Vemsa Hewl/ Rainbow Dash

As soon as I had passed the sliding hangar doors I was off, and I didn't care where I was going. I just knew I had to get away from there, away from the two mares who were plaguing every part of my being. From my mind that couldn't stop thinking about them and the state of grief I had left them in. To my soul which ached to be close to them, to feel the closeness and familiarity of our bond again. Even in my body which longed for nothing more than to hold them in my arms and reassure them that I would never leave them as I kissed away their tears. But I knew that I shouldn't be feeling that way and it made me hate myself all the more for what I had done.

As my lungs burned with each labored breath and my legs ached with every stride. I mentally accepted the pain as my punishment for denying Gilzia and Pyre's affections, and pushed myself on further until I managed to trip on an exposed root, rolling head over heels down a hill before coming to rest in a grassy clearing. After a moment I wearily began to move my body again, although my left foot dully ached from the sudden stop it had endured. I would have figured that I was far enough away from the compound now to be free from the immediate effects of the bond, but even from this distance I could still feel the sister's presence as their comforting essence flowed through our bond into my mind, soothing the feeling of pain coming from my foot. Their kindness and concern for my well being, even after I had just broken their hearts did nothing to ease the battle of wills that currently raged through me as I felt my stomach turn over in disgust at the act I had done. Rising to my knees I slammed both of my fist against the ground in a futile attempt to relieve my frustration.

"Goddammit!" I yelled to the heavens as I brought my fist down over and over again, trying to drive the thoughts from my mind, "Why won't you get out of my mind? Stop making me hurt you!"

My pleas must have been heard as I felt their influence begin to fade, but my feelings of self-loathing didn't go away as I rested my head against the cold ground. Trying to find any semblance of comfort for the aching in my heart from anywhere other than where I knew it wanted it. I gritted my teeth and let out a growl in frustration as I fought the urge to call out to Gilzia and Pyre.

"Hey, you want to keep it down," I heard a familiar voice call out over the clearing, luckily distracting my mind enough to break the connection, "some of us are trying to sleep."

Looking around the empty clearing, I couldn't find any sign of where the voice had come from. Briefly, I wondered if I had imagined the voice in my mental struggle.

"Hey Eric, up here!" I heard the voice call out again, directing my gaze skywards towards the clouds overhead. There I spotted the source of the voice as I saw a certain pegasus mare with an unmistakeable rainbow-colored mane leaning over the edge of one of the clouds. The smile on her face fading as she notice the ragged look on mine, "Are you alright? You look terrible."

"Yeah I'm fine Vemsa, " I told her absently as I got up to find another place to wallow in my self-pity alone, "sorry about interrupting your nap."

"Having mare problems?" I heard her inquire from behind me. Causing me to stop immediately in my tracks before slowly looking back towards the sky blue colored mare, who just looked right back at me with a sly grin on her face as she rested her head on one of her hands.

"What did you say?" I asked Vemsa, unsure if I had heard her correctly.

"Are those mares riding you too hard or something, stud?" was her reply as she wiggled her eyebrows at me in a knowing fashion.

"Why would you say that?" I asked her cautiously. Now thoroughly interested in what she had to say.

"Because that's what stallions do, it's kind of your job to help your mares out when their on their heat?" Vemsa explained to me like it was supposed to be common knowledge, but unknown to her it just so happened to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Seriously, did everyone know about me being in a herd but me!" I said frustrated once again as I began to pace in circles and run my hands through my hair.

"Hey, are you alright?" I heard Vemsa ask me again as she hopped off her cloud, landing on the ground next to me. As I felt her hand on my back I shakily looked at her, concern and confusion etched on her face.

"I don't know Vemsa, I really don't know." I admitted to her as I flopped down on the grass, pulling my knees to my chest and hiding my face in my arms. I was about two seconds away from a mental breakdown and I didn't know what to do. I desperately wanted to make right by the mares that I had hurt by going back there and telling them how I felt about them, how I had come to long for them and wanted to at least give this herd thing a shot. Yet on the other hand I still had my commitments to my home world that wouldn't allow me to just accept my new life here, no matter how good the reason.

