Becoming One With The Beat: Assimilation

by canadianbrony91

First published 13th of January, 2014

You continue your life in Equestria with your new equine body as Vinyl's, as well as Octavia's, love for you grows every day. Dive back into Equestria with Alex in this second installment of Becoming One With The Beat book two: Assimilation

After choosing to stay in Equestria, you must now learn how to use your equine body, as well as all of the challenges that come with it. Between learning magic from Twilight, finding your cutie mark, landing a decent job, and Hearth's Warming Eve being right around the corner, you've certainly got your hooves full with things to do. In addition, the bond between you and your dream mare, Vinyl Scratch, grows more and more each day. However, how will you cope with your secret lover that continues to tease your conscience and the many other mares that still have hidden desires for you? Find out in the second installment of Becoming One With The Beat book two: Assimilation!

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Editors and Proof Readers:
~SortOfARarity~
~Brony_Falcon~
~Corgii (Currently On Vacation)~
~RAY RAY~
~Asterian Starfall~
Cover Art:
~Rasp~ (http://raspdraws.tumblr.com)

Prologue: The More The Merrier

Green was never your favorite color. If you had to pick one, it would be blue, however cliche that sounded. The blue of the sky and of the seas always captivated your heart and set your mind free. Purple was a close second, mainly because it was so similar to blue, but retained a more mysterious aura to it; and no better morning have you had in many a year than the one you were part of now. Lush green grass that resembled the bristle on a paintbrush waved in the wind and stretched for miles upon miles until you could see no more. It was almost beautiful enough to change your opinion about its color. The field was made even more beautiful by tiny blue flowers that garnished the landscape. You could feel it in between your hooves as it tickled the thin layer of fur on your lower legs. The breeze kissed your face and blew your mane back gracefully, helping the sun that sat naked in the cloudless sky warm you.

Tiny flowers stood amongst the grass, begging for the attention of anyone who could see them with their colorful petals and bright yellow cores. Upon closer inspection, the flowers resembled a species that you were familiar with; morning glory. You weren't much for botany, but you always could remember what these looked like for some reason. Oddly enough, as you looked out at the rest of the flowers on the horizon, they were all different shades of white and blue. Some were so dark blue that they were almost black, and some were so light blue that they were almost completely white.

The wind picked up and to your surprise, the multiple flowers began to lift up with it and spun in the air. They followed the wind current like tiny boats through a set of rough rapids. They swirled around in the breeze, but they never blew too far from you. In fact, they were beginning to cluster in front of you to the point where you couldn't see anything but a blur of blue and white. Shielding your eyes from flying petals, you watched as they slowly began to accumulate into a pattern. All of the whitest flowers bunched together, followed by some darker blues on top and behind.

After a minute or so, you began to see the shape resemble that of a pony. However, this wasn't just anypony. The white body and the electric blue mane and tail hinted towards the pony that you loved most: Vinyl Scratch. Your assumption was made into an assurance when a dozen or so dark blue flowers formed into a musical note and attached themselves onto the "coat" of the pony made of flowers.

Your eyes widened as a stiff gust of wind pushed right into your face, forcing you to close your eyes from the barrage of flowers hitting it. However, instead of the flowers pelting you at high speed, they gently enveloped your body and filled your nostrils with a soothing floral aroma.

"Alex..." The smoothest and gentlest whisper teased your ear as the flowers accumulated over your body.

"I love you." The sun shined bright into your face and you closed your eyes tight so that it wouldn't hurt them. You began to feel air rush underneath your body and lift you into the air.

Everything faded to black, but not for long. A dark red light slowly filled the darkness. The sound, the feel, and the smell of everything around you began to slip away into nothingness. Your eyes opened again and you were greeted by a harsh beam of sun coming through the window of Twilight's living room. You closed them again as your mind came to the self-awareness of the dream you just had. Oddly enough, you didn't feel groggy at all given the fact that you were sleeping on a sofa instead of a bed. You laid there for a while, staring up at the ceiling while small dust specs floated above your head and shimmered when they passed by the light coming from the window.

You lifted your head up and stretched your legs as you began to crack your knuckles, which used to be a common morning ritual for you except for the fact that you didn't have knuckles anymore. Your hooves clopped together awkwardly and you remembered once again that your body wasn't the way it used to be. Even after a month of being a pony, your mind still had some difficulty adapting to it at certain times. You had become thankful recently that you didn't turn into a pegasus. Just thinking about how to sleep with two large appendages on your back made you restless.

There were several blankets layered over you, one of which was made of fleece and nearly made you break a sweat after a short while. You only remembered going to bed with two thin sheets, so you deduced that Twilight had come in to cover you up more. As your right eye peeked open and found the window, you could see why.

Snow. You could see it fall from the sky as if somepony was beating the stuffing out of a large pillow up above. It was piled about halfway up the window, but the low morning sun still managed to seep through. As you stripped off more and more blankets, you could feel the radiant chill coming from outside. However, the fur on your body did a well enough job of insulating you from it, which surprised you given the fact that it was relatively thin. Your hooves clopped down onto the wooden floor and, after stretching your legs and neck, trotted over to the window. As you looked out, you could see most of the houses down the street sitting in quite a few inches of thick fluffy snow.

You weren't deterred whatsoever from the weather, in fact, you loved it. Before you had come to Equestria, you lived in a warmer area that rarely got to see snow whatsoever. Winters were merely cold fronts brought about by rain storms and they never reached below 10 degrees celsius. When it did snow, it was only for an hour or so and it never got above a half of an inch. However, you had only seen snow back home about twice in your lifetime. Touching the middle of your hoof to the window, you could feel the cold from outside.

"Gooood morning!" Twilight greeted you melodically. You jumped slightly from the sudden presence behind you.

"Oh, mornin' Twi."

"Whatcha lookin' at?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just not used to seeing snow, is all."

"What? Don't tell me they don't have snow where you came from..." You sensed Twilight's sarcasm but you played along with it.

"Huh? Yeah, we do, but just not around the place I used to live. It was too warm."

The two of you sat in a somewhat awkward silence as you continued to look out of the window while Twilight watched you. The snow outside was getting thicker and thicker and it showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. The sun was well above the horizon at this point and it was already beginning to melt away at the frost on the icy window in front of your muzzle. It's light reflected off of the cotton-like blankets strongly and it would hurt your eyes a little if you stared at it for too long.

"You can go outside and enjoy it, if you want to." You turned around at Twilight who was giving you an odd yet amused look.

"Really? Can I?"

"Well sure, it's not like you need my permission or any-" You were outside by the time Twilight finished her sentence.

"-thing..." She rolled her eyes and grinned a bit before going back to her book.

Mornings were and had always been particularly blissful for Octavia, and not just because of selfish reasons like Vinyl being asleep for most of them. The soft rising sun in the east, which in turn woke the songbirds, set a chain reaction that naturally woke Octavia right when it peeked over the horizon. As with most Canterlot folk, the first thing she did was brew a pot of rosemary tea in the kitchen. It was the one thing she looked forward to most in the mornings, or to be more specific, it was finally sitting down with a hot cup of tea on a cold morning such as this and feeling the sips of it warm her from the inside out whilst giving her just enough caffeine so that she didn't bounce off walls yet remained energized for the day ahead.

The thought itself almost gave her a bit of warmth as she slowly walked through the living room into the kitchen, shivering a little from drowsily waking up and abandoning her thick warm bed sheets. She threw on her favorite pink silk nightgown that was laying over the back of the couch. It wasn't much in terms of insulation, but any material combined with pony fur was enough to keep warm. It was delicate to the touch, as were most products of Rarity's custom works. It even had Octavia's cutie mark: a purple treble cleft on the upper left-hoof corner of the fabric.

It was tasks like making a pot of tea and grabbing the newspaper that made Octavia wish she had a unicorn horn. Living with a unicorn whose work depended on magic made it somewhat worse, but she always dismissed the feeling by telling herself that it gave her more hoof-eye coordination. Mocking somepony because of their horn, wings, or lack thereof, was extremely taboo in Equestria, so earth ponies like Octavia have never had to feel buyers remorse for their birth gift. It was this hoof-eye coordination that Octavia had developed that allowed her to menial tasks so easily. Before she progressed another thought into the morning, she was already sitting down at the kitchen table reading over the next issue of Canterlot Weekly and enjoying tea. However, it was just at that moment when the discouraging thought filtered through her head.

"'Mornin' Octy!"

It was Monday. It was the only one day of the week that Vinyl didn't sleep late because the club she performed at didn't open on Sunday nights. It was the only morning of the week that Octavia tended not to enjoy. Not because of her roommate, but because of her-

"Wubwasher time!"

"Vinyl, wait... Can you just-"

Vinyl turned the knob on her dishwasher all the way to the "eleven" position, and a low rising bass tone erupted from it. Octavia, all too familiar with the effects of her roommate's "wubwasher", tucked her cup of tea into her chest and rolled up the newspaper and quickly fled outside. She shut the back door behind her firmly and then let out a large exhale as the dampened music played inside. Thankfully, she had escaped before the main cycle started. After the ringing in her ears died down, she collected her things and set up the patio table to finish her tea in peace under the small section of roof that protected her from the gently falling snow.

The unease soon returned to her face, however, as she remembered that she had forgotten to move the china from the kitchen before Vinyl came in. She kept reading the black and white newspaper while hoping to Celestia that they would still be in one piece once she returned.

"Ugh..."

She covered her ears with her hooves tightly as the sound still managed to penetrate through the walls. A tiny vein in her forehead was beginning to become swollen and she could feel a headache throbbing at her temples. The blunt chill from the snow began to sink deep into her coat until it became nearly unbearable not to shiver.

"Oh, sod it."

Throwing off her night gown a huff of defeat, she got up from the table and escaped through the small gate in the fence at the very back of the back yard, leaving tiny hoof-tracks in the snow. Her legs trotted strongly both to make her way through the many inches of snow on the ground, but also to warm herself up. Thick clouds of condensation escaped her muzzle as she made her way around the house and back onto the street where just the presence of passing-by ponies warmed her a bit. Knowing that the cycle on Vinyl's washer usually lasted an approximate hour, she continued down the street and decided to go for a quick jog. It wasn't because she was out of shape; her body often times made Vinyl jealous. Perhaps it was because of an adventurous spark that lit in her mind for a split second and didn't die out until she had already set her mind to exercise.

She greeted the seldom number of ponies that happened to be out and about on such a cold day with a short-breathed "good morning" as her fast-paced clops from her hooves made their way down the main road in Ponyville. She could judge by her pace that a few laps from Twilight's tree house and her own would make for a long enough outing in order to make it back just in time for the bass-rinse to finish. The burn of a morning workout flared just for a few minutes, but quickly dulled out as she found her pace. The cold air, however, wasn't as forgiving. It dried out her lungs and throat and although it helped her to avoid heat exhaustion, it began to sting inside of her as she could faintly see the tallest branches of the tree house behind the buildings in the distance.

Once you were outside, you looked around for the biggest mound of snow and galloped straight for it before diving head-first into it. The texture of the snow was extremely light and you almost felt like you would dive right through it. However, you were brought to a stop mid-way through and the blissful chill kissed every inch of your body. You began to dig your way forward and you quickly emerged from the other side with bits of snow covering your entire coat and mane. You laid there for a few moments letting the feel of the snow relax you and bent your neck down to munch on the thicker snow beneath you as if you were eating a snow-cone. It melted against your warm tongue almost instantly and the cool water began trickling down your throat as you lifted yourself out of the mound and shook the snow off of you.

"Enjoying the weather, are we?"

You looked up to see Octavia standing in the snow right in front of you watching you fool around. You immediately put on a more polite demeanor which was a habit that you formed quickly after weeks of talking to her. She had such an elizabethan style attitude that, if you knew better, was beginning to rub off on you in many ways, save for the few spontaneous outbursts of childlike fun like diving headfirst into a mound of snow and swimming around in it.

"Good morning..."

You expected a prudish and condescending stare from her but instead you were pleased to see her smile and even giggle a little. She came up to you and brushed her hoof through your mane to knock off the lingering bits of snow that still lay there.

"Goodness, Alex. You act as if you've never seen snow before."

"No, I have. Just not in a long time. So what brings you out here?"

"Vinyl..." She rolled her eyes as she was reminded of why she went out in the first place.

"Dishwasher?"

"Yes..." She rubbed her temples with her hoof.

"Didn't I hear it going off just the other day? You girls must go through dishes quickly."

"No, its not that. She just...really likes washing dishes."

"I can see that." You smiled warmly, although you were beginning to shiver a little from the raw exposure to snow. Octavia took notice and her face lit up a little.

"Would you like to come over? I'm sure Vinyl will hold off from her dish washing duty if you dropped by, and I also have some hot tea brewing."

Your initial reaction was to ask if Twilight would give you permission. Even though you were a relatively adult pony and could make your own decisions, Twilight was still a princess and you thought it polite to ask anyway. You turned around and started to go back in, but you could see Twilight's head behind the ground floor window looking at you happily and nodding slightly. Apparently, she had been watching you the whole time. You gave her an apologetic smile and waved before turning back to Octavia.

"I'd love to! The weather's starting to get the better of me, anyway." You had realized a few seconds ago that you had begun shivering and the thought of hot tea pouring down your throat attracted you, along with meeting your special some-pony that you hadn't seen in a few days.

The two of you walked slowly back through Ponyville's main street despite the air being so cold that it could freeze your nostrils into icicles. Octavia moved at a slower pace than you hoped, not only because you were excited to see Vinyl, but also because you wanted to warm your body up by moving faster. However, you thought that insisting to speed up the walk would've come across as impolite, so you decided to tough it out. Happy faces were always around you when you walked through Ponyville. The memory of your heroism still lingered in their minds and you knew that it would not easily be forgotten. The feeling of being in Equestria would've been enough to make your soul warm, but the fact that you were held on such a high pedestal exponentially increased the feeling.

"Good morning Alex!" Called out a young mare named Roseluck from behind her rose stand. She was one of many ponies that you got to know while living in Ponyville. She was a kind earth pony with a beautiful mane and an off-white coat that reminded you of Vinyl's. Random floral gifts from you to Vinyl had caused the two of you to cross paths many times, but she was outgoing enough to strike up conversation with you even when you weren't looking to buy. She would always offer to give her flowers to you free of charge, but you still paid her. You wondered how in Equestria she managed to keep her stock safe from the weather, but gave a warm greeting and continued on.

"Seems you're quite the popular one around Ponyville. Then again, I can't really blame you." Octavia noticed your extroversion and narrowed her eyelids a little to give you a teasing look. "Be careful not to make Vinyl too jealous."

Your face reddened a little in embarrassment but you chose not to say anything in fear of it being taken the wrong way or out of context. The blush was almost enough to thaw you out, but not quite. You were almost to Octavia's front door when You heard a *tink!* on the ground next to you.

"Oh curse my clumsiness... It's so hard to hold these keys in this weather..."

You turned around to see Octavia looking around in the snow for her keys that she had apparently dropped. Barely escaping the guilty pleasure of sneaking a peek at the cellist's plot, you turned and began pushing the snow aside trying to help her find them. Eventually, your hoof made a *tink* against the set of golden keys. However, before you could pick them up, your hoof was stopped by Octavia who tried to get them at the same time. The awkward touching of hooves made the both of you fluster and back away embarrassingly.

"S-sorry..." You picked the keys up and gave them to her.

The door opened with a the solid churning of the deadbolt and the two of you quickly went inside to escape the weather. To your surprise and relief, there was already a small yet strong fire alight in the fireplace of the living room and you went straight to it, propping your hooves up towards it and warming them as you crashed back onto the couch adjacent to it. In addition, there wasn't so much as a peep from the dishwasher that lay silent in the kitchen behind you. In any other circumstance, you would've refrained from displaying such at-home manners, but during the few weeks that you've spent coming back and forth from here, the two mares have helped you feel right at home. Shortly after you began to relax, Octavia joined you and did the same, lifting her hooves and exhaling deeply as the radiant heat of the flames thawed the both of you.

Octavia closed her eyes and let her body relax in a position that you wouldn't have thought usual for someone of her high-class personality. Perhaps you hadn't yet gotten used to being able to see someponies' private areas from the right angle even in public, but even so, you thought Octavia must have known that her marehood was almost completely visible from her legs being so relaxed and spread. You couldn't help but to peek out of your left eye and look. You didn't often see her being so open and defenseless with Vinyl or anypony else, especially with you. As you took a nervous gulp and mentally thought of random things to surpress your relatively exposed member from getting excited, you wondered whether or not it was her intention for you to look in the first place.

You closed your eyes again and left your hooves on the hearth as you began to smell a sweet scent coming from behind you. You couldn't tell exactly what it was since the only sounds being made in the house were from the slow breathing of the two of you on the couch and the spontaneous flaring crackles of wood emitting from the fireplace. Just when your stallionhood was about to completely relax and retract fully into its sheath, you were surprised with a gentle kiss on your cheek . The sudden stimulation almost made your shaft fully extend if it weren't for your hoof desperately hiding it as you sat up quickly. A kiss from Vinyl wouldn't have surprised you, but since Octavia was the only pony in the room with you, you turned to your left in shock as your face turned crimson.

"Hey, babe."

The third voice nearly made you jump as it whispered directly into your left ear without warning. However, your protest towards Octavia was left unsaid as you began to realize that the voice that whispered to you belonged to none other than Vinyl Scratch who trotted around the couch to your right holding a tray of hot tea with her light blue magic.

"H-hey..."

"Vinyl? You actually made us tea?"

"Yeah...What, I can't make tea for my best friend and the cutest stallion in Equestria?"

She gave Octavia a dejected look as she set the tray down on the coffee table in front of the two of you. You blushed a little as she followed up her affection with a quick yet sincere kiss on your lips that made you grin widely afterwards.

Octavia digressed. "I'm sorry, Vinyl. I appreciate the generosity. And thank you for putting the dish washer on hold."

Vinyl took a seat to your right and offered you a cup. You took it thankfully. Her hoof settled down and covered yours next to you as she snuggled close to you lovingly. You wrapped your foreleg around her waist and held her close while you took a sip.

Octavia's eyes widened a bit. "Wow, Vinyl, this is... Actually pretty good!"

"Nopony said I didn't know how to make tea." Vinyl replied somewhat sarcastically as you felt your insides slowly warming from the sweet nectar-like tea.

"Thanks babe." You nuzzled her cheek affectionately and made her face redden a little.

"So... Did you ask him yet?!" Vinyl suddenly blurted out with excitement in her eyes.

"Huh? Ask me what?" You turned to Octavia questioningly.

Octavia put her tea down. "My apologies, I nearly forgot why I invited you here in the first place." She cleared her throat. "Well, as we both know, you and Vinyl are quite...inseparable," She looked up and down at the two of you cuddling like love-birds. "And you've been over at our home so often that..."

Vinyl was nearly jumping up and down on the couch next to you as Octavia continued. "What I'm trying to say is-"

"You wanna move in with us?!" Vinyl blurted out again, unable to contain herself.

Your heart nearly skipped a beat, but not in a bad way. Having a lover ask you to move in with her would certainly be exciting, but throwing in the small detail that you would me moving in with Vinyl and Octavia made you nearly shed a tear of joy.

"R-really? You two are okay with that?" You looked back over to Octavia with concern in your eyes as you didn't want to intrude too much.

"Yes. I feel like it would be the logical thing to do, seeing as you and Vinyl are getting along quite fluidly. Also, I suppose some new company might make things a little... more interesting around here."

"Well in that case, yeah, I'd love to! I mean... I'd have to ask Twilight, of course, but-"

Octavia cut you off by giving you a stern yet motherly look. "But you will have to do your fair share and help us with chores and what not, understood?"

"Oh come on, Octy, don't be like that..."

"No Vinyl, it's okay, I understand. Don't worry, I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Good. Your things have already been moved to Vinyl's room in advance."

"Oh, sweet. W-wait, what? How?"

Octavia gave a somewhat mischievous grin." I had my friend Twilight help me out by teleporting them here."

"You... She..."

"I take care of my affairs well ahead of time, Sir Alex."

She lifted her chin and crossed her arms proudly whilst giving you a playful wink. You had to give her credit for crossing her "t's" and dotting her "i's", but you'd certainly have to have a word with Twilight after all of this was said and done.

"Anywho, I have rehearsal to attend, so I'll be out for a few hours." She finished her tea with one last sip and gently wrapped her cello case that was sitting on the back of the couch over her back.

"Oh alright... Is there anything you need me to do while you're gone?"

Octavia turned around before she reached the door and gave you a funny grin. "Yes. Behave yourselves."

And with that, Octavia was out in the cold with the door slammed shut behind her. A few flurries of snow managed to sneak in from outside before the door closed, littering the welcome mat inside as the chilled breeze hit the two of you. Vinyl reacted by shivering a little and tucking herself closer to you while nuzzling your chest. Once you were sure that Octavia was gone, you reclined with her and laid across the sofa with you back to the cushion and the two of your bellies pressing together as you wrapped your front legs around her waist.

It only took a single moment of looking into her eyes before pulling her into a soft kiss. However, the softness of the affectionate gesture soon intensified as you felt Vinyl's heavy breathing against you and her body rubbing up against you sexually. Her lips became wetter and it wasn't long before her tongue began to take part in the kiss, thus turning it into a make-out session that threw your hormones into gear.

As both of your passions rose, you began to notice something odd about her. Even though your fur was brushing flat against hers, her body was giving off an unusual amount of heat. She was beginning to moan involuntarily into your mouth, even though you weren't stimulating her marehood in any way, as her warm wet tongue wrapped around yours. You let her explore your mouth with her slippery appendage as you brought your hooves down from her waist to her soft round plot. That's when you realized something else surprising. It was enough to make you pull back out of the kiss in surprise.

"Vinyl... How are you already this wet? You're nearly soaked."

She looked back with dilated eyes that oozed with sexual desperation and passion. She breathed hot puffs of air out of her mouth which tickled the fur on your neck. No words left her mouth for many moments. Instead, she looked at you as if she was looking at a four course meal on an empty stomach. She even licked her lips a little and then bit down on her lip as she gently gyrated her hips on top of your erecting member.

"T-there's something else I forgot to tell you, Alex..."

Her already pink face turned red as her eyes shifted to your left out of embarrassment. You slowly tipped her chin towards you so that she would make eye contact with you. You momentarily set aside your desires and looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"Well... I'm..."

A sudden wave of fear swept through you as you remembered your last passionate encounter a few weeks ago. Neither of you were sexually sober enough to realize that you had came inside of her, and you never really thought that she could become pregnant until just now. You cursed yourself mentally for being so careless. Your mind was racing and thinking of a dozen different things at once. You had thought about whether or not your semen was potent before, since you weren't truly a pure-bred pony, but the risk involved with the issue never quite hit you until just now. You didn't think you would be too bad at raising a child, but having a kid with Vinyl Scratch? What would Princess Celestia think? Or Luna? You couldn't think of anything particularly devastating coming from Vinyl being pregnant, far from it. The fear you felt was mostly from excitement and nervousness, not regret. Nonetheless, it was too much stress for you to handle all at once. Your heart raced, and you could feel the burn of adrenaline rushing through your veins as you awaited to hear some potential heavy news from Vinyl. You could feel her warm sexual fluids drip down from between your legs and over your bare hardening shaft, which didn't help your sex drive settle one bit.

"I'm..."

You took a deep gulp and prepared yourself for the worst. However, trying not to appear as if Vinyl being pregnant would be a bad thing, you stroked her mane in an attempt to comfort her.

"Are you pregnant?" She gave you a weird look and raised an eyebrow at you, which somewhat broke the thick pleasure in her eyes.

"What? No, of course not." She shook her head slightly as you let out the large breath that you were holding in your chest without knowing.

"I'm... In heat..."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please PM me and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 1: Becoming One With The Heat

Octavia concentrated carefully as she dragged the rosin over her bow, making sure it was thick on each end as she studied the music in front of her. It was a simple piece that she had played many times before. Even though she was thankful for her maestro who rarely ventured outside her musical comfort zone, she wished he would at least give her something challenging every once and a while. Her inner conscience warned her about underestimating any piece she was about to play, but it was somewhat suppressed by the conflict that was raging in her head at the moment.

As she tuned her strings, she couldn't keep from thinking about what Alex and Vinyl were doing right now. She knew they were bucking. They had to be. She knew that Vinyl always had a peeve about her prying into her relationships, but since the relationship was with Alex, she couldn't help it. She finished tuning her "G" string and moved on to her "D".

"Hey, Octavia? You don't look yourself... Is something the matter?" Her fellow cellist next to her whispered to her, but just loud enough to be heard over all of the violins around her that were being tuned. It managed to snap her out of her daydream.

"Oh, um... Yes, I'm quite alright." She finished with her "D" string and moved on to her "A".

"Is Vinyl giving you grief again?"

"In a way... I suppose. Although, it isn't really her fault."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Her friend put her bow down after she had finished tuning and turned to Octavia.

"I... Well..."

A loud tapping of the maestro's rod on his music stand stole her attention. She panicked and quickly made a last-minute adjustment to her "A" string and prayed to Celestia that her "C" string hadn't lost it's tune since the last time she played. Her friend next to her quickly turned back and faced forward, but leaned towards Octavia stealthily and whispered.

"Don't let her push you around, Octavia."

The maestro raised his hooves and Octavia readied her bow against her "A" string while fretting her hoof to the opening note which was a "B". She took a deep breath and exhaled.

"One, two, three, four..."

Octavia's hooves flowed with the intro to the music, hitting each note and making the necessary chord changes that the piece called for. For a few moments, the music eased her mind away from her strained feelings for Alex. The vibrations from her cello perfectly matching the tune helped her relax. However, as she changed to a minor cord, her strained feelings for Alex prodded her conscience. Her mind drifted off and began recalling the recent moon cycles to try and figure out when the next new moon would be. It wasn't because she found it particularly interesting by any means. She had been looking forward to it for quite some time because it was when she would hopefully come to confess to Alex.

Her hoof slipped slightly and played an "A" sharp instead of a "B". The maestro either did not hear it or decided not to bother and continued on. Octavia could see her friend out of her peripherals to her right giving her a concerned look. She made a quick adjustment and moved on, however, her thoughts did not.

She hadn't even thought about what she would say to him. Certainly, she couldn't just come up and tell him that she had feelings for him. Her hoof nearly slipped on the string again as her nerves grew restless. She just hoped that she would be able to have the courage to be honest with him and not run off scared when the time came. A picture of her leaning up against Alex in the dim moonlight and him whispering sweet nothings into her ear forced her cheeks to redden a bit and it inevitably led to her missing another note.

The maestro stopped abruptly, as well as everypony else, and turned to observe Octavia. Since everypony in the room was playing the correct note except for her, so they could all tell who it was. She lowered her eyes in intense embarrassment and bit her lip.

"Octavia? It's not like you to miss notes this often in a piece. Are you all right?" Normally, he would've scolded any mistakes, but Octavia was his prized student and often showed compassion for her.

"N-no... I mean yes sir! I..."

Her friend jumped in for her before she blurted out anything else. "Shes just under the weather with a cold, is all."

"Goodness, then what are you doing here with a cold? Take the rest of rehearsal off and go rest, Octavia."

"A-are you sure? I can..."

"No, I insist. I want you to be well in time for our performance next month."

She let out a sigh and began to pack her cello back in her case as the maestro started everypony up again. Just as she was about to leave, she felt a small tap on her rump that almost made her jump. She turned around quickly, ready to slap the sneaky bastard that got a free shot on her plot. Instead, she was greeted with a wink from her friend as she whispered again.

"Remember, don't let her push you around!"

Octavia gave her a small yet sincere smile and made her way to the door.

A faint ringing persisted in her ears for several moments, since the maestro usually placed the cellos directly in front of the french horns. A muffled piece had just started back up from behind the closed doors as she began to march through the snow. It felt awkward for her not to be rehearsing with everypony else. Until now, she held the record number of attendances and the fewest number of absences. Her eyes looked up towards the brilliant blue sky and felt as if she was doing something wrong or if she wasn't supposed to be doing what she was doing. However, she felt a strange feeling of freedom that hadn't been felt in quite some time. She took a deep breath through her nostrils and filled her lungs with the crisp chilly morning air.

Going back home certainly wasn't an option. She would be getting there an hour and a half early, and would most likely come in on them bucking in the living room. A deep sense of stress formed in her chest again as she accidentally reminded herself of why she had left rehearsal in the first place, even after almost forgetting about it for a moment. She hated to admit it to herself, but she knew that she was feeling a textbook case of jealousy towards Vinyl. That jealousy grew time and time again when the thought of them making love and being affectionate towards each other returned to torment her already stressed conscience.

She made the impromptu decision to go to Twilight's. She was always helpful when she was dealing with a lot of stress. Not only that, but Octavia just needed somepony to let everything out onto after keeping her feelings locked away for so long. She knew the ramifications of bottling up emotions for a prolonged period of time, since it was one of the reasons her and Vinyl eventually had a falling out back in their music school years. A good long chat with her over tea would preoccupy her long enough. She looked for the trademark singular tree above the rooftops and headed in that direction with a small smile on her face, eager to get some emotions off of her chest.

The warm radiant heat sunk into your fur as you waited anxiously for Vinyl to return. The thought of making love in front of an open fire seemed extremely romantic to you, and you bit your lip nervously while your stallionhood laid eagerly on your belly. In the back of the house, you could hear Vinyl rummaging through things, which peaked your anxiety even more due to the fact that she said "Let me get something that'll make this way more fun."

Judging by her actions nearly two months ago during your last intimate encounter, Vinyl seemed like there was a kinky side to her that didn't get to see the light. However, she had you all to herself now. You hoped in the back of your mind that she wasn't into intense bondage or anything like that, but another side of you wanted to see her do whatever she wanted to you. As you laid there, you mentally prepared for what you were going to do. You figured that since she was in heat, she would likely get pregnant much easier than usual. It really wasn't that big of a deal to you since it was with Vinyl, but you had to make sure since Vinyl's heat hormones would be telling her that she wanted it inside.

"Gotta pull out this time..." You mumbled to yourself.

"What's that?" Vinyl somehow managed to hear you all the way from the other room.

"Huh? Oh nothing, babe. Find what you were looking for yet?" You asked in a semi-seductive tone.

Before she could give you an answer, she came around the corner of the hallway carrying a small box with her magic. Vinyl's eyes had a hungry look in them that made your whole body tense up. She smiled as she trotted next to you, floating the box into your lap.

"Go ahead, open it." She winked at you.

You looked down and unfolded the flaps to the cardboard box to reveal a plethora of kinky sex toys. As you rummaged through them, you found a cock ring, several condoms, some kind of special lube, a collar and a leash, and a butt plug. You sat there with eyes wide open for a few moments.

"Vinyl... where did you get all of this stuff?"

"Rarity's place." She blushed a bit and tilted her eyes to the right.

"So what'cha wanna try first? I'll leave it to you since you're the one in heat." You enjoyed teasing her about it since the thought of being in heat somehow embarrassed her.

"S-shut up..."

You took her hoof and pulled her to you so that she was sitting in your lap on the couch. Her heart rate pounded hard against your chest because of how close your cock was to her marehood. It was so obvious how badly she wanted you. You reached to your right for the box and pulled out the black leather leash and collar. The idea of using such a kinky and dominant toy certainly excited you. However, as you began to put it on her, you felt somewhat guilty as if you were taking advantage of her even though she was the one who had the toy in the first place.

"Vinyl...are you sure you're okay with thi- Ahh...."

She leaned down and kissed your neck passionately, making your shaft twitch against her out of sudden stimulation. She then licked up to your ear lobe and teased it a little with her tongue. Your excitement grew even more when she took the collar and leash from your hooves and slowly fastened it around your neck. It seemed like you didn't have to worry about whether or not she wanted it anymore. She stared down into your eyes with the open fire burning behind her, making the edges of her fur glow orange. She was still in your lap, but had moved up so that her head was almost directly over yours.

"You're my toy for today." You took a big gulp as your cheeks became red as her hoof slowly traced up against the underside of your chin.

Twilight's door finally opened after Octavia's numerous knocks.

"Octavia! What a surprise! What can I do for you?"

"Can we...talk?" She got straight to the point since the cold was nipping at her relentlessly and her cello was giving her shoulder aches.

"Oh well um...sure! Come on in, sorry for the mess."

Octavia looked around as she stepped in, but didn't notice any "messes" being made in any corner of the room, save for the occasional stray book every so often.

"Here, let me get that for you." Twilight smiled as she trotted by her, lifting the cello off of her back and placing it neatly against the couch. "Go warm up by the fire, I started it an hour or two ago, so the coals are nice and hot."

"Thank you, Twilight." Octavia took a deep breath and warmed herself on the couch as Twilight rummaged through some cabinets in the kitchen.

"Your favorite is rosemary, right?"

It took a few moments for Octavia to process what she meant by it. "O-oh, actually, do you have some chamomile?"

Twilight's concern grew a little because of her knowledge that chamomile tea was usually taken for relaxing nerves, but she just so happened to have some dried chamomile in her alchemy cabinet.

"Sure do!" She warmed up some water by levitating it in the air and holding a flame underneath it while, at the same time, lifting a cup from the cupboard and rinsing it out to make sure it was clean. Octavia couldn't help but steal a glance in jealousy, which Twilight apparently picked up on.

"Oh come now, Octavia. You aren't still jealous about that are you?"

"W-what? Of course not!"

"Good. You should be proud of being an earth pony. There are plenty of things that make you special."

"Oh? Like what?" Octavia retorted, a slight accent of sarcasm and humor in her tone.

"Well, for one, most earth ponies have excellent hoof-eye coordination, along with a stronger set of legs."

"I suppose..."

"And also..." Twilight giggled a little as she finished making the tea and trotted towards her. "I've heard rumors of how long earth ponies can last in bed."

"T-Twilight!" Octavia's cheeks blemished brightly.

"Hehe sorry... Just trying to cheer you up." She sat down next to her on the couch and set the tea down onto the table. "So what's up?"

She sipped on her tea, eager for the camomile to calm her before opening up. "Well... It's about Alex."

"Oh?" Twilight tilted her head curiosity.

"It's just that... I'm a little jealous of Vinyl."

"Why's that? Wait... You don't mean..." Twilight's eyes widened as Octavia remained silent and sipped her tea some more. "You have a thing for Alex?!"

"I know it sounds terrible..."

"No, not at all! I don't really blame you. To be honest, he is pretty handsome."

"I know, right?!" Octavia's tone lifted a little, but she caught herself and calmed down. "He's very handsome, funny, and..."

Twilight kept an eye on her as she stared into her tea. After a while, she began to see her eyes water a little. "I...I've been thinking of ways to make him break up with Vinyl so that he would prefer me instead... Oh Twilight, I'm so horrible."

She scooched closer to Octavia and put a hoof around her. Octavia's lips trembled a little, hinting that she was on the verge of sobbing.

"Octavia, you don't have to feel guilty for being attracted to someone that already has a mare-friend. But you should really consider looking for somepony else... Having a love triangle with Vinyl in the mix can only turn out worse."

"I know I know, its just... I can't bear to watch him and Vinyl..." She searched for the words but her emotions kept her from finding them.

"I know that feeling, trust me."

"I'm...sorry?"

"Huh? O-oh! It's nothing!" Twilight cursed herself mentally for being so open.

"Don't tell me... You have a thing for Alex as well?"

Twilight's emotions deflated a bit and she sighed in defeat. "Yes. I'm sorry, Octavia. I may not show it much, but even I have to admit that he's very handsome."

"Oh, no! It's nothing at all! I was just curious."

"Actually, to be honest..." Twilight bit her lip nervously. She couldn't keep her secret any more, especially now that Octavia was on the same boat as she was. "For his welcoming party... I got a little tipsy and I mayyy have done some things with him..."

Octavia's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. Twilight blushed and looked away.

"What? I'm sorry, okay? It was a mistake... I had too much to drink."

"No, Twilight, I'm actually quite impressed! How was it?"

"Huh? How was what?" Twilight tried to act dumb in a futile attempt to deter the subject.

"The sex, dear, how was the sex?"

"Oh... Um. Like I said, I was pretty intoxicated, so I can't quite remember myself." She smiled innocently with a *squee*.

"I see..." Twilight shook her head and snapped herself back to the matter at hand.

"But that's in the past. Look, Octavia. I can't tell you to ruin things for Vinyl, but at the same time, don't quit on Alex. Who knows, him and Vinyl may not work out? You can only fail if you quit, right?"

Octavia let out another long exhale as she thought it over. "I suppose you're right. I just don't want to step on anyponies' hooves.

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure you won't. But don't be afraid to put your hoof in the door if the door opens at all." Octavias' tears had dried up and she rubbed the crusty flakes from the side of her eyes.

"Thank you, Twilight." Octavia looked down and smiled. "Goodness, I let my tea get cold."

