you had a bit more fun in making things up at least.” Luna said, her eyes moving to the corner of Orion’s mouth, where he still had a small fleck of chocolate hanging on for dear life. “Hold still…” she ordered, looking serious for a second or two.

“Why? Is there something behind me?” he asked, turning his head slightly and looking away as Luna closed the distance and brushed her lips against the corner of his mouth, her tongue darting out to grab the chocolate crumb as she planted a soft kiss where it once was. This had the rather interesting reaction of Orion freezing in place, his mind temporarily out of order as Luna got back to her feet, hiding her face from his gaze as she walked away and tried to keep her composure.

“You had something on your cheek, so I decided to help clean it off for you… are you coming?” she said, looking over her shoulder once she had gotten her blushing under control.

“Huh? Oh, yeah… just… yeah…” he said, still in mild shock as he clambered to his hooves and followed the Alicorn of the night, almost tripping as she led the way to the eastern tower. “Uhhh… Luna… why did you-” he started to ask, cut off when they arrived outside the room everypony was waiting for them in, the doors flung open by Pinkie Pie, a shower of confetti popping out of her mane as she started to cheer and jump around.

“WHOO! HE’ABACKHE’SBACKHE’SBAAAACK!” she cheered, hugging him and spinning around like a whirling dervish. “Oh I can’t wait till we get back to Ponyville and I get to reintroduce you to everypony! Imeanthey’llprobablyrememberyouanywaycuzthere’snotthatmanycutestallionsaroundbutit’snoteverydaythatigettotellpeople, “Hey, you’ve already met, but last time you did, he was a mare!” I mean, how cool is THAT?!”

“Easy there Pinkie, you’re gonna break him before we even have a chance to go on our date.” Rainbow cautioned, snatching Orion from the pink menace before he passed out from being overhugged (a medical condition wherein the patient’s body is crushed and they are unable to breathe. Oddly enough, there has been only two documented cases in Equestrian history, and they were both caused by Pinkie Pie as a young filly. It is not fatal, but still not fun…)

“And just what the hay do ya think yer doin’ haulin’ him off fer yerself?!” Applejack asked angrily, jumping up and dragging her friend down, causing all three ponies to crash on the marble floor in a pile. “We ain’t even asked him if he’s up fer it!”

Orion would have asked what they were talking about, but something about being sandwiched between two mares and having the wind knocked out of him made his words come out as a squeak and a cough. It was at this moment that, seeing Orion whole and healthy again, Rarity and Fluttershy decided to take their leave, dragging Pinkie Pie out by her tail as she waved goodbye to the group.

Luna, for her part, was taking the mare-handling of her protégé rather well… settling for tapping her hoof to get everypony’s attention rather than resorting to the Royal Caps Lock.

“If you all are quite through abusing Orion… could one of you calmly explain what you are talking about?” she asked, staring between Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

“Well, see, we got invited to this thing with Twilight’s coltfriend, and we were gonna ask Orion if he wanted to come along for a ride-THE ride I mean… yeah… come along for THE ride… right AJ?” Rainbow explained, getting off of the crushed stallion and standing next to him while he and Applejack got to their hooves.

“That’s about it Princess.” AJ confirmed, wrapping a foreleg around Orion’s withers and making sure that he was breathing again. “Sun Storm told us that it might do Orion here some good after the spell wore off… and it’d be swell ta get back ta some sense’ve normalcy again.”

“…Sun Storm? Sun Storm is Twilight’s special somepony?” Luna asked, a grin forming across her muzzle before she caught herself and returned to a mask of regal indifference. “Hmmm… does anypony happen to recall if he said that the invitation was open to others besides yourselves?”

“Uhhh… Ah think he said that any of Twi’s friends were welcome… but he’s hoofin’ the bill, so we were gonna try and keep it small…” the orange Earth Pony said hesitantly, not liking the scheming glimmer in Luna’s eye.

“Wonderful! And are any of the others going to be accompanying you two tonight?”

“Well… no…” Dash said, exchanging a worried look with Applejack. Even if they were rivals, having to compete with a bucking Princess was too much!

“Perfect! Then I shall join you three on this little, dinner date…” Luna said excitedly, picking Orion up in her magical grip and walking out the door. Applejack and Rainbow stood rooted to the spot. Had Princess Luna seriously just crashed their double date with Orion? And then carried him off without a second thought?!

“Are you two coming?” Luna asked, poking her head back in, “Because I have NO idea where we’re going…”

“Eeyup! We’re comin’!” Applejack replied, startled and galloping out of the room.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Rainbow Dash hollered, taking wing after the two mares and Orion.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

Three blocks… it took him THREE BUCKING BLOCKS, to convince Luna that he was perfectly able to walk… and even then, he had to promise to not run ahead. Luckily enough for him, there weren’t many ponies out and about near the castle. The sole exception to this rule were guards, who had apparently gotten used to the occasional odd sight wen one of the Princesses were nearby.

Luckier still, for him at least, Canterlot had a much more even male to female ratio, so he wasn’t such a noticeable sight. Well, between that, and the fact that there was a Princess walking the streets right next to him, he was fairly confident that nopony would notice him once they hit the main streets of Canterlot. They’d probably be too busy bowing or going about their business to pay much attention to their small group.

Naturally, he was completely wrong…

“Hmmm… I do not recall the citizens paying this much attention to me without Tia being nearby, or it was Nightmare Night… what do you suppose has them so intrigued?” Luna asked, looking around the street as they walked along.

“Couldn’t possibly be the fact that a bucking Princess is walking around with a stallion floating next to her…” Rainbow muttered to herself, and simultaneously earning a smack upside the back of the head from Applejack.

“Hush up you… ya got no room ta complain, when we both know dang well that either one of us woulda grabed him fer ourselves first chance we got…” AJ said, frowning, “Still… Ah wish she’d at least let set him back on his hooves. He ain’t a little foal…”

As if to emphasize her point, a couple of passing unicorns across the street saw fit to comment on the strange sight.

“Pepper...” the first Unicorn said, a purple mare that almost looked like Twilight, “Isn’t that the Princess? Why do you think she’s carrying that Pegasus? Oooh! Do you think that he did something bad?! I’ll bet he’s a world class criminal that tried to steal her crown and got caught and now he’s being taken to the courthouse to stand trial and spend the rest of his life in prison...he even looks a little shifty...”

“Honestly Zoe, will you PLEASE show a little tact around royalty?” the second Unicorn (an almost completely black coated mare, with one very odd white streak running down her back) said, scolding her companion loud enou Besides, I doubt that Princess Luna would be running around playing at being a guard... That stallion’s probably going to get whisked off to the palace to be her royal consort, where they’ll pass the nights in each other’s embrace, staring lovingly up at the stars that the Princess lays out...”

“......you’re just weird Pepper...”

“Luna, can you please set me down?” Orion pleaded, trying to look upset, but unable to maneuver himself in midair to look angry... he had to settle for looking mildly annoyed instead. “I’m pretty sure that other ponies are staring, and this is humiliating!”

“You say that now Orion, but what if something were to happen to you?” Luna replied, glancing over her shoulder at him, “You’ve put yourself at risk more than I care for this week, so indulge me for a little bit... besides, you look cute when you’re frustrated.”

Between Luna’s words and the cute smile she accented them with, Orion couldn’t really think of a response besides muttering the phrase “not cute” to himself repeatedly. He also started murmuring some other inaudible curses that would have been right at home in the mouth of an 80’s cartoon villain, but that might be better attributed to the fact that Luna accidentally smacked his head into a light pole when she walked around a large puddle in the road.

“Uhhh, Luna, Ah think he’s gonna be safe, even if he’s walking around on his own...” Applejack said, wincing as she saw Orion’s eyes rolling around in his head after kissing the street sign. “Ah mean, even if trouble was gonna come lookin’ for him, he’s with all three of us. And he’s a grown stallion, Ah think he can walk down a road without fallin’ in a hole or somethin’...”

“Yeah Luna... besides, you want this to be a low key thing, right?” Dash said, hovering in front of the Princess.

“But of course... what need do I have for guards when I am having dinner with friends?” Luna answered, stopping in the middle of the street.

“Then try showing that and relax a bit. Nothing’s gonna happen to Orion while the three of us are around.”

“Hmmmm... you may be right Rainbow Dash... but still...” Luna said uncertainly.

“Alright, I didn’t want to have to say this, but Princess, you look like a little filly that doesn’t want to let go of their doll.” Dash said, her words causing Luna’s eyes to bug out, and Orion and Applejack had to fight hard to contain their giggling. “You don’t want your sister hearing that you were carrying around one of your subjects like a doll, do you?”

“The teasing... the pranks...” Luna muttered, her magic faltering and sending Orion crashing to the ground, where Applejack helped him to his feet. “Neigh Rainbow Dash, I certainly don’t wish to give her the weapons with which to poke and prod at me... she’s been looking for just about anything she could use to torment me after the last time I planted fireworks inside one of her cakes...”

“Then why not just act like a normal pony for tonight, and leave the levitation stuff alone, hmm?” Rainbow suggested, smiling like she was the best thing to happen to ponies since hay-fries.

“I... suppose that is acceptable...” Luna said grudgingly. “Just remember, if anything happens to him tonight because you would not have me protect him... I know where you dream......”

“Princess, I’m probably the last pony that would let him get hurt...” She hissed back, offended. “And why are you being so possessive anyway? I thought you said you weren’t interested in him like that and this seems to be going a little further than just a student/teacher thing...”

Luna straightened up. Was she really being that obvious?

“I… I have no idea what thou art talking about…” Luna replied indignantly, slipping into ye olde Canterlot speech patterns.

“Oh yeah? Cuz I might not be the most attentive pony in the herd, but even I can tell that you’re treating Orion differently now… you’re more grabby with him…” Rainbow accused, staring down the Princess of the Night.

Before Rainbow Dash could continue grilling her however, Applejack walked over to the two mares and separated them bodily.

“Alright you two… now are we gonna get a move on or are we gonna stand here and collect dust? We’re already late fer meetin’ Twilight at that restaurant.” She said neutrally, looking between her friends. “Besides, even if we ain’t hungry, Ah’m sure Orion is… and Ah ain’t exactly likin’ some of the looks he’s getting’.”

At the mention of Orion’s name, both Luna and Rainbow looked over at where he was standing in front of a book shop, looking at the display and completely oblivious to a couple of Canterlot Filly’s giving him the once over as they walked past. The two blue mares looked at each other once more, glaring competitively and turning to walk back to their shared date, Applejack walking between them just in case anything else should trigger their possessive natures.

“Oh! Hey girls.” Orion said pleasantly when he saw the three mares walking over. “Are you all ready to get going now?”

“Sure are sugarcube.” AJ said, sidling up to his side and nuzzling him quickly, “Just had ta talk about a couple a things.”

“What kinds of things?” he asked curiously.

“Uhhh… we were talking about… the weather…” Luna said, feebly fibbing.

“The weather?” Orion questioned, looking up. “It looks fine to me…”

“Yeah, you do…” Dash muttered to herself, shaking her head when he glanced over confused, “I mean, yeah… Luna was just asking about how the weather stuff worked in Ponyville. I mean, she obviously knows how the weather works, but I was telling her the ins and outs of the weather planning committee and my job as the weather manager.”

“Well… okay… So, how far away is this restaurant thing? I really want to meet Twilight’s coltfriend.”

“You… do?” Rainbow asked, sharing a worried look with Luna. “Uhhh… I don’t think he swings that way… and I didn’t think you did either…”

“Hmm? Oh, no, not like that Rainbow.” He said, looking a little embarrassed. “It’s just, well… I’m a bit of a romantic at heart, and I just like seeing love grow between folks… it makes me feel good. Besides, I haven’t exactly had much of a love life, and I’m not the most observant individual, so I’m like, 90 percent sure that if anyone ever expressed interest, I’d completely miss the signs…”

'No shit'… all three mares thought at the same time, rolling their eyes.

They continued on their way down the twisting streets of the Equestrian capital when suddenly, Orion stopped, staring into the distance before breaking into a full gallop towards a nearby park entrance.

“Orion! Where are you going?!” Applejack called, racing after him and leaving Luna and Rainbow Dash behind as they stood rooted to the spot in surprise.

By the time she caught up to him, the other two mares in question were flying overhead and all three came to a stop near a large rose bush, where Orion was sitting, gazing at the crimson flowers. Before anypony could berate him about running off like a madmare though, all three heard a distinct sniffling sound as a tear streaked its way down his cheek.

“Sugarcube? Are you alright?” AJ asked, closing the distance and sitting next to him on the ground.

He nodded mutely, wiping away his tears with a wingtip, “Yeah Applejack… I’m fine… I just… I don’t know. It’s just some old memories coming up…”

“Orion…” Luna said softly, sitting on his other side, “There is nothing wrong in letting out what you feel… and keeping sad thoughts bottled up will do you no good. Is there anything we can do to help?”

“Yeah. I can’t have you getting all sad on me…” Dash said, plopping down in front of him and giving him a gentle smile. “How’s that gonna look for me if you’re crying when I’m around?”

“Sorry girls… I don’t know what came over me… it’s just… roses…” he said, his voice cracking somewhat towards the end before he gritted his teeth and lowered his head to the ground, whimpering softly.

Without saying a word, all three mares closed the gap, wrapping their forelegs and wings around him in a protective cocoon, nuzzling him as he calmed down in their embrace.

“Shhhh… it’s alright hun… we’re here…” Applejack said soothingly, tightening her grip around him. She was the closest to him in the group hug, and felt every tiny shudder and suppressed sob that wracked through his body. Each shiver was like a dagger in her heart. “Ah’m here fer ya… and Ah always will be…”

“I-I know that… and you girls have really made me feel at home, for the first time really… but there’s some things that just pop into my head sometimes… I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize.” Rainbow said, frowning slightly, “You didn’t do anything wrong. Everypony cries sometimes… I’m just glad you did it where we were able to be here for you… I don’t like the thought of you being alone and trying to deal with whatever it is that’s bugging you…”

“And you know that you’re precious to me Orion.” Luna said, her horn lighting up as she attempted to fill his mind with happy thoughts of his time in Equestria. “So don’t ever think that you’re a burden or have cause to be sorry. Do you understand?”

He nodded, calming down and cuddling closer to the three mares.

After a few more minutes of staying put, just holding onto each other, a small cough rousing them from their own private thoughts.

“Ummm… is everything alright?” Twilight asked, eyeballing her friends while Sun stood behind her, having the decency to at least try not to look.

“Gah! Twilight! Don’t you know better than to sneak up on ponies?” Dash asked, jumping away from the group hug slightly and glaring at the two outsiders.

“Well that wasn’t very nice Rainbow… she was just checking that we were okay.” Orion said, rolling his eyes, “And it’s my fault that we’re running late anyway. Sorry about that Twilight.”

“Don’t worry about it Orion. I’m just glad to see that you’re up and about. Sorry I couldn’t be there, but Sunny and I wanted some time alone to talk and relax.” Twilight said dismissively.

“So this is Sun Storm then?” Luna asked, appraising the Zebra standing next to the purple Unicorn. “Hmmm… I must say, the stripes are a pleasant change from the usual shock white coats most of my sister’s guards seem to sport…”

“Heh… thank you your Highness…” Sun said nervously, saluting Luna as soon as she addressed him. “Although, my drill sergeant used to say that my stripes made me look like I got caught sleeping against a fresh painted fence. I still say it's better than looking like I fell into the whole paint can, but there was no way I was gonna tell Sergeant Bullhorn that.”

“Humph… I’d have chewed him out if he made a crack like that at me…” Rainbow commented, rolling her magenta eyes. “I mean, I can’t count the number of times I got asked if I dyed my mane growing up… even had one teacher kick me out of class until I got a doctor’s note saying that it’s always been like this…”

“I was about to ask…” Sun said, Twilight giving him a warning tug on his tail with her magic.

“……but maybe another time…” he finished, about as smooth as sandpaper.

“Alright! Ah’m starvin’!” Applejack said enthusiastically. “And uh, ya said you were payin’, right?” she asked, looking at Sun as she helped Orion to his feet.

“You got it Applejack. And Twilight already warned me about your appetite, so don’t worry, I made sure to bring some extra bits…” Sun said laughing and sidling up to Twilight and giving her a quick nuzzle before turning back to the group. “Anyway, they’re gonna start getting busy if we don’t get a move on, so everypony, about face. Forward, MARCH!”

“……I think I like this guard…” Luna noted, observing the group as they all snapped to attention and followed Sun Storm single file out of the park and back to the streets of Canterlot.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“…So… you’re the one that Twilight was telling me about, huh?” Sun Storm asked, walking alongside Orion ahead of the group of mares following and carrying on their own conversation.

“Huh? Oh, yeah… what was your name again?” he responded, snapping out of his thoughts as they strolled through the dusky streets of Canterlot.

“I’m Sun Storm. I’ve heard a bit about you… also heard that this is your first time in a month with all the bits you were born with…” Sun answered, cracking a smile at Orion and chuckling, “I have to say, when Twilight told me that you got hit with that kind of spell, and that you were stuck with it for a month, I was kind of surprised…”

“Is it that uncommon?” Orion asked, blushing slightly in embarrassment. “I mean, from what I’ve seen, accidental spells aren’t that strange in Equestria…”

“Oh it’s got nothing to do with that… but you’re the first victim of a drunk Alicorn that I’ve ever heard of… What was the Princess like when she was drunk anyway?” Sun commented, leaning in conspiratorially. “And is it true that she slept with you?”

“WHAT?!” Orion yelped, looking back at Luna before turning back to Sun Storm. “Dude…… I don’t remember anything about that party after getting up on a table and dancing… and I guess technically, yeah, I did sleep with Luna, but I also slept with the rest of the girls when we had that sleepover… and yeah, after she hit me with that spell, Luna took me home and stayed the night… but nothing happened!”

“Hahahahahahaha! Relax dude, I’m just messing with you.” Sun replied good naturedly, wrapping a foreleg around his withers and giving Orion a friendly jostle. “Seriously, you just had a pretty major bit of magic work out of your system, and from what I hear, that thing with the storm monster wasn’t too pleasant. That’s part of the reason I invited you and the others along with me and Twilight. You need to relax and start getting your life hack in hoof.”

“……Sun… you have a really weird idea of how to make a guy feel relaxed…” Orion said, still trying to get his mind to unstick from the implications of sleeping with Luna… “And that was just mean what you said…”

“What? The get your life back in hoof thing? Or the sleeping with the Princess of the Night thing?” Sun replied, shooting Orion an unabashed grin. “I’m guessing it was the first one, cuz you’d be hard pressed to do better than a Princess of Equestria. I mean, do you see the plot on Luna? And Celestia… whoa…”

Luckily, Orion was spared any further possible embarrassment by their timely arrival at the restaurant.

“… Oh thank the stars…” Orion said, breathing a sigh of relief and turning to smile back at the girls behind Sun Storm and himself.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“What do you suppose they are talking about?” Luna asked, turning to Twilight as the small herd of mares watched the stallions ahead of them acting...... strangely...

“... I have no idea... I never took a ‘Stallions Studies’ course... I’d assume it was something about exercise, current events, food...” Twilight answered, her mind wandering to the possible topics her coltfriend might have on his mind, “Or, since it’s Sunny talking, he might be asking Orion about his own experiences as a mare...”

“......His own experiences?” Luna asked, once the words had sunk in, “You mean to tell me that Sun Storm has had experiences with the same spell as the one I cast on Orion?”

“Mhmm. You weren’t in the hallway when I mentioned it, but yes, Sunny had a run in with an ex of his while I was present... long story short, they had words, and she shot him with that gender swap spell before I could put a shield up...”

