The Pumpkin's Pounding

by Warden of Stendarr

First published 23rd of June, 2013

Four moths ago, Pumpkin left Pound to go to Chef school, now she's back... and she brought a friend. PoundXPumpkin. Sweet vanilla feels with a dash of creamy clop.

Four months ago, Pumpkin left to pursue her dream after a wonderful night with Pound, when they both shared their hearts with each other. Now, she's back from school... and she has a friend. Will Pound and Pumpkin keep their relationship a secret, or are they willing to take that last step into the world of love?

Sequel to
Pounds and Pumpkins
One Pounded Pumpkin

--SEQUEL: Pounds For Pumpkins--

A/N: This story will be heavier on the vanilla and fluff than the clop most of the time, if you do not like this then I am sorry but this isn't the story for you. This is not to say there will not be clop, but the clop is not the majority of the story. This is a romance, not just a clop-fiction. Thank you.

C1_Reunion

The blankets were catching the warmth of the freshly-risen sun as Pound Cake awoke. Yawning, he mumbled something incomprehensible about pancakes as he rolled onto his side, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Five more minutes...” he mumbled to nopony in particular.

A small bird outside of his window cried, loud and shrill. Startled, Pound forced his eyes open.

He was in his bedroom, all alone as he had been for the past four months. His parents were currently away for a small-business bakery convention, and he had the whole house to himself.

For some reason, that just made him seem depressed.

His stomach growled as he laid there, soaking in the warmth of the bedroom into his tan hide. He needed to get up and eat, especially if he wanted to keep up his exercise routine for the flight competition the following day. In the past two months, he'd earned himself a place on the Ponyville weather team, and had proven himself capable of joining in the monthly races by finishing third in the last one. He was determined to win first place this time.

Sighing to himself, he groaned as he rolled himself out of bed, flexing his stiff wings in a desperate effort to- POP!

There it was. Smiling contently, Pound licked his lips as he yawned again, scratching at his thick fudge-coloured mane as he descended the stairs of his house, making his way into the kitchen. Rummaging through the cabinets, he picked his way through cardboard boxes and bags of cereal until he found what he was looking for: a big bag of oatmeal.

Grunting softly, he hefted the bag onto the counter with his jaw and measured out a small cup for himself, making his way over to the sink to add some water before tossing it into the microwave. With some fancy manipulation of the turn-dial via his wing tips, he had the timer going. Now, to wait.

Leaning back against the counter, he rested his hooves behind him as he looked straight ahead. Dead before him was the calender.

“I wonder what we have scheduled today,” he absentmindedly asked himself as he scanned for the date.

A moment later, his eyes shrank to pinpricks. He rushed out the door with a swift flick of his wings.

Then promptly returned to turn off the microwave, removing the unfinished oatmeal and dumping it in the trash before depositing the bowl into the sink as fast he could, then zipping out the front door again. His heart soared as he raced through town to his particular destination.

The calender had the day marked with a single note.

Pumpkin back home.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The train ride from Canterlot was largely-- meaning completely—uneventful for Pumpkin Cake. The most exciting part of the trip was when she caught her brush in her thick, curly orange mane.

Gritting her teeth, she applied a subtle amount of magic against the brush until it pulled through the knot, straightening it out.

She smiled as she looked at her reflection in a small travel mirror. Her mane was starting to straighten out. A few of the mares she'd been bunked with had said the colts liked straight-maned fillies over curly-maned fillies. Pumpkin wasn't guilty of trying to catch the eye of all of the stallions in town, but there was one colt she wanted to surprise with something... different.

“So who is this mystery colt?” Rapid Souffle asked eagerly, leaning on the edge of her seat. Her cherry red mane bounced excitedly along with her bobbing motion, her ADD starting to surface again.

“What mystery colt,” Pumpkin said with absolutely no emotion save a faint blush across her cheeks.

“Oh come off it, you know who I'm talking about! The one you're prim and prepping for, of course!”

Pumpkin gave a merry laugh and a roll of her eyes towards her sierra-toned friend.

“I am not 'primming' for anypony at all, Rapid.”

Rapid Souffle took this chance to roll her eyes at Pumpkin Cake.

“Honey, how many good-looking colts were there at that school? And by good-looking, I mean dayumm-gorgeous?”

“I don't know,” Pumpkin Cake said with a hint of anger in her voice as she once again ran her brush through her hair, only to have it bob back into a curl. Her mane seemed to be out to get her today.

“I never really paid them any attention.”

“And that's how I know you got a stallion, girl!” Rapid cackled as she spun off of her tangent.

“All them girls with no colt, such as myself, I admit, we were all over them stallions, baby! But you, you're just like uh-uh, you are not my type, and all like mm-mm, I am not gonna fall for you to all them pretty boys. You even turned down Gravy Smooth! GRAVY SMOOTH! Do you realize how many mares I would KILL to have been you!?” Rapid ended with a pent-up huffing.

“Not that I actually would, mind you,” she added with an attempted innocent chuckle at the end.

“That doesn't prove anything,” Pumpkin argued.

“Girl, that means you're hitched, or have somepony you wanna get hitched to.”

Pumpkin's face finally broke through to a full-on blush at the mention of being 'hitched'.

“What would Pound think if I suddenly suggested we even think about... getting married. I mean, we only had sex that one night! That's too early to be thinking about-”

“See, I TOLD you! You have somepony back home, yes you do! Your face says it all!”

Pumpkin glared daggers into Rapid Souffle as the latter cackled wildly from her seat. Pumpkin was about to open her mouth and use many quite inappropriate racial slurs towards the earth pony when the train noticeably slowed down, making every pony aboard lurch slightly in their seats. The intercom coughed to life moments later.

“Arriving in Ponyville, arriving in Ponyville. All stops for Ponyville, we have arrived.”

Pumpkin took a deep breath as she levitated both of her bags behind her, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Is he going to be there, is he going to be there?!” she kept asking herself excitedly.

“I can't wait to meet him,” Rapid said with a knowing wink, which was hilarious to Pumpkin because she most definitely did not know the full extent of what she was trying to understand. She just couldn't.

“Well, keep your hooves off of my brother while you are here,” Pumpkin said smartly, killing two birds with one stone. “You might scare him, he frightens easily.”

“Must be a real lady-charmer,” Rapid said dryly.

“Yep, she has no idea,” Pumpkin snickered to herself as they pulled themselves out into the aisle of the train.

“So who should I be looking for, anyways? Your parents?”

“No, they should be in Manehatten for at least another week,” Pumpkin said as the two of them squeezed out of the train, plopping down onto the floor of the depot with their bags falling atop of them.

“It'll just be us and-”

Pumpkin looked around, trying to spot him. She couldn't see him anywhere. Her ears started drooping. Why wasn't he there? Didn't he miss her-

A sudden trail of red appeared over the train depot, and suddenly Pound Cake was skidding to a stop right in front of Pumpkin.

“Pound!” Pumpkin called excited, throwing herself at Pound. Pound Cake laughed happily as he swung his sister around in his hooves, nibbling lightly on her ear. Oh, how he'd missed her, and not just in the sexual way. She was his sister, he would always miss her, far more than simply as a bed-buddy.

“I missed you so much,” Pound whispered into Pumpkin's ear. Pumpkin couldn't help but shiver as she felt him pressed against her. He was definitely more fit than his skinny little self was before she left. And was his voice a little deeper, too?

She let out a slight moan as Pound gave her ear another playful nibble, squeaking in pleasure as he ran over the perfect spot.

A cough from next to them quickly tore their attention from the other.

“So, Pumpkin, is he the colt?” Rapid said suggestively, bobbing her eye brows.

“No, Rapid,” Pumpkin said with another eye roll, her blush proudly apparent on her face.

Pound immediately stiffened at how she'd introduced him.

“What am I not?”

Seeming to have read his mind, Pumpkin leaned back and whispered, “I'll explain later but she's staying with us, two weeks.”

Pound nodded and took a polite step away from his sister, expecting her to pretend to want some space. Silly him. Pumpkin shadowed right along with him, barely refraining from inter-twining her tail with his.

“Pound, this was my bunk-mate, Rapid Souffle. Rapid, this is my brother, Pound Cake. Shake hooves.”

Rapid reluctantly rose her hoof to meet Pound's, almost as if he was going to bite her or something.

“Well, now that introductions are in order, let's head back to the house! I don't know about you, Pound, but we've been on a train all night. We need some sleep.”

“Oh, yeah,” Pound said understandingly. “Come along, then.”

Leading them back to the house, Pound couldn't help but overhear some of the conversation that Pumpkin and Rapid Souffle were having a short gap behind him.

“So, you two seem... close,” Rapid started out.

“Yes, we are rather close,” Pumpkin said as she tried to look anywhere other than directly forward. Pound's flank was directly before her, and had been toned something fierce. She had to literally concentrate on not drooling, thinking of what those hips could do to her.

“You don't say,” Rapid said, trailing off. Pumpkin shook her head angrily, trying to jog all of the dirty thoughts from her mind. They could wait a little bit longer, surely.

Eventually, the trio made their way to Sugar Cube Corner.

“Here we are,” Pumpkin said as she waved a hoof at their home. “Home Sweet Home.”

Meanwhile, Rapid Souffle had begun drooling uncontrollably.

“It looks like I could just... eat it to the ground...” she moaned, her stomach growling.

“We have plenty of food in the pantry,” Pound Cake laughed as they entered the store front.

“Okay, guest bedroom is upstairs, the first door on the right. Pound and I will be down shortly, we have a few things to take care of. Feel free to help yourself-” Pumpkin didn't even need to finish that thought before Rapid Souffle roared a mighty battle cry and began attacking the kitchen, tearing into everything she could get her hooves on.

Pound and Pumpkin shared a looked of amusement before smirking seductively to each other and clambering up the stairs, giggling as they tackled each other playfully. As soon as they were in the room, the first thing Pumpkin did was turn around and close the door, locking it behind her.

The next thing she knew, Pound Cake was towering over her, locking her lips in a deep, passionately slow kiss. How they had both been waiting for that.

Their contact went on for minutes before they broke apart, gasping for breath. Pumpkin laughed, her voice husky and think with Pound rested his chin atop Pumpkin's head, being wary of her horn.

“I missed you, Pumpkin.”

“I missed you so much, too,” Pumpkin said as she turned around, leaning her back against Pound as she fell backwards. A moment of disorientation later, and they were both falling backwards onto Pound's bed, laughing like school foals.

Pumpkin turned back around, her horn dissipating the magic she had just used as she climbed atop Pound. They locked eyes and shared another kiss, this one a little hungrier than the last. Pound's hooves traveled up and down Pumpkin's figure, sending shivers along her spine like electricity.

“Oh, Pound, if you do that then this is going to escalate really fast,” she informed him.

“Oh yeah?” Pound asked. “Why's that?”

Pumpkin nickered before pinning him down with all of her might.

“Because you have no idea just how horny I am.”

Author's Notes:

This was made from four hours of pure LOVE

C2_Lust [Cloppy]

Pumpkin Cake leaned into Pound Cake as she bit playfully along his chest, rubbing her already-drenched marehood along her brother's rapidly growing erection. Not long after she had begun, Little Pounder was saluting at full attention.

“Glad to see somepony is ready to play,” Pumpkin breathed out lustfully, stroking Pound's member between her thighs as she humped his length with her groin. Pound felt a few beads of sweat roll down his forehead.

“She is sooo hot...” he thought to himself, grinning as he stroked his sister's back. She cooed in pleasure from his gentle touch.

Pound reached his neck forward and locked lips with Pumpkin, slowly rolling forward so that he was sitting up with her in his lap. Pumpkin could really appreciate just how much he'd grown since the last time she'd seen him. Four months really could be a long time, especially when those four months are used to both bulk up and trim.

“You have no idea how much I've missed seeing you,” Pumpkin whispered as she nipped at Pound's lips. “There were so many guys there that were just... ugh.”

Pound felt himself get a little flustered at that, and not the flustered he felt when he saw Pumpkin. This was an angry fluster.

“None of them tried to-” Pound started, but Pumpkin stopped him with another gentle kiss.

“No, Pound. You're my one and only,” she said with a giggle, rubbing her cheek against his as she stroked his wings. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Pound said as he slowly pressed Pumpkin onto her back, kissing down her neck and chest until he was leaving a little trail of smooches down her stomach. She giggled at the delicate nips until they turned into moans as Pound reached his target destination.

Pound blew gently on her mound, nuzzling her gently to see how she responded. She seemed to moan every which way he touched her, she was so sensitive. Settling his muzzle in close, he took some time to take in the sight of her fully exposed to him.

She was beautiful, her legs firm and round, with her rump the perfect shape to grab onto. Leaning in, he nosed right up to her labia before letting his tongue flick out tentatively, finding his taste for the flavor of her arousal while squirming between the two folds before forcibly slipping between them.

“P-Pound!” she hissed through her teeth, one of her front legs snaking down to grasp onto his mane, giving a swift tug on him to alert him of his good job thus far.

Taking the initiative, Pound shoved his tongue as far as he could stick it out of his mouth. Pumpkin groaned, her back arching as she grasped Pound tightly. Pound let his tongue explore, leaving no part of her untouched. Occasionally he would raise his tongue up, brushing against a little bump at the tip which he quickly learned was a good bump.

The first time he'd brushed over it, she about choked him out with the sudden scissoring of her legs.

“R-right there,” she breathed sharply, her body playing all sorts of games with her.

Pound let his tongue massage her for a little while longer until he could feel her body trembling. She was close, he knew it. Her breathing was a tight panting, the musk she gave was intoxicating and thick between them.

As he felt her up with his hooves, he gave her one last long suckle on her clit. It sent her over, hard. She gasped out loud as her back arched almost painfully, her juices flowing freely out of her.

Pound held her for a full minute, rubbing along her, stroking her slit as she continued to orgasm, giving her thorough attention through her sensational bliss.

“Pound...” she whined as her orgasm subsided, the last pulse of pleasure leaving her. 'That... was... awesome...” she gasped for breath as Pound climbed atop her, nuzzling her affectionately. His muzzle reeked of her lower section, something she didn't find nearly as disturbing as she initially thought.

“I hope it was,” Pound said with a laugh as he locked lips once again with his lover, savoring her the taste of her mouth intermingled with her arousal. They both fought furiously for domination, snapping tongues and thrusting necks like it was a war.

Eventually their battle slowed down as Pound aligned himself atop of Pumpkin, lining his cock with her opening. Gently pushing forward, he slowly slid into her, pressing until he went in as far as he could. They were a perfect fit. Pound was amazed at how hot her insides were, how tightly they coiled around his erection.

“S-so... full...” Pumpkin moaned, stretching out her back while Pound pinned her hooves under his. Pumpkin flashed him a flushed smirk.

“Thinking of taking charge here, huh?”

Pound responded by pulling out slowly, leaving only a little less than a third of himself inside of her. She desperately tried to push herself back onto him, but her current position along with Pound's firm hold on her legs kept her locked where she was.

“This time, I think I'll have some fun,” Pound said as he leaned in to graze his teeth along Pumpkin's neck. Pumpkin panted heavily before squealing sharply as Pound thrusted himself back into her, burying himself almost to his hilt. He repeated the maneuver, pulling out just enough so that he could pump back in with plenty of force. Pumpkin let out heavy gasps each and every time he found himself deeper within her, until she found herself locking her rear legs around Pound's hips. As soon as Pound couldn't pull out anymore, he decided a new course of action. Using the small space of movement he had, he pumping in and out furiously, drilling her silly.

Pumpkin's tongue lolled out of her mouth as she panted quickly, her breathing high and short. Pound's, on the other hoof, was slow and measured. He averaged about three thrusts per breath in, three per breath out. He kept up a solid rhythm this way, one that paid off as Pumpkin cried out in bliss as her walls clamped down on his member something fierce, clinging on and refusing to let go.