"It's alright, just happy to help a friend in need! Oh, and don't worry about the tea." She picked up Octavia's cup and tiny saucer and brought it to the kitchen as Octavia got back up and stretched her leg muscles.

"Actually, do you mind if I stay here a while longer?"

"Of course not! You're welcome to stay as long as you like. But why?" Twilight turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I... Don't want to come in on them..."

"Oh, I see..." Twilight blushed a little at the thought.

You weren't used to being on your knees for a girl's pleasure, but since it was Vinyl you were going down for, you found yourself enjoying it. Vinyl tugged at the leash, forcing your head down between her legs until you were a breath away from her marehood. She sat back leisurely on the couch and spread her legs as her hoof played with her hair. Her heat hormones had brought out a side of Vinyl that you had never seen before, and you were completely honest with yourself when you realized that you enjoyed it.

Another small tug at the leash helped your lips make contact with her outer lips. The thick taste of her juices filled your mouth and the smell sank into your nose. You took little time before kissing and licking her soaking wet slit while occasionally licking up and flicking the tip of your tongue against her clit. Vinyl's leg twitched a bit involuntarily as she bit down on her lip and started her moaning. She kept a little pressure on your collar to make your tongue push against her sensitive area even more.

"Mmmph... Good boy..." She mumbled in a shaky pleasured tone that assured you that you were doing your job right.

It encouraged you to pick up your pace and you did so by wrapping your lips around her swollen clit and sucking on it while swirling the tip of your tongue around it playfully.

"Ahhhn! Oh god, you know I love it when you do that..."

She stopped biting her lip and was breathing heavily through her open mouth, letting her moans go into the air freely. The increased pleasure she was receiving from you made her involuntarily pull on the leash more, mashing your mouth harder against her marehood. You looked up at her to see how much she was enjoying it. From her open mouth and red cheeks, you could tell that she was doing so extensively. As she pulled you in between her legs more and more, you could feel her throbbing increase as well. Her clit and outer lips pounded against your tongue.

Right before you were sure she would climax any second, she pulled the leash up so that you began licking up her body. You licked and kissed over her belly and slowly made your way to her chest, getting off of your knees and climbing on top of her on the couch. She kept pulling until you were at her neck, and you began nibbling at her neck and collarbone as her hips grinded against your rock hard black stallionhood that was hanging just above her pussy.

"Ahhhhh..."

It was obvious that all of the attention towards the sensitive nape of her neck was getting her hornier than ever. She grinded her slit against your shaft from underneath you, covering the bottom side of it with her juices. Her marehood felt incredibly warm, even against your cock which was warm enough as it was. She pulled the leash higher up, making you lock her into a passionate kiss. She got a good taste of her own juices that were still inside of your mouth, which undoubtedly added to her pleasure. You closed your eyes and focused on her slippery tongue dancing with yours.

You felt a sudden stimulation in your cock as she reached down and began stroking you with her hoof. Involuntarily, you started to thrust back and forth in synch with her hoof job as you throbbed heavily. Her moans multiplied into your mouth and before you could even think about getting close, she pulled back from the kiss and hastily pushed you onto your back before turning around on top of you and putting her plot in your face.

It didn't take long before you could feel a warm wet embrace surround the head of your stallionhood. You let out a pleasured moan into the air and then felt a strong tug against your collar that lifted your head up into Vinyl's pussy once more. You stuck your tongue deep into her and swirled it around, tasting every bit of her. You spread her plot cheeks apart to help you pleasure her even more and gave one of them a quick spank, making a quick high pitched moan resonate inside her mouth and vibrate against your dick.

Her head went further down your shaft until you felt yourself prod the back of her throat. However, instead of stopping there, Vinyl pushed down further until you entered her throat with a *pop*. Apparently, she had learned to suppress her gag reflex. The tight walls of her throat constricted around your shaft and her head bobbed up and down, nearly swallowing your entire length with every motion.

The intense sensation drove you to give her plot another spank, which yielded another deep moan. Instead of continuing, she took out your entire length and gasped for air as drips of saliva trickled down your shaft. She crawled forward, pulling the leash with her so that you were forced to sit up and get on your knees behind her. She laid her hooves over the arm of the couch and looked over her shoulder at you and pulled your collar so that you mounted her from behind.

The top of your shaft grinded against her warm marehood and she gave you a look that oozed with desire.

"Rut me...please..."

You reached down to the base of your cock and prodded her opening only for a moment before slowly entering her sanctuary. She constricted around you tightly from the intense pleasure.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhnn!!!"

Her moaning only got louder as you pushed every inch of yourself inside of her, feeling the intense stimulation from your flared head penetrating her womb and the ring in the middle of your shaft rubbing past her opening.

"Nnnghhh... God, Vinyl... You're so tight!"

You looked down at her to see her biting the fabric on the arm of the couch hard while she kept moaning loudly through her teeth. Once you felt as if you couldn't go any further, you began to pull yourself back, reversing all the intricate feelings you had just experienced all over again. Vinyl released her pleasure-bite from the couch.

"F-faster...please..."

Your hips pulled back faster and you rammed yourself back into her quickly. You could feel her intense throbbing squeeze the life out of your stallionhood. Once you got a smooth rhythm going, you were able to go deeper inside her, making your hips smack against her ass followed by lewd naughty squishy noises coming from your huge girth going in and out of her. Her tail pressed into your belly and brushed against your chest and you could smell the intimate scent coming from it.

You were able to enter her fully with every thrust now and it was affecting her body so much that she completely forgot about the leash and let it fall onto the floor. You took the opportunity to lift yourself up and look down at the intercourse below. You could see her marehood open widely to accommodate you, as well as her cute rear bouncing back and forth with every *slap* of your hips against them. It pleased you to see that she was rocking her hips back and forth into your thrusts in order to feel the most of you. Your thick black cock glistened every time you pulled back from the oozing fluids coming from Vinyl's insides, and you could feel it begin to drip down your shaft and soak your balls.

Lifting her ass higher into the air for you to enjoy, you found it a little amusing that she put up such a dominant front, only to beg for you to rut her so dominantly in the end. Looking to flip the tables even more, you slowed down temporarily to let Vinyl catch her breath and feel you more intimately. The leash hung freely from the collar that was still around your neck. Taking your hooves off of Vinyl's soft white plot, you let her rock her hips back onto your cock as you reached up and unfastened the collar before getting a mischievous grin on your face.

You leaned down on top of Vinyl's back and wrapped the collar around her neck.

"Ahhh...Oh yeah, Alex... Mmmphhh..."

Keeping yourself inside of her you leaned back and pulled her head off of the arm of the couch, making her look towards the ceiling as you picked up your pace again. Her moans were no longer muffled by the couch and they echoed throughout the living room. Your left hoof rubbed and caressed her ass, giving it the occasional spank to illicit a spike in her pleasure, while your right hoof held Vinyl's leash and pulled her further onto your cock with every passionate thrust.

A quick wave of desire flowed through you and you lifted her weight off of the arm of the couch while you sat back down and spread your legs. You pulled Vinyl on top of you into your lap and spread her legs, making her face away from you towards the fire, but keeping her head close to your's so that you could tease the nape of her neck with your tongue. Your big throbbing flared cock pushed at her opening before giving way and plowing into her once more.

"Ahhhhhh! Oh sweet Celestia, Alex!!! Ahhhnnn!!!"

Your hips thrust upwards into her, making her bounce up and down in your lap and your fur rub against hers warmly. Her throbbing intensified until you began to wonder how much longer you would last. You turned her chin towards you and looked into her sexually- satisfied eyes before kissing her from behind. She wrapped a hoof behind her and around your neck and started to gyrate her hips against your stallionhood.

You and Vinyl both knew that she would always do that when she was about to climax, and Vinyl knew especially that it made you peak as well. Your thrusts sped up dramatically as you leaned back into the couch and kept your lips locked with hers.

Her exasperated and high pitched moaning reached a breaking point and it wasn't long until you felt her walls grip your dick tightly. Warm juices shot out from her sex and flowed over your shaft. The intense squeezing brought you to the point of no return as well. You quickly pulled out of her, but continued thrusting your hips and grinding your shaft against her slit. Thick warm gooey streams of cum shot from your large appendage and splattered over her belly and chest. Some streams even managed to reach her face and mouth.

You kept kissing Vinyl until her screams and moans stopped, and then broke off from her lips. A thin line of saliva trailed in the open air between you and her as the both of you slowly opened your eyes and panted heavily. Vinyl's face had a few streams of your semen on her cheeks and one rogue drop lingered on her lip, which she quickly licked up and swallowed seductively. However, she didn't stop there. She took her hoof and scraped the remaining sex from her cheeks, and then proceeded to lick it off of her hoof in a way that almost made you want to do everything all over again.

The two of you sat there in silence as the fire died down to embers and coals. Your cock was slowly losing it's hardness and Vinyl's throbbing finally slowed down until it finally went away. You turned her chin one last time and gave her a more romantic kiss, gently pressing your lips to hers and sucking on her bottom lip lightly.

You pulled back to see her looking into your eyes with a smile on her face. The deep red fire from the coals reflected in her pupils and gave them a glow that could easily have made you fall in love with her again if you weren't lost in her love already. She was so beautiful that you almost felt like shedding a tear.

"I love you, Vinyl."

She closed her eyes and kept a smile on her face. "I love you too, Alex."

After successfully suppressing your urge to break down in tears of joy, you took a deep breath and stretched your legs before taking her hoof and helping her off of the couch.

"Come on, babe. Let's get cleaned up."

Author's Notes:

One of my editors was not able to look over the story before I posted it, so like always, if there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please PM me and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 2: The Calm Before The Storm

A deep scent of recently harvested hay and the fresh smell of an orchard filled your nostrils as you walked down the worn dirt road. It was always nice to get away from the heart of Ponyville and step into its' outskirts every so often, especially when it was to see somepony as awesome as Applejack. As you looked out to your right at the giant farming grounds and saw a severe absence of snow, you figured either Applejack and Big Macintosh were very good at shoveling snow, or that the Cloudsdale pegasi decided to hold off on the intense weather for a few days. Even though you loved snow, you welcomed the break. You followed the road for about a quarter of a mile and you saw the sign for Sweet Apple Acres start to come in to view down the path. The sign read "Sweet Apple Acres" and below that, "Apple Family Ranch" etched into a large piece of oak.

The real reason why you came all this way was to talk to Applejack about getting a job, but you recently began visiting random ponies' houses just so you could get to know everypony and so that you wouldn't look like a recluse. The fact that so many ponies knew about you made this hobby relatively easy. Otherwise, you would get be getting some calls from the police right about now. Applejack wasn't a boring character by any stretch of the definition, so even if you couldn't land a job, you knew you'd still enjoy talking with her.

Thankfully, as you looked back to the fields, you saw that neither Applejack nor Big Mac were working. The sun was nearly directly above you, so you figured that they were inside eating lunch. The dirt road abruptly ended and turned into a circle with the Apple family barn on your left, and a multi-story house on the right.

The old wooden steps leading up to the porch creaked in protest as you put your weight on them. You looked down somewhat carefully before putting your first hoof down in fear of getting splinters. Multiple rocking chairs and a small bench-swing decorated the porch. There was a large barrel of apples next to the swing that had every kind you could think of. They looked so ripe and juicy that your mouth began to water and you had to hold yourself back from trotting over and stealing a bite or two. Perhaps it was a recently formed appetite for apples, since you were now a pony. You swallowed some saliva in your mouth to keep from drooling.

After reaching the porch, you walked up to the screen door and gave three solid knocks against its wooden framing. You could hear the clatter of metal utensils coming from inside and some muffled chatter that quickly died down after you knocked. You didn't have to wait long before you could see the outline of somepony behind the screen coming around the corner. Large thumps vibrated the wooden porch below your hooves as the outline of the pony got larger and larger the closer it got to the door. It didn't take much thinking to figure out who it was.

The door opened and you were greeted by none other than Big Macintosh, who didn't seem to entirely recognize you at first. Since you hadn't gotten a chance to meet him yet, and since he didn't seem like the type to get too involved with affairs outside of the farm, you couldn't entirely blame him.

"Can ah help ya?" He sounded a tiny bit rude for greeting someone he didn't know, but then again, you were the one interrupting their lunch.

"Oh... Um... Hey! I'm Alex, nice to meet you!" You held out your hoof to shake his and he shook it, albeit a little hesitantly. It was a start. "Anyways, I was just dropping by because-"

"Well shake mah reigns, look who it is!" Applejack trotted up behind Big Mac with a large smile on her face, apparently overjoyed to see you.

"Uh... You know 'em?" Big Mac turned to her with his eyebrows tilted in confusion.

"Well duh, Big Mac, everypony knows 'em! Don't 'cha remember that human fella who came over here?"

"Eeyup."

"That's him!"

"But... Ah thought he left a while back."

Applejack put a hoof to her face and shook her head as you sat there with a humble smile on your face.

"Big Mac, ya big dummy, that is him! The princesses done turned him into a pony cuz' he decided to stay! Don't cha pay attention tah anything that happens in Equestria?"

"Oh..."

"Get it now?" Applejack walked past him and opened the door further.

"Eeyup." You couldn't help but chuckle a little at the two siblings.

"Anywho, we were just about tah start eatin' lunch. Come on in, make yerself a plate."

"A-are you sure? I don't wanna intrude or anything..."

"T'aint no problem atall! We got plenty a' grub so get as much as yah want!" Your stomach was getting a bit empty and the nip in the air made it a little worse, so you took her up on her offer and followed the two inside.

It was surprisingly warm inside despite their front door only being a thin screen, but as you saw there were log fireplaces lit in nearly every room on your way to the kitchen, you found out why.

You had grown surprisingly used to the overly-exposed parts of a mare, but you still couldn't help but to steal a peek at Applejack's rump as you followed her down the hallway. It was extremely tight and firm, which was to be expected of somepony who did as much physical work as she did. Vinyl's was far superior in many ways, but Applejack's still managed to arouse you a bit. It embarrassed you to think that you were actually beginning to rate mares' plots and scolded yourself for being such a pervert.

Suddenly, Applejack's head turned around and caught you staring at her. Your eyes quickly shot up to the ceiling out of embarrassment. However, when you looked back at her, she didn't look upset or even slightly annoyed. Instead, to your surprise, she smiled at you and giggled a little. You would've just laughed it off with her if it weren't for her shooting a tiny wink at you before turning back around.

Wait... What?!

You exclaimed mentally while biting down on your lip desperately to try and not make your shaft grow. Before you could even start to comprehend what just happened, you were in the dining room with the entire Apple family.

"Hehh? Who's that?" Old Granny smith exclaimed out of confusion.

"Granny, this is Alex. You know, our special guest from that other world?"

"Oh yes... Come 'ere boy, lemme get a look at 'cha" A little embarrassed, you stepped forward to her and gave her a nervous smile. She pinched your leg fur a little and turned your chin towards her.

"Ehh, not too shabby. Shucks, if only I were still young."

"Uh...T-thanks?" Your face turned red and your eyes drifted away from her.

"Granny, stop that! Yer embarrasin 'em!" Applejack tried to protest but she started giggling herself.

As if you're helping, Applejack...

So many things were going through your head at once as you tried to concentrate on relieving the blush on your cheeks. Not only did you just get hit on by somepony that was old enough to be your grandma, but what in Equestria was Applejack up to? Could it have been that the same heat that Vinyl was having a couple of days ago somehow spread around and eventually got to AJ?

A small tug on the fur on your leg broke you out of your thoughts and spiked your nerves, making you jump. However, as you looked down, you were greeted by a cheerful smile by Applebloom.

"Oh...hey." You smiled apologetically and leaned down to the cute little filly. "Whats up, Applebloom?"

"H-how do ya know mah name already?"

"I...Uh..."

Applejack cleared her throat to cut down on the multiple digressions. "Applebloom, be a good guest and get our friend Alex here a plate, why don't 'cha?"

"Sure! Ah'll be right back!" She scurried off into the kitchen. Applejack scooted a chair back for you to sit in and you took it with a warm "Thank you".

"Now, Ah assume you came here to talk about gettin' yerself a job, right?" Applejack asked you as she took her cowboy hat off and hung it on the back of her chair.

In all the commotion, you nearly forgot about it. "Mhmm."

Applejack and Big Mac shared an awkward glance at each other.

"What's wrong?"

"I-it's nothin...It's just that..."

Big Mac broke the ice, which surprised you. "It's tradition 'round here not 'ta use magic to do tha work."

Your initial reaction was to feel a little offended, since you had no choice whether or not to be a unicorn. Now that you thought about it, you did, to an extent. However, the sense of unfairness still lingered. You chose not to start anything, though.

"Oh... I mean, I could still do physical work without using my magic."

"Ya could..." Applejack tried her best to be as fair as possible. "If it were us, it'd be fine, but some of the other family members that come 'round here from out of town might look down on us 'fer it. I'm sorry, Alex. I know 'taint fair..."

"Nono, its okay!" You smiled and waved your hoof dismissively. "From what you're telling me, I'm guessing it isn't your fault anyways."

You heard a clatter on the table in front of you and looked down to see a large steaming hot slice of apple pie. Your mouth began to water as you smelled the deep sweet aroma of the cinnamon mixed with freshly cooked apples.

"Apple pie for lunch?" You giggled a little.

"We usually do a lot of work 'round lunch time, so the extra sugar gets our juices flowin' real good. Go ahead! Try some!"

Applebloom smiled widely, anxious to see your reaction to the pie. You looked around the table to see everypony doing the same. Unable to resist the pie's allure, you took the fork next to your plate and shoveled a large bite into your mouth. It was a little too hot and you realized that you should have blown on it first. However, the heat died down and it was replaced by a sweet apple flavor that made your eyes close in delight. It was accented by slightly sour apple chunks in the center that, combined, made it one of the best pies you ever tasted.

"So how's my pie taste?"

Applejack teased with a naughty twinkle in her eye from across the table. The obvious sexual innuendo almost made you spit the pie out in surprise and embarrassment, but you managed to keep it in. You swallowed it with one big gulp. Either nopony else in the room picked up on the suggestive comment, or they were too entertained by your reaction to say anything about it.

"Well?" Applejack taunted you more by biting her lip.

"It's amazing. Probably one of the best pies I've ever had."

"Woohoo!" Applebloom shouted, obviously pleased that you liked it.

Thankfully, Applejack backed down from her bedroom eyes and gave you a break. However, you weren't halfway through your second bite before a knock came at the door.

"Ah'll get it." Applejack got up from the table and brushed her tail against your fur as she trotted past. She acted as if it were accidental, but you knew in your gut that it wasn't. You took another bite of the pie, making sure to blow on it first. You heard the door creak open from the front of the house followed by some faint muffled talking that you couldn't understand. You went back to the pie as you could hear two sets of hooves coming back down the hall.

"Sir Alex..." Twilight's commanding motherly voice snapped your attention from the pie. You froze as you immediately remembered where you were supposed to be at that very moment.

Your cheeks turned red as you laughed nervously. "I told you not to call me that..."

"What time is it?"

"Um..."

"Half past one, if my gooks n' gears in this darned thing ain't messin up again." Granny smith tapped her watch with her hoof and looked at it with one eye.

"Alex, what time were we supposed to start magic training?"

"Erm...One?" You smiled innocently.

"Come on, mister. We've got work to do." She took your hoof and pulled you up from the table, leaving your half-eaten pie.

"Plus, you've got a meeting with Princess Celestia today at three. I hope you haven't forgotten why you're here in the first place." She smiled and led you out of the door.

You were barely able to turn around to give the Apples a wave goodbye before exiting the house and following Twilight back down the dirt road. You focused your eyes on Applejack through the window who was waving back. To your surprise, she gave you another wink.

"Hey, Twi?" You turned your head back around.

"Yeah?"

"Is there like... Some kind of sexual season going on right now?"

"Uhh... 'scuse me?" She raised an eyebrow at you as the two of you continued trotting.

"I mean, Vinyl said she was in heat a couple of days ago, and I could have sworn Applejack was starting to hit on me a little back there..."

"Well... I've read some books on it before. From what I read, mare heat cycles do tend to affect mares around them subconsciously. So, I suppose it's not too unlikely that Vinyl's heat cycle triggered cycles in other ponies around her, eventually reaching Applejack. It actually seems like a fun research subje- Wait... she was hitting on you?!"

"Yeah... At least it felt like it."

"Hmm... That doesn't really sound like something Applejack would normally do. I'm not really sure what to tell you other than to not give in. You've got a marefriend now, remember? I'm sure it's just their hormones talking, anyways"

"And you stay away from alcohol as well, Ms. Princess. We both know where that leads." You chuckled under your breath.

"Alex! I thought we said that was under the bridge..." Her face turned bright red.

"Sorry, sorry. I just like teasing you from time to time." Twilight punched your shoulder with her hoof as revenge. It wasn't too hard, but hard enough to sting a little.

"Ow..."

"You should be thankful that I haven't told Vinyl about that."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry... I won't bring it up again."

"Good." Twilight tilted her chin up and smiled victoriously, but then snapped back to attention. "Oh, speaking of Vinyl, that reminds me of something."

"What's that?" The two of you found your way onto the main road of Ponyville.

"Somepony came up to me today and told me to give you a message."

"Huh? Who?"

"Um... I... Dunno..."

"So somepony came up to you... But you didn't ask what their name was or even noticed what they looked like?"

"T-they said something about wanting to meet you tonight behind Sugarcube Corner. She said to tell you that it would be a new moon tonight and that you would understand what it meant."

"So... We know it's a mare since you said she... You're hiding something, aren't you?" You grinned.

"Oh! Hey, look at that! We're here already!" Twilight quickly unlocked her front door and went inside before you could poke any more holes in her story. You put your hoof to your face and groaned, but let the issue slide.

"By the way, what were you doing at Applejack's place anyway?" Twilight tossed her keys onto the coffee table.

"I was following up on her job offer." You closed the door behind you and made sure it was locked.

"Really? How did It go?" Twilight turned to you with a hopeful expression.

"They said that it 'wasn't tradition' to let unicorns work on their farm because they didn't like using magic or something."

"Oh...I'm sorry, Alex."

"It's alright, I can understand where they're coming from. Is there any place else that might be looking for employees?"

"Well..." Twilight rubbed her chin and looked up at the ceiling in thought before chuckling a little.

"What?"

"I was going to say you could be my personal assistant, but Spike may not like that."

You smiled and nodded. "Yeah... After what happened with Owlowiscious, I have a feeling that might not sit well with him."

She gave you a blank face and sighed before turning around and beginning to sort miscellaneous books that were laying on the floor.

"One of these days, you're going to have to explain to me how you know so much about these things."

You crashed on the couch and exhaled. "Even if I told you, you probably wouldn't understand."

After she put back the remaining books that were scattered about, she pulled one off of the top shelf and floated it down to you while she trotted into the kitchen to make some tea. You looked through the pages that she had opened the book to and smiled once you read "Basic Levitation" on the top left corner. She carried on the conversation from the kitchen.

"Today, we're going to be learning something a little more practical rather than a bunch of boring old theories."

You noticed that Twilight added a sarcastic tone to the "boring old theories" part. It was probably because you had been moaning and groaning about taking magic lessons but not actually using magic during past lessons with her.

"Sweet!" You flipped through the pages and began to read aloud.

"Basic Levitation. First discovered by... blah blah blah... perfected by Starswirl the Bearded. It can range from performing menial household chores to constructing giant dams. It's values are paramount when taking your first steps into the world of magic. While the principles of the ability are somewhat straight-forward, the execution and techniques may vary from subject to subject... May vary? What's that mean?" You picked your head up from the book as Twilight put down some tea for you and curled up onto the arm chair across from you.

"It means that everypony has their own way of doing it, so you shouldn't get bogged down by rigid rules and techniques."

"Sounds like my kind of spell."

"I figured that. There are some ways to do it that seem to work for many others, so let's start with some more common techniques. I usually think about reversing the gravitational pull on the object and imagining a larger mass above it that makes a positive relationship-"

"Uh..." You looked at her confusedly.

Twilight sighed. "In layman's terms, try imagining that the planet is above the object, rather than below it. Here-" She took out a hawk feather from a nearby drawer. "Try this first, and then we'll work our way up to larger objects."

"Okay..."

You stared at the dark brown feather and squinted your eyes in concentration, imagining a giant planet above the object. Twilight had an eager smile on her face, but you did your best to drown her out and focus. Before long, you could feel your horn tingle and a bright transparent light formed around the feather. Your spirits lifted when it happened since the only thing you had been practicing over the last few days was spell targeting. You bit your lip and imagined the planet getting bigger and bigger, and the feather seemed to react at first. It slowly lifted into the air, but the familiar ache in your forehead began to form after a while, hinting that you were over-using your magic.

"Hmm... It doesn't seem to be working well... You have a good spell target, though. Keep trying, Alex."

You relaxed your "magic muscle" that Twilight had been training you to use and took a deep breath before closing your eyes and trying again. You pictured a planet the size of the sun hovering just over the object and tried to forget about the ground beneath you that was pulling the opposite direction. Peeking through your right eye, you were pleased to see that the feather was nearly a foot off of the table, but the ache in your forehead came more quickly than last time.

"Okay, relax."

"Geez, this is hard..." You took a sip of tea before slumping into the couch and rubbing your head.

"Actually, I don't think it's your fault. You're using plenty of magic on it, but its just not reacting. It's almost as if there's a barrier between the connection between you and the object. Or, at least, that's what it looks like. Maybe we should try another way of doing it?"

"Sure..."

Twilight picked up the book and floated it towards her, flipping forward a few pages. She hummed a tune to herself while keeping her smile on. After a few seconds, she stopped on one page and traced through the lines of text with her hoof while looking closely to focus on the tiny text.

"Ah, here we go. Let's try this one." She placed the book back on the table. "Think about actually lifting the object with your hoof this time."

"Seems simple enough."

You stood up from the couch and stared at the feather. Once the familiar white glow surrounded it, you slowly exhaled and did as Twilight said. The small fibers of the feather fluttered gently just as before, but as you imagined picking or pushing it up with your hoof, it remained still.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!!!"

Your heart nearly jumped out of your throat as your attention quickly turned to the open window to your left. You were just barely able to see a glimpse of a blue pegasus before it crashed onto the balcony outside and rolled through the balcony doors and into the room. Books and papers went everywhere. It wasn't until the pony tumbled and rolled over the rug that you jumped up and backed away quickly.

"Oof!" The pony abruptly stopped via slamming into the side of the couch. Cautiously, you peeked over the couch and looked down.

"Rainbow Dash! That's the third time this month!"

Twilight scolded the nearly concussed pegasus who was laying on her side and moving her head around deliriously, trying to regain focus. Her eyes, which were almost identical to Vinyl's, spun around in their sockets. You quickly trotted around and bent down to her.

"Oh my god, are you okay?!"

She shook her head and blinked a few times. "Wha... What happened?"

You checked through her mane frantically to make sure she didn't split open her head, but were relieved when you didn't see a drop of blood.

"A-Alex?" She looked up with you as her eyes began to readjust.

"Here, let me help you."

You picked her hoof up and tried to pull her on all fours. Eventually, she pulled back and stumbled slightly before balancing herself. She wobbled over to the couch and laid down on her side, revealing a large bump on her head. You quickly rushed into the kitchen and put some ice inside of a towel.

"Ugh, my head..." You could hear the couch springs creak as she shifted her weight on it.

"Ya know... You could've picked the grass to crash in." Twilight narrowed her eyes at her while cleaning the recently made mess.

"Twilight, let's make sure she's okay first before we fuss at her, alright?" You were too nervous on Rainbow's health to realize that you sounded a bit pushy. Your peripherals caught a small string laying on the kitchen table, and you used it to tie the makeshift ice bag closed.

"Okay, Okay. I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. How are you feeling?"

"Well, nothing seems broken, but my head feels like a- Nnnghhh... That's cold..."

You made sure the ice bag was directly on the bump and then trotted around to sit next to her on the couch, keeping a close eye on her.

"That should numb the pain and reduce swelling, just don't move it, okay?" Concern was written all over your eyes.

She fiddled with it a little bit before finding a comfortable spot for it and then laying her head down on the pillow that you had just put down for her.

"Thanks, Alex... You're the best."

"I'm just glad you didn't get knocked unconscious... What happened?"

"Well... I think I was trying to do a pretzel loop or something... I can't really remember."

Twilight cleared her throat purposefully. "Let's continue, shall we?"

"Huh? Continue what?"

"We were having a magic lesson."

Rainbow laughed softly while keeping her eyes shut to rest. "Lessons? Lessons are for eggheads. I learned to fly all on my own!" She flapped her wing a couple of times triumphantly before wincing in pain and tucking it back.

"Oh? And I suppose reading is for eggheads too, right?" You grinned at her and chuckled under your breath.

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to speak, but cut herself off and closed it again shortly after. "Well played, Alex."

"Come on, Alex, stay focused. Let's try this again. Remember, lifting with your hoof."

"Right, right."

You could feel the eyes of the two mares bearing down upon you, even when you closed your eyes. However, you were eventually able to forget about them. Just like before, you felt your figurative magic muscle contract and you felt the *click* of the spell target enveloping around the feather. You took a small pause to collect your thoughts before-

"Uh, is it supposed be sitting still?"

"Rainbow! Shush!" Twilight held a hoof to her mouth.

"Heheh... Sorry."

Even though you were able to disregard the sudden distraction, you knew that you wouldn't be able to lift it using the "hoof lifting" technique. You pinched your stressed temples and gave up.

"Not working?" Twilight's head tilted to the side, which was accompanied by a slight frown.

"I don't know... It just feels like I'm trying way too hard, but nothing's... Clicking. I guess..."

"Hmm... Okay. Let's go a different route. This time, just go with whatever naturally comes to mind."

"Huh?"

"Yeah! Do it your own way, just like I said!" Rainbow smiled up at you.

"Okay, Dash." You giggled a little at how cute her tiny voice cracks were when she got excited.

There were a few finches tweeting on a nearby branch outside as you brainstormed long and hard for ways to help you levitate, but you did your best to ignore them. At first, your mind drifted towards the idea of imagining picking the feather up instead of pushing it up from beneath it, but that would likely have the same outcome. The thought of making the object magnetic and holding a magnet above it sounded good, so you closed your eyes and tried it out.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop!"

"Huh? What's wro-"

You opened your eyes, not expecting to see a giant bright orb swirling around above the coffee table. It nearly blinded you when you looked directly at it, but you could tell that it was getting larger and larger. In addition, it initiated a royal freak-out session when it began pulling you, Twilight and Rainbow Dash towards it's center.

"Alex! What the heck did you do?! Make it stop!!!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!!!"

You grabbed a hold of Rainbow to make sure she didn't get sucked into the bright blinding behemoth of energy. You shut your eyes tight and went with your first instinct. Instead of thinking about magnetic attraction, you fabricated the idea that the feather and the magnet that you were imagining earlier both had the same charge so that they would push away from each other. You heard the orb whine in a high pitched manner as you kept thinking about it as if your life depended on it.

The whining from the orb immediately stopped, but when you opened your eyes, you were greeted by a not-so-soft force that knocked you back, making the couch fall back with you as well. You blacked out right before your head slingshotted directly against the floor.

"I guess you're not coming tonight?" Vinyl looked over her shoulder at Octy while packing her speakers into her giant luggage bags.

"Maybe... I'm not sure." Vinyl took that as a "no".

"Alex will be there. You could dance with him. I wouldn't be jealous."

Vinyl stopped and thought about it for a moment.

"Okay I might get a little jealous..." She waved the issue aside with her hoof. "Look, that's not the point. I just want you to let loose and have some fun every once and a while, you know? I don't want you to be a recluse or anything..."

Octavia took a sip of her red wine and then held her head in her hooves.

"I appreciate the concern, Vinyl, I really do. It's just that-"

Both of their heads snapped up and their ears perked to the sudden *bang!* that sounded in the distance.

Vinyl raised an eyebrow and she lost concentration on the small speaker she was levitating. It was just about to make contact with the floor before Vinyl quickly reacted and caught it at the last second.

"Tha heck was that?!"

"No idea..."

Octavia could have sworn that it came from the direction of Twilight's house, but she was too worn down and had too much wine in her belly to really care at the moment. They both knew that the unicorn was always up to experiments and simply brushed it off as just that.

"By the way, you're drinking a little more than usual... Is something wrong?" Vinyl finished stuffing the rest of her cables and cords into the luggage pockets and zipped them up tight before approaching Octavia slowly with concern in her heart.

"I'm fine, Vinyl. I'm just..."

Due to the alcohol in her system, she nearly decided to spill the beans about Alex at that very moment, but her better judgment miraculously made its way through and stopped her.

"It's a long story." She sighed and cursed herself mentally for nearly making the mistake of the century.

"Oh...Okay..." Vinyl's concern didn't wane one bit. "Octy, I know we don't always get to talk a lot because of my work and my sleep cycle or whatever, but you're still my best friend and I don't like seeing you like this. So, if you need to let something out, don't think twice about askin' me."

Octavia looked up at Vinyl with a smile on her face from the sudden sympathy from her roommate.

"Aw... Thank you, Vinyl. That means a lot."

Vinyl trotted back to her, leaned down, and hugged Octavia's neck softly. She responded by pushing her cheek against Vinyl's hoof and grasping onto it with her own.

"I won't be back until late as usual, so I'll see ya in the mornin'."

"Alright. Be safe, okay?"

"I will!"

Vinyl made sure everything was ready and opened the front door while simultaneously lifting the handle on her luggage bag and dragging it out behind her.

Octavia took the last sip of wine from the bottom of her glass as the door shut behind Vinyl, leaving a brief chilly draft that made her shiver a little in her chair.

"Damnit, Vinyl... Why do you have to be like that..."

She knew she should feel grateful for her roommates recent change of behavior, even though she felt in the back of her mind that it was only because of Alex acting as social glue between them. However, the caring gesture earlier simply made Octavia feel worse about what she was planning on doing later this evening.

After cleaning up the kitchen a bit and washing her glass, she made her way to the bathroom to polish her look. It was nearly a daily routine for her, especially when she was going to rehearsal or even to just take a trot around town. However, because her appearance tonight was most likely one of the most important nights of her life, she took out her lipstick, eyeliner and eyelash enhancer just for good measure.

It was things like this that made Octavia wish she was a unicorn. There were just some parts of a pony's anatomy that couldn't be reached by hoof. However, she had figured out a few tricks to help her out. After straightening her mane and making sure her bow tie was presentable, she fastened a mane brush to a fixture in the wall and dragged her tail against it.

"Hey Octy, ya in there?"

She nearly yelped in surprise.

"Oh... Uh, yes! Do you need something?"

"Yeah, I think my mane brush is in there, could ya hoof it over to me? I wanna make sure my mane doesn't go crazy tonight." Vinyl chuckled lightly from behind the door.

Octavia opened a few drawers underneath the sink until she found Vinyl's brush. She could tell it was hers because of the bright blue fibers intertwined in its bristles. The door slowly cracked open and Octavia stuck out the brush to her, but not before Vinyl took a peek inside and saw that she had her eyeliner and lipstick out.

"Goin someplace special tonight?"

"No, no! Just washing my mane is all!"

She quickly got in front of Vinyl so that she couldn't see inside. A bashful smile formed on her face, which didn't help her case. The DJ raised an eyebrow at her, but knew better than to pry into her roommates business too much.

"Alright... Well... I'm out so I'll see you tomorrow." She was in too much of a hurry to say a proper goodbye.

Octavia let out the huge breath of air that she was holding in her chest the entire time and then quickly went back to the sink to apply her eyelash enhancer.

She knew that after tonight, everything would change. It may be for better, or it may be for way worse. Vinyl might find out and kick her out, or even worse, disown her as a friend. Plus, she hadn't even thought about how Alex would take it. She felt terrible for being the instigator for so much drama.

One eyelash done, on to the other.

Then again, what was the best case scenario? Alex might somehow break up with Vinyl and... She blushed like a rose to the thought of them being lovey-dovey towards each other, not to mention making love. She bit her lip and tried not to grin too wide as her body shivered in excitement. Her smile attracted her eyes to the mirror that she was in front of. Even though she was the master of humility when it came to beauty, she occasionally couldn't deny how gorgeous she was.

Second eyelash done, on to the lipstick.

She knew it was pointless to dwell on what might happen in the future. That was because she was going to tell Alex how she felt about him either way. She could deal with losing Vinyl as a friend, relatively. She could deal with Alex not returning her feelings, relatively. But she would never survive another year, or even another month, watching the two fall in love with each other and standing idle while the stallion that made her heart beat fast was oblivious to her feelings for him.

Tonight was a one way trip. There was no going back, and there would be no second chances. She looked for the lunar chart that was sitting behind the medicine cabinet and opened it up, just to make sure. Tracing her hoof along the moon phases, she finally found the phase for tonight: a new moon.