“Dang... that actually sounds pretty cool!” Rainbow commented, hovering overhead like she usually did when she was nervous or agitated. “How come we never heard about this before, Twi?”

“Nopony ever asked.” She responded earnestly, “Besides, with all of the strange stuff that goes on in Ponyville, it doesn’t seem like that interesting of a story.”

“Now Twilight, Ah gotta know, what’d ya do ta the mare that did that to yer stallion?” Applejack asked, leaning in, “Cuz if it were me, Ah’d at least have words with her...”

“Twilight Sparkle is an honorable mare, so I’ve no doubt that she defended her coltfriend’s honor.” Luna commented, stamping a hoof on the ground gently... and leaving a new pothole in the cobblestone streets... “After all, what kind of mare would stoop so low as to cast a spell on another over such a trifle?”

“A drunk one...” Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes and sharing a knowing look with Applejack.

“I didn’t actually DO anything... I just insinuated that if she were to ever be in the same place as Sunny again, that I’d tell the police about a certain actress using an illegal spell on a defenseless stallion... then I further insinuated that her film career might not last too much longer after the aforementioned incident made it to the papers with Princess Celestia’s star student as an eyewitness...” Twilight said, an icy breeze suddenly appearing and sending chills up the spines of everypony present.

“......Remind me to never get on her bad side...” Rainbow muttered to Applejack, who nodded in agreement.

“Well... whatever it is they are discussing, I just hope they are leading us in the right direction.” Luna muttered, “I’m so hungry I could eat a Manticore...”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about food for much longer Princess.” Twilight said, giggling and pointing a hoof at the building behind the stopped stallions ahead of them. “We’re already here.”

“Whoo!” Rainbow cheered, landing and jumping from hoof to hoof excitedly, “Free food and a dinner date with Orion. Does it get any better than this?”

“Well fer starters, you might could go back ta Ponyville, and me and Orion could enjoy ourselves in private...” Applejack mumbled, nudging the Pegasus in an attempt to get her to show a little self control. “Now will ya quit fidgetin’ so we can go in without lookin’ ridiculous?”

“Agreed... we do not wish to draw undue attention to ourselves.” Luna said, magically rooting Rainbow Dash to the spot until she stopped squirming and was standing still on her own. “Tonight is a gift from Sun and Twilight, and it would be rude to ruin such a hospitable gesture...”

“Ah hear ya on that one Luna.” Applejack agreed, “T’ain’t right ta be rude ta somepony who’s feedin’ ya. Not ta mention the fact that Orion’s just gettin’ back on his own four hooves. Ah’d rather not be the one that upsets him.”

“I’m sure you’d much rather prefer the role of comforting him, Applejack?” Luna asked, a dangerously steely tone in her voice. “If I might be frank, I would prefer that neither you, nor Rainbow Dash, gets in my way tonight...”

“Princess!” Twilight exclaimed, “You can’t just lay a claim to somepony like that!”

“Why not?” the Princess of the Night asked, “It was a common practice a thousand years ago... And it was amazingly efficient...”

“It was efficient because most of the male population had little to no say in the matter...” Twilight pointed out. “And we are not gonna start on this just before dinner. I haven’t seen Sun in over a month, and I am going to enjoy myself, so I suggest that you three figure out some way to enjoy yourselves as well, without bothering myself or my coltfriend...”

“Relax Twi, Ah’m gonna be a perfect gentlemare. Ah just can’t make any promises fer Dash...”

“Hey! I can be polite and stuff when I want to!” Rainbow objected, her face going about the same shade as her eyes. “And how do you know that Orion’s even into polite mares huh? maybe he likes a dash of rebel in a fillyfriend...”

“Well, as cute as it is to see you two trying to vie for his attentions, I’m afraid that I have the advantage... after all, what kind of stallion wouldn’t want to spend his life in luxury as a royal consort?” Luna pointed out, smiling smugly at the two bickering mares in front of her.

“You implyin’ we ain’t good enough?” Applejack asked, trying to keep her tone in check.

“I think she’s just flat out saying it...” Rainbow said, crouching as if ready to launch herself at the Lunar Ruler.

“And what if I am?” Luna asked, smirking, “What are you two going to do about it?”

Just before Rainbow Dash and Applejack could launch themselves at the suddenly cocky Princess, their little cat fight was interrupted by Orion galloping over, shouting that their table was ready.

“How about this...” Luna suggested, all three of them glaring daggers at the other mares in their miniature huddle, “Since I have a, shall we say ‘Royal Reprieve’ for this following week, let us compete for the young stallions affections…”

“That… actually sounds like a pretty fair deal…” Applejack conceded, “But we gotta have some ground rules first.”

“Rules can wait, I’m going inside to get a seat next to Orion.” Rainbow said, darting off towards the restaurant doors.

“………I think the games have just begun…” Luna noted, quirking an eyebrow at Applejack, “May the best mare win.”

“Yeah… I plan to.”

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“Oh come on!” Rainbow Dash cried, grumbling in annoyance.

“What’s wrong now Dash?” Applejack asked, walking in right behind Luna a couple seconds after the polychromatic Pegasus.

“Excuse me… but if you could please keep your voices down while you are in the restaurant…” a snooty looking Maitre’D said, straightening his bow tie and cocking an eyebrow at the trio. His expression took on a different form entirely though, once Luna looked down at him… literally…

“Excuse me… but I believe that you are the pony in charge of greeting customers, are you not?” she said, a poker face perfected over the course of years heading up the Night Court serving as her mask while she gazed down at the short yellow Earth Pony, now even shorter as he tried to bow hastily in front of her.

“Er… yes Your Highness… I am your humble servea-I mean host- I mean…… my name is Silver Platter…” he replied, tripping over his words as his mind raced to try and find the appropriate level of groveling to make up for being rude to the Princess.

“It’s perfectly alright Silver. Now, if you could please point us to the table that our friends are sitting at…” Luna said, craning her neck to see into the main dining room of the restaurant.

“Don’t bother asking him… I found them already…” Rainbow interrupted glumly, walking forward like she was on her way to an execution.

“And what’s got yer tail in a twist all of a sudden?” Applejack asked, walking beside her friend, Luna flanking the Pegasus’s other side.

“That.” Dash said finally, pointing at a booth in the back corner of the dimly lit room.

“…Oh…” Luna said simply, her ears flattening in disapproval, the look reflecting both Rainbow Dash and Applejack’s own… “Well this sucks…”

“Eeyup.” AJ agreed, sighing and leading the sad march towards the booth.

“Hey girls! We were wondering when you three would get in here…” Orion said cheerfully, sitting on the end seat of the booth, Sun Storm sitting in the only seat next to him, and Twilight Sparkle sitting towards the middle of the booth, leaving the other half of the booth open… the half that was nowhere near sitting next to Orion…

All three just stood there, looking between the empty seats on the other side of the booth, and then back to him… then back to the seats, then back to him…

“Uhhh… is something wrong?” he asked, managing to at least see that something was bothering them.

“Not at all…” Luna replied, forcing a smile and scooting Applejack and Rainbow forward, “We were just trying to figure out which of us should take the end seat…”

“Maybe you were, I’m trying to figure out why I can’t sit next to Orion!” Dash complained, as subtle as a draconequus in bureaucracy. “I mean, how come Twilight’s coltfriend gets to sit next to him? They just met for crying out loud!”

Applejack cuffed the whining Pegasus in the ear and stepped forward. “What she means is, we were all hopin’ to spend a bit more time with ya Orion, especially after everything that’s happened… and we can’t rightly do that if yer sittin’ on the end seat there sugarcube…”

Orion blinked, looking around at the few other patrons who were now taking an interest in their little group.

“Uhhh… well… if you all feel that strongly about it, I suppose I could switch seats…” he said, moving to get up, a black and white foreleg stopping him in his place.

“Now ladies… I hardly think that’s fair to the poor guy. After all, I know for a fact that he lives in the same house as one of you, and the other one has a habit of plowing into him when she tries to land…” Sun Storm said, glancing from Applejack to Rainbow Dash, “And I was also there when Princess Celestia gave Twilight the memo about your upcoming visit to Ponyville, Your Highness… And given the spell that’s finally worked its way out of his system, I don’t think it’s too much to ask that the poor colt gets to spend some time amongst other stallions…”

“I thought it was a lovely thought.” Twilight said, positively beaming, “Besides, given how few males there are in Ponyville, this is a bit of a rare treat for Orion.”

“We… suppose that thou has a point…” Luna conceded, her embarrassment at being reprimanded causing her to slip into Olde Equish as she slipped into the booth seat next to Twilight Sparkle.

“Makes sense to me too…” Applejack admitted, slipping into the booth after Luna and sitting wedged between the Princess of the Night and Rainbow Dash, who filed into the booth muttering to herself…

“Good evening. My name is Croquet, I will be your server this evening. May I interest anypony in some appetizers?” a white Unicorn mare with a bright red mane asked, looking around the table.

“Just some bread and water for now please.” Sun said, smiling kindly at the server.

“Very well then, is there any preference for what kind of bread?”

“Wheat will be fine.” Twilight said, looking around at the others gathered around the table and chattering happily. “The chef here does this thing where he adds in some really, really yummy spices from Egryph. It’s the best bread I think I’ve ever had.”

“Well then, that certainly does sound interesting…” Luna noted dryly, too busy shooting Rainbow Dash an angry look as the Pegasus kept nudging her with her wings.

“So, what kinda stuff did you an’ Orion talk about?” Applejack asked Sun, though still keeping her eyes glued to Orion.

“Just some guy stuff…” Sun answered evasively.

“Well that sounds borin’.” AJ noted flatly, “Orion, you lookin’ forward ta gettin’ back ta Ponyville?”

“Uhhh… yeah… I mean, it doesn’t feel like we’ve been gone that long. But I mean, I was unconscious for most of it. I’m kind of looking forward to getting my own place though.” He answered, missing the hurt look on Applejack’s face due to Rainbow letting out a victory whoop.

“HA! Looks like we’re all on the same level now farm girl!” Dash hollered, sticking her tongue out at the orange Earth Pony.

“If ya think yer any closer ta winnin’ then yer heads emptier than I thought.” Applejack growled, slamming a hoof on the table and glaring at Rainbow.

Luna, for her part, just kind of sunk as low in her seat as she could, trying to avoid the two over competitive mares flanking her.

“……Was it something I said?” Orion asked, turning to Sun, who just shook his head and tried not to laugh too hard at his new friend’s obliviousness.

“You’re fine Orion… but these two,” Twilight said, gritting her teeth and zapping both of her friends with a spell that turned their voices into clucks, so they quickly stopped talking when they realized that they both sounded like a couple of obnoxious hens. “These two need to relearn their manners apparently… honestly, what’s gotten into you two?”

They both tried to explain themselves at the same time, before remembering that anything they said would come out as a chicken noise and shutting their mouths again.

“Ughh… look, forget it… I’m going to undo the spell now, but if either of you start acting like that again, I’m putting a mute spell on you til we leave.” Twilight said, massaging her temples with a forehoof and lighting up her horn.

“……Why do I have a feeling that dinner’s going to be a quiet affair?” Orion asked, muttering to Sun Storm.

“Because it probably will… by the way dude, if I were you, I’d tread lightly when you get back to Ponyville.” Sun answered, smirking and trying not to just flat out laugh as he watched the two mares on the other side of the booth glaring daggers at each other.

“Twi… gimme a pencil and somethin’ ta write on…” Applejack said, her voice deceptively calm.

“Yeah. Me too…” Rainbow Dash agreed, “I got something I wanna say to Applejack…”

“Funny, Ah was just gonna say the same thing.” AJ retorted, narrowing her gaze at the rainbow colored Pegasus.

“Really? Well it seems like I got those words first then… and I’m gonna get something else before you do too…”

“Too late filly, Ah already got there first less than a week ago. You were there, so ya can’t call me a liar either.”

“Twilight, where’s that pencil and paper?!” Rainbow snapped, shifting her glare to Twilight, who was fishing in her saddlebags for the aforementioned stationary. “Cuz now I have a HAY of a lot to say to Applejack…”

“That’s assumin’ yer smart enough ta even write a whole sentence…” AJ shot back, smiling to herself in victory.

“Says the mare who couldn’t even write a whole friendship report…” Luna commented, just loud enough for everyone at the table to catch it, her eyes bugging out when she realized that she had said that out loud.

“HA! Now who looks stupid? You do!” Rainbow said triumphantly, making a face at AJ as the farm mare’s face went from orange to red and steam came out of her ears…

“Why you ornery, no good-”

“You folks ordered the wheat bread correct?” Croquet said, interrupting Applejack’s description of Rainbow Dash, “Where should I put this?” She asked, showing them the tray with the bread…. And the knife sticking out of it…

“I think over here’s fine.” Orion said, giving the Waitress a large smile and turning to Sun, “Something tells me those two don’t need sharp objects right now…”

Sun nodded in approval as the two quarreling mares on the other side continued to silently glare at each other, steaming mad.

“Found them!” Twilight exclaimed, giggling, “I put these in here for Spike whenever I had to meet with the Mayor and he was still small, but something tells me these two could use them now…”

Sun Storm and Orion both just watched, eyes wide as saucers (more so than normal) as Twilight levitated a few pieces of paper and a box of crayons to her two friends.

“Uh oh…” Orion said, ducking down in his seat and taking the bread tray with him. “This can’t end well…”

“Nope.” Sun agreed, ducking down next to his new friend, both of them peeking over the edge in case things got crazy.

…Fortunately, both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were past the point of caring what they had to write with, so long as they could tell each other something without being muted for the remainder of the evening.

“I think it’s gonna be an interesting meal…” Sun Storm commented, looking at Orion, who just nodded in response and nibbled on a piece of bread.

“All I know is that it can’t get much crazier than this…” he said, passing the bread tray to Sun.

Oh how terribly, horribly, completely wrong he was…

Culture Clash

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 27

Culture Clash

AKA- One, Two, Three, Four, I Declare a Shipping War…

Luna had seen many things in her lifetime… she had seen her kingdom rise from nothing, seen friends become enemies, and enemies become friends. She had seen things that no living historian could ever imagine. She had even seen the turning of the centuries from her lunar prison… But she had never seen a battle fought with crayon drawings…

The latest missive she’d been made to deliver to Applejack from Rainbow Dash had been a crudely drawn picture of Applejack being kicked to someplace labeled “Timbucktu” by Rainbow Dash while she was kissing Orion.

“I’m not sure that this is a good idea…” Luna said, keeping her voice low as the others around them were digging into their respective meals. “I mean, this truly does not seem like something that the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony should be sending to each other.”

“Just pass it over like you did the others…” Rainbow Muttered, glaring daggers at Applejack, who was digging into a plate of pasta.

Luna sighed and hoofed the drawing over to Applejack, who glanced at it, giving it the same look that one might have if they were to look at a pile of fresh manure.

“Ah told ya once already Rainbow…” AJ said, narrowing her gaze at the cerulean mare. “Ah was alright with exchangin’ words with ya through Luna… but Ah ain’t gonna send back a scribbled out picture every time ya get too angry ta let me know what yer thinkin’.”

“Are you two still on about this?!” Twilight huffed, slamming her fork down on the table angrily and glaring at her two friends. “If I have to take away the crayons and just make you both mute for the rest of dinner, I will!”

“Easy there Twi…” Sun said, trying to calm his marefriend down. “They’re staying quiet for the most part, so it’s not like anyone’s being bothered by this whole thing, right Orion?”

Orion, to his credit, knew when to keep his mouth shut… and when two of the toughest ponies Ponyville looked over at him like he would be the final deciding tie breaker, he suddenly remembered that he had to go to the bathroom…

“……… Well crud…” Sun said, “He’s just gonna make it worse if he runs away…”

“Makes what worse?” Twilight asked, turning her glare to her coltfriend. “Do you know what’s going on here?”

“Uhhh…… I need to use the restroom?”

“Oh no you don’t.” Twilight said finally, keeping him rooted to his seat before he could scoot to freedom, “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what the hay these three are acting so weird about…”

“Uh Twilight… not sure that this is the best place to talk about it…” Sun said evasively, looking to the three guilty mares for some backup, but they were each too busy either scribbling messages to the other, or they were busy passing said messages to their intended recipient.

Twilight’s horn lit up, a small bubble shimmering in the air for a split second, encapsulating the purple Unicorn and her coltfriend.

“There, now nopony can hear us… so spill it. What’s going on between those three?”

“Really not sure if it’s my place to say or not…” Sun said, still uneasy.

“They are my friends! And you will tell me why they are acting so… so WEIRD!” She said emphatically, still maintaining a perfect poker face despite the rising anger and concern in her voice.

“……… Okay… but you did NOT hear this from me, okay sweetie?” he answered, still trying to watch his own flank.

“…I promise not to tell anypony that you told me…” she said, calming down slightly.

“……Long story short, I’m about 90 percent sure that at least Applejack and Rainbow Dash are trying to get Orion’s attention so that they can ask him out… I’m also kind of beginning to think that the Princess is trying the same stuff, just really quietly…” Sun admitted, holding his hooves up innocently.

Funny thing about magic… it’s a very powerful force, but it needs very powerful focus… this is why most unicorns will do anything beyond levitation with their eyes closed. After all, the less distractions or scares or shocks, the more likely that the spell in question will succeed… but when you have a Unicorn casting such a complex spell as a ‘Sphere of Silence’ charm, and said Unicorn is surprised… well, the magic tends to not do its job… Which might explain why every patron in the restaurant turned at once when Princess Celestia’s famous student screamed out in frustration after hearing a… bothersome… piece of news.

“Uhhh… is everything alright?” Applejack asked, looking over at a seething Twilight and scared Sun Storm.

“We’re fine… just need to have a word in private…” Sun fibbed, dragging his marefriend over to a hallway in the back that lead to the restrooms. “Sweetie, I need you to take a deep breath for me… come on now hun… in through the nose, out through the mouth… you calming down at all?”

“I think so… I still want to strangle them… but at least now I’m calm enough to know not to do it in public…” Twilight grumbled, following Sun’s instructions and breathing deeply. “I just don’t get why in Equestria those three are acting like a bunch of school filly’s though!”

“Look at it from their perspective Twilight… there’s a new stallion in Ponyville, and from what you told me of the mares that live there, single stallions don’t last long… Don’t you think they might feel at least a bit of possessiveness over him?”

“That’s no excuse!” Twilight bit back, “Don’t you think I was scared when I was trying to get your attention? But I still didn’t act like those three are right now…”

“I know… But trust me. If there’s one thing I know about relationships, it’s that things are always different between everypony’s individual experiences.” Sun said sagely.

“…Since when did you become an expert on relationships?” Twilight asked suspiciously.

“I uh… read it in a magazine… somepony left it lying around the barracks and I liked the cover…”

“What magazine?”

“…………Cosmare……” he said, the white streaks of his coat now tinged a lovely red as he coughed and looked away nervously.

“…… Oh I am never letting you live this down…” Twilight replied, smiling deviously. “But for now, we are going to go out there and get those three to calm down long enough for us to enjoy our dinner.”

“Fair enough… but will you at least let me do the talking?” Sun asked, hugging his marefriend comfortingly. “……Don’t take this the wrong way sweetie… but you aren’t exactly the best pony to talk to about romance…”

“Hey! I’m plenty romantic!” she objected, trying to push him away and failing.

“Heh. You thought that a good first date was giving me a tour of the castle library that I had been guarding for the three weeks previously..”

“The book said to do something that was familiar but fun! Libraries are fun!”

“You also said that I should wear a bowtie…” he replied dryly.