Pound desperately tried to put in a few more reps, but the tightness and the incredible heat was too much, and soon after she had come, Pound blew his load as deep into her as he could muster before keeling over and slumping down above her, keeping his hips and stomach arched enough that he didn't crush her beneath him.

“My Faust,” Pumpkin gasped, her chest rising and falling dramatically as she struggled to catch her breath, “you've really gained some endurance, Pound.”

Pound chuckled twice, light chuckles that seemed deeper than before she'd left. He really had grown up a bit while she was gone. It made her a little sad, when she thought about it. He wouldn't need her to protect him now.

She snuggled up under him, though, and all feelings of regret were instantly lost. Now he could protect her, she giggled as she imagined Pound fighting off dragons and mighty warriors.

Pound rolled onto his side, reaching across Pumpkin and pulling her close.

“I'm so glad you're back,” he said as he nuzzled her gently. She returned the gesture.

“Me too, big guy. It was lonely at the school, you know. Just a bunch of over-dramatic mares and thick-headed colts who thought they could cook,” Pumpkin snorted. “You would have been able to beat them at the challenges with your eyes closed.”

Pound had to admit, when he wanted to be, he was a decent cook, something he assumed was just a family trait. But Pumpkin was the real artist in the kitchen. She could whip up a delicious meal out of thin air, it sometimes seemed.

The two sibling rested in their glowing embrace for a while, completely oblivious to the world.

And to the subtle sounds of a lockpick.

The two eventually nodded off to a light nap, the afterglow radiant between them. The sheets were a hot mess, obvious evidence of what had transpired. The room smelled painfully strong of sweat and jizz, and to top it all off, the two had seemed to have forgotten one crucial factor: the walls in the house weren't sound-proof.

Meaning, Rapid Souffle had been forced to listen to their sexcapade for the past half hour.

And she. Was. Pissed.

Not at the relationship that the two shared. Heavens no, she thought that was just about the most adorable thing besides puppies. No, she was upset that she had to listen and COULDN”T FREAKING JOIN IN!

Which led to her pulling her lockpick set from her bag and setting to work on the door that dared stand between her and what might have been the sexiest three-way of her life.

“Come on,” she breathed as she navigated the pick through the old door lock. It was a simple tumbler lock, but it was old and worn. It liked to catch and hook on the darnedest of places. “Why won't you just-”

She stopped dead as the lock softly clicked open. Twisting the door handle, she slowly slunk into the room, looking around. It was a simple room, with two beds, two dressers and a window between them. One side of the room, Pumpkin's side, was cleaned and organized, with a pair of simple suitcases stacked beside the dresser waiting to be unpacked.

Pound's side, however, was damp with the scent and feel of sex in the air. The two siblings were curled up with each other between the bedsheets, sleeping quietly. Rapid thought they looked so cute together.

Trotting around the room a little, stalling until the two decided to rise from their nap, Rapid looked around the room, poking subtly though cabinets and such. She didn't take anything, she just looked. And she put everything back exactly where it was.

Rapid decided that she might as well help the two out a little while she waited for them to rise. She pranced over to the window and through it open, letting a warm, refreshing breeze trail through the musky-smelling bedroom.

Taking a deep breath of the outside air, Rapid turned around to see that the breeze was having the added side effect of rousing the twins early. Rapid grinned as she made her way to Pumpkin's bed and hopped up, settling it for the show.

Pumpkin was the first to wake, not even noticing Rapid's presence through her grogginess. Nonetheless, she proceeded to nudge Pound awake.

“Five more minutes...” he muttered. Pumpkin huffed and smacked im up the back of his head, waking him into a more sociable state.

“Rise and shine, baby,” Pumpkin said with a half-lidded grin, eyes still wishing they were asleep.

Pound slowly opened his eyes and yawned before giving Pumpkin a slow, drawn-out kiss.

“Aw...”

They both moved so fast at the sound, you'd have thought they'd been tased. Both of them shrunk to the wall, Pound with a protective hoof around Pumpkin while Pumpkin tried to act like a shield for Pound. Too cute, too cute.

“No no, go back!” Rapid insisted. “You guys were so cute the way you were!”

“R-rapid!” Pumpkin stuttered, face going red as she looked back and forth between her brother and the sheets. “How'd you get in here!”

“The door, duh,” Rapid said with a flick of her hoof, pointing to the now unlocked bedroom door.

“We were busy here!” Pumpkin practically screamed. “How long have you been there for!”

“Apparently not long enough, as I missed the good stuff!” Rapid said with a pouty face, crossing her hooves. “You guys need to let me know the next time you plan some of the chitty-chitty bang-bang when I'm around,” she said as she hopped from the bed and trotted over to the door and pulling it open.

“I might want to join the next one.”

With that, Rapid disappeared out of the room.

Pumpkin and Pound looked between themselves, sharing a glance.

“Never speak of that again?” Pumpkin suggested.

“Done.”

C3_Speed

Despite what had transpired in the bedroom, Rapid Souffle acted no different after the encounter than she had before, other than the occasional sly wink at Pound which gave him a mild case of the blushes.

The rest of the day, however, proceeded rather calmly. The three of them unpacked all of their things (after Pound and Pumpkin had a very thorough sheet-cleaning session), and by the time the moon was about to come up, they were all settled into the house for the night.

“So, what is there all to do here in Ponyville, anyways?” Rapid asked the twins as she read over a good book she'd purchased before leaving Canterlot. They were in the loft on the upper floor of the house, where there were bean bags and a large window with a good view towards the mountains. Directly below them was the fire, the warmth from the flames creeping up to comfort the ponies.

Pound Cake had Pumpkin sitting in his lap, his front arms wrapped loosely around her as he leaned back in a recliner. They had figured that they might as well behave how they wanted to, now that Rapid Souffle was aware of their relationship. Pound was absentmindedly rubbing Pumpkin's shoulder with the heels of his hooves, carefully rubbing the tension from her muscles.

“Really, not much actually. It's a small town and all, so there usually isn't anything going on that you haven't heard about weeks upon weeks in advance,” Pumpkin said.

“Actually-” Pound said, speaking up. Both mares turned their attention to him, causing his ears to flick back unintentionally. “The local weather team has monthly races, and seeing as I'm on the weather team now, I've been joining them. I got third place in the last one, and I'm going to try it again tomorrow.”

Pumpkin leaned back, tilting her head up and looking up at Pound.

“You joined the weather team? I... didn't know that,” Pumpkin finished as she leaned back forward.

“I was going to tell you tomorrow, actually,” Pound assured her. “I wanted you to come watch my race. Rapid, I'm sure Pumpkin would love to have you come along as well.”

Rapid Souffle tossed her mane to the side, giving Pound a lidded smile.

“I'd love to, Pound.”

However, by the day of the race, Rapid Souffle was having second thoughts as they walked through the town for the first real time.

“There are certainly a lot of... mares here, aren't there?” Rapid said more than asked, rather intimidated. Surely enough, a full three-quarters of the fliers in the race were mares, well-toned and beautiful.

Pound and Pumpkin led the way before Rapid. Being brother and sister, they were close to each other, but Pound refused to entwine his tail with Pumpkins as they had on the way to the train before she'd left.

“But why?” Pumpkin was still arguing. “Why is now so much different then? Nopony cared then, why would they care now?”

Pound had his ears flopped down, not enjoying being under the berating tone of his sister.

“Pumpkin, first off we were seeing you off for four months, usually families are allowed to get a little more touchy in those situations.”

“That doesn't explain why nopony said anything about you kissing me before I left. That was a little bit more than a family member seeing off just another family member, Pound.”

“You did what now?!” Rapid gasped, shocked. “In public?!”

Both of the siblings ignored her.

“We got lucky,” Pound said. “Think about it, you're the smart one. This town is very traditional. Incest is something ponies used to be hung for, do you really want to go looking for that sort of trouble?”

“So what does that mean, Pound? That I embarrass you?” Pumpkin rolled her eyes to keep a tear from welling up. “Because trust me, you've embarrassed me far more times than I ever embarrassed you.”

Pound groaned slightly, running a hoof against his temple.

“That's not what I mean at all, Pumpkin, I-” Pound suddenly looked around, spotting a narrow alleyway between two small shops. Before she could ask what he was doing, Pound had grabbed her hoof and pulled her along into the alleyway, stretching out his wings to block the view of them from the main street.

Once they were comfortably hidden, Pound leaned down and pressed his lips against Pumpkins, letting her calm down. Eventually, Pumpkin broke the kiss by slowly taking her lips away.

“And why did you do that?” she asked.

“I want to see,” Rapid muttered out of the side of her mouth, her back up to them as she waved away any pony who got too curious.

“Because I love you, Pumpkin, and don't think for a second I don't. But these ponies, I don't know if they will accept us. I just want to be sure before we do something that might ruin us. So I'm just asking you to wait. Please.”

Pumpkin chewed on her lips slightly irritated that Pound had actually made a good point.

“For me?” Pound asked, pressing his forehead against Pumpkin's. Pumpkin sighed, a small smile strewn across her face. She couldn't resist him when he used that, that had been her weakness to him for years.

“Fine,” she said, but stopped Pound from walking away by grabbing his chest and pulling him in for one last kiss. One of their kisses, passionate and meaningful.

“Uh, guys-” Rapid began, but as soon as the two heard her they broke apart casually, trotting off on their merry way.

As the trio arrived at the field where the race would begin, Pound flapped his wings quickly, getting them ready for the tough flight ahead.

“Do you think you're going to win?” Rapid Souffle asked Pound.

Pound shrugged a wing. “I want to win, yes, and the grand prize is a nice win, but I honestly don't know. I barely got third last time, and most of these ponies are cycled from other towns. I have no idea what I'm going against.”

Pumpkin, meanwhile, was lost in thought.

“He's been doing better with his confidence since I got back, I noticed, I bet the weather job probably had something to do with that. But if I want him to ever feel secure enough to walk with me as his mare, then he'll need to win this-”

Pumpkin felt her eyes go wide as a breeze blew by, but it wasn't the breeze that got her attention, it was a little bit different. Every part of her felt the breeze.

“Why am I suddenly so sensitive? This has been going on the past few days, please don't kick back up today, please don't kick back up today-”

“Pumpkin!”

Pumpkin broke out of her stupor to face Pound, who had been calling her name.

“Yes?” she asked.

“They just called me up,” he told her. “I'll see you once I'm done.”

“Once you win,” she corrected him, a small smirk on her face.

“I'm not certain that I'm going to w-” Pound started, but was stopped as Pumpkin interrupted him.

“Yes you are going to win, because if you don't, then you aren't going to be getting any of this-” she took a moment to spin herself around for show, “- for a week. Now, shoo.”

Pound opened his mouth to respond, possibly counter, but Pumpkin was having none of it.

“Shoo!”

Pound took a step back before he allowed himself to grin.

“That's right, Pound. Know the prize. Want the prize. Earn the prize.”

Pumpkin directed Rapid Souffle over to a set of bleachers for the spectators to watch. The entire course was in the sky, so every seat had just as good of a view as the next. Taking theirs on the lower stands, Rapid immediately started trying to initiate a conversation with Pumpkin.

“Do you think he's going to win?”

Pumpkin nodded resolutely as the racers took their marks.

“Certain of it.”

“That was some pretty deep incentive for him, though. But, I suppose I could allow myself to be a replacement, should he lose-”

“Rapid!” Pumpkin practically shouted, mortified. “This is my brother we're speaking about!”

“Yes, this is your brother we are speaking about, the one who you want to win so you can buck- I'm sorry, do forgive me for my language, but... damn girl. You got some issues that you need to work out. Are you feeling okay?”

“Peachy,” Pumpkin replied as the starting pistol went off.

And to her joy, Pound stormed ahead of everypony.

“Oh... my... Faust...” Rapid muttered as she watched him speed through the course faster than she thought was possible.

“Either he is really horny, or he really loves you,” Rapid said quietly.

“And how I wish I had somepony like that,” she thought to herself, not daring to say something like that before Pumpkin.

Pound was tearing up the course. He was already halfway done, and the closest behind him had absolutely no possible way of catching up.

“Yes,” Pumpkin heard herself mutter, letting herself feel better. Then he was going to win, and then he was going to mount her-

“Oh my...” she whispered to herself as the image flashed through her mind of Pound taking her right there, in front of everypony. And strangely enough... it turned her on.

“Go, baby, go...” she whispered.

She didn't even have to cheer. Pound was the victor by a long shot.

“Wooo!” Pumpkin shouted as she rushed to where Pound was touching down. She rushed towards him and tackled him in a full-body tackle.

“You won! You won!” she heard herself say over and over.

“Yes, I won-” Pound started to say, but was interrupted by a pink pegasus mare that Pumpkin had just noticed Pound had been talking to.

“So who is this, hot stuff, your fillyfriend?”

Pound opened his mouth to inform her that this was his sister, but before he could say anything-

“Yes, actually I am. And who are you calling hot stuff?”

Whoa.

“This just took a downhill turn.”

Pound tried to stop any conflict before it could happen. Of course, as soon as he thought of the possibility of conflict, his stammering started to come back a little.

“N-no, this isn't m-my fillyfriend. This is m-my sister, P-Pumpkin. However, we w-were just about to leave. B-Bye.”

Pumpkin turned the flames of Hell upon Pound as she followed him away from the pegasus, who just scoffed at the ordeal and took off into the air. The trio stopped by a desk to receive a little blue ribbon, and then they took their leave.

“What was all that about?!” Pumpkin yelled at him as soon as they were far enough away from the field that she could scream as loud as she wanted to about whatever she wanted to. “I know you want to act like we're a big secret and all, but first you off flirting with some random mare, and then you tell her I'm not your fillyfriend?! What else could I be, your buck buddy?!”

“I told her you were my sister, which is what you are-”

“But she didn't know that! You said it yourself, we don't know half of the ponies here! How would they know if we're related OR bumping hips?!”

“Pumpkin, dear, you might want to bring it down a few notches, girl!” Rapid insisted, her alternating speech patterns starting to get on Pumpkin's nerves.

“Oh, and don't even get me started with you, miss I wanna bed your brother. He's mine, got it? Mine. Now, Pound, I believe we have something to attend to.”

“What is tha- HOLY CELESTAI WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”

Pound had gone from confused to flat out mortified faster than he'd ever before when Pumpkin suddenly dropped her torso down, waving her rump in the air and flicking her tail to the side.

“You won the race, now take me. Go on.”

“Pumpkin, not here! What is wrong with you?!”

“Yes, Pumpkin,” Rapid agreed with Pound, “You're kind of freaking us out a bit-”

Suddenly, a stroke of realization washed across Rapid's face.

“Pumpkin, when was your last cycle?”

“Cycle?” Pumpkin asked, confused.

“You know,” Rapid said, nodding her head while doing a little whistle, pointing towards her-

Pumpkin's eyes were suddenly the size of saucers.

“I'm in heat, aren't I.”

Rapid nodded as she led the poor Pumpkin home.

“Yes, dear, it would seem you are.”

C4_Envy

“Rapid, could you swap out those turnovers?”

Rapid Souffle and Pound Cake were practically dancing between the kitchen and the cash register as they experienced yet another massive flood of customers. Being one of the only sweet shops in town generally meant good business, but today was just ridiculous. Ponies were lined out of the door to get something, anything on this hot, hot day.

“Here are some more of the cupcakes, Pound.”

“Thanks-” Pound says as he bit down on the opposite carrying handle, his muzzle inches away from Rapid's. Only the distraction of his job kept him from noticing the muzzle next to his warmed considerably at his proximity.

“No problem,” Rapid Souffle whispered as she disappeared back into the back room.

She tried to focus on making all of the treats they were quickly selling out of, but her mind slowly began drifting into other, more entertaining thoughts. Sighing, she hardly noticed she had grazed her leg on the lip of an oven until after the fact.