Once she was finished in the bathroom, she started to walk out, but paused with her hoof on the doorknob. Her anxiety hit her hard. The next time she would be returning home would be when everything was said and done.

However, in her nervousness, she completely forgot that Vinyl was supposed to set everything up five to six hours before she actually performed, and that the actual club wouldn't open until then.

"Great."

She groaned to herself, opening the door and heading for another bottle of wine.

"More waiting."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please PM me and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 3: The Rise

A throbbing, dull pain in the back of your head made you grit your teeth as you fluttered your eyelids open. Your head was spinning terribly. Everything was still blurry, but you were able to roll over and at least attempt to get back on your hooves. It took a few tries and a few falls, but you eventually succeeded. However, you still had to rely on one of your legs to steady you against a nearby wall as you took deep breaths to try and return blood back to your head. The only things that really hurt were the bump on your head and your horn. Since you saw no blood, you took attention away from yourself and onto your surroundings.

The room was a wreck. The coffee table was smashed to bits, all of the furniture was overturned, and nearly half the books that were originally on their rightful shelves were now limp on the living room floor. There was a black circular burn mark on the rug beneath you where the ball of energy exploded. You were relieved that it didn't start a fire. It took you a few moments to find Rainbow Dash, since she was underneath a pile of books. However, a few blue feathers that stuck out from the mound indicated where she was.

"D-Dash? Are you alright?"

The books shifted and stirred before a blue hoof reached up from underneath them.

"Yeah! I'm good!"

"Twilight?"

You made your way through the mess, taking it slow so that you wouldn't lose consciousness again. Stepping on top of books certainly wasn't good for their shelf life, but you were too determined to find Twilight to care. Despite your caution, you ended up slipping on one and falling straight forward onto another pile. Your hooves were barely able to extend forwards to catch you before you landed.

"Dammit... What the hell happened..."

Before you could get back onto your legs again, you felt movement beneath you.

"Ughh..." Twilight's voice reached your ears from underneath you.

Books went flying as you desperately tried to dig through and find her.

"Twilight, talk to me! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah... I think so..."

You were relieved to see her stand back up as she brushed a few open books off of her back.

"That. Was... AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash performed some excited flips in the air, but then quickly made her way back on the couch as the bump on her head started throbbing again.

"Well... It certainly was unexpected, that much is for sure." Twilight rolled her eyes before using her magic to start cleaning up. You knew that Twilight was gifted in magic, but her being able to use so much magic after taking a hit like that astonished you. However, that was to be expected of the Element of Magic.

"Yeah... Sorry about that..." You hung your head and frowned as you helped her out. The apology could have been a bit better, considering you could have just killed all three of you.

"It's fine." Twilight gave you a reassuring smile. "Although, we should start having these lessons outside from now on."

"Right..." You smiled back and rubbed the back of your head, trying to feel for the bump. A sharp tingle told you exactly where it was and you winced.

"Actually, I was somewhat at fault here. Princess Cadence warned me that your new horn might have some unstable qualities, but to be honest, I shrugged it off."

"Unstable qualities? What'cha mean?"

"Huh? You mean she never told you?"

"Told me what?"

"She imbued your horn with a shard from the Crystal Empire's Crystal Heart! Geez, I thought it was important enough of a subject for her to tell you."

"Wow, really?!"

"Yes. That's why it has a transparency to it and that's probably the culprit of this little mishap. Speaking of that, how exactly did you do that? I've never seen a spell like that before."

"I'm not entirely sure..." You rubbed your forehead and closed your eyes as you tried to recall everything that happened before the explosion. "I was just trying to levitate the feather."

"That can't be all that happened. What were you thinking about?"

"I was trying to pick the feather up using a magnet or something, and then when I saw the giant ball of doom, or whatever that thing was, I imagined two positive ends of a magnet pushing away from each other."

"That's odd..." Twilight stood there rubbing her chin and looking down for quite a few moments. "You should probably talk to Princess Celestia about it during your meeting today, but for now, let's just clean everything up. I suppose all this constitutes an early dismissal of magic practice for today."

You sighed and helped Twilight out with the books. She had already taken care of nearly half of them, and you didn't exactly know which books went on which shelf, so you were only able to help out a little before realizing that it would be best to just let Twilight take care of it and not get in her way.

Realizing that you hadn't heard a peep out of Rainbow Dash for a while, you turned around and scanned the room for her. However, she wasn't very hard to find. She was back on the couch laying down with her ice bag on her head, but what struck you as odd was that she was staring right at your plot.

"Uh... Dash? You mind not staring at my ass?" You were more amused than upset.

"Alex, I don't think it's your plot that she's focused on..."

You turned back around to Twilight who was looking at you in a very similar manner. You knew that Twilight wouldn't be staring at you so crudely, given that she was sober, so you bent around to see what they were so interested in.

You didn't really think about earning a cutie mark before. You realized that you didn't have one when you became a pony, but the issue of how you would wind up earning one was never a big concern to you. That was why when you saw a clear and definite cutie mark right on your flanks, you were shocked.

It was quite an odd cutie mark, or at least, it was one that you wouldn't have expected. It was a purple hued combination of various runic looking symbols arranged in a circular pattern that didn't make much sense to you. The symbols themselves seemed like they were written in a foreign language. It almost looked like some kind of ritualistic circle that one would draw on the ground with chalk before starting a ceremony.

Upon closer inspection, there were three larger symbols spread around the circle symmetrically with smaller ones in between them. Three large lines connected the three larger symbols to make a triangle that passed through the inner circle and in the center was a white colored shape that resembled a crescent moon. It took you a few moments before you could bring yourself to speak again.

"What the..."

Rainbow Dash flew gently towards you about a foot or two above the ground and got a closer look. "Looks like some sort of magic symbol thingie."

"Or more like a magic rune... But..."

"What is it? It doesn't mean anything bad, does it?" You got a bit nervous.

"Well, that's just it. I don't have a clue what it says or what it means."

It shocked you a little to hear Twilight say the words "I don't know", especially when it came to something like magic. She snapped out of her stare and continued.

"Okay, now you should definitely talk to Princess Celestia, as well as Princess Luna, about this. Wait-" She looked at her coo-coo clock that was mounted on the wall next to the kitchen.

"Oh my goodness! We were knocked out so long that I didn't realize what time it was! You need to go now or you're going to be late!" Twilight frantically began to search for a couple of books and stuffed them into a saddlebag.

"Yeah, Mr. Important, you don't wanna be late to your royal meeting." Rainbow said with a giggle as she played around by flying upside down around you.

It was always nice to walk through Canterlot and have nearly every pony admire you and what not. However, your mind was too preoccupied with worries and concerns over what just happened to linger with them for too long. You've made this trip dozens of times before during the last couple of months, so you were able to make it straight to the castle without stopping to ask for directions. In fact, you were able to remember a few desolate shortcuts and alley-ways that Twilight had taught you that helped you get to your destination quickly without having to get caught up in the crowds.

Instead of making the mistake of going through the front entrance and attracting a ton of attention, you slipped around the left side of the castle and made your way to the back one.

"Hold it!" You suddenly found yourself standing a hair's width away from two sharp pikes right in your face.

It was fairly late in the afternoon and there wasn't much light in the sky, so you couldn't blame the guards for raising their attention at you at first, even though you were fairly familiar with them. However, as they analyzed your face, they backed down.

"My apologies, Sir Alex." One guard said as they both lowered their pikes and moved out of the way.

"S'alright. And didn't I tell you two to just call me 'Alex'?" You teased them with a grin.

"B-but sir, we have orders to address our royal subjects as-"

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I'm going to complain to the Princesses about it or anything." The door closed behind you and you trotted further inside, leaving the guards outside with faint smiles on their faces.

If it were two months ago, or even just one, you wouldn't have had the balls to talk to the guards that way. This wasn't because you were afraid of them, but simply because you had a bad habit of being shy towards new ponies. Once you started visiting the castle more than once a week for an extended period of time, you eventually began to learn the names of the guards and even strike up some conversations with a few. You didn't do this to abuse your position, but rather to help their day be that much more eventful since all they did was stand in one place expressionless all day long.

As usual, the only thing that you could hear in the long corridors was the clapping of your hooves against the tile and marble floors. This quality was magnified by the fact that you were using the back route to get to Celestia's chambers rather than using the main chamber. Brilliant blue torches blazed on the walls next to you and almost gave the hallways a haunted feeling to them, but the knowledge that the Princesses of Equestria were no more than a few hoof steps away from you made you feel a little more secure. You slowed down your trot as you passed by Luna's chambers. You hadn't seen her in quite some time and looked forward to chatting with her again, but you were already quite a few minutes late for your meeting with Princess Celestia. Although, something in the back of your mind was telling you that she might know something more about your cutie mark than Celestia might.

The color of the torches abruptly switched to an orange-yellow glow, which told you that you were close to Celestia's room. You recalled your past visits and counted the number of doors until you found the one you were looking for. You took a deep breath and cleared your throat before knocking on the solid iron door three times.

"Who is it?"

"I-its me, Princess..."

She laughed a little. "Late again, are we?"

You gently pushed on the door and trotted in with a bit of shame on your face. "I'm sorry, your highness... I was having a magic lesson with Twilight and-" Celestia's face immediately went to your plot.

"Oh my, is that a cutie mark?"

"Huh? O-oh, I mean... Yes, ma'am! It is..."

"Goodness! Congratulations, Alex! I didn't think that you would earn your cutie mark this quickly! However did it happen?"

"Well..." You looked down at the floor. "I don't really know... Like I said, I was having a lesson with Twilight and one of my spells... Well, it had an unexpected effect."

She rose from her couch and made her way towards you with a concerned look on her face. "I see... Tell me more."

"I was trying to use a levitation spell on a feather, sorta by visualizing a magnet picking the feather up, but I ended up using this weird spell that created a big white ball of light and ended up exploding."

"Oh dear... And Twilight didn't know what it was?"

"No, ma'am."

Celestia looked down at your hooves for a few moments before turning around and looking at her book shelf. "I was intending to have another lesson about wildlife on your home planet this evening, but it appears that much more important matters are at hand. If you would, please clear a space on the table there for me."

"Y-yes ma'am." You did as she said and tucked the miscellaneous papers under the table.

She turned back around with a few books floating above her head that glowed with her magic's golden hue. Not wanting to disturb her, you took a seat in the large armchair that sat opposite of the couch and waited for her to finish her research. You felt a bit guilty for not helping, and you started to get a bit drowsy after quite a few moments, but you as well as Celestia knew that you wouldn't know enough about magic to help.

"My, my. This is interesting." You perked your ears up.

"What is it, your highness?"

"If my studies are correct, the only other pony that was able to perform a spell like this was none other than Starswirl the Bearded. He studied spells that sound very similar to the spell you performed. According to him, these spells use a kind of 'pure magic' that-"

"Sister, dost thou know where my-"

Luna came through the door behind you but quickly froze when she saw that her sister had company. You turned in your chair to see the majestic Princess Luna with a provocative wet mane and a bath towel wrapped around her, which was almost enough to make your shaft rise.

"I am sorry!" Luna quickly fled behind the door and closed it shut.

"Luna, wait!" Celestia caught the door with her magic and opened it again. "Me and Alex could actually use your help."

Luna hid behind the door and peeped her head around the corner. You thought she looked totally adorable when she was out of her normal character.

"Very well, but could I at least dry my mane? I was not exactly expecting company." Her cheeks reddened a bit.

The club that Vinyl worked at always looked odd when all the lights were turned on. Because she was so used to seeing the floors and walls alight with lasers and lights, she almost felt as if she was in a different place entirely. She knew that by the time the party was over and the lights came back on, this place would be a wreck; she relished in the clean walls and floors for as long as she could since she knew that it was always hell to clean up afterwards.

Vinyl turned around and looked over her set up one last time. It was the same as it had always been. The four sub woofers on each side of her table, the mid-range speakers on top of those and the tweeters on the very top were in their rightful place. However, she always developed a feeling in her chest that told her that she was forgetting something whenever she was setting up, even when nothing was missing. She nibbled on her hooves and stared at the floor nervously.

It didn't take long for her to realize what was missing.

"Vinyl? What'cha freakin' out about now, girl?" One of her "roadies" had apparently spotted her overactive nerves.

"Oh... Uh... It's nothing, just making sure everything's in place."

"Come on, you never look like this over something like your setup..."

Vinyl should have known that her friend would see right through her, as she always had a habit of doing. Since they had been friends so long and had done so many shows together, they almost shared the same brain.

"I don't know... It's just that Alex is usually here by this time..."

"Aw, you miss your stallion-friend don't you? That's so adorable!" Vinyls friend teased her by pinching her rosy red cheeks and talking like a mother would to her baby.

"Hey, cut it out..."

"Sorry, just trying to cheer you up. Besides, he's never missed one of your performances before, has he?"

"Well... no." Vinyl shuffled her hooves around nervously.

"So quit worrying, girl! And if he does show up late, I'm sure it's for a good reason. It doesn't take a love guru to figure out how much that colt likes you."

Her last comment made Vinyl smile a bit, but her head still remained glued to the floor.

"There's that smile!" Her ears perked up to the distant sound of a bell tower chiming and she abruptly turned around and looked at the digital clock on the wall behind her.

"Oh shoot! You better hurry and get your set ready, it's already ten!"

Vinyl already had everything planned out for her performances way in advance, but she thought it wouldn't hurt to look over it once or twice before everything started. She started to turn away but a hoof on her shoulder caught her.

"Don't worry, Vinyl. He'll show. He's a good guy."

"Thanks, Cloudchaser." Vinyl gave her a quick hug.

Vinyl knew that it wasn't like you to be late to one of her performances. The fear that you might not come at all plagued the back of her conscious even with the recent support of her roadie. It wouldn't destroy her emotionally, but since you promised you would go tonight, it made her a bit uneasy for you to show up later than you usually did.

It wasn't entirely your fault that you fell asleep. The room itself was dim with only a few torches and candles illuminating the table that the two sisters researched heavily upon. It was very peaceful and quiet which, accompanied by the fact that it was an hour or two past your normal bedtime, put you right out.

You felt a sudden tap on your shoulder. Since it was such a short sleep, your mind took a bit longer to escape the groggy stage of waking up. You groaned, rubbed your eyes and stretched in the armchair. It didn't quite hit you that you fell asleep in front of royalty until Princess Luna cleared her throat purposefully in order to get your attention. Embarrassed that you had dozed off in front of them, you quickly sat up and shook your head in an attempt to wake up.

"We think we may have found some useful information, Sir Alex."

"Yes. From what we've found, it appears that your cutie mark resembles a form of magic that has been lost to us for many centuries."

"Wow, really?" The weight of the issue escalated, and you were now wide awake with your ears perked in the air.

"Quite so. As I said before, the last pony who was able to perform a spell like this was Starswirl the Bearded. My sister and I looked into some of his research and... It might be possible that..."

"What's wrong, your highness?"

Luna stood up. "My sister is trying to say that thou may hast ancestry with Starswirl."

"Ancestry?" Your eyebrow raised and you thought about it for a second or two before continuing.

"But wait... That doesn't make sense. He's a pony and I'm not. Well, at least I didn't start out that way."

"Neither did Starswirl." Celestia rose from her couch and put her books away one by one.

It took you a few moments to collect what she said.

"What do you mean?"

Celestia finished putting her books away and joined her sister back on the couch. "Starswirl the Bearded was the very first human subject that came to Equestria. He was the one who created the magic necessary to bring human subjects here, although none of my resources say how he developed it in the first place."

The realization hit you pretty hard, but it didn't make up for the amount of confusion that was still going on in your head. You decided to save the more complicated questions for another night, though.

Luna continued. "Nopony in Equestria has been able to replicate that kind of spell since Starswirl was alive, so we have sufficient reason to believe that thou might be related to him by blood."

You thought their explanation was a little too forced given the fact that these two sisters had lived for thousands of years. It was hard to believe that they simply didn't know about what was going on until just now.

"Wait, so you only found this out now? Surely you had to have known before hand..."

The two sisters shared a distressed look between themselves and then turned back to you with a bit of guilt in their eye.

"You are correct, Alex." Luna said after sighing and finally forgetting about your fabricated surname. "We had to research exactly what specific kind of magic thou hath performed in order to know for sure, however, we did posses prior knowledge of your connection to Starswirl. We apologize for not being entirely honest with you."

Celestia backed her up. "We decided that it would be best not to tell you about your connection to Starswirl until after you had made the choice to stay in Equestria since it would have been biasing your decision, but I suppose the issue was forgotten due to other more pressing issues. I apologize as well, Alex."

"Oh, no, it's okay!" You smiled to reassure them. "I'm sure you two are real busy with other princess duties or what not so I can't really blame you for forgetting about something like that. So... You're saying Starswirl came into Equestria as a human, and decided to stay just like I did?"

"Precisely." Luna yawned widely, which you thought was pretty cute.

"I-I'm sorry if I'm keeping the two of you up..."

"It's quite alright." Celestia got up from the couch. "Although, it is getting quite late and I have a couple of meetings very early tomorrow."

"And I require my beauty sleep." Luna raised her chin comically and smiled as she got up as well and trotted past you.

"But Princess Luna, don't you usually watch over the night?"

"We hath invented ways in which we can sleep but still watch over the night skies simultaneously. Dream walking is one of those ways." You followed Luna out of Celestia's chambers.

Suddenly, a grin grew on your face. "Oh, I'm very familiar with dream walking, Princess Luna... Trust me."

She turned around and gave you a look that said "Shut up, you idiot!" written all over it.

"What was that?" Celestia looked confused as you and Luna walked out the door and then turned around to face her.

"N-nothing, sister! It's nothing..." Luna's dark blue cheeks started to glow pink. Celestia raised an eyebrow at her, but was either too tired or too uninterested to pry any further.

"Well, it certainly has been an eventful night for all of us. Alex, I'd like you to do some research on the type of magic you used earlier today. I think it will lead you to finding what your cutie mark represents. I'd also like you to look into Swarswirl the Bearded's history, which I'm sure Twilight will enjoy. Hopefully then you will be able to find some answers to your questions about your connection to him. I'll be sending some research materials to Twilight's home to aid you."

"Yes ma'am, thank you."

"Until then, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Princess."

Celestia looked over at Luna. "Goodnight, Luna."

"Goodnight, sister." Luna leaned in and gave her sister a hug goodnight which you thought was adorable.

The door to Celestia's chamber closed and the two of you were left outside in the hallway with the torches flickering on the walls. You could hear faint hoof-steps lead away from the door as Celestia slowly made her way out of whispering distance. Luna placed her ear onto the door. *Thump thump thump thump*.

Once she was sure that Celestia was far enough away from the door, she turned back to you.

"Alex! I thought we had agreed that thou would keepest that a secret!" She whispered at you with embarrassment in her tone. She still had a shade of red on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Princess." You said after chuckling under your breath.

"It is not humorous! I was simply relieving myself after being abstinent for a long period of time... I thought you would understand..."

Luna's face began to look a little more sad than embarrassed at that point, which stopped your desire to tease her dead in its tracks. Now that you thought about it, if you were trapped for one thousand years with absolutely nopony else, you would start getting pretty lonely too. Not just sexually, but emotionally as well. The more time you spent with Luna, the more you began to realize that the thousand years she spent in exile weren't funny at all, and that joking about them in any way whatsoever usually ended up hurting her feelings. In reality, you were just trying to cheer her up, but you started to think at that moment that perhaps enough was enough.

"Look, Luna. I'm sorry. I can't even imagine what you had to go through..." Your head lowered, but Luna stood there silent.

You leaned in close to her so that Celestia wouldn't hear. "You know how I feel about what happened back then, I don't stand by her decision, and I still don't. If it were me, I would've done it differently."

"I know... It's just that..." You started to take note that she would cut her royal Canterlot speech when she got serious and emotional. You looked into her eyes with concern as she searched for what to say.

"Just because I am a princess does not mean that I do not have my... needs. However, I cannot simply go out into the commons and satisfy myself with any colt... Sometimes I feel as if I am trapped by these royal walls that are meant to keep me safe."

"What about guards?"

"What about them?" She looked at you with a puzzled expression.

"I dunno... Maybe they could help you out."

"Oh, goodness, no! That would be so unprofessional and unethical..."

You stood there thinking about a possible solution to the problem. It didn't take long to realize that it didn't have an easy solution. If she couldn't figure it out in the time she's been back from exile, it didn't make sense that you would be able to figure it out on your own in five minutes.

"I should retire for the night... I am sorry for keeping you so late, Alex." She turned and walked away before you could protest.

A deep wave of guilt flowed through you for making Luna's emotions about her exile relapse and you scolded yourself for being so careless. You decided to take it easy on her from now on after seeing just how much she went through on a daily basis. More than that, you felt pity for her since she had to bottle up her desires because of her title. You knew that she would likely be ridiculed, or even worse, dethroned, if she was caught having an affair with anypony. The guards wouldn't work. They would spread the word among themselves like wildfire. You thought up with a thousand possible solutions and a thousand reasons they wouldn't work within just moments, and you knew that there wasn't any way to solve her problem.

All you could do now was watch her walk away. The brilliant orange torches glowed against her fur, making it look even more beautiful than it already did. Her tail swayed back and forth with her hips. You tried not to stare, but you couldn't help it. You couldn't help but look at that royal plot behind that beautiful dark sparkly tail. Your mind instantly cursed you by bringing back memories of that night in your dream; the dream where Luna had her way with you.

You bit your lip hard and tried to block what your mind was urging. You looked at her thick dark blue cheeks and remembered that night when you were in bed with her and making love to her; when you lifted that plot up and penetrated it's warm opening with your-

"God dammit, Alex..." You whispered to yourself before running for her. "Princess Luna! Wait!"

Thankfully, you were just able to catch her before she closed the door to her room. You held the door open with her hoof and breathed a little heavier for a few seconds to recover from sprinting.

"Goodness, Alex. What's the matter?"

"That night... That you came into my dream. Did you enjoy it?" Luna's face turned red once more as the memories came back to her as well. She shifted uneasily and opened the door a little wider.

"I suppose... Why?" You knew that she enjoyed it more than she was letting on.

"Well, you said there was nopony that could help you with your... needs."

"Yes?" She was outside of her door and looking you right in your eye at this point.

You sighed and went for it, since you didn't know how else to say it. "I could help you with that, if you wanted. You can trust me not to tell anypony and we've technically already done it once, so..."

Her already red face brightened more as her eyes darted away from you and looked at the ground.

"It's the least I can do for you." Even though you felt like you were breaking some kind of code by touching royalty, you picked her chin up so that she was looking at you again.

"A-are you sure? Thou would do such a thing for me?"

"If it can help ease the suffering you've been through these last thousand years in any way, I'd be happy to, your highness. You picked up her hoof and kissed it delicately to seal the deal.

"My, you certainly know your way with mares, Sir Alex." A tiny, cute smile formed on her lips. "Very well, I accept your offer."

She slipped back inside her room. "I will send an escort for you when I need your... Services... Until then, good night."

The door shut and you cold hear the deadbolt slip into place as you were left by yourself in the empty hallway with a large erection that Luna miraculously didn't see.

She looked up at the clock. Eleven. Time to start.

The doors flew open and a stampede of ponies came in. Loud cheers erupted from the crowd as the lights dimmed and Vinyl revved up her sub woofers with a low rising bass tone. She got a comical salute from her friend who worked the bar over to her left, which told her that it was party time. Vinyl's hoof raised and saluted back to her and with a *zap!* of her horn, her trademark purple club shades were on, which drew in more cheering from the plethora of ponies.

"Are you ready to spin this shit?!"

You heard Vinyl's amplified voice muffle through the brick walls of the club as you tried to work through the crowd to get in. You were lucky enough to run into quite a few ponies who were polite enough to realize who you were and step out of your way.

"Shit..." You cursed yourself for being so late as a wave of guilt flowed through you.

Your fears were confirmed once you finally passed through the large double doors at the front of the club. Vinyl was already getting ready to play and the bar was already packed with ponies. You let out a sigh of defeat and leaned against the nearby wall to catch your breath from galloping the entire way here from Canterlot. You mentally wanted to blame the train conductor for taking two detours on the way to Ponyville, but you knew that it wouldn't have changed much.

"Alex! You're tardy to the party!" Pinkie Pie nearly made you jump out of your skin. She rolled around on the floor laughing at her own joke while you recovered.

"Oh, hey Pinkie."

"Get it? tardy.... To the paaaarty!!!"

"Yes, Pinkie, I get it." You couldn't help but smile a little.

Suddenly, Pinkie flew a few feet up in the air and her eyes opened wide. It was followed by a gasp that made you a little uneasy.

"Omigoshomigosh! You got your cutie mark!!!"

"Oh, uh... Yeah."

"It looks kinda funny. How'd ya get it?" Pinkies sudden change from hyper to sober almost made you bust out laughing.

"Well, I'm really not sure. In fact, it was partially the reason why I was late."

"Huh? What'cha mean?"

"I was in a meeting with Princess Celestia and-"

"Ooh well aren't you mister important! Oh by the way, there's somepony outside that wants to see you. I gotta go dance!" And just like that, she zipped off into the large crowd in the center.

"Alrightie then..." You giggled a bit at Pinkie's randomness, but you weren't surprised.

You knew that Vinyl would be playing up there for quite some time, so you decided to go and meet whoever this was right now and get it over with. A deep sigh escaped your lungs. You turned around and made your way back through the crowd until you saw the double doors leading out into the cold night. They gave way with a gentle push of your forehead and you were greeted by a stiff gust of chilled wind.

Pinkie Pie caught you by your tail. You expected it to hurt, but oddly enough, it didn't.

"Hey! Don'tcha know it's chilly out there?! Here! Take this!" She wrapped a bright pink scarf around your neck that was made of a thick wool. It warmed you almost immediately as you tucked your muzzle deep into it's soft texture.

"Thanks, Pinkie. I appreciate-"

She had already gone back inside.

"It..." You couldn't help but smile at her quirkiness.

"Alright, Mrs. Mystery Mare." You spoke to yourself comically as you pushed your way through the cold towards Sugarcube Corner.

"You've got some explaining to do."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 4: The Drop

You had pushed back the anxiety behind who this mysterious admirer was for quite some time, but it all came back to you full circle. Whoever this mare was, she was waiting outside at Sugarcube Corner right at this moment waiting for you. Vinyl had already started playing and it would be silly to go up there and tell her that you made it in front of the entire crowd. If your memory of her gigs was correct, she usually played for an hour or two and then took an hour break, so you would have plenty of time to sneak out to Sugarcube Corner and be back in time to meet her in her dressing room for her break.

You took a deep breath and as you walked your way through the cold night, you noticed that there was no moonlight glowing against the streets of Ponyville, making it quite dark and difficult to navigate. Luckily, Sugarcube Corner was relatively close to the club that Vinyl performed at, so you were able to find your way towards it simply using the street lights and other various landmarks.

The absence of the moon made the stars in the sky glisten even brighter than usual, and you couldn't help but stare up into the sky and smile at how beautiful they were. That, in addition to the quietness of the empty Ponyville streets, did a decent job of relaxing your nerves.

However, it wasn't enough to completely eliminate them. The fact that a secret admirer was stalking you wasn't the cause. Rather, the issue of who the pony actually was what unnerved you most. You had a sneaking suspicion that it would be Twilight. In fact, you were nearly convinced that it was her. Her ruse on the way back from Sweet Apple Acres seemed to you like she was hiding something, and if that weren't enough, you still hadn't forgotten about the small tussle the two of you had when you first came to Equestria. If your understanding of girls was in any way accurate, you knew that her attraction to you would not easily be extinguished.

Your second guess would have to be Applejack. Her hints back at the ranch certainly weren't subtle, and you remember leaving feeling that if you had stayed any longer, she would've dragged you into her barn and bucked you all day long whether you liked it or not. Hell, it could even be Luna for all you knew. Since nearly every pony you knew hit on you in some way or another since you've been here, it was hard to tell.

"Psst!"

You snapped out of your deep thoughts and realized that you were about three feet from trotting right into the side of Sugarcube Corner. Your heart rate picked up from the sudden realization that someone was watching you as you quickly looked towards the direction in which the sound came from. The dark night, the mysterious character lurking in the shadows and the strange urge that you should simply go back in fear of being assassinated reminded you of a similar scenario that happened not so long ago. The only difference now was that you had no knife to defend yourself.

Now that you thought of it, what if somepony wanted to assassinate you? You certainly were a high valued target, and your death would certainly spark a juicy terrorist plot.

"Get over here, you daft colt, before somepony sees us!"

Your hoof was quickly grasped by another and you were pulled deeper into the alleyway behind the building.

"What the heck is going on?! Who the hell are you?!"

Your futile protests went on until you found yourself illuminated by a nearby street torch. The mystery mare, whose face was covered by a hooded cloak, backed off and stood still a few feet away from you after you (quite forcefully) pulled your hoof away from her.

"Look, I know you have a thing for me, alright? It doesn't mean you have the right to follow me around and-"

Octavia pulled back her hood back and straightened her mane, revealing her beautiful face that was magnified by a slight amount of makeup. The shock value cut you off mid-sentence and you simply stood there with an open jaw. You were more surprised that it wasn't somepony like Twilight or Applejack than you were surprised that it was Octavia, but the realization made your head spin with questions.

"Look, Alex. Let's just make this easier on both of us and cut to the chase... Agreed?"

"I... Okay..."

The both of you knew that standing there aloof with hidden emotions wouldn't solve anything, and it would make Octavia's confession pointless.

"So, first question: why me?" Octavia stripped her cloak from her back and took a heavy sigh.

"Is there ever a reason with things like this? It's just something I feel about you..." Octavia looked down at the ground nervously, but you gave her props for being able to express such intense feelings.

"But... Vinyl..."

"I know, okay? I know." She appeared as if her heart was about to burst. "I always feel something when I'm around you that I haven't felt in a long time. And it's been getting too much for me to hide it any longer. You're very handsome, and..."

You began to blush heavily from the compliments.

"I- I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you..."

"No, no, it's okay. But... Can I ask you something else?"

"I suppose now's the best time." Her tone was somewhat sarcastic.

"I mean, what's your goal here? I won't lie to you, you're very beautiful and your personality is very attractive, but certainly you realize I can't just leave Vinyl. She means too much to me and I would never forgive myself if I did anything like that to hurt her..."

"I know!"

Octavia's teeth pressed together and a tear rolled down her cheek. Her retort was loud enough to be heard from three blocks away. You had a guess as to how many emotions she was dealing with at the moment, but it didn't hit home until you saw tears.

"You're just... Amazing, and I would be so happy if... But-" She sniffed and wiped a tear away with her hoof. "There's no way that I-"

"Octy..." The sight of someone as amazing as Octavia breaking down in tears was almost enough to make you start sobbing as well.

"No, Alex... There's nothing you can do. I-" She began to turn and closed her eyes tight. "Just..."

Before you could say anything else, she backed away from you and prepared to run away. She was crying heavily and her mascara started to come off with her tears. However, your quick reaction allowed you to stop her by her shoulder and turn her back around before pulling her close and holding her head in your chest.

She let loose. Hard. Even though her sobbing was muffled through the fur on your chest, you could tell by the way she was holding on to you and the way she was crying that she was releasing emotions that she had bottled up for quite some time. Even if embracing her wasn't appropriate given the current situation, you couldn't let her stand there and suffer. You started to get more and more choked up as you thought more about what she was going through.

"Octavia, I'm so sorry..." You had to bite your lower lip to keep from breaking down as you ran your hoof through her mane to try and calm her down.

"Look..." You tilted her head up, revealing her makeup-smeared face and a large black smear on your fur. Her lip was trembling and her eyes were like orbs of water. It took every fiber of your being not to pull her close and hug her again because of the pity you had for her.

"Y-yes?"

A large exhale escaped your lungs. "I normally wouldn't do anything like this... But your feelings seem to be sincere, so... If something happens with me and Vinyl, we'll talk, okay?"

"W-what? So you... Like me?" It was probably the cutest reaction she could've made and it made your heart ache for her.

"Of course I like you, silly." You used your fur to help clean up some of the smeared makeup on her face. "You're very pretty, smart, and you have this elegance to you that's very attractive."

"Oh stop, you're just saying that to make me feel better..."

"I am not, promise." You managed to get her to smile which made you feel absolutely triumphant given the fact that she was so upset earlier.

"So... You'd consider me?"

"If Vinyl and I end up dropping off somewhere along the road... Then yes, we'll talk. But until then, I have my hooves tied, Octy. I mean, I really love Vinyl more than-"

She held a hoof to your mouth after backing away from your embrace. "You don't need to explain, Alex. I understand."

The nearby bell tower chimed, breaking the dense silence that had surrounded you the entire time.

"Goodness, is it eleven already?!"

Nice dodge there, Octy. You thought to yourself. "Yeah... I should probably get back to the club. And don't you have rehearsal early in the morning?"

Octavia stood there and stared at your feet for a while in silence instead of replying. She made one last sniff and a rub of her nose.

"Thank you, Alex... For at least considering..."

"Don't mention it..." She turned to walk away as you stood there in the dim torchlight. You spoke up so that she would hear you since she was almost within yelling range.

"Seriously, don't mention it... Please?"

"Goodnight." She walked away from the torch and slipped into darkness with a small smile on her face.

It didn't take very long until you were left by yourself in the lonely alleyway. The whole ordeal went by so fast that you almost thought it wasn't real. Your heart rate finally started to calm down and the warmth it provided you faded away as the chilly air came back to pester you.

It wasn't until a minute or two afterwards that you realized the weight of what just happened. Octavia just confessed her love for you. It wasn't a joke, either. Those tears weren't fake. There was a leaky faucet nearby that you decided to use to help clean the smudge from your chest where Octavia was letting loose. Thankfully, as you wet your hoof and rubbed on the stain, it started to come out somewhat easily.

Slowly but surely, worst case scenarios began popping up in your head. If you told Vinyl... No, you shouldn't tell Vinyl. That was out of the question. Sure, it would win you some honesty points with her, but it would come at the cost of betraying Octavia's trust and starting a shitstorm that would only end badly. You started thinking about how Octavia would've handled it if you just let her down gently. However, the sincerety of her emotions was too much for you to ignore. Plus, you couldn't lie to yourself. Octavia was a very beautiful mare and has always been a close second to Vinyl in terms of attraction.

Breaking up with Vinyl to get with Octavia was out of the question. The two of you had grown so close over the last few months, and to throw that away, along with a promising future with her, would be the stupidest thing you've ever done. You were honest with your answer, though. If something happened with Vinyl, Octavia be would probably the only other mare you would even consider. It wasn't because mares like Twilight or AJ weren't worthy, but they just didn't have that charm that invaded your subconscious and told you silently that they would be there for you forever and ever. It was a charm that Vinyl Scratch displayed every day, and you were being honest with yourself when you realized that same charm was starting to become noticeable in Octavia.

Of course, the whole thing could backfire if you cheated on Vinyl with Octavia instead of just breaking it off, which was something you would never even consider.

After rubbing all of the smudged mascara off of your fur, you sighed heavily and turned back toward the club, eager to see your marefriend.

"What the buck have I gotten myself into..."

However, a slight rustle in the trash bin behind you sparked your attention just before you got out of earshot. Such a trivial thing wouldn't have ordinarily bothered you, but since you wanted to make sure nopony was eavesdropping on such a delicate conversation, you cautiously approached where the sound was coming from.

"Hello?"

The rustling stopped, but it was followed by a tiny *poof* that made you ever the more suspicious. You looked down into the trash pile to try and see what was in there, but after seeing how dirty and grungy it was, you decided to keep your distance. It was probably just a rat or a stray cat or something, anyway. Although, you couldn't blame yourself for being too cautious, all things considered.

You released your suspicion with a sigh and turned back towards the club.

"Good job, Vinyl! That was sick!" Cloudchaser followed Vinyl into her dressing room.

"It was all right... I guess." Vinyl sunk into her sofa at the other side of the room and sipped on a martini that had just been made for her.

She sighed and then made her way towards her. "Vinyl, are you still worried about Alex?"

"How could you tell..." Vinyl sarcastically remarked as she took a large sip out of her glass. "I don't care if he doesn't show up, I'm more worried about if he got mugged or killed in the street or something..." She held her head in her hooves and groaned.

"Girl, you worry too much. Seriously." She sat down beside Vinyl. "Stop. Stressing. Nothing bad is going to happen to him. Ponyville is a safe place. And even if something bad happens, he can take care of himself."

"I know, I know. I just..."

Cloudchaser stole a sip of her martini, but Vinyl was too distraught to notice or care. "You care about him. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't drive yourself crazy over it."

She leaned back against the couch and folded her front legs over her belly, closing her eyes and exhaling.

"At least be grateful. Not every mare gets a stallion as handsome as-"

Three loud knocks came at the dressing room door and the two mares perked their heads up.