“…In my defense, bowties are cool…” she said, huffing and looking away. Her coltfriend catching her by surprise the moment she let her guard down, and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I think I’m plenty cool without the bowtie… and you know the deal, if you ever want to see me wearing one, you have to wear socks for me in return. And I’m talking about the black silk ones with the frilly tops.” He said teasingly, laughing warmly at the embarrassed look on her face. “Now come on. I think we’ve left the other diners defenseless for long enough.”

Still grumbling, Twilight followed Sun back into the main dining room. Luckily, none of their friends had started throwing food or upturning tables, but they did seem to be involved in an argument of some sort… but at least they were keeping their voices down now…

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“I’m telling you, it doesn’t matter if he DOES stretch his wings out in front of you, it does not mean that he is interested!” Luna said emphatically, pounding a hoof down on the table and shaking everypony’s plate.

“And Ah’m tellin’ ya, just cuz he’s comfy sleepin’ in tha same place as ya, doesn’t mean yer datin’!” Applejack retorted, glaring at Luna.

“Yeah! And what’s the deal with you snatching him up after that party just to crawl into bed with him anyway? I don’t care what you said it was for, I say you just wanted to try and make a move.” Rainbow agreed, siding with Applejack against Luna.

“Don’t get me started on you, Ah’ve still gotta bone ta pick with ya after that stunt ya pulled at the club…”

“How many times do I have to tell you that I wasn’t going to try anything?!”

“Shhh… the both of you. Twilight’s coming over…” Luna said, trying to hastily end the conversation.

“Uhhh… hey there Twi!” AJ said, grinning uneasily and waving at the purple Unicorn. “We were just talkin’ about…… stuff…”

“Uh huh… does this ‘stuff’ have anything to do with you three acting excessively possessive and territorial about Orion?” Twilight asked, looking around at her friends with a textbook poker face that would have raked in the bits in Las Pegasus.

“Wh-what art thou implying Twilight Sarkle?” Luna asked uneasily, sharing a guilty look with Rainbow Dash.

“Well… ain’t no sense in tryin’ ta keep it in tha dark now…” Applejack said, nodding her head, her face lacking the guilty expression of Dash and Luna, but her brow furrowing slightly as her mind’s eye wandered off to Celestia knew where. “Ah don’t know if ya remember that kissin’ game from the sleepover, but Ah kissed Orion, Aurora… whichever… an Ah did it cuz Ah… well, Ah have feelin’s for ‘em. He’s just got this… air about him… Ah can tell he’s been through a lot, and he’s still so nice ta everypony… he’s stronger than Ah think Ah could ever be, but Ah wanna be there fer him, and Ah wanna help him be happy… and Ah feel like if we were together, then Ah could be happy too… Plus, just between us, Ah ain’t seen a Stallion that looks that good since Ah picked up one’ve Rarity’s special magazines. But Ah also feel guilty. Fer mah whole life, the farm, and mah family have been the most important part of my life… Now Ah feel like I’m being greedy by wantin’ him in mah life…”

“……If Applejack can talk about her feelings, then I suppose that I have no excuse. I too have a… fondness… for Orion.” Luna admitted, employing a trick for speaking that has been used by public figures for centuries; she looked at a particularly interesting piece of wallpaper just behind Twilight’s ear. “I feel guilty about it, because I know that he is my protégé, but there is a spark in him that I have not seen in another in over a millennia… And he is one who I feel truly appreciates me… It is a pleasant break from the lingering feelings I still have of isolation. He makes me feel as if I actually matter, as more than just the sister that lowers the moon. He makes me feel… balanced… but I suppose it is because it has been so long, that I have been acting so possessive.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having feelings for somepony, either of you… but you have to balance everything out. How do you think Orion will feel if he thinks that he’s the reason you three have been acting so UNfriendly to each other? Don’t you think that that would hurt him just as much as it’s hurting your friendship right now?” Twilight asked, looking between the Earth Pony and the Alicorn across from her. As they looked at each other, Twilight’s words sinking in. “Now, since your part of all this Rainbow, why don’t you tell the group how you feel about things…”

“I mean, there’s not much to tell… I think Orion’s hot, and he’s pretty cool… I can’t remember how many times I’ve crashed into him, but no matter how many times it happens, he just kind of lets it roll off. He doesn’t even poke fun at me for it. He’s like, the opposite of me, you know? He doesn’t care about flying fast, or doing tricks, or even if he comes off as cool or not… he just, IS, and it kinda makes me feel like I can relax around him without having to worry about being judged about anything… plus he’s like, adorably, blissfully ignorant… and it just, gets me… and I want to protect him… and I want him to protect me, and be there for me…” Rainbow said, her words flowing out as a smile crept across her face and her mind drifted off to a fantasy realm.

There was a heavy silence that hung over the table after everypony had said their piece… But it wasn’t the heavy, awkward silence that happens after a long fight… it was the peaceful quiet that follows a turning point in one’s life. And at that very moment, there were more than a few major revelations that were flying through the minds of those seated at the table. Even Sun Storm, who hadn’t said anything, was thinking about what the mares had said. He began to smile as he reflected on his own feelings for Twilight, and began to realize just how important she was to him…

“… Sunny? Are you alright?” Twilight asked softly, breaking the silence as she nuzzled her coltfriend, a tear drawling down his cheek.

Sun sniffled, “I’m… I’m fine Twilight… I just… I love you…” he said, smiling and kissing her on the forehead, just below her horn.

Twilight smiled back at her stallion, breaking the kiss gently. “I know you do… and I love you too… You realize of course that if I ever tell Shining about you blubbering over something this sentimental, that you'll never live it down, right?”

“I know, but I don't care... I’m gonna go get Orion from the bathroom now… he’s been in there for a while.” Sun said, getting up and heading towards the back, the considerably calmer mares smiling as they each imagined pulling Orion to the side and simply telling him everything…

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In the land of Equestria, there is an exceedingly rare creature. This creature is known for its unique purple and grey coloring, which does little to help camouflage the creature within its usually bright surroundings, and the unique fact that it is NOT, in fact, a native fauna of Equestria… This alien creature, which is nearly indistinguishable in build from any other native creature, is known scientifically as the Borealis Oblivious. But more commonly, it is known as an “Orion”.

The wild Orion, in its natural habitat, is a surprisingly shy creature that is most at ease when it is hidden within its shell. It will poke its head out of the durable shell once in a while for the sole purpose of spending time with its friends… and while it is not always a quick process for the Orion to accept another creatures offer of friendship, it will give most creatures a chance… However, an interesting facet of the wild Orion, is its complete lack of social awareness. In fact, it has been suggested by those who have studied this strange creature, that it consciously makes an effort to avoid being the center of attention in whatever setting it finds itself in. While this is a remarkably effective substitute for any visible camouflage, it also is one of the Orion’s greatest weaknesses…

For example, this subject was recently observed being put in a position to try and settle a dispute between two of its known companions, its head retreated into its shell, and it removed itself completely from the conflict in question, thus preserving its existence for another day…

A knock at her chamber door interrupted Celestia from her thoughts, looking up from the mirror laying on the floor in front of the cushion she was currently stretched out on.

“… You may enter…” she said, careful to make the formal words softer with her carefully practiced tone.

The door cracked open, and the head of a bespectacled pink mare with a blonde mane poked inside.

“Excuse me your Majesty, I’m filling in the order forms for the monthly restocking of the castle pantries, and I need to know how many tubs of ice cream you’d like, as well as which flavors of cake you might crave over the coming weeks…” the mare said, still a bit overwhelmed that she had managed to land a job in the castle.

“Oh! Of course… um… forgive me, but I’ve forgotten your name…” Celestia answered, blushing. She normally made a point of remembering the staffs names, but she’d been a bit preoccupied recently.

“Oh! I’m sorry Princess. I’m new, you see, so I’ve never really interacted with you… I work with the treasury, specifically the part that deals with the budget for food and other necessities around the castle-”

“That’s lovely my dear… but what is your name?” Celestia said, cutting her off gently in the hopes of avoiding any chance of the poor mare talking herself up into a frenzy (a common occurrence with new hires meeting the Princesses for the first time).

“Oh! My name is Tally, your Highness, Tally Point.”

“Well Tally, I’m not too sure about what kinds of snacks I’ll be craving later this month… but if you could please put me down for at least three four tier chocolate cakes with strawberries, a triple layer vanilla cake with dark chocolate buttercream frosting, and… one MMMM from Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville? Oh, and I suppose that a couple dozen or so cartons of assorted flavors of ice cream would be lovely. Just please, no raspberry ice cream, and at least three cartons of rocky road, and two chocolate peanut butter ones as well…” Celestia responded, smiling bashfully. She knew that she had a bit of a… problem… when it came to desserts, but she still felt a bit talking about it out loud.

Tally checked the appropriate boxes on her form, nodding once she was done and bowing to leave. As she made her way out the door, she turned and smiled at the Princess.

“Thank you for your time Princess Celestia, I’ll be going now so you can finish playing wildlife narrator…”
Celestia just sat there, smiling uneasily and chuckling as the door closed behind Tally, and Celestia looked down at her spyglass guiltily.

“……… I really need to stop thinking out loud…” she said, shaking her head and focusing back in on her little sister’s dinner date.

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A shiver ran up Orion’s spine… either someone was talking about him, or the stall he was hiding in was right under a vent…

“………this is really boring……” he lamented out loud, frowning, “Why the hay am I even hiding in here? Why didn’t I just make those two take their issues outside?”

Because you don’t want to be the bad guy… you don’t want to drive them away and be alone again… he thought to himself, sighing.

“That’s still not a good enough reason…” he grumbled, ears perking up subconsciously as the door to the restroom creaked open.

“You alright in there?” Sun asked, his voice echoing slightly.

“Yeah. Are things a bit less… catty?”

Sun chuckled, “Yep. Things mellowed out surprisingly quickly once they started talking… you sure you’re alright?”

“Dude… I don’t even know…” Orion admitted, his head sagging, “I feel a bit tired to be honest… maybe going out so soon after the spell wore off was a mistake…”

“Heheheh… yeah… I remember I didn’t really feel right afterwards either. I talked to a doctor once, and he said that it had something to do with lingering traces of foreign magic mixing with the hormones… In any case, there’s not really anything for it except for getting out there and getting on with your life.” Sun advised, standing on the other side of the stall door. “Should I at least tell them that you didn’t fall into the toilet?”

Orion chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “Nah, that’s fine… I was about to go back out anyway. I’m getting pretty hungry, and those desserts sounded good.”

“Okay then. You still need a moment though?”

“Nope.”

Orion stepped out of the stall and gave his friend a half smile, “I suppose it’s not exactly polite to just leave the girls waiting, is it?”

Sun Storm shrugged, “Depends on how badly they were behaving. I’d say you’re in the clear though. But a public bathroom, even one as nice as this, isn’t the best place to hide out for any length of time…”

Orion agreed, chuckling softly and walking out of the restroom, Sun following right behind him.

…

Meanwhile, in the stall next to the one Orion had recently vacated, a young colt let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought they’d never leave…” he said, relaxing and letting nature take its course.

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Dinner progressed normally. Well, as normally as it can when you’re dining with a royal guard, a Princess of the land, and half of the mares responsible for saving the world multiple times……… on second thought, a better phrase might be “dinner continued without anypony accidentally unleashing an ancient evil bent on the destruction of all life”.

… Yep… that’s definitely more accurate…

“So where exactly are you planning on staying when you’re in Ponyville?” Twilight asked, looking at Luna as the Princess lifted another spoonful of some sort of vegetable stew to her lips.

“Mmm… well, the plan was for me to get a small stipend for the week. You know, just enough for a hotel room for myself and my guards, and maybe a bit more for some fun here or there…” she responded, shooting a quick glance at Orion, who was staring off into the depths of his own bowl of soup, seemingly hypnotized by a floating piece of celery.

“Don’t ya have a bank account of yer own?” Applejack asked, “Ah figured you and Celestia had a pile of bits, what with ya both bein’ royalty and all…”

“Well… We did have a small account with the royal treasury before being banished… but it is highly unlikely that there is anything left.” Luna admitted.

“But did you check yet or not?” Rainbow asked, leaning forward curiously. “I mean, no offense and all, but it’s pretty stupid to just assume that you’re broke without at least asking.”

“……That… makes an odd amount of sense for you…” Luna said, blinking.

“Thanks!” Rainbow said proudly, the backhanded part of the compliment flying right over her head, making a small whistling noise as it did so.

“What are ya gonna do in town though, regardless of where the cash comes from?” Applejack asked, ever inquisitive.

“Well… I was thinking of working on a little ‘project’ while I was in Ponyville.” She answered, drawing skeptical looks from both AJ and Rainbow Dash. “And I believe that Hearts and Hooves day is coming up, correct?”

“That’s right!” Twilight said excitedly, “That reminds me, Sunny, do you think you can get off that day and come to Ponyville? There’s a surprise I have planned, and it’s kind of counterproductive if you’re not there to enjoy it with me.”
Sun actually looked a bit caught off guard at the sudden invitation, but smiling nonetheless.

“I think I can see about working something out…” he finally said, kissing Twilight softly at the base of her horn. “Just do me a favor, promise not to cast a want-it-need-it spell on anything while I’m in town?”

Twilight simply rolled her eyes in response… and may or may not have smacked him in the side with her hoof.

“…… Who’s coming to town?” Orion asked, the piece of celery having finally sunk to the bottom of his now cold soup.

“Sunny’s going to be in town this week for Hearts and Hooves Day!” Twilight answered happily, getting a confused look from the grey Pegasus.

“… Hearts and Hooves Day is this week?” he asked, blinking like he was trying to either stay awake in a math class, or trying to wrap his head around a new concept. “I thought that had already happened…”

“Nope. Happens in the middle of Spring every year.” Applejack informed him smiling kindly, “And seein’ as it’s already mid Mārch, that means that the Spring Equinox is comin’ up, and that very same day is Hearts and Hooves Day.”

“…… You know a lot about the calendar…” Luna noted, impressed by the apple farmer’s knowledge of celestial events, and their impact on the calendar in Equestria.

Applejack shrugged, “Ah got talkin’ ta Twilight about crop rotation once, and it kinda snowballed from there.” She explained simply enough.

“… So what exactly happens on Hearts and Hooves Day?” Orion asked, looking around, slightly confused.

“Well…. It’s a bit weird to explain…” Rainbow said, “It’s kind of this thing where everypony spends the day with their special somepony… it’s a big deal in Ponyville because there’s not a lot of stallions, so everypony kind of gets into a bit of a frenzy.”

“How does the population stay the way it is if there’s so few guys?”

“Well sugarcube, it ain’t like movin’s out of the question… and it’s not like everywhere has the problems Ponyville does… Las Pegasus has pretty much the opposite balance of mares and stallions that Ponyville does.” Applejack added.

“Hmmmm…. I guess that kind of makes sense… but aren’t there a lot of mares that get left out then?” Orion asked, still trying to wrap his head around the idea of a holiday built around interpony relationships, and not enough ponies to go around…

Twilight shuffled in her seat awkwardly for a second, clearing her throat and getting his attention, “Well… one of the reasons that it’s so popular is also due to the high concentration of mares that are into, well… other mares…”

“…… huh… well, that would explain some of those clubs then…” Orion said, simply accepting this new information.

“Heheh, yeah… You were actually pretty popular at that one me and AJ took you to. At least, that’s what the word around the market place was a couple weeks ago.” Rainbow confessed, blushing and fiddling with her napkin.

“Is something bothering you Dash?” Orion asked, leaning forward and looking concerned.

“Nah, she’s fine.” AJ answered, kicking Rainbow under the table in an attempt at getting her to act normally. “Better question is, are you alright? Yer not actin’ like yerself tonight sugarcube…”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah… I think my hormones are just a little out of whack still… I mean, I was a mare for an entire month, that’s nothing to sneeze at.” Orion answered, his words coming out slow and deep as he looked up from the table to smile softly at his friends. “And I think I’m kind of falling asleep on my hooves as it were…”

“Perhaps the three of us should walk you back to the castle then?” Luna said, gesturing to herself, Applejack and Rainbow, “I’m sure that Twilight and Sun wouldn’t mind the privacy, since it is their date after all…”

Twilight looked at Orion worriedly, “She’s right Orion, if you’re not feeling well, you should probably get some sleep.”

Orion tried to object, but he couldn’t even get the first word out before he let out a yawn.

“… Maybe you have a point…” he conceded, his eyelids suddenly feeling like they weighed a ton. “Sorry everypony… I guess I’m not completely rested up yet…”

“Shucks Orion, don’t ya worry about it none. Ah’ll help ya get back ta the castle. Ah’m kinda feelin’ bushed mahself.”

“Yeah… I didn’t really get my nap today either, so I’m beat.” Dash agreed, ruffling her wings in an attempt at stretching.

“Then it is decided. We will go back to the castle, and Twilight Sparkle and her coltfriend may continue their date unhindered by our presence.” Luna said finally, smiling across the table.

“Well… if you’re all sure…” Orion answered hesitantly, looking to his left at Sun Storm and Twilight. “Sorry for bugging you two tonight. It was really fun to meet you though, Sun.”

“Hey, the pleasure was all mine. And don’t worry, it’s kind of impressive that you were out and about at all after some of the stuff Twilight told me you went through.” Sun responded kindly, tapping his hoof to Orion’s in a show of friendship. “Now get some rest, you look worse than some of my recruits after their first week of basic training.”

As the quartet left the restaurant, Sun and Twilight shared a look.

“Ten bits they get into a fight about who gets to spend the night with him ‘just in case something happens’…” Twilight said sarcastically.

“I’m putting forty bits on Luna starting the argument.” Sun replied, chuckling, “I wonder how long before one of them out right tells him how they feel?”

“We’ll all probably be old and grey before they get up that kind of courage…”

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“Whoa nelly… he wasn’t kiddin’ about bein’ tired.” Applejack commented, looking over at the Pegasus hovering beside her in a field of blue magic. They'd made it about a block from the restaurant before Orion stopped to 'rest' on a bench, and promptly nodded off, nearly falling face first onto the stone street.

“Yes… perhaps it was a bit foalish to rush him off tonight so soon after recovering… I’d say that it was all my fault, but I believe it was all of us that wished to spend an evening with him…” Luna commented, nodding in agreement with the Earth Pony’s words.

“Yeah, but that’s still no excuse… we shoulda been more considerate of him…”

“I agree with Applejack.” Dash chimed in, “And since I’m positive that you two are just as stubborn as I am, maybe we should come up with some ground rules?”

“Ground rules?” Luna asked, stopping in the middle of the road. “I thought the saying was, ‘all is fair in love and war’ Rainbow Dash.”

“That might be true in some cases… but I don’t think I’d feel right seeing him as any less than completely happy…” she replied quietly, almost sounding sad. “I mean, yeah, I’d probably be the happiest mare in Equestria if he wanted to be with me, but if one of you two was able to make him happy… I think I’d be happy with that too…”

Applejack and Luna just stood there, searching their hearts and finding that they too shared the speedster’s bittersweet sentiments.

“…… So what do we do then? We don’t wanna risk him getting’ hurt by us bein’ selfish, and we all deserve a fair shot at our own happiness…” Applejack pondered out loud, looking at the other two mares, then at the sleeping form of the stallion they were all chasing after, hovering just inches away and hopefully lost in a sweet dream.

“… Well for starters, we all need to have a fair chance at wooing him… so I believe that we can all agree not to interfere with each other’s business where he is concerned.” Luna said, “That would include sabotage or undermining of any dates…”

“And what about you Luna? Don’t you have that thing where you can go into other pony’s dreams? That’s kind of giving you an edge.” Rainbow noted.