“OW! OW!” she hissed, dropping the tray of fresh cookies on the floor.

An instant later, Pound was poking his head around the corner.

“Rapid, are you alright? What happened?”

“Nothing, Pound,” she gritted, already wrapping some gauze around her leg. “I'm good.”

“If you insist,” Pound said before returning to a now slightly irritated customer.

“At least he cares enough to check what is wrong,” she thought to herself as she gave a cringe at the mess before her. Sweeping it all to one side, she tossed the now-empty tray into the dishwashing machine and started replacing the ruined tray of cookies, using the rest of the dough to stamp out a new batch.

They were busy all the way up until an hour or so before closing, at which point they had a startling revelation: they'd ran out of multiple ingredients. They were effectively sold out of over half of the menu.

“Sorry, but that's all we have,” Pound said with apology, his ears pinned back as he ushered the last fuming customer out of the store. Locking the door before him, he turned around and headed straight into the kitchen. Rapid Souffle was making decent progress cleaning up, considering how busy they had been the past few hours.

“Good job here, Rapid. I'll be down in a moment, I'm going to go check on Pumpkin.”

Rapid grunted in response, to which Pound took his leave, climbing the stairs and trotting into his room.

Pumpkin was sleeping on her bed, crumpled tissues piled at the foot of it. The tray of food she'd been left that morning now held only crumbs, and she was sleeping on her side, legs straight out before her.

Pound slowly climbed onto the bed with her, cradling her against his stomach and running a hoof down her side, stroking at her mane.

“Hey, Pound,” Pumpkin said with a yawn. Apparently she hadn't been asleep.

“Hey baby,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “How are you feeling?”

“Same as yesterday,” she sniveled, reaching out with her magic for yet another tissue, which she soiled against her nose in a matter of seconds. It was the crumpled and proceeded to join the rest of them in the pile of shame.

“And the day before,” she finished, snorting inwards. She felt like crap. Getting sick sucked.

“I bet,” Pound said as he stroked his beautiful sister again, giving her a line of kisses down her neck. “Is there anything you need me to grab you?”

“Water. I'd love some water,” she said, reaching back behind her with a hoof and ruffling Pound's mane.

“Alright, I'll be back.”

Exiting both the bed and the room, Pound returned to the kitchen to find that in his short departure, Rapid had make significant progress. The kitchen wasn't clean by any means, but it was definitely getting there.

“How's she doing?” Rapid said as she scrubbed away at an unruly patch of clumped up... something. Scowling, she pressed harder against it.

“She just needs some water, and then she'll be good... for now,” Pound added, a stroke of concern laced in his words.

Rapid sighed, giving up at the smear for the time being as she rolled around to lean against the counter with her back, looking across the room at Pound as he drew a cup for his sister.

“He really cares about her, more than I've ever seen colts care about their marefriends back home at least.”

She sighed at the thought of having somepony to care for her as Pound returned to Pumpkin's side, administering her the glass.

“Thanks,” she coughed out before she downed the glass in one swift gulp.

“Let me know if you need anything else,” Pound said as he leaned down, kissing the tip of her horn gently before taking the empty cup back from Pumpkin and returning downstairs.

As he entered the kitchen, he saw that Rapid had returned to the stubborn stain, scrubbing at it with a determined fire.

“Doing a good job,” Pound commented towards her as he began assembling all of the dirty dishes he could find onto a washing rack, running it through the dishwasher. While he waited for them to cycle through, he allowed himself a glance at Rapid.

She was certainly a hard worker, and Pound could, in a way, see why Pumpkin had befriended her. She was quiet when she worked, honest and determined. That was what Pumpkin looked for in friends, and might have just been why she had so little. There just weren't that many ponies like that in Ponyville anymore.

“See anything you like?” Rapid giggled, feeling Pound's gaze on her.

“I see a hard worker,” Pound said. He knew exactly what a flirt was, and he tried to step around the uncomfortable conversation she would inevitably try and start.

“Like your sister?”

Pound raised an eyebrow at Rapid. He was expecting her to try and flirt with him, not talk about his sister. But then again, he knew very little about the mare in the kitchen. He had no right trying to guess what she might want to talk about.

“Yes, like my sister I suppose. She is a very hard worker.”

Rapid gave a short, amused laugh.

“You two love each other a lot, don't you?”

“What is this, is she giving up already?”

“Yes, we do. She's my best friend, and I've known her my entire life-”

“And that's not the least bit awkward?”

“Ah, so that's the card you're going to try and pull...”

“No, it isn't really. Although I have to ask you, why did you not seem to have a problem with us? Usually when somepony walks in and sees a brother and sister sharing a bed as Pumpkin and I have, their first thought isn't Dang I missed all the fun.”

“Why don't I have a problem with it?” Rapid laughed. “Pumpkin is my best friend, why would I have a problem with who she finds happiness with? Personally, I think these taboo what-nots are rather silly, at least some of them.”

“Ahuh,” Pound grunted as he pulled the now-clean rack of dishes out of the far end of the dishwasher, sorting them out and beginning to put them away. “So you have no problem with Pumpkin and I being... lovers?” He caught himself on the word for a moment, still finding it slightly difficult to say.

“Well, I do have my opinions, but it isn't because you two are siblings, mind you,” Rapid said as she turned her nose up in the air.

“You can lose the prissy accent, you know,” Pound said with a chuckle.

“Fine, then I'll tell you straight,” Rapid said as she dropped everything and took a few steps towards Pound, making him back up slightly in response.

“You. Are. A. Hunk.”

Pound's brow lifted slightly. That certainly was the first time he'd ever been told something quite like that.

“R-Rapid-” Pound said, still backing away.

“You have everything I see in a colt. Strong but shy, charming and attractive. Pumpkin is a lucky one.”

Rapid Souffle had cornered Pound into, well, a corner.

“Yes, well, I-”

Rapid suddenly jumped at him, latching lips. A moment later, Pound tore her away.

“What the buck was that for?!” he yelled at her, stumbling past the earth mare as he rubbed a foreleg against his lips, trying to remove any trace of the mare.

“She was right, you do have a strong taste... although I suppose she was probably talking about something else, no?” Rapid said with a wink.

“What the Hell is wrong with you?!” Pound asked her, astounded.

“I think it's obvious, Pound. I. Want. You.”

With that, she jumped at Pound, who sidestepped at the last moment.

“You're crazy!”

“A tad,” she giggled before chasing after him.

“I'm with Pumpkin, Rapid! You know that!”

“Dear, you need a real relationship, not an- OOMF!”

Rapid was stopped abruptly as Pound halted, whirling around and catching her shoulder with his hoof. It wasn't an aggressive motion, simply one to hold her in place. One could even say it meant to further imply the importance of what he would then say.

“Real relationship?” Pound said, hurt. “I am in a real relationship, Rapid. Yes, she might be my sister, but she is the best thing I could have asked for, so will you please never say that again.”

“A real marefriend you can take on dates, stroll about in public, kiss out in the streets. Can you do this with Pumpkin?”

“N-no,” Pound stammered. “At least, we haven't yet-”

“And you won't, Pound. Come on, think about this. This isn't good for her, she needs a real coltfriend, much like-” Rapid slunk a little closer to Pound.

“-you need a real marefriend.”

Pound rolled his eyes, taking a dramatically wide step away from Rapid.

“Coming from somepony who said they didn't have a problem with Pumpkin and I's relationship, you seem rather keen on ending it for your sake.”

“Come now,” Rapid said, “let's be realistic-”

“No, you come now and listen here,” Pound said as he suddenly stood at his full height, towering over Rapid. “You are Pumpkin's friend, so I will not say anything too harsh, but I will tell you the absolute truth. I am with Pumpkin, and you can not do anything about that. And when I am with her, nopony else comes between us. Do you understand?”

Rapid sat there, blinking slightly at Pound. She had only seen him be this forceful that one day, before the race.

“Do. You. Understand?” Pound repeated, staring Rapid down. He could be rather intimidating when he wanted to be, something that Rapid was very quickly learning.

“Perfectly,” she said as she skittered backwards, a blush screaming across her face.

“Damn it girl, why'd you just go and do that! You just ruined any chance you had, yes you did.”

Pound sighed as Rapid returned to her dishes, behaving to the world as though nothing had happened at all.

The rest of the night passed by in silence. The kitchen was cleaned and organized. Rapid excused herself quietly and professionally, slipping up the stairs to the guest bedroom.

Making sure everything was clean and proper, Pound nodded to himself before he headed up the stairs, making a quick detour to the bathroom before heading to his room.

Finishing his business, he turned from the sink, washing his hooves thoroughly and then drying them on a towel. As he basked in the silence, he was interrupted by a a subtle, choking sound. Alarmed, he slipped out of the bathroom and stepped into his bedroom.

Pumpkin was asleep in her bed, curled up comfortably.

Curious, Pound stepped back out and carefully trotted down the hall until he was standing next to the door to the guest bedroom. He didn't even have to press as ear against the door to make out the undeniable sounds of suppressed sobbing.

There was no way around the fact that Rapid Souffle was crying in her room. Pound raised a hoof to knock on the door, but stopped at just the last second. He was having a test of faith. Should he, or should he not.

Some time during his mental warfare, Rapid had slipped off into a fitful sleep.

As Pound became aware of the fact that the crying had stopped, he mentally kicked himself for not having done something. He wasn't a bad pony, he hated seeing others like that.

Sighing, he turned around and headed back to his own room.

C5_Planning

“Come on, Pound, wake up,” Pumpkin cooed as she stretched her back while in her brother's embrace. The sun had come up not too long ago, and they needed to make it to the train station early that morning. Today was the day their parents were coming back home.

“Five more m-m-minutes,” Pound mumbled, yawning over part of his words. Pumpkin giggled as she stretched her head backwards, nuzzling the bottom of Pound's chin. She was still in heat, but the effects of the heat were dulled drastically after regular... administrations, from Pound Cake. Nevertheless, she was still feeling extremely horny as she was spooned by her drowzy twin.

“Mom and Dad are going to be getting home soon, we need to get up.”

“Zzz...”

Pumpkin rolled her eyes, squirming on her side until she was facing Pound's stomach. She poked him lightly, trying to get him to stir. No response. Another poke. Yet again, no response. She reached to poke him again-

And suddenly had a mischievous idea. Pulling herself down, she trailed along Pound's body until she had slipped beneath the covers.

With a start, Pound was sitting bolt-right, the feeling of Pumpkin's warm mouth around his member too much stimulation for him to ignore.

“Woah, Pumpkin- ah!” Pound whinnied as Pumpkin gave his shaft a long lick from base to flare, swirling around the tip before once again taking the entire length in her mouth. He was rocking a full-on hard-on by now.

“You're-” Pound whimpered as Pumpkin suckled her way back up, leaving only a short amount of his cock in her mouth as she lapped at his tip, his eager pre-cum catching on her tongue. “-really good at this!”

Pumpkin giggled to herself as she continued administering her special wake-up routine to Pound Cake, taking him as close to the edge as she could. She wanted to take him farther, oh Faust did she want to take him further. It was starting to cloud her mind, how she wanted to ride him like one dirty pony, have him take her like an animal-

Suddenly, Pound rocked his hips forward.

“Pumpkin, I-”

As soon as Pound's hips moved forward, Pumpkin popped Little Pounder out of her mouth, teleporting atop the covers before Pound could try bucking his hips forward more. Pumpkin snickered at his Pound's horrified face as she slid out of the bed, sashaying her hips as she made her way out of the room.

“Pumpkin, why'd you- but that- that's not fair!” he whined. Pumpkin simply gave him a victorious smirk.

“Such a shame, too. I suppose the only thing that can get rid of that is a nice cold shower,” she said with a laugh. Pound just stared longingly after her as she turned the corner around the door, sighing in defeat as Pumpkin disappeared around the corner. As she hid behind the wall, she couldn't help but feel her thighs ache in sorrow. She had needs, too. Good for her, she had an excuse to fulfill such needs.

A moment later, she peaked back.

“But I suppose I could help you take care of it myself, if you hurry.”

The sheets flew off of Pound as he chased after her.

Meanwhile, Rapid Souffle rolled her eyes as the shameless twins went at it in the bathroom.

Loudly.

“The nerve of those two,” she moaned as she rose from her bed, rubbing her eyes. The sun was low in the morning sky, casting fresh warm rays of light into the room she was staying in.

Yawning quietly, she moved her hoof from her eyes to her temples as the sound of wet fur slapping against even wetter fur echoed throughout the house. Pumpkin was letting out shrill squeaks as the slapping grew faster in pace.

“Keep it down!” she yelled, irritated, to which to two twins slowed it down. Slightly.

Rolling out of her temporary bed, Rapid allowed herself a look in the mirror propped up along one of the wall, admiring her body. She wasn't fat, but she was a bit thicker than Pumpkin, with more definitive curves and dips. She was, as far as she was concerned, drop-dead beautiful.

“Yet Pound doesn't even acknowledge that... It's like I'm the one that's his sister, tagging along with his marefriend.”

Popping her neck, she exited the room and went down the stairs, sitting at the table letting her head drop down against the surface, huffing.

Upstairs, the twins seemed to have finished their wet lovemaking, for the sounds of them had vanished.

Breathing a sigh of relief at the glorious sound of silence, Rapid almost nodded back to sleep with her face planted against the counter until a gentle prodding at her side returned her senses.

“Come on, Rapid,” Pumpkin said with a grin, “let's head out! We're going to stop at a restaurant for a quick breakfast before we headed to the train station, we thought we'd treat you today.”

Rapid gave Pumpkin a smile right as her stomach decided to growl loudly, the smile bleeding into a blush.

“Thank you, Pumpkin,” Rapid said in a dignified manner.

Together, the three of them left the sweets store and made their way through town, Pumpkin and Pound staying the same distance away from each other as they had every time they went into public. Noticing this, a thought passed through Rapid's mind as she thought

“Hold on, won't their parents be the least bit surprised, to say the least, when they find out that their children are dating each other?”

As the three of them ate, Rapid decided to start up some small talk.

“So, your parents. What are they like?”

“I bet it would be quite a shock to them if they found out their children were, er... this intimate.”

Pound was the one to initially answer.

“Well, dad is former Equestrian Guard, he was a cook for six years before he got out, something about lack of respect or something like that. So he started working here and there, eventually running the kitchen in some fancy restaurant of Canterlot.”

“And mom was from Canterlot, originally,” Pumpkin also explained. “I guess she decided to try the restaurant mentioned, and was so impressed with the food that she requested to see the chef. Dad came out, and that's when they said they both fell in love.”

Rapid Souffle's smirk had dropped into an appalled frown.

“That was possibly the cheesiest, most nontraditional way for them to have fallen in love... Yet I can't help but love it... In a rather disturbed way...”

Still, she swallowed back her horror at the story and even managed to feign a smile.

“That's... charming. Sweet, even?” she fumbled.

“Yeah, our family is a little weird,” Pound laughed while rubbing a foreleg.

“Yeah, we-” Pumpkin's eyes bulged as her gaze drifted past the clock tower, noting the time.

“CHECK!” she shouted, hastily shoving her mouth full of everything left on her plate. Pound watched with an open mouth as she took an entire half-loaf of baguette in her mouth in one swift motion. Rapid stifled a laugh at his obvious blush.

“Comf fon!” Pumpkin choked as she drug her accomplices over to a waiter, sorting out the check. A moment later, their bill was paid and the three were charging down the street towards the train depot.

“Sorry about that, Rapid,” Pumpkin called to her friend, “I guess I lost track of time! Our parents are arriving any minute now!”

The trio arrived on the depot platform just as the train chugged along into the station.

Craning their necks over a relatively thick crowd, Pound took to the air, peering over the ponies exiting the train until-

“Mom!” he shouted with a smile, flying down and dropping onto his hooves in front of Cup Cake.