"Yeah?" Vinyl called out.

The door opened and a bulky stallion stepped in. He was wearing a suit and tie with a pair of aviators.

"Miss Vinyl, I found this guy creeping around the dressing rooms, said that you knew him." He pulled you into the doorway by the fur of your neck, a bit too roughly for your preference.

"Hey! That hurts!" You tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was too strong.

"Alex!!!"

At first, you thought that the bodyguard, or whoever he was, either pushed you back or whacked you upside the face. You flinched for the impact and prepared for an immense amount of pain, but after feeling yourself fall back onto the ground and then opening your eyes, you realized that Vinyl had tackled you out of excitement and was hugging you tight. She nuzzled her muzzle into your chest fur as you smiled and hugged her back.

"I see you're happy to see me." You said with a giggle.

Vinyl suddenly backed away from you and gave you a playful yet hard punch on your shoulder.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?"

"For making me worry, you idiot... I thought something happened to you..." She gave you a stern face like a mother would give to a child after running in the street during rush hour.

"Yeah, Vinyl was sitting here crying and worrying this whole time." Cloudchaser walked over to the two of you and snickered.

"Hey! I wasn't crying..."

"Awh... Were you really that worried about me?" You pulled her close to you and rustled her mane a little to tease her.

"Shut up..." You could see her cheeks turn red as you and Cloudchaser laughed.

"Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." Cloudchaser trotted by the two of you on the floor. "Don't take too long, Vinyl. You're back on in fifteen."

"Kay."

Vinyl looked up at her as she made her way out and kept her eye on her until she closed the door behind her. Once it was, she surprised you by immediately leaning down and planting a passionate smooch right on your lips. The sudden intimacy made your length grow a little as you heard her magic start whisping around her horn. The sound of the deadbolt in the door locking perked your ears up in surprise and excitement. You knew then that whatever Vinyl had planned wasn't going to be "PG".

She moaned gently into your mouth which was either a sign that she was enjoying it, or a sign that she was trying to turn you on. The kiss broke and you were left below with a fast beating heart and heavy breathing.

"Goodness... That was nice." You complimented her. She really was the best kisser you've ever kissed.

"Hey, is that a cutie mark I see?" Vinyl finally noticed as she got off of you.

"Y-yeah... Long story. I'll explain later."

She licked her lips. You were about to do the same, but the sound of her magic came back. That was shortly followed by you being picked up in the air.

"Whoa, hey!" You struggled a little bit and flailed your legs.

"I know something that will be even nicer..."

Vinyl trotted over to the couch with you still in her magical grasp. Before you could get another protest out, she lowered you onto the cushion that was still warm from her sitting on it previously.

"Relax... Just sit right there and I'll take care of you."

"H-hey don't you have to play in a few minutes? I mean not that I miiiinnnddd!!!"

You were interrupted by Vinyl's lips suddenly kissing the underside of your shaft. You looked down at her beautiful magenta eyes that were staring right back at you from behind your shaft as she continued to give little pecks along your length, making it quickly grow in size and hardness. She was on her knees servicing you out of nowhere and you didn't dare tell her to stop since she had already turned you on this much.

You gave up protesting, as if you didn't want it in the first place, and slowly sunk into the couch while spreading your hind legs to make sure Vinyl had easy access. Once she saw that you were as hard as could be, she licked all the way up from your balls to your flared head. However, you didn't expect her to instantly take you inside her mouth once she reached your tip since she usually liked to play with you first.

"Ahhhhh! God damn, that feels good..."

She looked up at you with your cock in her mouth and giggled a little before continuing. You could feel her tongue drag and tug at the bottom of your cock every time she bobbed her head up and down, which was coupled with the slick warm edges of her mouth squeezing on you because of your girth. You had to give her credit for being able to swallow such a huge rod without letting her teeth touch you.

"Mmmphh..." She moaned under her breath as she continued sucking you off.

It took you a minute to realize why she was moaning, but you eventually looked down to see that she was rubbing her marehood with her hoof. By the speed of which she was doing so, you could tell that she wanted you badly. You could also tell by how deep she was going. You could feel her tight little throat wrap around your cock each time she took you in. It was fine at first, but as her blowjob became more and more intense, you could feel your orgasm coming right around the corner.

She would occasionally suck on your head and swirl her tongue around it quickly, which brought an extra tingly sensation to your rod, but while stroking your shaft with her hoof so that your pleasure levels would continue to rise. Her hips were now thrusting forwards slightly on their own as her hoof rubbed her pussy passionately. In addition, her other hoof had begun stroking the base of your massive stallionhood while she blew you which was aided by the large amount of saliva that was escaping from her mouth and soaking your shaft. The burning sensation in your abdomen was only growing worse, and Vinyl could tell via your throbbing and your constant grunts and moans.

She pulled you out of her mouth, but didn't stop pleasuring you one bit. She continued stroking your shaft while lowering her head and swirling her tongue around your balls. She kept staring up at you with those sexy eyes, which didn't help lower your urge to cum all over her whatsoever.

"God, you're so big..." She half moaned and half spoke in a voice that would've made you melt if you weren't already about to blow your load.

Her hoof stroking quickened and your hips begun to thrust up and down in synch with her hoof-job.

"Come on... Cum already! I don't have much time le- Ahhhhh!!!"

Her impatience was cut short by your sudden full body orgasm that came so quickly that you didn't have time to warn her about it. Your legs locked up and you bit down on your lip hard as your hips thrust upwards towards her face. In your heated moment of passion, you grabbed a hoof full of Vinyls hair and pulled her head down onto your cock again, and you managed to enter her mouth one last time before your large spurts of semen erupted from your stallionhood. Your head shot back against the back of the couch and you closed your eyes shut while trying not to yell out from the pleasure.

You expected her to pull you back out of her mouth, but oddly enough, she kept it in and let out low moans. You could see her throat bouncing up and down as she tried her best to drink every bit of your cum, but even so, it still filled her mouth to the brim and flowed out of the side and down her chin.

She slid you out by backing her head off of you, leaving several drops of seed dripping down the underside of your shaft. With a small *pop* from your flared head and the remaining semen in her mouth escaping and trickling down her face, she gasped for air. Her mouth was covered with sexual fluids and thin lines of saliva and cum stretched from the tip of her lip to your head.

"A-are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's- it's fine..." She barely replied with closed eyes and shortened breaths.

She picked up a line of cum on her chin with her hoof and then sucked on it a while before getting up and trotting to her sink to wash everything off. You were left on the couch with a dick that was still rock hard from stimulation, even after your orgasm.

You couldn't help but to look over and ogle over Vinyl's plot as she bent over and washed her face. If Vinyl wasn't on her job right now, you'd gallop right over there and-

She caught you staring at her ass by looking at you through the mirror. "Sorry, babe... I don't have time to do anything else. I'll make it up to you next time, okay?"

"Y-yeah... Sure..." You were still somewhat delirious from the intense orgasm.

She finished cleaning the semen and other bodily fluids off of her before looking back over at you and chuckling a little.

"By the way, you should probably stay in here until that goes away." She gestured to your crotch and trotted to the door, but came to you and snuck in a quick kiss on your cheek before she left.

"Tease." You stuck your tongue out at her jokingly.

"Perv." She returned the gesture with a wink and a grin before putting on her stage shades and closing the door behind her.

Trixie grumbled under her breath as she transformed back into her normal body and dug her way out of the trash. She certainly wasn't the most gifted unicorn in town, but she at least knew how to use basic level shapeshifting spells. Granted, turning into a soda can wasn't particularly difficult to begin with.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie should not have to be subjected to such filth..." She whined as she cast a couple of quick spells to clean the grime off of her fur.

"However..." She straightened her luxurious mane.

Now that she thought about it, digging in the Sugarcube garbage for unused coupons ended up paying off. Not because of the sake of the coupons, but because of a certain stallion with a certain powerful unicorn horn that was rumored to hold a certain kind of rare magic. She would be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't jealous of him in many ways. Good looks, magical talent, and a unique crystal horn that would make Princess Celestia's horn look like an ordinary one. It was also hard not to look at him without feeling a bit of attraction towards him, and after seeing what just went down in front of her, she realized just how far some ponies would be willing to go in order to get a slice of him.

All that Trixie needed to hear was "rare magic" to make her attention spike, and it hasn't declined one bit since. She could still hear Twilight's words ring inside her head from her run-in with her earlier that day: "Some sort of ancient magic that I've never seen before..." If it was new to Twilight, that meant that Trixie wanted it. Any lead on how to one-up Twilight was always Trixie's number one concern. And now, as she rubbed her hooves together and thought up a plan, it seemed as if her opportunity to have it as her own had just been presented to her on a silver plate.

"All right, Sir Alex, let's see what secrets you have underneath that special little horn of yours..." She said with a mischievous grin.

Author's Notes:

I realize this was shorter than previous chapters and I apologize for that. I got in everything that needed to happen and when I was done, I felt that adding anything else would've made it seem like it was going too fast. I originally tried to add some filler in just to hit 5k but after looking over everything afterwards, it made the chapter seem boring and monotonous, so I took the filler back out.

TL;DR, some chapters won't be as long as some others (I.E: This one), and again I apologize for that.

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 5: Spoils Of Kindness

"I'm glad you could make it so early in the morning, Cadence."

"As am I, Celestia. However, I still don't quite understand why I was summoned."

Princess Celestia slowly made her way over to the stained glass window to her left and looked out pridefully on the horizon to see the sun that she had just raised no more than thirty minutes ago. It hit her brilliant white coat with a splash of mixed colors.

"As I'm sure you know, Alex's window to his home world will soon show itself to us. The end of the year is about to come upon us and we must honor our promise to him, no matter the risk."

"Do you know when this will happen? And what do you mean by 'risk'?"

"Only Luna can truly know. However, what I do know is that he must not go alone."

"Why is that? What threat could he possibly run into?"

Celestia sighed and walked back towards Cadence. "I don't know. I have a feeling that sending him back without an escort would be unwise. Even if just for a few hours."

"Something must have changed you in the short time I've been away, Princess. It's not like you to have gut feelings."

She lowered her head. "I apologize, Cadence. After the changeling attack a few months ago, my suspicions and cautions have been... on edge."

Cadence walked towards Celestia and tilted her head up with a smile. "I understand. What can I do to help? I could send one of my elite guards, or..."

"No, that wouldn't work..."

"I'm sorry? Why not?"

"We need somepony who hath already been to the human world." Luna's elizabethan voice echoed from the end of the main hall.

"Oh, Princess Luna! What a surprise!" Cadence trotted over to her with a wide smile. "But... What do you mean? Isn't Alex the only pony who has been there?"

"No. There is another." Luna said as she looked sideways towards Celestia who was staring back outside of the same window.

It suddenly clicked for Cadence. "W-wait, no! We can't do that! It's too dangerous! What if she-"

"We have no other choice." Celestia said with her eyes closed. "Would you rather send him alone with no help whatsoever? Surely you already know how easy it would be for somepony like Sunset Shimmer to-"

"Okay, okay, I understand. It's just... She's my sister in law..." Cadence looked down at the tile floor with distress in her eyes.

Celestia put her hoof on Cadence's shoulder. "Have faith in Twilight. She proves herself to be exceptionally gifted in finding a way through sticky situations."

Silence filled the hall. It lasted several seconds as Cadence threw around the idea in her mind.

Luna turned and trotted back towards her chambers, leaving the two in silence. She turned her head right before she opened the door and the end of the room.

"We have forty-eight hours."

"I will write a letter to Alex and Twilight."

Monday. It had become your favorite day ever since you've been in Equestria. Or rather, it's been your favorite day ever since you and Vinyl started dating. It was the only day that Vinyl was able to wake up early enough to actually do a decent amount of things before having to go back to work.

It was a relatively peaceful morning as well. There were a few clouds in the sky, but none that gave a significant threat of sour weather. There was still an inch or two of residual snow from yesterday's weather, but there was no sign of additional snow today. It was a perfect day to relax and spend a peaceful day with Vinyl.

You finished scooping up the last of your sunny side up eggs and gulping them down with a sip of milk. The thick yolk always turned you off from eating fried eggs, but for some reason, everything seemed to taste better in Equestria. Now that you thought about it, eggs wouldn't seem like the kind of things that ponies would usually eat, but you used your "screw it, it's Equestria" excuse as you often did. The fact that ponies ate eggs wasn't nearly as questionable as nearly everything else in this world. The warm eggs hit your stomach and you suppressed a burp by holding your hoof to your mouth.

"Good?" Vinyl spoke gently, leaning close to you from behind.

"Awesome. Thanks, babe." She gave you a sweet kiss on the cheek and proceeded to take her cooking apron off. "So what are we doing today, again?"

"Well..." She took your plate and brought it back to the kitchen to wash. "I wanna stop by the record store and try to find a new album that just came out. Then..."

Random clattering and clinking came from behind you as Vinyl loaded up the wubwasher. "We should probably swing by the grocery store and pick up a few things while 'Tavi is out."

"What all do we need?" You picked up a scrap of paper and a pen.

"Carrots, apples-" You scribbled everything down. Fortunately, after you learned how to pick things up with your hoof, learning how to write wasn't that difficult . "Some broth for soup, milk, eggs... I think that's it. Oh, and anything you need- Wait... Oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

"Well, assuming the album I want isn't half-price, I probably won't have enough bits to get that and all the groceries we need..."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I can spot ya."

She sighed and smiled. "Thank Luna. How much do you have?"

You got up from the couch and pulled out your small coin bag from one of the drawers underneath the coffee table. It was one of the many gifts that Celestia gave you when you came here. Since everypony else had provided for you so generously, you hadn't found the chance to even use the money she gave you until now. You untied the little golden rope holding the velvet bag closed and looked inside, counting all of the shiny golden coins.

"One, two, three..." You mumbled to yourself. "About twenty."

"Sweet!" She shut the wubwasher and trotted over to you, picking up a few coins from your hoof. "Thanks Ale- Whoa."

"Hm?" You looked over your shoulder at Vinyl's shocked face as she stared at the coin you lent her.

"Alex... Where did you get these bits from?"

"Oh, Celestia gave them to me way back when to help me out. Why?"

"Well that explains it..." She held one coin close to her eyes and ogled it for several seconds before continuing. "The bits you got from the princess are worth five hundred bits each..."

"Oh... Oh! Geez! H-how can you tell?"

Vinyl trotted over to you with two bits that were surrounded by her magic's glow and floating next to her.

"See this?" She showed you a bit that was simply a plain gold coin with no markings on it whatsoever, save for your tiny reflection on its surface. "That's a regular bit."

"This is a royal. It's worth 500 bits."

She showed you your coin again, and you could now see the difference. The "royal" had a carved image of Princess Celestia facing sideways with a small red gem in its center. You just assumed that all bits looked like the ones you had, but apparently not. You blamed it on the fact that you never had to pay for anything since your arrival here.

"I see... Well, here-" You hoofed her a few royals. "You can keep those. I'm not going to be using them anytime soon. You probably need them more than I do."

She stared at the coins as if she didn't know what to do with them.

"A-are you sure? I mean..."

"Keep it, babe. It's the least I can do for mooching off of you two for so lo- Ooomph!"

You were interrupted by Vinyl suddenly lifting you up from the couch and turning you around to hug you extremely tight. She kissed your lips, as well as your cheeks, over and over and over again. After your face felt like it was covered with whatever kind of lipstick she was wearing, she stopped and buried her head deep into your chest.

"Thank you..."

"Don't worry about it, babe." You kissed her forehead and caressed the fur on her back for a few seconds. "You ready to head out?"

"Oh!" She pulled away from you. "I gotta shower first. Be back in a bit!"

"Don't take too long, or I'll have to come in there and get you..." You teased with a bit of naughtiness in your tone.

"Oh, shush!" You couldn't see her face, but you somehow knew that it was red.

You wiped off the light lipstick from your cheeks with a bashful smile as you made your way back to the couch. Your mind wandered around and brainstormed some things from the store that you might possibly need. You could get a few fritters from Apple Fritter's stand out in the market. They were always pricey, but totally worth it. Besides, you had... You counted the remaining seventeen coins in your coin bag and added them up. Eight thousand and five hundred bits. You could get almost two thousand apple fritters for that!

You wrote down "Apple Fritters" on your mental shopping list with a smile and prodded your top lip with the end of the pen while you thought of some more things. You hadn't quite learned how to write with your magic yet, and it was starting to annoy you a bit, but you were sure that once you got more used to your new body, it would come naturally.

Several tiny knocks came at the door. Your ears perked up and you put the pen and paper down before getting up. Octavia wasn't supposed to be back from practice for a few hours, so you had no clue as to who it could be.

Another series of knocks.

"Coming!"

You opened the door, letting in a strong draft of wind that harshly reminded you how cold it was outside. The fur and mane of the young mare standing at the welcome mat almost made her invisible against the bright white snow behind her.

"Trixie!"

"Alex, I presume?"

"Yeah, that's me..." You stepped out of the doorway. "Hurry up and get in. Don't want you to freeze out there."

"Oh... T-thank you."

Trixie stepped inside, letting out a sigh of relief once the radiating heat from the nearby fire began to thaw her.

"Here, I think we have enough coffee in the pot for one more cup. How do you like yours?"

"Goodness, Alex. You certainly don't have to do so much for me... But I suppose three sugars and two creamers will do." She took a seat on the couch next to the fire after laying her saddlebag down in front of her.

"Gotcha." You poured the last cup of the pot, thankful that the last few drops barely filled the cup. "So what brings you way out here? Don't you kinda live far away?"

Trixie brushed her hair several times with her hoof to try and get it straight again. The wind had caused it to go a bit haywire.

"I live in a... Mobile home, of sorts. It suits me just fine, though. I just came to tell your marefriend, Vinyl, something very... important."

"Oh, okay. I guess that's between the two of you then."

You smiled politely, not wanting to pry even though you were extremely curious. What could Trixie possibly want with Vinyl that was "very important"? You shrugged it off and started adding the sugar and creamer into her coffee.

"That is, of course, depending on whether or not you can answer something for me first." Trixie turned around on the couch to face you.

"Alright... Ask away!" You chuckled a little as you brought her cup of coffee to her to try and ease your tension. She was obviously hiding something, but you didn't want to get nosy.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has two questions. First, how did you get that horn of yours and how do you do this "special" magic that Twilight keeps going on about?"

Apparently, there was more than one question. However, this one seemed easy enough, so you gave her the truth.

"Oh, that's easy. Whenever they changed me into a pony, Princess Cadence took a small shard from the crystal heart and infused it into my horn to make it all cool looking like this." You poked your horn pridefully, but forgot how sensitive it was and flinched.

"As for that magic, I honestly don't know. I visited Princess Celestia and Luna to see if they could help, and they said it had something to do with Starswirl The Bearded. Other than that, we're still trying to find out what it is exactly."

Trixie's expression wasn't what you expected. Her eyes were a little widened and she stood completely still just staring at you, as if she were shocked about what you just told her. After several awkward seconds and you waving your hoof in front of her face one or two times, she finally snapped out of it and quickly took a sip of her coffee.

"What's wrong?"

"It-it's nothing... The Great and Powerful Trixie was not expecting such a straightforward answer..." You chuckled a little at her third person expression. Hearing it in real life was a lot more comedic than you would've thought.

You studied her face for a while, trying to decipher what she was thinking. You thought to yourself. She was Trixie, right? Magic enthusiast? Maybe she wanted to study whatever magic you were looking into.

Your face lit up. "I could try and teach you if you wanted. I mean I don't know-"

"Really?! You would?!" Trixie shoved her face close to yours with a look of delight written all over her.

"Y-yeah..."

She realized her sudden outburst and leaned back into her seat, sipping on her coffee a little.

"S-sorry... What were you saying?"

"I was saying that I don't really know that I'd be a great teacher and I'd have to study up on it a good bit before learning anything since it looks pretty complex. Plus it may have something to do with a special property my horn has-"

"Oh my..."

Apparently, that was the first time Trixie had noticed your horn. An awkward feeling filled the room as she stared at your forehead with wonder. After several seconds, you cleared your throat purposefully.

"O-oh... Sorry again. However did it get that color?"

"Ehh... Long story. But basically, it has some sort of connection to the Crystal Heart in the Crystal Kingdom."

"I see... So you will help Trixie further her knowledge about this magic?" You were still trying to figure out why she referred to herself in third person in some situations and first person in others.

"Sure! Just... Promise not to do anything bad with it, okay?"

You awaited a cliche "Mwahahaha! Of course I won't do anything bad with it... Heheheh." reply.

"I promise I won't, Alex." She smiled, but not mischievously, and raised a hoof over her heart.

Well, that was different. It was probably the most sincere thing you had heard her ever say in all of the time you knew about her. She even referred to herself in first person.

You had your previous misconceptions about Trixie given that she had been the source of a lot of trouble in Ponyville in the past. However, her dialogue thus far was beginning to make you think that there might be another side to her that wasn't so bad. Given, she obviously didn't let that side out that much, but you were beginning to think that it might have been because nopony had treated her well enough for her to do so.

"Good. I'll be studying it over with Twilight later this week, so I'll let you know what I've found out after that."

She didn't respond. Instead, you caught her eyes drifting down into her coffee. It was clear that she was spacing out a little, but the expression on her face wasn't sad or even the tiniest bit distraught. A tiny smile grew on her face as she held her coffee close to her body.

"Thank you, Alex."

"It's nothin." You looked down at her cup that was starting to lose its steam. "Don't let your coffee get cold, silly."

She snapped out of her introspection and took a quick sip of her lukewarm coffee. The way she reacted to your offer didn't make it seem like it was really "nothing" to her.

"Oh... Um, hey there." Vinyl's voice broke the silence. Her mane was still damp from the shower and her fur was a bit more fluffy than normal, probably from recently being dried off.

"Oh, this is Trixie. I don't know if y'all have met yet... I think she had something to ask you."

The two of you looked over at Trixie who appeared as if she was struggling for words.

"I, um... I mean, The Great and Powerful Trixie-"

"Yes?" Vinyl smiled awkwardly.

"W-would like to have a signed copy of one of your albums?"

"No prob! Hold on, let me go get one." She turned and disappeared back into the hallway, leaving the two of you alone for another moment or two.

"You know, Alex..." Trixie looked over at you from the corner of her eye. "You're a lot nicer than I thought you would be..."

"Huh? What makes you say that?"

"It's nothing... Just thinking to myself." She looked back into her coffee. You took a couple of seconds to think about it, but then shrugged it off, not getting her reference.

"Alright... Aaaand..." Vinyl walked slowly from the hallway again, using her magic to sign her name onto the disc case with a black marker. "Here you go!"

"Thank you." She took it in her hoof and stuffed it into her saddlebag before turning around.

"Oh, hey! Wait!" You called out just before she opened the door.

You looked around the room for the pink scarf that Pinkie Pie gave you. Since she hadn't asked for it back, you were sure it was meant as a gift rather than a loan anyway.

"Here, this might help with the cold a little." You found it laying on the kitchen table and hoofed it over to her.

"Y-you don't have to do that..."

"I insist. We were just about to go shopping so I'll buy a new one anyways."

She wrapped it around her neck and gently tugged it tight, feeling its warmth as she buried her muzzle down into it. Her eyes lifted up from it and she gave you a warm smile.

"Thank you, Alex. I will not forget your kindness."

The door opened, letting a frigid draft inside for a few moments before closing and leaving you and Vinyl standing in the middle of the living room.

"So when's your first date with her?" Vinyl teased, chuckling a little.

"Oh, shush." You rolled your eyes.

"So you never told me how you got your cutie mark..."

You and Vinyl made your way through the snow away from the center of town. Despite your doubts, snow was beginning to fall over Ponyville yet again. However, it was somewhat light so you didn't let it bother you. Both your saddlebags were full of miscellaneous food and other stuff. You had gone through and got everything on Vinyl's list plus some extra things thanks to your royal funds. You still giggled occasionally when you remembered Apple Fritter's reaction towards you asking her to break a royal bit.

You munched on a fritter happily, feeling the sweet and tangy apple flavor make love to your taste buds.

"Oh my god... This is so good." You said with your mouth full of fritter.

Vinyl laughed a little. "Chew first then talk, goofball."

"Sorry..." You chewed quickly and then swallowed. "Anyways, I really don't know. All I remember is that I was practicing magic at Twilight's place and I tried levitating something. Then it made this big white ball of death that almost inhaled all of us. When I woke up, it was there."

"Whoa. That sounds rad."

"If you were there, you wouldn't have thought so." You rolled your eyes a little.

"Well anyways, congratulations, babe." She leaned over and kissed your cheek. "You're lucky. Some ponies take years and years to develop their cutie marks.

You thought about the Cutie Mark Crusaders and suddenly felt a little appreciative. You took a moment and thought about the subject a little.

"How did you get your cutie mark, Vinyl?"

She looked up in the sky and sighed, reminiscing.

"It was way back when I was a filly. Me and my dad were at a concert. I was real little so I had to stand up on his shoulders. I guess there was just something about the guy who was playing that really inspired me. I can't remember for sure."

Vinyl sighed. She was obviously in a pleasant memory.

"Oh, speaking of your dad, have you heard from him lately?"

"Actually, yeah! I got a letter from him the other day." She looked over at you, excited.

"Really?! What did it say?"

"Well... I wrote a letter to him telling him that I was dating a really cute guy..." You blushed a little after she winked at you. She continued. "And he said he was looking forward to meeting you!"

"Really?!"

"Yup!"

You looked down at the ground for a second or two and thought it over.

"What's wrong?"

You snapped your head back up at attention. "N-nothing, just a little nervous, I guess."

"Oh, you'll be fine. He's a sweetheart just like you." She nudged your shoulder teasingly to try and cheer you up. It didn't take much from her to do just that.

"Thanks, sweetie. Oh! Also, how did you learn to use levitation magic? I'm trying to learn and I can't quite figure it out..."

Vinyl rubbed her chin and thought hard. "I don't know... I learned it when I was real little, and I've been able to use it without thinking ever since."

"Any tricks or techniques that you use that would help?"

"Well, when I'm having difficulty concentrating on lifting something, I'll always think about saving someone closest to me from falling."

"Oh, okay. That seems like it might work."

Vinyl stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, since there was nopony behind the two of you, and put one of the apples from in her bag on the ground using her magic.

"Here, try it out and see if it works for you."

"Alright..."

At first, you were a little afraid of putting Vinyl and everypony around you in danger of one of your vacuum-holes, but you knew that that would only happen if you thought about magne-

You stopped yourself from even thinking about it and pictured what Vinyl was suggesting. Your horn began to glow its usual white color and you quickly got your spell lock onto the apple. Your eyes squinted as you tried to imagine the apple being Vinyl falling through the air to her imminent death. You lifted up, imagining that you were saving her.

"Whoa, whoa!"

Your eyes snapped open out of panic, expecting to have another catastrophic mishap, but instead, your eyes were greeted to the apple flying straight up into the sky and a steady pace. It was almost so high that you couldn't see it anymore through the snow falling.

"There you go! See? Told you it'd work." Vinyl smiled pridefully.

You stared into the sky as tiny snow flurries brushed against your face. Once the feeling of accomplishment began to fill you, you felt the sides of your lips curl up into a smile.

"Alex?"

Your head lowered again. "Thanks, sweetie. You're the best."

You leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek which made her cheeks redden a little as her eyes shifted towards the ground.

"Geez... We're in public, silly- Ahhh!"

Vinyl jumped in a fight-or-flight manner as the apple suddenly crashed to the ground a few feet away from her, splattering into a mushy mess.

"Goodness, somepony's jumpy today..." You teased.

"Whatever." Vinyl rolled her eyes at you and picked up her groceries again. "Well now you gotta control it. It's different for everypony so you're on your own, smartass."

You laughed it off a little and picked your bags back up. She was already a few hoof steps ahead of you before you got back up and caught up to her. The thrill of self-accomplishment still lingered in your smile, and you didn't bother saying anything else since you could tell she was just teasing back earlier.

You took a deep breath of chilly air and looked up into the sky, which was starting to clear up a bit. The sun was still a bit blurry and faded from the clouds, but you could slightly feel a warm wave coming from it that wasn't there earlier that day. Judging by the angle of the sun, you could tell that it was around three to four pm.

"Geez, we sure did a lot of shopping today." You brushed your mane once or twice to get the snow flurries out of it.

"Yeah, I'm beat."

You chuckled a little. "Pfft... Beat..."

Vinyl gently bumped into you with her shoulder. "Geez... You're so bad." Nonetheless, as you looked over at her, you saw that your lame pun still managed to put a grin on her face.

"Hey."

"What? Don't tell me you have a worse one..."

You sneakily leaned towards her and gave her another kiss on the cheek. You wet your lips before hand to make it a bit more passionate. At least, as passionate as a kiss on the cheek could get.

"Just wanted to remind you I love you."

Vinyl looked over at you with thankful eyes as the two of you kept walking. You could tell your little gesture hit her soft spot.

"Thanks, babe. I love you too."

Vinyl leaned against you gently and affectionately as the two of you rounded the corner to the street where Vinyl's house was on. You looked up again to see a lone hole in the clouds that let a shaft of sunlight in, illuminating the snowflakes in its path.

An hour later...

"Thanks, babe." You took the glass of water from her magical grasp as she trotted around the couch to join you in relaxing. You took a large sip.

"Geez... I need to work on my cardio."

"That little walk back home winded you?"

"I guess... Maybe it's because I haven't been working out my... Well, this body that much." You took another sip followed by an *Ahhh*

"I can help you with your cardio..." Vinyl teasingly kissed the nape of your neck then settled down to rest in your lap.

"Oh trust me, I know how good of a workout you are..." You grinned mischievously. Vinyl giggled back but just curled up on the couch and put her head in your lap. She yawned widely and snuggled close.

"I guess I'm a little tired too. Let's just stay in for the rest of the day, okay?"

"Fine by me." You smiled and caressed her cheek. You didn't expect it to turn into sex, anyway. Maybe later tonight... you thought to yourself but tried not to get a boner.

The soothing fire warmed the two of you and helped you relax even more. Taking one last sip of the water and finishing it off, you set it back down and leaned your head back against the couch and closed your eyes. You could feel Vinyl's gentle breathing rustle the fur on your legs and you looked down at the unicorn with a great sense of compassion. You wanted to slip down and cuddle with her in a more intimate position, but you decided not to since it would wake her if she was sleeping already.

Several moments of silence passed, with the exception of a few flickers from the flame in the fireplace and the crackling of dried wood. The stiff wind from outside was beginning to pick up and howled a little against the outside of the house, which made the fire in front of you feel that much warmer. Looking out of your peripherals at one of the windows, you could see that the weather was taking a turn for the worse. Even though the sun was starting to rebel from the clouds earlier, it was now snowing heavily with dark clouds looming overhead. You were glad to be inside. Vinyl's head nuzzled into your thighs a little more and made your fur ruffle a little.

All your life, including your life as a human, you dated many girls. Some of them even got a bit closer than others. However, as you started to recall all your past love interests, none of them came close to how Vinyl made you feel. None of them really cared for you for who you were like Vinyl did, and as you looked down at her, the feeling you got was unlike any you had ever felt. Just staring down at her sleeping face filled your heart with more happiness than you had felt in a very long time. You weren't just being affectionate just for affection's sake, you felt as if you showed her affection because you truly cared for her and wanted her to know that every minute of every day. The fact that she treated you the same way amplified all of it to a degree you couldn't comprehend. You never could have guessed that it would've happened this way, but the only label you could put on the feeling was true love. Sure, it sounded cliche as hell. You didn't even believe in it until now.

Then again, this was Equestria. You smiled as you remembered how fortunate you were to be in a place where fairy-tales like true love actually happened.

"Hey, babe?" Vinyl's drowsy voice rung in your ears softly like the cooing of a dove.

"Mhmm?"

"Could we sleep in the bed? I'm getting a little warm..." The fire was starting to be uncomfortably hot for you as well.

"Sure, angel."

You gently picked yourself up and worked your way off the couch so that you wouldn't disturb her too much. Being a human had its perks, and one of them was being able to use only two legs to walk while having two other appendages to do other things with. As a pony, however, it was a bit more difficult. You stood there a bit awkwardly as you tried to figure out a way to pick her up and carry her.

You thought to use your magic to try and levitate her, even though the memory of what happened to the apple was still fresh in your mind. You took a deep breath and wrapped Vinyl with your magic. However, as you remembered Vinyl's tip and started to pick her up, it seemed... Easier. Much easier. With the apple, it was a little more difficult to picture it being as close to you as Vinyl, but Vinyl herself was a different story. It was like your magic was completely controlled the second you targeted her. As her body began to lift slowly from the couch, she opened one of her eyes and smiled.

Not wanting to push your luck, you picked her up a little further and walked under her, positioning yourself just right. Her body gently lowered over your back so that her legs wrapped around the sides of your belly. You took a deep breath the second you released your target on her and turned to head for her bedroom.

"Could you call me that more often?" Vinyl spoke again in her same sleepy dove-like voice.

"Call you what? Babe?" You leaned your head forward and pushed the bedroom door open with your horn.

"No... Angel."

Your heart nearly melted as you slid her off your back gently into the bed.

"Sure, angel..."

The bed moaned a little as you put your weight down on it and pulled the thick sheet over the two of you. Vinyl instantly magnetized to your chest and wrapped her forelegs around your waist, pulling you closer to her as she nuzzled into your fur yet again and taking a deep breath through her nose to enjoy your unique scent.

"Thanks." She whispered. "You really are the best..."

Author's Notes:

One thousand internet points if you spotted the Star Wars reference!

Chapter 6: All Aboard The Interdimensional Express! (Part 1)

A loud knock from the front door jolted you from your sleep. It shot a bit of adrenaline through you and it took you a few seconds to calm yourself before realizing what the noise actually was. Squinting your eyes to the sudden adjustment of light, you lifted yourself up quickly, threw the covers off, and got on your hooves. Nothing around you presented itself as an immediate threat and everything seemed normal, save for the absence of a certain warm fuzzy unicorn in the bed you just left. Although she was probably up making breakfast or something, it still made you worry a bit due to the fact that it wasn't like her to get up before you. Vinyl was the definition of a heavy sleeper, and you came to realize this after multiple mornings of having to meticulously work your way around her passed out body in bed in order to get out. It wasn't too terribly foreboding, but it was just enough for you to hasten your hoof steps towards the bedroom door.

The door opened with a creak of its hinges as another series of knocks hit on the front door. However, before you could yell out "Coming!", you heard the same thing come out of another pony's mouth. Hearing it calmed your nerves for a split second, but once you rounded the corner and saw who it was coming from, you expunged any feeling of relief. It was Octavia, which wasn't particularly a bad thing, but what worried you was that it wasn't Vinyl.

Octavia opened the door and looked through the tiny opening in the door that was held by the ball-and-chain lock. It took her only a second before unlocking the chain and opening the door fully. You did what you could to tidy yourself up a bit and smoothed your mane with your hoof. You tried smoothing the fur on your chest, but the scar, only visible when you pulled your fur back to expose your skin, prevented you from doing so by sending a jolt of pain through you. You gritted your teeth and cursed yourself for failing to remember it once again.

"Oh! Good morning! Can I help you?"

Two large muscular royal guards stood right outside the door with their pikes, golden armor and everything. One had snow white fur and the other had a light silver fur that was identical to Octavia's. Even though you knew you didn't do anything wrong, you still had a sinking feeling of anxiety whenever they showed up at the door.

"Yes. Her Highness, Princess Celestia wishes to convey a message to Sir Alex." The guard with the white fur spoke strongly whilst looking down and making direct eye contact with Octavia the entire time.

"I see... H-he's asleep right now, but I'll wake him up. Excuse me for one-"

"Present." You called out as you walked up behind Octavia. She had turned around to apparently go wake you up, and you could see the faint signs of fear written all over her face. The look in her eyes yelled out "Save me. Please." She stepped out of the way to let you speak to the guards directly and took a deep breath of relief once she was out of the guards' eyesight.

"Sir Alex, her Highness Princess Celestia Requests your presence at the Castle."

What the heck could she possibly want? You thought to yourself. A sudden surge of butterflies erupted in your stomach when you realized that you had completely forgotten about your weekly meeting with her a few days ago to discuss space explorations on Earth.

Shit... You cursed yourself for the second time this morning. You hadn't been up for more than two minutes. It had to be some sort of personal record.

"Okay, sure. When does she want me to come? This afternoon? Tomorrow?"

"Right now." The other guard with silver fur answered.

"Now?!"

"Yes. Now."

You looked at the rising sun coming from the east and judged that it wasn't even eight in the morning yet.

"Alright."

"You are to meet Princess Twilight Sparkle at the train station in thirty minutes. Please do not waste time."

Just as suddenly as they showed up, the guards turned their backs before one of them closed the door with his magic. You let out a sigh and turned to Octavia.