"Hey, it's okay, I was just joking about the whole rutting thing," Vemsa said as I heard her kneel down next to me, trying to reassure me as best she could.

"Then how did you know that I was in a herd with the princesses?" I asked her as I raised my head to meet her red-violet eyes, but had to look away instantly, because they reminded me too much of Gilzia's own magenta-colored eyes at the moment.

"The princesses!, " she shouted in my ear causing me shoot a scowl at her for almost blowing out my eardrums, but she just continued on, "You're in a herd with the princesses! How did you manage to snag those two!"

"First off... ow." I said as I rubbed my sore ears, "Second, if you obviously didn't know I was in a herd with the princesses, then how did you know I was having "mare" issues?"

"To be honest, I smelled them on you," she told me as I heard her voice pick up a slightly nervous tone as her light blue cheeks took on a lavender blush.

"Smelled them on me?" I asked her confused, as I took a quick smell of myself to see if I could smell what she was talking about. But alas, the only thing I could smell was my own perspiration from running.

"Yeah, I can smell their scent on you. Quite strongly actually," Vemsa said as she waved a hand in front of her face as if to prove her point on the intensity of the odor, "Usually, you're supposed to take a shower before going outside if your mares are in heat. That is unless you're one of those stallions that likes to show off."

I had to give a little chuckle at that last comment because it reminded me of an episode of a cartoon I had seen where one of the characters had proudly announced to the others that they had had "snu-snu".

"Sorry to disappoint you Vemsa, but nothing happened. Didn't even know I was part of a herd until this morning."

"Really? Nothing happened?" she said incredulously as she gave me a slight push on the shoulder causing me to look at her again. "You have two of the hottest mares in the world interested in you that are also in heat and you're going to tell me that nothing happened?"

I frowned at Vemsa as I was getting a little tired of theses ponies thinking that I would shag any mare who threw themselves at me. I mean, don't get me wrong, if there weren't any complications I would currently be trying to break any number of standing world records with the two princesses. But it was those "complications" that were driving me crazy.

"What?" Vemsa said in reaction to my glare, "They're hot."

Letting out a sigh I looked back ahead, "It doesn't matter. Won't happen whether I want it to or not."

Vemsa Hewl sat down in the grass next to me and looked forward silently in the same direction I was. We continued to stare off in silence for a few moments before she looked to me again, "You want to talk about it?"

"To be honest, not really," I began but upon noticing Vemsa's downcast expression at my apparent refusal of her help I decided to reconsider. After all, I had upset enough mares for one day, "but I'm sure it'll help me to talk it out with a friend."

Vemsa seemed to cheer up a little at that but didn't say anything. Thankfully she gave me my space to let me gather my thoughts for a moment before I began to explain my situation to her.

"I just had the princesses confess their love to me, but I acted like a coward and turned them down before leaving them in tears. It's not like I wanted to, I just can't run the risk of forming any kind of romantic relationship while I'm here. Not while there is still the possibility of me returning to my own world, whether or not by my choosing."

"Then why worry about it?" the light blue mare asked, as I looked at her confused at why she didn't get what I was trying to say.

"Because if I do happen to go back to my world, then they would more than likely not be able to come with me."

"How do you know that?" She asked as I continued to try and explain my logic to her.

"I don't really. All I can do is assume that is what will happen," I said as I shrugged my shoulders slightly, "Being as no other human has ever come here before, at least by any of your recollections, then I can assume that my being here has to be some kind of fluke. Which makes me believe that I could be brought back to my world at any moment."

"So you don't know if that will happen then?" Vemsa asked as she flicked her long colorful tail.

Feeling frustrated at her lines of questions I rubbed my scalp forcefully, letting out a growl through grit teeth, before leaning back against the cool grass, "No, not really?"

"Then why worry about it?" she asked again as she looked back at me.

"Are you serious?" I asked, sitting up again suddenly as I looked her directly in the eye, "You're serious aren't you? My god you are serious. Did you not hear what I just said?"

"Hey now, no need to be rude about it," Vemsa retorted, obviously offended by my attitude as she narrowed her eyes and poked my chest, "So not cool."