“Pound!” Cup Cake exclaimed as she wrapped Pound up in a tight embrace.

Pumpkin had seen the streak of red Pound had left in his wake and had followed it to find her mother as well.

“And Pumpkin!” Cup exclaimed again, bringing her daughter into the group hug. A moment later, she felt her husband add his weight to the huddle.

“Did you guys miss us?” he asked, causing his two kids to giggle.

“Yeah!” they said in unison. A few moments later, they broke away, falling into small talk about their trip, the ride, life in general. Once again, they'd come back with a blue ribbon, proudly displaying their victory.

Rapid Souffle sat back, watching with a half-smile at how happy their family seemed. It was nothing like what she had back home, with just her mother. This was a loving family, happy and content. Rapid Souffle couldn't begin to comprehend what a wedge such a revelation could bring between the family if their parents were to find out.

Suddenly, a flashback of her dad popped up into her mind. Him and Rapid's mother had separated because of a situation not quite the same, yet eerily similar, to this one.

“They... they deserve the right to know. They are their parents, after all. But, how to bring it up? I can't just be like Hey, yo kids are getting the uh-uh with the huh-uh, if you know what I mean! I have to be more subtle!”

“So who is your friend here?” Carrot Cake asked, tearing Rapid from her train of thought. Pumpkin trotted over and set a hoof on Rapid's shoulder.

“This is Rapid Souffle, the one I wrote to you about staying with us for a little bit. Her family is in the middle of moving right now, so I suggested she just stay with us for a little while until they were all good and done.”

“Well it is a pleasure to meet you, young lady,” Cup Cake said as she approached Rapid. Without warning or tact, Cup Cake pulled Rapid into a tight hug as well. As she let go, Carrot smartly offered her his hoof instead, to which she met with her own.

“So, you too haven't burned down the house yet, have you?” Carrot asked as he shifted his gaze over to his two children. They smiled innocently.

“Of course not, daddy!” they sang.

“Wise choice,” he chuckled as he and his children helped gather up the luggage from the train. With everything grabbed and ready, they set off for the house, Rapid in line behind them.

The walk to the house wasn't much different from on the train station, as the children and parents exchanged small talk. Rapid kept herself reserved from the conversation, preferring to listen in casually. They really were a close family, it seemed.

“We saw your auntie Pinkie Pie at the competition,” Carrot Cake said as they trotted along, eliciting the attention of his children.

“How's she doing?” Pumpkin asked, excited. They hadn't seen Pinkie Pie since she left ten years ago to open her own chain of bakeries in the Crystal Empire. Something about the berries being sharper there, whatever that meant...

“She's doing great, very successful from what she told us. She says she misses you both and hopes that you're staying out of trouble,” Cup Cake said with a wink.

“We are!” Pound Cake and Pumpkin both said stubbornly. Cup and Carrot broke out into laughter that lasted all the way until they opened the back door to the shop.

Collapsing into the house, the luggage was discarded as the parents fell upon the couches of the small sitting room in the back of the shop.

“Train rides always wipe me out so much,” Cup Cake moaned as she let herself sink into the couch.

“It's old age, Cup,” Carrot said as he did a similar action. “Just wait and think how this'll feel in twenty years.”

“Heh, don't make me think about it. I want to stay young.”

Pumpkin approached her parents as they lounged.

“Is there anything you guys would like?” she asked hopefully.

“No, but thank you honey,” Carrot Cake said warmly.

“I'm good as well, sweetie. Why don't you go play with your brother,” Cup said with a flick of her hoof.

“Just be quiet about it,” Carrot added, his voice tinging with warning.

“Okay, you guys relax here,” Pound said as he grabbed a suitcase in his mouth. “Comf fon, Fumfkun! Hewf fe 'ere!”

Pumpkin too grabbed a suitcase, following her brother through a door and up the stairs.

This left Rapid Souffle alone with Carrot Cake and Cup Cake. She sat down on her flank, thinking hard about how she could bring up the subject. It had to be the right thing to do, right? Right?

“Hey, you're kids are shagging- no, nopony says shagging! Hmm... should I wait until one of them are down here, would that make it less awkward? No, that would probably make it more awkward! What to do, what to do, what to-”

Meanwhile, Pumpkin and Pound had returned down the stairs to grab the last two bags. Pumpkin saw Rapid sitting on the floor, a concerned look on her face.

“Hey Rapid... you alright?”

“Hmm?” Rapid looked up, surprised to hear pumpkin. “Oh, yeah. Everything's cool, Pumpkin-”

Rapid swallowed as her nerve cracked.

“- I was just waiting to see how long you and Pound could refrain from humping each other silly-”

Rapid slapped a hoof over her mouth, blushing madly.

“Oh... my... How could I even say that?! That was bad, Rapid, bad bad ba-”

Rapid's mental berating was slapped down to a halt as she noticed a general lack of reaction to what she'd just let slip, at least verbally.

Pumpkin and Pound both stifled blushing laughs as they grabbed the last two suitcases, returning to the stairs. Cup Cake and Carrot Cake were unresponsive to what Rapid had said.

Rapid cocked an eyebrow at them. Surely this was important news for parents to hear. Rather curious now, Rapid threw away all tact to try and figure this out.

“Or if you had even less self-control, just start riding him in the bathroom again.”

Carrot Cake gave a snort, but that was all the acknowledgment she had received from the two older ponies in the room.

“No response? They actually do it, you know. They were loud enough to wake me this morning, even.”

Carrot Cake gave a chuckle. “They're young, can't blame them.”

Rapid Souffle facehoofed. There was no way-

“You understood what I said, right”

“Yes, dear, you commented on Pound and Pumpkin's very close relationship. More than familiar, relationship,” Cup Cake read off evenly.

Rapid was shocked, to say the least.

“You two already knew?”

“Eeyup,” Carrot Cake drawled.

Rapid sat back, unsure of what to do.

“And you have no problem with it?”

“Nope,” Cup Cake replied. “If they love each other, that is their choice. We are quite happy for them, yes we are.”

“So I just freaked myself out for absolutely no reason?”

This time Pumpkin answered her from a distance away.

“That is correct.”

Rapid couldn't believe her ears. She was somewhat glad that she couldn't, but... still...

“Well... Damn.”

Author's Notes:

Filler chapters are filling!

C6_Schemes

Pumpkin gasped as she lay quivering in Pound's embrace, still rubbing her teeth along Pound's bottom lip after their latest session of love making.

“Y-you,” Pound panted, “r-really got into... t-that...”

Pumpkin couldn't talk, still trying to catch her breath. Her hormones were driving her crazy, all she could think about was cock, cock, cock.

“Stupid heat...” Pumpkin groaned in her head as she curled up to Pound even more, wrapping his hooves around her. Pound pulled her into a tight hug, holding on to her securely.

“At least this guy can keep up,” she thought, smiling as she nuzzled Pound's chest affectionately.

The door slowly creaked open as Rapid trotted in, for all intents and purposes completely oblivious to what had transpired in the room.

“Pumpkin, have you seen my red scarf? I can't seem to find it anywh-”

Rapid's eyes bulged as they finally landed on the twins, still sweaty from their recent activity.

“Missed it again?” Rapid whined.

“What does that even mean?!” Pumpkin managed to squeak out weakly as she fumbled to pull the sheets over her and Pound. “Why didn't you knock?!”

“The door was unlocked, sorry,” Rapid said, giving the best face of false innocence she could muster.

“That doesn't mean you just waltz right in!” Pumpkin yelled, flustered.

“Sorry, dear, but momma's got issues,” Rapid barked. “I'm leaving on the train back home tomorrow, and I can't find my scarf!”

Pound and Pumpkin finally managed to pull the sheet out from under them, tossing it over them pointlessly.

“I don't know where it is!” Pumpkin said.

“Well I need to find it! You wouldn't mind if-”

“GET OUT!” Pumpkin practically cried. She was quite mad at her friend, all of a sudden. How dare she just walk in on them like that?!

Muttering something under her breath, Rapid backed out of the room, Pumpkin using her magic to slam the door shut as soon as she was gone.

“Well... that was awkward,” Pound said.

“No kidding,” Pumpkin moaned, leaning into Pound. “She must be really desperate to join in on us if she keeps doing stuff like this.”

Pound nuzzled Pumpkin, brushing her ear under his muzzle.

“Yeah... I bet she's just torn up about it,” Pound sneered slightly.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Pumpkin asked, turning to look Pound in his eye.

“Well... the other day, she kind of jumped me in the kitchen, saying she... wanted to copulate. With me.”

“The- that- what?!” Pumpkin yelled, bolting to her hooves.

“I said no, of course!” Pound tried to defend himself. This seemed to work, as Pumpkin deflated.

“That would explain why she keeps asking me about you...” Pumpkin mumbled. “I told her to stay away from you.”

“She's a nice girl, Pumpkin, even if she's a little... well, slutty, to be honest.”

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Pumpkin laughed feebly. “She tried to bang three of our teachers while at the school. Needless to say, they were not amused.”

Pound's jaw dropped slightly.

“Mare has ambitions, at least,” Pound commented.

“Yes, and she is a very good cook, too,” Pumpkin said as she thought more about her friend. “I met her on the first day down there, when she tried to redirect a colt that was hitting on me to start hitting on her. Tried.”

Pound cocked an eyebrow.

“What happened?”

“He ran away terrified, the poor thing. Still, we hit it off great from there. Turns out we were also room-mates, and were good friends from that day on,” Pumpkin said with a soft smile.

“Sounds romantic,” Pound laughed, to which Pumpkin blushed lightly, looking away.

“No...” Pound gasped. “You two-”

“It was only a couple times, Pound!” Pumpkin huffed. “You weren't there with me, did you really expect me to go that long without some sort of stimulation?”

“I managed to do it,” Pound deadpanned.

“And I love you for that,” Pumpkin cooed as she brushed her muzzle against Pound's, drawing him into a gentle kiss.

“But yes, we did, and I'm sorry.” Pumpkin said. “Are you... are you angry?”

Pound shook his head sideways.

“Have you ever seen me angry?” Pound whispered into her lips. Pumpkin giggled and shook her own head.

“”No, I guess not.”

“... So, was she any good?”

Pumpkin blushed profusely at Pound's question.

“She... she had her times, yes.”

“Times?” Pound asked with a smirk He was starting to see how Pumpkin's relationship with their house-mate had went.

“A few, yes,” Pumpkin said.

“Care to say how many?” Pound asked, trying not to laugh. This was too good, watching Pumpkin be the nervous one.

“... Three...” she squeaked.

“I'm sorry, couldn't catch that.

“... Three...”

“One more time?”

"It was three times!” Pumpkin barked at him.

Pound smirked deviously.

“There, now was that so hard?”

“Shut up,” Pumpkin said as she punched him lightly in the chest.

“I'm sorry, it's just so much fun teasing you,” Pound chuckled as he leaned towards Pumpkin, slipping his tongue inside her mouth while rolling atop of her. Pumpkin arched against him, her body lighting up at his touch. She broke away as she started gasping. Their recent conversation had sparked... something in Pumpkin.

“Not fair,” she hissed, her nethers throbbing. “You know how bad I need it.”

“Yes, yes I do,” Pound said as he crouched back and nibbled on Pumpkin's neck, biting her gently.

“And it's no offense to you or anything, but... I think I might need a little more.”

“What did you have in mind?” Pound somewhat asked, distracted by the beautiful mare arching her back beneath him.

“Well...” Pumpkin started, trying to be tactful about how she would word together her desire.

A few seconds later, she gave up. There was no tactful way she could go about this.

“I was thinking a threesome. With Rapid.”

Pound stopped immediately, stunned. Pumpkin noticed this and started worrying.

“Oh no, I really hope he doesn't object too much to that.”

Then she realized what exactly she'd asked him, what must have been running through his mind. She'd just asked him to have a three-some with her past mare lover. That had to have been a little awkward for him to think about.

“Pound, we don't have to if you don't want to,” Pumpkin tried to explain to Pound. “It's just... something I wanted to try... and we both know Rapid wants to.”

“But- you were just upset with Rapid having the apparent hots for me, now you're suggesting we both buck away at her? What are you thinking?!”

“I'm in heat, Pound, I can't think!” Pumpkin countered. “You want to know exactly what's going through my mind right now? How much I want you to buck me, how long I have to wait until you get another hard on and take me. That's all I can think about right now, Pound, so sorry if I'm a little more than curious in- HMMFG!”

Pound had found that an effective way at shutting her up was to apply his lips directly to hers. Pumpkin softened under his touch.

“It's okay, Pumpkin,” Pound whispered as soon as they broke away. “I guess I need to be a little more understanding. I don't know what it's like for you right now, so I can't pretend I know what you're thinking right now. But, Pumpkin... do you really want to share this with somepony else? I liked thinking that what we have is... special.”

Pumpkin almost laughed at how cute Pound was being.

“It is special, Pound, and I don't want to share that with anypony else.”

“But...?”

“But right now, I have an itch between my legs that requires a certain mare's attention as well. Oh, and there is something else you need to know...” Pumpkin said, trailing off.

“What?” Pound asked.

“Well, it might make you feel a little guilty about it, so...”

“Tell me.”

“It's just...”

“Say it!”

Pumpkin took in a deep breath before blurting out, “Rapid's also in heat she told me as soon as we found out I was you have no idea how horny she is!”

Pound just looked at her, mouth agape.

“That... might explain a few things...” Pound said, stunned as he remembered Rapid trying to mount him in the kitchen a few days ago. All because she was in heat, huh?

“Yeah...” Pumpkin said.

Pound thought deeply, thinking hard about Pumpkin's request. She really seemed desperate for a threesome with Rapid.

And who was he to deny his mare what she wanted.

“I guess we could work something out,” Pound said as he kissed Pumpkin's muzzle. “But make sure Rapid is okay with this.”

“Oh, don't worry,” Pumpkin chuckled. “I don't think Rapid will have any problem with that at all...”

C7_Party [Cloppy]

Pound Cake kicked one final cloud, a feeling of satisfaction washing over him as he saw the vapor poof away into nothingness.

His day had been rather uneventful since his morning session with Pumpkin, when they'd planned their... evening. He'd then left for work, clocking in for his shift with the weather team. From then, he'd spent the entire day cleaning up the sky over Ponyville.

“Good job there, Pound!”

Pound turned in the air, spotting the weather captain Scootaloo flying towards him.

“Hey, Scootaloo,” Pound said evenly, floating away slightly as she stopped next to him.

“I see you're done with this section,” Scootaloo said as she flipped a few purple bangs out of her face, grinning wildly. “Not bad, for a newbie. You can go home now, good job today!”

Scootaloo darted off, leaving Pound by himself. Heading back to the weather station, he clocked out and flew over the town, in the direction of his house. As he crossed through the sky, he spotted Pumpkin and Rapid walking around town, chatting amongst themselves.

“So Rapid, what do you say? You in?”

Pound barely made out Pumpkin's words as he descended quickly, dropping to the ground behind the two mares.

“Damn straight, girl!” Rapid said excitedly. Pound grinned. Rapid did have a very... rounded body.

“Hey,” Pound said as he sidled up between the two. Immediately, the two mares sandwiched him, giggling. Pound twitched as he received a few odd glances from some ponies who knew him and Pumpkin. He gave them a sensitive smile as they trotted on.

“I hope you're ready for this,” Rapid said lustfully. “From what Pumpkin has told me, there are quite a few things you haven't tried... I think we're going to have some fun!”

Pound blushed furiously.

“I, uh... I don't think we should get too wild...” Pound said shyly.

“He doesn't like to experiment,” Pumpkin whispered to Rapid, making her giggle.

“Pumpkin!”

“Tell me I'm wrong!”

“Pumpkin!”

Rapid was laughing hysterically now, leaning against Pound.

“Just wait, Pound. You both have much to learn...”

As the three returned to the house, Carrot Cake took one look at his children and their friend and immediately cracked a wild grin. Hey, he'd gone to college. He knew.