"What was that about?" She asked with her brow raised.

"No clue, but it seemed urgent so I'd better go. Where's Vinyl?"

Octavia turned around and walked towards one of the chairs in the kitchen before sitting down and taking off her bow tie.

"I don't know. Probably in the bathroom or something." You noticed how passive she was being about her not knowing where Vinyl was.

"What's wrong?"

She propped her elbow against the table and held her head in her hoof, closing her eyes. "We had a bit of an argument this morning and she stormed off. I thought it wise not to follow her."

"Oh. I'm sorry..." You wanted to ask her about what it was, but you were already pressed for time.

"Go ahead to the train station, dear. I promise she's alright. She just needs some space to simmer down a little."

"Well..." It felt wrong to leave without saying goodbye to Vinyl, but you admitted to yourself that it would be okay for just this once. "Okay."

The train buckled a bit as the main engine churned into gear. A sudden jolt made you jump a little as it began moving forward, which was shortly followed by a loud whistle blowing from the engine car. You had just barely made it on the train before it took off and you were finally able to catch your breath in the soft booth next to the train window.

"Goodness, Alex. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? The train station is only a twenty minute walk away..." Twilight sat down in the seat opposite of you and pulled out a paper fan from her saddlebag with her magic. She opened the fan and began fanning your face with it.

"I woke up thirty minutes ago. Give me a break." She rolled her eyes at you a bit condescendingly, but you were too tired to take offense. It wasn't like you would've, anyway.

"Thanks for the fan, by the way... It feels nice." You closed your eyes and lounged back into the seat.

The train began to pick up speed as the two of you sat there in silence for a few moments. You looked out the window to your left to see a multitude of ponies on the docking platform who were all waving and yelling out their goodbyes to their family members and loved ones. It made you a bit jealous since you didn't get to say those goodbyes to Vinyl this morning, even though you were only going to be gone for a few hours. Still, knowing that there was somepony at home who was waiting for you to come back comforted you a little.

"So what's this 'urgent meeting' all about?" You closed your eyes again; the effects of the fan were beginning to bring you back to normal temperature.

"It's about your annual trip home!" Twilight looked at you as if you had been living under a rock for the past year. "Didn't Princess Celestia send you a letter?"

You rubbed your chin a little and tried to remember. It was usually Octavia who got the mail for the three of you, so it could've easily gotten mixed up with her bills or what not. However, you figured that she would've told you if she saw a letter addressed to you personally. You gave up with a shrug.

"If she did, I was probably asleep when it came."

"Geez, Alex. You really do sleep too much..."

You smiled a little as your DJ popped into your head again. "I'm dating Vinyl. I can't really help it."

Twilight managed to crack a grin as she rolled her eyes at you again. "How are you two doing, by the way?"

"We're great! Actually, I'm probably gonna propose to her tomorrow."

Twilight would've spit out whatever she was drinking if she was drinking anything to begin with. "What?! Tomorrow?!"

You laughed a little at her reaction. "I wasn't being serious, Twi."

She calmed down a little and took a deep breath. "Alex, you shouldn't joke around about stuff like that with a girl, ya' know..." Her cheeks puffed up and she began to pout a little in her seat from the joke.

"Sorry..."

You looked out the window and continued to smile, propping your chin up on your hoof and leaning your elbow on the window frame. The train had made it past the edges of town and pleasant meadows and trees took over the landscape. It was a beautiful day as well, with its blue cloudless sky lingering overhead.

A few images of Vinyl in a wedding dress seeped into your head, along with her staring into your eyes behind her white veil as the two of you said your vows. You would be lying if you said you weren't interested at all in the idea. Still, there were some issues that needed to be worked out first, Octavia being the main one.

"I guess I should start thinking about it, though."

Twilight looked over at you. Her pouting face lightened up a bit when she saw your peaceful smile as you stared off into the distance and daydreamed.

"I'm happy that you were able to find somepony, Alex."

She put her hoof on top of yours on the table. The sudden physical contact from her startled you a little and you looked down at the hooves with a little red glow on your cheeks. Twilight quickly judged that it wasn't the appropriate thing to do and removed her hoof quickly.

"S-sorry..." She lowered her head to try and hide her rosy cheeks as well, but she soon picked it back up and assumed her regular personality.

"Anyway, since we're both going to be late thanks to somepony, we might as well take a shortcut." She got up and gestured for you to follow her.

"Shortcut? Uh... We're on a train..."

"Just follow me."

You got up and stabilized yourself to the moving train before cautiously walking forward and following Twilight to the back of the car. Tripping over the random ponies' bags was hard enough and you gave out multiple "sorry"'s and "excuse me"'s along the way. You knew that she was just trying to cover up for her sudden affection earlier, but you let it slide for the time being. You finally made your way to the back of the car as you looked up to see Twilight waiting for you next to the exit door.

Twilight opened it and stepped out. It took you a few seconds to build up the courage to join her outside of the car since there was a scant amount of metal flooring that connected the two cars. Finally, with a gulp, you stepped out onto the ledge and heard the door close behind you, undoubtedly due to Twilight's magic.

"Grab on, I'm going to teleport us there."

"Oh... Okay. Wait, what?! You can teleport that far?!"

"It's a bit difficult, but nothing I can't manage." She closed her eyes and put her hoof on her chest pridefully.

You looked down at the moving ground beneath your feet. The train wasn't moving too fast, but it was fast enough to be worried about falling off and dying a horrible death. Reluctantly, you put a hoof on her shoulder and closed your eyes.

You heard Twilight's magic whine loudly as a strange feeling enveloped you. You could no longer feel the steel grating beneath your hooves, which suggested that you were floating. Trying to have as much faith in Twilight as possible, you closed your eyes tight and tightened your grip on her shoulder. It wasn't long before your body began to tingle uncomfortably.

The whining of her magic was now so loud that you couldn't even hear the loud train beneath you anymore.

"Hold on tight!"

A sudden flash of light blinded your eyes even though they were already closed and the loud *pop!* sound nearly deafened you. However, you hooves soon felt the solid ground beneath you. It was a bit too soon. The feeling of weightlessness that fell over you disappeared so quickly that you nearly fell down as your legs tried to correct themselves. You barely caught yourself with your front left hoof.

"Geez, Twilight! You could at least give me a better warning next time!"

Instead of responding, Twilight nudged you in the shoulder silently as you came up to all fours. You still felt a little woozy from being teleported, and your vision blurred a little to try and correct itself. It felt like you had just been thrown off of a crazy roller coaster and jolted back to a halt in the middle of a loop.

"Ugh... How do you get used to that..." You shifted your hooves around expecting hard tile or marble flooring, but instead felt the soft cool feel of grass that was dampened with the morning's dew.

Twilight again responded with only a nudge on the shoulder.

"What?"

You looked over at her, confused and a bit annoyed. However, as you brought your head up, the image of the other princesses appeared in your peripherals. Your heart raced and you tried to regain your composure as fast as possible, shutting your mouth tight and sitting your rump down on the grass. Twilight kept standing since she was a princess, although you were sure that she was having conflicting ideas of how to respect the other princesses now that she was one as well. You played it safe and just kept still. As your vision finally focused fully, you realized that Cadence wasn't there.

"You may stand, Alex. There's no need to be so formal with us." Princess Celestia looked down at you with a little grin on her face.

"Y-yes ma'am, I mean, Your Highness..." You rose to your feet and fixed your mane a little so it didn't look so scruffy.

"Alex, please. Feel free to address us however you like."

"Oh... Okay. Sorry, it's just a habit I guess." You rubbed the back of your neck and smiled apologetically.

"Did you call us here because of Alex's trip home?" Twilight stepped forward a little.

"Indeed we did, Twilight." Luna's ever-so-proper voice echoed off of the surrounding castle buildings.

"By the way, I thought that the two of you would be coming by train..." Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"That's my fault, princess. I was running a little late so Twilight decided to take a short cut. I'm sorry..."

You took a quick look around you as Twilight and Luna picked back up on their conversation. The patterned patches of grass contrasted with smooth tile walkways, and converged together in the giant courtyard into a towering fountain that stood about fifteen feet tall by your estimation. It was actually quite peaceful. Granted, the wet dew on the grass combined with the chilly winter air made it a bit uncomfortable, but the clear blue sky and bright sun shining down on your fur gave you enough radiating heat to get over it. Twilight and Luna's conversation was going completely over your head at this point as you watched a few blue jays and some kind of finch splash and bathe in the fountain happily.

"Alex? Are you paying attention?" Celestia's smooth voice called out to you from beyond your own little bubble of peacefulness. You perked your ears up to attention and turned around.

"Alex!" Twilight face-hoofed and groaned. "This is important! Come on!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry..." You laughed a little at your own aloofness.

"Did you hear anything that Luna said? Honestly, you're so up in the clouds sometimes..."

"We were discussing the details of your trip home." Luna chimed in to remind you.

"Right! Yeah. So when am I going?"

"In one hour."

Shock and sudden realization made your eyes widen and your heart stop.

"One hour?"

"Yes."

"Oh... Okay." You looked down at the grass beneath your hooves.

"Is something wrong?" Twilight bent her neck down to get a view of your face through your mane that was hanging down in front of it.

"It's fine, I just didn't get to say goodbye to Vinyl this morning..."

Twilight glanced at Luna and Celestia, unsure about what to say. You scuffed the tip of your hoof against the soft soil and thought about how upset Vinyl would be if she found out you simply left for another dimension without so much as a goodbye.

"I apologize, Alex, but we cannot postpone this. The portal that connects our two worlds will only last so much longer."

"I see... It's alright I guess."

Luna closed her eyes and let out a short breath. She walked forward towards you and put on a sudden smile before tilting your sulking head up by the chin. It surprised you a little, but seeing her gentle smile calmed you.

"I will send her a letter for you. We can transport it quickly to our friend, Spike, and he can deliver it to her as soon as he gets it." She certainly had the ability to take off her formal royal attitude and appear sweet and motherly when she wanted to.

"Thank you, Luna. That would help a lot." The sides of your lips lifted into a half-smile.

Luna's horn glowed with its magnificent dark blue hue and a few writing supplies soon popped into existence right in front of her. You took the quill with your mouth and set the piece of parchment onto a nearby tile walkway to write on. However...

"Uh..." You looked down at the paper and your mind went blank when you realized that you hadn't learned to write since you became a pony. You tried writing with your mouth, but the result looked worse than a first graders alphabet practice. Celestia looked over at you and giggled a little as Twilight and Luna struck up further conversation.

Celestia's shadow loomed over you from behind and you turned around, smiling shyly like and poorly hiding the shame of your not being able to write.

"I see Twilight's lessons haven't covered writing yet."

"I'm just now getting the hang of basic levitation..." You laughed, feeling like an idiot.

Princess Celestia took a seat next to you in the grass and picked up the quill with her brilliant golden magic.

"You can tell me what you'd like to write, and I'll write it for you."

"Thanks, princess." Her tall stature and overall personality made her pull off the motherly role quite well.

You cleared your throat and thought up what you wanted to say to Vinyl.

"Vinyl, I know this is short notice and I'm sorry for not being able to say goodbye before I left this morning, but you weren't around when I woke up."

Princess Celestia scritted and scratched the quill across the parchment as you continued.

"I'm going to be taking a short trip to my home world for a while. I'm not sure how long it'll be, but I don't think it'll be more than a day. I promise I'll be careful and I won't get into any danger or trouble. Please take care of yourself while I'm gone. My bag of royal bits is under the coffee table if you need to use them, but don't go crazy. Um..."

You looked up at the fountain and tried to think of what else to say.

"Oh! And I'll bring something back for you as a souvenir. I love you and I'll be back soon. With love, Alex."

Celestia scratched the last few words onto the paper and then closed it with a royal seal before using her magic to turn it into whatever that green dust stuff was.

"Spike will have it delivered to Vinyl Scratch's house within the hour." She stood back up and stretched her huge beautiful white wings. The sun shone through them and it put you in a deep state of awe. It was as if you were in the presence of a god. However, you quickly regained your thoughts and got back on all fours, shaking your hind legs a little to get the dew off of them.

"Thanks!"

It felt a little childish to think of her as your extended mother, but it felt warm and comforting knowing that she had all the qualities of one. The reason why she was the center of so much adoration and love was beginning to become apparent to you.

"Come, Alex. Let's get you ready for your trip."

"Vinyl... Come out already! You've been in there for an hour!"

Octavia put her ear to the bathroom door, but all she could hear was the water in the sink running accompanied by the small sobs of her roommate. She took a deep breath and brought up the topic that caused her to be in such a mood in the first place.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean that I was trying to steal him from you or anything... I would never do that."

"B-but why would he..." Her faint voice was muffled from the bathroom walls. Several sniffs of her nose interjected between her sentences.

"I'm sorry?" Octavia listened as hard as she could, but the sound of the running sink drowned out Vinyl's low volume.

"Why would he pick you over me?!"

"Vinyl! He never said that! When we talked in the alley the other night, he said that he loved you and that he could never do anything with me behind your back because you meant so much to him!"

Another sniff echoed against the door.

"R-really? He said that?"

"Yes! If you wouldn't have run off like a filly, I could have told you that..."

The sink turned off suddenly. Octavia's ears perked back up and she stood back from the doorway. After several seconds, the doorknob slowly turned and opened.

"Okay..." Vinyl's face emerged from the crack in the door. Octavia could clearly see on her cheeks that she had been crying.

The two embraced in a warm apologetic hug.

"Remember why Alex decided to stay in Equestria instead of going home? Do you really think he would've stayed if it weren't for how he felt about you?"

"M-maybe... I dunno..." Vinyl buried her face into Octavia's fur. Octavia pulled back and looked her square in the eyes.

"Vinyl, if you don't see how much that stallion loves you, you're blind. He doesn't treat any other mare the same way he treats you." It hurt Octavia to admit that she didn't get as much affection from Alex as Vinyl did, but she had to tell her.

"I'm your best friend, remember? I would never take him from under your nose like that..."

Vinyl look up at her eyes and tried to hide an embarrassed smile.

"I know..."

"I love you, Vinyl. Maybe not in the same way as it used to be... But as your lifelong friend. I promise I won't hurt you. And if Alex loves you half as much as I love you, he won't either."

Vinyl's eyes drifted towards the floor, but Octavia childishly *booped* her nose to try and lighten the mood. Vinyl giggled a little and then sniffed.

"Okay?"

"Okay, you win... Sorry for storming off earlier..." Vinyl embraced Octavia in another hug which lasted several seconds.

However, it was interrupted by several tiny knocks on the front door.

"Geez, this place has been pretty popular ever since Alex showed up." Vinyl rubbed the damp tears from her cheeks as she lightened up and headed for the door.

Her horn glowed as she approached it; it turned the knob and opened the door wide.

"Hello?" Vinyl looked outside the door and drifted her eyes left and right, looking for somepony but finding nothing.

"Down here." Spike's voice made her jump a little. He sounded a little frustrated.

"Oh... Sorry, Spike." Vinyl giggled a little as she rubbed her eye a little with her right hoof and sniffed. The two of them never interacted much, but since he was a regular to her parties, the name seemed to stick in her head somehow.

"Anyways, Princess Celestia sent a letter for ya." Vinyl took the letter from his claw and examined the royal seal on the back. "Must've been pretty important since she sent it straight to me first instead of just putting it in the mail. Anyways, I gotta get going."

"Oh, alright. Thanks!" Spike walked back onto the main street and Vinyl used her magic to close the door, making sure it was locked.

"Who was that?" Octavia came back through the hallway.

"Spike. He gave me a letter from the princess..."

"Oh, my. Must be important."

Vinyl broke the seal with her teeth and worked the letter out from inside the envelope before unfolding it several times. She looked it over and read it aloud.

"Vinyl, I know this is short notice and I'm sorry for not being able to say goodbye before I left this morning, but you weren't around when I woke up. I'm going to be taking a short trip to my home world for a while. I'm not sure how long it'll be, but I don't think it'll be more than a day. I promise I'll be careful and I won't get into any danger or trouble. Please take care of yourself while I'm gone. My bag of royal bits is under the coffee table if you need to use them, but don't go crazy. P.S. And I'll bring something back for you as a souvenir. I love you and I'll be back soon. With love, Alex. So that's where he went..." She flipped it over to the back to check if there was anything, but the only thing there was a strange scribble of ink on the top left corner of the parchment. "Huh? That's weird..."

"So... He won't be coming back until tomorrow?" Octavia took the paper from Vinyl and scanned over it. "And when did Alex learn to write this elegantly?"

"Apparently... And who knows." Vinyl groaned and mock- hit herself with her hoof lightly. "Ugh! Damnit, Vinyl! Why did you have to be such a child..."

"It's fine. I'm sure he can handle himself. He's lived in his world for..." Octavia looked up to the ceiling to try and remember how old Alex was. "A long time. He can manage one more day."

Vinyl sighed. "I guess..." She floated the letter with her magic over to the coffee table and set it down before plopping down on the couch.

"Plus, he's going to bring you something from his world! Isn't that exciting?" Octavia was still trying to cheer her up.

"I guess..."

Octavia stared at her for a few moments before giving up on her.

"I'm going to take a quick shower before I head off to rehearsal." She left Vinyl on the couch and disappeared back into the hallway.

"Kay."

Vinyl picked up the note again, focusing on the last few words of the letter: "I love you". She held the note to her chest and closed her eyes. Feelings of regret filled her heart as she cursed herself again for not getting to say goodbye before he left. She knew that the next several hours would be very difficult for her, despite Octavia's attempts at reassuring her.

Her lips puckered a little as she tried her best to remember the last kiss he gave her. She held onto the memory as hard as she could and rolled over to her side. It took every ounce of restraint to keep her from leaving and dashing straight to the castle for him, but she knew that would be even more childish than her mood swing that morning.

She hated waiting. She especially hated waiting when such a large consequence was looming around the corner. What if he got trapped in his world forever? What if he can't come back? What if he gets hurt? She groaned and gritted her teeth in frustration as questions flooded her conscience.

"Please be okay..." She whispered into the couch cushion and shivered a little from the cold that still lingered in the room from opening the door for Spike earlier. The absence of her warm coltfriend to snuggle with and warm her made the air feel that much colder.

"Please..."

You took the last of your series of deep breaths as you took off your saddlebag and stood next to the platform. It was the same platform that you were on before when you were contemplating staying inside your world forever. Just being in the same place brought back feelings of unease. You watched as Luna slowly turned the doorknob and listened to its whirring magic that filled the room.

"Are the two of you ready?"

"Yes ma'am, I- Wait... Two of us? I thought it was just me going."

"No." Luna turned to you after setting the doorknob in its rightful place in mid air where it held still. "We have decided to send Twilight with you since she already has knowledge of your world to a certain extent."

"Also, we would feel better knowing that you have a little protection with you at all times while you are there." Celestia stood beside Luna, backing her up. She paused for a second and read your uneasy expression on your face. "Is that all-right with you, Alex?"

"It's fine... I just don't want something to happen to one of Equestria's princesses if something happens!"

"We all understand the risks involved with this decision, Alex, but if something does happen, wouldn't you feel better knowing that there's somepony with you who's an expert with magic?" Twilight smiled.

"I guess. Wait, if we're going back to the human world, won't we be unable to use magic? I mean, we won't have our horns anymore..."

"Honestly. You never listen. Princess Luna said that we would have enough residual magic from this world to cast one or two spells at most even without our horns." Twilight stepped up onto the platform as Princess Luna turned the knob, making the dark blue door self-construct around it. "But... You should let me worry about the magic. Unless you feel like you need to make another one of your black holes." You stuck your tongue out at her teasingly and she returned it with a giggle.

"Now... Are the two of you ready?"

"Yes ma'am." You stepped up and joined Twilight next to the door.

"Yes, Princess Luna. We're ready."

"You have twenty four hours. Use your time wisely, Alex." Celestia stepped back. "And have fun!"

Luna opened the door slowly, emitting a bright light that was coupled with a light feeling of being sucked in. Your heart sank and you gulped.

"Come on, Alex. Let's go." Twilight stepped inside casually and the light engulfed her quickly.

It took you a few moments to build up the courage to step in. You looked to your side at Luna who was smiling in support and nodding her head for you to go. After taking one last breath of equestrian air, you held your breath and cautiously stepped inside.

Author's Notes:

There might be one or two grammatical mistakes since only one of my three editors was able to look over it before I needed to put it up. Don't worry, if there are any kinks, they will be straightened out tomorrow when the other two editors look at them. Thanks for your patience!

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 7: All Aboard The Interdimensional Express! (Part 2)

The bright light that shone through your eyelids and caused your eyes to hurt surrounded your entire body. It was like sunbathing on a beach in the middle of summer with three suns tanning you at once instead of just one. Your body was beginning to go numb and your hooves were beginning to feel as if they were being stretched apart by some sort of medieval torture machine, minus the pain. You didn't have time to think that much, but you would later relate the event to the effect of being sucked into a black hole in the sense that the parts of your body that were closer to the portal were being pulled in harder than the parts that were further away from it.

Before you could comprehend more about what was going on, everything went black and you felt your body roll across the ground with several thuds before coming to a stop against a very solid wall. Oddly enough, you were somewhat aware that you had fallen unconscious, and your body was still sending you signals of pain. Your dizziness was made even worse from the fact that you opened your eyes to see the ground above you and the sky below you. For a moment you thought that the world had gone to complete shit since you were gone, but as you regained your senses, you realized that you were just upside down.Your head spun as you righted yourself.

"Oh my goodness, are you okay?!" Twilight's voice called out in a hushed tone.

"Y-yeah... I think so."

You got up to get on all fours instinctively. Your mind automatically assumed that the grass beneath you would be crunched by four hooves and that you would feel a gentle breeze tickle the fur on your body, but neither were true. Your hand fell flush against the soft grass and you felt its texture with your human hands for the first time in what seemed like centuries. It was truly blissful. The bare skin on your body, save for the few bits of arm and leg hair that you had, made the wind feel like it was nonexistent. It surprised you how much of an impact having fur made on how you experienced things.

"Two legs, silly..." Twilight smiled down at you before turning her head and making sure that the coast was clear.

It was nighttime. As you looked up at the full moon that hung in the sky directly above you, you reasoned that it was around midnight. Once you were able to regain complete focus, you pushed yourself off of the ground with your hands and brought yourself back on your two human legs that you hadn't used in a very long time. Amazingly, you still had clothes on. However, it was what you were wearing that surprised you most. It was the exact same outfit that you had on when you first entered the portal a few months ago; a pair of pajama pants and a plain t-shirt that was completely intact despite your scarce memories of the same set of clothes being torn up and ruined from first going through the portal. It didn't bother you as much because you were more worried about coming back to earth with no clothes at all, seeing that you never really had a need for clothes in Equestria.

You started wobbling a little as you quickly got used to walking on two legs and you felt Twilight's hand grasp your upper arm to try and help. It didn't take you long to get back in the feel of things, though. Since you had your human body for so many years of your life, walking on two legs was second-nature to you at this point.

"Okay. No one saw us. Good. We should get someplace safe as soon as possible so we can figure out what to do."

You jumped a few times just to get completely used to your new anatomy and, feeling confident in your ability, walked around a few paces. Twilight quit looking around and instead focused on you for a few seconds.

"Wow. Didn't take long for you to remember, huh?" She raised an eyebrow and you could tell her movements were a bit hesitant and sloppy.

"I'm still kinda used to this body, so yeah. It's like riding a bike I guess. Oh, and we can go to my dorm room. No one will bother us there. Wait..."

You got a little nervous once you realized how much time had passed since you left. It was a long shot, but you figured since you still had the same clothes as before, your dorm key card would still be in your pocket. Reaching into your pockets quickly, your suspicion was confirmed. You found not only your dorm key card but also the knife that you had brought with you. You laughed to yourself silently as you realized how silly of an idea it was to bring it in the first place, given the circumstances.

"Okay, good. I still have the key."

"Great. Lets get there as quick as we can."

It took a few moments to re-orient yourself with the layout of campus and, after recalling the faint memory from the back of your head, figured out where you needed to go. You gestured Twilight to follow.

You were glad that it was so late at night since the two of you walking in broad daylight as you were now would've raised a few suspicions, especially if you had gone missing for three months. Twilight, with her purple hair and clumsy walking skills, probably would've stuck out like a sore thumb. The two of you rounded the corner of the theater building and came back onto the main path that led through campus, trying to avoid eye contact with the occasional late-walker on the way. Even though you and Twilight were relatively well disguised as far as anatomy went, the threat of exposing Equestria to your world was a serious concern in your mind.

Yet another thing that you soon took note of was that the climate was still warmer. Since you lived in a southern region, it didn't get too cold. However, since it was snowing in Ponyville when you left, you at least would've guessed that it would be a little chilly. Regardless, tiny beads of sweat started to form on your skin from the heat. It confused you for many reasons. It never got this warm during winters where you lived.

"Wait a minute..." You said as you looked around for your dorm building.

You were a little embarassed that you had already forgotten where it was. However, you saw the familiar roof pattern above the trees in the distance and resumed your quickened walk You looked over at Twilight, not expecting her to have an answer but trying anyway.

"How much time passed since I was gone?"

"Hmm..." Twilight rubbed her chin as she looked down at the concrete path beneath her as she walked. "Well, you've been in Equestria for about three or four months, so I would say... Two or three days?"

Your mouth dropped as your mind tried to wrap itself around the concept.

"Two days?!" You exlaimed in a slightly less hushed tone.

"Yeah... I found out when I went to that weird high school back then. I had spent a few days in the human world but when I got back, it was months later."

The two of you made your way through the open field that was in front of the dorm buildings.

"Geez..."

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

For the most part, you were more relieved than surprised. Part of you was beginning to prepare for if someone issued a missing persons report on you and the police were searching all over town to find out where you were. The fact that you still retained your anonymity was definitely a bonus. You and Twilight walked in silence for a few minutes as you led her through the various class buildings and walkways that made your campus seem like a giant maze. It was a bit exciting to see regular brick buildings and wide paved streets after getting used to dirt roads and tree houses for so long.

"So which one of those big buildings is yours?" Twilight pointed towards the dorm buildings in the distance.

You chuckled a little and let the past issue drift away for the time being. "Oh no no no. These are dorms. They're kinda like appartments but... Well, you'll see."

"I know what dorms are, silly."

"Oh... Sorry. Hehe." You expected her to be mad but the only thing you saw when you looked over to apologize was a faint smile on her face.

You somewhat expected Twilight to lose it when she saw all the cars in the parking lot but stopped yourself from giving a needless explanation when you remembered that she had been somewhat exposed to them already the last time she had been here. You took out your key card from your pocket and found the side that had the black stripe on it so that you could swipe it on the door to get in.

"Huh? You don't have a key? How is that going to get us in?"

This was going to be a very long twenty four hours.

"See this little black box thing?' You pointed to the card swiper next to the metal door.

"Yeah..." Twilight inspected it closely.

"Watch."

You flipped the card to the right side and swiped it down the sensor part of the box. Shortly after, you heard a "click" that came from the door's deadbolt sliding out of place. You quickly took the handle of the door and opened it for Twilight.

"See?"

"Oh wow... How does that work?!"

"Uh... Well, see this black strip on this card?" You showed it to her as you made your way up the stairs to the top floor where your room was.

"Basically, there's data that's stored on that strip and when you swipe it in that thing back there, it reads the information from that strip and if the information on the strip matches the information in the box, the door opens."

You handed the card over to Twilight for her to further inspect it. She went silent as she looked at it closely, accidentally tripping over one or two steps on the way up due to her being distracted. Opening the second door at the top of the stairs, you walked through the main hallway filled with several doors with room numbers on top of them. Even though you couldn't remember what number your room was, you managed to remember that it was the third door on the left after the stairs.

You thanked yourself for keeping a spare key under the door mat when you left as you picked it up, unlocked the door, and opened it. Your room was still a little messy, so you quickly went back and forth picking up random textbooks and clothes to accommodate your guest. Instead of turning on the main overhead light, you reached over and turned on the desk lamp, which gave the two of you plenty of light on its own.

"Oh I see... So your house is just this one room?"

"Well, yeah. Plus the kitchen and bathroom. Sorry it's kinda small..."

Twilight plopped herself down on your bed, folding the back of her skirt against her butt before doing so and swinging her legs back and forth as she looked around smiling.

"It's alright. I kinda like it, actually. It's cozy."

You put the random clothes that were scattered on the floor in the clothes hamper in the corner of the room and then turned your air conditioning unit on low to cut out the heat a bit from outside.

"What's that thing do?" Twilight looked perplexed at the air conditioner.

You were already getting a bit tired of explaining such mundane things to her, but since she was partially here to study your world, you figured you might as well tell her.

"It's an air conditioner. Just wait a bit, you'll see what it does."

"Oh... Okay." She continued to stare at it a little as it began to whir into motion.

"Anyways, I know we're a bit pressed for time, but we should probably get some rest first. It's about midnight, anyway."

"Alright. But we've gotta wake up early tomorrow so we can get the most out of the time that we have left, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. What time you wanna get up?"

Twilight looked over at the analog clock hanging on the wall above your twin size bed.

"Hmm... How does eight sound?" You groaned when she replied.

"I guess..." You said reluctantly as you looked through your drawers to find some pajamas. However, you felt a bit silly after a few moments once you remembered that you already had them on.

The air conditioner finally began to emit chilled air through your room. The thin heat that still resided from walking such a long distance gradually began to wear off as your skin started to cool. The tiny beads of sweat made it feel even cooler.

"Oh... So that's what it does... How does it do that?" Twilight asked, amazed at the technology of an everyday air conditioner.

"Uh... It's a long story." You laid down in your bed after moving aside a few notebooks that were laying on top of it. "I'm a bit ashamed to admit, but I don't really understand entirely how it works myself." You closed your eyes for a bit and put your hands behind your head. "The bathroom is right outside if you wanna take a shower before you go to bed. I've got a tee shirt for you, seeing as you forgot to pack."

Twilight groaned. "I knew I forgot something..." You chuckled to yourself a little before looking over your shoulder and grabbing a clean towel that was hanging over the bed. "Here."

Twilight caught the towel. "Thanks. I won't be long."

~Thirty minutes later...~

The air from the air conditioner felt a little cooler after you had taken off your pajamas and socks and replaced them with boxer shorts. In addition, you had replaced your tee shirt with a so called "wife beater". You didn't really appreciate the term for several reasons, but it was the easiest description you could find for the thin white tanktop you were wearing.

Once the chill made you a bit uncomfortable, you proceeded to pull back the layers of sheets to your bed and tuck yourself in, making sure that there was an additional pillow for Twilight when she decided to come to bed as well. The warm top shag sheet did a well enough job of warming you. You wouldn't have needed it in the hot climate outside, but since you preferred to sleep cold with the air conditioner running, it served its purpose quite well.

The door to your bedroom cracked open and the light from the bathroom flooded the otherwise dark room as Twilight made her way inside, her hair wrapped up in the towel you gave her. You could almost feel the steam come all the way from the bathroom to where you were laying.

"Geez, took you a while, huh?"

"Whatever..."

It had been at the back of your mind recently, but you were beginning to notice that Twilight was being a bit more passive aggressive than she usually was. You didn't really blame her since it was somewhat a part of her personality, but you couldn't take your mind off the fact that she was coming off as a bit... Frustrated. It didn't happen often. It hadn't happened yet since the two of you made the trip, but you figured it was because her excitement for being in a totally different world masked her mood a bit.

Twilight threw the damp towel at you, and it landed on top of your face. The smell of her body filled your nostrils for a few seconds but, not wanting to come off as a pervert, you pulled it off and threw it into the dirty clothes hamper in the corner of your room along with the rest of your laundry. It was when you realized that she was looking around for a place to lay down that you noticed the awkward situation you two were suddenly in.

"Uh..."

"You don't have an extra mattress, do you?" Twilight looked at you with concern.

"Nope..."

You tried to brainstorm ideas as to what might work, but you found no possible alternative since you had no extra mattresses and your dorm's floor was solid tile. You closed your eyes in defeat and decided to accept the inevitable despite its possible intimate suggestion.

"I guess you'll have to fit in here with me."

You saw Twilight's cheeks turn a little red at your suggestion. It was the only solution, after all. You would've tried to avoid the potential awkwardness had there be any other option, but the guilt you would've felt from making her sleep on a damp towel on the hard floor would've easily outweighed the awkwardness from sleeping so close together in a twin size bed.

An awkward few moments passed... You cleared your throat.

"You can borrow one of my tee shirts from the drawer over there." You pointed over to the one that had your shirts and pants in it.

"Oh... Thanks." Her rosy cheeks didn't diminish one bit.

She walked over and bent over to open the drawer you pointed out. You had to dart your eyes away to keep from peeking at her ass when she bent over. Twilight pulled out one of your shirts that had a triforce symbol on the front and then held it up to inspect it.

"What's this symbol mean?"

"Eh... Again, it's a very long story." Twilight rolled her eyes at you.

"Close your eyes so I can change."

You chuckled a little even though you knew you probably shouldn't have. "Why? I've already seen you naked."

She gave you a look that said I'm not having any of your shit right now, Alex.

"Okay, okay..."

You covered your eyes with your hands and turned your head around to face the wall on the other side of the bed. You could hear the rustling of clothes as Twilight took off her blouse and, if you knew any better, you could've sworn that you heard the faint *click* of her bra being taken off.

"Okay." She called out when she was finished.

You turned back around and Twilight quickly hid her bra back in the same drawer that she found your shirt in before you noticed. The shirt you let her borrow was a bit large for her, but you had to admit that her wearing a large tee shirt was a little cute. Her damp straight hair hung down over the shirt and she tucked it behind her ears before approaching the bed.

"Just... Try to make some space, okay?" Twilight avoided eye contact with you as you pulled back the covers for her, scooting back against the wall to make room.

It took Twilight a few seconds to accept the forced close contact. You could see the hesitation in her eyes, but you could also see something else. You weren't quite sure what it was, but you were certain that you had seen it in her eyes once before.

After standing there a bit awkwardly, Twilight finally lifted her legs up and slid under the sheets right next to you. The additional weight made the cheap bed springs creak a little as she squirmed to make herself comfortable.

Not wanting to extend the situation, you pulled on the chain to your bedside lamp to turn the last remaining light off, shrouding the room in darkness. The only audible thing that the two of you could hear was the white noise of the air conditioner motor churning constantly. You turned to rest on your back and looked up to the ceiling, trying not to make any unnecessary eye contact with Twilight.

"Night, Alex." Twilight's soft voice rang in your right ear. It sounded as if it were literally right next to it.

"Night. Be sure to wake me up when it's eight, okay? You'll probably wake up before me."

"Yeah." She responded in a somewhat timid voice.

Even though there was a foot or two of space between the two of you, you could sill feel the heat emanating from her body. It made you a little nervous since it felt so unnatural to sleep with another mare, or human in this case, that wasn't Vinyl. Her scent was totally different, but not necessarily in a bad way. The smell of your shampoo that Twilight used was quite easy to pick up on and the familiar smell of your shirt blended in with Twilight's natural scent to make one that was quite pleasing to your nose. Even though you could've easily kept quiet and slipped off to sleep, something inside you made you want to try and cheer her up since she'd been in such a mood recently.

"You smell nice..." At first you thought that your mind was playing tricks on you, but it was Twilight's voice that spoke softly into your ear right next to you right before you were about to say the exact same words.

"Oh... Um, thanks..." You blushed a little.

You heard Twilight sigh beside you in the darkness. "I'm sorry Alex..."

Even though you didn't really know what she was apologizing for, you forgave her. "It's all right." You could almost feel Twilight's troubled eyes looking off into the distance.

"It's just... Can I tell you something if you promise not to judge me at all?"

You turned to your side to face her, even though you couldn't make out many of her facial features in the dark room.

"Of course, Twilight. Scout's honor." You giggled a little at your lame joke.

She hesitated before speaking again, which was most likely because she was trying to make sure that she said what she was about to say in a manner that didn't come off in the wrong way. The sheets rustled a little bit as her legs squirmed out of nervousness.

"After t-that welcoming party... What we did..." Your heart beat escalated. "D-did you enjoy it?"

Oh shit... You thought to yourself. You could already tell where this was going, but you wished that you didn't.

"Twilight..." You scooted away from her an inch or two out of embarrassment. "I thought we promised not to talk about that again..."

She groaned. From your guess, it was because she was frustrated with herself. "I know I know. Just... Did you enjoy it?"

You sighed and thought about ignoring her. Nothing good would've come from talking about this subject again with Twilight, especially since the bond between you and Vinyl had grown so much in the past few months.

"Look, I liked it. It felt good-" You blurted out hesitantly. "But we can't do something like that again... I have Vinyl and you should start looking for someone as we-"

"What makes you think I could?" Twilight snapped a bit and turned onto her side facing away from you.

"Huh?"

