Fallen Eagle

Chapter 59: A Serious Question

Hello my loyal readers and welcome back! I know you guys have waited quite some time for a new chapter, and as usual, I am really glad for your patience because while this chapter is just simple, I still value quality for you guys. Also, I do lose whole weekends when I make review videos for new episodes on my YouTube channel. Plus, when I first plotted out this chapter, there was something in a recent episode that I just had to put in here, so hopefully you enjoy that.

Also, I want to congratulate Dixie Darlin for being the 700th reviewer to the story, and I want to thank you guys so much for even getting me to that mark. I don't want to give my hopes up, but a small part of me is hoping that perhaps we may cross over the 1000 review mark. Not sure if it'll happen, but 700 is a huge milestone for me.

Before I get into replying to reviews, I want you guys to do me a favor. There's an author by the name of The Sleeping Library. He is absolutely BRILLIANT and talented and simply doesn't get the recognition he deserves. He's written two stories that will really hook you and won't let you stop reading. They are Light of the Moon, and Lunar Legacy with Light of the Moon being the first in the two-part story. Please, go read and review them, and follow and favorite Lunar Legacy since it's still on-going. And please follow and favorite The Sleeping Library while you're their; he deserves every amount of recognition he gets.

Gracie Ghost: No, it's NEVER too late Peridot!

headreviewer mk2: Nah, a B-17 or a tank would be overkill. Weeeeelllll

SkullCrusher550: I'll see if I can get to it; I'm very busy with this story, my YouTube channel, and trying to find a job

WarHusky2000: Ha! Nope, AJ isn't getting pregnant anytime soon, as much as practically everyone would like it. I can't just throw in an AJ pregnancy, not without a legit and uncontrived reason. And no, Ivan isn't Russian, just his name is.

Iron Man: That window display has been in my mind ever since I conceived the story

Nostalgia Cop: And you'll read BOTH for the rest of your life

OBSERVOR01: I'm hoping everyone will understand why I had Ivan pick the song in question. As for the magic thing, pilots have to have some of the best reflexes and reactions in order to fly multi-million dollar jets. Ivan just turned around at the right time

Dixie: It needed everything for everyone! See Zach Snyder!? THIS is how you can have multiple storylines combine into one coherently! Anyway, yeah, the whole knighting thing was a continuation from Ivan and AJ's shower chat from a few chapters ago; now Ivan has the authority to detain any bad ponies in Ponyville! And I'm glad everyone was surprised by practically everything. Had to keep literally everything in this chapter under wraps, especially the Starlight thing. And I'm really happy the FlutterCord scene was cute

SquirtlePwn: This I think is the last chapter that will be truly "packed." I mean, With Starlight showing up, Blueblood returning, Ivan being Knighted, and the whole Draconia mystery, that's four different story lines in one chapter.

StacheKing: Haven't seen you 'round these parts in a while! But I'm really relieved you've enjoyed what I've cooked up over the summer, especially the Draconia arc which was the most fun I've had with this story. And as for the Season 5 finale twist, ever since that finale concluded, I jotted down that I had to put Starlight into the story because I knew I could make an interesting, "I don't trust her," kind of story between Ivan and Starlight. But speaking of the whole Draconia suicide, things are just getting started, and they'll start making sense fairly shortly.

Derp: How' bout no?!

Furi Poi: Oh you want a twist, that's coming up right after the wedding.

Guest: I'll take a martini, shaken, not stirred

axelialea: Not sure yet

ShiningShadow1965: Eh no, I'm not shipping Starlight with Blueblood. Who I'm shipping Starlight with will be a mystery until the wedding. In fact, I'll also have someone picked out for ole Blueblood

So guys, I have some bad news. While I will get to work on the next chapter(s) [the Wedding will be split into two parts. One part for the ceremony and a second part for the reception/dance] I'm heading out to Tacoma with my dad a week from Friday, so I own't be able to get any writing done that whole weekend, plus I'll have to set aside an extra day to review that weekend's episode. But the reason I'm going is I'm finally going to see my favorite band Def Leppard in concert! And if you're interested in seeing that concert, I'll post videos of it on my YouTube Channel!

And without further ado, let's get onto a simple chapter!

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Fallen Eagle

Chapter 59: A Serious Question

(Sunday Night; Ivan's POV)

"AHHHHH!" Both Applejack and I groaned in ecstasy after climaxing for what seemed like the hundredth time that weekend. After AJ's present to me Friday night, we slipped down to my shack and got an early start to the weekend. Luckily though, the Estrus didn't make sleep impossible on Friday and Saturday night, but by God this was the most spectacular weekend of my life. And, as luck would have it, since I was there to satiate my girlfriend's sexual appetite, she actually could think a little more clearly and hold some form of judgement, resulting in no further injury to my chest.

"Oh sweet Celestia!" Applejack cried sensually, hovering above me with her forelegs bracing herself up on other side of my body while our lower regions were still connected. The air inside my shack was muggy with the stench of sweat and sex from our weekend long excursion. The mare huffed and puffed in sync with me as we tried to catch our breath; she eventually collapsed to the side of me, adjusting her position so she was lying on her left side with her foreleg rubbing my pecs gently.

"Have a little fun, did we?" I teased, kissing her nose and snaking my arm around her neck, pulling her closer. She said nothing in response. Rather, she did the same as she did the first time we made love and began to lap at the sweat on my neck as her tail gently rubbed over my crotch.

"Y-yer amazin'," she said weakly, yet satisfied. The Estrus was due to complete in a few hours, but we were both exhausted and ready for things to return to normal.

"Hey, don't give me all the credit," I grinned, slipping her ear in my mouth and gently nibbled on it. The mare quietly whinnied in appreciation, allowing me to make her feel good post-coitus. "I love you," I whispered into her ear before resting my chin atop her sweat stained mane.

"Ah love ya too, Ivan," Applejack sighed, snuggling her head right into the crook of my neck. "Ah had no clue ya had that much in ya, Sugarcube."

"Well, I make due just for you," I chuckled in reply, gently massaging her back while I used my other arm to sneak down and open the mini fridge next to my bed. I'd stocked the mini fridge with drinks Thursday night for the occasion, and over the weekend, Applejack and I had drank pretty much everything in there to keep us hydrated, all except one drink. "Wanna split the last cider?" I asked, producing the bottle for Applejack to see.

"Oh yeah!" Applejack's head snapped up and she licked her lips at the drink. The two of us stuffed the pillows against the wall so we could sit ourselves up and continue to snuggle. I pulled the cork out of the bottle with my teeth, spitting it across the room before taking a rather large sip.

"Ahhh," I sighed as the ice cold liquid rushed over my tongue and down my throat.

"Don't hog it all!" The mare cried, snatching the bottle from me and taking a huge gulp, sighing relief. She felt like she was roasting from the inside out just sitting next to her fur covered body. I couldn't imagine how hot she had to be feeling right now. "That's the stuff," she smacked her lips before belching, handing the still half full bottle to me. I took another long swig before setting the bottle on top of the fridge just so I could pull AJ closer to me.

"Thanks for letting me participate," I kissed behind her ear, making her whinny.

"Pfft, thank y'all fer helpin' me see that this weekend could work. Now Ah won't be able ta go through an Estrus without ya," she poked me in my stomach with a cute pout on her face.

"I'm sure that's such a tragedy," came the playful rolling of my eyes as Applejack gave my abs a good lick.

"Watch yerself; remember what happened last time ya tried ta tease me?" The mare rose an eyebrow at me.

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" I retorted, squinting one eye at her. A sudden shiver shot up through my spine as her tail slipped its way around my member, giving it two quick pumps.

"Exactly!" She smacked my back with her hoof, giggling at my reaction. Having a different question on my mind to change the subject, I opened my mouth, but my girlfriend beat me to the punch. "Sorry Sugarcube, but ya done wore me out. Although, Ah wouldn't mind doin' that fer ya every now 'n then when we're alone," she winked. I had to clench my body extremely tight as her tail released me so I wouldn't moan again.

"A-A-Applejack," I shuddered, still reeling back from the pleasure. "W-what usually happens the day after an Estrus weekend?" I asked with a gulp. No matter how much I tried to think back, I couldn't remember what happened between everyone after the previous Estrus in Equestria. Well, all I did remember was Fluttershy having to be consoled by nearly everyone for what she did to Caramel….and Applejack feeling sick for what she nearly did to me.