“Then I’ll promise not to enter his dreams aside from carrying out my duties as guardian of dreams. I’ll only enter his dreams if he’s having a nightmare, and I’ll leave immediately after.” Luna conceded, frowning and muttering to herself, “Although, I was going to try and invite him on a date in his dreams so that it would be a one of a kind experience…”

“Well just think of it as a challenge then. We’re not royalty, so we’ve got our own limitations from the start.” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. “And besides, we’re all going to have to deal with the other mares in town anyway, the least we can do is make it so we each have a fair shot. So another rule should be that if one of us asks for a bit of time to try and work on him alone, the other two honor it and help them out.”

“Ya wanna maybe make that a bit clearer?” Applejack said, sharing a confused look with Luna.

“In Flight School, we called it a ‘freebie’. If one of us, say you, Applejack, wants a day to yourself to try and get closer to him, you tell us ahead of time, and we not only promise to back off, but we also help you out by keeping others away that might interfere… but since we’re all trying to get him to choose us, and we’ve only got one week, we’re each limited to two ‘freebies’… make some more sense now?”

Though they still looked unsure, AJ and Luna both nodded their assent to Rainbow’s idea.

“So, so far we each got two freebies, Luna can’t do her dream walkin’ thing, and nopony can interfere with the others just ta get ahead… so far this is all soundin’ pretty fair ta me… but what if he doesn’t choose any of us by the weeks end, or he ends up with somepony else entirely?” AJ summarized, finally voicing the nagging fear in the back of all their minds.

“……Then we let him…” Luna said, “Tia once told us, ‘if you love something, let it go… if it comes back, it’s yours. If it doesn’t then it was never meant to be.’”

“Dang Luna…. Talk about a downer…” Rainbow tsk’d shaking her head. “But I get your point… in the end, we can only really hope that we’re good enough…”

“I fear that the main obstacle in our endeavor is not necessarily our own worthiness… but in getting him to see that he is worthy of feeling loved…” Luna said sadly, leaning into her own magical field and nuzzling her protégé. “There is a reason that he was able to beat that monster… and I believe that it is because he bears a far heavier burden than any of us can truly know…”

“All the more reason fer us ta show him that we care fer him… that he’s the kinda pony who deserves as much love as any of us can give him…” Applejack said, frowning to herself, “Even if he doesn’t choose me, Ah wanna make sure that he knows how Ah feel… how much I wanna see him smile, and know that he means it…”

“Yeah… If nothing else, he deserves to know that he’s not alone… not anymore…” Rainbow agreed, sidling up beside Applejack. “You two might be my rivals form here on, but I can at least respect you both for wanting him to be happy just as much as I do… well, maybe not quite as much, but pretty close…”

“Then it is done. The rules are set, and come tomorrow, we shall fight for Orion’s heart in earnest.” Luna said, holding a hoof out to the other two in a sign of respect.

“You bet.” Rainbow answered, pounding her hoof against Luna’s.

“Eeyup.” Applejack agreed, touching her hoof to the other two. “Now let’s get back ta the castle… Ah’m feelin’ pretty bushed mahself.”

Nodding in agreement, the three mares and one unconscious stallion began their trek/float back to the center of the mountaintop city.

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Meanwhile, in a castle spire overlooking the city, a certain Solar Princess was watching everything unfold on a large mirror, munching away at a bowl of popcorn and digging into a carton of Rocky Road.

“Oh my… this is going to get interesting a bit sooner than I thought…” she muttered to herself gleefully, pulling out a scroll. “Hmmm… you know, Orion’s an excellent name for that new character I’ve been missing for this story…”

“Princess? Don’t you feel at least a little bit awkward watching your little sister’s love life like this?” Celestia’s Mare-In-Waiting asked, shuffling uneasily in her seat next to the Daybringer, “And is it really proper to use real ponies as a base for your… saddle ripper stories?”

“We’ve been over this before Silver… I don’t write saddle rippers. I write classy romance novels that happen to involve multiple trysts between two or more characters that I think are perfect for each other… As for watching over Luna, it’s been ages since she was so much as interested in another pony, and I want to make sure that she doesn’t get hurt…” Celestia explained calmly, scribbling some notes. “Besides, having a vested interest in my subjects lives is to be expected of a mare in my position… Now, please be a dear and bring me a refill of Rocky Road. I feel like I’m going to be rather busy tonight…”

“Yes… busy writing more smut and shipping your subjects like you do every year…” Silver Polish muttered, leaving the room and beginning her walk to the kitchen. “I just hope that she leaves me out of it this time around…”

Back in her room, Celestia giggled and scribbled a few more notes on her paper.

“Note to self… find a nice Night Guard for Silver Polish. See if it’s possible to get her to hook up with two guards…”

Welcome to Ponyville: Take 2

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 28

Welcome to Ponyville: Take 2

AKA- Reintroductions Are Weird…

No matter how he looked at it, Orion couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of déjà vu...

They were currently about five minutes out from Ponyville air space, but instead of the golden chariot that he had ridden on the first time, he was in the same chariot that Luna pulled out on Nightmare Night, alongside the six element bearers and Princess Luna…

“Are you sure that nopony’s going to give you grief, walking around town without a disguise?” Orion asked, turning to Luna and noting that she had not donned her usual disguise.

“Of course… our subjects may not spend as much time outside at night as I would prefer, but they have come to at least afford me the same respect as Celestia.” Luna said, reassuring the grey Pegasus wedged between her and the side of the chariot.

“Besides, she’s not coming into town in the middle of a magically induced lightning storm and wearing a cloak made out of living bats!” Rainbow said, poking fun at Luna’s first attempt at a real public appearance in Ponyville.

“Well Rainbow Dash, we could always shoot YOU into the future by a thousand years or so and see how well YOU adjust…” Luna replied icily.

“Now will the two of ya just simmer down already? It’s bad enough flyin’ way the hay up here… Ah don’t need tha two of ya rockin’ tha cart and flippin’ us over.” Applejack begged, leaning over the side and looking green.

“Ooooh! Does this mean that you’re susceptible to your personal sense of equilibrium going on the fritz?” Pinkie asked, staring intently at the side of Applejack’s face.

“…… Twi’, little help… Ah’m too sick ta translate Pinkie inta normal Equish.”

After thinking for a second Twilight nodded to herself and patted her friend gently on the back. “She asked if you were prone to getting motion sickness… but since you handle train travel just fine, I’m assuming that she meant specifically getting sick in the air.”

“Not normally… but those Night Guards of Luna’s fly lahk a bat outta Tartarus!” AJ replied, shooting the bat winged Pegasi what was probably meant to be an angry look, only to have the expression interrupted by hurling up her breakfast over the side of the carriage, glad that they were flying over a deserted patch of woods.

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Meanwhile, in an isolated wood, Lucky Clover, so named for the astounding luck that he brought to those around him, was just exiting his tent and taking a deep breath of fresh morning air. Letting loose a deep yawn, he stared out from the copse of trees and admired the picturesque view of the morning sun gently peeking over a hill in the distance. Not for the first time, he was appreciating the fine work that was Celestia’s sun…

“Wow… I have to remember to go camping out here more often…” he said to nopony in particular, as the sounds of chirping birds pierced the quiet.

As he closed his eyes to appreciate their soft melody, he felt a shadow falling over his face, and cracked an eyelid open just in time to see a glob of… something… careening right at him!

“Buck!” he swore, diving to the side just in time to avoid the wet projectile. He picked himself up off the ground and walked over to inspect the offending glob.

“…… Seriously fellas?” he said, looking up at the trees, and more particularly, at the birds, “Who just tried to crap on me, huh? Was it you? Yes you, the blue one… no not you… the OTHER blue one… Well come on, I’m not going to get mad, I just want to know who did it.”

While he was busy interrogating the local wildlife, Lucky failed to notice the much larger glob of ick heading straight for his head…… a glob that was most definitely not the fault of even the largest bird…

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“……… Did anypony else hear that?” Orion asked, looking at the group of mares seated in the chariot with him. “I could have sworn I just heard a filly screaming her head off…”

“It was probably just the wind.” Rainbow Dash said dismissively, relaxing against the side of the chariot and somehow managing to push her way in between Orion and Luna. “Happens to me all the time when I race over Sweet Apple Acres. Except that it usually sounds like somepony yelling at me to stay out of their trees…”

“Cuz that’s me, ya idgit!” Applejack said crossly, no longer throwing up over the side (a side effect of no longer having anything left IN her stomach to get rid of), and now lying on her back staring at the clouds in an attempt to avoid further feelings of wretchedness.

“Really? Huh… Well then you need a sign or something so I remember.” Rainbow replied dismissively.

“Ah already put up a dozen of em right under yer nappin’ spots!”

“Okay… everypony calm down…” Orion said, rubbing his temples with a hoof, “I’ve got a headache, and the arguing isn’t helping.”

“I’m sorry about the headache Orion… that one is most likely my fault…” Luna said softly, looking at him guiltily.

“…What do you mean?” he asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Normally he wasn’t this surly, but his head was hurting him more than one of Berry Punch’s hangovers.

“Well… we may have sort of accidentally dropped you last night…” Luna said, looking over at Applejack and Rainbow and glaring, “SOMEpony distracted me last night while I was carrying you back to the castle…”

“Hey! I said I was sorry.” Rainbow answered, her wings ruffling slightly with irritation, “Besides, it’s your own fault for losing concentration when me and AJ started talking abou-”

Her words were swiftly cut off as Applejack shoved her hoof in Rainbow’s mouth, shutting her up rather quickly.

“What she’s sayin’,” the orange apple farmer said, glaring daggers at Dash, “Is that we were all getting’ in a heated discussion about some things, and Dash said somethin’ that threw Luna fer a loop, an’ she dropped ya… ta be fair, Ah was a bit too stunned ta catch ya mahself…”

“What were you three talking about?” Orion asked, a growing sense of concern nibbling away at the back of his mind. “I mean, what the hay could possibly distract a goddess?”

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As the three mares trudged up the main road towards the castle, Rainbow Dash began to lag a bit behind, getting suspiciously quiet…

“……Have either of you ever noticed that Orion has a birthmark on his sheath?” Rainbow asked, looking around his haunches at the other two mares curiously.

“What?!” Luna exclaimed, her magic faltering from the shock of such an absurd question, and sending Orion crashing to the ground on his head in the process.

“Rainbow!” Applejack shouted, blushing furiously and glaring at the Pegasus indignantly. “What the hay were ya doin’ lookin’ there, and what the buck is wrong with ya that ya gotta go and do that kinda stuff without his consent?! There’s a reason Luna an me are walkin’ up here!”

“I don’t wanna wear the tie to school…” Orion muttered weakly from his place on the ground, prompting the three mares to crowd in around him to inspect the damage. “All the other kids are gonna laugh at me…”

“Uh oh… I think that I broke him…” Luna said, concern flooding her tone as her horn lit up and she did a cursory scan to look for any serious damage.

“Ah, he’s fine… Pegasi are built for crashing into the ground. I do it all the time and I’m doing alright.” Rainbow said dismissively, “Besides, his leg’s twitching! So he's probably fine.”

“His leg’s twitchin’ cuz SOMEpony had ta go and gawk at the poor fella! … An Ah’m willin’ ta bet that fallin’ on his head ain’t helpin’ none. Besides Dash, ain’t nopony built ta go crashin’ inta the ground as much as ya do… if it weren’t fer the fact that the ground around Ponyville’s nice and soft, ya woulda cracked yer head open ages ago…”

“Perhaps we should hurry back and have one of the palace doctors take a look… just to be safe?” Luna suggested, looking at Applejack, who nodded in agreement.

“This time, why don’tcha set him on mah back, that way he doesn’t fall off if Rainbow says somethin’ ELSE stupid…” AJ muttered to Luna, who nodded, the two of them shooting a look of shared annoyance at the loud Pegasus, who was currently poking Orion’s flank with a hoof.

“Enough of that.” Luna said briskly, her magic enveloping Orion and hovering him over to lie across AJ’s back, not unlike a young foal.

“Awww… but it was so funny. His leg would twitch every time that you poked him where his cutie mark should be…” Rainbow commented glumly, pouting a bit as they continued walking back to the castle.

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“…… Hello? Is anypony gonna give me an answer?” Orion asked, looking between the three blushing mares.

“Nope.” Applejack said, shaking her head vigorously, “Don’t worry about it sugarcube… It was just Dash bein’ herself… startled me and Luna is all…”

“Don’t worry about it too much Orion… let’s just say that it was a minor bit of plot development.” Pinkie said, patting him on the back gently and giggling as her friends gawked at her for her choice of words.

“… Were they telling stories or something?” he asked, confusion written clearly across his face.

“Orion, remind me when we get back to Ponyville to give you a crash course in Equestrian slang…” Twilight said, shaking her head.

“Okay…. Why?”

“Because sometimes your obliviousness is painful to watch…” she muttered, turning away and rolling her eyes as she pulled a book from her saddlebags titled, One Thousand and One Great Dates.

“What is that you are reading, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked, leaning over curiously.

“It’s a book that I bought in Canterlot. With Hearts and Hooves coming up, and Sunny getting the time off to come to Ponyville, I’m trying to get ideas to make the day something to remember.” Twilight answered, blushing embarrassedly. “I don’t usually read these kinds of books, but this one is less of a self-help guide, and more of an index, so it’s not so bad…”

“Well, the most important thing to remember is this Twilight, no matter what you do to show your feelings to somepony, make sure that they’re sincere, and flashy isn’t always as important as the meaning behind certain things…” Orion said, sounding uncharacteristically sage.

“He’s absolutely right darling.” Rarity chimed in, nodding her approval at the grey Pegasus, “For example, a bouquet of flowers can be a wonderful gesture, but any stallion or mare receiving flowers would rather receive a single flower that is their favorite, than a dozen flowers meant to simply be a hollow gesture.”

“And something that you both have fond memories of can seriously make the difference between a great date, and a horrible one. Like, if you know that the other pony enjoys walking a forest path and simply talking. Just doing that with them, especially if it’s not necessarily something you enjoy doing, will mean a lot more to somepony than spending a thousand bits on renting out a restaurant for the two of you…” Orion added, smiling softly.

“Well said Orion.” Rarity commented, smiling at her friend and mentally taking note of the three mares staring intently at the stallion; their faces a mix of awe, confusion, and contemplation.

“And uh, just how didja get so smart about datin’?” Applejack asked, leaning forward anxiously. “Ya never really struck me as the kind a pony that was all that interested in relationships…”

“Well, it’s not that I’m not interested in relationships… I’m just not always the most noticed out there… so I kind of just stick to the background. It’s less hassle, and I get to see so many amazing things that happen around me. It’s kind of like being in a play… you know that you can interact with the actors on stage, but you’re just as happy to sit back and watch how everything unfolds… I probably sound a bit weird, but I just don’t see why anypony would notice me when there’s all these other amazing folks in Equestria.” He answered, looking down and halfheartedly smiling.

If he had taken a second to look up, he would have no doubt been more than a bit shocked by the teary eyed stares of most of the mares in the chariot.

“Well… maybe this week will surprise you…” Rainbow Dash said, unusually soft spoken, her usually rough tone somehow sounding smoother. “I mean, this is the week when everypony seems to find the guts to tell the pony they like, just how they feel… and, you’re more special than you realize Orion…”

“Ya got that right.” AJ agreed, smiling warmly.

As more murmurs of agreement filtered over to his ears from the others in the chariot, Orion felt a comforting sense of warmth washing over him… as if the mares were chipping away at a layer of ice that had entombed him… Before he had a chance to respond though, one of the guards yelled back that they were beginning their descent into Ponyville Proper.

“…… It’s gonna be a bit weird… I haven’t been me in Ponyville in a while… hope I still remember some of that stuff Big Mac taught me.” Orion commented, speaking more to himself than anyone else.

“I wouldn’t worry about anything Rory. The random stampede of mares isn’t due for at least another chapter, and you won’t be the only stallion, so at least you’ll have some company!” Pinkie Pie interjected, complete with one of her signature ‘shouldn’t-physically-fit-on-her-face’ smiles.

“…… Does anyone know what the hay she’s talking about now?” Orion asked, looking around at six other totally confused faces.

“Just smile and nod…” Fluttershy suggested, speaking for the first time since they took off… wow, she REALLY didn’t like being off the ground this high up.

“And get ready partner… yer about ta get off a private ride with four single mares, an ex-model, the most powerful Unicorn in Equestria, and a Princess… it’s gonna get interestin’.” Applejack said, standing between Orion and the exit to the chariot.

“HEAR YE HEAR YE, THE PRINCESS OF THE MOON, THE NIGHT, AND THE STARS, IS AMONG YOU!” One of the guards belted out, his compatriots opening the back of the chariot, “ALL WILL BOW FOR HER MAJESTY, PRINCESS LU-OW!”

The herald was cut off in the middle of his little speech by a hoof smacking him in the back of the helmet. A hoof that belonged to none other than Luna, who was frowning and trying not to look too embarrassed by the stallion’s antics.

“That will be enough from you for now Private…” Luna said through gritted teeth, letting out a breath and trying to remember what her plan had been for introducing herself to the town for her extended stay…

“Princess… not to rush you or anything, but everypony’s staring now…” Twilight said, stepping out of the chariot along with the rest of the group that was now shuffling their respective hooves and trying not to look in the direction of the Night Guard nursing a sore head.

“Errr… right…” Luna responded eloquently, looking around at the crowded plaza of ponies staring at their little group curiously, “As I was saying… Citizens of Ponyville! It gives me great pleasure to announce that I will be taking up temporary residence in your town. In order to better know the common pony, I have chosen to come here as myself. Should anyone wish to speak with me for whatever reason, they may approach as if I were any other mare of the land. I do not wish to be viewed as your Princess, but as your friend.”

A number of nods came from the crowd, who were now looking at each other and smiling. For all the chaos that living in Ponyville usually brought with it, it was moments like these that made it worthwhile. After all, royalty seemed to visit Ponyville much more often than they did a place like Manehattan.

“Well, that seemed to go over well.” Twilight commented, surprised at how different Luna seemed to be received as opposed to her annual visit on Nightmare Night. “Now I think that we should probably go over to the Mayor’s office. Orion will need to fill out some paperwork to receive his royal stipend for his new home, and you’ll probably have to fill out something or other since you’ll be staying for a while with armed guards…”

“I can take Luna to the mayor’s office.” Orion volunteered, “I’m sure that you all have things you need to do, seeing as we all took a bit of an impromptu vacation…”

“Ah’m comin’ with ya.” Applejack said matter of factly, “Even with Luna walkin’ next ta ya, yer gonna have ta go past the Flower Trio, and Ah trust em about as far as Ah can throw em.”

“… We’re not so sure that you would have difficulty in throwing anypony should the need arise….” Luna commented, less than happy about having an escort, but not one to actively object.

Without much more discussion (partially due to the Lunar guards being mobbed by a small army of mares) everypony went their separate ways, Luna, Orion, and Applejack heading off to the center of town; Rarity, Twilight, and Fluttershy heading for their respective homes to make sure that nopony/bunny/dragon had razed their house to the ground. Rainbow and Pinkie meanwhile, had seemingly vanished…

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She was a ninja… there was no way that anypony could see her, much less follow her… her very being was made of shadow, and her every action an exercise in control and stealth.

Her mark was approximately twenty feet below, flanked by the enemy on both sides. Both enemy forces could just as easily outpace her mark if they tried to run for it, and one of them was a magic wielder that could probably match her own speed in the sky… this would not be easy… she would need perfect timing, the element of surprise, as well as a safe house for her and the mark to rest at once they had escaped to safety…
She needed complete focus… no distractions…

…

“Hey Dashie! Whatcha doing?”

“BUCK!” Rainbow swore, almost jumping out of her skin and the cloud she was hiding in. “Pinkie Pie! What the hay are you doing inside a cloud?! And why the hay did you interrupt me? Can’t you see that I’m trying to be awesome!”