Twilight whispered into the bed sheets that, by your guess, were being stuffed in her face to prevent you from hearing any signs of crying. "What makes you think I can just pick whichever stallion I want? Y- you really think it's that easy for me?"

"Uh... I guess? Why wouldn't it be?" You felt a bit stupid because there was obviously something that she was trying to get you to understand, yet you weren't getting it.

Twilight curled up into the fetal position and you could feel her body trembling beside you. "Forget it..."

"W-wait, I'm sorry..." You put your hand on her shoulder and thought hard before coming up with the first guess that you could think of. "Is it because you're a princess?"

"Yes, Alex..." You expected her to leave it at that, but she turned back around in bed to face you, making the bed springs creak once more. "Even if I could find a stallion for me, it doesn't matter. I can't be seen around Equestria dating somepony that isn't royalty. The only way I could have somepony for me would be an arranged marriage or just sheer dumb luck. Either way, it has to be a prince or someone of high class or there's no chance." You had gone back to looking up at the ceiling but you could feel her gaze fixate on you.

She continued as her voice got more and more unstable. She sounded like she was on the verge of a breakdown. "Don't you get it? I've wanted to date a stallion for so long... But no matter what I do, I can't. Because of what I am."

You looked over at her in bed and met her eyes. The only defining feature you could see was the tiny specs of light that reflected in her pupils from the bright moonlight shining in from the partially opened window.

"I've had to live like this for so long... Looking at all the attractive stallions going out and about and wanting so badly to go up and talk to them..."

Her eyes were starting to water up and her tears were starting to drip onto the bed sheets.

"Do you have a-any idea what that feels like?" She sniffed. "How would you feel if you were in my position... And you had to watch each day as Vinyl Scratch fell more and more in love with some other stallion... And you couldn't do anything to stop it..."

She was taking short intakes of air at this point, which was always followed closely by all-out sobbing. Following what you felt was right in your heart, you turned over and pulled her close, embracing her tightly and tucking her head into your chest. Your instincts were correct as Twilight soon broke down into severe sobs the second you pulled her close. The shirt on your chest started to dampen a little but you didn't really mind. Just as if she were Vinyl, you stroked the back of her head and ran your fingers through her hair to try and comfort her as she let it all out.

"A-and when..." She managed to speak through the tears. "When I see somepony as handsome as you... C-can you really blame me for doing what I did?"

"Shh..." You tried to make it a bit easier by shushing her.

No... No, I really can't... You thought to yourself while gritting your teeth.

She was already getting to you. The sound of Twilight, one of your favorite ponies, crying uncontrollably was like having a sword pierce your heart. It was just too much, and eventually, you started to tear up as well.

"T-Twilight stop... You're gonna make me cry too..."

It wasn't long until you felt Twilight's arms wrap around you as well.

Several moments later...

Your tears were finally starting to dry up.

The amount of time you and Twilight took to let out your emotions seemed to take hours. The edges of your eyes began to get a little crusty and your nose was starting to get less runny. The front of your shirt had a distinct darkened damp spot in the middle of it where Twilight buried her face into you, and you were certain that the pillow Twilight was resting on had some of your tears on it as well.

You really had no clue where the tears came from other than your sympathy for her and the emotions that rose up whenever you saw someone or somepony that was close to you break down and cry. It was a similar reaction to when Vinyl or Octavia cried, and it surprised you that it worked the same way with Twilight, now that you thought about it.

You finally broke the silence that was laden with emotion. "I'm sorry, Twi... I never really thought about it that way before..."

"It's okay..." She sniffed her runny nose again. "Sorry I got all emotional..."

"Don't sweat it." You paused and relaxed your embrace on her a little. "But this is the last time, okay? If I keep giving you help like this, Vinyl's bound to find out eventually..." You knew at this point that she was trying to ask for sex earlier, subtle as it may have been.

Twilight's eyes lit up and she lifted her head to look directly into yours. "W-wait, so you mean..."

You sighed. "Yeah. I'll help you out. Just... No intercourse this time, okay? I at least want to keep that part of me exclusive to Vinyl..."

Twilight's lips curved upwards into a wide smile and she hugged you again tightly. "Thank you, Alex..."

Now that her intentions were out in the open, you felt your arousal increase dramatically. The warmth of her body mixed with yours and made your manhood start to harden from underneath your boxers. You couldn't tell if Twilight could feel it against her leg or not, but since embarrassment was no longer an issue, you didn't care. Her heart was beating so fast and hard that you could feel it reverberate through the mattress. Your first impulse was to grab her nether regions and just go at it, but you thought better of it and tried a more seductive and slow paced approach.

You took on your dominant sexual role and shuffled around in bed before throwing the bed sheets off and climbing on top of her. You looked deep into her purple eyes. They were a little red from the crying, but they didn't lose a bit of their beauty.

"So..." You whispered in an attempt to turn her on. You leaned close to her face and nibbled her earlobe. "What would you like me to do, my princess?"

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 8: Breaking Habits

Vinyl sighed heavily as she lifted her head from the tile floor, feeling thankful that Princess Celestia was kind enough to let her borrow one of her velvet pillows to rest on. The whirring of the portal in front of her was nearly gone to her at this point, since she had been listening to it for the past four hours, and it seemed to have a white noise effect that put Vinyl to sleep after an hour or so of listening to it. A yawn escaped her mouth as she rubbed her eye with her hoof. She could feel how warm the portion of the floor beneath her was from napping on it for so long. Octavia was worse off since her sleep schedule began so early in the night. The sun had been down for nearly two hours now and she could already feel her body aching for the comfort of her bed. She was certain that if she mentioned anything about it, the Princesses would offer to let her stay the night at the castle, but she knew that there was no way that she could accept such a generous offer.

"Come on, Vinyl. Let's head back home..." Vinyl felt Octavia's hoof wrap around her side.

"But... I want to be here if he comes back."

"Sweetie, you know he's going to take much longer..."

Vinyl's ears perked when Octavia called her 'sweetie' since it wasn't a common thing for her to do. It almost made her uncomfortable in a sense because it was a term of endearment she often used when they were an item. It had become a friendly term of endearment now, but Vinyl still felt a bit of silent unease every time she heard it. She was too tired to say anything about it, though.

"It's been four days... Alex said that it was only going to be one." Vinyl sulked but got up on her hooves nonetheless.

"I'm quite certain that, to Alex, it has only been a few hours." Princess Luna rose from her large pillow that was placed to the right of Celestia's throne.

"So... You're sure that he won't be back for another couple of weeks?" Vinyl asked as if she didn't know, even though she asked the same question each day that she came to wait for Alex. Maybe it was a faint hope in the back of her heart that made her think that Luna would somehow change her answer, but she still felt the need to ask it nonetheless.

"Yes. It depends upon how long Princess Twilight and Alex decide to stay there. We do not have much experience with Alex's world, but one thing we have discovered is that time proceeds much slower there than it does here."

"Oh... Alright."

Vinyl's eyes were so sunken in sadness that Octavia had no idea how to comfort her. No tears fell from her eyes, and no sobs escaped her lips. She just stood there with her eyes fixated on the tile floor beneath her with her long blue bangs hanging over her eyes. Octavia didn't have the ability to read other ponies' minds, but if she did, she was quite sure that she would hear Vinyl cursing herself over and over and over again for not saying goodbye to him. Seeing a mare that was usually so carefree and energetic being reduced to a sulking mess of worry was hard on Octavia, not to mention that it was her best friend. She pulled on Vinyl's hoof and tried to snap her out of her funk.

"Let's go. You need to get your mind off of this for a while..." Octavia said in a somewhat commanding tone as if she wasn't letting Vinyl stay here one more second.

Vinyl, after looking up to stare at the portal for a few more moments, reluctantly turned around and walked past Octavia towards the front doors of the main chamber. Octavia couldn't see her magenta eyes because of her low hanging head. Out of respect, she turned quickly to bow to Princess Luna, who bowed back in return.

"Vinyl, don't be rude, you should bo-" Octavia turned around to scold her a bit, but Vinyl was already halfway to the front doors.

"H-hey! Wait!" She trotted at a quickened pace to catch up.

Octavia was able to trot fast enough to get to her before she reached the door and she lifted one of her front hooves to open it for Vinyl to make sure that Her horn didn't ram into the door by accident. Vinyl didn't acknowledge her but instead continued slowly walking out the door into the chilly night.

"Look, I know all of this this is all upsetting to you, but seriously. You need to relax for a while or you're going to grow into an emotional mess!" Octavia fussed as they both made their way down the set of stairs leading down from the castle doors and onto the Canterlot streets. Though, she soon quieted down and lowered her head when she passed the intimidating castle guards.

Remarkably, Vinyl lifted her head a little to observe her surroundings for a while. Even in her sulking state, she always felt a bit of excitement within her whenever she walked through Canterlot. There weren't very many ponies that she knew here, but the festivities that seemed to go on day after day gave her a little cheer. She trotted at her usual slow pace underneath the brilliant decorative lights that illuminated the streets with a warm white glow, which celebrated the upcoming Hearth's Warming Eve. There were several gift shops to her left and right that were still open despite how late it was in the evening.

It hadn't snowed for a few days but Vinyl still felt the occasional crunch of the leftover snow in between the cobble stones on the street under her hooves. She let out a sigh and looked up into the star-filled sky, noticing that the light pollution of Canterlot made it harder to see them compared to Ponyville. Although, the light managed to make it easier for her to see the occasional late-night pegasus clearing up scattered clouds that hung low over the city.

"I just hope he can make it back before Hearth's..."

Octavia smiled and pulled Vinyl's scarf out of her saddlebag before leaning over to wrap it around her neck.

"I'm sure he will. But until then you have to be patient, okay? This much worrying is definitely not good for your health..." Vinyl closed her eyes for a bit as she tightened the scarf around her neck and felt it warm her gently.

She had stopped trotting and was beginning to space out while looking to her right at a nearby gift shop, making Octavia a bit frustrated since it was obvious that a large proportion of words were going in and out of her ear without any consideration. Though, she thought it wiser to not press her on the issue because of her already dampened state. The shop caught Vinyl's eye because it was one of the few shops that didn't have cliche children's toys sitting in the window. Instead, it was filled with random trinkets for unicorns and spell books that sat with their pages open for the public to see.

From outside the window, she could see books filled with strange runes, a plethora of potent potions, and other magical nick-knacks that hung from the ceiling from tiny strings. The lighting from inside was more dim than the other shops, which was quite common of magical shops since they always wished to pertain to that dark mysterious feeling whenever a potential customer rolled in.

She jumped a little when Octavia startled her from her daze by speaking up again.

"Perhaps... You could pick out a Hearth's present for Alex? That might help."

"Yeah..." Vinyl said in a hushed tone as the sides of her lips slowly began to curl.

"Splendid. Would you like me to..."

Vinyl guessed what Octavia was about to ask. "I'll handle it." She said quickly. "You can go on and head home. I know you're way more tired than I am, anyway."

Octavia let out a large relieved exhale. "Thank you."

You could tell that your words shot straight through Twilight's conscious and right to her heart. Her pupils were dilated more than usual, which could've been caused by the darkness of the room, but you were certain that they were caused by a bit of arousal as well. You saw her throat roll up and down slowly as she took a nervous gulp, which was complemented by a crimson red face.

"J-just do whatever you normally do... I guess..."

You almost rolled your eyes at the extent of how shy she was. You were all for taking over in bed, but at least some direction would've helped. You shrugged it off and leaned down closer to her lightly panting face. Slowly, you began to drag your tongue across the nape of her neck as you lowered your body on top of hers. Tiny shivers went down her spine as you did so, which triggered your sex drive further.

Twilight's legs spread a little and you took the opportunity to gently press your thigh in between them, adding a little pressure to her sensitive area. Surprisingly, your thigh was greeted with a bit of dampness in between her legs as your chest pressed against her breasts and your licking began to get more sensual and erotic. Her belly was moving up and down at a faster pace as her breathing quickened, and tiny moans of excitement were barely escaping her lips as she tried desperately not to let herself get carried away. Two soft sets of fingers began to glide over your back and underneath your shirt which increased the level of intimacy between the two of you.

"A-Alex, no teasing please... Mmphh."

Since you weren't really in the mood for beating around the bush anyway, you slid your hands down her waist and slowly began to lift the tee-shirt off of her heated body while simultaneously using your legs to push the sheets off of the two of you since both of you were almost at the point of sweating. You could feel Twilight help you out by taking your shirt off at the same time, and you soon felt the cool waves of air conditioned air chill your skin.

The transformation that Twilight went through to turn into a human was very kind to her. Her skin was silky smooth and her hips had nearly perfect curves. As you pulled her shirt up and over her shoulders to reveal her soft perky breasts, you realized that she was given a very decent rack as well. By your guess, it was about a C cup. However, your mind was filled with much more important things and after taking a few moments to take in the beauty of Twilight's human body, you leaned back down and kissed her sensitive neck again.

Her naked body was beginning to spike your excitement levels. Between her hard nipples poking against your chest and her soft feminine moans coming from her throat, you could tell that you were about to lose it, but you stayed strong and tried your best to maintain your "servant" role that you were going for. Teasing her and enjoying every inch of her body had become so intoxicating at this point that you had completely forgotten that Twilight had politely asked you to stop beating around the bush.

A smile appeared on your face as you licked down in between her breasts. Twilight kept with her near-silent moaning and put one of her hands on the back of your head to grab a handful of your hair in the process. It was obviously a sign that she wanted more. Her tender belly twitched a few times when your tongue glided over it and circled around her belly button a couple of times. Suddenly, Twilight's grip on your hair pushed down and forced your head lower until your face was eventually buried in between her legs with your mouth stuffed against her wet panties. You had no choice but to taste a sample of her juices as you took the hint and peeled Twilight's underwear off of her hips. You pulled back a little and fought against Twilight's hand that was still pulling you in.

"Feeling forceful all of a sudden, aren't we?" You looked up from between her legs to see her other hand gently massaging one of her breasts.

"J-just shut up and do it..."

"Yes, Your Highness..." You meant it with a bit of sarcasm, although the respect was somewhat fitting.

You took a deep breath to prepare yourself even though her sex smelled quite good. Closing your eyes, you stuck your tongue out into a point and lowered it onto Twilight's pussy, making it push slightly between her outer lips. As you expected, it didn't take much stimulation to make Twilight start moaning like a porn star.

Your tongue made its way up and down her outer lips and you felt her pussy twitch a bit in pleasure. You wanted to wait for her to warm up a bit before you went for her clit, so you made your tongue flatten out so that you could cover more area per lick. Meanwhile, Twilight's hand was continuing to tug at your hair, pulling you into her womanhood while simultaneously squeezing the sides of your head with her thighs out of satisfaction.

"Oh goodness.... Alex!" Twilight blurted out after moaning several times. It was almost as if she was trying to warn you of something, but you were too caught up in the moment to care.

You decided to stop teasing and you made your tongue into a point again before licking up her pussy and flicking the tip of your tongue against her clit. That was when you realized what Twilight was trying to tell you. No later than a second after you gave her clit a playful lick, Twilight nearly pulled the hair out of your scalp and covered her mouth to keep herself from screaming. At the same time, your face was being pulled hard against her moist lips and you could feel her throbbing intensely against your mouth as her orgasm soaked the lower half of your face. It surprised you that she came so fast, but judging from how long you were teasing her and how long it had been since she had sex last, you slowly started to wonder how she didn't cum sooner.

Her entire lower body slowly stopped twitching in ecstasy and her grip on your hair loosened, allowing you to lean back and fill your lungs with air after being suffocated by Twilight's sex.

"Geez, that was quick." You giggled a little and licked your lips while looking up at her from her crotch.

Twilight took quite a while trying to form sentences due to her panting.

"S-sorry... It- It's been... Been a while..."

You took a deep breath and slid off of the bed onto your feet and searched around in the dark for the towel that Twilight recently used to shower with. After bumping your hand over many miscellaneous things, your fingertips finally felt the soft towel and you picked it up before promptly bringing it to your face and cleaning Twilight's orgasm off of it.

Twilight chuckled a little after realizing how much she unloaded on your face and smiled apologetically. "Heheh... Sorry about that, Alex..."

"No worries. Feel any better?" You finished cleaning up and threw the towel back in the dirty clothes hamper.

She took a long sigh. "Absolutely."

"Good." You searched around a little more for your wife beater shirt and threw it back on.

You were semi-expecting Twilight to at least put her panties back on, but after a moment or two of standing there and watching her just lay there comfortably in bed, you came to the realization that she was just going to sleep through the rest of the night naked. It wasn't really a problem since you would be sleeping with a naked girl, but it still seemed awkward for Twilight to act so... Carefree. You thought a minute and supposed that it was a product of her recent stress release.

Climbing over her in bed and making the bed give out more creaky moans, you got back in your original spot and tucked the two of you in. Or rather, you would have if Twilight hadn't caught your wrist while you were trying to pull the sheets back over you.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Twilight rolled on her side and looked into your eyes sexily.

"Uh... G-going to bed?"

"Gosh, Alex. You didn't really think that you could just turn a girl on and leave it at that, did you?"

"Uh..."

You didn't really know what to say. Sure, you were turned on a bit, but every second spent fooling around with Twilight increased your guilt by that much more. Still, those slanted seductive eyes of Twilight were too much to resist given the circumstances.

"What do you mean?"

She gave you a short sigh and rolled her eyes before getting up and straddling your waist. "I mean... Let me return the favor..."

"What kind of item would you be looking for, dear?"

The elderly mare behind the counter had been spying on Vinyl looking around the shop for quite some time now and had finally decided to help her out. The sudden recognition startled Vinyl a little and her head snapped around as she quickly put down one of the spell tomes she had been glancing over.

"Oh, uh... It's just something for my coltfriend. I don't really know what to get, though."

"Oh... I see." The mare lifted the counter that blocked access to behind the cash register and stepped out to help her. "There are a couple of spell books that might fit your needs quite well. Let me see if I can find them."

"Oh, awesome. Thanks."

Vinyl took a few moments to look up at the ceiling of the shop while the older mare went behind a curtain into what was most likely the storage area of the shop. Gems and other magical items of every shape and size glowed up above her, causing her eyes to sparkle with many colors. Even though Vinyl's curiosity was at its peak, magic was never quite a focal concern for her. All that she was really interested in doing was levitation and a few electric-based spells for her DJ performances, and even those were very easy to learn for her. The higher learning of magic just seemed too... Tedious. She enjoyed the occasional self-taught spell, but the kind of study that Twilight did would've bored her to death.

The sound of the curtain rings sliding against the metal bar that held them up caught her attention. Above the old mare was a single floating book that was suspended with her magic. It was a very old looking book with frayed pages and a color-faded spine. Opening the collapsible counter to the register, she went back behind it and put the single book down on the counter. Curious, Vinyl trotted up to the register and looked over the book to try and find a title. However, the only thing she could see was a large runic symbol on the front cover. There was nothing else on it that hinted what the book was about save for a tiny price tag that hung from the side of it.

The price on the book wasn't what raised Vinyl's attention. Even though it was one hundred and fifty bits, Vinyl had plenty of coin to pay for it thanks to Alex's donation of royal bits. No, what caught her attention was the small description that was above the price. She picked the price tag up with her hoof and squinted her eyes to examine it closely since the text was so tiny.

"Fun Spells For Two Lovers..." She read aloud and her interest immediately peaked.

"Yes ma'am." The old shop keeper sighed. "Oh, I remember my younger days when me and my colt friend fooled around with that book... I-"

"Uh... I'll take it!" Vinyl interjected to purposefully stop her, throwing down a bag of bits onto the counter and smiling.

"T-Twilight! Calm down!" You protested as she pulled your boxer shorts off quickly, revealing your rock hard cock.

She didn't act like she cared. All of her clothes were already off at this point, as were yours. Granted, you were a little excited since it was sex, but Twilight was making you just a little bit uncomfortable with how forward she was being at the moment.

"Oh come on, I can't have all the fun to myself..."

She was straddling you at this point with her dripping pussy hanging nearly an inch above your shaft. You had told her no intercourse, bit it seemed as if her body was ignoring any bit of restraint that she still had left. You didn't do anything to stop her at first other than act really surprised and a little upset. However, once you felt her hand grab a hold of your shaft and angle it towards her quivering outer lips, you had to stop her. Being a bit more forceful this time, you put both hands on her hips and made her sit down on the bed between your legs. She was a little shocked by your reaction and you instantly felt bad for letting her down, but you stayed strong.

"Twilight, look. I appreciate the sentiment, but I told you no intercourse. That's for me and Vinyl only. I'm sorry..."

She looked at you with puppy dog eyes that pierced your heart like a sword. However, after staring back into them and not giving in, she gave up.

"Fine... I'm sorry... W-what if I used my mouth?"

You smiled a bit and laughed lightly. "That's fine. But this is the last time, okay? I can't keep doing this to Vinyl..."

"Okay, okay..." Twilight sounded a bit annoyed, but her face looked considerably pleased that she got to blow you one last time.

She backed up a little and then got down on her hands and knees, being careful not to fall off the end of the bed since it was relatively small to begin with. Lowering her face to your crotch, she then began licking up your inner thigh and then, to your surprise, started dragging her soft moist tongue across your balls. It felt amazing as she peeked around your cock to give you one of the sexiest bedroom gazes you ever saw. As her licking turned into gentle suckling, her hand came up and gently started to stroke your length. Your heart rate was steadily increasing as her sucking got more and more intense and you couldn't help but groan a little.

"Pfeel good?" She stopped sucking and spoke while licking up your rock hard shaft. You nodded slowly and kept watching her work her magic.

All in one motion, she circled her tongue around your throbbing head and gradually began to take you into her mouth one inch at a time. The inside of her mouth was warm and wet and she was sucking on you hard to make it even tighter as her head went lower and lower into your crotch. Eventually, her lips touched against your balls and she kept your whole dick inside of her mouth and throat before slowly going back up to reveal your saliva coated shaft. She ended the motion with a lewd sucking noise once your head exited her mouth and she stroked you a little with her fingers before going back down for more.

She was making tiny little gulping and moaning sounds every time she stuffed your cock into her mouth which made you enjoy it that much more. Out of satisfaction, you did as Twilight did earlier and placed a hand on top of her head to grab a handful of her hair and help her go up and down. Giving you a long lick down the bottom side of your shaft, she took you out again and used the thick coat of saliva on you to jerk you off with her hand. You were throbbing quite hard at this point and you were sure that Twilight could feel it as well.

Right when you thought she would go down on you again, she instead scooted forward a slight bit and brought her tits up. They were a good size and her nipples were still hard and perky from earlier. Twilight kept an eye on your length as she gradually enveloped it in between her breasts. You had never received a tit-job before and so far, it felt amazing. The softness of her tits squeezing you from either side felt like your cock was being massaged with large pillows. She slowly began to rub you up and down and you could see the top half of your dick poke out between her breasts every time she went all the way down. It was truly a sight to behold and it made you inadvertently thrust up and down slowly out of horniness.

"Oh god... That feels nice..."

Vinyl probably would have given you your first tit-job by now if she had tits. You felt bad that she wasn't able to please you the way a human could, and you still felt guilty that Twilight was doing things that you had never experienced with Vinyl before, but at least the fact that you stood up to Twilight's advances earlier made you feel a little more loyal.

A wet slippery tongue teasing your head as your cock poked up and down from Twilight's breasts snapped you out of your train of thought and brought you back down to earth. You could tell from your increased throbbing and the building pressure in your lower stomach that you were about to be past the point of no return.

You wanted to warn her so that she didn't get a mouthful of your semen, but after technically trying to semi-rape you earlier, you decided to just let it happen and give her a surprise. Her mouth was going down much farther now and she was squeezing your cock in between her breasts tighter as she continued to give you her glorious tit-job. Your thrusting was more noticeable now as you made your hips go in sync with the motions of her breasts.

Your shaft began its inevitable pumping. With every one of Twilight's cock-filled moans, the pressure inside your belly increased more and more until you finally felt it coming at full force. The orgasm took over your entire body and your legs locked up. You gritted your teeth hard and your dick started spurting cum inside of her warm inviting mouth. Twilight's face soon had a surprised expression on it and she quickly took it out.

"Ahh!" She yelped in surprise as thick streams of your cum painted her face and tits.

By the time you were done, she had one eye closed due to some shooting onto her eyelid. A good portion of your orgasm shot straight up, missed her face, and landed all over her plump tits. Even then, there was still some that leaked off her chin.

She closed her mouth to swallow what little portion of semen shot into her mouth and then began panting.

"Thanks for the warning, Alex!"

"Serves you right for nearly raping me. Heheh." You joked and chuckled a bit.

Twilight released your cock from the grasp of her breasts and after licking some cum off of her lips, looked back up at you.

"Yeah... Guessed I deserved that." She replied with an apologetic smile.

She got up off of the bed and looked down at her semen soaked tits.

"Wow. Kinda backed up, weren't ya?"

"I guess so."

She looked around the room for another towel and then looked back at you with embarrassment on her face.

"Mind if I use your shower again?"

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 9: Teaching The Teacher

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

The sound of the alarm clock on your phone woke you up abruptly from your rest. As you groaned and rubbed your eyes a little, your arm rubbed up against Twilight's body, which was going through the stages of waking up as well. You looked over at her with drowsy eyes and saw that she was naked. You almost panicked, but after remembering what happened the night before, your emotions changed.

Along with a sense of relief that there was a reason for her being naked, the unimaginable guilt took over you once you remembered what happened last night. Perhaps said guilt didn't occur to you because of the amount of arousal you felt during the encounter. However, now since all was said and done, butterflies formed in your stomach when you thought about the complications that would soon unfold.

"Ugh..." You sat up in your bed and reached over Twilight to turn off the alarm on your phone.

"What time is it?" Twilight groaned as well, but kept her eyes closed.

"Eight."

You wanted to go ahead and get out of bed, but doing so would involve you climbing over Twilight's naked body; an awkward situation you wanted to avoid at all costs. Instead, you patiently waited for Twilight to get out of bed, looking at some funny pictures on your phone to pass the time.

After what seemed like an eternal awkward situation, you thanked Celestia when she finally rolled out and looked around for clothes to put on. Keeping your face glued to your phone to keep yourself from having to look at her naked body again, you began to mentally go over what the two of you would do today.

As if she was reading your mind, Twilight finally spoke up.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" She said as she pulled on her pair of panties and clipped her bra to her chest.

She seemed to be a little excited and you didn't blame her. The first time you came to Equestria, you were quite stoked as well.

"Well..." You let out a sigh. Your body felt like it didn't get enough rest. "It depends on how much time we have left."

"Hmm... Let's see." Twilight thought aloud as she found her skirt and put it back on. "We spent an hour or so having se-"

You gave her a stern look. The last thing you wanted right now was to be reminded of how unfaithful you were being to Vinyl.

She continued after retracting and biting her lip nervously. "S-sorry... I think we should have about twelve hours left."

"Okay." You thought for a minute or two while Twilight finished getting dressed. Once she was done, you got out of bed and began to do the same.

"How about this. We can go around town and I can pick up some Hearth's presents for everypony, and you can kinda learn more about how things work around here in the process. That sound good?"

"That would knock out two birds with one stone... Okay, deal."

You stretched your achy body once you got some shorts on. There were a couple of *pop*'s that came from your spine that hinted at how little sleep you got.

"But wait... How are we going to go to that many places in only half a day? Are all the stores within walking distance?" Twilight asked as she walked into the bathroom and turned the sink on.

"Oh, I got a car."

Her head poked around the corner and she gave an excited smile. "You have your own car?!"

"Yeah. Uh, well it's not quite paid off yet... But whatever."

"Ooh! This is going to be so exciting!"

She was practically jumping up and down at this point and you couldn't help but feel a little happier because of her mood. After slipping a shirt over your head, you looked in the mirror at yourself to make sure you didn't look like a slob. You didn't look too bad, other than a minor case of bed head which was common among college students, so you didn't bother to fix it. There was a bit of stubble on your chin but it wasn't too bad. It was only noticeable when you rubbed your chin and felt the prickly hair poke your fingers. Finally satisfied with your image, you looked around your dorm for other things you might need for your shopping spree as Twilight finished getting ready in the bathroom.

There were a couple of backpacks underneath your bed that you spotted and you pulled them out. For all the things you were planning on getting, you were certain that you would need at least two large backpacks.

"Oh, do you have enough money to buy all the things you need?" Twilight spoke up from behind the closed bathroom door.

"Yup." You smiled as you pulled your credit card from your wallet and stuck it in your back pocket.

"Okay, good." The door opened and Twilight stepped out with her hair looking a lot nicer than how it was when she entered.

You grabbed your car keys from your desk. "Ready to head out?"

"Uh-huh!" Twilight said with a smile, obviously eager to explore her new world.

"Sweet." You picked up the two backpacks and handed one to Twilight.

"Just how many things are you planning on buying?"

"Uh..." You counted with your fingers. "Something for you, Vinyl, Octavia, A-J, Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, Princess Celestia and Luna..."

"Wow..." Twilight gave you a funny expression. "Really covering your bases, aren't you?"

You thought hard, trying to remember everypony. "Derpy... Spike... I think that's it. Oh, what do you think Spike would like?" You asked as you opened the door for Twilight. She slung the backpack you gave her over her shoulder and walked out.

"I usually just get him a new set of parchment and writing tools."

"Oh, okay. I can get him some ballpoint pens. I bet that would help him out a lot with writing letters and stuff."

"Ballpoint pens? What are those?" She asked as you locked the door behind you.

"They're pens, but instead of dipping them in ink, they have a little tube of ink in them..."

Twilight followed you down the stairs as you continued.

"And there's a ball at the very tip. When you write, the ball rotates and constantly puts ink on itself... If that makes sense."

"Wow! That's amazing! Just think about how much ink you'd save by using those!" Twilight exclaimed in her usual excited tone.

"Heheh. Yeah, and I think I know just what to get you as well."

"Oh really? And what might that be?"

You chuckled a little more as you tried to find your car. "I can't just tell you, silly. But we will be visiting the library."

"Eeee! I'm so excited!" Twilight clutched her chest with her arms.

Vinyl laid on her back with her eyes closed on the couch. She would've been listening to the peaceful silence in between the weather outside and the faint ticks of the nearby clock on the wall. Instead, she had her favorite pair of headphones fixed to her head while listening to some chillstep. It wasn't every week that she got Fridays off. Usually, the only reason for the club closing down on a weekend was for weather, and that was the case on this dreary winter afternoon. The howl of the wind faded in and out as gusts slapped against the house, and the snow flurries that were slow and peaceful just the other day were now traveling faster and at a thirty degree angle due to the wind.

It had been about a week and a half since Alex left, and Vinyl was turning into a bit of a recluse. Over the course of the last week, to the surprise of her friends at work, she was beginning to opt out of hanging out with them in order to return home and nap the rest of the day. Of course, she usually came up with an excuse to hide the fact that her days were getting more and more empty and event-less as time went by.

The tiny sounds of the bass thumping in her headphones could be barely heard by Octavia, who was also lying politely on the armchair next to the couch. She had her hooves folded under her politely and on the coffee table before her was an open book and a shallow glass of red wine. The alcohol was beginning to make her doze off a bit, and her eyelids repeatedly closed only to be snapped back open.

With one gulp, she finished off her glass of wine and closed her book, making sure to dog-ear the page where she left off. Letting out a large sigh, she leaned back into the back of the chair and rested her head on the arm rest to prepare for a short nap. She would normally be against taking a nap in the middle of an afternoon, but the weather outside counted as an exception. The dark cloudy skies that hung overhead seemed to make Octavia as drowsy as ever.

Several moments went by and Octavia began counting the ticks coming from the clock to help her fall asleep a bit faster. Her ears gradually relaxed and lowered against her mane.

"Hey, Octy?" Vinyl spoke with her eyes still closed and with the music still playing in her ears.

Octavia's ears perked up quickly. It surprised her since, up to this point, she assumed that Vinyl Scratch was asleep.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Do you think Alex will tell me about it?"

Octavia raised one of her eyebrows in confusion. "About what, dear?"

"About what happened between you and him..."

The grey-furred mare sighed and closed her eyes as she thought.

"Hmm... I can't say for sure, but... I think he will. Alex has proven to be a reliable colt in the past."

"I guess you're right..." Vinyl took her headphones off and curled up into the couch in a position similar to Octavia's.

"But, I suppose you'll find out just how honest he is if he chooses not to."

"Yeah..."

Vinyl picked her head up from the couch and looked out the window. She became a bit disappointed when she saw that the weather was still dreary and decided to catch a quick nap after levitating her headphones off of her neck and onto the coffee table in front of her.

"I hope he does."

"Okay, first stop: The city library."

Your city library was nothing particularly special, but it still was a large building in and of itself. You opened the front glass doors and stepped in with Twilight close behind you. A large lounge section lay in the middle of the large room and several couches and cushioned chairs sat in the middle in a square pattern with a knee-high bookshelf in between them. About half of the ceiling was made of every day ceiling panels, but around the center of the ceiling was a large sunlight window that helped the sun shine bright down onto the innumerable books that lay on their shelves. The shafts of light also helped illuminate the tiny dust particles in the air, giving the room a rustic and traditional feeling.

As expected, it was mostly quiet with the exception of the occasional whisper here and there and the beeping of a nearby copying machine. You looked over and, as you expected, Twilight's excitement simply could not be contained. She was biting her fingernails and she couldn't help but to show a smile that spread wide across her cheeks.

"Just don't go crazy, alright? I'm gonna go pick out the books I need and you can look around in the meantime. Oh, and you'll need this."

You reached into your pocket and handed her a library card with your name on it. It wouldn't really matter since nobody really cared whose name was on them, as long as they had one.

"If you see anything you want, just tell-"

She was already gone. By the time you picked your head up, she had disappeared into the plethora of bookshelves. You chuckled to yourself and decided to let her have her fun. Even though you were a bit anxious about her being found out, you figured that she blended in well enough.

"At least her skin's not purple..." You chuckled again to yourself.

The "Fiction" aisle wasn't very far from the center of the library since it was such a popular section. You walked two aisles to the left and turned to walk down it. To your convenience, the few books that you had in mind would all be in this aisle. Looking to your right, you began with books that started with "R" and worked your way down, dragging your fingers against the spines of the books and descending in letters until you found the "L" section.

"L... L-u... L-o... Here we go." You stopped your finger on the series of books you were looking for: Lord of The Rings.

There wasn't any particular reason why you chose that particular series other than you assumed that Twilight would enjoy something adventurous like this, since she had all of her Daring Doo books. You considered getting a second copy for Rainbow Dash, but you already had something else in mind for her. Besides, Twilight could just lend her the books once she was finished with them. However, just in case, you picked out a second set anyway.

Once you found the books you needed, you stacked them in your arms and concealed them by wrapping your arms around the titles on their spines. Even though Twilight wouldn't know what they were based on the title, you didn't want to take the risk. You made your way back down the aisle from where you came and quickly sneaked to the cashier to buy them with your credit card. Once they were in a bag, they were concealed enough for Twilight not to see.

You came back to the main lobby area where you found Twilight sitting down on a large cushioned chair with about four books open in front of her. As you shook your head with a smile, you approached her. As you got closer, you could see that there was an additional stack of books next to her chair that stacked up to your knees. Meanwhile, she sat there with her face buried in texts with her excitement still written on her face.

"Think you got enough?" You asked sarcastically.

"Huh? You think I should get more?" Twilight obviously didn't get the joke.

"It was sarcasm." You took a seat in the large chair next to hers. "Which one of those do you want?"

"Oooh... Can I only pick one? This book about earth animals is so intriguing... And-" She closed one book and picked up another. "This one about world history... I could spend days finding so much valuable information!" Her voice was getting a little loud for library standards, so you held a finger to your lips and she shut hers quickly with an embarrassed smile.

"You can pick as many as you want, but just remember that you'll have to carry them all the way back."

"Oh. Well that'll be-"

"Without magic" You smirked, glad that Twilight was finally able to taste how it was like to live without magic.

"Hmm..." She scanned over the stack of books and inspected each one, weighing each one on their importance.

After a few moments, she picked out three books from the stack. A sense of unease was clearly able to be seen on her face, presumably since she really wanted to get them all.

"Don't worry, it isn't like this is the last time we'll be coming here."

Twilight groaned and got back on her feet, taking the books in her arms. "I suppose."

Five hours later...

"So where are we headed now?" Twilight asked after you reminded her to put on her seat belt. The last thing you wanted was an accident involving a princess of Equestria.

"Well I think I've covered just about everybod- I mean, everypony." You counted off the names in your head. "Is there any place you wanted to visit before we head back?"

"Head back? Already?" Twilight checked the watch that you let her borrow. "But we still have the whole day left!"

You sighed. "I know... I just don't want to keep Vinyl waiting. If what you said was true about how time is different, she's probably been waiting for a month."