“Honey, meet me outside in five minutes. We're going out tonight!”

“Oh, gosh honey! Let me take a minute to spruce up my mane!” Cup Cake exclaimed from their room, audibly thrilled by the thought of date night with her husband.

“Thirty seconds to make it, your mother must not know. Move!” Carrot commanded, reverting to his past military experience.

Pumpkin and Rapid laughed as they pulled Pound behind them, giggling madly. They crashed through the door to Pound and Pumpkin's bedroom, slamming the door behind them.

As soon as the door was closed, Rapid threw herself at Pound, locking her lips around his and forcing him onto his back. She swirled her tongue into his mouth, forcefully dominating him. His wings hung limply at his sides while Pumpkin looked on from the sides, a lop-sided smile on her face. This was going to be fun.

Eventually they could hear the elder Cakes leave the house, and Rapid chose to break away from their kiss.

She giggled as Pound's eyes were half-lidded, his breathing already growing heavy. He really was turned on by kissing, something she noted.

“Excuse me,” Rapid said politely, opening the door. “I'll be right back.”

Skipping over to her room, Rapid dug through her bags desperately until she found it: a small bottle of purple liquid.

“Okay, five ounces...” she said to herself as she popped the top off, taking a short swig of the vial. Instantly, she felt a slight tingling between her legs. She was ready for the night.

Topping it back off, she started to drop it back into her bag when she stopped, staring at it curiously.

“There's still enough in here for Pumpkin, I should let her take the rest.”

Then Rapid had what she thought was a realization.

“Hold on, they've been going at it for the past week, surely she's been on top of it. I'm sure she's taken some already.”

Dropping the vial back in the bag, she returned to the room, completely unaware that Pumpkin had not been on top of it at all.

She stepped into the room to find Pumpkin taking half of a groaning Pound's member in her mouth.

“Holy shit, Pumpkin!” Pound gasped, leaning back as Pumpkin bobbed her head up and down, dragging her tongue along his length as it slipped in and out of her throat.

“Glad to see you two have already started,” Rapid said sarcastically as she approached the two on Pumpkin's bed. Prodding Pumpkin's side, Pumpkin scooted over as she moved her head back, Pound's stiff self popping out of her mouth, a long line of drool and pre-cum strung between her lips and the flare.

“But just remember to share,” Rapid said before she slid her tongue over Pound's erection, traveling up and down gently. Pound slipped a hoof down to caress Rapid behind the ear, making him feel as though he had control.

Slipping her lips over his tip, Rapid adjusted her head before letting him slide down her throat, comfortably taking over half of his length before gagging. From there, she set up a steady rhythm. Pound moaned as he felt the pleasure building in his loins.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin had sidled up along Pound and bent down to meet Pound's lips with her own. Thrusting her tongue inside, Pumpkin engaged Pound in a passionate kiss. Pound moaned into Pumpkin's mouth from the stimulation he was receiving.

Breaking away from the kiss, Pumpkin looked Pound in his eyes, her beautiful baby blues shining along Pound's glazed over browns.

“Does this feel good?” Pumpkin asked, a husky depth to her voice as she too caressed Rapid's head, stroking her mane with a hoof.

Pound nodded like a foal.

“I think it's time for you to return the favor.”

Pound's look could only have been described as delighted.

Propping herself up, she slipped one of her legs over Pound's face, Pound quickly wrapping his spare front leg around one of Pumpkin's plump hips. Immediately digging in, Pumpkin let out a shrill gasp as Pound began, for lack of a better word, eating her out. Pumpkin leaned over Pound, trying to force his lapping deeper into her.

“P-Pound!” Pumpkin shrieked. He was... really good at this...

Rapid slipped Pound out of her mouth, letting his pulsing meat reach back for her as she turned around. She needed some stimulating, too.

Letting Pound's flesh ride up against her rump, she looked back and slipped a hoof under her, navigating Pound to the right spot until-

With a sharp thrust from her hips, she pierced herself on him, letting her tongue lol out of her mouth as she felt him stretch her walls in just the right ways. His wet cock slid in easily, the generous amount of saliva and pre-cum helping it along until he was fully hilted inside of her.

“You're... really well-endowed... hnnng...”

Rapid let herself slide forward along Pound, letting her walls cling to his member until only a third of him was left inside of her. Then, she thrust her hips back, moaning in pleasure as her insides were stretched again. Setting up another pattern, her hips slapping against Pound. She flipped her mane back, letting her body take charge of her needs.

Pumpkin rocked her hips along Pound's muzzle, gasping as she felt his dextrous tongue lapped at her folds.

“Pound...” Pumpkin huffed, wriggling her hips along his face. She could feel herself getting close to the edge.

As Pound flicked his tongue again, he let it linger a little too long over her clit. Pumpkin whinnied as she double over, trembling as waves of pleasure wracked her body.

Pumpkin fell to the side, gasping loudly as Pound took a deep draw of air, face covered in Pumpkin's juices.

As soon as Pumpkin's weight was gone from Pound's face, Pound let out a feral growl as he lurched forward, wrapping a leg under Rapid's stomach and taking charge, bucking away like mad.

“P-Pound!” she yelped as she was no longer in charge of the pace, feeling her limit approaching. Pound could feel his own rapidly coming as well.

“Rapid, I'm-” Pound grunted before grabbing Rapid's plump hips, thrusting in as far as he could before going bareback and coming inside of his sister's best friend.

Rapid shrieked as she felt her own orgasm shudder through her, clamping down on Pound and milking him dry. Pound gasped in pleasure in synch with Rapid.

His erection slipped out of Rapid and flopped onto the bed, the rest of his body following suit behind it.

“That... was... awesome...” Rapid gasped, her body still convulsing as she rode her orgasm out.

“Yeah, that was something els- MMMF!” Pound started but was quickly interrupted.

Pumpkin swooped Pound in for a long, powerful kiss, swapping as many fluids as she could with him. She quickly felt his body going limp in her grip. Just the way she liked it.

Breaking away, she nuzzled him intimately.

“You didn't think you were done, did you?” she breathed before pushing Pound onto his side and returning to her earlier position, except turning herself so she had a view at the lower half of Pound's body. Leaning down, she grasped Pound's limp cock in her hooves, suckling the tip.

“Pumpkin,” Pound said through her mound, his words slightly muffled. “I just came, I can't just-”

Pound stopped as his body betrayed what he was saying, his waist sporting yet another erection under Pumpkin's generous administrations.

“Continue as you were,” Pound said as he licked along Pumpkin's slit, tasting her arousal and sweat mixed in with the juices of her last orgasm.

Pumpkin slowly let Pound's stiffy sink into her throat, her tongue pressed against the underside of Little Pounder.

As the twins 69'd each other, Rapid recovered from her sudden orgasm, letting her eyes fall upon Pumpkin and she watched her once-lover give head to the stallion who had just came inside of her. It had been a lot, too.

“I do have to say, she is quite beautiful,” Rapid thought to herself while watching Pumpkin devote all of her attention to Pound's erection. She suddenly had an incredible urge to-

And suddenly, she was kissing Pumpkin, pushing her back with the force of her affection.

Pound, thanking the goddesses, had the perfect view of the two beautiful mares making out right before him as Pumpkin tumbled off onto the side, wrapping limbs with Rapid as they began wrestling for dominance. Rapid had size, but Pumpkin had tact and skill, and had quickly pinned Rapid beneath her. Rubbing her sopping marehood against Rapids, she slid down until she could see Rapid in her entirety.

“It's been awhile since we were like this, huh?” Pumpkin joked as she took a long, drawn-out taste of Rapid's slit, causing the larger pony to cringe blissfully.

“T-too long,” Rapid Souffle huffed. Pumpkin dove into her prize, Rapid moaning loudly as Pumpkin worked her in ways she had discovered while at the school.

Pound, in the meantime, just sat there, watching the hot scene before him. Little Pounder was at full attention, begging to be used.

A flick of Pumpkin's tail caught his eye. Her rump was raised high in the air, swinging along with her body as she ate out her best friend.

Smiling the devious grin he could only derive from situations like these, Pound jumped at Pumpkin, thrusting deep inside of her in one swift motion. Pumpkin groaned happily into Rapid, but didn't slow down, even as Pound set up a fast, feral pattern. He would thrust in, buck his hips up, and occasionally add a slow swirl left or right before sliding back out, only to repeat again a split second later.

Pumpkin's front legs gave out as her torso collapsed to the bed, drained from the feeling of Pound ravishing her. She didn't stop pleasuring Rapid, though, and was soon rewarded as Rapid arched her back sharply, orgasming for the second time that night.

Pumpkin squeaked as Pound obliterated her hips, until they were both crying out in time with each other as Pound marked her from the inside, painting her insides white.

The two collapsed to the bed, light-headed. Rapid snorted as she saw the condition the two were in.

“Light-weights,” she muttered as she kissed both of their heads tenderly.

“But you did good. Yes, you did good.”

Author's Notes:

Special Midnight release, at least here.

C8_Dates

“So you're sure you have everything?”

Rapid Souffle rolled her eyes as Pumpkin asked her the same question she had fifty times that morning.

“Pumpkin, are you going to be asking me this until we reach the station?”

“No, but-” Pumpkin started, but Rapid raised a hoof to Pumpkin's lips, halting her.

“Tut-tut, that's enough! I got everything, hon, don't worry 'bout it!”

Pumpkin sighed as Rapid removed her hoof, grinning.

“Sorry, I just- I wanted to make sure, we probably won't be seeing each other again for a while, so-”

“Oh, posh, Pumpkin,” Rapid chuckled, “I'm sure you'll be seeing me again some time in our near future!”

“I sure hope you do,” Pumpkin said as she pulled Rapid into a tight hug.

Pound coughed behind the two.

“You gonna join in here, big boy?” Rapid asked, flicking her tail around.

Rolling his eyes, Pound smirked as he wrapped the two mares up in his hooves, holding them to his torso. They both turned and gave him a light peck on his cheeks.

“Come on, mom and dad are probably waiting for us,” Pumpkin said, and then their huddle broke as they all grabbed one of Rapid's bags. Heading out of the room and down the stairs, they met up with Carrot and Cup Cake.

“All right deary, looks like you're set for leaving,” Cup Cake said with her usual cheery tone in her voice.

“Yes, thank you for having me,” Rapid said humbly as she dipped her head towards Cup Cake. Cup gave a mighty laugh as she strutted over to Rapid and wrapped her up in a big hug.

“You're free to come again any time you'd like,” Carrot said as Cup released their house guest.

“That is greatly appreciated,” Rapid Souffle said, thanking him.

“Alright, well we're off to the train station! Bye mom, bye dad!” Pumpkin said as she and Pound drug out their respective bags, Pumpkin using her magic while Pound balanced it on his back between his folded wings.

The three of them trotted along the streets of Ponyville, the town still waking up at the early morning hour. Rapid had to catch the first train of the day, at eight o'clock. It was seven at the moment.

“Can we grab something to eat really quick?” Rapid asked as her stomach growled ever-so-noticeably. “I don't think I fancy sitting at the depot for an hour on an empty stomach.”

Chuckling to themselves, they made their way to an outdoor restaurant that had opened not all that long ago, sitting down and placing their orders. They fell into small-talk after, chatting about the weather, laughing about past events from the Chef school, poking occasional fun at Pound, the sort.

“You will write to me, right?” Rapid questioned Pumpkin as their food came out, simple salads for the mares and a vegetable sandwich for Pound.

“Of course, every week!” Pumpkin informed happily, munching away on her salad. The rest of their early meal slipped away in silence, until right at seven-thirty, they were finished.

Pound began taking out some bits from a drawstring in his wings, but Rapid waved him off with a hoof.

“Please, Pound, allow me,” she said as she took out the correct amount of bits to pay the bill, passing them to the waiter when he came to collect the bill.

“You didn't have to do that,” Pound said sheepishly.

“And you didn't have to agree to last night,” Rapid said while winking. Pound blushed profusely.

“Riiight, well,” Pumpkin said, humoured at Pound's expense. “The train will be here soon, we should head over to the station.” Picking up their bags, they departed the restaurant, making their way to the train depot to find it empty. They sat back down, falling once more into last-minute small talk.

The train arrived shortly after.

“Well, thank you kindly for having me,” Rapid thanked her friends, pulling them back into a big hug.

“Please, it was fun!” Pumpkin chirped, nuzzling Rapid's cheek.

Rapid giggled before glancing to the side, then pulled Pumpkin away. Pound politely turned to the side, giving the two mares some privacy. He assumed it was to talk about their, er, relationship.

Quite the opposite, though, as Rapid pulled out the small vial of purple liquid, hoofing it over to a slightly confused Pumpkin.

“Here, I thought you should have the rest. I didn't see any at your house, so I figured you were probably low. It makes sense, considering how often you two do the dirty,” Rapid said with a sincere smile.

“What is this?” Pumpkin said as she tried to match Rapid's smile. “Why did she-”

Pumpkin very quickly put two and two together.

“But I haven't taken any- oh buck oh buck oh buck-”

Trying to internalize her sudden fear, she gave Rapid a nearly-faltering smile as she washed the vial in her magic, making it disappear in a weak teleportation spell. The vial softly landed on her bed at the house.

“Yes, well, I best be off,” Rapid said with mock confidence as she took her bags and approached the pony outside of the train, flashing her ticket before being allowed to step aboard. Pumpkin and Pound both brought her luggage over to a small pony who was ferrying it all inside the train.

The two twins waved at Rapid through the window before turning and heading off.

The sun was still low in the sky as the twins left the platform, a little sadness shared mutually between them.

“Rapid was... pretty nice, all things considered. It'll be fun to see her again,” Pound said as they trotted through the streets.

“Yeah, I can't wait,” Pumpkin said with a smile before bumping along next to her brother, letting her tail slip around his.

“P-Pumpkin! We talked about this!”

“Pound, there is nopony on the the street,” Pumpkin explained to him. “Just... let me enjoy this time with you. We only ever are this close when we're in bed.”

Pumpkin rubbed her muzzle along his neck before returning it forward.

“Not that I don't enjoy that, but... I kind of want a little more than that, Pound.”

Pound sighed. She was right, she deserved more than just being eachother's play-toy under the covers. She really did want to be intimate with him, and not just in the lustful way.

Pound went over his options in his head.

He could continue to play it safe, letting nopony in the town even know of their relationship, keeping it a secret. Nopony could have a problem with it if they had no idea of it in the first place, right?

Or, he could make his mare happy and make their relationship not quite public, but not anti-public, either. Pumpkin seemed less worried about what other ponies thought and genuinely wanted to spend time with him like any other stallionfriend and marefriend would do, something he wasn't shamed to admit he wanted, too.

Pound knew he had to make the decision of whether or not to keep his wall up, or embrace what he and Pumpkin had for what it was worth.

With one look at Pumpkin, he knew his choice. It was the only one he could make, after all, when faced with such a beautiful mare such as Pumpkin.

“I think I know what you mean,” Pound said as the two of them starting trotting around a fountain in town, the waterworks sending a light mist into the air around it. Pound halted Pumpkin with him as he moved over to sit against the fountain.

“You do?” Pumpkin asked, confused. He had always shown that he wanted to keep their relationship a secret, but now he was admitting that he wanted to make it full-blown? Did that mean-

“Does this mean-” Pumpkin began, but was stopped as Pound draped a hoof over her shoulder and brushed his lips against hers, stopping her in her tracks. Their eyes drifted closed as they shifted around slightly, Pumpkin throwing both of her hooves over Pound and holding him close.

An elderly green mare with a tight gray bun of a mane trotted by with a walker, taking a look at the two before continuing on, cackling to herself. “Kids these days!”

As Pound pulled himself away from Pumpkin, a bright blush on his face, he could see tears welling up in Pumpkin's eyes.