"Oh," Applejack blushed for assuming what I was going to ask. She cleared her throat and motioned for me to pass her the cider before she answered, so I obliged, giving her plenty of time to answer. "Let's see," she said after swallowing, "the girls 'n Ah actually talked about this a couple 'o days ago."

"Really?"

"Come on now, Ivan. Ya know how Twilight likes ta plan everythin' ahead 'o time," she chuckled. "We all talked about what we wanted ta do after the Estrus while you were helpin' Applebloom, Scootaloo, 'n Sweetie Belle fix the window in their clubhouse."

"Hmm," I took the bottle from the mare and rehydrated myself. "What are you and the girls gonna do?"

"Well, we talked fer a good bit about it, 'n it was Rarity 'n Fluttershy's idea," she added. "All of us, includin' Cheerilee 'n Starlight are gonna have a girls day at the spa just ta relax ya know?"

"Oh, this wasn't relaxing enough?" I smirked, putting the quarter full bottle back on the fridge before pinching her supple flank. She yelped in pleasure and jumped before glowering a little at me.

"Very funny, Sugarcube," Applejack said out of the corner of her mouth, but didn't swat my hand away as I ceased pinching and just massaged her. "Ya know Ah loved sharin' this weekend with ya, but it still wears just about every mare out, even ones that didn't have a partner ta share it with."

"Rainbow's probably got a lot of rage built up," I remarked offhandedly, clicking my tongue. Soarin was the one who actually put his hoof down and forbade he and Rainbow Dash from participating in the Estrus because of Rainbow's broken leg. Despite his constant assurance that he'd make up for it the instant her leg was healed, the athletic mare was none too happy.

"That was one 'o Twilight's biggest reasons fer the spa trip," Applejack said. "Rainbow though, that hard headed mare tried ta persuade us that a massage 'n a long soak in the hot tub was too girly fer her."

"Even though Soarin told me she fell in love with those deep tissue massages at the academy."

"Mhmm! She didn't try ta deny it fer very long, but she finally agreed as long as nopony touches her hooves," Applejack laughed. "It's just a day ta recoup is all. Plus, us girls haven't really had any 'us time' fer quite awhile. An' Cheerilee's startin' ta feel more like a member 'o the family, plus she's a nice mare."

"And it might be a good idea to help Starlight start off her new journey of friendship with a relaxing day with all of you?" I guessed.

"Ya got it!" The orange mare exclaimed, rewarding me with a kiss to the cheek. "Don't feel left out though," she added, even though I wasn't feeling left out at all. If my friends wanted a girls day, then more power to them. They all work hard at what they do anyway, so I'd say they earned it. And it would be nice if they started inviting Cheerilee along to hang out; inviting Starlight was pretty obvious. "Twilight worked it all out that you boys can have yer own day at the castle."

"What?" I stopped myself from reaching for the cider bottle once again, turning around to face my girlfriend.

"Ya know, Twilight'll talk ta Flash about it, 'n tell Spike when he gets back; Fluttershy'll talk ta Discord; Ah'm tellin' you tonight 'n Big Mac tomorrow; 'n Rainbow is gonna let Soarin know if she hasn't told him yet. We all thought you boys might get lonely without us, so Twilight's lettin' y'all use her castle," AJ explained.

"Lonely? I can sort of see if Spike gets lonely since he's spent more time with you six than anyone else."

"Well, won't ya be lonely without me tomorrow?" Applejack questioned, snuggling up closer to me. "We just didn't want the lot 'o ya stranded by yer lonesomes while us girls had a day together." With a sigh, I wrapped my right arm around her and reached for the cider with the other. I had to fight like hell to suppress my immature side that was coming up with seventh grade level jokes, so I occupied my mouth with the cider.

"Of course I'd miss you, AJ," I downed some more of the cider, offering her what was now left in the bottle. "But I'm pretty sure I'd manage." She happily gulped the rest of the cider, sighing contently before tossing it in the waste basket at the foot of the cot.

"Then what's on yer mind?" She asked with genuine concern. "Ya don't feel like seein' anypony other than me tomorrow?"

"Nah, it's not that," I shook my head, shifting both of our bodies so we were laying down once again. The two of us flipped onto our sides so we were facing one another. "To be fair, I think spending some guy time together with Spike, Soarin, Big Mac, and Discord might do us all some good."

"Plus, you 'n Big Mac haven't really spent quality time together before," AJ reached up and traced her hoof along the five 'o clock shadow that was forming on my cheeks.

"Yeah, there's that," I agreed, snuggling closer until our noses were mere centimeters apart. "But…"

"Are ya feelin' okay, Sugarcube?" Applejack pulled her hoof back.

"I….kind of have a feeling that the both of us might have to explain a few things to our friends tomorrow," I didn't even try to bullshit my way out of an explanation.

"Explain what exactly?" My face fell at her question.

"Come on, Applejack. Estrus weekend? You and I are the most radical couple out of our group of friends?"

"Oh…" Applejack's eyes steadily grew as she put the pieces together. "R-right, Ah actually hadn't thought about that." I cuddled my hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer until she buried her muzzle into my neck.

"I still remember the first time we made love that we didn't want anyone except Rarity to know," I reminded her, stroking the back of her neck lovingly.

"But that may change," her muzzle tickled my skin.

"They'll be curious obviously, but I don't think we can fault them for that, hun. And I don't want you to have to lie because I'm sure at least Rarity will be able to tell if you slept with me."

"Well Ah don't want ta disrespect our relationship by braggin', Ivan. It's yer personal private matter just like it's my personal private matter," Applejack pulled her head back and placed her chin upon my chest.

"Hmm, as long as you don't sell our weekend as an erotic novel, I won't feel disrespected." My attempt to make light of the situation fell flat when AJ hit my bicep. "Okay, sorry, bad joke," I seethed, rubbing my arm from the punch.

"Be serious, Sugarcube. Y'all brought this up, so ya must feel uneasy about it," she glared.

"Applejack, of course I'll feel uneasy if say Discord asks me about my sex life. I've never been in a sexual relationship before, and I don't want you to feel like I don't care about your feelings if I talk about it. I love you and our relationship, and I want to respect both you and it," I explained, giving her nose a quick peck. "You know, a gentleman never kisses and tells?" I prayed that she'd heard that expression before.

"Huh, Ah would feel kinda sleazy if Ah talked about it like Ah do Applebuckin. Ah love ya too, Ivan; Ah'd hate ta give off the impression Ah care more about the sex than you."

"So….what do we do when someone asks?" The two of us sat in silence, letting the noises of the night serve as our background noise.

"Well, that's a tough one, Ivan," Applejack admitted sheepishly. "Ah mean, Ah loved how gentle y'all were. An' ya made me feel so loved 'n appreciated," the mare blushed. "Ya took care 'o me 'n worried about hurtin' me when yer ribs ain't up ta par."

"I'm fine with you saying that," I replied with a somewhat proud smirk. "Not too graphic and I'm positive most of the girls there will get more out of that explanation than we realize. Heck, it might even make the others talk about their weekend," I shrugged.

"Ah guess the quicker the conversation changes from me ta someone else, the better," AJ chuckled. "Now then, if any 'o the guys ask, what's yer game plan, Ivan?"

"It has to be something that won't make Big Mac throw up," I joked, making the mare chuckle louder. "I'm no philosopher or poet, but how about you made me feel like we were a single being all weekend? And it felt like our souls had merged together?" It was cheesier than a fucking Cheez-It factory, but it was the best that I could come up with on the spot. And since most of the guys in the group were mature, I was sure they'd like a more philosophical answer because it was true!

"Ivan!" Applejack squeaked. "Wh-where did ya come up with that?!"

"I uh….I did pretty well in English class before Adam and I ditched High School. I modified a quote by a Greek philosopher," I explained with a blush.

"Ah know Ah'm not the most book smart pony around," she admitted, "but that was beautiful, Sugarcube," she rewarded me with a passionate kiss.

"I prefer street smart, down to Earth, hands on, and honest people anyway, AJ," I smirked after we pulled apart for air. "Thank God I was blessed to meet someone who's all three of those rolled into one," I cupped her cheek.

"How about y'all go get us some more cider for one last round, Ivan?" Applejack asked seductively, dragging her tongue slowly across my lips and down my neck. My entire body shivered from the erotic pleasure, but I managed to hold back.