I groaned as I ran my hands down my face, "Ugh, you're right Vemsa. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that, it's just that this whole thing is stressing me out."

She looked at me for a moment longer as if she was truly considering the sincerity of my apology, before she averted her gaze away from me again, "It's alright."

"Then there's the point of my life that I left back on Earth. I've only been here for about six months now, and I'm not ready to give up on trying to get back home yet. I'm sure my family is worried sick about me, that is if they even think I'm still alive. Kind of hard to keep up hope I guess when they more than likely believe that I fell out of a plane into the icy cold water of the ocean." I told her as I laid back down on the grass, staring up into the early morning sky. I found one particular cloud that caught my interest as I continued on.

"I guess the same would go for my job in the Air Force as well. I'm sure any search they did for my body ended a long time ago by now, and I'm listed as either dead or missing by now."

"Then what's the problem? Sounds like to me that you have a chance to start a new life here." Vemsa said as she tossed a glance back my way.

"Yeah, but the problem is I'm not dead. At least, I don't think I am?" I stated, muttering the last part to myself as I saw Vemsa's ears tilt back towards me.

"What was that?" she asked as I tried to brush it off.

"Nothing," I told her as I sat up slowly, "The point is that there's still stuff that would prevent me from ever being in a relationship. In the end I don't want to put somepony through that pain."

"Shouldn't that be their choice?" Vemsa asked as she rested back on her hands and stretched out her long legs, soaking up the sunlight coming from overhead.

"What?"

"Shouldn't that be their choice?" she repeated as she closed her eyes, "Any mare that would want to start a relationship with you would have to know that you could leave at any moment, right?"

"Yeah, I supposed so," I said apprehensively, not really sure what the sky-blue mare was trying to get at, but the wheels were slowly starting to turn.

"Then shouldn't they have the ability to chose for themselves if they want to risk being in a relationship, instead of you choosing for them?" Vemsa told me sagely as she slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head till she was looking at me.

I was shocked to say the least. For somepony who wasn't considered the sharpest tool in the shed and lived her life more by instinct than by a plan. She sometimes made a lot of sense, "Huh, I guess I never thought about it like that."

"Yeah," the rainbow-haired pegasus replied with a cocky smile, "so like I said, why worry about it?"

"But what about my life that I left behind?" I asked her as I tried to resolve the next of my issues, "I'm still obligated to remain loyal to the vows I took, and the family I left behind. I can't just abandon all of that so easily, or just pretend that my life prior to coming here doesn't matter anymore."

"No one said it did. I'm sure the princesses would never ask you to forget or betray your past life." she said as she returned to her sunbathing.

"No, no I don't think they would." I unknowingly said aloud softly as I continued to stare at the passing clouds as my mind processed this new outlook on my situation.

We continued to sit there for a few more minutes in peaceful silence. Vemsa continued to bath in the sun's light as I mulled over our conversation. Glancing over at the colorful pegasus mare I thought that she had fallen back asleep as she remained motionless, a feat rarely seen from her. I had just returned to my thoughts when I heard her speak again suddenly.

"The princesses huh?" Vemsa mused as she remained motionless and I replied with a grunt, "And here me and Xamspona thought that Etpinego would be the one to get with you first. Then again I suppose it was like Vivmay and Tupomi said, that the bond that you have with the princesses would pretty much seal the deal."

"Etpinego?" I asked as her comment about the farmer caught my attention, "What was that about Etpinego?"

"You didn't know?" Vemsa said as she opened her eyes to look at me with a curious expression, "Yeah she's got a major crush on you, stud. Which is surprising, because usually she's usually too busy with her work to even think about stallions."

I let out a groan as I began to rub my eyes with the heel of my palms. I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't noticed the farm mare being more flirty in her teasing lately. I didn't think too much of it though, because we had both teased each other before, but always in good fun, or so I thought. Now to hear that she might be more serious than I previously thought in her teases just made me feel like more of a heel than I already did.