Twilight winced as if in pain. "Ooh, yeah. You're right. You're not going to have a happy partner when you come back, I think." She tried to giggle a little to alleviate the stress that you were obviously feeling, but it didn't work and you sat there worrying about how much you made Vinyl wait until now.

Twilight put a hand on your shoulder. "Don't worry, Alex. She's fine, I'm sure. We can head back if you want to."

The loyalty and understanding from Twilight lifted your spirits a little. "Thanks, Twi."

Again, Twilight's head went right back to staring out the window and observing the world around her. You didn't quite blame her for being so curious even though she had already been here once before. To be honest, you never really expected this trip to be that exciting since you thought that the entirety of the trip would involve you explaining every single thing to Twilight. Twilight didn't seem to do that too often, though. Instead, she seemed as if she was trying to figure it out by herself; it was something you were very appreciative of.

You turned off of the highway and onto the road leading to your dorm room, thankful that your long shopping spree was finally at an end. Your body was already beginning to feel achy from standing up and walking around stores for the past several hours. You were sure that Twilight was feeling the same way despite her eagerness to explore. After seeing a wide yawn come from her, your suspicions were confirmed.

"Although..." You tapped your thumb against the steering wheel as you thought.

"Yeah?"

"It would probably be best to wait until night before we try to go back through the portal again. It would be kinda risky trying to go back in broad daylight with all the people around."

"Hmm... I suppose you're right. But what are we going to do until then?" Twilight raised an eyebrow at you.

You could do some extra shopping even though you had everything you needed for everypony. However, as you looked back at the couple of bloated back packs in the back seat, you decided it wasn't that necessary. Princess Celestia didn't say not to bring anything back, but it would be a bad idea to exploit the privilege that she gave you in the first place.

Twilight interrupted your thought. "So do you have Hearth's Warming Eve too?"

"Well, yeah. We call it 'Christmas', though."

"Christmas? That's an odd name... How did it come about?"

You sighed and tried to give the most diplomatic answer possible. "A lot of people celebrate it because of a religion, but it's not universally known to come from one specific origin. So, long story short, everyone celebrates it in different ways."

"I see. What kind of things do you do for... 'Christmas'?"

You hesitated answering so you could concentrate on getting out of the way of a reckless driver who was on your bumper for the last few minutes.

"Usually, we put up a Christmas tree in our houses and have parties and stuff. People go around to neighbors' houses and sing for them, and a lot of people go visit relatives from far away."

"Oh wow! That sounds fun!"

"Yeah. It's pretty nice. And also, there's a belief that this guy called 'Santa Claus' goes around on a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer and delivers presents to everyone around the world."

Twilight's cheeks puffed a little before she busted out laughing. The idea seemed a little silly to you too, but you were used to it at this point.

"That's absolutely ridiculous! Does anyone actually believe that?!"

"Well, a lot of people don't believe it. Most figure out that it's really their parents sneaking downstairs and putting presents under their trees. I never really believed in it, but some people still do."

Twilight's chuckles finally calmed down. "Geez. You ponies- I mean, people have some pretty silly traditions."

You laughed a little. "You don't know the half of it."

You finally turned into your dorm parking lot and, thankfully, you were able to find a spot relatively close to the building.

"Oh, I know what you can do while we wait." You shifted the stick into park and took out the keys.

"What's that?"

You got out and went around the front of the car to open the door for her. She seemed to struggle with the seat belt for a bit even though you had shown her how it worked several times that day.

"Oh, thanks."

You returned her gratitude with a smile and continued. "Have you heard of the internet before?"

"Ya got any more of that wine?" Vinyl called out from the couch after downing her fourth glass of wine.

"Vinyl Scratch! That is your fourth glass!" Octavia scolded her from the kitchen behind her with a motherly tone.

"Pfft... This is nothin."

Even though Octavia believed her, since she had seen her drink an entire bar dry before, she was still worried. Even though she wasn't shy of alcohol, Vinyl never touched wine. Every time Octavia offered it to her, Vinyl always turned it down. It was obvious that Vinyl was getting desperate in order to deal with being away from Alex so long.

She was able to nurse Vinyl up until this point, but after her recent behavior, she decided to draw the line. Octavia trotted into the living room with a bossy vigor in her step and took the wine glass away from Vinyl.

"H-hey! What gives?"

After a taking a deep breath to try and calm herself, she turned around and gave Vinyl a stern gaze.

"You have been sulking around the house for an entire month, Vinyl! If you don't go outside and do something productive... I don't know what I'm going to do with you."

"Productive? I've been going to work every night!"

Octavia hesitated. "T-true, but all you do besides that is sit here and drown yourself in liquor, and I've had just about enough of it. Look." She trotted over and pulled the blinds up on the window nearby, shedding a bright ray of light directly onto Vinyl who shielded her eyes from it.

"It's a beautiful day outside. Go out and do something before you turn into an emotional wreck!"

Vinyl squinted as she looked outside. Even though there were a couple inches of snow on the ground, there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. Her head spun a little from the alcohol when she rose and sat up. She was obviously not in the condition to go run around outside, but even so, Octavia wanted to get her point across.

Octavia picked up her cello and, with a sigh of frustration, opened the door to leave for rehearsal which was pushed back to mid afternoon due to several no-shows. Vinyl expected her to turn around and say something snappy so that she would have the final word, but to her surprise, her eyes stayed straight forward until the door shut behind her.

Once she left, Vinyl groaned and fell back onto the couch. She wasn't used to any kind of alcohol that wasn't hard liquor, so the buzz that came from the wine she drank was just now starting to catch up to her. It made her feel a bit drained and dizzy and soon after her room mate left, she was beginning to regret drinking all four glasses of it. Going outside was definitely out of the question. The only option there really was for her was to just sleep it off until she felt normal again.

It made her feel a bit guilty that she was resorting to over drinking on a week day mid-afternoon in order for her to forget about Alex. She knew that she wasn't handling it well and she knew that drinking wouldn't help her problem. Most of all, she knew that being so dramatic after only a few weeks of Alex being gone was uncalled for, even for somepony who drank on a regular basis.

She had never been to the world that Alex talked about so much, and she had no idea what kind of danger he could get into. For all she knew, there could be terrifying monsters all over the place and Alex was at their complete mercy. Her sadness over Alex being gone was slowly turning into frustration and anger at him for making her the way she was now, even though he wasn't the only one to blame.

Groaning again, she pulled a pillow close to her and slid it under her head. A walk outside might help. At least it was better than sitting around drunk at home all day. She could remember overhearing one of Twilight's lectures to one of her friends saying that walking outside on a bright sunny day released endorphins that helped lighten ponies' moods.

Whether it was true or not, she wasn't going anywhere until the wine wore off.

"Whoa..."

"Cool, right?" You looked over Twilight's shoulder as she sat at your PC and typed random items into a popular search engine.

"Cool? There's so much information on here! It's like... Everything you could possibly think of!"

"Yup. What we lack in magic, we make up for in technology. I guess..."

Twilight remained seated at the computer and kept typing in words and phrases that came to mind. No matter what she typed, whether it be the history of the war of 1812 or a recipe for fried chicken, there wasn't a single thing that she could think of that the search engine couldn't find information about.

"Just think if we had something like this in Equestria..." Twilight's face glowed bright from the computer monitor's light as she leaned in and read more.

You yawned and, by whatever nature caused the phenomenon to happen, she yawned as well shortly after. She had been at the computer for hours and she sat so close to the screen that you were beginning to worry about her hurting her eyesight. You rubbed your eyes drowsily, but a shot of adrenaline went through your veins after you looked at the tiny analog clock at the bottom right hand corner of the monitor.

It was already 7:30pm. You and Twilight agreed to make it back home well before that time, but you couldn't quite blame her for losing track of time because of your computer.

"Oh shit, it's almost eight!" You rushed to your bed and made sure the two backpacks you had were zipped up and secure. Twilight quickly closed out the window that she had open on your computer and got up from the office chair, making it spin a few times from her hastiness.

You heard her take a deep breath. Even though you had your back to her, you could guess that she was doing the familiar hand motion that went with Cadence's stress relief technique.

"It's okay, we still have plenty of time to get back. Do you have everything ready?"

"Yeah. I think so." You threw one of the fully loaded back packs over your back and gave the other one to Twilight before she did the same.

You took one or two seconds to power down your computer so that it wouldn't start a fire from being left on for whatever amount of time you would be gone for. The whirring of your PC eventually calmed down and shortly went silent as the monitor turned black.

"Okay, lets go." Twilight opened the door for you and you turned out the lights to your room before walking past her and exiting. She took a hesitant moment to look over your dark room one more time before closing the door.

"So how did you like the trip?" You asked as you walked down the empty dorm hallway to pass the time until the two of you got to the portal.

"Oh, it was fantastic! This was almost better than my first trip!"

Considering all the things that happened when Twilight first made it to the human world, you couldn't help but to feel a little flattered knowing that you were able to show her a good time.

"I'm glad to hear." You replied with a humble smile as you opened another door for her and the two of you exited the dorm complex.

The night air was a little chillier than you were expecting since it was apparently still fall here. A small shiver went up your spine and you rubbed your hands on your upper arms to generate a bit of heat.

"Must've had a cold front come in..." You began to walk a little faster which alleviated your chills a little.

"Cold front? What's that?"

"Um... It's a long story. Remind me to explain it later." You chuckled a bit to cover up for the fact that you didn't fully understand how cold and warm fronts worked in their entirety.

The night was quite peaceful. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky and the moon, almost full, glowed bright in the sky and illuminated the two of you as you crossed the long grass field towards the set of classroom buildings. The occasional cicada chirped in the background to further intensify the feeling of a quiet night. The only other sound that was being made the crunching of grass beneath your feet.

"Alex... I'm sorry if I came in between you and Vinyl."

Your heart jumped a bit once the weight of the sudden topic hit you. You stuttered a bit to try and form a sentence.

"Oh... I, It's fine." A few seconds of awkward silence lingered and you decided to try to lighten the mod a little. "But we do need to find you another stallion, don't we?" You teased and nudged her shoulder as the two of you walked.

After hearing her giggle embarrassingly, you knew that something you did had worked.

"I suppose. But like I said yesterday, it'll be a difficult challenge..."

You thought about the dilemma again for a few seconds before giving up. "I'll help you think of something."

"Thanks..." Twilight had a gentle smile on her face, but it soon faded.

"You're going to have to tell Vinyl what happened, aren't you?"

You sighed heavily and put your hands in your pockets as the two of you crossed the large field of grass and began to walk on the parking lot asphalt. The theater building wasn't too far away.

"Yeah. I can't keep hiding this from her. I'd rather her find out from me telling her than her find out some other way."

"Right..."

Twilight didn't look the slightest bit happy, and you could tell why. She had let her guard down and allowed her lust to take control of her. In addition, it made her come between your relationship. You would've felt bad if you were in her situation as well. Granted, you felt bad anyway because you were going to be taking the brunt of Vinyl's scorn.

"Twilight, I can understand why you did what you did. And even though I think you could've handled it a little better, I don't think any less of you."

That apparently did the job. Twilight put her hands on the straps of the backpack she was carrying and smiled yet again as you wrapped an arm around her and hugged her a bit to show your support as the two of you walked. It wasn't out of affection or anything. But you wanted to do something to let her know that she was still your friend.

"Thanks, Alex. That means a lot." She paused and appeared to be in deep thought for a few moments as you could barely see the theater building in the distance. "I can see why Vinyl likes you so much..."

Your cheeks reddened a little and you gave a short "Thanks".

"Hey, isn't that the theater building? Come on, Alex, we're almost the-"

"A cute couple taking a night walk. How nice."

A sudden unfamiliar voice called out from around a corner to your left, and you turned to see the shadow of a group of three to four guys walking towards you. An intense feeling of unease shot through you and gave you butterflies. It wasn't common to run into gangs around here, but as the group of guys got closer to you and the moonlight lit the expressions on their face, you could tell that they weren't up to anything holy. Instinctively, you took Twilight's wrist with a tight grip due to your nervousness and pulled her behind you.

"Can I help you?" You asked with a stern yet somewhat polite tone.

They chuckled a little with smiles on their faces that had an evil look to them. A couple of them looked over to each other.

"Yeah, you can help us by letting us borrow your girl for a while."

The larger guy in front snickered and licked his lips mockingly at Twilight. The fear inside you was beginning to boil into anger, not only because of what you knew they had in mind, but because they were planning to do it to your princess. You supposed that it was only appropriate to call Twilight as such since she was a princess after all and you lived in Equestria. Because of your hesitation, the man, who was about twenty or twenty one years old, stepped forward and got closer to your face.

"You got a problem with that, bud?" He said with that unsettling smile.

You felt all the nervousness and anger in the world and it was all you could do not to deck the guy right there. However, you wanted to not do anything rash in front of Twilight so you wouldn't make a bad impression.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you do that."

"Oh really now? And what'cha gonna do about it faggot?"

You sat there boiling in anger for a few seconds, your hands clenched into fists. If it were one on one, you could probably take him on since you had a little jiu-jitsu training four or five years ago. Even though it had been a long time since you sparred, your mind still had a couple of moves laying around in there somewhere. There were three of them, though. Even if you were able to take on one of them, it would be very easy for another guy to cheap shot you from behind.

"Huh?!" The mouthy guy pushed you hard.

The second he touched you, all your inhibitions broke away. Whether it was a protection instinct that was making you protect Twilight or just anger from being called a faggot, what was certain was that you weren't going to let this guy push the two of you around anymore.

As you fell backwards, you set a foot back and gained a wide stance before shifting your weight forward and wrapping your right arm around his chest. You had to do it quickly since the second you made a move, you knew that the other two guys would be on top of you. Tightening your grip on his mid chest with the length of your arm, you moved your right leg behind him. You set your hip against his ass as a fulcrum and pulled his chest forward. It wasn't long until his entire body was suspended on top of you and was in your complete control. Finally, in the last step of the jiu jitsu hip flip that you somehow managed to remember in the heat of the moment, you pulled him over you and threw him onto the concrete. His body landed with a hard *thud* and you threw in an elbow to his gut for good measure to make sure he wouldn't be able to immediately get up.

"Run!" Twilight shouted from behind you.

You looked up expecting to see a fist from one of the other guys flying at your face, but instead, you saw the two men with their pants and underwear completely pulled down and their hands behind their backs. You had no idea how it happened, but you weren't going to stick around and ask questions. You got back up on your feet quickly and booked it, feeling the wind whirring by your face as you followed Twilight towards the theater building which was about a hundred meters away.

"What the fuck?!" The group of wannabe gangsters yelled out behind you with a surprised and frustrated voice.

The somewhat disturbing image of the two guys' dicks still lingered in your mind and as you ran, you couldn't help but to laugh at the thrill of the situation and also, how small their equipment was. A crayon was a generous comparison.

The speed in which you were going was so fast that the two of you reached the back of the theater building within a minute. Twilight quickly took a doorknob identical to the one that Princess Luna had and held it out in front of her. The familiar light glowed from it and the dark blue door showed itself yet again.

"Go, go, go!" You called out, somewhat laughing in between.

Twilight opened the door and grabbed you by your wrist, pulling you in.

Your feet lifted from the ground and soon, you were flying through the blinding white portal at high speeds. You closed your eyes and stared at the dark red light that filtered through your eyelids, preparing yourself for a not-so-polite meeting involving the tile floor of the main castle hall and your face.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Happy easter everypony and happy 4/20! For anyone who actively celebrates that

Chapter 10: Sanctions

Not a sound could be heard in the main hall of the castle save for the occasional *ting* of Princess Celestia's tiny pewter spoon tapping against the side of her morning tea. The same could have been said for Octavia, who was lying on the soft carpet near Celestia and Luna's throne. However, because of her nervousness, she had refrained from taking even the smallest sip. No other sign of this could be properly observed simply by looking at her appearance, but inside of her was a flurry of emotions including fear, excitement, worry and frustration.

There wasn't any doubt among anypony in the room that Vinyl, along with the rest of the Mane Six that had gathered as well, felt the same way, if not to a larger extent.

"Oh, this waiting is just dreadful... Just think about what all this worrying can do to a mares complexion!" Rarity rubbed her hooves over her face trying to find blemishes.

"Bits 'ta gravy, girl. Quit 'yer whinin. Alex and Twi are gonna show up soon enough."

"I agree." Fluttershy said in her usual hushed voice. "Princess Celestia said that they would most definitely be back soon, so I think we should trust her judgement and-"

"Judgement smudgement! There's no telling if something happened to them! Even if she says so, we still have no way of knowing!" Rainbow Dash flew around in the air frantically, but then realized what she said and landed with humility on her face. "Uh... No offense, your highness..."

Princess Celestia smiled calmly. "None taken, Rainbow Dash. However, I have good faith that Princess Twilight Sparkle and Alex will make it-"

A loud cracking noise boomed through the hall. It was a similar noise to that of a lightning strike and it continued to resonate for several moments and echo around the room. Princess Celestia got up from her throne quickly and everypony around her rose as well. They backed away from the center of the room where Alex and Twilight left. Everypony could feel the amount of energy in the air, especially everypony who had a unicorn horn and could sense magic.

Just when the noise appeared as if it were going to slowly dissipate, a bright light emerged from the center of the room and it began to emit arcs of magic that resembled electricity.

"Everypony, stand back!" Princess Luna called out authoritatively, since she herself didn't fully know the extent of the interdimensional magic being used.

They all followed orders and backpedaled several feet until their butts were pressed against the wall.

Suddenly, all of the magic that was arcing outwards from the bright light condensed and shrunk back into itself as it began to finally diminish. There was a great deal of smoke that rose from where the event occurred and it was very difficult to see through it.

All eyes were open and awaiting to see what was behind the smoke.

Just like the last time you stepped through the portal, the bright light eventually went away and it was replaced with a dense darkness. You couldn't tell which way was up or down, and you felt like you were a bullet being shot through the barrel of a gun; everything was spinning out of control. Just when you thought you were about to barf in a helicopter pattern all around you, your body hit the hard tile floor and you felt yourself slide several feet before coming to a stop.

It didn't take long for the sharp pain to come around from the impact with the ground. You groaned and looked over yourself with a wobbly head to inspect your injuries which, thankfully, weren't as bad as they felt. There was a large scratch on your elbow where most of your weight landed. It had begun bleeding a little already, but it only took off one or two layers of skin. Or, at least, that was your guess since you couldn't see your skin too well underneath your dark blue fur. Thankfully, that was the worst injury you could see or feel.

You were a bit surprised that you weren't being smothered by ponies right now, even though thinking that way made you feel spoiled rotten. However, after rolling onto your back and trying to find the ceiling among a thick cloud of dust, you assumed it was because they couldn't see you yet. The dust around you was surely a mystery and, even just for a moment, you paused to wonder where it came from. Was it just debris from crashing into the floor? No, that much dust wouldn't have come from that... Maybe it was some sort of magical side effect of inter-dimensional travel? Perhaps. Although, a sharp headache soon formed between your temples and distracted you from speculating further.

Finally, after countless moments of trying to regain your senses and balance again, you felt your body being squeezed by the soft fur of a pony. It had only been a day, but you were already starting to miss the blissful smell and feel of fur instead of skin. You instinctively brought your hoof up to run it through Vinyl's hair only to realize shortly after that it wasn't Vinyl who was holding onto you. It was Octavia. Her silky black mane lay over your chest as she wrapped her front hooves around you. Your eyes widened a little from her amount of affection and you were a bit afraid that Vinyl would get jealous if she saw. Even though she was a friend just like everypony else, the fact that it wasn't Vinyl who came to you first concerned you a bit.

"Thank goodness..." Octavia whispered and let go of you after several moments.

"Yeah! They're back! Woohoo!" Rainbow Dash started flying around in circles when the dust cleared.

Fluttershy was the second to come to your attention, even though she was closely followed by her other friends.

"Oh my goodness... Are you alright? You look hurt..." Her eyes of concern scanned over your body and inspected the scratches and scrapes that covered your arms and legs. You could never get tired of her motherly nature.

"I'm good... Nghh..." You groaned as you got back on your hooves and felt your achy legs crack a few times in protest.

"Gosh, Alex. You look like you just went through a tornado!" Applejack stood over you and looked you over as well.

"Well, that's kinda what it felt like. Where's Vi-"

"Welcome back, Sir Alex. Princess Twilight." Luna walked slowly towards you with a soft smile on her face. At this point, you had given up trying to correct the name and just let it happen. "I trust your journey was worthwhile?"

"Princess Luna!" Twilight galloped towards her and hugged her briefly. "It was amazing! I learned so much and I even managed to get some more books from the human world!"

"I am glad to hear." Luna wrapped a hoof around Twilight. You could tell that she was just as relieved as everypony else that the two of you were okay.

Twilight went back to greet her friends with smiles and laughter. There were several hugs exchanged and you felt a little left out. However, there was something you needed to take care of first. You looked around the room with an aching heart, trying to find that mare that had waited for you for so long. You got a bit anxious after not seeing her anywhere and you felt your heart start to beat faster out of anxiety. Surely, she would've come, right?

However, you turned around and came face to face with her. She had been standing behind you in silence the entire time, and judging by the expression on her face, you could see why. It was a blender of mixed emotions on her face: Anger, sadness, and even a little happiness thrown in. It was obvious that her emotional state wasn't very secure.

Just when you were about to embrace her, you felt a hoof slap you across the cheek. Hard. It stung for several seconds and the sound of it echoed through the large royal chamber. You picked up a hoof to rub it a little, and you couldn't help but just stand there with shock on your face.

"That's for making me worry..." Vinyl's voice was wobbly and you could tell that she was one shove away from breaking down in tears.

Just when you thought she was about to start sobbing, she lunged forward and wrapped her hooves around your neck. You felt her tears dampen the fur on your back as you cursed yourself for leaving your marefriend behind for so long.

"I"m so sorry, Vinyl... I didn't realize I'd be gone for this long until I was already leaving..."

"It's okay... I'm just glad you're alright..." She sniffed and pulled her head back slightly before looking into your eyes with a quivering smile on her face that warmed your heart. You leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn't that deep of a kiss, but it was sincere enough to let her know that you were glad to see her again. The guilt of what you did with Twilight didn't hit you just yet; mainly because you were just glad to see that Vinyl was okay. Though, you were sure that you'd be feeling a boat load of guilt very soon.

Everypony around you, including Princess Luna, had rosy cheeks from your public display of affection. In any other circumstance, you would've waited until it was a more private setting. But after what Vinyl went through for who knows how long, you honestly didn't give two bucks. You pulled back slowly and hugged her tight, feeling her tiny tears start to dampen your fur.

"W-well, now that that's over with..." Princess Celestia seemed to come out of her character because of the awkwardness your gesture produced. "Alex and Twilight, please come with me and Princess Luna for a debriefing. I'm sure you have quite the story to tell."

"Yes, your highness." You answered respectfully.

"Alex, please. I remember telling you several times to address me more informally."

She turned around and gestured you and Twilight to follow before you could apologize. You gave Vinyl another quick hug while whispering in her ear.

"See you soon, babe. Love you." You kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay. Love you too." She whispered back and smiled bashfully. You could never get over the fact that her "A" type personality was so easily crippled by your gentle affections. Now that you think of it, you hadn't seen her act "herself" very often since the relationship between the two of you escalated. You had always thought that she wasn't into mushy-gushy stuff, but apparently, you helped her appreciate it more and more. As long as she was loyal to you, you didn't care.

As soon as you thought that, your guilt multiplied tenfold. Here you were expecting her to stay loyal to you when you basically cheated behind her back on more than one occasion. You were a hypocrite. Worse. You were being a hypocrite to the one pony you dreamed about most, and you hated every fiber of your being for it. You turned from Vinyl and caught up to Princess Celestia while almost vomiting from the amount of self-loathing and guilt in your stomach.

Still, you had to tell her. You had to.

You didn't need to explain anything. You didn't even have to contribute to the debriefing at all. Even if you had to, you wouldn't be able to since Twilight left no gaps in her speech to interject. She had to stop for a few seconds every once in a while to catch her breath, but shortly after, she went right back to talking about every little thing she experienced on Earth. Princess Luna simply sat on one of her cloud-like deep purple pillows in the corner of the room and observed.

"Ooh! Ooh! And then, we went to the library and I got these great books on their world history and geography! I can't wait to get home and dig into those babies! Oh, and then we went on a shopping spree and we got all this stuff! We got some presents for Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash...

Celestia obviously was getting a little tired from the extreme detail, and seeing as Twilight was just about to go through every single pony that the two of you got presents for, she decided to cut her short by clearing her throat politely.

"Alex, would you mind giving a more brief account?" She smiled at Twilight to show that it was nothing personal.

"Oh, uh... Sure. Well we stayed at my place for the night and I showed her some of our technology and stuff. The next morning, we went out and got some presents for all our friends, and after that, we went back home and I showed her what the internet was."

"I see. And what is this... Internet?" It was obvious that Princess Celestia had never heard of it.

"Well, Twilight could tell you, but its basically a mass data bank of all sorts of information and stuff. Almost everyone on Earth uses it and there's so much info on there that you'd probably die of old age before you finished half of it." You chuckled a little.

"Goodness. That's quite an accomplishment for humanity." Princess Celestia said sincerely.

"Mhmm. Oh, and I also got a present for you and Princess Luna."

You pulled your backpack in front of you and dug through the piles of gifts you brought with your credit card. You grinned because of how naughty it felt to never have to pay for all of the stuff. The presents for Celestia and Luna weren't recognizable since they were both in a box with nothing but the company name on the front. You got them both from the same store and the two boxes looked identical, but you had scribbled a "C" one one and an "L" on the other.

"My, Alex. You didn't have to get anything for me. What's the occasion?" She raised her eyebrow as she took the two boxes from your hooves with her brilliant golden magic aura, floating one over to Luna.

"Don't open them just yet." You made sure to tell them just in case. They both looked at you oddly and you could understand why. "I kinda wanted to do something for you guys so everypony could see what we do for our holidays back on Earth. One of the things we do is exchange presents with one another, but only on the day of the holiday."

Princess Celestia and Luna simply sat there with curious eyes as they took in the information.

"I see." Luna paused for a second to think. "I would not like to cancel Hearth's Warming Eve for this... What is this event called, Sir Alex?"

"Christmas." You said while exhaling.

"Christmas... Because it is important that we ponies understand what happened in our past. However, I do not see any harm in celebrating this event after Heath's Warming Eve."

The next few minutes were filled with you explaining Christmas to the princesses all over again. It took a while to get them to understand since they knew just as much as Twilight did about the whole ordeal. However, you finally got them to understand. Princess Celestia actually seemed to like the idea for the most part and sounded quite enthusiastic about it. After a bit of scheduling and planning, you learned that Hearth's Warming was just around the corner. It was just over a week away and you thanked your luck for being able to get back in time to celebrate it with Vinyl and everypony else. The four of you decided to have Christmas Eve the night after Hearth's Warming Eve at Twilight's tree house. You were hoping that it would be a little more relaxing and peaceful, so you suggested that everypony keep their invitations to as few acquaintances as possible. Of course, telling Pinkie Pie to do this wouldn't be as easy especially since you knew that she would be all in your face the second you said anything about a Christmas party.

A few minutes later...

You took a deep breath as you unlocked the front door to Vinyl's house which, you guessed, could be considered your house as well at this point. Thankfully, Princess Celestia was able to limit Twilight's rambling to a certain extent. Even though it didn't annoy you too too much, extended exposure to it caused you to yawn and pinch your temples repeatedly. Your inhale granted you the pleasure of taking in the familiar scent of Equestrian air. You didn't quite notice it at the time, but now that you were able to compare the two, the air back on Earth seemed a little too polluted compared to your new home. Only after living in Equestria for several months were you able to realize how different it was.

When you left the castle, Vinyl and Octavia were right outside the main doors when you and they were smothering you from the second you left until you got home. Vinyl began clinging onto you again like a backpack and even though the three of you laughed it off a bit, she made it clear that she wasn't going to stop any time soon. You couldn't blame her for it. Meanwhile, Octavia had begun going through the list of questions that had been festering in her head ever since you left.

The first thing you did when you entered the living room was plop down onto the couch to rest your legs from walking so much. The cushions felt nice and the fact that there was still hot coals in the fireplace helped as well. After all, it had begun snowing outside yet again and the cold air seemed to leak into the house through every nook and cranny.

"So, how was it like? Did you have fun? You must have so much to tell since you were gone for so long." Octavia sat down in her usual armchair next to the fireplace.

"Oh definitely! Even though it was mainly filled with Twilight asking about every little thing we passed along the way..." The three of you chuckled. "But it was cool, but we were only there for a day."

"I beg your pardon? You were gone for nearly a month, Alex..."

"Yeah, what the buck are ya talkin' about? Did your Earth air make you sick or somethin?" You could understand why they wouldn't know.

"No, no. It's complicated, but time passes by a lot slower here than on Earth. It's only been twenty four hours since I left Equestria."

"I see... That's quite intriguing..." Octavia rubbed her chin with her hoof and looked down at the ground trying to comprehend.

"Anyways, I got you presents!" You didn't want to get drawn into the same discussion all over again, so you changed the subject.

"Really?!" Octavia and Vinyl both blurted out at the same time.

"Oh my, I can't imagine what a gift from the human world would look like... Can I see it?" Octavia poked a hoof inside your saddlebag full of presents that was laying on the floor in between you and her, but you nudged her away.

"Nope, nope, nope! You gotta wait..."

"Wait? Come on! Waiting's so lame..." Vinyl propped her front hooves on the back of the couch and she rested her head on top of yours in a cute manner. "When do we get our presents?"

"In a week or so. I have something special in mind for all of us to do. I'll explain later, but it'll be fun. Promise."

"Hmmph... Okay..." Vinyl said while flipping her tail around playfully.

A few silent moments went by and Octavia got up to poke the coals in the fireplace to make them a little warmer.

"I need a shower. I'll leave you two to talk in private." Octavia smiled and turned to head towards the bathroom.

You stomach instantly sank and your butterflies returned in full force. It sounded to you like she knew that there was something that you and Vinyl needed to talk about. She couldn't possibly know about Twilight, could she? What if she somehow did? You took a gulp as Vinyl trotted around to join you on the couch.

"Was there anything you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked as if she was expecting a specific answer.

She definitely knew something. You could tell it by the way she spoke and the look she gave you when she sat down. There was no turning back and there was no point in trying to lie about anything. If you had any chance of having a future with Vinyl, you had to start being more honest with her starting right now. Even if it could spell the end of your relationship, you had to do it anyway. You thought about what to say for a few seconds and looked down at your hooves nervously.

You sighed. "I won't ask you to not be mad, because I know you probably will be. I haven't exactly been faithful to you..." Your lips began to quiver a little from all the guilt and self-loathing that came with what you did.

"I know." Vinyl replied. She was definitely frowning, but she didn't sound nearly as upset as you expected.

"Oh..." You didn't quite know what to say.

"Octy told me right before you left. Listen, I know she's getting a little lonely and I know you didn't really commit to anything... But it just kinda bothers me... When she told me, I just felt like you didn't love me as much anymore and-"

You stopped her mid sentence and hugged her tight, pulling her head into your chest. "I'm so sorry for doing that to you, Vinyl... I really am. I've been feeling terrible about it ever since it happened and I just was too afraid to tell you. But I love you just as much as I always have. No, even more than before. So don't ever think I don't."

"Okay..." She curled into you and sniffed. You couldn't see, but you hoped that there was a smile on her face.

Your emotions were even more confused than they were earlier. On one hand, it was obvious that what Vinyl still didn't know about you and Twilight. On the other, you felt at least a little satisfied that what happened between you and Octavia was over and done with. You didn't know whether to feel relieved or stressed, but your stomach was still upset from nervousness.

You were trying to decide whether or not to tell her about Twilight too. Now definitely wasn't a good time, but you couldn't hold on to the guilt any longer.

Vinyl got up from your lap and gave you a kiss on the cheek gently. "Love you."

"Love you too, Vinyl." You said hesitantly as she got back up and turned to walk into the back hallway. You grit your teeth and groaned. You had to do it now.

"W-wait... There's something else I needed to tell you..."

Vinyl didn't move. She didn't speak and she didn't even glance in your direction, and you couldn't blame her. You were biting your lip hard because you were so mad at yourself. Even when you told her the whole story with you and Twilight, she didn't interject or say anything. She just sat there in the armchair and took all of it in at once.

You saw a single tear roll down her cheek and her mouth trembled a little as she stared down at her hooves. Seeing the tear made you want to kill yourself right at that moment. You hated yourself for how much you hurt her. Vinyl being sad was one ordeal in and of itself, but knowing that you were the one that caused her such grief was even worse.

"Vinyl... I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't... Just... Don't."

She got up from the chair abruptly and trotted towards the door. Her voice was extremely shaky from her crying and it made you start crying as well as soon as you heard it. It was like a javelin through your heart and it was at that point you truly felt like the worst person alive.

For one moment, she lifted her head and turned around. You saw her face full of sadness and it hurt you deep. She looked like she was about to say something, but she couldn't make any words come out. She opened the door to the chilly snowy night and galloped out, slamming the door behind her with her magic.

"God Damnit..." You buried your face into your hooves and gritted your teeth together to keep from breaking down into a pitiful crying fit.

"You should let her go... Trust me. It's bad to try to reason with her when she's in that kind of mood." Octavia appeared from the hallway and sighed.

"I... I guess you heard?"

"Unfortunately, yes." She looked down at you sternly. It wasn't clear whether she was just mad at you or disappointed.

"I shouldn't pass judgement on you since I've had my own troubles with this sort of rubbish... However, I hope you feel terrible for what you did to her."

"Don't worry, I do." You rubbed a few tears from your cheek.

"And I especially hope you've learned your lesson." She reached over and poked the coals in the fireplace once again. They were about to go out, so she took a few logs from the hearth and threw them in. "Oh bother... I forgot that Vinyl's usually the one to light the fire... I suppose you haven't acquired fire magic yet?"

"I can try, but I might burn down the damn town." You were in no mood to laugh at your own joke, but Octavia managed to chuckle just a tiny bit. You had noticed on a few other occasions, but it was obvious now that she was very resilient to emotional troubles when she needed to be; save for that one night when she confessed her love for you.

She gave up on the fire and sat down on the couch, sighing again. "Honestly. I hope that mare doesn't do anything rash."

Your sobbing had stopped finally, which made you feel a little better, but it was replaced with a great deal of worry for your marefriend.

"Do you think I should go? I don't want to cause you two any more trouble..."

"Oh don't think that way, Alex. I'm sure you two will be able to work this thing out." She got a grin on her face, which you noticed.

"What?"

"Well, you could tidy up the house for us. That is, if you want to do something to make up for what you've done."

"Sure..." You got up and went into the kitchen, opening cabinets and taking out a feather duster and some glass cleaning fluid. You also found a few towels and threw them over your back as well.

"H-hold on, Alex! I was only joking, you don't have to do all of that..."

"No, this is the least I can do."

Octavia leaned back on the couch and shrugged. "Alright then. It would be silly to turn down free labor." She chuckled a little more and closed her eyes as you started spraying window cleaner on the large window in the living room.

There were tiny streaks left on the window after you wiped off the fluid, but they cleared up shortly after. You couldn't help but stare out the window into the main street that cut through Ponyville. Somepony was diligent enough to shovel the snow off of the road, but there was another thin layer of it already collecting over the cobblestone.

You knew that she was probably nowhere near the house, but you couldn't help it. You looked left and right along the lamp-lit road to try and find that electric blue mane and tail, but it was nowhere to be found. A deep breath escaped your lips and you continued scrubbing the window hoping that, wherever she was, Vinyl was somewhere safe out in that vast darkness beyond the road.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Again, sorry for the long wait in between chapters. I had to deal with a couple of papers and an exam

Chapter 11: A Blizzard Inside

"Yeah! And there were these things called air conditioners that cooled the air and blew it at you! Ooh, it was so nice! I mean we just use ice magic, but it was so neat to see how humans deal with hot weather! Oh, and then-"

"Hold on now, girl. Be sure to take a few breaths in between!" Applejack cut her off so that Twilight wouldn't pass out.

"Heheh. Well, Twilight sure does love to talk!" Rainbow Dash was flying upside down playfully around Twilight while teasing her.

"Ooh ooh! I love to talk too! I can talk all day! I've just been suppressing my urge to talk since Twilight was talking and she was talking about something wayyyy cooler! But if you really really really want me to, I can start talking to and-"

Rarity put a hoof over her mouth quickly. "That's just fine, Pinkie dear. Let's let Twilight finish her story first."

"Fine" Pinkie said in a mock accent. Rarity, as well as a couple other members of the Mane Six, took a deep breath of relief.

"As I was saying... We got all sorts of presents for you girls and I think you're all going to love them. There were some things we got that I have no clue about, so hopefully Alex will tell us about them on..." She tried to remember the name. "Oh, Christmas!"