"Whatever you say, Applejack," I moaned as she let me go. With a grunt, I stood up from the cot and grabbed my shorts that were lying on the floor.

SMACK

I yelped when I felt the hoof of my girlfriend smack me right in the butt about as hard as I'd smacked her flank over the weekend. Not hard enough to hurt, but definitely one that'd make you notice. With my shorts still in hand, I turned around to see her propping her head up with her other hoof as she laid on her side, her eyes scanning over my entire body. "What?" She asked innocently. "Ah rarely get ta see y'all naked; let me enjoy it," she explained, eying me like a fresh apple pie and licking her lips.

(Ponyville Spa; 3rd Person POV)

"Oh, this is going to be soooo relaxing!" Rarity cheered once a pair of spa ponies opened up the doors to the main room of the Ponyville Spa. "I'm so glad I managed to book all of us a spa day together," she added, heading the front of the group that were all dressed in fluffy white robes.

"Please just relax," a pink mare insisted, "our masseuses shall be here momentarily, and the hot tub is heated up," she announced. Rarity and Twilight thanked the spa worker before climbing onto a couple of massage tables.

"Thank you so much for inviting me along!" Cheerilee thanked giddily, hanging her robe on a hook before easing herself into the massive hot tub. The maroon educator sighed relaxingly while the hot water soothed her tired back and rear legs.

"Eh, don't think too much about Cheerilee," Applejack grinned.

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed with a nod, "I think we should invite you to hang out more often. You're banging Applejack's big brother after all, so consider yourself a friend of the group!"

"REALLY PINKIE!?" Applejack barked, coming close to dry heaving at her friend's description. Cheerilee could only blush in reply, sinking down in the tub to cover her cheeks.

"Now now," Rarity spoke out softly, "this is a day of relaxation ladies; let's not get under each other's skin." Applejack simply shook her head and grumbled under her breath, disrobing and climbing onto a massage table next to Twilight while Starlight and Fluttershy laid back in a few chairs, allowing other spa employees to put mud masks and cucumber slices onto their faces. Well, only the cheeks for Fluttershy.

"I uh, thanks for inviting me too," Starlight said sheepishly from under her mask, still feeling like a fish out of water among the seven other mares.

"Oh, you're our friend too Starlight," Fluttershy replied sweetly. "What better way to get a better understanding of each other than a quiet day at the spa?" She smiled, though Starlight couldn't see through her cucumber covered eyes.

"Although, we won't drill you for questions you're not comfortable with," Twilight chimed in, levitating a magazine over to her massage table. "Feel free to join in any conversation though!"

"Hey! Keep away from my hooves unless you want what I got!" Rainbow screeched at a spa worker that assisted her onto a table as well. She growled at the stallion, making him back away.

"Do you really have to threaten bodily harm, Rainbow?" Twilight asked, deadpanned. The Wonderbolt turned to the alicorn princess, eye twitching.

"Easy for you to say, Twilight! At least you got laid! You didn't have to spend all weekend trying to claw into your coltfriend's room because your hormones were in overdrive!" She exclaimed, grinding her teeth.

"Honestly, Rainbow Dash. Not all of us were blessed with the company of a stallion this weekend," Rarity rolled her eyes nonchalantly, having grown an immunity to Rainbow's constant complaining over the past week. "You don't see Starlight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, nor myself complaining do you?" Starlight and Fluttershy dared not to say a word to Rainbow Dash for obvious reasons while Pinkie nodded in agreement.

"Uh huh!" Pinkie popped out from under the water of the hot tub. "I make do when Cheesy can't make it to town!" She bragged. "Though, you've only had one Estrus with Soarin. What did you do before you and him started dating?"

"Let me put it this way, Pinkie. Once I spent an Estrus with Soarin, I can't willingly go back to spending an Estrus alone, I. Just. Can't!" Rainbow stressed.

"Which is precisely why I wanted to bring you along, darling," Rarity added. "You sound stressed out, so why not get a deep tissue massage like you get at the academy?" Before the mare could snap back, the doors to the room opened, making everyone who could see gasp.

"Ah, won't this be a most stress free day?" Princess Celestia asked rhetorically, happy to see all of her friends.

"P-P-Princess Celestia!" Twilight exclaimed, scrambling off her table and onto the floor to bow just as Princess Luna, Lyra, and Bon Bon entered as well.

"Coming here today was genius Lyra!" Bon Bon held back a girlish squeal from being in a relaxing presence with the princesses.

"Hmph, maybe next time you won't want to blow something off that's 'too girly' huh?" The aquamarine unicorn teased, rubbing her cheek upon her earth pony marefriend's own cheek.

"Please rise Twilight Sparkle," Luna giggled, "this is not a regal matter. We are only here to get some down time with our friends if that's all right?"

"O-of course!" Fluttershy squeaked after lifting a cucumber slice off her eye. "But when did you arrive?"

"About a few minutes ago," Celestia explained, taking off her golden horseshoes, crown, and necklace, placing them in a basket for personal accessories. "We stopped by your castle at first, but the boys all said you came here, so we left Glock and Checkered to spend some time with the others while we came here," she added while Luna removed her royal attire as well. "Do you mind if we join you two?" She asked Pinkie and Cheerilee.

"Not at all, princess!" Cheerilee exclaimed, trying to contain her excitement.

"The water's great, princesses!" Pinkie dove below the surface, appearing near the steps where Celestia and Luna were waiting.

"Hehe, very well," Luna giggled at Pinkie Pie's zany nature. With her baby bump still growing, Luna very carefully eased herself into the hot tub, attempting to get used to easing herself up and down for later in her pregnancy. "Ooh, this is lovely!" The midnight blue alicorn slid over to allow her sister access as well.

"Wait Princess Luna, Spike was on his best behavior over the weekend right?" Twilight questioned worriedly. "Oh, I wish I could've been at the castle to welcome him back," she added.

"Oh come on Twilight, even AJ doesn't worry that much about Applebloom anymore!" Lyra chimed in.

"Ugh, Ah overreact ta my little sister one time, 'n Ah'm branded fer life," Applejack grumbled just as a male unicorn came over and began to rub her back, melting her worries away.

"You put pillows on a rake, Applejack," Fluttershy pointed out, slapping the cucumber slices back onto her eyes to avoid Applejack's glare. The others in the room, minus Rainbow Dash and Twilight, giggled at the reminder.

"I assure you, Twilight Sparkle, that Spike was such a joy to be around, and fairly helpful! He and I talked for a good while when he helped tidy up the castle library," Luna smiled. The Princess of Friendship sighed in relief, smiling proudly that her dragon son surpassed her expectations.

"And our sisters were well-behaved as well?" Rarity questioned before a whole pit crew of spa workers surrounded her, giving the fashionista her usual spa treatment.

"Oh my, your sisters were an absolute treat!" Luna gushed. "It was so nice getting to watch over them for the weekend that Checkered and I are looking forward to our own colt now more than ever!" She looked down through the surface of the water at her slightly bulging belly, running her front hooves over it.

"In time little sister, in time," Celestia snickered at Luna's enthusiasm. "Though I must confess that I myself cannot wait to see and play with my new nephew. And of course, see you become a mother, Luna."

"I uh, I'm sure you'd make a fantastic mother as well, princess," Starlight gulped, still feeling nervous about speaking up. Luckily for the unicorn, no one objected to her compliment, but they instead agreed.

"Princess Celestia is practically the mom to Equestria," Bon Bon replied, "being a mother to a filly or a colt would probably come natural to her," the candy making mare bet, throwing a foreleg around her marefriend's neck.

"Uh, may I ask you a personal question, your highness?" Cheerilee asked like one of her own school ponies toward Celestia.

"I don't see a reason why not, Cheerilee. I'm positive we're all comfortable with each other?" Celestia guessed, only to receive nods of agreement from everyone else. "Oh, and please call me Celestia in this setting," she winked toward the educator.

"Okay then, speaking of parenthood, h-have you and Glock spoken to each other about starting a family?" Cheerilee asked with a bit of hesitation, knowing that it was a large question. To the shock of everyone, even the spa workers who had begun work on all of the girls, froze when their beloved princess' cheeks turned pink at the inquiry. The unicorn worker who had been pouring some minerals into the large hot tub backed away. "Oh, please don't be mad at me, your highness. I-I was just curious," Cheerilee pleaded.