“Sorry Dashie.” Pinkie replied, obviously not sorry, and tapping her hoof on the thatched roof she was standing on, “But I mean, it’s not very hard to find you when you’re the only cloud on top of Lyra’s house, and your tail is poking out. Besides, I’m here to help you out silly!”

At her friends words, Rainbow had to take a moment to admit to herself that, as amazing as she was… puttering around at roof level in Ponyville might not have been the most subtle way to spy on Applejack and Luna…

“…Okay… so you’re here to help, huh? Pinkie, do you even know what I’m doing?” she finally said, appraising the pink pony critically.

“Well duh.” Pinkie said, blowing a raspberry at her pragmatical, prismatical friend and rolling her eyes in ways that should not have been physically possible. “You want to make sure that Luna and Applejack don’t steal away Orion before you have a chance to tell him how you feel in a really dramatic and awe inspiring way that will make him fall in love with you, then you two will kiss and cuddle and do all kinds of things that can’t really be said explicitly in a story with a Teen rating because it might ruin whatever innocence the readers have left! And I’m just the mare to help back you up in all that! I’m stealthy, clever, always have something for the occasion, and above all else… I have moustaches for us to wear when we’re planning our next cunning plan!”

“………you know what, I’m not even going to try and make sense of half of what you just said… you’re in…” Rainbow said, resigning herself to the fact that Pinkie was now her partner in crime. Well, not really crime… more like amorous mischief, but whatever…

“Great!” Pinkie exclaimed happily, “So… what are we doing?”

“You… but… huh?! Pinkie! I thought you already knew what I was doing!” Rainbow said exasperatedly

“Silly Dashie. Just because I break the you-know-what doesn’t mean that I understand it all… so what are we doing besides stalking our friends?”

“……Well right now I’m just trying to see where Orion’s going to be living… then I’m thinking I can fly ahead and be the first to greet him when he walks in… you know, something kind of sweet, but not all mushy…”

“Awwwww… That’s so sweet Dashie! Tell you what, you stay here, and I’ll go find out that address for you!”

“Really? Thanks Pinkie!” Rainbow replied, giggling, “And here I was scared that you were gonna turn this into one big game or something.”

“Nah… I don’t play around when I’m trying to play matchmaker.” Pinkie said, rolling her eyes and waving a hoof dismissively. “Now you stay put, and your Auntie Pinkie Pie will be right back.”

In a poof of pink and white, Pinkie Pie materialized on the street of Ponyville…… somehow squeezed into a full body latex stealth suit with night vision goggles……

“……It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie…” Rainbow started chanting to herself, watching as the extremely conspicuous mare dodged, dove, dipped, ducked, and dodged from one piece of cover to another.

Some of the things she pulled off didn’t even make sense to the observing Pegasus. There was one moment in particular, where she jumped headfirst into a rain barrel, managed to not disturb the water in the slightest, didn’t even push any of it out of the barrel, then SOMEHOW managed to reappear on the opposite side of the street, poking her head out of a display of carrots… she then proceeded to follow the trio of ponies INSIDE THE TOWN HALL, with a cardboard box on top as her only cover… and ponies just moved out of the way like there was nothing out of the ordinary…

“…One of these days, I’m going to figure out how she works…” Rainbow Dash swore to herself quietly, peeking out of the low hanging cloud and rubbing her temples with her wingtips and relaxing into the fluffy cumulus, resigned to waiting the remaining time out…

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“Well Mr. Borealis, it seems that everything’s in order.” Mayor Mare said kindly, rolling up a scroll and handing it to a messenger, waiting off to the side, “All you have to do now is go to the realtor’s cottage to the right of the Spa, and they’ll have a list of possible housing options for you based on your available stipend and personal preferences… as for the remainder of your stipend, I believe that the bank will have more information on that once you are squared away in terms of housing. Do you have any other questions?”

“No ma’am, you covered just about everything.” Orion replied, smiling warmly, “I’ll just wait out in the hall while you and Luna work out whatever you need to.”

“Alright then dear, and you come see me if you need anything else.” The tan Earth Pony said, holding the door open for him and ushering the waiting Princess inside.

“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Mayor.” Luna said, nodding in greeting.

“Oh it was no trouble at all. In fact, things have been quiet, even by Ponyville standards, so there wasn’t much on my plate for today besides a meeting later tonight with the planning committee for a Hearts and Hooves Day dance.” The Mayor shrugged off, waving a hoof dismissively and settling behind her desk. “So, we’re here to set up a temporary housing situation for yourself and I believe three guards? I also received the stipend order from your sister this morning, so it’s just a simple matter of discussing some living options for you and getting you to sign some paperwork.”

“About the stipend Mayor…” Luna said, interrupting the grey maned mare, “I actually checked my old bank account with the First Royal Bank of Equestria… and I don’t believe that funds or stipends will be an issue…”

“Oh? Well that’s wonderful, cuts down on my paperwork at least. How much would you like to withdraw from the local bank?”

“Well obviously not all of it… as I’m sure that were I to take everything out of my account at once, I’d end up bankrupting Ponyville for a little while…” Luna commented, looking away a bit embarrassed.

“Oh I’m sure that it couldn’t be that much…” Mayor Mare said comfortingly, “Our bank is more than capable of handling just about any monetary withdrawl.”

Luna didn’t say anything, simply materializing a notarized copy of her bank statement and showing the total figure to the elected official.

“…………wow…… that’s a lot of zeros…” Mayor Mare said dumbly, a small string of drool escaping her mouth as her eyes quadruple checked the number in front of her.

“As I said, I’m not going to be withdrawing all of it… but I was wondering if I might be able to get your assistance in a small matter…” Luna said, her regal air returning the politician back to her senses.

“Oh! Yes, of course… and what might this matter be, Princess?”

“Well… I wish to participate in this ‘Hearts and Hooves Day’ holiday… and I’m trying to get a certain somepony to see em the way that I see them… and since courtship practices have changed severely since I was last interested in anypony, I was wondering if you could offer some suggestions.” Luna admitted, blushing slightly and secretly thankful for her dark coat.

“… I’m afraid that I don’t exactly follow…” Mayor Mare confessed, looking at Princess Luna quizzically. “Do you need help finding a date for Heart and Hooves Day? I’m sure that there are more than a fair share of available stallions that would be happy to date you… or if mares are more to your liking, this town certainly has an abundance of eligible bachelorettes… but I’d think that Canterlot has more ponies to choose from.”

“I-wha-but-NO!” Luna objected adamantly. “No… Mayor… I’m asking if you can recommend any places to take a stallion for a date, or any idea for how to woo said stallion… picking a pony to pursue is not the issue here, but figuring out how to get his oblivious flank to see me the way I see him IS!”

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Outside in the hallway, Applejack and Orion were chatting happily about nothing in particular, when Orion’s ears suddenly started twitching.

“Huh… that’s weird… somebody must be talking about me…” he noted idly.

“What makes ya say that?” Applejack asked, looking at her companion curiously.

“It’s a thing from my old home… basically if your ears were burning, someone was talking about you.”

“Huh… sounds lahk Pinkie Sense if ya ask me.” AJ responded nonchalantly, waving a hoof dismissively at a box in the corner of the room that was shaking ever so slightly as it edged towards Orion and Applejack.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“……You mean that young stallion standing out there right now?” Mayor Mare said dumbly, wondering not for the first time that day, whether or not her ears were still working the way they were supposed to.

“Yes, for the fourth and final time, YES. I’m trying to get him to look at me the same way that I have begun to look at him. Now can you help me? Or should I find someone else to get advice from?” Luna said, a bit snippy, but she’d answered the Mayor’s question more than an acceptable amount of times already.

“Well, I’m not exactly the best to talk to about dating stallions… I’ve always been more interested in mares personally, but I would think that the whole process is similar…” the grey maned mare replied, her brain finally deciding to come back online.

“And just how does courtship happen these days?” Luna pressed, letting out an agitated sigh. They were making headway, but not nearly fast enough for the Lunar Goddess’s taste.

“Well, I’d suggest finding something that the other pony either really enjoys, and using that to get their attention long enough to show them how you feel… a common one for stallions is to bring them flowers or something equally pretty. And a little physical contact, like an affectionate nuzzle or a kiss on the cheek wouldn’t hurt… just be careful not to be too aggressive, or you’ll scare them off, and probably get slapped with a sexual harassment charge.” Mayor Mare continued, tacking the last part of her advice only after she saw the scheming look quickly overshadowing Luna’s face.

“Hmmm… this is indeed interesting… thank you Mayor. If this all goes well, then I shall be back to get further advice from you. In the meantime, please, accept this as a token of my thanks.” Luna replied, regaining her self-control enough not to let a cheshire grin run across her face as she handed the Earth Pony a small slip of paper with a number written on it… a number that could be cashed at the nearest bank for immediate use… and what a number!

“Oh it was no problem at a-HOLY HORSEFEED!” Mayor Mare exclaimed, her eyes bugging out as she saw what was written on the slip of paper. “…… Well… looks like we’re going to be getting that new roof for City Hall after all… and probably a new building to go with the new roof…… and a pool…”

“I hope that the gesture is not too much.” Luna said, feeling a little awkward after seeing the Earth Pony’s reaction. “I do not wish to offend.”

“No, no, no… it’s perfectly fine Princess… just, unexpected…” the Mayor responded bashfully, trying her best to regain her composure. “And, like I said, if you would like any more relationship advice, this is the week to ask around, or come talk to me if you’d like. I’ll share what I can with you, and there’s no charge, and no tip required.”

“Thank you Mayor. Now, I believe that I have kept my companions waiting long enough, so we’ll be on our way. Oh! I almost forgot, can you recommend any good local attractions that might help in wooing him?”

“Well… I haven’t had any really personal interaction with him, but I believe that there have been a few mares talking about a grey Pegasus that will sometimes walk through town singing to themselves… so maybe a nighttime stroll through one of the local trails? Or one of the musical performances that the local hangouts have throughout the week?”

“Excellent!” Luna said loudly, beaming as she hugged the Mayor, “Thank you madam Mare, I believe that this will be more than enough for a starting place! And I do hope that that money will serve you well in your post.”

“Oh it was my pleasure Princess Luna. Now, you go enjoy your stay in Ponyville, and remember, my door is always open.” The tan mare responded, waving at Luna as the Princess left her office.

“We shall remember that, and visit you then!” Luna responded, throwing open the doors to the office and practically prancing out to the main lobby.

As the door shut, the grey haired pony breathed a sigh of relief.

“I swear… this town gets nuttier and nuttier every week… but at least now we have a Princess around, what could go wrong with royalty visiting?”

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Somewhere in a tower in Canterlot, Celestia watched the whole exchange in one of her mirrors and tried not to choke on her tea as she laughed…

Mares About Town

View Online

Apple of My Eye- Ch. 29

Mares About Town

AKA- All’s Fair in Love and War… Except Cheating

As far as ways to hide from everypony went, Pinkie had to admit that her hide-in-a-box strategy was in the top three. Just behind the highly acclaimed bale-of-hay-in-a-trench-coat, and above the fake-nose-glasses-and-moustache disguise. Why, at that very moment, she found herself sporting a very stylish cardboard box that used to hold a shipment of taffy, and nopony was the wiser. How did she know it used to hold taffy? Well if you really must know, it’s because it was one of the twenty-two boxes that she had stashed away throughout Ponyville (in case of disguise emergency), and it was the only one of the bunch that had horizontal stripes in hot pink along the sides. Which was kind of funny when you thought about it, you’d think that the first place that everypony would check if they were looking for Pinkie would be in something that had pink in it or on it. But so far, this had proven to be one of her more effective boxes. So maybe there was something to that saying about hiding in plain sight? She didn’t know, and she wasn’t about to think too much about it. She had bigger things to think about. Like her plans to build a portable device that was part taffy puller, part party cannon, and part calculator.

……What was she doing again?

I think we were supposed to be spying on somepony for Rainbow…

Oh yeah! Good job brain!

No problemo. Just be sure to keep quiet so nopony notices you.

“Got it!”

“Did y’all hear something?” Applejack asked, looking around the main room of the Town Hall. “Ah coulda sworn it sounded lahk Pinkie Pie…”

Ah phooey… we were talking out loud again instead of chatting inside our noodle…

Guess so. My bad.

It’s okay, if they start to come over here, we’ll just hide further down the page when the scene changes, then come out and make a run for it.

Ooh! That’s a good plan!

Thanks!

No problem at all.

“I don’t think I heard anything…” Orion said, looking around the mostly empty room. “I mean, this is a pretty open building too, so if you heard anything AJ, it might have just been somepony talking in one of the other rooms.”

“Hmmm… Ah still feel lahk we’re bein’ watched… it’s weird, kinda lahk when Granny used ta watch me an’ Big Mac playin’ outside. Even if we went over a hill or two, she still knew exactly what we were doin’…” Applejack responded, walking around the room, trying to remember where she heard the sound coming from. “And Ah’d rather be a bit paranoid than risk some crazy mare stealin’ ya away so she’s got a date fer Hearts and Hooves Day… it ain’t the safest a times right now fer a single stallion in Ponyville.”

“Yeah… I got the message the first few dozen times…” Orion said wryly.

“Hey now, don’t you go and get smart with me. It’s bad enough Ah gotta put up with Mac mouthin’ off when nopony’s watchin’, Ah ain’t gonna put up with it from you too… ya hear?” Applejack said, her tone changing from a friendly one to one laced with danger while giving Orion the stink eye

“Yes Ma’am…” he said, gulping. “So wait… if it’s such a dangerous time for guys around town, what does Mac do?”

“He usually avoids town when things get crazier than normal… trouble lahk’s ta find him anyways when the odd mare decides ta go huntin’ him down, so he just kinda goes with an ‘outta sight, outta mind’ approach…”

“Uh huh…. And that doesn’t worry you at all?”

“Course not. It’s only natural… After all, polygamy’s been illegal fer ages, and even Ah’ll admit that there ain’t many stallions lahk you or Big Mac.” Applejack said, her eyes bugging out as she realized what she just said.

“Wait… you put me in the same category as Big Mac?” Orion asked, catching the slip up… for once…

“Uhhh… well… Ah mean…” AJ floundered, wracking her brain for an escape plan.

Just tell him now while it’s just the two of ya! Her brain yelled.

Ah can’t do that! Not after telling him about how we’d help him… that’s just selfish!

Better you than some other crazy mare! At least you’ve spent time with him. Besides, ya already kissed him when he was a mare, may as well try while he’s a stallion.

What if he says no? Ah mean, we’re not a Princess, and we can’t fly with him lahk Rainbow can… that’s hardly fair to him…

Yer also the only one that took the time ta talk to him more than anypony else… besides, ya owe it to yerself ta give it a try at least.

“Hello? Equestria to Applejack… you still there?” Orion asked, waving a hoof in front of her face.

“Huh? Oh, right… well… yeah Sugarcube… Ah mentioned you and Big Mac cuz uh… ya both live on the farm and yer single…” she fibbed, her nose crinkling like the untrue words had left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Huh… I guess that’s true… well, I’m sure that with you watching after me, I’ll be fine.” Orion said, either not noticing AJ’s less than confident words, or choosing to ignore them. In any case, the apple farmer couldn’t help but be endeared to the silly Pegasus.

“Well… honestly, that’s not all Ah wanna tell ya Orion…” Applejack said, shuffling her hooves in an uncharacteristic show of uncertainty.

“Oh? What’s on your mind Applejack?” he responded, a look of genuine concern on his face.

As she opened her mouth to tell him about her feelings for him, Luna burst through the doors to the Mayor’s office, causing Orion, herself, and the box nearby to jump in fright.

“We shall remember that, and visit you then!” Luna said loudly, the din hurting the ears of every living thing within a twenty yard radius as she made her way over to where AJ and Orion were sitting.

“Uhhh... Ah’ll tell ya later.” Applejack said, her self doubt taking the first available opportunity to run away from the situation. “So Luna, how’d things go with you an’ the Mayor? everything workin’ out alright?”

“Oh yes! She was most helpful in answering my inquiries. Now, we wish to go to the bank, in order to further our endeavors.” Luna answered, grinning happily.

“Well... I guess we’d better get going then, huh? The bank’s on the same block as the realtor’s cottage.” Orion suggested, turning to walk out the door and tripping over the box on the floor, a muffled ‘ouch’ coming from the cardboard.

“Sorry about that.” he said, apologizing to the wounded container.

“No problem.” the box responded, “Just make sure you look behind you before walking.” the box responded kindly, rather high pitched for an orange container, but who were they to judge?

“Will do.”

Their apologies out of the way, the trio tromped out of the building and set off down the road to the bank.

“......Did it strike anypony else as odd, that that orange box was talking to Orion?” Luna asked, once they were roughly a block away from Town Hall.

“Nope. That’s just Pinkie Pie tryin’ ta be sneaky... she pulled the same stunt last Nightmare Night tryin’ ta sneak by Big Macintosh ta get at the bowl of candy he was guardin’.” AJ answered, blowing a rogue lock of blonde hair out of her face.

“…… Does she do that a lot?”

“Not really… she kinda goes through these phases though. Not really sure why. Most folks just roll with it til it all blows over…” AJ replied nonchalantly, leading the group down the road to the bank. “So Luna, Whatcha gonna be doin’ at the bank?”

“Just getting some funds out of my old account… it turns out that I have quite the sum available, and it occurred to me that a vacation is usually a good time to splurge.” The Princess responded, humming to herself as she walked down the path, oblivious to the fact that about half the ponies they passed were standing stock still and gawking at the Alicorn practically skipping through town.

For the most part, their journey through town was rather pleasant. There was the occasional wolf whistle, but Orion gave no indication of having heard it, despite Applejack glaring at the offending mares in the surrounding crowd. It wasn’t just Orion getting this treatment though… it seemed that the few stallions they passed were always surrounded by no less than three mares. The only ones that seemed safe were Mr. Cake, and Cranky… but even then, their wives were stuck to them like glue…

“Huh… Mr. and Mrs. Cake seem happy today.” Orion observed, scrunching up next to Applejack as they squeezed through the crowd.

“Uhhh… yeah… well, Ah think Pinkie said somethin’ about their anniversary comin’ up soon… so that might have somethin’ ta do with it.” AJ answered, trying not to think about his flank pressed into hers.

You’re thinking about it now

…Horseapples…

“I never said that silly. Their anniversary isn’t for another one hundred and twenty five days!”

“Gah!” Orion shouted, jumping into the air and clinging to a nearby lamp post. “Pinkie! Don’t do that! You almost gave me a heart attack…”

“Sorry Orion, I was just saying telling Applejack that she has the wrong date for the Cake’s anniversary.” Pinkie said, giggling at her friend’s reaction. “And if I were you, I’d get down from there pretty soon unless you want to get swarmed.”

“Swarmed?” Orion asked, confused.

“Hey there big guy! You gonna hang there or are ya gonna give us a show?” a voice called out from a nearby stand crowded with mares. All of which were staring at Orion and looking… hungry…

“Oh… that…” he said, laughing to himself uneasily as he hopped down from the pole and tried to cover his face with a wing.

“Whoa there stud, no need to be shy… why not just trot that plot of yours over here and let us get a better look at you?” another mare called, this one sporting a light tan coat and straight dark blue hair, whistling as Orion flushed red.

“……What’d you just say ta him?” Applejack asked, her voice dangerously low as she made her way over to the stall.

“I was asking that stunning stallion to give us a show. I mean, just imagine those wings spread out and covering you while he’s on top… Or do you got a problem with that?” the light colored Earth Pony mare replied nonchalantly, winking at Orion before turning back to Applejack and looking down her muzzle pretentiously. “Don’t try and tell me you’re going to say that that fine feathered flank is yours?”