“Pumpkin, are you crying?” he asked her while chuckling, stroking her mane.

“N-no!” she lied, furiously brushing the tears from her eyes with a foreleg. Pound laughed softly as he leaned towards Pumpkin, letting his forehead rest against hers, right under her horn.

“I love you,” he said gently, so very gently.

“I love you too,” Pumpkin breathed, smiling widely.

“Come on,” Pound said as he pulled Pumpkin back to her hooves, tangling his tail once again with Pumpkin's.

“Let's go home. We need to get ready for a date.”

C9_Showers [Cloppy]

The day had proceeded innocently enough from when Pound had told Pumpkin he was taking her on a date. Upon returning to their house, they learned that their parents were out of the house for the time, the shop temporarily closed.

Pound headed upstairs as soon as they unlocked the doors. Pumpkin followed right behind him, but as soon as she hit the top of the flight, something crossed through her mind. Something important.

“The vial-”

Panicking, Pumpkin washed herself over with magic and charged through the walls, making a beeline straight for her bed.

“Pumpkin? Why'd you run off?” Pumpkin could hear Pound call out from the other side of the wall. She had next to no time to act.

Scooping up the small vial, she looked around desperately for a hiding spot. Pound was right on the other side of the door. She had to act now.

Leaping onto her bed, she landed on her back and shoved the vial under her pillow, the perfect hiding spot.

Pound entered the room to see a red-faced Pumpkin posing rather shamelessly on her bed, her hooves stretched up and her legs cocked out.

Pound laughed softly.

“Pumpkin, we need to clean up for a date, not get dirty before it,” Pound said with a smile.

Pumpkin's rapidly beating heart slowed down a tad.

“he didn't notice... good.”

Pumpkin watched as Pound trotted over to his dresser, pulling it open and rummaging through it until he found what he'd been searching for: a simple brown duster, cut and tailored to fit him nicely.

Pumpkin remembered it from when Pound had worn it with his costume for Nightmare Night a few years back, three if she remembered correctly. Pumpkin had made the joke that he looked good in it before she stammered to cover it up, claiming she simply thought that a mare might like it if he wore it while taking her on a date.

Apparently, he still remembered that.

“You aren't seriously going to wear that, are you?” Pumpkin asked him with a bit of cheek in her tone.

“Yeah, I thought you said it looked good?” Pound asked, confused.

“Called it,” Pumpkin thought to herself.

“Yeah, three years ago, and that was a joke.”

“Why would you joke about something like that?!” Pound asked, horrified. He really had been prepared to walk on out of the house wearing that!

“I- well, I... I slipped up, okay? I called you cute, and tried to cover it up, so-” Pumpkin said as her blush intensified.

“That- oh. Right,” Pound thought to himself as a similar blush ran through his cheeks. He remembered the night as well. Pumpkin had said something that sounded like she thought he was cute, which had gotten him all sorts of excited. Turns out she had just been talking about what other mares might think, or so he'd believed.

Pound hung his head in shame as he folded the duster back up, tucking it away into the dresser and shutting it closed. Executing a perfect about-face, he trotted away towards the door.

“I'm going to go take a shower, so-”

He stopped as he looked over Pumpkin. She was still lying on her bed in that presumably seductive pose.

“What?” Pumpkin asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Keep going, keep going...” she repeated again and again in her mind.

“N-nothing,” Pound winced as he trotted out, scampering away.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Pumpkin sat back up on her bed, cradling the vial between her hooves. Looking down at it, she shook her head in frustration.

“How could I have forgotten to take precautions! I should have been taking this weeks ago! I should have- is it too late? If I take it now, will I be safe? I just hope I'm not already-”

Pumpkin cringed before slipping a hoof right below her tummy, massaging it gently. Nothing different there.

“I really should tell Pound, he deserves to know, but... he probably thinks I'm on top of it! I can't just say that, now can I? I'm the smart one, I can't be making stupid mistakes like this! But... I can't just tell him like that, he'd probably freeze up and hide in a corner for a week, if I even mentioned the possibility of... that.”

Pumpkin sighed as she leaned back, listening to the sound of Pound Cake turning on the water in the bathroom.

“I really should tell him, though.”

Pumpkin reached out absentmindedly with her aura, grabbing the first thing she found with her magic. A subtle squeaking brought a smile to her face; it was the old, worn toy rubber ducky her auntie Pinkie Pie had given her as a tiny foal.

The toy brought back memories to her. Most foals had pacifiers; she had a duck. Most foals had a stuffed rabbit or such; she had a duck. Most foals had toys like blocks or trains; she had a duck. Most foals had a favourite toy; she had a duck.

She loved her duck. It had been ages since she'd even seen it, though. The gentle marks worn along it's stomach were prove of where she'd teethed on it before her chompers had grown in, a long time ago. After that, it had turned into a snuggle animal after that, one she would confess serious heart-to-heart confessions to after school days. She remembered how many times she'd cried to it, asking if she should tell Pound her feelings, back when everything was so confusing.

But everything wasn't confusing anymore. Pound loved her, and she loved Pound. They both knew it, and they both embraced it. There was nothing to cry to a rubber chicken about any more.

And there was no reason for her to keep a secret from him, either. She needed to tell him the truth, the... possibility. If they focused on it now, they could get it figured out sooner than later, something she wanted to make sure of.

Still smiling, Pumpkin knew what she had to do. Her duck had helped with that.

“Thanks,” she said with a nostalgic giggle as she levitated her duck over to the closet, returning it to the old toy box they kept there.

Removing herself from the bed, Pumpkin decided to leave the vial under her pillow. There was no use in her taking it into the bathroom, after all.

Trotting out into the hallway, she approached the bathroom door and was about to open it when, through the rushing sounds of the water, she could barely make out Pound's voice singing along to a song in his head.

“... inside, you're feeling so hollow... ooo—oo-oo...
and it's a hard, pill, for you to swallow, yeah, ooo-oo-oo-
But, if I... fall, for you, I'll never recover!
If I... fall, for you, I'll never be the same!”

Pumpkin grinned as she listened to him sing. His voice, normally dormant and reserved, was so genuine and gently while singing, soft and calm, even and beautiful.

Cracking the door open, she could see his silhouette through the curtains, lathering himself with his hooves. He continued singing right along, unaware that he was no longer alone.

“I really wanna love somepony...
I really wanna dance the night away.
I know we're only half way there,
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way~ay~ay!”

Pumpkin sidled up closer to the curtain, until she sat down on just the other side of it, separated from her lover by the thin sheet. Pound still had no idea.

“I really wanna touch somepony...
I think about you every single day.
I know we're only half way there,
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way~ay~ay!”

Pumpkin closed her eyes, humming along to the song. As soon as Pound was about to continue on, she gave a dainty cough.

“Holy shi-” Pound exclaimed as he slipped onto his back in surprise, yelping. Tossing a hoof over the side of the bathtub, he pulled the shower curtain to the side to see Pumpkin keeping a calm, reserved smirk on her face. A moment later, as she took in a deep breath, he found out why.

“You're such a hard act, for me to follow...”

“Ooo-oo-oo...” Pound added along, catching tune quickly. While Pound's voice was soft and smooth, Pumpkin's voice was naturally strong, with a slight gravel to her tone that made it sound all the more sexy to Pound. They locked eyes as Pound helped Pumpkin step into the shower with him, the water cascading down against her orange mane.

“Love me today, don't leave me tomorrow, yeah...”

“Ooo-oo-oo”

“But if I fall for you, I'll never recover!”
“If I fall for you, I'll never be the same!”

Pound let a hoof caress Pumpkin's cheek before he took the lead, his voice stronger, with more depth and emotion.

“I really wanna love somepony...
I really wanna dance the night away.
I know we're only half way there,
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way~ay~ay!”

Pumpkin giggled before joining in, leaning against her stallion as they performed their own private duet together.

“I really wanna touch somepony...
I think about you every single day.
I know we're only half way there,
But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way~ay~ay!”

Pound looked down at the beautiful mare in his legs, the mare of his dreams. She was everything he'd ever wanted, the only one he'd ever dreamed of, and now she was his, unconditionally and forever.

“I love you,” Pound said before bending down and taking Pumpkins breath away as his lips brushed against hers before he lunged forward, surprising her with both his tenderness yet at the same time, aggression. Passion.

Desire.

Lust.

Hunger.

Fire.

Love.

It had to be love.

Pumpkin moaned gently as Pound let his hooves work their way over her body, rubbing out little knots along her back and sides. She shivered as his hooves danced along her, kneading her hide here and there, sending the most wonderful sensations through her.

“I love you too,” Pumpkin breathed.

“I can't ruin this,” Pumpkin thought in the back of her mind as she clung to Pound tightly, embracing the moment with him beneath the shower head. “I... can always tell him later...”

Pumpkin squeaked as Pound suddenly reached down and grasped her flank in his hooves while simultaneously biting down on her neck, rubbing his teeth along her hide as he massaged her rump forcefully.

“A-ah!” Pumpkin said as she jerked her head back, twitching as a multitude of sensations coursed through her. The heat of the room, the sound of the water and the feeling of it crashing against her back, the pain from the bite and the pleasure from Pound's hooves, it was almost too much.

Almost.

“P-Pound, I- mmmm!” Pumpkin groaned as Pound reached down even lower, wrapping his hooves under her legs and pulling them apart to reveal her soaking marehood. She was drenched in a mixture of water and herself, a beautiful sight to Pound.

Pound had no problem in convincing Little Pounder to join the party. Reaching for the sky, Pound's pride stood at stiff attention, prepared for his next adventure, whether it to plunder the darkest of dungeons or to explore the regions beyond the molar caps. Such was the life of an erection.

Pumpkin huffed as Pound drew his shaft playfully along her opening, toying with her as he fondled her further. She moaned in agonizing bliss; she was getting really turned on.

Pound once again ran his length along Pumpkin, feeling her moist flesh lick at him sloppily, leaving a trail of her arousal along the underside of his own.

Hefting Pumpkin up, she wrapped her front hooves around Pound's neck as her hind legs straddled his waist, steadying her own hips as Pound adjusted himself sharply. Suddenly, Pound was inside of her.

A million sensations wracked Pumpkin like crazy as Pound split her apart, pain giving way to pleasure giving way to a general feeling of fullness. That was soon replaced with a desire to feel it again, which led way to anxiety, which fell to eagerness, coalescing in impatience.

Pumpkin whined as Pound let his member settle inside of her. She was hungry for more, she needed more.

Pound, however, was quite content with setting up his own pace. Lifting Pumpkin up with his hooves, he dropped his hips as he pulled her away, then shot them up, smashing his hips into hers with a meaty SLAP!

Pumpkin squealed.

“Th-that felt... really good...”

Pound growled as he thrust up sharply, feeling Pumpkin clamp down on him like never before. She was usually more reserved when they were in bed, but this... he was in charge. He would have her his way, for she was his mare now. He would have her.

Pound flexed his stomach as he bobbed Pumpkin along his stiffy, pounding a pattern into her depths as she let out shriek after pant after cry.

Her mind was swimming as the feelings sent her trembling. This was too much stimulation for her. It was too much... but at the same time, not enough. She wanted more.

She needed more.

Pumpkin screamed as she sunk lower and lower on Pound, tossing her hips along with Pound until they were moving in a frenzied flurry of pony and passion.

Pumpkin could feel herself getting closer like she'd never been before, just a little bit further, almost there-

Pumpkin shrieked out loud as she bit into Pound's neck, drawing the slightest line of blood from his as she clenched down, her body crushing her with the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced. She could feel everything, yet at the same time she felt herself slip away, her mind gone for the moment.

Pound, however, had one last grunt to give before he buried himself deep within Pumpkin's snatch, shooting out his seed in thick, hot ropes into her womb.

The two collapsed to the floor of the shower, panting heavily. Their manes were sopping wet, their bodies right behind it, as the steam in the room threatened to choke them out.

Through it all, though, they managed to glance at each other and smile.

That was some damn good bucking.

Author's Notes:

I regret nothing other than WHY CAN'T I BE POUND?!?

C10_Problems

The first rule of breaking a social taboo: you don't talk about breaking a social taboo.

The two had cleaned up rather well, considering the... fun, they had with each other. They trotted out of the room with very clean coats, shining and dry.

Very well, considering they had proceeded to copulate madly multiple times after their initial buck before deciding to use the shower for it's intended purpose.

Pumpkin had her mane up in a towel, her tail wrapped as well. Pound was running a comb through his mane, giving it the naturally characteristic flip he wore as usual. He was about to let the rest of it just spike out as normal, but as an after-thought decided to do something a little bit different. Combing the back of his mane to the side, he modeled it into a clean, professional style, leaving the front flip of his mane the only bit unchanged from his normal 'do.

The two continued making sure they looked their best, occasionally complimenting the other in a cute sort of way. As Pound finished spiffing himself up, he trotted over to the mirror in the closet, looking over himself. His coat gleamed, his mane was listening to him for once, and he had an aura of confidence around him that he had never quite experienced before that. On top of everything, he was rocking a pretty balling afterglow from his fun time with Pumpkin. He was excited.

Pumpkin, too, excited, but in a nervous way.

“I didn't tell him...” she whispered to herself as she ran a brush through her mane, her magic flickering slightly. “I should have told him, I should have! But... he's never shown such confidence, I've never seen this side of him...”

Pumpkin smiled with a blush as she remembered just how forceful he'd been.

“I liked it...”

Pumpkin let her eyes gaze over towards Pound, looking him up and down as he oggled himself in the mirror. His muscles weren't bulging, but after their little sexcapade they were more prominent then she could ever remember seeing them.

She caught her face growing an even darker shade of red. They'd been intimate less than a half hour before, but seeing him now, holding his chest out high, made her heart flutter far more than any amount of time of doing the dirty with him ever could.

“I... I can always tell him after the date,” Pumpkin thought with a short smile, giving her mane a final tug with the brush. It bounced with life and volume, stubbornly refusing to go straight. Pumpkin sighed in defeat, accepting the fact that she would never have a straight mane.

The sound of an opening door caused the both of them to jerk their heads towards their door.

Their parents were home.

Taking a deep, stabilizing breath, Pound was the first to say anything.

“I... I'll go let them know what we're doing, what... what we decided,” he said with a nervous smile. Pumpkin began nodding, but stopped herself.

“No, I... I'll go too,” she said, regaining her usual confidence. “We'll go together.”

She trotted over to him, wrapping a hoof around his and intertwining their tails.

Pound bent over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. With that, the two left their room.

Carrot Cake was helping Cup Cake move some boxes into the house. With a light flick of her horn, Pumpkin levitated the boxes from her parents as well as the boxes outside into the house in one fluid motion.

“Thank you kindly, Pumpkin,” Cup Cake said while giving her daughter a very generous smile before opening her eyes wide, looking up and down her daughter.

“Well gosh, you look all fancied up! It's almost as if you two are going on a date!” their mother joked.

Pound swallowed hard before adopting the most level look he could muster.

“Actually... we are, ma.”

“That's nice, swee-”

Cup Cake's eyes went wide with surprise. Then a feeling of happiness at towards her two children. Then a queasy feeling when she realized it was her two children. Going on a date. Together. A sense of regret for that followed, finally settling on a feeling of acceptance.

In the span of about two seconds, Cup Cake composed herself.

Smiling awkwardly, she called for her husband to join her. A moment later, Carrot Cake entered the room, sidling up next to his wife.

“Yes, honey?” he asked. Cup Cake let out a nervous laugh as she waved a hoof towards her children.

“Our twins are... going on a date!”

Carrot was silent. A general sense of wariness washed over the room. Tensions peaked as the three ponies giving presence to him in the room awaited Carrot Cake's response.

Finally, after what had felt like an eternity for the twins, Carrot Cake let out a sigh, a wry grin slipping onto his face.