"No, it's, ahem, quite all right," Celestia had to clear her throat. "I just trust that everypony here understands what what we say stays within these walls?" She asked out of the corner of her mouth, directing her question toward the employees of the Ponyville Spa.

"Of course, your words here are safe your highness," a pink earth pony replied, ceasing filing Rarity's hoof. "We understand a lot of ponies use the spa as a way to get a few things off their chest. We pride ourselves in making this a safe environment for private conversations," she explained. The Princess of the Sun's face relaxed, feeling relieved by the answer.

"Thank you," Celestia offered the spa worker a smile while the rest of the employees and masseuses went right back to work. Celestia's friends and sister on the other hoof, continued to listen, intrigued by her answer. "To answer your question Cheerilee, Glock and I have discussed the possibility of a foal what with Luna's pregnancy coming to light. However, we would like to let my sister stay in the spotlight and not take any attention away from her."

"But, you may have a foal or foals one day, princess?" Twilight bit her lip, hoping to not offend her former mentor. Celestia only smirked toward her fellow alicorn, giving a slow nod.

"Anything's possible Twilight Sparkle. I wouldn't bear a foal from any other stallion than Glock." Celestia couldn't help but feel a little bashful at her statement, no matter how true it was. After over a millennia of being forced to keep a neutral and regal personality, she was still adjusting to acting like a normal mare.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Fluttershy beamed.

"I feel the same way about Checkered," Luna added, smiling just thinking about her future husband. "Though, I am rather curious, are there any possibilities for any of you girls to bear children with your special somepony?" With the exception of the bubbling of the hot tub and the spa ponies trotting around, the room fell silent of any conversation. The mares that were in committed relationships pursed their lips at such a loaded question.

"Well, we'd have to adopt, your highness," Bon Bon looked toward her unicorn marefriend who looked to be deep in thought.

"I don't think we can speak for Twilight just yet. I mean, she and Flash did just restart their relationship again from what I've been told; a foal might be rushing things," Starlight gave her opinion, still refusing to lift the cucumber slices from her eyes. Twilight opened her mouth to agree with her student before Rainbow interrupted her.

"Damn! I should've used that as an excuse to sleep with Soarin!" Rainbow barked, gritting her teeth.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity scolded. "I may not want to enjoy motherhood this instant, but I know you shouldn't guilt a stallion into sex with the excuse of having a child unless both of you are ready! Or at least if you conceive one by pure accident," she added.

"Meh," the cyan pegasus sighed.

"Anyway!" Twilight cut into the conversation to steer it away from Rainbow's bitterness, "I understand that sleeping with Flash right after we rekindled our relationship isn't necessarily the best step, but at least it was for good reason." Twilight admitted. "But, obviously we're working on the foundation of our relationship, so a foal is definitely out of the question for now."

"At least you have Spike at the moment," Celestia winked.

"Yes! And he's all I need right now for a son," Twilight sighed, thinking how much she loved the young dragon as her own. Even if she and Flash Sentry worked their way up to marriage and a foal, Spike would always be her first son.

"Speaking of Flash and babies," Pinkie Pie chimed in, redoing her mane style with some shampoo, "I'm willing to bet where the next little bundle of joy will come from!" She sang, grinning ear to ear. Every mare that had a stallion for a coltfriend froze, only moving their eyes upward at their hyperactive friend.

"And who do you think it'll be Pinkie?" Fluttershy questioned, not worried since there was no possibility for the foreseeable future for her.

"I think it'll be from Sweet Apple Acres!"

Both Applejack and Cheerilee's fur on the back of their necks stood up. "What?" Cheerilee exclaimed.

"Heh?" Applejack did a double take, raising her eyebrow. "W-what exactly are ya gettin' at there, Pinkie?" Applejack and Ivan had truthfully never discussed actually having foals of their own. The closest they'd ever done was when he off handedly mentioned how great of a mother she would be, and they'd only made love one time other than the Estrus.

"Uh," Pinkie cocked her head, darting her blue eyes between Applejack and Cheerilee while the other mares in the hot tub looked at her curiously. They were trying to deduce which mare Pinkie was referring to. "I was talking about your brother and Cheerilee, silly Applejack!" The pink earth pony giggled. "Wait," the giggle suddenly turned into her trademark overdramatic gasp, "Unless….are you and Cougar planning on starting a family!?"

Applejack's eyes nearly popped from her head at the question. She really had no clue how to respond; she didn't want to sound repulsed by the idea, but she also didn't want to give off the impression that they were and have someone mention it to Ivan. Applejack hated the thought of putting that much pressure on him. "N-no! Pinkie, Ah love him, but we've only been together a couple 'o months," she reminded her, but that didn't stop Pinkie.

"So? That doesn't mean it won't happen, right?" Applejack could only purse her lips and rest her chin upon her crossed forelegs, not knowing how to answer yet another question from her bubbly friend.

"Ahem, Pinkie?" Luna grasped the pony within her magic, gently pulling her away from the edge of the tub, "Let's not rush our friend too far ahead. She and Cougar are very happy at the pace their relationship is going; they'll come to that life changing decision when they know they're ready," the alicorn patted Pinkie's head like she would a foal.

"Thanks princess," Applejack sighed in relief, "sorry Pinkie, but right now the both of us are happy where we are," she reiterated Luna's statement.

"Aww!" Pinkie humphed. "Well, I still think your brother and Cheerilee will give you a nephew or a niece soon," her attitude changed from disappointed back to cheery. The mare in question squeaked, thinking about giving birth and raising a foal with her coltfriend.

"I don't know about soon, Pinkie Pie, but I'm not against the idea, and Big MacIntosh told me he enjoyed helping raise Applebloom," Cheerilee chuckled nervously.

"Hehe," Lyra giggled, "before any of us knows it, we'll all be raising the next generation of Equestria!"

"While I enjoy the positive spirit Lyra," Rarity cleared her throat, "some of us have yet to find a special somepony," the unicorn removed the gunk from her face, gesturing to herself, Fluttershy, and Starlight.

"Oh come on Rare," Applejack lifted her head up, "if Ah can find a special somepony in Ivan, Ah'm sure y'all could find a special somepony 'o yer own," she offered up some encouragement for her friend.

"Please, there's nopony in Ponyville who's phosisticated enough or famous enough for Rarity," Rainbow sneered.

"Rainbow Dash! First of all, the word is 'sophisticated,'" Rarity groaned.

"Lemme see if I care, Rarity," the Wonderbolt chewed on her lip while a masseuse worked on her lower back.

"And second of all, I've abandoned the pointless journey to find a famous or fancy pony. If I could find a stallion half as decent as Cougar or Checkered Flag, then I'd be grateful!" Both Luna and Applejack took the moment to feel a tad bit prideful for the compliment in their coltfriends. However, with all the talk of Applejack and Cougar's relationship, and the fact that the Estrus weekend had come and gone, Twilight couldn't help but feel a bit curious. She tried to shoo the question away, but her inquisitive instincts were far too powerful.

"Um, Applejack?" She spoke up softly.

"Somethin' that matter Twilight?" Applejack was happy that the questions about a family with her special somepony were dying down.

"N-no, everything's fine," a little bit of sweat formed on the violet alicorn's forehead. "I was just wondering, could I ask you a personal question? I just figured since it's us girls here and we all trust each other…" the Princess of Friendship trailed off, not knowing how exactly to phrase the question. Applejack, on the other hand, gulped, knowing precisely where Twilight was going with this, just as Ivan had predicted. Obviously if the talk had turned to one about others having kids, then questions about her and Ivan making love wouldn't be far behind.

"Yeah? Go on then Twilight; there ain't nothin' wrong with bein' curious," Applejack slowly nodded.

"Uh, well…..did you and Cougar," she blushed, holding her hoof up to her mouth, feeling embarrassed for thinking of it. "Did you and Cougar spend the weekend together?" Twilight asked her question in the most innocent way she could think of. "Oh please don't be upset for me asking that!" She suddenly pleaded. Applejack's face heated up enough to fry an egg.

"Oh my," Celestia blushed despite not having a say in the question whatsoever.