“He ain’t somethin’ ya can own!” Applejack seethed, butting heads with the pale mare. “And Ah ain’t gonna let some two bit nag get away with thinkin’ she can!”

“Oh I might be a nag to you, mule, but at least if he ruts me he won’t end up with some inbred offspring like he’ll get from you!” the stallionizing Earth Pony shot back, raising a hoof and pushing AJ off balance.

“Alright, that’s it!” Applejack shouted, jumping to her hooves and slamming into the mare, sending her tumbling into her little group of friends, the more intelligent of which had already vacated the area and blended in with the crowd.

As the two mares began trying to grapple for dominance, bucking each other as hard as they could when the opportunity presented itself. As quickly as the two mares traded blows however, a streak of light blue trailing a flash of bright colors, a pink blur, and the deep blue glow of Luna’s magic shot into and around the fray, pulling the two brawlers apart as quickly as the fight began.

“Calm thyself Applejack!” Luna said forcefully, putting just a touch of the royal Capslock into her words. “That mare may be acting uncouth, but that is no cause for thee to stoop to her level...”

“Ah don’t care! Ah’m gonna give her what she deserves fer talkin’ ta Orion lahk that!”

“Do you not see that somepony else is already doing just that?”

It was at this point that AJ stopped struggling long enough to see Rainbow Dash pinning the mouthy mare to the ground, a wall of ponies circled around them as Pinkie ran crowd control.

“Think Applejack...” Luna hissed in her ear. “I know that you wish to protect Orion, believe me... but this is not the way...”

It took another minute or so, but finally, the orange mare had calmed down enough for the Princess to release her.

“Ah’m gonna get Orion out of here...” she said, walking away, glaring over her shoulder at the other mare pinned to the ground. “If you ever say anything lahk that again... Ah’ll wait til Rainbow and Luna ain’t around ta deal with ya...”
With her warning heard, Applejack turned and forced her way towards the throng of ponies, making her way to Orion, who was standing uncomfortably at the inner edge of the crowd next to a protective looking Pinkie. With the help of Pinkie helping to clear a path, Applejack and Orion walked out of the crowd and off to a side street. Once her friend was safely out of the way and Pinkie had given the all clear, Rainbow leaned in close to the pale mare on the ground and whispered her own warning in her ear.

“If I ever see you near him again... no pony, no Princess, and nothing you can possibly think of, will keep me from making you regret this day... understand?” she hissed, locking eyes with the unfortunate soul that had dared to raise her ire.

“A-alright... I won’t go near him... J-just get off of me you crazy mule...” the Earth Pony replied, fear shooting through her and causing her to visibly shiver.

“Alright, everypony clear out, nothing to see here...” Rainbow barked, looking around as she stepped off of the shaking mare, shooting the crowd a venomous look. “Go back to what you were doing...”

No sooner was Rainbow ‘suggestion’ heard, than the crowd began to suddenly find the nearby shops and stalls interesting again. There was one small group of stallions though, that went up to the prismatic Pegasus and wanted to thank her and Applejack for handling the mouthy Earth Pony mare.

“Thank you so much for finally knocking some sense into her!” one especially grateful young stallion gushed, his lime green coat tinging red as he hugged Rainbow quickly. “And… can you tell your friend that I thought it was… really cool… when she stood up for her friend… and if she wants to sometime… well… I’d really like to get to know her a bit better…”

“Uhhh, sure… you’re welcome… I think… And, not trying to be mean or anything, but I think that she’s got her eye on somepony else. But I’ll tell her you said so.” Rainbow said evasively, craning her neck to try and see where exactly Applejack and Orion had wandered off to. “Look fellas, I’m flattered, really, but I gotta go.”

Brushing past the small wall of stallions, Rainbow pressed on up the street, her eyes scanning the surrounding alleyways and side streets, oblivious to the fact that she was being followed.

“......Are you looking for Orion and Applejack as well?” Luna said from behind, startling Rainbow Dash and causing her to spin on the spot.

“Geez Luna... you are way too good at that... and yeah, I am... did you see where they went?” she answered, shaking her wings out in an attempt to smooth her now ruffled feathers.

“I should be able to track Orion, at least, through the earring he’s wearing.” Luna answered, looking over the heads of the ponies in the crowded thoroughfare. “And I would be willing to bet the kingdom that Applejack is there with him...”

“... You can track him through an earring?”

“Yes.”

“... And that doesn’t strike you as, I don’t know, creepy?”

“No.”

“...... Yeah, alright, just do your magic whatever and let’s find them before they get up to anything.” Rainbow said, deciding not to push the issue.

Luna lit her horn up, a small ball of light sprouting from the tip of the spiral protrusion and bobbing along up the road as the Princess of the Night turned and followed.

“Wait for me!” Pinkie said, bouncing over the crowd. No, she literally bounced over about three ponies. It would have been an Equestrian Record, but the records committee had long since placed a ban on the pink pony and blacklisted her file. The only given reason was a small note inside the front cover that had been written by the first Record-Checker and it simply rambled on for a page and a half about physical impossibilities, otherworldly geometry, eldritch horrors at play in the mortal realm, loss of sanity from observing Pinkie Pie too long , and a very well worded plea for his mother and a glass of warm milk.

“Oh right! Pinkie, thanks again for telling me where they were going to be going.” Dash said gratefully. “Any chance you can find them faster than Luna’s magic tracker thing?”

“Nope. Sorry Dashie, but that trick doesn’t really work except when it’s for maximum comedic effect...” Pinkie answered, shaking her head.

“......You know what, forget it. Lead the way Luna...” Dash said, resigning herself to the slow pace of the magical-bouncing-bubble-thing and following anxiously... She’d never admit it to anypony, but a huge part of her just couldn’t let go of the fact that Applejack had been there to defend Orion’s honor while she was following him like a... well, like a stalker...

You can’t beat yourself up about it... Pinkie Pie told you where they were going, and you were being nice, giving them space... it’s not your fault that you only realized there was trouble when they started fighting.

But I should have been able to tell there was something wrong... I was too focused on Orion, and nowhere near focused enough on everything else that was going on. I was following them in case something like this happened! I was supposed to be able to sweep in all cool and stuff, and nip it in the bud and sweep Orion off his hooves...

And you showed up and played the cool headed friend that saved Applejack from getting into trouble with the law, and still defended his honor, even if he wasn’t there to see it. You helped protect him in the future! That’s got to be worth something...

“Yeah... I guess you’re right...”

“Did you say something Rainbow Dash?” Luna asked, looking over her shoulder curiously at the distraught looking Pegasus.

“Huh? Oh... no. I didn’t say anything.” Rainbow said dismissively, shaking her head.

“Very well then... Oh, and just between the two of us, I do not believe that you could have handled that incident any better than you did.” Luna said , looking back ahead and following the bouncing light up a side street that lead the small group in a roundabout way towards the library.

“Why would they be heading this way? the bank and the realtor’s cottage is the other direction...” Rainbow muttered to herself.

“Maybe they wanted a change of scenery. I know that I do sometimes when I get bored of the bakery, then I just swap it out for the marketplace backdrop or the library backdrop or the apple farm backdrop or the-”

“Pinkie!” Dash said, cutting her off with a hoof in her friend’s mouth. “Please... not now... In case you missed it, I’m bit strung out right now, and I really don’t need to try and wrap my head around the fact that you’re using the word backdrop like all those places in town are just pieces of scenery in a play...”

“It’s more like a show... but alright Dashie.” Pinkie said, extricating her mouth from around the cyan hoof and smiling brightly.

“……Not even going to ask…” Rainbow said, shaking her head and turning back around to follow Luna… and bumping squarely into the royal plot. “What the- Luna! Why’d you stop?”

“Because we are here.” Luna answered simply, looking back and gesturing at the Golden Oaks Library in front of them while trying not to laugh at the distracted Pegasus.

Rainbow Dash huffed in annoyance as the Lunar Princess knocked on the door.

“How many times do we have to tell people that it’s a public library during the day?!” an agitated voice from inside said, the sound of heavy steps on hardwood flooring getting closer until the door was opened, allowing the three mares to walk inside.

“Oh. It’s you three. I was wondering when you’d show up…” Spike said, his face changing from one of annoyance to one of pleasant surprise, leaning his head down slightly so that he was eye level with Luna, smiling invitingly. “Me and Twilight were wondering when you’d find your way here.”

“And why might you two be wondering that?” Luna asked curiously, making her way to a couch and settling down, leaving Pinkie to strangle Spike with a hug and Rainbow to stand just inside the threshold anxiously.

“Well, when Applejack and Orion showed up, we figured that you’d have some way to keep track of him, and Rainbow’s, well… Rainbow… when it comes to him.” Spike said, shrugging as he spoke, as if this information was common sense. “As for Pinkie… Twilight kind of gets this twitch whenever she’s on her way to the library… happens with Rainbow Dash too now that I think about it…”

“Spike! I do not get a twitch when they come over here… I just start moving the older books to the floor in case anything slams into the tree…” Twilight said, frowning at her not so little assistant as she made her way down the stairs. “Sorry about that, I was upstairs trying to find something. I assume you’re here looking for Orion and Applejack?”

“Yes Twilight Sparkle, we are.” Luna said calmly, trying not to giggle at the thought of her sister’s favored student preparing for her friends like some ponies did for an earthquake.

“Well, they’re in the kitchen with Fluttershy right now. Angel was alright, so she came here to have tea, and AJ and Orion just kind of showed up. I’m still not a hundred percent sure what happened, but Applejack did NOT look happy…” Twilight answered, leading them to the small kitchen in the back of the library. “I think they were starting to talk about it just before you all showed up…”

“She really said that to him? Oh my… I don’t think I’ve heard anypony talk like that in public since flight camp… and she ended getting into a fight with the colt’s fillyfriend.” Fluttershy’s voice said, the sound bleeding through the walls and into the hallway.

“She’s lucky Rainbow and Luna broke it up or Ah’d’ve done worse than rustle her feathers… Ah wanted ta break a hoof off in her scrawny flank ta be honest…” Applejack’s said, her tone doing more than enough to convince anypony listening that she was serious about her description of the fight.

“Oh please Applejack… it couldn’t have been that bad. I don’t think whatever she said really made it through to me in translation. Although, I do have to wonder why everyone keeps using the term flank or plot when they’re angry… I mean, everypony’s naked anyway, so what’s the ham in referring to certain pieces of anatomy?” Orion said, looking between Fluttershy, AJ, and the group of mares that had just walked in.

“Look Sugarcube… Ah get that yer from this mysterious place way far away… but some things are universal. Fer one, ya never use certain words when yer talkin’ to a fella, and there’s some things ya just don’t call a mare when she sticks up fer her stallion.” AJ tried to explain calmly, sighing as she tried to explain something that was so ingrained in her character.

“She’s right Orion… I mean, I’ve never used those words, even when I’m just describing somepony… but even I know what they mean and why you should never use them…” Fluttershy added, looking over a steaming cup of tea at her grey friend and blushing. “I mean… I f I were to ever say some of the things that that mare did…. Well… I’m pretty sure that Big Macintosh would never talk to me again…”

“But what do they mean?! Why does somepony talking about my flank or my wings or my ANYTHING mean anything when I’m walking around town almost all the time completely naked?!” Orion asked, his voice rising in volume as his confusion started to reach a head and he spun around in a circle in the middle of the kitchen, trying to get a better look at his hindquarters and inadvertently shaking them in the direction of every mare in the room… “I mean… ‘stud’ I kind of understand from what I know of Equestrian dark age history… but the rest of it makes no sense.”

“Look big guy… think of it this way…” Rainbow said, stepping forward and trying not to look directly at the wiggling piece of plot that the grey Pegasus was still waving around. “You remember when you got preened? Remember how sensitive your wings were?”

“Yeah… but what’s that have to do with anything?”

“Well… preening isn’t the only time that Pegasi use their wings… they’re actually pretty common things to focus on for anything pleasurable… and well, because there are less males than females, and stallions usually have larger wings than mares, it’s kind of a… hot switch… and one that you don’t usually talk about unless you’re in a relationship, and even then, not in public.” Rarity volunteered

“……So it’s like talking about sex stuff then?” Orion said, trying to understand, and inadvertently causing Fluttershy to choke on her tea.

“Right. That’s what the wings part means… especially the way that she was talking about your wings and having you on top of her… that was just so… uncool… I’m amazed she didn’t get smacked around more…” Rainbow noted.

“She woulda if y’all had let me teach her a lesson…” AJ commented, glaring at a small plate of celery and peanut butter that was on the table for snacks.

“……So wings mean sex… I thought they were just to show protection or show off that you were single… but okay. So what was she talking about my flank for? Is it the same as a plot?”

“Orion, dear…” Rarity said, coughing to interrupt the stallion, her alabaster coat looking closer to Cheerilee’s coloring “Plot is simply not a term that one uses in polite company… and it means almost the same thing that flank does. The only difference is that flank means specifically the area around the rump… plot is used for a much more… southward piece of anatomy… and it’s actually more offensive, especially to a stallion, and especially given how she was talking about your wings.”

“… Wait… you mean that plot is talking about my…” Orion said, flushing and looking downwards awkwardly.

“I’m afraid so Orion…” Twilight confirmed, shaking her head, “I’ve never seen anyone use the term outside one of Cosmare’s issues, but the fact remains that it’s not a word that one should ever use.”

“Besides, it’s a word that some Meany McMeaner Mare’s use to make themselves feel like they own the stallion they’re talking about… in fact, the phrase originated from about the time of early dark ages, and it was something that was used to make the stallions feel dirty and unworthy, so that they’d be too ashamed with themselves to try and do anything outside of their usual workload in the fields, or try to run away from abusive mares…” Pinkie said, surprising everypony in the room with her seemingly encyclopedic knowledge.

“Uhhh… Pinkie Pie… how did ya know all that?” Applejack asked, the first one of the group to get over her shock.

“I came over here once to get Twilight’s opinion on a party theme I was working on, and she said to wait, so I read whatever was around, and there was a book called ‘The Super Helpful Guide to Understanding Super Naughty Words’ sitting out on the table.” Pinkie said simply, smiling and bouncing over to hug Orion, then bouncing back to her seat on the other side of the table near Twilight. “I also saw this one part of the book that had the pages stuck together right on the pages about ‘Saddles, Bridles, Crops and Bits’.”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to choke on her tea, Fluttershy having seemingly contented herself to sit in silence as her face kept growing more and more rosy-hued with each shift in the conversation.

“You okay there Twilight?” Orion asked, trying not to laugh too loudly at the spit take.

“I… I’m fine Orion… Pinkie, we need to have a talk about what is and is NOT appropriate reading material in the Library…” Twilight gasped, clearing her throat of any residual tea.

“Well, okay Twilight, but it wasn’t my book that was out on the reading desk. You know, that thing that only you use…” Pinkie replied, rolling her eyes and smirking.

“Th-that… That doesn’t mean anything!” Twilight squeaked, starting to slide under the table out of embarrassment.

“Uh oh, Twilight, are you trying to sneak a peek at Orion? You should know better than that.” Rainbow teased, grinning broadly and nudging the grey stallion in the withers. “I mean, sure, he’s not all emotional and timid like a bunch of stallions are, but I’m still not so sure that he’d take too kindly to a peep show.”

“I can look out for myself…” Orion said, gritting his teeth slightly.

“Ah, sure ya can big guy, but we gotta do our thing as mares, ya know?” Applejack said, nuzzling him while giggling, “Besides, never met a fella yet who didn’t lahk a pretty mare or three defendin’ his honor fer him.”

“Well what about me?” Orion said, now glowering, “What if I don’t want my honor defended? What if I want to be independent?”

“Ah shucks. Ya can still be independent. We just wanna be there ta help ya go about yer business without getting bothered by mares lahk Twilight there.” AJ continued, laughing and pointing a hoof at the purple Unicorn.

“Oh relax silly.” Pinkie said, appearing behind Orion and hugging him. “We can give you all the space you need. And if anything comes up, then Luna can just use that crystal ring to find you and be right there to help.”

“What?!” Orion said, shock and fury on his face and stopping everypony around the table from joking. “You mean you can track me with this earring?!”

“Well… yes… but it is simply meant to be used in case you get kidnapped or something, and the creature inside you has a possibility of escaping… it’s for your protection Orion…” Luna tried to explain carefully, fully aware of the minefield they were now all in after Pinkie’s words spilled out.

“So you knew?! No, that’s not it… you USED IT to find me when AJ took me here! Didn’t you, Princess?”

“I… I only used it to help cut down the time we would have spent trying to find you two… we would have found our way here eventually… it just helped speed up the process… I promise…” Luna replied sadly, cringing as she heard Celestia’s tone from all those years ago making their way out of her lips.

“She only did it cuz she was worried about ya sugarcube…” Applejack said, jumping to the Alicorn’s rescue, “It ain’t lahk she didn’t have a good reason… we were both lost as far as they were concerned, and we hadn’t said anything about coming here. Hay, we didn’t know where we were goin’, but Ah just wanted ya away from that crowd, and Ah was gonna come ta blows with that mare if Ah’d’ve stayed.”

“So that makes it alright?!” Orion exploded, spinning and glaring at the orange pony. “If I’m out of sight for too long, it’s considered okay to use a freaking tracking spell to find me? Am I just too irresponsible, too naïve to be trusted on my own? Hay, while we’re at it, why not just assign me an escort while you’re at it! I can be shuffled along from my home to work and maybe, if I’m good, I’ll be allowed out on weekends or evenings! Since I obviously can’t be trusted to handle myself for FIFTEEN BUCKING MINUTES, because some random mare says something that ruffles YOUR feathers!”

At his outburst, everypony at the table visibly cringed, and in Pinkie’s case, it actually looked like she’d deflated slightly… or at least her hair had…

“Look Orion, nopony’s sayin’ that ya can’t handle yerself… we’re just sayin’ that it wasn’t somethin’ ya shoulda HAD ta put up with, and Luna and Dash were concerned cuz they couldn’t find ya after it happened… now quit getting’ mad at us cuz we’re trying ta look out fer ya, and calm down. Please…” Applejack said, steeling her resolve and trying to keep a hurt bite out of her voice.

“No Applejack. You could have gotten hurt, or arrested, and there wouldn’t have even been a good reason!” Orion retorted, trying to keep his voice down, but still managing to sound frustrated and angry. “But because the MALE possibly got his feelings hurt, everypony flips their shit!

“No good reason!?” Applejack said, practically exploding and slamming her hoof on the table as her voice cracked. “Don’t you go tellin’ me yer not a good reason! Ah don’t care what kinda place ya came from, and Ah don’t care what anypony told ya when ya were livin’ there, but around here, around me, defendin’ you from a nag lahk that is a buckin’ good reason ta get in a fight!”

“Language!” Twilight reprimanded, interrupting everyone as she hit her breaking point, poking her head out the kitchen doors and speaking to Spike, who was sitting right outside the door, “You did NOT just hear those word... understood?”

“Which one? ‘Buck’, ‘hay’, ‘shit’, or ‘nag’?” Spike replied sarcastically, chuckling. “Honestly Twilight, I’ve read worse in your ‘private’ collection in the basement…”

“Gah! Don’t talk about those books in front of the Princess! Applejack! See what you did?!”

“Ah relax Twilight, I’ll let you all have your privacy. I need a nap anyway…” Spike rumbled, trying to keep a straight face as he turned around and wandered back to the cool of the fireplace.

“…Sorry Twi… Ya know Ah don’t usually talk lahk that, but this fella’s being stubborn as Fluttershy’s pet when he don’t get his fancy salads…” AJ said, glaring at Orion, who was looking away and glowering at the table.