“Then I hope the two of you have a great time,” he said as he trotted over to his children with his wife, wrapping them up in a tight family hug.

“Thanks, daddy,” Pumpkin said before they broke apart, Pumpkin tugging on Pound's foreleg excitedly.

“Come on, there's a movie playing downtown we can go check out if we hurry!”

Carrot chuckled along as he saw his blushing son drug out of the house by his daughter. He sure never expected to see that happen in quite the sense that it had, but... he wasn't upset that it happened. All he wanted was for his children to be happier than he was as a child, and if this was how they found it... well, incest hadn't been illegal in centuries, since some scandal in the upper class almost a half-thousand years ago. And Faust knows that if the upper class is upset with the way something is going, they simply alter a law to fit their needs.

For the first time in a long time, Carrot was actually thankful for their abuse of the system. At least his kids could be happy about it.

Pumpkin pulled Pound outside to the dimly-lit street, the moon to soon rise. They'd been in the shower longer than they'd realized. It had only felt like a few minutes... but with a blush, both of them realized it very well could have been a few hours they spent in the shower and grooming themselves.

Pumpkin started off their date by turning around right outside the door and pressing her lips against Pound's under the setting sun. Pound was surprised, but returned her affection with a tenderness of his own.

“Come on,” Pumpkin giggled, pulling him along. “Let's go.”

Pumpkin tossed her tail into Pound's, and together the two set off.

The theatre was on the opposite side of town as Sugar Cube Corner. The two twins trotted through the lightly populated streets, talking amongst themselves about what they'd noticed going on that day, which wasn't much considering they'd spent most of they day together as it was. Eventually, they settled for simply basking in each other's presence.

And that's when they started hearing it.

It was subtle at first, a simple, “Oh look at Pound and Pumpkin, they're awfully friendly tonight,” and then it was, “It's Pound and- oh is that his marefriend? No wait, Pumpkin?!” before it turned into, “Holy buck, is that Pumpkin hanging on Pound? Those sick twins...”

So, in a nutshell, it escalated quickly.

Pound cringed instinctively as the two began garnering disapproving glares from ponies they passed, recognizing who they were. There was no other way to describe what they were doing, other than going on a date. With each other. The way Pumpkin snuggled up to Pound and his massive blush was enough to give that one away.

Deciding to stop for a quick bite, they made their way to a vendor selling some apples. A mare by the name of Applebloom was selling today, a yellow mare with a silky head of red mane.

“Howdy there,” she said with a thick accent, “What can ah git fer ya two- hold on, ah know ya two, don't ah?”

“I... don't believe we've met-” Pumpkin managed to say before Applebloom had a sudden revelation.

“Hold on, ah do know y'all! Yer the Cake twins, aint'cha! Ah haven't seen y'all since ya were babies!”

“Th-that's nice,” Pumpkin winced.

“So what brings y'all out here tonight?”

Pumpkin scratched at her mane.

“Actually, we were just going to pick up a quick bite before our date,” Pumpkin admitted.

“A date, huh? That's so sweet! Who y'all goin' on dates with?” Applebloom asked sweetly, the filly side of her relishing in the chance to get some gossip.

“Well, uh...” Pumpkin said before scooting next to her brother.

“Each other.”

Applebloom cocked her head. “Excuse me?”

“We're going on a date together,” Pumpkin exclaimed to Applebloom.

Applebloom narrowed her eyes.

“Ah'm sorry, ah thought ya said you's two was on a date with'mn eachother here. I know ah must be hearin' things, right?”

“No, you aren't,” Pumpkin said evenly before picking out an apple. “Now, may I purchase this?” she asked, grabbing the fruit in her magic. Applebloom reached out and grabbed the fruit, returning it to the cart.

“No, ya can't, cuz ah don't do business with a bunch o' incestuous... sluts!” she huffed, eyes afire with self-righteous anger.

The two scampered away, deciding to just head over to the theatre. They received even more glares then before after Applebloom's little outburst.

As the two finally made it to the theatre, Pound gave a sigh of relief. They had to have made it through the worst of it, right? The lack of second-glances in the theatre gave a false sense of support to his hopes as the two bought their tickets and entered the second theatre room. The movie was a romantic comedy that had premiered the week prior, apparently it had received relatively positive ratings from the critics.

Not that either of them were really that interested.

Come on, who goes to movies on a date to actually watch the movie?

As soon as the lights dimmed in the three-quarters full theatre, every stallion in the room leaned over and began macking on his date. In Pound and Pumpkin's case, it was the reverse, but they still enjoyed it none-the-less.

That is, until a sudden sharp gasp was heard in the row behind them.

The two guilty twins looked up to see a rather lanky Earth pony with a white, brown-patched hide cocking his head at them, his hoof draped around a light pink unicorn mare with a blonde mane.

“Pound, Pumpkin, is that you?” Pipsqueak whispered to them, confusion obvious in his voice.

“Oh my- it is!” Dinky whispered, a slight sense of horror in her voice.

Pumpkin sighs out dejectedly, slumping back into her seat.

“We're going to get this everywhere we go, aren't we?” she asked in anger, refusing to admit that Pound had been right.

“Yeah, Pip, it's us,” Pound said shyly as he cowered in his seat, terrified that he'd actually been confronted. It had been bound to happen, but it still was scary for the sensitive stallion.

“But you're-” Pip gasped as he was trying to make sense of what he'd seen. “I mean, that's your sister!”

Pumpkin groaned, standing up abruptly and tugging Pound along. Her interest in staying had just disappeared.

“Come on, Pound. This was a bad idea.”

“Wait!” Pipsqueak called as he chased after the two, his date right behind him.

The two twins stopped in the empty lobby, Dinky and Pipsqueak catching up with them quickly.

“Are you two on, like, a date?!” Dinky asked, raising a suspecting brow to them.

“Yeah, we actually are,” Pumpkin huffed before prodding Pound, shaking her head. He'd called it, ponies wouldn't be ready for... this.

“Now if you'll excuse us, I need to go back home and listen to this guy say I told you so.”

With that, Pumpkin grabbed Pound by his leg and dragged him after her.

The two made it out into the street to find it empty. Pip and Dinky followed them to the door but stayed behind at the door as Pumpkin whirled around on Pound.

“Alright, you called it!” she cried at Pound, refusing to meet his eyes.

“P-Pumpkin!” Pound said, startled as Pumpkin began choking on tears. “Why are you like this! I've never seen you so... emotional!” Pound said, then instantly bit his tongue, deciding to try and reach over to Pumpkin and try and console her.

Pumpkin pushed him away, sobbing.

“You knew this would h-h-happen, and it did! I wanted t-t-to show you I-I-I loved you, but I guess I'm n-not allowed to!”

“Pumpkin, please calm down!” Pound begged his sister. “You're not yourself, something is wrong, I get it-”

“No, Pound, nothing is wrong with me!” she screamed at him, a sudden wall breaking. She was losing it. All of the doubts she'd had were crashing down around her, making her even more vulnerable then she'd been.

“But there is something wrong with us, and you knew it! You knew it, even when I wanted to ignore it!”

“Pumpkin,” Pound asked, frightened, “why are you like this all of a sudden?”

He reached over to try and grasp his lover, his sister, his best friend in the entire world.

And she knocked his hoof aside.

“We need to break up.”

Pound was surprised to hear her say this. Not hurt, but... surprised. And it scared him. He was definitely scared.

“P-Pumpkin, you don't... you don't mean that...?”

“You're right, the town won't accept us,” Pumpkin cried.

“We can give them time-”

“Time won't fix anything, you stupid colt!”

And with that, Pumpkin flashed away. Pound just sat there, a very, very confused look on his face with his hoof still reaching out to thin air.

Pipsqueak and Dinky slowly exited, approaching Pound Cake.

And Pound Cake just sat there. That was all he could do.

Author's Notes:

Be patient.

C11_Talking Problems

“Oy, Pound... you alright, mate?”

Pound was unresponsive as Pipsqueak rested a hoof on his shoulder, giving him a slight nudge.

“Pound?”

Still nothing. Pipsqueak looked at his date, cocking a brow.

“I think we broke him,” he said solemnly.

“Pip! This isn't funny!” Dinky chastised him before pushing Pipsqueak aside and sitting down next to Pound, resting her own hooves against his shoulders.

“Pound, please listen to us. We have no idea what is going on, other than you appeared to be on a date with your...” Dinky gulped before continuing, “sister, and then you guys got into a fight. Can you please tell us what is going on?”

Pound shivered beneath her touch, his murky brown eyes glistening with yet-shed sorrow.

“Y-you pretty much saw it,” Pound croaked out, trying to keep himself composed. Emphasis on trying. As in, not quite succeeding. “We were o-on a date, she told me a while ago th-that she wanted to g-go on a d-d-date, and I said s-sure this morning. Th-then we kept getting these glares, a-and Applebloom was a complete b-b-bitch to us, and I knew it would happen, b-but I had this h-hope it wouldn't... then you guys called us o-out in the theatre, and sh-she just snapped!”

Dinky rubbed the emotional stallion's back tenderly, sharing a concerned glance with her own stallionfriend.

“Pound, I'm only asking this because I want to make sure I heard you right,” Pipsqueak said slowly, sitting down right in front of Pound. Pound refused to meet his eyes. “But... you said you were on a date with Pumpkin, right? As in, the two of you, together?”

Pound nodded, trembling under the accusations he was sure to receive.

“How... how did it happen?”

Pound looked up, surprised. Had Pipsqueak seriously asked how him and Pumpkin had come to going on a date?

“I'm... I'm sorry?”

“How'd you two, y'know...” Pipsqueak said before circling one hoof around the other, cocking an eyebrow.

Pound laughed. If they would entertain him this, the least he could do was humour them.

“I don't even know,” Pound explained to the two ponies he really didn't know all that well. But if they were willing to listen...

“We just... were. And then Pumpkin... confronted me about it, telling me she felt the same... and we were so happy...” Pound laughed with a sob at the last part, drawing a quick breath of air. “And she really, really wanted to go on a date, just the two of us, like tonight. But... I knew something like this would happen. I know how the town would behave, especially after the fiasco with Big Macintosh and Applejack... wait, Apple- Applebloom must be related to them, that might explain why she was sensitive about the subject, then... probably shouldn't have gone to her cart, then...”

Pound sighed, wiping his eyes of dormant tears clinging to his lids.

“But I don't like having Pumpkin disappointed, so I said we could go today... she really hoped everything was going to be fine, heck even I thought everything would be fine, but... it wasn't. Everything I feared happened.”

Pound hung his head low.

“And then Pumpkin snapped.”

Dinky continued rubbing Pound's back. She... didn't quite know what to make out of this situation. On one hoof, she wanted to be happy for their relationship. Relationships were supposed to be good things.

But on the other hoof, it was exactly the relationship between Pound and Pumpkin that made her wary. They were siblings, it felt... wrong to even think of it. Siblings weren't supposed to do things like that, right?

Pipsqueak was right along Dinky with his thoughts. Incest was a taboo, albeit a legal one for a few hundred years, but socially... well, Pound and Pumpkin seemed to have figured out the hard way just how ponies reacted to such taboos.

But... there was always a but. But, Pipsqueak had seen them kissing earlier. They were seriously trying to be a couple. And wasn't the whole incest ban centuries past supposed to prevent families from taking advantage of their offspring rather than prevent two ponies who loved each other from being together?

From what he'd heard, Pumpkin seemed to have instigated the relationship, and he knew it had to be true from what he knew about Pound. The pegasus wasn't keen on instigating anything, really. But he also knew Pound was, not a coward, but preferred flight to fight almost every time. He wouldn't have been looped into a relationship like that out of trickery or such on Pumpkin's part. Thus, he could deduce very quickly, when coupled with Pumpkin's reaction earlier, that Pumpkin did love Pound.

And Pound... well, with how torn up he was about what had just happened, he obviously loved Pumpkin. That much was clear.

So that just left one question...

Why was it wrong?

Why was it so wrong for the two of them to love each other?

Pipsqueak shared another look with Dinky as they both came to the same conclusion.

“Why?” Dinky asked Pip.

Pipsqueak sighed, shrugging.

“Old traditions, I suppose.”

Dinky nodded before nudging Pound, helping him rise to his hooves.

“Pound, we'll tell this to you straight,” Pipsqueak said, keeping a hold of Pound's shoulder. “We've never really faced the kind of problem you're facing. However, you two... well, you really must love each other, for this to have happened,” he said, waving down Pound's distressed figure. Pound managed to let out a stifled chuckle, rubbing his foreleg with his hoof.

“So... I don't know what you've got to do, but I really hope you two work this out. Personally, if you two really do love each other that much, then I don't see why both of you can't be together.”

“Y-you really mean that?” Pound asked, sniffling.

“Aye, mate. I do,” Pipsqueak said with a soft grin.

Clapping Pound on his back, Dinky gave him a reassuring smile.

“Go get her.”

Nodding politely, Pound spread his wings and took to the air, a streak of red energy crashing behind in his wake as he ascended rapidly. He really was a gifted flier.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin had been facing a relatively difficult problem. Through some stroke of horror or luck, she'd managed to end her teleportation spell right smack-dab in the center of Sunflower's room... right in the middle of Sunflower and her marefriend Peppermatch engaging in a rather heated love-making session. Needless to say, they were rather surprised when the hysteric orange mare suddenly popped in, bawling her eyes out.

It took a while, but eventually Sunflower and Peppermatch managed to get Pumpkin to calm down. Peppermatch had graduated along with Pumpkin and Sunflower the same year, and Pumpkin hadn't been particularly close with Peppermatch. Still, she was a nice pony, very bold but accepting.

As soon as Pumpkin wasn't draining her face all over the carpet, Sunflower began her interrogation of what led her friend to appear in waterworks in her room during her and her marefriend's special time.

Pumpkin let it all out, leaving nothing hidden as she poured her heart out to her friend, her secret love of Pound over the years, how they had finally come to a head, their passionate nights together, how she hadn't taken any protection, the town's reaction, and ending with how she suddenly snapped at Pound.

“Well, it sounds like you're coming down off of your estrus period,” Peppermatch explained calmly. She was remarkably calm about the whole ordeal, more so than Sunflower. “The last day or two of the cycle are rather... tense, when you have your emotions high.”

“Estrus- that isn't the important part here!” Sunflower yelled, aghast. “You're saying you had sex with your brother?! That the pony you wanted advice about all those years ago was POUND?!”

Pumpkin nodded furiously, cracking back down into tears.

Peppermatch draped a leg around Pumpkin, shooting a disapproving look towards Sunflower as she consoled the again-hysteric mare.

“Deep breaths, hun, deep breaths,” she instructed. Pumpkin gasped greedily at the air until she was able to calm down a bit. Peppermatch levitated over a box of napkins for Pumpkin, who accepted them eagerly.

As Pumpkin attacked the box of napkins, Sunflower decided to try and compose herself, however she felt about the... subject at hoof.

“Sorry about that, Pumpkin, but... your twin brother?”

Pumpkin whimpered.

“It's... I want to be happy for you, Pumpkin, but that stuff isn't right- OW!” Sunflower yipped as Peppermatch jabbed at Sunflower angrily.

“It is perfectly alright,” Peppermatch growled, “as long as it's sincere. But, you definitely seem tense. Skipping the protection... you do realize what that could mean, right?”

Pumpkin nodded. “And that's what terrifies me! What if I'm... I-”

She broke down into tears once more, burying her face into Peppermatch's chest. Peppermatch cooed to her as she stroked her mane gently.

“It's alright, Pumpkin, just calm down...”

Pumpkin tried to calm down. She really did. Eventually, she managed to compose herself again, albeit no better than her previous attempts to compose herself. Her eyes were blood-shot, her hide ruffled in odd places, face wet and matted with tears, and she couldn't stop sniffling.