"I-It's okay Twilight," Applejack grinned as sweat dripped off her face. "Like Ah said, there's nothin' wrong with bein' curious. Ah can't lie ta any of y'all," she paused for a moment to gather herself. "Yes, Ivan 'n Ah spent our first Estrus together," she admitted, biting down on her lower lip as her heart jumped into her mouth.

"W-well," Fluttershy stuttered, hiding her face behind a magazine, "We're happy for you two?" She guessed.

"That is if it was enjoyable for you two," Rarity pointed out, trying not to sound too intrusive over a sensitive matter. "I'd have no clue what to expect due to his…..opposite nature."

"She doesn't seem disappointed or frustrated," Bon Bon shrugged, "I mean, Rainbow's displaying that perfectly."

"Buck you!" Rainbow snapped.

"Ugh, that's my job, Dash," Lyra rolled her eyes. Rainbow Dash growled, yet did nothing retaliation to the unicorn.

"Applejack?" Rarity called once everyone had settled down.

"Winnin' every blue ribbon in the Equestria National Rodeo wouldn't even compare ta what Ah felt when Ah was with Ivan," Applejack continued, knowing what Rarity would ask next. "He just…took care 'o mare, 'n was so gentle," she sighed.

"No offense, but I'm going for a steam," Starlight announced. She wasn't disgusted by what Applejack and Cougar did, but talking about sex wasn't a conversation she wanted to be apart of. The unicorn briskly trotted her way into the steam room, abruptly shutting the door for some quiet time.

"Uh oh, Ah wasn't too graphic was Ah?" Applejack questioned.

"Certainly not!" Luna assured the farmer. "I think that was a particularly sweet description, Applejack. It certainly sounds like him."

"Well, we talked about what ta say if anypony asked us if we made love over the weekend," she replied with a somewhat nervous blush.

"You actually rehearsed what to say?" Twilight did a double take.

"It was his idea. He thought it'd be natural if anypony was curious, so we agreed that if anypony asked, we'd tell the truth so neither of us would feel sleazy."

"Hold on!" Pinkie blurted. "You mean to tell me you left him alone with the other guys and gave him the okay to talk about having sex with you?!"

"Uh, we just talked about it Pinkie," Cheerilee pointed out. "If Applejack said Cougar's okay with it, and she's okay with him talking about it, then what's the problem?"

"Oh come on, Cheerilee! You're a teacher; you know who immature boys are! Who knows what they could be doing with that information!?"

"Pinkie dear, you're overreacting. Our boys are more mature than grade schoolers," Rarity said with confidence. "Besides, you know full well that Cougar isn't prideful."

"Did you forget that Discord is there too?" Pinkie folded her forelegs over her chest.

"Oh dear…." Fluttershy dropped her magazine. And it was at that point that the faces of every mare in the room fell.

(With the guys; Ivan's POV)

Sweat dripped down and off my dirt smudged face as my heart threatened to burst from my chest. I'd pinned my back against a nearby tree, trying to keep my breathing as quiet as possible to not alert a group of enemies that was close to my location. I was a mess; a dirty red bandana was tied around my forehead, and a pair of tattered pants were the only things I was wearing save for some bruises and dirt along my body. As I held in a breath in my throat, I peered my left eye around the trunk of the tree, watching as a dwindled yet still strong army of skele-ponies marched toward my friends who were pinned against the side of a mountain. We had gotten separated earlier in our quest during a surprise attack from the enemy, and I was trying to devise a plan using the element of surprise.

"Now!" Captain Wuzz shouted, releasing a quintet of arrows from his bow. Garbunkle the Magician slammed the bottom of his staff on the ground, shooting a giant ball of green and blue flames, igniting the arrows while Gandore shot magic blasts from his orange horn.

"No," I sneered quietly as another blast of magic disintegrated the arrows midair, allowing the ashes to fall pitifully to the ground. The Skele-Ponies raised their shields, blocking the magic blast from Gandore.

"Uh-oh," Sir McBiggon bit his lip from behind his helmet that had cracked in half, revealing one side of his face for the world of Spiketopia to see.

"Muwahaha!" The evil Squizard chortled, taking a few steps forward with his evil platoon. "Fools! Accept that you have lost, and that Princess Rarity shall be my bride, FOREVER!" He shouted to the heavens, laughing once again before stopping abruptly. "Ahem, I mean uh, Princess Shmarity!" Another archer besides Captain Wuzz, General Dead-Eye groaned and turned to Garbunkle.

"Who were you trying to fool with that name, Spike?"

"Don't break character, Glock!" The dragon magician whispered.

"Strike Eagle! I know you're out there watching!" The Squizard yelled, looking all around the trees. I ducked behind the trunk once again right as his eyes scanned the tree line where I was hiding. "I hope you enjoy the last few moments of your friends' lives!" I grasped the handle of my large Bowie knife, dropped to my knees, and crawled the through a few bushes where I'd hidden a special rope.

"Just a little closer you enchanted bastards," I said through gritted teeth at his platoon of ten skele-ponies. We had taken out a huge chunk of the army in our earlier skirmish, but it had also left most of us low on energy and weapons. I was only down to my Bowie knife, having started off with it, a mace, and a circular shield that I had lost when an enemy cut through the straps.

"Sir McBiggon, is your shield still holding up?" Garbunkle questioned, trying to cast a protective spell around the small group.

"Nope!" The Black Knight unicorn shook his head.

"ADVANCE!" The Squizard declared in his somewhat squeaky voice. The knights of the group stood firm, keeping the more magical members safe with their brawn. With the Skele-Ponies in place, I shot up to my knees and slammed my knife down onto the rope, releasing an avalanche of rocks that I had netted when I was separated from the group. "What's that funny noise?" Our Enemy halted, looking up where the rocks were tumbling down a hill. "Evasive maneuvers!" He levitated himself out of the way in time; the same couldn't be said for the rest of his platoon, however. All ten of them had been run over by my trap, leaving the Squizard all alone.

"Strike Eagle! All right!" Gandore cheered. Leaping up from my hiding place, I threw my knife at the Squizard as I began to charge toward him, ready to end this fight.

"AHHHH!" He screamed in agony as the knife cut right through one of his tentacles that held a wand. Red rectangles of cardboard shot out of the dismembered tentacle, rendering him in shock for a moment, unable to realize I was headed his way. As the bloodied knife clattered onto the dirty, I tackled the cephalopod, sending us both to the ground.

"How dare thee!" He snarled, jabbing my eye with his wand. My body jolted from the pain, giving him time to wrap a tentacle around my throat. I kicked my legs around and attempted to claw at his tentacle to let me go, but he was having none of it. "It gives me great pleasure seeing you struggle for survival!" He taunted, slamming me onto the ground numerous times in a semi-circle pattern.

"McBiggon, grab a sword!" I heard Captain Wuzz shout. Even though I was beginning to lose air, I could still see the battered red unicorn gallop his way over and snatch a sword from a dead skele-pony, charging at the Squizard.

"Not so fast!" He growled, casting a spell upon the ground that jutted rocks up to the surface, tripping the Black Knight.

"F-F-FUCK IT!" I choked, grasping both hands around his tentacle and brought it to my mouth, biting down as hard as I could. He immediately howled in pain, releasing me while more cardboard blood erupted from his body.

"No one defeats the SQUIZARD!" He exclaimed, shooting magical bolts at me that I dodged as best as I could. One hit my left leg, making it sear in pain, but I forged on toward my Bowie knife.

"Guys, ATTAAAAACCCCKK!" General Deady-Eye declared, picking up more weapons from the ground and charged toward the Squizard with everyone else. The evil sea wizard spun around, casting spells as fast as he could. Garbunkle and Gandore cast counter spells, blocking the Squizard from making any progress, making him curse. Quickly, I swooped down and scooped up my Bowie knife, whirling around and setting my sights on my target.

"If you pathetic fools strike me down, I shall return! Or else your adventures end!" He threatened, hitting everyone with a blast of electricity. 'Well, this one's over, Squidward!' I thought to myself, lunging toward him as he had his back turned.

"YAHHHH!" I let out a war cry and plunged the blade into his back and out his front. All of his magic suddenly stopped, and his tentacles went limp. I hoisted him up in the air as if he were calamari on a fork and brought his head down so he could hear the final words of his life. "Yippie-Ki-Yay, mother fucker!" I growled, flinging him off my knife where he completely disappeared for good. "Now THAT, was fun," I exhaled in relief, grinning at my friends as they picked themselves up off the ground. As we all joined back up, Discord snapped his lions paw, making the game world vanish, and returned us back to throne room of Twilight's castle.