“Okay… everypony clearly feels that the situation should have been handled a bit differently, why don’t we all just take a breath and try to discuss it like adults?” Fluttershy suggested weakly, trying to keep her voice as level and calm as possible for the sake of easing the tension in the room.

“Sorry Fluttershy, but I’m going to stop you right there… I’ve tried telling everypony how I feel like an adult should. But everypony in this room keeps trying to smother me and keep me in this little padded thing of safety. And you three are the worst.” Orion said, gesturing at Luna, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. “I’m an adult, but right now I feel more like an infant than an equal, and I’ve been taking care of myself for years besides. Besides, Ponyville, even at its worst, is still safer than where I came from.”

“Fer the last time, we ain’t tryin’ ta smother ya Orion… if ya’d quit bein’ so bullheaded and stubborn, and just accept that this is the kind of thing friends do fer each other, then-” Applejack began to say, cut off by Orion while the rest of the group stared on in shock at the two quarreling ponies.

“Then what, AJ? I’ll start to just accept having my life controlled? To have somepony else in charge of me and my wellbeing? Come on Applejack, you were just saying that that mare was talking to me like I was a thing to be owned. So why the buck are you acting the same way?”

“Ah… Ah didn’t… Ah wouldn’t…” the orange mare stammered, thrown for a loop and looking to her friends for assistance, only to see that almost all of them were looking at the floor guiltily. “Orion, Ah’d never-”

“I know you wouldn’t Applejack… but do you realize that that’s how it feels? I understand why to some extent. I still screw up a lot of the time with the social cues and things… and I don’t always understand when someone’s actually harassing me, as opposed to just being friendly or poking a bit of fun at me… but I don’t want my life to turn into one that’s controlled by anypony else. Because if that ever happened… I wouldn’t be me…”

Silence reigned.

“……… I understand what you’re saying Orion…” Fluttershy said, breaking the quiet. “I know what it’s like to not be yourself… it feels awful… Girls, you know what it feels like too, don’t you?”

The other young mares each nodded in turn, some looking embarrassed, some sad, and in Rainbow Dash and Luna’s case, angry.

“…The Nightmare…” Luna said, her voice strained as the lunar diarch took a deep breath. “I think that perhaps we have all behaved… poorly… as of late… and Orion has every right to feel upset… But that doesn’t change that fact that Applejack quite sincerely cares for you Orion, and myself and Rainbow Dash as well. All three of us would have been ready to do whatever it took to keep you safe from that entitled nag that was harassing you… We just want what’s best for you…”

“I know that… I just want to be treated like I have a mind of my own… not just be something to possess or protect. I get that things are different in Equestria for guys… but I just want to be myself without having to worry about offending someone or accidentally ‘advertising’ or causing fights because I don’t realize when somepony is hitting on me…” Orion said, hanging his head and sighing. “Look… I get that you girls all want to help look out for me, but I think that the best thing for me to do right now is start standing on my own… I’m okay with hanging out, but I don’t want an escort, even an accidental one… it makes me feel like I’m a commodity…”

“And that’s all well and good Orion… but what if something comes up and you’re in danger?” Luna said, fidgeting in her seat awkwardly. “Should we stand by and let you be hurt then? Do you have any idea how much it aches to watch somepony you care about walking alone through life?”

“…I understand Luna… I just wish that everyone could understand me…” Orion said, getting up and walking out of the kitchen, not even saying goodbye as he shut the door to the Library behind him.

The group sat there in the kitchen, a tense silence in the air as they all fought within themselves. Should they stay and let him vent? Or should they chase after him?

………

“BUCK!” Rainbow swore, slamming her hoof on the floor and snorting. “Why the hay do stallions have to be so complicated?!”

“Stallions aren’t complicated Dashie… they’re just like mares, only they’re a bit more sensitive when it comes to getting help with doing something… kind of like Applejack when she tried to buck the entire apple farm that one time.” Pinkie Pie explained, her mane still slightly deflated and her normally bright coat seeming to have dulled as she pulled a flat brimmed hat and a corncob pipe out of who knew where. “One of the big important things that my papa taught me before I left the rock farm was, if you ever want to get on a stallion’s good side, just treat him like you would another mare. And you’d better be treating everypony with respect.”

“…… Okay, everypony needs to take a breath…. Pinkie’s starting to sound like someone that actually makes sense…” Twilight said, looking around the group, eyeing Luna, AJ, and Rainbow in particular. “And it’s probably just going to do more harm than good if anypony chases after him right now…”

“… So we’re all just gonna let him walk off on his own? After everything we did ta look out fer him an’ keep him safe… and we’re just gonna let him go…” Applejack said, sounding more hurt than angry.

“Well…it’s not that we’re leaving him alone… we’re just giving him some space…” Fluttershy said, tryin to calm her friend down. “And maybe it’s not a bad idea for everyone to take a bit of time to themselves…”

“So yer sayin’ the same thing they are!” AJ said, exploding at the yellow Pegasus, tears streaming down her face, “Why can’t Ah be with him, huh?! Is it that wrong of me ta wanna look out fer him? Am Ah just not good enough?!”

“Applejack… nopony’s saying that… look, everyone’s been through a lot lately, so it’s probably just best for everypony to take the afternoon for themselves…” Fluttershy responded, wrapping a wing around her friend and giving her a hug, “There there… It’s going to be just fine, you’ll see… I’ll tell you what, you care about Orion a lot, don’t you?”

The orange Earth Pony sniffled, “… Yeah…”

“Then how about the two of us spend the afternoon talking about how you can show him that you care… come on, we’ll sit down, just the two of us, and talk about how we can get him to see you the way you see him over a nice relaxing pot of tea. What do you say?” Fluttershy said, using the voice she did whenever she was trying to calm a particularly volatile critter.

“Ah guess that ain’t too unreasonable…” Applejack admitted, “I still don’t feel right about leavin’ him out there on his own though…”

“He’s not going to be by himself.” Twilight said, trying her best to comfort the farmpony, “SPIKE!”

There was a thump and a swear through the wall, heavy footsteps resounding through the library until a familiar purple scaled head poked it’s way in through the swinging door to the kitchen frowning.

“Twilight… we’ve talked about this… you’re the head librarian. It doesn’t matter if there’s hardly anypony here, you still need to keep your voice down inside.”

“Oh shush… you just hate that I woke you up.” Twilight said, waving her assistant’s words away, causing him to grumble something about the ‘principle of the thing’ before she could continue. “In any case, we need your help…”

Spike stopped grumbling at that, looking confused. “What do you mean my help? The only thing I can do that you girls can’t is breathe fire, and I’m pretty sure that you’re already working on some kind of potion for that one Twilight…”

“Well… long story, this is something that we need a masculine touch for… Orion is kind of, not very happy with most of us right now, and we don’t want to bother him more, but we also don’t want him out there in Ponyville alone right now… could you just kind of, keep him company for a bit?” Twilight explained haltingly.

Spike’s frown deepened. “Okay... I may not be the best at picking up a hint…” he said, glancing at Rarity, “But I can tell this is bugging you girls more than you’re letting on… I’ll keep an eye on him, but Twilight, if I can’t get the full story from Orion, you’re telling me later, deal?”

“Deal, now go after him before he has a mare-mob on his tail.” Twilight said, pulling his ear fin with her magic and guiding him out the front door. “And while you’re working on that, I’m going to run a couple errands… Girls, you can stay if you’d like, but please lock the door behind you if you leave.”

“…Well… looks like that just leaves us without plans…” Rainbow said, unusually quiet as she looked around the table at Pinkie, Rarity, and Luna. “What do you girls say we go grab something to eat from Sugarcube Corner?”

“That sounds pretty good.” Pinkie answered, her hair starting to go back to its usual ‘poofy’ state. “There’s no sense in getting worried when everypony just needs to take a break… and the Cake’s have a new batch of treats that they wanted help in taste testing.”

“Uhhh… Pinkie… haven’t you been with us since we got back to Ponyville? How do you know that the Cake’s have anything waiting?” Dash asked, her look of confusion mirrored on Rarity and Luna’s face.

“Pinkie Sense Dashie… don’t question it…” Was the pink pony’s response, walking out of the kitchen and prompting the other’s to simply shrug and follow behind. “……Besides, it’s almost Hearts and Hooves Day, so they’re in ‘Crazy Creative Candy Creating’ mode, which means lots of extra sweets to be… cleaned up…”

“…Why do I have the feeling that she simply wants us to go with her so she have an excuse to ‘test’ a mountain of candy without feeling guilty?” Rarity muttered to Luna, causing the usually reserved Alicorn to try and bite back a laugh unsuccessfully.

“Alright you two, you heard the mare, let’s go to Sugarcube Corner and grab a bite… I could use some chocolate right about now anyway…” Rainbow said, ushering Rarity and Luna out of the treehouse, her tail wrapping around the handle and shutting the oak door behind her as they set off into the afternoon light to find comfort food.

Mares About Town The Sequel

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Apple of My Eye- Ch. 30

Mares About Town The Sequel

AKA- Weirdness and More…

“Stupid fucking idiot…” Orion swore, for about the umpteenth time since leaving the Library, wandering around town. “Why did I say that stuff? I’m just being a whiny little brat now… as much as they’ve helped me out, and I go and bite their heads off because I’m the one acting strange…”

“… You know… you keep walking around looking like that, you’re going to empty the streets…” a voice said, right next to Orion and causing him to almost jump out of his skin.

“Gah! How long have you been there?” he asked, skittering to the side and turning to face the unexpected visitor, an all too familiar white Unicorn with almost neon blue hair. “And what are you doing in Ponyville, Vinyl? Don’t you and Octavia live in Manehattan?”

“Meh…” She replied simply, shrugging and winking genially at him over the edge of her glasses, “Me and Octy are in town to visit her parents. I wasn’t really feeling the whole ‘sit around and listen to stories about my marefriend as a baby’ thing, so I decided to go for a walk, and then I saw your gloomy rump walking by and decided to see what’s up… so what’s up?”

Orion sighed, glaring at the dirt road beneath his hooves. “Nothing, everything… I don’t know… Apparently I’m not safe even walking around town on my own, because I keep getting hit on, and I don’t even realize it to give off the right signs or whatever I needed to do to tell them that I wasn’t interested… And the girls aren’t helping things by treating me with kid gloves…”

“… What are ‘kid gloves’?” Vinyl asked, frowning slightly.

“It’s an expression from my old home…” He replied, brushing the comment aside, “But what should I do?”

“Well, for starters, I’d start off my quitting my moping… You act like you expected Ponyville to be some ideal little town where nothing can go wrong between ponies and everyone loves one another and everything’s safe no matter what.” Vinyl answered, smirking and sacking his side with her tail. “But this is reality dude, things aren’t going to be perfect all the time, and there’s always going to be shades of grey when it comes to dealing with others. I’m not saying that you’re in the wrong by wanting to be on your own, but you have to recognize that your friends are just trying to look out for you because they care. How long have you lived in this town?”

“Uhhh…. Around two months?” Orion guessed, doing some quick math in his head. “And I was in Canterlot in the palace for a couple of weeks before that…”

“So you’ve lived here less than a year, and you’re still learning what everypony is like here and what’s safe and what’s dangerous… and you’re upset because you have friends who are trying to look out for you and make sure that you can learn what is and isn’t cool, and how to stay safe… Starting to see things a bit different yet?”

Orion frowned, scuffing his hooves against the dirt and trying not to look the white Unicorn in the eye, “……I guess I was a bit of a jerk… huh?”

Vinyl shrugged, nudging his hoof with hers and making him look up with her magic, “I wouldn’t sweat it too much…. If they’re your friends, they’ll understand. And besides, everypony makes mistakes, the thing that separates the cool folks from the jerks is whether or not they choose to learn from their screw-ups.”

“I have to say Vinyl, that almost sounded mature…” another voice said, startling both Orion and his impromptu counselor.

“Will everyone quit sneaking up on me?!” Orion exclaimed, trying to calm his heart rate down until it wasn’t hammering in his chest anymore.

“Heh, sorry about that Orion, honestly, most ponies see me coming form about a block off these days, so I guess I haven’t had to really worry about sneaking up on anypony for a while.” Spike replied sheepishly, trying not to laugh at his friend’s reaction.

“Geez dude, you need to loosen up.” Vinyl noted, turning to Spike, “And good to see you again big guy, me and Octy never really got to hang out with you after that party last month, what’s new?”

“Meh, nothing much. By the way, I liked the new album.” Spike replied casually, plucking a small pebble that had gotten under his scales out with a claw. “Anyway, Orion, the girls wanted me to just check in with you, see how you were doing… I missed most of what you were all talking about, but I gathered that it wasn’t too pleasant… wanna talk about it?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa… First, I want to know how you know Vinyl Scratch. From what I hear, you’re like, a celebrity, right Vinyl?” Orion said, stopping in the road and looking back and forth between the dragon and the DJ. “Secondly, and I can’t stress this enough… I don’t need a babysitter, got it?”

“Relax there big fella… I’m here partly because Twilight was worried, and so was just about everypony else, but also because you’re one of the few guys I know in this town that I can relate to, so I’m here for my own interests too. And yeah, Vinyl’s a celebrity, but she’s pretty relaxed about the whole thing, so I got to meet her and we hang out when I visit Canterlot.”

“Not to mention that you’re technically the Princess’s adopted son, and the hero of an entire empire…” Vinyl chipped in, making Spike blush and duck his head a bit.

“I was trying to avoid talking about that stuff…” he muttered, looking around to see if anyone had heard. “I already had one incident with greed growth because I started to get an ego, I don’t need a repeat…”

“Hold up, you’re Celestia’s son? How did that happen?”

“Long story short, After Twilight hatched me, Celestia took me in, because nopony else really knew how to take care of a baby dragon, and I started helping Twilight out because she wanted somepony to help keep an eye on her student. Next thing I knew, I started being seen by Twilight and her family like a little brother… my family tree’s really screwed up… And quit dodging the question, talk. What’s going on with you?” Spike answered pointedly, quirking an eyebrow at the grey Pegasus expectantly.

“Hey Spike, how about I fill you in… I’m just guessing here, but I’m pretty sure that talking about it right now will only make him more frustrated with the whole situation.” Vinyl said, well aware of the tactic Orion was using to try and avoid the inevitable rant.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One Explanation and two blocks later…

“Well dang… Orion, if you were feeling like that, you could have come to talk to me about it…” Spike said, having listened intently as the strange looking trio walked down the slowly emptying street.

“I couldn’t very well tell you something that I wasn’t aware of myself, now could I?” Orion countered, shooting Spike a sarcastic look.

“Well… still… You know that they’re just trying to look out for you the best way they know how, right?”

“Yeah… I know… it doesn’t mean that I have to necessarily approve though.”

“Well, like it or not, you’re going to have to get over it pretty soon. I’ve seen what some of the mares in this town are like when it comes to romance, and I have to say, you’re likely to end up in a relationship faster than you can blink if some girls have their way…”

“Well what if I don’t want a relationship?!” Orion exclaimed, huffing, “I can barely get a grip on my own life between trying to stop mooching off of Applejack and her family, Princess Luna casting spells while drunk, Pinkie Pie shooting me with every kind of edible artillery you can imagine, and don’t even get me started on the freaking eldritch creature I’ve somehow got sealed inside… Do you have any idea how scrambled my brain is right now?!”

“…Okay… We get it, you’ve been through a bit lately… but you know, stressing out about it isn’t going to help. And take it from me, there are some things that you just can’t go through alone. And it’s not some kind of mark of shame if you let the ones who care about you help.” Spike said, backing away slightly. “Trust me on this, the last thing you want is to be isolated…”

“…… I know…” Orion replied hollowly, glaring at the ground and trying to keep his voice steady, “I just… I don’t know… I just need to get my head screwed on right or something…”

“Well you know, when Octy’s had a bad time with stuff, I take her to get some comfort food… You wanna grab a bite to eat?” Vinyl suggested, taking the usual raspy quality out of her voice.

Orion’s stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him that he hadn’t actually eaten since breakfast. “…You know what…. That’s actually a good idea… Where were you thinking Vinyl?”

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“HELLOOOO SUGARCUBE CORNER!” Rainbow Dash belted out, standing on top of the table. “How’s everypony doing tonight?”

“Will you please get down from there this instant, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity exclaimed, trying to hide her face while simultaneously tugging at the sky colored Pegasus with her magic in an effort to get her friend off the furniture. “Pinkie, what exactly was in those cupcakes?”

“I don’t know, Pound and Pumpkin made them and they wanted us to try them out, then Dashie beat me to the tray and the next thing I know, this happened!” Pinkie explained, a worried look on her usually carefree face as she looked around for help. “POUND! PUMPKIN! You two better get out here and help us with this!”

“Where in Equestria did Luna wander off to?!” Rarity asked, exasperated at trying to get a grip on the wriggly Pegasus.

“Heheheheh, maybe she went to ‘moon’ some fancy pants pony.” Rainbow said, hovering in place shakily, her eyes unfocused as she kept giggling to herself.

“That doesn’t even make any sense!” Rarity shot back, glaring at her friend as she finally managed to grab onto Rainbow’s ear and pulled her back down to the floor, kicking and protesting every inch of the way. “Now, you’re grounded until we figure out just what in the world got you riled up like this…”

“You put what in the where?!?!” Pinkie exclaimed from the kitchen, having finally found the pranksters Pound and Pumpkin.

“BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh! Oh geez… Rarity you can’t say that’s not funny! It’s like a ‘That’s what he said’ joke without the punchline!” Rainbow howled, rolling on the ground and hiccupping between breaths.

“Rarity! I need some help in here!” Pinkie said, poking her head through the kitchen doors, looking worried. “Bring Rainbow with you…”

“Ughhh… wherever you’re taking me, just make sure there’s something to drink, those cupcakes had a heck of a kick that I need to rinse out…” Rainbow groused, Rarity dragging her by her tail into the kitchen.

“Pinkie… please tell me you figured something out…” Rarity said, stepping into the kitchen. “And do you know where Luna wandered off to?”

“I don’t know about Luna, but I figured out why Rainbow’s being all……excited…” Pinkie answered, glaring slightly as she pushed Pound and Pumpkin forward, along with a large, empty glass bottle. “You two, explain.” She said, looking down at her young assistants.

“Well… we didn’t mean anything by it…” Pound started off saying, sharing a look with his sister, “We just wanted to make some stuff for Hearts and Hooves Day, and Mom and Dad said that they needed some more treats for adults, and we thought-”

“What’s more adult than going out at night?” Pumpkin said, interrupting and continuing the story from her brother. “And from what me and Pound heard from Button Mash, most adults drink when they go out, so we tried to make a batch of cupcakes with the stuff Mom and Dad keep in one of the secret cabinets they think we don’t know about, and-”

“The next thing we knew, the bottle was… empty… and we didn’t want to waste the batter, so we just used what was in there with the recipe for cupcakes that Pinkie always uses and… well, they came out solid, so we didn’t think about it and iced them…” Pound picked up.

“…And?” Pinkie prodded, shooting them both a seriously un-Pinkie Pie glare.

“…And then Rainbow ate half of them in one go…” They finished in unison.

“… Just how much of that bottle did you use?” Rarity asked, looking worriedly at Dash, who was currently lying on her back and absolutely fascinated by the ceiling of the kitchen.

“Um… Probably all of it…” Pumpkin guessed, looking at Pound Cake, “How much did you pour in?”

“Me?! You were responsible for measuring it and telling me when it was enough.” Pound retorted, looking hurt.

“I didn’t expect you to just tip it upside down!” Pumpkin shot back, butting heads with her twin and gritting her teeth.

“ENOUGH!” Rarity shouted, telekinetically separating the two children. “There’s no point in trying to blame each other, you’re both equally responsible for… this…”

As she spoke, Rarity shot an annoyed glance at Rainbow Dash.