“Pumpkin... it sounds like you need to just take a break from this,” Peppermatch said evenly. “I'm not saying I know how you should go about this, but for now you need rest. And not just physically... Just, take your time. Tell him when you're ready. But until then... take a break from him. Not in the bad way, but... you two need a little distance right now, or we'll just have a repeat of this.”

Sunflower was impressed with the advice Peppermatch was giving. She was really good at that stuff.

“Do you think you're better now?”

Pumpkin nodded slowly, her mane stuck to one side of her face. Peppermatch sighed as she patted Pumpkin gently.

“Then I'd recommend teleporting your way home pronto. You have some things to do.”

Pumpkin nodded again before lighting her horn up with her bright blue magic. A second later, she was gone.

“And you know, Sunflower,” Peppermatch said sternly, looking back at her marefriend. “Some ponies could say the exact same thing to us about our relationship that you terrorized your friend there with.”

“I... I'm sorry.”

Pound continued soaring through the sky, looking around desperately for his sister, until as fate would have it, as he was passing his house, he saw a light blue flash from their room. Flying over to the window, he looked in.

There was Pumpkin, trembling on her hooves. She looked terrible, completely distraught. Swallowing hard, Pound lifted a hoof and gently rapped on the window.

Startled, Pumpkin jumped, turning to the window to see Pound outside. Her face red, she magicked it open and turned away from her brother, suddenly knowing how he felt every day of his life. Terrified, wary of the ponies around them.

“P-Pumpkin,” Pound started, ready to try and set things right.

Pumpkin didn't give him a chance.

“Pound, we need to break up.”

Pound was shocked.

“Wha-what?”

“It's not you,” she insisted, slowly dragging herself towards her bed. “But... we need to take a break. I'll... I'll talk to you about it later. Okay?”

Pound swallowed, nodding. He was the accepting brother, after all. He was to nod and agree, no matter what he thought of the situation.

Pound slowly turned around and trotted towards his own bed, falling into it rather dramatically and keeping his mouth shut.

Within moments, the both of them were fast asleep, deep in a fitful slumber of their own horror.

Some time after they'd passed out, their parents had come up and, noticing they were home, peeked their heads in. They didn't see the emotions, sorrow or pain. They just saw their two dear children, fast asleep.

Carrot smiled to his wife. “I bet they had fun.”

“I bet they did,” Cup giggled as she shut the door to the room.

Pumpkin was supposed to talk to Pound in the morning.

Pumpkin had told him that she would talk with him in the morning.

Pumpkin didn't talk to Pound the next morning.

Or the morning after.

Or the morning after that.

Author's Notes:

On the final stretch here.

C12_Confrontation

One Month Later...

“Pound, carry these boxes to the kitchen,” Carrot Cake called back to his son as he checked off boxes from the bakery's inventory shipment.

Pound Cake flexed his wings out wide as he rolled off of the upper landing couch, dropping to the floor below before snapping his wings shut.

Grabbing the boxes with his hooves, he slipped one onto his back and held another under his leg like a hoofball as he made his way awkwardly through the shop. Finally reaching his destination, he dropped the boxes on the floor, cracking them open to take a peek-see at what the contents were.

More flour. Of course it was flour. They were always getting flour. They never had enough flour.

Pound stood back up to leave when he suddenly became aware that he was not alone in the room.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Pumpkin Cake had locked eyes with him, her face quickly growing red. His own face flushed, but he broke the contact between them before they made it any further. Putting the floor beneath his hooves, he trotted out of the room, leaving his twin sister alone.

Pound's ears dropped sadly. It had been a month since their break-up. In that month, he'd been harassed on a daily basis by ponies all around town about his date with Pumpkin. The poor colt trotted through the shop's interior, passing by his dad.

“The boxes are back there.”

Pound suddenly felt the gentle pressure of his father's hoof on his shoulder.

“Pound, stop.”

Pound stopped, but did not turn around.

“Son, what is wrong. You've been moping around here for the past month, so don't tell me there isn't anything wrong.”

Pound swallowed. He hated it when his dad knew there was something wrong.

“What happened with you and Pumpkin?” Carrot asked.

“Why don't you just ask Pumpkin,” Pound pleaded.

“Because I want my son to tell me. This is mare trouble I can't help Pumpkin with colt problems, but I know how to deal with these problems here.”

“Do you?” Pound suddenly lashed out with his words, cold and unfeeling. “Do you really know, dad?”

“Pound... what happened? Really?”

“She broke up with me. End of story,” Pound said before he ran out of the house, flipping into the sky and rocketing off.

Carrot Cake sighed as his wife entered the kitchen, humming a tune to herself. The tune died off instantly when she saw her daughter trembling over a roller, her eyes tearing up.

“Baby, what's wrong?” she asked as she rushed over to her daughter.

“M-Mom, did you ever mess up? With dad?”

Cup Cake sighed as she stroked her daughter's mane.

“Is this about you and Pound?” Cup asked. Pumpkin nodded against her mother's chest.

“I... I messed up, mom. I- we were- nopony accepted us, mom. They still harass me about it, it's so frustrating!”

Cup Cake rubbed her jaw along Pumpkin's head, nuzzling her baby while carefully avoiding her horn.

“And... I... Mom, we had sex.”

Cup Cake knew that her kids had done the act. It was obvious they had. She still wasn't quite prepared to hear it.

“I... I see, baby,” Cup Cake said quietly.

“No, mom, you don't. I was... I was going through estrus when we did,” Pumpkin's voice cracked as she voiced what she'd wanted to admit for so long. “I didn't use any protection.”

Cup Cake's eyes went wide.

“Oh my... we need to have you checked. Immediately.”

Cup Cake rushed over to a cupboard in the kitchen, throwing it open and digging through it until she came up with a small box of indicator strips. A quick reference note on the side reminded her that a blue result was positive.

“M-Mom! You keep those in the kitchen?!”

“Your father and I were very desperate for both of you,” Cup Cake said evenly as she pushed Pumpkin into the small bathroom off of the kitchen, giving her the strip.

“I take it you know how to use that,” she said before she closed the door on her daughter.

Cup Cake stood a polite distance away from the bathroom as Pumpkin did her business. Thankfully, Pumpkin was already feeling a little... ready, at the moment. It didn't take long.

“Anyways,” Pumpkin continued, thankful her mother was being so helpful at the time, listening to her and everything. She'd expected her mother to be livid, but she was reassuringly calm about the new knowledge. It made her feel a little bit better about telling her.

“Our date was... bad. We were yelled at and stuff. It got bad, and I... I just snapped.”

Pumpkin let her head hang low.

“I yelled at him, was so mad at him, and I just couldn't help it. I couldn't stop myself.”

“Dear, you were probably just coming off of your period,” her mother informed her.

“I was, but that isn't the point,” Pumpkin said. “I... I told him I wanted to break up, after I'd managed to convince him to go on the date in the first place. I... I hurt him, mom, I hurt him so much there. He wanted to talk it out, but I just spat in his face...”

She sighed.

“I haven't been able to talk to him since. I want to, I really do, but... how do I ask him to forgive about everything? How do I... how do I apologize for being so horrible?”

“Honey,” Cup Cake said to her daughter, “these things happen. And I assure you, if you let those ponies get to you, then you'll never find happiness. It's a little hard to believe that nopony in all of Ponyville was fine with your relationship.”

“Well... Peppermatch was fine with it, she even said she was happy for me...”

“Peppermatch... is that your friend Sunflower's little marefriend? She comes in here occasionally, she really is a sweet one. But see, I told you, not everypony is that horrible. You just need to try and get them all to see it the same way she does. And hey, if they won't let themselves see it, then who cares? You're in love, it shouldn't matter!”

The door to the bathroom creaked open, and Pumpkin stumbled out, tears in her eyes.

“Th-thanks, mom,” she said as she made her way to her mother, falling into her hooves. She had the best mom in the world.

“I love you, mommy,” Pumpkin said through teary eyes as she grasped her mother tightly.

“I love you too, sweetie,” Cup Cake cooed as she held her daughter to her. They stayed like that for a while, letting the tension melt away.

“So, what colour was the strip?” Cup Cake asked her daughter.

“Blue.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Pound dropped through the air, screaming as he punched through clouds at breakneck speed far from Ponyville.

He didn't have the right to feel like this. It was his fault, anyways. He'd let them go on the date. And then he hadn't stood up to those ponies while he was on the date.

Smashing into a field to the west, he ran through the thick, tall grass, slicing through the dry growth as he vented out his anger violently.

His head hurt. His breath was ragged. His heart was pounding, and not just from the exertion.

He needed a drink.

Moments later, he was standing outside the Pale Horse Brewery. Shaking his head in irritation, he strode through the doors into the brew house.

The inside was clean and calm, with a few tables and a well-stocked bar. Not many ponies were here, but one in particular caught his eye.

“Hey, Pip,” Pound said as he sidled up along Pipsqueak at the bar, waving for a draft from the bartender.

“Ah, oy Pound,” Pipsqueak greeted him.

“Aren't you a little young to be drinking?” the bartender asked, knowing Pound from his regular guilty escapes to the famous sweet shop in Ponyville.

“I'm paying, aren't I?” Pound said as he slid a few bits to the bartender. Shrugging, the gray Earth pony pocketed the bits into his smock, prepared to draw Pound a drink. There was no minimum drinking age in Equestria, after all.

“What'll it be, er... Pound Cake, was it?”

“Yeah, I'll take a-” Pound took a quick glance at a list of drinks- “Manehatten Iced Tea.”

“If you say so, boss,” the bartender said as he pulled out a number of various rums.

“Whoa there, you sure you can handle that, mate? It's some strong stuff.”

“I'll be fine,” Pound said as he let his face flop onto the bar.

“Sorry for me asking, mate, but you don't exactly seem like the bar type... what brings you here today?”

“Dude, I don't even know,” Pound said lazily as he lifted his face up, only letting his chin rest on the barely-sticky polished wood surface. “I'm just... I've been so angry lately. Figured a drink would help.”

“Hmmmph,” Pipsqueak grunted, a wry smile forming on his lips. “You've obviously never drank before.”

Pound chuckled too. He was right.

“But what is this about being angry? This... goodness, this isn't still about what happened between you and Pumpkin, is it?”

“Yeah,” Pound said sadly.

The bartender decided to add his two cents into the conversation.

“Pumpkin... isn't that your sister?” he asked Pound. Pipsqueak made the universal “Stop, cut it out,” motion with his hoof along his neck. The bartender didn't notice.

“Yeah,” Pound moaned. He hadn't even started drinking, and he was already getting more miserable. The drink had to help at this point. Good thing he liked iced tea.

“Let me guess, you find her sleeping with some stallion?” the bartender said wryly. He'd heard that story before; it was always better for the pony to just get it out of his system.

“Yeah, only I was that stallion.”

Well, that was new.

“That's... gotta be pretty awkward?” the bartender said confused as he finished off Pound's drink, passing it to him.

“I mean, that's not exactly normal I suppose , but what- HOLY CELESTIA THE WHOLE GLASS!” the gray pony gasped wide-eyed as Pound tipped his head back and drained the glass in one swig. Slamming the glass back down, Pound nearly went into heaves.

“Sweet Luna's flank, that was mean,” he huffed.

“Watch your mouth,” Pipsqueak chuckled as he patted Pound on his back.

“So yeah, I bed my sister, she wants date. We go on date, shitstorm ensues. She breaks up, doesn't talk to me, I'm here,” Pound finishes suddenly regaling the bartender on his life problems.

“That, uh... that sucks, brony,” the bartender says, taking Pound's glass from him. “Another?”

“No,” Pound says aggressively, “that stuff burns like ass.”

Pip and the bar colt laughed as Pound rubbed his head with a hoof.

“So why are you here, anyways?” Pound asked Pipsqueak.

“Oh, ah...” Pipsqueak said as he sank lower in his seat. “Dinky broke up with me last week. Not exactly good at rejection, so I... thought I'd mosey on in here, grab a spot, relax... next thing I know, a week has passed and I've been doing the same bloody thing every day!”

Pound rested a hoof on Pipsqueak's shoulder.

“Sorry, she seemed nice.”

“She was, mate, she was,” Pipsqueak said before taking a deep swig of his drink.

“You said she wasn't talking to you?” the bartender suddenly interjected.

“Yes,” Pound said, returning his focus to the gray pony. “Why?”

“Well, have you tried talking to her?”

Pound groaned, burying his face into the bar surface.

“No, how could I. I was the one that-”

“Let me stop you right there,” the bar pony said. “I've seen your type around here a lot, the type who really doesn't belong here. And luckily for you, business is good enough that I can feel like a good Samaritan today.”

“Go on,” Pound said.

“You need to buck up and take the initiative,” the pony informed Pound.

Pound snorted.

“If I could just take the initiative, then I wouldn't have been in this situation in the first place. It's a little too late for that, don't you think?”

This time it was the bar pony snorted.

“Who says it's too late? If she was my mare, I would do everything I could to keep her.”

Perhaps it was the alcohol. Maybe it was the hormones running through him. It could have even been a sudden epiphany he had.

It was probably hearing somepony else say it that really got him to act, though.

Pound rose to his hooves.

“You're right,” he said. “I should do everything I can.”

“There we go,” the bar pony said as Pound trotted out with a determined fire in his eye. “And don't let me see you back here unless you have that mare under your hoof!”

Pipsqueak growled lightly.

“Why couldn't you have been like that when I first stumbled in here?” he asked.

“Pffft, you had no chance. She dumped your sorry ass for a reason.”

“Prick.”

“Douche.”

“Another round.”

“Sure thing.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Pumpkin paced nervously in her bedroom, the window wide open to her side.

“How do I tell him, how do I tel him?! I can't hide this from him, I can't! Come on, Pumpkin, for once in your life use that big old brain of yours and figure out a way to solve something that MATTERS!”

“What matters?”

Pumpkin shrieked as she leaped a foot away, panting in surprise.

And there he was. His tan hide and feathers were ruffled slightly from his last flight, his mane flipped just the right way. His muscles as toned as ever, his chest displayed proudly.

Something had changed since he'd left earlier. Something she liked.

And in that moment, she felt it again.

The longing.

The desire.

The secret glee.

The promise.

The feelings.

The magic.

The love.

“P-Pound,” she whispered, wanting to look away but refusing to let herself.

“Pound!”

The two of them rushed towards each other, embracing the other in a desperate hug. Pumpkin was back in tears, which shocked Pound. Usually she was the strong one while he cried to her. This was... different.

“Pumpkin... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...” he said, stroking her mane. “But... I will make it right with you. With us.”

Pound pulled her away, looking deep into her eyes.

“Pumpkin, I- I was scared. I'm still scared. I thought I lost you, I've been waiting for you to say something to me, say anything to me, but... sometimes, I need to be the one saying something to you. I know that now.”

Pumpkin sniffled back a new wave of tears. She was getting very emotional at the moment.

“But I want to- no, I need to ask you this... can we give it another try? Us, I mean? I swear to you, if anypony has a problem with us, they will either take it up with me or deal with it, because I am never going to let anypony hurt you, not like that. Never again, I sw- MMMMmmmmm...”

Pound was effectively shut up as Pumpkin's lips met his, silencing him as she practically threw herself at him, knocking over the sturdy pegasus.

“Yes,” Pumpkin breathed, her heart racing. She had been hoping deep in the back of her heart that he would consider taking her back, and here he was finally taking the lead! She... she knew she could tell him now. Right?

Right?

Pumpkin giggled as Pound held her close, rubbing his muzzle along her face, cleaning it of tears.

“Pound, there's something I need to tell you,” Pumpkin said carefully, trying to be tactful about how she told him the important news, the news that would change both of their lives forever.

“What is it?” he asked.

Pumpkin magicked the door open, revealing her parents huddled behind the door, smiling. This next part would be news to one of them.

“You're going to be a daddy.”

Author's Notes:

Sucks to suck.

But hey, at least there's this fancy thing called sequels.