"Aw man, that was the best game of Ogres and Oogliettes ever!" Spike shouted, sitting back in his mother's throne, breathing heavily from the excitement.

"Eeyup!" Big Mac nodded fervently, wiping sweat from his dirty orange mane.

"Hey Spike, wanna come with me and get some snacks?" Flash offered, stretching from the intense adventure. The dragon in question leapt to his feet, wiping sweat from his forehead. Things didn't exactly plan out this way. In fact, none of us with the exception of Spike and Big MacIntosh knew what we would be doing today. I'd just assumed we'd sit around the throne room and simply shoot the shit like most guys do on a guys day back on Earth. While I would have been fine with that, I was glad Spike and Big Mac invited the lot of us to play Equestria's version of Dungeons and Dragons, as was Flash since he was trying to find ways to bond with the dragon. That's not to say it started out the way we ended up playing.

Right in the middle of explaining the rules to myself, Flash, Soarin, and a rather disinterested Lord of Chaos, we got a surprise when Luna and Celestia appeared, asking where Twilight and the girls were at. As luck would have it, Checkered and Glock accompanied the princesses and wound up staying here with us while the alicorns ventured off to the Ponyville Spa.

However, even with the accommodation of the Captain of the Royal Guard and a seven-time racing champion, not all of us were interested in the role-playing game. A certain draconequus wasn't seeing eye to eye with the rest of us. And by that, I mean if Discord couldn't have fun, then he wouldn't allow us to have fun. Yet, after a few events that included teleporting us to a Jazz Club and then directly into the game to torment all of us, Spike convinced Discord to tone things down a bit, and everyone included ended up having a great time together. And now,

"Okay guys, Flash and I have some orange soda, gems, chip & dip, some fruits, and some vegetables!" Spike declared as he and Flash emerged from the kitchen, carrying the snacks and drinks.

"I don't think any of us will want the gems, Spike," Checkered Flag chuckled politely.

"Eh, more for me!" The drake dug into a large bowl, shoving a handful into his mouth.

"No pies?" Soarin asked, leaning forward against the map from Rainbow Dash's throne. "Guess Dashie and I will have to stop by Sugar Cube Corner later today," the Wonderbolt sighed when Spike shook his head.

"Um, hello?" Discord appeared behind Soarin, knocking on his head with his eagle talons. "Anypony home? Think Skies, think!"

"What do you want?"

"I'm one of the most powerful magical beings in Equestria. Ask and ye shall receive," Discord clapped both of his mismatched hands together. A large pie about the size of a wagon wheel appeared in front of the blue pegasus.

"I don't have to sell my soul or anything do I?" Soarin eyed the baked dessert suspiciously. With the shake of Discord's head, Soarin took a huge bite out of the pie, and promptly spat it out. "UGH! What the Tartarus is in here?!"

"Oh just my own special recipe: Toenails, nose hairs, and horseradish for flavor!" The draconequus sang, appearing in a chef's outfit. As Soarin tried to hold his stomach down, the rest of us failed to contain our laughter. "What? You never specified what flavor you wanted."

"Sorry Soarin," I apologized, holding a fist up to my mouth to at least muffle my snickering, "but he got you pretty good, you have to admit."

"Actually, sweets aren't really my thing, except the occasional soda," Glock replied, sipping said drink while munching on a piece of celery.

"From what Lulu told me, Celestia has a secret stash of cupcakes in a hidden mini-fridge in her room, is that true?" Checkered asked the guard captain. At his expense, the lot of us leered over at the white unicorn, watching his eyes grow bigger at the question.

"Well, has Luna ever lied to you before?"

"Clever Glock, I'll give you that," the racing earth pony grinned before downing the rest of his orange soda.

"Oooh, speaking of Celestia and sweets," Discord slithered his way back to Fluttershy's throne, making the disgusting pie disappear. "How was everypony's Estrus?" Like clockwork, the sipping of soda and munching of snacks came to a crashing halt, much to Discord's delight. "Oh my, it seems I've hit a tender spot!" He chortled.

"Thank Celestia Lulu is pregnant; I have nothing to beat the bush around," Checkered retorted rather pretentiously, though since he's a nice guy practically 24/7, no one was bothered.

"I-I don't think that's really any of your business, Discord," Flash cleared his throat. "Not to be rude," he added.

"On the contrary Mr. Sentry, I was rather curious about you and Huffy the Magic Dragon's mother. What with you two only getting back together early last week, that conversation before and in the bedroom must've been awkward."

"Knock it off, Discord!" Spike exclaimed in disgust, covering his ears.

"What? Is it such a crime to be a little curious?" Discord questioned as innocently as possible.

"No; the only crime you'd be guilty of is being an ass, though," Glock explained gruffly.

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

"Lay off him Discord," I inserted myself into the conversation after swallowing a potato chip. "He's still getting used to his mom and Flash being back together; talking about his mom doing….that with Flash is just low."

"I don't think anyone could have put it better than you two," Flash said gratefully, pointing to myself and Glock.

"Maybe he's just jealous he hasn't gotten any for over a thousand years?" Soarin chirped, deciding to get some payback to Discord. Discord suddenly deflated like a cut tire in Fluttershy's throne, a look of embarrassment on his face.

"Thanks Soar," Spike unplugged his ears.

"Excuse me, but there's not much one can do when you're encased in stone!" Discord snarled. "And who are you to talk about 'getting any'?"

"Uhh," Soarin blushed.

"Mr. Ban sex because my marefriend has a broken leg!" Discord disappeared and reappeared right in front of Soarin, pressing his nose against the stallion's.

"I only did it to keep Rainbow from hurting herself any more!" Soarin pushed his nose back against Discord's. Flash, Glock, and myself all stood up in an attempt to pry the two apart and keep them from trying to murder each other. We were all getting along just fine during the game; we didn't want to throw it away now.

"Come on guys, just calm down," Checkered Flag beat the rest of us over to the bickering duo. The racing pony hopped up onto the map and got in between Discord and Soarin, gently forcing them apart. "You two just fought side by side against a magic squid. Are you really gonna let a few words tear you apart?"

"If he's gonna keep taking the piss out of us because he can't get laid-" Soarin began to say before Checkered plugged the pegasus' mouth with his hoof.

"Cool it, like Checkered said," I ordered, appearing behind Soarin to pull him further away from Discord.

ZAP

"Ugh, not like that!" I groaned when in the snap of Discord's talons, Soarin turned into a frozen pegasicle, still pointing at the Lord of Chaos. "Discord, unfreeze him."

"I think we could reach an agreement faster if you'd just make yourselves clear!" Discord argued, folding his arms like a grumpy four year old. "You told me to cool it, so I froze him, and now we can't argue!"

"Return him to normal before I report you to Celestia," Glock threatened.

"Or Twilight," Flash joined in. "You know, I'm still unsure if she completely trusts you." Discord's face curled into a smile that rivaled that of Dr. Seuss' Grinch. He chortled before turning away from myself and the still frozen Soarin.

"Go ahead! While I am reformed and still 'learning about friendship,' it doesn't mean I don't like stirring the pot every now and then," he grinned.

"Then I'll make you lick the spoon," Spike growled, climbing onto the map himself. "If you don't unfreeze him and go back to how you acted when we played the game, then I'll tell Fluttershy-"

"You'll tell Fluttershy?" Discord guessed at the same time as Spike. "You know, that used to frighten me because I didn't want to lose Fluttershy's friendship, but because this isn't the worst thing I've ever done, she'll more than likely just take a tea day away," he shrugged.

"Aha, but you didn't let me finish," Spike replied smugly. "If you don't take this all back and let us enjoy a guys day, then I'll tell Fluttershy you have a crush on her." At that point, Discord's body turned as a pale as a sheet.

"You. Wouldn't. Dare….." Discord narrowed his eyes to intimidate Spike.

"Uh-uh! If you do anything to him or me, you have several witnesses who will tell Fluttershy or my mom what you did."

"And maybe I'll slip a little something to Rainbow Dash," I added. "Do you really want to deal with her if she gets her leg healed up, but she can't do Soarin at all because he's in the hospital? I mean, she's already cranky as Hell because of missing out this weekend."