Her family and her had accepted me with open arms from the very beginning. At first I really thought nothing of it, thinking they were just being as friendly and hospitable as any number of country families back on Earth would be. Yet, now in addition to that, I had to add in the fact of the eldest Etpi daughter's crush into the equation and a lot of little things suddenly became a little more clearer. The not so subtle questions by Etpitivi and her friends here recently. The fact that every time I shared their dinner table with them, my seat was always next to Etpinego. The recent offer by the orange mare for me to come and work for her and her family. But the single most glaring one, was that her older brother hadn't killed me on the spot after finding his younger sibling and myself in that compromising situation.

"Do you like her?" I heard Vemsa ask softly, knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Huh-what?" I asked, unsure at what she had said.

"Do you like her?" the rainbow-haired flier repeated.

"I don't know," I told her honestly, "being as I've been so preoccupied with focusing on all the reasons why not to be in a relationship. I never really put much thought into who I would like to be in one with, and now I find myself with two possible options."

"Three options," Vemsa corrected me. As she saw my face contort into a confused expression she simply shrugged her shoulders before continuing on, "You could always start on with all of them. I'm sure Etpinego or the princesses wouldn't be opposed to the idea.

"But you're on your own with that one, stud. Us pegasi don't usually get involved with romantic herds, that's something that the other tribes mainly practice. But I do know that any new inclusions to a herd of any kind has to be approved of by the lead mare," she paused for a moment before continuing, "Eric, whatever you decide to do just promise me one thing?"

"What's that?" I asked as she got up in my face and looked me in the eye.

"If you choose not to be in a relationship with Etpinego then please let her down easy, alright?"

"Of course Vemsa," I reassured her as she gave me a satisfied smile before standing up and giving her body a good stretch, her wings unfurling out to their fullest span before closing back against her back.

"That's good," she said as she let out a yawn, "Now I think you have some princesses to apologize to, and I have a nap to get back to," she said as she turned to go back to her cloud.

"Of course, and Vemsa," I called out to her, causing the mare to stop and look back to me, "thanks."

"Sure anytime, stud."

"Please stop calling me that," I told her in a deadpan tone. Not liking the new nickname she had given me, but it only caused her to smile again. Although this time more mischievous.

"Nope," and with that she was off with a mighty flap of her wings back to her cloud, leaving me alone in the field.

As soon as Vemsa had left I pulled myself off of the ground to begin making my way back to the compound. Back to the mares that I had hurt in my speedy exit. They deserved an apology for me leaving them in tears, I at least owed that much to them.

Then there was the issue of Etpinego that I had to think about now as well. If what Vemsa had said about her having a crush on me was true, then I was going to have to tread lightly. I thought the farm mare was highly attractive, especially that firm ass of hers, and she definitely held a lot of qualities that I would be looking for in a girlfriend. But at the same time she was also my oldest and best friend in this world, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to risk that over a relationship. Then again I still wasn't sure if I should even attempt any kind of relationship while here.

Putting my thoughts about Etpinego to the back of my mind I remained focused on the task at hand. I mentally called out to Gilzia and Pyre through our link but didn't receive a reply. The thought of not being able to reach them for the first time since the bond had been formed made me panic a little as I quickened my pace. Arriving to the facility a short time later I slammed open the door and called out their names, not caring if anyone heard me call for them.

When I received no reply I feared the worst and bolted up the stairs to my apartment, not letting anything stand in my way as I burst open the door as I called out their names again. Yet the only thing I received in reply was silence. Holding out the last bit of hope I went to my bedroom to find it as empty as my heart felt right now. Slowly I dragged myself over to my bare bed and sat down on the edge like I had done before I had left. In the silence of the room I could almost still feel their presence as a passing breeze wafted the faint remainder of Gilzia and Pyre's scent into my nostrils.

I hung my head as I tried to figure out what to do now.

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone, sorry for taking so long but work and some art request have kept me busy these past couple of weeks. That and I wasn't sure how I really wanted to do this one. Ran through many variations in my head before settling on this one, but don't worry I plan on settling this relationship stuff next chapter, because I don't believe in dragging it out. That and I want to get this Ball out of the way so I can get onto the next part.