“Now, I need to go somewhere less public to get her sobered up… So if you will excuse me Pinkie, I’ll take my leave, and if you could please keep an eye out for Luna.”

“Sure thing Rarity. And if Rainbow Dash asks what happened, just tell her that it was an accident in the kitchen.” Pinkie said, ushering her friends towards the back door, “As for you two… You’re going to be cleaning up the kitchen, apologize to Rainbow Dash tomorrow, and I’m going to have a talk with your parents about what you did… understood?”

“Yes Pinkie Pie…” the two troublemakers said, looking appropriately contrite. “And we’re really sorry…”

“We’ll let Mr. and Mrs. Pie figure out how sorry you are.” Pinkie said coolly, walking over to the broom closet and grabbing the bucket of cleaning supplies. “For now, get started by cleaning the kitchen up, and come get me when you’re done.”

“Yes Pinkie.” Pound said, taking the brook and getting started while Pumpkin grabbed a bucket and sponge and went to fill the bucket at the sink.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m one of their parents sometimes…” Pinkie mumbled to herself, walking out to the front of the shop again and looking around at the dwindling clientele. The shop would pick up a huge amount of customers when Hearts and Hooves Day actually arrived, but until then… “Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to find Luna. Now if I were an immortal Alicorn of the night… where would I be?” she wondered, sitting down in the middle of the floor and trying to think.

“Did you try checking the roof?” a voice thick with the eastern Trottingham accent said beside Pinkie Pie, poking her with a hoof. “You’re looking for Princess Luna, right?”

“No I haven’t Pip, but what would she be doing up there anyway?” Pinkie replied, looking at her unexpected guest curiously. “And when did you get here? I didn’t hear the bell ring when you came in…”

“Oh, sorry about that.” Pipsqueak said apologetically, smiling at the pink party pony of Ponyville, “I came to see if Scootaloo and her friends were around… and I may or may not have seen a certain Weather Pony being dragged out by Miss Rarity. Have you seen them though? The girls weren’t at the clubhouse or the boutique… and they like to come here a lot, so I decided to check here, and I saw the Princess sitting on the roof. She wouldn’t even say hello when I tried to get her attention. Is everything alright?”

“Hmmm… give me just a half a jiffy and I’ll let you know…” Pinkie responded, pulling a periscope down from the ceiling that Pip could have sworn hadn’t been there at all ten seconds ago. “Hmmm… mhmmm… Hey Pip… Is it still daylight out?”

“It was a minute ago, It’s getting close to dusk, sure, but it’s still plenty light out… why do you ask?” he responded, sitting down and waiting patiently for the pink enigma to reveal her secrets.

“Well… if it’s still light out, and I can see the moon… I’m willing to bet that Luna is sitting right on top of my periscope…” Pinkie answered, sticking her tongue out and doing some quick calculations. “This calls for my emergency defensive measure… time to unleash the S.M.O.R.E…. You wanna help?”

“Uhh… what exactly is this ‘S’more’ you’re talking about…” Pip asked cautiously, he’d seen some of her more intricate party supplies before in passing… and was always amazed that there weren’t a platoon of royal guards confiscating them as weapons on a regular basis.

“Oh silly, not s’more, S.M.O.R.E.” Pinkie said, grinning and pulling a plank with a red button attached to some strange looking wires out from under the counter, “It stands for Sugar-cube-corner Make Over in Royal Emergencies. And since Luna’s a royal, and this is an emergency, this seems like a perfect time to test it out!”

“Pinkie… what exactly does that little button do?” Pipsqueak asked uneasily, a glimmer shining in Pinkie Pie’s eye… an almost infamous glimmer that heralded frosting, sprinkles, explosions, giggles, and destruction…

“It does this!” Pinkie answered dismissively, blowing a raspberry and punching the button, the whole shop shuddering like it were a stampede or an earthquake, closely followed by a yell that shook the rafters even more than before, and a wave of… well, there was no really good description for it, but the windows were blacked out and covered with…something…

“…… Pinkie, how have you not been in trouble with the law before?” Pip asked seriously, too stunned to really emotion into his words. “Who did you make a deal with and when?”

“Oh no you don’t young colt… I made them a promise never to tell, and as long as I keep the property damage to a minimum, and the party output to a maximum, we’re all squared away with the paperwork.” She replied, hiding the button and bouncing towards the door, somehow failing to notice the few customers in the shop now cowering under their tables wondering when things would be safe enough to go outside again.

V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V^V

“You know, I have to admit Vinyl; that was a pretty good place to eat at… what’d you call it again?” Orion said, letting out a small burp and smiling at the comfortable feeling of a stomach filled with food.

“I thought you’d like it. Humble Pie and his wife make the best cinnamon pear turnovers you’ll ever find, and I have a bit of a running joke with Octy that if either of us finds a better place, that they get to drag the other to any music show they want.” Vinyl said, smirking at the thought of another satisfied customer being turned onto the small snack shop. “A better question is, how did you not even know about that place until I took you? It’s not like Ponyville’s a huge town or anything…”

“He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t worry about too much outside their routine.” Spike volunteered, picking a loose shard of emerald from between a couple of his teeth with a steel toothpick. “In fact, I had to fight tooth and claw with him just to get him to go somewhere besides his job, the library, and the apple farm. We ended up only going to the park, but that still took some convincing.”

“I keep telling you, I like what I like, and I’m not opposed to new things… I just don’t always go looking for new stuff to happen… besides, my life’s already spontaneous enough working with Pinkie Pie and the Cake twins…” Orion contested weakly, sounding whiny even to himself. “…But yeah, I guess I could stand to explore Ponyville a bit more… And that reminds me, I still need to actually go to the Realtor’s cottage sometime soon.”

“You can do that tomorrow.” Spike said, smiling brightly, “It’s not like the houses around here just randomly disappear, and it’s too late to go there anyway, everypony’s wrapping up business for the day and going home to see their families.”

“I guess you’re right… Still, I’m pretty excited… I remember the first time I got an apartment to myself, but this is going to be a full on house! I don’t even know where I’d start in terms of living there.” Orion conceded, looking around at the town full of smiling pony’s all milling about and carrying on with their lives. “I wonder if it’d be in bad taste to ask for help form the girls with picking a place to live…”

“Actually, I have a feeling that a few of them would be more than happy to help you look at bedrooms…” Spike muttered, nudging Vinyl and sharing a knowing smirk.

“Heh. Something tells me that if they’re as good of friends as you make them out to be Orion, they’ll help you out, and they’ll even understand what the whole ‘fight’ thing from earlier.” Vinyl said, trying to downplay the whole conflict that had started their afternoon hanging out together.

“…I hope so… Hey Vinyl, what time is it? Any idea?”

“Not a clue Orion… I usually wait for my clock to yell at me before I worry about that kind of stuff.” The frizzy, blue maned Unicorn said, shrugging slightly.

“Your clock yells at you?” Spike asked, looking at the DJ curiously, “This I have to hear…”

“Sure, just follow me.” Vinyl said, veering a sharp right towards a house at the end of one of the larger side roads and opening the door to a cottage that looked like the glass windows had been cracked and repaired… multiple times… “Hey Octy! I’m back! Did ya miss me?”

“You have some nerve coming back now after disappearing like that for three hours Vinyl Shimmer Scratch!” came the reply, the words coming from a decidedly pissed off Octavia, her hair standing on end in odd places and her bow tie askew. “I don’t care that Ponyville is safer than Canterlot, or even Baltimare or Manehattan, you do NOT just disappear without warning! It’s already almost 7:30, and it’s about to get dark!”

Orion had to give credit where it was due, Vinyl didn’t bat an eye in the face of a raging marefriend, despite his and Spike’s decidedly less courageous tactic of trying to hide behind the mailbox.

“… You feeling better now?” Vinyl asked, smiling at Octy and winking, “I just stepped out for some fresh air, and I bumped into a friend.” She continued, dragging Orion over from his hiding place with her magic.

“Oh… well then, I’m sorry you had to see that Orion… I’m a bit protective, you might say, when it comes to Vinyl being out by herself… Anyway, it’s lovely to see you again, and if she’s with you, then I’ve no doubt that even her usually uncouth behavior was calmed down somewhat.” Octavia said, smoothing her hair down with a hoof and adjusting her bow tie. “Now, it’s nearly time for tea, and you will be staying for the entirety of the stories Vinyl, understood?”

“Sure thing Octy, just let me say goodbye to Spike and Orion before you throw me to the inlaws…” Vinyl joked, kissing Octavia on the cheek and nuzzling her comfortingly.

“Hmmm… very well… but be quick about it, you know how my father is about punctuality.” Octavia relented, turning around and walking back inside, looking over her shoulder at the last minute before walking into a side room inside, “And Orion, it was lovely to see you again. We’ll be in town for the next week or so if you wish to meet up for lunch or tea.”

“Sure thing Octavia…” Orion said, still a bit wide eyed at how quickly the situation had been diffused by Vinyl, and smiling convincingly enough for Octavia to turn around and walk back inside, shutting the door.

“See? I told you my clock yelled at me.” Vinyl said, giggling, “Honestly, I have no idea how the hay she knows exactly what time it is, but she’s never wrong. Anyway, I gotta get going, but I’ll see you guys around town sometime, right?”

“Yeah, just stop by the Library sometime, or Orion’s new place once he gets one.” Spike said, smiling back in a friendly manner, “Meantime, Orion, I don’t know about you, but I could use some real dinner.”

“Yeah, see you around Vinyl. And uh, thanks… I really appreciate the talk earlier…” he said, looking down awkwardly.

“You’re gonna be fine big guy, now get out of here before Octy comes back and gives me an update on the clock.”
Their goodbyes said, Spike and Orion walked away from the home of not one, but two strange musicians, wandering again through the fast emptying streets.

“So where do you wanna go now dude?” Spike asked, looking sideways at Orion, who was currently zoned out and staring idly at the horizon.

“Huh? Oh… well, I suppose I should check in at Sugarcube Corner, see if the Cake’s need me tomorrow, if not, then I can plan to sort out my housing situation then…” he responded, looking around. “Uhhh… just where is Sugarcube Corner from here anyway?”

“We can go just up this street here, about two blocks and we’re there.” Spike responded, angling towards the street he had pointed a claw at, the two of them walking in silence for a bit.

When they finally reached the bakery, something seemed off… maybe it was the pony’s standing outside looking up at the roof, or maybe it was the fact that there wasn’t any baked artillery firing off… or maybe it was the fact that there was a taller than average Alicorn sitting on the roof and looking through a telescope like a lookout on a pirate ship…

“…Spike…” Orion said flatly, stopping in place.

“…Yeah dude?”

“…You see her up there, right?”

“…Eeyup.”

“…Why is she up there?”

“… Don’t know… wanna ask her yourself?”

“… Not really…”

“Mmm…… Wanna just go inside?”

“…Not sure yet…… Is that a periscope?”

“…I think so… Pinkie?”

“…Probably… Should we tell Luna that there’s a periscope looking at her butt?”

“… Probably…”

“Mmm…Well, I guess I’ll do it…”

Before he had a chance to holler up to Luna though, Orion was frozen in place by the strangest architectural feat he could ever recall witnessing… The roof of the cupcake shaped tower had just swung open like a hinged lid on a toy box, and a vat of who-the-hay-knew-what was raised out of the depths of Pinkie’s room above the bakery. Any activity on the street stopped in its tracks and watched dumbfounded as the vat extended outwards, the roof closing, and what could only be described as a giant mechanical arm started to slide up an unseen track to the top of the building. It stayed still for a second, seemingly frozen in time before suddenly upending itself and dumping the entire contents of the vast vat over the exterior of Sugarcube Corner in a flood of pastel goop and what looked like glitter.

…Lune never even had a chance…

“GAAAAAAAH!!! TIA! THE ROYAL PERSON IS UNDER ATTACK BY A SLIME!” The Lunar Princess howled before going under in the torrent of glop and being pushed off the roof, landing on a pile of haystacks in a passing cart as everypony on the street started to run for their lives from the multi colored flood.

“This town is a bucking magnet for weirdness!” Orion yelled to Spike as they ran back up the street they had just come from, trying to escape the flood of color and barely managing to avoid the small flood by hopping up onto a stack of crates near the back of one of the shops. Having found a small refuge, they took a moment to look back towards the bakery, and saw the entire building now looking like the love child of a house, a giant cake, and a paint palette.

“……Should… should we go see what happened?” Spike asked, looking fearfully at his friend.

“I have no idea… I’m not too worried about Luna, she’s taken worse and walked it off… but I’d like to know if that’s now a regular feature of the shop that I need to learn to look out for…” Orion answered cautiously, stepping down from the crates and wading through the fetlock high muck, which he was pretty sure was made of some kind of liquid frosting… either that or edible paint… he wasn’t too keen to lean down and get a taste to find out for certain.

“Well, I suppose we should go see if anypony else got hurt at least.” Spike reasoned, dipping his own feet into the warm pastel liquid and following the grey Pegasus back to the main road to survey the damage.

“Hey Orion!” Pinkie said, poking her head out the front door, the rest of her soon bouncing along afterwards, “Didn’t expect to see you around here so soon, anyway, did you see the S.M.O.R.E. go off? How did it look from the outside? Were you excited cuz I was excited, and I mean, I knew it would be a big thing, but I didn’t expect it to shake the whole shop, I mean wow, who could have guessed that!?”

“Pinkie… you did that? You PLANNED that?!” Spike asked, stunned as he pointed a claw at the now empty, but still extremely large, bucket hanging over the bakery.

“You betcha! It’s in case anypony ever tries to break in through the roof, or the shop needs a quick paintjob, in case of paintjob emergencies, or if we have a Princess playing lookout on the roof! And Luna was sitting on the roof, probably playing lookout, so I got to push the button!”

“…… You know what… that was actually logical, or as close to logic as I think logic is willing to get to you Pinkie…” Orion conceded, looking around at the damage, which was surprisingly limited… the worst parts seemed to be the occasional pony that had been caught in the mini deluge, and not had a more technicolor color scheme than normal… but nothing that a long shower couldn’t fix.

“What in tarnation happened here?!” Applejack asked, walking up the street, “I was just about ta come lookin’ fer everyone with Fluttershy, and the next thing we knew, there was a mare running away screamin’ an covered in gunk! Pinkie, did you have somethin’ ta do with this?”

“Maaaaay-be!” Pinkie said, bouncing in a circle around everypony and splashing the technicolor goop with each bounce.

Applejack just shook her head. “Did ya at least check ta make sure that nopony got hurt?”
Pinkie stopped dead in her tracks. “Huh… I knew I forgot something…” she said, pulling a megaphone out from her mane and hopping up on a nearby lamp post, “IF ANYPONY WAS INJURED BY THE S.M.O.R.E. WILL YOU PLEASE SOUND OFF SO THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE HELP?”

After listening intently for a few minutes and hearing nothing, Pinkie happily slid down the pole and hopped over, continuing her little circular bounce.

“There you have it AJ, nopony hurt, and the S.M.O.R.E. worked perfectly!” She said, grinning and giggling.

“…Did anypony check on Luna?” Orion asked, giving Pinkie a tired look.
She stopped mid bounce, zipping over to the hay bale pile to check on the goop covered Princess, digging into an empty pile of muck and hay.

“She… She’s not here...” Pinkie said, surprised. “Where’d she go? She should have landed right here… right?”

“Well, that’s where I saw her fall…” Spike said, scratching his head in confusion. “Where could she have gone to?”

“Did anypony think to check up here…” a shaky voice said from a particularly low hanging cloud, a deep blue horn and mane poking out of the fluffy material. “Is… is the slime gone?”

“It wasn’t slime Luna, you’re okay… Were you that surprised?” Pinkie answered, looking up at the low hanging puff of cloud curiously, Applejack, Orion, and Spike exchanging looks of worry.

“…Methinks that ‘Surprise’ is not the best word to use in this case… but yes Pinkie Pie, you certainly managed to grab my attention… Please never do it again lest I do more than teleport to safety…” Luna said, her voice still shaky, but starting to sound more confident as she peeked through the cloud and surveyed the scene. “Oh! Orion, you’re safe… that’s good… And Applejack, are you feeling better as well?”

“Uhhh… yeah… You alright there Princess?” AJ responded, not really sure how to respond to the obviously shell shocked royal.

“Oh that’s good to hear… I am… I will be fine… I think I just need to take a nap for a bit… don’t mind me…” Luna responded, hopping down from her cloud and landing on shaky hooves, walking towards Sugarcube Corner, “Is it alright if I just lay down for a bit inside?”

“Sure thing Luna, there’s a spare bed in my room at the top of the stairs.” Pinkie said, the pink party pony finally having sensed that something was off about the Moon Princess and even making the effort to calm herself down a bit.

“Thank you… I will see you all later, and Orion, I apologize for earlier, and beg your forgiveness in the matter of your personal space…” Luna said, turning around and trying to regain her composure.

“Oh! Uh, I mean, it’s okay Luna… I know that you all were just looking out for me and doing what you thought was right… but you should probably get some sleep… you don’t look so good…” He replied uneasily.

“Yes, sleep… that would probably be a good idea right now…” she said, a weak smile on her face as she walked into Sugarcube Corner and shut the door behind her.

“…Well… that was stranger than normal…” Applejack noted.

“…Yeah, yeah it was…” Orion agreed, Spike nodding right along with him as Pinkie stood there, still staring at where Luna had been standing. “Um, AJ, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here? And where’s everypony else? Weren’t you hanging out with the group?”

“Oh, that, well… Everyone kinda went off inta separate groups after ya… left… and Fluttershy was talkin’ ta me about some things, and how Ah had been treatin’ ya. And Ah figured that it wasn’t right… Yer different from other Stallions, and Ah shoulda respected that… So Ah wanna-” Applejack said, taking her hat off and trying to look everywhere except at Orion.

“AJ, it’s cool… we both said stuff we shouldn’t have, and I should have been more open to things being different in Equestria. It’s just ignorant of me to assume that things will work the same here as they did in my old home… you don’t have to say you’re sorry or anything.”

“Maybe you don’t think so, but Ah gotta do something ta make it up to ya, even if Ah’m selfish and just doin’ it ta help me feel better… So Ah wanna take ya out sometime, show ya that Ah ain’t gonna smother ya or nothin’… Just the two of us…” She continued, now blushing. “Ah guess Ah wanna show ya how much ya mean ta me, an’ get ya ta see that Ah don’t wanna lose ya cuz Ah started ta get all… weird… Ah wanna show ya that Ah ain’t like every other mare in town Ah guess…”

“Ummm… Sure, I guess that would be fine… what did you have in mind?”

Applejack immediately started to brighten up, smiling broadly, “Ah was thinkin’ that Ah’d take ya someplace special, say, tomorrow afternoon? We could start at the farm house, and go from there if ya want.”

“That sounds okay. Is there anything else on your mind?” Orion asked, ruffling his wings, not really sure why he was suddenly uncomfortable with how he was standing all of a sudden.

“Nope, ya just meet me at the house tomorrow right after work, and we’ll go from there.” AJ said, leaning in and giving him a quick affectionate nuzzle. “And thanks fer the second chance big guy… Ah can’t tell ya yet just how much it means…”

“No problem…” he replied, blushing slightly. Applejack wasn’t usually so… touchy, was she?

Just as quickly as she’d left, Applejack took off back up the road, and Orion could have sworn he heard a ‘Whoop’ come from her as she raced up the street into the setting sun.

“Congratulations dude…” Spike said, chuckling and nudging him with an elbow.

“On what?” Orion asked, looking at his friend like he’d grown a second head.

“You got yourself a date.” Spike answered, chuckling to himself as he watched Orion’s face blanch.

“……I DID WHAT?!”