ZAP

"Then you bet…..what the Tartarus just happened?" Soarin's body went limp before collapsing after Discord thawed him out. I quickly assisted him back into Rainbow's throne as Discord slinked his way over to Fluttershy's throne.

"Definitely not the normal way I've dealt with fan fights at the races, but I guess it'll do," Checkered shrugged and disembarked from the map, sitting upon one of the guest chairs Spike and Flash had laid out while Glock, Flash, and I returned to our seats.

"Here," Discord clapped his talons and paw together. A new pie suddenly materialized in front of Soarin, gently dropping onto the map in front of him.

"Oh no, I'm not falling for that again! Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Eh, somewhat," Discord held up his talons and tilted them from side to side. "But I assure you that it's a normal cherry pie with no surprise ingredients. Think of it as an apology for freezing you." Soarin eyed the pie before hesitantly taking a tiny bite.

"Woah, this is DELICIOUS!" Soarin shouted, gobbling up the whole thing in two bites, leaving his entire face covered in cherries, cherry juices, and pie crumb.

"And I thought Pinkie was gross when she ate," I rolled my eyes, dipping a chip into some ranch. "How about we change the conversation topic to anything else?" I suggested.

"Good thinking Cougar," Glock crushed his can of orange soda, tossing it into a nearby rubbish bin.

"Before we do," Checkered commented, alerting all of us. "Speaking of you and Rainbow Dash, Soarin, whenever she does recover from her broken leg, I'll specially dedicate my 100th victory to you three," he smiled. Soarin belched before he could even reply.

"Three?"

"Yeah! You, Dashie, and your soon to be shattered pelvis," Checkered winked cheekily. Once again, the whole room was laughing at Soarin's expense, though he didn't seem as perturbed as before.

"Heh, heh, heh," Big Mac began to snickering. "Didn't know y'all had that in ya, Checkered."

"What? We're all just a bunch of friends hanging out," Checkered replied. "It's nice to kick back once in awhile and relax you know?" The rest of us nodded in agreement.

"Now that you mention relaxing," Flash cracked open a soda, "are you starting to get a little nervous about the big day? You've got less than two weeks." I too was intrigued about Checkered's feelings about his numbered days as a free stallion, but none of us were looking into talking him out of it.

"Well," the light grey stallion rubbed at the side of his neck, "I've been thinking more about it each day. And of course it's a life changing event, but I'm not as nervous as I thought I'd be. Asking Luna to be a special guest at the Crystal Empire Charity Bowl, now that about gave me a heart attack," he confessed with a smirk. "I guess the fact that I'm marrying Luna and we have a baby on the way helps my excitement trump my nervousness."

"But which are you looking forward to more?" Soarin asked.

"You're really making me choose?" Checkered replied in a deadpanned voice.

"Hey, just curious," Soarin defended.

"Well I can't. I love that I get to marry Luna, and we'll be parents to a colt in a few short months," Checkered raised an eyebrow at the Wonderbolt, munching on an orange slice.

"How about this, are you guys ready to have a kid?" I inquired. "Are you two asking any friends for any advice, or maybe talking to any medical staff at the castle? I'm sure Applejack and Big Mac could talk to you since they helped Granny Smith raise Applebloom," I pointed my thumb toward the red stallion who promptly nodded.

"Eeyup. Anythin' y'all wanna know, just ask me or AJ."

"Oh, Luna's secretly been taking books about parenting out of the castle library since she was impregnated," Checkered explained, placing his elbows on the map. "But now since the truth is out for literally everypony, we're not so afraid to ask for words of wisdom. Carrot and Cup Cake might be willing to help right?"

"I'm sure we can get Pinkie to ask them a few questions for you," Spike shrugged.

"Anything helps," Checkered grinned, raising his can of soda.

"You know, Tia's been biting her tongue lately to keep from pressuring the two of you," Glock leaned forward, pointing a hoof at the earth pony, "But have you two thought of any names for your colt?"

"Actually, Lulu and I can't come up with anything," Checkered confessed. "We tried to write down a few names if our baby was a filly or a colt a few months ago, but….nothing."

"At least you've still got a few months," I pointed out to quell the stallion. "By then you two will be married, and maybe have the nursery all set up and then you can focus on coming up with a name." The small look of stress on Checkered's face melted when I brought up how much time there still was, but there was still one thing at least I was curious about.

"Checkered, do you two know if your colt will be an earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn?" Discord drummed his talons along the top of the map. "What?" He asked when all of us looked suspiciously in his direction. "Oh come now, you all wanted me to settle down and be part of the group," he rolled his eyes.

"True; we just didn't expect you to say or ask a legitimate question, Discord," Flash admitted lowly.

"Fine, whatever. I'm simply asking so Checkered here can be a little more prepared. An earth pony would be the least stressful of pony babies, but if it's a unicorn, I hope Luna and yourself are ready for bursts of magic at any time," Discord warned. "And they can range from simply knocking items off a counter or a shelf, to setting your mane on fire."

"I uh, I think since Lulu's an alicorn, we'll be fine," Checkered slowly munched on some grapes. "Plus, Celestia says she'll be there to help," he added with a small smile.

"And if it's a pegasus, you'll have to be careful bro. They won't be able to take full flights, but they can get their wings moving without really knowing it and suddenly fly out of their cribs for a short period of time," Soarin added.

"I wouldn't rule out an earth pony either," I chimed in. "Especially one that has Checkered's racing genes; he might be able to scramble his way out of anything and be hard to catch."

"Guys, I do appreciate your concerns, but Luna and I are looking forward to whatever surprises our colt has in store for us. We figure it's one of the joys of parenthood," Checkered reassured us with a twinkle in his eye, a twinkle that didn't last very long.

"Oh buck!" Spike cursed.

"Chip a fang?" I joked at the dragon's expense.

"No," he rolled his eyes, "since your wedding is last minute, we don't have much time to plan you a bachelor party!" All of us just continue to stare at the dragon, not moving an inch. "What? I didn't get to plan one for Shining Armor, and I really want to host one; I just found out what they are, cut me some slack!"

"Ooh, now that sounds like a fun idea!" Discord trilled, starting to snap his talons.

"DON'T MOVE!" Glock shouted, throwing his can at Discord's head. "No more magic trips; they give me a headache," he barked.

"I was just going to bring up a list of suggestions. Wasn't the jazz club a swell idea?" Discord explained, snapping his talons to prove he was simply bringing up a list. "Or possibly laser tag?"

"I'm not going to any party hosted by you, hodgepodge," Glock sneered, glaring at the draconequus.

"As a matter of fact, guys," Checkered clacked his hoof on the map to disrupt Glock and Discord's spat. "I didn't really want a big fancy bachelor party. Truth be told, I actually consider this as a good enough bachelor party," he admitted. "I got to spend an entire day with folks I call my friends, and we got to do something extreme that didn't result in any assaults, jail time, or cheating on our marefriends."

"R-really?" Both Spike and Big Mac said simultaneously.

"Sure! I mean a few of my racing buddies might be upset they weren't here, but at least Lulu had no issues with me inviting them to the wedding."

"Huh, well, glad you enjoyed it?" Spike guessed.

"Hmm, since we're back to talking about the wedding, I'm sure everyone has the same question on their mind?" Discord smiled deviously.

"Will this one go off without somepony invading Canterlot?" Flash joked.

"Ye- no…." Discord face slapped himself and ran his lion paw down his face. "I haven't attended a wedding in over a millennia, but I'm positive everypony knows about the tossing of the bouquet and garter."

"I'm more interested in the removing of the garter," Checkered winked. 'Just when you think you know a guy,' I chuckled to myself and hid my smirk behind a can of soda.

"Most grooms are I believe," Discord agreed, "however, who do you think will be the next couple to get married? Anything can happen." I, Flash, Soarin, Glock, and Big Mac all looked at each other, unsure of how to answer that.

"Actually," Flash spoke up, "my question would be something that your mom and I discussed a couple days ago, Spike." The drake squinted at Flash, removing his hand from the bowl full of gems.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Twilight and I were talking about the possibility of you asking Rarity to Checkered and Luna's wedding. After all, both your mom and Rarity are impressed with how you've matured since about the time Cougar here showed up," he pointed a wing at me. The poor dragon's hand suddenly went limp and collapsed on the table, hitting the side of the bowl and flinging the remaining gems behind him about twenty feet.

"Uhhh…."

"Look, your mom didn't want to put any pressure on you if you didn't want to ask Rarity, but she thinks it'd be sweet for both of you to go as friends," Flash quickly explained. Spike gulped and slowly picked his hand out of the bowl, pushing it away from himself.

"I w-was thinking of asking her t-to maybe dance like at the Gala, b-but her date? I-I don't think I can do that."

"Why not?" Soarin asked in return. "I'd think you've got a pretty good chance of her saying yes. At least you're a friend, so she know's you're not some creep."

"An' she was mighty proud 'o yer deeds in Draconia," Big Mac nodded. "That might just work in yer favor."

"Plus, if I recall correctly," Checkered timed in, "she did enjoy dancing with you after the whole Blueblood thing. It's possible Rarity would like to go with one of her best friends to make the whole day a little more special."

"And the added benefits of being a friend, if she would rather go by herself, then she'd let you down easier than if you two weren't friends," I added.

"Tartarus, if I can somehow get Princess Celestia to dance with me, then I'm positive that Rarity might at the very least dance with you again." Glock said when out of the blue, a miniature Discord appeared on my shoulder and tugged on my earlobe. "Cougar, can I talk to you privately for a moment?" The mini draconequus whispered directly into my ear canal.

"About what?" I replied out of the corner of my mouth.

"Just make some sort of excuse to use the bathroom!" With a groan, I pushed myself up from AJ's throne, easily alerting everyone else.

"Sorry, just have to drain the lizard," I lied, briskly jogging away to make it appear I had to use the bathroom. Once I exited the throne room with the mini Discord holding onto my ear, he snapped his lion paw and appeared in his normal form right in front of me.

"Fret not about my absence; I left a clone to keep the others none the wiser," he explained.

"You don't say," I grumbled, looking back at the closed door. "So, what's so important you had to ask in private?"

"Oh nothing," he waved his lion paw in my face, "just a little something I haven't a shred of experience in."

"And considering I haven't even been here a full year, you decide to ask me?"

"Trust me; you may just be the only one who might have useful advice and who may actually want to help me," Discord turned away, bracing his right arm against the crystal wall and his forehead against the arm.

"Why do you- uh, never mind," I shook my head when I realized I was asking a rhetorical question.

"Simply put: Helping others is what you claim to be your personal lot in life is it not?" Discord turned around, keeping his forearm on the wall. Narrowing my eyes with suspicion, I gently nodded, confused by what this talk was about. Though I had a feeling in the back of my mind Discord was pulling my leg. "Besides, your current situation with Applejack may give you the experience to assist me," he reiterated.

"Woah, what situation?" I got a little defensive. "There's nothing wrong with us right now!"

"Easy there tiger," Discord suddenly cracked a whip at me, silencing me. "I meant that your relationship with her is what can help me, if you still want to that is," he stroked his goatee.

"What. Do. You. Want?" I sighed and began losing my patience with the draconequus. "If you want my help, then cut to the fucking chase already!"

"Ooh, is your marefriend okay with that mouth of yours, or does Applejack like it?" He slithered his body through my legs and up in front of me.

"Yep, this conversation is over," I shoved him aside and trekked back toward the throne room door.

"No wait!" Discord begged. I then nearly tripped when something locked around my ankle, preventing me from moving. I looked and growled when I saw Discord had hooked a chain around my ankle and locked it on the wall. "Just stay, please. I'll get right to what I wanted to ask you!" He actually clasped his hands together.

"Go ahead," I sighed, leaning my back to the wall.

"Okay, this little chat about Spike asking Rarity to Luna and Checkered's wedding really clicked with something in me. And as you already know, I may have just a microscopic amount of feelings for our dear friend Fluttershy that eh…may or may not amount to feelings that are higher than friendship," he admitted.

"You got the hots for her huh?" I smirked.

"Oh please, I wouldn't say something so deameaning about somepony like Fluttershy," Discord spat.

"Then would 'crush' be the right word?"

"That might be the most appropriate word to describe how I feel, but I know I'm definitely not her type as the kids say these days, so I won't waste your time in asking for your help to woo her." 'You're not as right as you think you are.'

"Well, don't go off on what you like about her; that's really not important right now. Besides, it's probably how nice she is, how she was your first friend, her patience, how she cares for practically every creature she meets, especially you, all that crap," I rolled my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I completely understood why Discord had a crush on meek little Fluttershy; hell, any stallion that managed to woo her as Discord said would be a lucky one just for her kindness alone.

"Don't you refer to anything about her in that way!" Discord snarled, raising a fist up to me. "And you forgot her gorgeous hair! Now get to the part where you give me advice!" He grasped both of my shoulders.

"All right, all right just give me a second," I swatted his hands away. "Do you want to ask her as an actual date, or as friends?" I asked.

"Oh j-just as friends. And I want that to be the main point; Celestia knows what kind of pressure the poor dear could be under if she believes it to be a date. I wouldn't want to scare her," Discord's emotions swung from agitated to a little pessimistic.

"Good thinking," I stroked my chin. "Okay then. So here's what you do. I know you have a crush on Fluttershy, but just push that to the back of your mind until the wedding is over, got it?"

"Mhmm!" Discord nodded before cracking the top of his head open, and pushing something into the back of his mind. "Go on," he said after I was left staring at his exposed brain. No matter how long I'm here, Discord will probably always show me more fucked up shit.

"Right, then just ask her if she's excited about the wedding too. Obviously she IS excited, so use that to your advantage. Then, all you have to do is ask her, "Hey Fluttershy, since we've been friends for some time, do you know what could make the evening of the wedding better? If we went together as friends to celebrate not only Luna and Checkered's union of matrimony, but how far we've come along as friends? I do owe you a grand thank you still for having the patience to help me change my ways." Trust me Discord, that'll make it seem more like a way to celebrate your friendship by going together than possibly giving her mixed signals that it's a date."

The Lord of Chaos stood in front of me, tapping his right foot on the floor and stroking his goatee, contemplating my advice that I rolled off my tongue. Honestly, I wasn't one for this type of advice back on Earth, but I remembered back before Applejack and I started dating, we had dinner at the Barely Pit in Ponyville, but we made sure it was just as friends and to make it appear that way. So I tried to remember how that'd worked in our favor to help Discord. Plus, since Fluttershy admitted her feelings for him to me back on my birthday, I may have been trying to play matchmaker for the two.

"That's quite honestly better advice than I assumed would come out of you," Discord admitted.

"Believe me," I repeated, "if you stress the point that it's just as friends like you want it to be, I think you'll be fine. She likes hanging out with you anyway; hanging out on a special night just makes it all the more memorable."

"Well, I'll be sure to try that, Cougar," Discord snapped his eagle talons, making the chain connecting my ankle to the wall dematerialize.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"If it's about being nervous, you know I'm good at hiding things like that," he bragged.

"Uh-huh," I scoffed. "No, I meant don't stare at her flank; I mean you make that too obvious sometimes."

"Wh-what?! I do not stare at Fluttershy's flank!" Discord actually blushed. "I wouldn't know where you got that ludicrous idea in your head, but it couldn't be further from the truth."

"Whatever. You better turn mini again so no one gets curious," I jabbed my thumb at the throne room door. Discord nodded and crossed his arms, bowing his head and appearing as a three inch tall Discord on my shoulder before hiding behind my ear. "By the way, why did you ask me for help again?" I asked just as I pushed against the door.

"Well, because you, a human, somehow managed to start a relationship with Applejack, a pony. I figured if that was possible, then perhaps taking Fluttershy to the wedding as friends could be easy," Discord explained.

"Huh, that makes sense," I clicked my tongue.

"What makes sense, Coug?" Soarin asked me.

"Eh, nothing, I was just talking to myself," I replied facetiously before rejoining my guy friends at the map, ready to finish out our day together.

End Chapter 59

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Wow, two different scenes with the guys and the girls! I hope you guys enjoyed seeing Ivan hanging out with the guys and actually playing Ogres and Oogliettes because I freakin LOVED that episode with Discord, Spike, and Big Mac.

And just a little bit of one-sided FlutterCord and Sparity for you guys!

So, please prepare yourselves for the next two chapters: Another Canterlot Wedding Parts 1 & 2!