"Christmas? What's that?" Fluttershy's low volume was a bit easier to hear in the quiet night where there were no distracting noises.

"From how Alex described it, it's a lot like Hearth's Warming Eve, but a little different..." Twilight chuckled under her breath when she was reminded of all the goofy things Alex said about the holiday. It didn't make much sense with all the stuff about Santa Claus. But she was sure that, to Alex, the details behind Hearth's Warming Eve sounded just as silly.

"So yer saying we'll have two Hearth's Warming Eves this year?!"

"It's called Chrismas, Applejack..." Twilight corrected her but not in a rude way.

"Oh my... Celebrating a foreign holiday sure does sound exciting. I just hope it isn't too loud or boisterous..." Fluttershy's eyes stared at the ground while she went over worst case scenarios for the huge parties that Pinkie Pie always came up with. She had a slight look of worry on her face.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy. It's only going to be us six and Alex's friends. It won't get out of hand."

Fluttershy picked her head up and smiled. "Oh. That's good. I like small parties..."

"So what kind of things do you do for... Chrismas, Twilight?" Rarity said as she was already thinking about making outfits to match the occasion.

"Well, for one, they-"

Twilight cut herself off and came to a halt in the middle of the road. Her heart started racing from the sudden sight of Vinyl sitting on a bench in front of where they were walking. She knew that Alex probably wouldn't have told her about what happened so soon after getting back, but she still felt an odd sense of guilt when she saw her. It was like the feeling of getting caught cheating on a test, which wasn't a feeling Twilight was familiar with. However, the sensation of fear and anxiety felt exactly how Twilight would've guessed. It seemed like Vinyl was becoming more and more ubiquitous ever since Alex came into the picture.

Twilight backed up behind her other five friends and gestured to them that she didn't want to be seen. They all gave her weird looks, but went along with the act.

"Well howdy there, Vinyl. Whatcha doin out here in tha' cold all by yer' lonesome?" Applejack approached the bench and looked down at her. She couldn't see her eyes since her long bangs on her mane blocked them from view when looking down at her.

"Oh... Hey." She replied after an awkward moment of silence. She tried her best not to look up so that her tears couldn't be seen.

"Are you alright, dear? Certainly somepony doesn't sit out here in the cold for no reason?" Rarity stepped forward a little.

"I'm fine. Just... Getting some fresh air. That's all." Vinyl said in a low monotonic voice.

"Oh come, now. I know a troubled mare when I see one. What's on your mind, Vinyl darling?"

Vinyl sighed and brushed a part of her mane aside. It wasn't intentional, but it gave Applejack and Rarity a glimpse of her pink eyes and damp cheeks.

"It's nothing, alright? I'm fine." She said before sniffing. "It's just... Me and Alex are kinda going through a rough time right now."

Vinyl herself was surprised that she was able to get that last part out, even though it wasn't a specific explanation. When everypony in the group heard, they all fell silent and gave each other looks that said "Oh... Maybe we should just leave her alone." Twilight was almost an entire six feet behind the other five and hiding in a nearby bush.

Even Pinkie Pie didn't try to cheer her up, which was saying something. It was probably because of her limited knowledge on relationships between a colt and a mare. One thing she did know about that sort of ordeal was things could become extremely volatile at the slightest provocation.

"Well, okay then. We'll leave ya' be. Let us know if you need anything, sugarcube." Applejack fixed her cowboy hat a little and backed off respectfully.

"And I do hope your... problem... Gets sorted out!" Rarity smiled nervously and turned back to the group as well.

"Thanks. Seeyah." Vinyl's voice could barely be heard from how low and deflated it was.

"Geez... What was that about?" Rainbow Dash whispered after they had walked away a few yards out of earshot.

"I don't know... But I really hope that Vinyl Scratch will be okay... I heard that relationships troubles can be very complicated." Fluttershy said with concern in her eyes as she looked back at Vinyl.

"More importantly, why were you hiding from her, Twilight? I thought you out of all ponies would want to help!" Rarity complained a little, but it was justified.

"It's a.... Um... Long story." Twilight said with an innocent smile and a tiny *squee*.

Rarity gasped. "You're not implying that..."

Twilight blushed and didn't answer as they walked towards her tree house.

Pinkie Pie let out a gasp as well, albeit it was one filled with more excitement than concern.

"Omigoshomigoshomigosh did you BUCK ALEX?! Was it fun? Did it feel good? What did he do? Ooh! What did you do?!"

"Pinkie Pie! Shhh!" Twilight lowered her head and held a hoof to her mouth. Vinyl was plenty far away by now, but a yell from Pinkie Pie was not to be underestimated.

"Twilight! Ah can't believe you!" Applejack came to a stop, causing everypony else to do the same and look back at her. She put on a stern look. "Out of all mares..."

Twilight sighed in defeat. "I know. I feel awful for it. I really do. It's just... It's really hard... For a Princess..." She fidgeted and blushed some more as she dug her hoof into the soil beneath her.

"Ah understand where yer' comin' from, but still. Ya' can't just go bucking around with everypony's special somepony!"

"Yea, Twi, that's totally uncool." Rainbow dash folded her front hooves and hovered in the air steadily.

"I know!" Twilight said in a slightly louder tone. It reminded her of how she explained it to Alex before they... She wiped the thought from her mind and continued. She resumed walking in an effort to deal with her frustration. Her pace was a little quicker this time and it was more difficult for the others to keep up with her fast trotting.

"It's not very easy being a Princess and... I just need somepony who can take care of me like Alex takes care of Vinyl! But... With me being a figurehead for Equestria and all, it's nearly impossible..." She was extremely embarrassed to come out with something like this to her best friends, but it was the fact that they were her best friends that helped her find the courage.

Nopony really knew what to say at first. After all, Twilight's dilemma was quite a tough one. In the past, everypony besides her (with the possible exception of Fluttershy) found it relatively easy to find a colt to mess around with. Even though they were too ashamed to admit it, they knew.

"Again, I know where yer' comin' from..." Applejack looked down at the ground to try and find the right words to say. "But either way, ya' need to find a way to fix yer' problems without getting in the way of pony's relationships..."

It didn't take much time before they reached Twilight's house, which was just the way she left it. All of the lights were on and upon a careful listen, she could hear Spike rustling about in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, girls..." She paused outside her front door and turned to them. "I know this may hurt the way all of you think of me..."

"Don't be silly, Twilight! You'll always be our most cherished friend!" Rarity went up and hugged her briefly to comfort her. Everypony else around her smiled and nodded their heads as Rarity continued.

"All of us make mistakes from time to time."

"Yeah! Like yesterday, I saw Applejack cheat at checkers!" Pinkie blurted out suddenly.

Applejack turned to her quickly. "Hey! That was a fair move! Ah' ain't no cheater!"

Pinkie's outburst helped lighten the situation and everypony laughed heartily. From the red hue on Applejack's cheeks, it was apparent that Pinkie Pie was right about the cheating.

"Anyway, I really need to hit the hay. That day with Alex sure was eventful!"

Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack, the only three who apparently got the innuendo, gave her a stern look.

She let out a frustrated exhale. "You know what I meant!" However, after seeing their smiles shortly after, Twilight could tell that they were just teasing.

"Goodnight, girls. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"'Kay then! Seeyah, Twi!" Pinkie turned around with the others and waved a hoof.

Twilight closed her eyes and leaned against her front door for a few seconds.

"Geez... And I still have all those books to go through about Alex's magic..." Twilight said to herself. It wasn't normal for her to not look forward to reading, but after such a long day, she just didn't have the energy.

"I hope Spike has a fire going... Brrr..." Her body shook a bit from the icy air.

She opened her eyes to reach for the door knob, but instead, she found Rainbow Dash still standing beside her just as she was earlier. It startled her a bit and she backed up a foot or two.

"O-oh... Rainbow! I didn't see you there! Is there... Something you need help with?"

The expression on Rainbow's face was confusing. "Well, about that problem you were talking about earlier..." She flipped her tail around nervously and avoided eye contact with Twilight.

"Yes?" Twilight didn't care much for talking about it any more, but since it was her best friend, she let her minor frustration slide.

"Well... I think I might be able to help with that..." Her cheeks reddened and a tiny smile appeared on her face.

The house was spotless. You had asked Octavia to inspect it for you and even she, a mare who had a keen eye for cleanliness, couldn't find a single dust bunny or window smudge anywhere. Even though her compliments and praises, it didn't help alleviate your overwhelming feeling of guilt and emptiness.

For what seemed like hours, you had been laying down on the couch on your back with your eyes fixated on the ceiling fan slowly going in circles. Your eyes were going around and around trying to lazily follow one single blade of the fan. Finally, after getting a little dizzy and being sick of the awful feeling in your stomach, you sat up and groaned.

"That's it. I'm going to look for her."

"What?" Octavia put her book down and looked up. "Alex, I realize you care for her, but it's best if..."

"No. I don't care. I fucked up our relationship and now I need to go fix it." You got up from the couch and quickly threw a scarf on before you had a chance to change your mind.

Octavia let out a sigh. It was either from her not wanting to argue anymore or because she realized that you were right. Either way, it became apparent that she had no desire to stop you.

"Well, good luck I suppose."

You readied yourself and stepped out into the cold. The second the door flew open, a shiver went down your spine. The scarf didn't help too much, but it was enough. It wasn't until after you closed the door behind you that you started to wonder where she could have been. She could have been at her normal bar hangout, one of her friends' houses, or she could've been simply wandering about. It didn't matter, though. You were prepared to freeze to death in the cold trying to look for her.

Your hooves made a thick *clop* sound against the cobblestone as you made your way out onto the road.

"Better check to see if she's not freezing her ass off outside first." You mumbled under your breath. "Dammit, Alex..."

You figured that trotting at a faster pace would knock out two birds with one stone since you would possibly find her faster and warm up your body at the same time. Left was the most reasonable direction to go since it led to Twilight's tree house and a large expanse of empty meadow where she could likely be. You looked around left and right on your way just to be sure, but there was no sign of her. You groaned and picked up your pace to a power walk. The motion in your legs was slowly helping warm up your body. In addition, the nervousness in your stomach did its job by distracting you from the cold air.

"Vinyl!!!" You called out, not expecting anything.

No response. You kept trotting along the road, but your yell ended up attracting the attention of Cloudchaser who was apparently flying above you somewhere.

"Hey!"

You looked around immediately and stopped in your tracks. There was a silver lining of hope in the back of your mind even though you realized that it wasn't Vinyl's voice.

"Up here, silly!" Cloudchaser descended and giggled a little.

Remembering that she was one of Vinyl's roadies, you instantly pushed past the small talk.

"Cloudchaser! Thank god! Have you seen Vinyl anywhere?!" You asked frantically.

"Whoa, whoa. Calm down there, buddy." She came down to the ground, making a tiny *clop* as her hooves hit the road. "Vinyl?" She looked up and rubbed her chin. "Nah, haven't seen her recently. Why, what's up?"

"Dammit. Sorry, no time to explain! Thanks!" You took off running past her, anxious to find your marefriend.

Cloudchaser stood there for a few seconds giving you a bemused look with her eyebrows raised. "Y-you're welcome... I guess?"

You barely heard what she said, but it didn't matter. You could already see the end of the line of houses that lie on either side of the road. Twilight's tree house was in the distance, but you decided to turn right after the houses and cross over into the vast field.

"Vinyl!!!"

Vinyl's ears perked up. She couldn't understand every part of what she heard, but she was certain of who it came from. At first, she mistakenly remained silent once she saw you running through the open field. Everything inside her wanted you to come, but something was making her want to see you just keep going past her. She wasn't sure what it was, but as she closed her eyes firmly, she tried her best to shake the feeling off.

"Over here, you idiot!"

You immediately changed course and followed where the voice came from. You were already out of breath from running, but you didn't care. The one thing you needed to do was to at least see her face one more time since you weren't sure whether or not she would forgive you. The pace in your legs slowed to a steady trot as you caught your breath. The distance between the two of you was a bit far, but the strong moonlight was enough to make her white fur glow so that you could see her clearly.

She didn't speak another word until you were well within normal speaking range. You couldn't completely make out her facial expression, but if you had to guess, it was either anger or sadness. The dense guilt inside you almost kept you from looking straight into her eyes. Though, you had to be sincere when addressing her, especially now.

"What the hell do you want?" As you got closer, you could see her lips quivering a bit. It only made you feel worse.

"To make sure you weren't-" You panted a bit which cut you off mid-sentence. "freezing your ass off!"

She stood there for a few seconds while looking at you. You thought she would respond, but after a prolonged silence, you decided to speak again.

"Look..." You panted some more and then took a deep breath in hopes that it would cause it to stop. "I know you're mad at me and I can understand why."

"No shit." She responded sharply. It threw you off a little, but you kept going.

"I won't make any excuses for what I did. I hurt you terribly and this is honestly the worst guilt I've ever felt in my life."

Vinyl Scratch stood there and gave you a stern look, but if you didn't know any better, you could tell that it was softening a little. You didn't know why, but you paid it no mind.

"I didn't do it because I liked her more. You know you're the only mare I love." You were still panting despite your long breath earlier. It seemed like even after a few months in your pony body, you still hadn't conditioned it as much as you should have.

Still, she stood there silent. You were starting to get annoyed from her lack of communication.

"I promise on my life nothing like that will ever happen again. I've done so much for you and I couldn't live with myself if I saw you go over this..."

You were trying to make the words you said sound sincere despite your heart racing.

After a few more seconds, Vinyl finally spoke up.

"It's too late for promises, Alex." It sounded like she said it with a cold tone, but you had no clue what she was really feeling inside.

"I know, I know... Just..." You took another deep breath and felt the cold air burn the inside of your throat as you tried to think of what you should say.

"Alex... I know this is cliche, but... I thought what we had was special..." Vinyl lowered her eyes and turned sideways. You feared that it was because she was about to walk away.

"It was special! N-no, it is special! I wanted to give so much to you because I knew, even before I came here, that I wanted to be there for you when you needed me... I-I wanted to be that person who you trusted most... I know I fucked that up, I know I did. I made a mistake because I let my generosity go too far."

Vinyl kept standing there, speechless and motionless as she stared at the grass underneath her hooves.

"I know it's asking a lot... But if we can work past this, I promise I won't do anything like that again. Please... If you could feel the guilt in my gut, you would understand..."

For a moment, she seemed as if she was contemplating something. You stood there looking at her and waiting to see any sort of reaction from her.

She turned away towards the empty expanse of grass. Everything past that point seemed to go in slow motion as you slowly realized what was being implied. Your eyes widened and your heart sank as you watched her slowly walk away silently. Every crunch of damp grass beneath her hooves rang in your ear and haunted you to your very core. It was obvious that she couldn't trust you anymore and you couldn't really blame her. You grit your teeth hard and cursed yourself profusely, trying to think of what to say that was different than what you already told her.

You let out an exhale and tried to cope with the inevitable. You weren't really thinking that she would accept your apology, so it didn't come as a great surprise to see her turn her back to you. Everything that you did with her up to this point flashed in your mind all at once, and you began shedding tears once you vividly remembered the first night you spent with her. It was very similar to the night you were both in right now. You remembered the two of you laying down under the stars after a long party and sharing each others' life stories. It seemed like a dream come true back then, but now, it seemed like the dream was turning into a sad and painful nightmare.

She was about ten to fifteen feet away from you when a sudden surge of mournful anger flowed inside you. Perhaps it was a bit risky to let your raw emotions out so hastily, but you had to do something. The sight of her turning her back from you and walking into a life without you was too painful for you to just stand there quietly.

"God dammit, Vinyl! Don't you remember why I wanted to stay here in the first place?!"

You didn't expect it to change her mind at all. In fact, you realized how stupid it was to act angry when you were the one at fault. Your head dropped and you stared at the soil beneath you in defeat once you used the last card in your hand. It was all you had, but it was sincere and it was your last hope of possibly changing her mind.

You were too afraid to look up and see her continuing to walk away from you, but you looked anyway. Tears were matting down the fur on your cheeks to a great extent and they were even starting to drip off your face.

She had stopped. Even though you weren't sure why, she had stopped walking away and you praised all the princesses that she did nonetheless. It took her a few moments to turn around again, but the emotion on her face was completely different than it was before. Not wanting to let the opportunity go, you kept going.

"If I came here and I didn't meet you... If I didn't do all the things I did with you... I would've gone right the fuck back home!" You weren't really angry. Moreover, you were simply passionate about wanting to get your point across.

"Even if it was with some other pony, Twilight, or anypony else, it wouldn't have mattered. If it wasn't with you, I would've gone home and I wouldn't still be here right now! Don't you get it?! You're the only reason I stayed here in the first place! I know I already said this, but I know what I did was stupid... But what we have is special... Because it made me realize that I would rather abandon my life back at home to spend the rest of my life here with you..."

You sighed. The emotion that was bottled up inside you was being let out and it was becoming apparent to her because of the overwhelming sadness in your voice.

"So please... I'm begging you... Please don't take away the only reason I chose to stay here... I love you. More than anything. More than anypony..." You were nearly sobbing while trying to get the words out.

You closed your eyes in grief and bit your lip as hard as you can, trying not to break down in tears pitifully. Right when you were about to drop to the ground and let it all out, you heard a fast crunching of grass coming towards you quickly. You didn't have time to even look up before Vinyl embraced you with open arms and caused you to fall on your back onto the wet cold ground.

Despite the chilliness in the air, the warmth of Vinyl's body provided a warmth that you had never felt before. It was a warmth that every fiber of your body needed desperately which made it that much more welcome. Every ounce of emotion you had left inside you was released at that very moment. You dug your face into Vinyl's fur and let it all out, trying to muffle your mouth as much as you could to suppress the crying. Despite all that, you managed to form some words.

"I'm so sorry..." You grit your teeth again as you hugged her close, even though her grasp on you was even tighter. She was sobbing into your ear loud enough for it to hurt, but you were too emotionally stressed to let it bother you.

The steady glow of the fire coals were the only light in the room besides Octavia's oil lamp. After a bit of resourceful thinking, she managed to light a fire with it. Even though she managed to burn herself slightly while trying to do it, the warmth that it gave her was well worth the minor pain.

Although, that was an hour ago. Due to the coziness of the fire, she was able to drift off to sleep rather quickly despite her interest in the book she was reading. Her belly enlarged a tiny bit and then retracted gently and peacefully in her rest as her head rested on the arm of her favorite chair.

The deadbolt of the front door slowly lifted with a *click*, but it wasn't enough to wake her. As you opened the door for Vinyl, the instant radiant heat hit you and comforted you after the whole ordeal you just went through. It was almost as blissful as the warmth of her hug earlier, but there was no mistaking that you preferred her over any warm flame.

Vinyl walked in slowly. The both of you had no more tears left to cry and their absence was replaced by a strong fatigue that made you want to simply fall on the couch and pass out. The atmosphere between you and your marefriend was a bit awkward, if not on thin ice, so you chose not to speak anything that didn't need to be spoken. You closed the door behind you and made sure it was locked before taking a long breath and relaxing your muscles.

"I'm gonna take a shower." Vinyl finally spoke. The journey back was a bit silent until this point.

"Alright."

You desperately needed a hot shower as well, but the only other alternative was to use Octavia's bathroom. Even though you knew you wouldn't hear the end of it once she woke up, you decided to go past her wishes and head straight there. You didn't even notice that she was asleep on her armchair since she was a quiet sleeper and nothing you did thus far managed to wake her.

In the few months that you lived in that house, you had only seen the inside of her bathroom once. However, you knew just where it was. You walked down the dark hallway and, after hearing Vinyl close the door to her room, you turned to your right and twisted the doorknob to Octavia's bathroom. You thanked Luna when you found that it was unlocked.

To say that was neat and organized would've been an understatement. Everything was in its rightful place. Even the floss on her bathroom counter lay neatly and symmetrically next to her toothbrush. Not wanting to take too long, since you were already running the risk of being found out in her bathroom, you quickly climbed into her shower and turned on the hot water.

Even though the freshness and softness of your recently washed fur felt great and even though there seemed to be resolution with Vinyl, your gut still had the same empty feeling as before. You stepped out of Octavia's bathroom and let out a long breath that seemed to be holding itself inside you for the last hour.

Your first instinct was to go straight to Vinyl's bed, but after what happened that night, you felt as if she needed her space. You stood in the hallway for a few moments trying to think of what to do. Obviously going into Octavia's bed wasn't an option even if she had already fallen asleep on the armchair. Sleeping on the couch seemed like the best bet. However, something inside you wanted to see Vinyl one last time before you called it a night. There was still so much inside your mind that was unsaid.

You walked down to the next door on the left and knocked on her door. Even if it was unlocked, you didn't want to risk pissing her off any more than you already did.

"Yeah?" A fatigued and worn out voice called softly from inside.

You opened the door slowly and peeked your head in. She was already in bed and covered by multiple layers of sheets. The only thing you could make out in the darkness was her bright mane which seemed to present itself despite how dim the atmosphere was. You stuttered a little nervously as you tried to form words. Your throat was already raw from breathing so much icy air earlier and that didn't help much.

"Hey... I just wanted to ask... D-do you want me to sleep on the couch tonight?"

You were already considering it since going back to your normal routine might not have felt right at the moment, but you at least wanted confirmation from her first.

Slowly and silently, through the tiny strip of light that leaked in from the space outside, you could see her shaking her head.

"Oh... Alright. Well, where do you want me to sleep?"

It was obvious that Vinyl was very tired since she took so long to respond and since she spoke so gently and sleepily. You could see her magenta eyes open halfway and look up at you in a way that made your heart melt for her just like they always did.

"Here... Please..."

The last tear you had in your eyes trickled down your cheek as you smiled.

"Sure thing, Angel."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3
~Canadianbrony91

Chapter 12: Redemption (Part 1)

Your body shivered a slight bit as you slowly woke up. Even though you were used to it by now, it was still quite annoying that most of the houses in Ponyville didn't have that much insulation. It wasn't enough to make you complain about it though, since Vinyl was snuggled up right next to you to provide you with what little warmth you needed to take the edge off the cold. You tried your best not to wake her up while you felt for her body and tucked yourself a little closer to her. You still felt a little guilty about being able to be so intimate with her since you were the one stallion who deserved it the least.

Nevertheless, you appreciated every second you spent with her. After being on the brink of losing her forever last night, having her cuddled next to your body made her feel that much warmer. As you looked at her peaceful sleeping face, you couldn't help but smile at how amazing she was and how much she had to put up with you. Gently, you ran your hoof through her electric blue hair and closed your eyes. Her gentle breaths brushed and tickled against your muzzle. It made you giggle a bit, but you stopped yourself so you wouldn't wake her up.

Your heart stopped when she started to stir, but it didn't appear that she had fully woken up. However, two things made themselves apparent when she did this. One, you came to the epitome that Vinyl was the cutest sleeper ever.

Two, as she rolled over a little towards you, you felt her body press against your huge morning wood.

It was an extremely awkward situation. You knew that sex was completely out of the picture since you would need to get a bit further on her good side before you even suggested that. If she woke up, it would probably cause mass confusion which would involve her assuming you were dry humping her in her sleep or something along those lines. However, you couldn't move it. Doing so would most definitely wake her. In addition, there was no use trying to make it go down since Vinyl's hot naked body was up against it.

You gently pulled the bed sheets up and you quickly confirmed what you feared. Your stallion hard-on was wedged in between the mattress and her hip. Even though you tried your best not to do so, it had begun throbbing against her slightly.

"Hmm? Alex?" Vinyls drowsy voice made your heart stop and your eyes widen.

She shifted around again. It was over. She was awake now and you had no doubt that she could feel your wood poking against her. You shut your eyes and hoped to Luna that she would somehow not notice.

Vinyl's belly rose up and fell as she took a deep breath.

"You got morning wood, don't you?"

"Shit" You mentally cursed your body for being so hungry for sex all the time. "I'm sorry... I just woke up with it and you rolled over on it and-"

Vinyl turned over and rolled herself on top of you, relieving the stress of having your cock wedged underneath her. However, she continued rolling until she was lying on her belly on top of you with your cock now wedged in between her thighs. Even though it was an extremely sexual environment, you couldn't help but feel a little awkward and confused.

She looked down at you with her sleepy eyes and started pecking at your cheeks with her lips.

"V-Vinyl... Mmph..." Pleasure was starting to build in your shaft as you could feel the warmth of her marehood press against it. "Don't you think we should wait a bit for that? I mean, after last night..." Your eyes nervously shifted away from her.

She sighed. "I know... But it's been a month... I really need it..." Her hips rubbed against your cock passionately. You didn't need her to tell you that she needed it for you to know. You could tell from what she was already doing to you that she was horny as hell.

She pointed her hoof at your face condescendingly.

"But that doesn't mean everything's back to normal, got it? And you don't get to cum, either."

"Aw... Come on now..." You pouted a little as she continued to grind on you.

"You get to cum again when you're back on my good side." Vinyl reached down between the two of you and grabbed a hold of your cock with her hoof, stroking it a little before prodding it at her entrance.

"Fine, fine- ahhh!" You involuntarily moaned as she dropped her weight onto you, making your stallionhood penetrate her.

Your flared head took a little while to pop in, but when it did, Vinyl bit her lip hard and gasped to keep from moaning. Her tightness instantly brought you a great amount of pleasure and you did all you could to keep from thrusting further into her. Since she was taking an authoritative role and since you didn't want to push your luck, you laid back and relaxed your body as she had her way with you.

The look on her face made you feel a bit nervous. It was a dominant look that made you feel like you were at her complete mercy. It also gave you the idea that you were her toy now and your only purpose was to make sure she got off. You hated to admit it, but it turned you on a little. This wasn't the kind of sex you were used to having with her. Usually, it was passionate and loving with a side of kinkiness. This time, it was simply a service. You would've felt a bit insulted that she would use you for her own pleasure like this given you weren't the one with a debt to pay.

Before you knew it, she was already pressed against your waist with your entire length inside of her. Her eyes were squinted shut and her face was completely red. It was a bit humorous since it was obvious that she was trying to keep up her dominant role despite the intense amount of pleasure she was feeling from your stiff throbbing cock. Still, you kept silent and waited for her next move.

"You alright?" You could plainly tell that she was having trouble handling your girth. If she really had waited an entire month for you, it didn't really surprise you.

"I'm fine! S-shut up..." Vinyl tried to pump her hips up and down, but she gritted her teeth and went back down to catch her breath. You could feel that she was way too tight to handle you at the moment.

"Vinyl, don't push yourself." Even though you were trying to be as submissive as possible, it was beyond your ability to let her endure more pain than she had to. After all, you were well enough equipped to please her in other ways.

"Shit... I guess I need to get used to you again... Nnngh!" She strained as she lifted her hips up and pulled you out. The pleasure from her extremely tight marehood was almost enough to push you over the edge, but thanks to your morning wood, your stamina was a little better than it usually was.

With another pop, your flared equine cock exited her and slapped against your belly. It was soaked with her juices.

"Lie down, angel. I'll take care of you." You smiled up at her from below. At this point, your only concern was making her satisfied.

"Fine..."

She seemed a bit annoyed that she couldn't take you in and it was a little cute to see her fuss over it. Since she knew what you were going to do, she did as you said and dropped backwards, making a soft *thump* on the bed. You groaned as you turned yourself around to get on your belly.

Her hind legs were already opened up for you and you could now get a full view of her sex-hungry marehood. You had missed the sight and seeing it drove your sex drive into full gear.

"Come on already..." Vinyl was so anxious that she had begun gently rubbing her tender clit with her hoof.

You had thrown out the possibility that you would be able to convince her into letting you get off at that point. All you wanted to do was make sure your mare was satisfied and that you were the one to do it for her. She deserved no less after what you had done. With full vigor and passion, you licked your lips and leaned down before pressing your wet tongue firmly against her pussy and licking up and down.

Vinyl's taste was like no other. The taste of a woman's sex was a bit unattractive to you, but Vinyl was the only exception. The only explanation you could come up with was that it was due to her diet, but you didn't care. Her juices were sweet as honey to your lips and each lick of her marehood made you want to eat her out more and more.

"Aahnn!" Vinyl's legs squirmed and her thighs pressed against either side of your head. It seemed that her tightness also came with an intense sensitivity.

You could feel her throbbing against your tongue as you continued. You looked up at her from behind her crotch to see her crimson cheeks. Her lustful eyes were staring down at you as you let out a low moan that vibrated against her. Not wanting to tease her any more, you closed your eyes again to focus on your job. Her pink insides became exposed to you after you brought you hooves up to spread her lips a little. You licked deeper inside of her and made your tongue into a point before pushing it inside her tiny hole. You were rewarded with her hoof coming down to grab a hoof full of your hair. She was panting heavily and her mouth was hanging open, letting her cries of pleasure come out unhindered.

Her body flinched when you started swirling your tongue around inside of her.

"Hahhhn! A-Alex!!! Mmmphhh!"

As you mashed your muzzle into her marehood to help your tongue go deeper, your nose pressed against her swollen clit. You could feel her inner walls hug and tug at your tongue and you could feel your face getting soaked from her juices. Every once and a while, her heavy pants sent wind down towards your face and chilled the damp fur on your face. Even though you were extremely turned on and wanted nothing more than to scoot up and buck the living daylights out of her, you kept your rock hard stallionhood at bay for the moment and focused on your mare's needs.

You could tell that she was getting close from her intense throbbing and the twitching in her legs. She was pulling your hair a little harder and it almost began to hurt, but she was pulling your muzzle into her so hard that you couldn't do anything about it. It was getting a bit difficult to breathe, so you backed out of her pussy a slight bit to move up to her clit. You looked down at it to see that it was completely swollen to the point that it was poking out of its tiny hood.

You could feel a tiny pool of precum accumulating on the bed sheets from your hungry cock, but you ignored it for the moment and went back in for seconds. You made your tongue flat and dragged it over her exposed clit a few times.

"Ahhhhnn! H-harder!" Vinyl's hips were lifting up into your muzzle.

Obeying her command, you wrapped your lips around her clit and started sucking on it. The tiny nub pulsated in between your lips. Vinyl's hips were now gyrating back and forth out of ecstasy. You started doing the same and rubbing your cock against the bed sheets once her sexual moans were too much to bear.

"Holy shit... Alex, keep doing that..."

Every exhale she took was a moan. You were certain that she was about to pop, so you did as she said yet again and sucked a little harder whilst swirling your tongue around her precious pleasure node. Her moaning and breathing stopped. You assumed it was because the intense stimulation was about to make her cum. Soon enough, your intense sucking forcibly stopped once she wedged a hoof in between your mouth and her pussy. You leaned back a little and watched as she hoofed herself vigorously. After finally having a breather, you took the chance to lick your lips clean of the layers and layers of thick mare fluids that had accumulated from your passionate eat-out session.

"Haah... Haah... Open wide, babe!" Her hips thrusted up again as she continued to rub up and down on herself.

You didn't even have time to open your mouth before she bit her lip and screamed inside her mouth. Before you knew it, hot steamy mare juices were being squirted all over your face. You had to close one of your eyes to protect it, but you left your mouth wide open to catch as much of the cum as you could.

You closed your eyes and swallowed what was in your mouth before hearing and feeling her limp body fall back onto the bed with a *thump*. Her belly rose and fell rapidly and you smiled at the fact that you were able to please your marefriend with just your mouth. You crawled up over her drained body with your cock swinging back and forth until you reached her face.

It was adorable. Her eyes were not even half open and they looked off into the distance while she tried to collect her scrambled thoughts. Finally, after a few moments of panting, her eyes slowly fixated up towards you.

"Did I do good?" You chuckled a little and gave her a goofy grin.

"U-Uh huh..." She nodded slowly and closed her eyes.

You leaned down and kissed her soft lips deeply. She didn't react much since she was so tired, but you could tell that she was at least attempting to kiss you back. Perhaps it was because you were still a bit drowsy, but your cock had begun retracting back into its sheath. It was in no condition to go outside with, but thankfully, it was getting there. Brushing your mane and taking a shower would most likely finish the job.

You pulled back from the kiss and left a tiny string of saliva and mare fluids between your lips.

"Stay here and rest, angel. I'll go make us breakfast." You kissed her again on the cheek gently.

"Mmmm...' She groaned and turned to her side lazily with a smile on her face. "Waffles, please..."

Faint scribbles and the gentle breeze hitting the window could be easily heard in the otherwise silent tiny office space. There were books stacked high on the stallion's desk as well as on the floor beneath him. The drowsy writer, sitting at the desk with his head in a book and with tiny reading glasses on his nose, yawned as the sunrise made his eyes squint. Tiny dust particles revealed themselves as the sun lit up the room.

His electric blue tail swished back and forth lazily as he finished up the last sentence and his white fur appeared a bit messy. After poking the parchment with his quill to make the final period, he tossed the quill into the ink jar and let out a large sigh.

"Took me all night as usual, but I'm finally done..." He rubbed the achiness from his hooves and slowly got up from his chair.

With his magic, he surrounded the pieces of parchment and lifted it up. His magic was red, but with a bit of pink mixed in. It was much like Vinyl's eyes in that respect. He delicately folded the paper and put it into a spare envelope that was hanging over the edge of the table. Taking the only remaining source of light in the room, minus the sunlight, he took up a nearby candle and gently tilted it over the seam of the letter to spill some wax on it before quickly stamping it with a seal.

"Hope the mailmare hasn't already come..." He muttered to himself as he trotted out. He carried the envelope above his head carefully as he doubled his magic to open the front door. The sunlight hurt his eyes a little more. This wasn't the first time he had to spend all night writing, and every time he had to make the morning trip to the mailbox after staying up all night, he regretted buying a house that faced east.

His head snapped up when the shadow of a lone pegasus passed in front of the sun.

"Hey! Cloud Kicker!" He waved his hoof frantically to try and grab her attention.

Thankfully, the pegasus abruptly changed its course and started on her descent towards him. It didn't take long for her to ground herself and slow down to a gentle trot.

"Got a letter, Mr. Scratch?" She smiled wide and greeted him warmly. The part of Manehattan that he lived in was quite lonely when compared to the bustling city that drew so much attention from outsiders. The mailmare in this part of town only had about a dozen stops, and this one was one of her favorites.

"Yeah..." He floated the envelope over to her and put it in her bag.

"Thanks! Another all-nighter, huh?"

"Mhmm..." He rubbed his eyes and groaned a little.

"Geez, you know that's not good for you... Oh! Isn't today your special day?!" Cloud Kicker flapped her wings excitedly. It was obvious that she was happy for him.

"Uh... What?"

She rolled her eyes and stomped her hoof. "Ugh! Your daughter's coming today, silly pony!"

"Oh... Oh! That's right!" His eyes lit up a little when he remembered.

"Maybe she'll bring her coltfriend too... I bet he's handsome..." Cloud Kicker grinned and stared off into space.

Mr. Scratch chuckled a little. "Be careful when he comes over. If you look at him for too long, my daughter might get jealous. Besides, shouldn't you be interested in colts a little more your age?"

She gasped, even though she knew that he was teasing her. "Mr. Scratch! I'll let you know that I've still got what it takes to date younger stallions!"

They both laughed it off a little and, not wanting her to feel awkward, Mr. Scratch followed up with a compliment that any ordinary pony would label as "flirting".

"You know I'm only kidding. If Vinyl's coltfriend was single, I'm certain he'd go for you in a second."

Cloud kicker looked down at the ground and blushed. "Stop that... You know I'm probably twice his age..."

"You don't look that way, though. Remember when we first met? And I assumed you were a high school student?"

"Mr. Scratch, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me!" She flipped her tail nervously.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm just telling you the truth."

"Whatever..." Cloud Kicker rolled her eyes at him again and turned away, still smiling bashfully. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Scratch!"

She took off into a sprint and began flapping her wings fast. It wasn't long until she was soaring back into the early sunrise. Even though she was far away at that point, Mr. Scratch could tell that she looked back at him and waved.

Vinyl munched on a mouthful of syrup-soaked waffles and looked around the room as she put more syrup on her second waffle.

"Something seems different in here..." She raised an eyebrow after swallowing.

"Huh? What'cha mean?" You had already begun washing dishes since Octavia was at her morning rehearsal and wasn't here to do them. Even if she was, you probably would've convinced her to let you do them yourself.

"It's like... Brighter... Or somethin..."

"Oh..." You laughed a little. "I spent a long time cleaning last night. That's probably why."

"Why'd ya do that?" Vinyl had a habit of not thanking people for doing some things, but it didn't really bother you since you knew she didn't take it for granted.

You stared into the soapy sink and stopped washing as you thought.

"I dunno... I guess I was just worried about you and I didn't know what to do."

"Oh..."

Vinyl answered shortly. It was obvious that the subject was still a bit too sensitive for open discussion and an eerie awkward silence filled the room as Vinyl put another wad of waffles into her mouth and chewed.

"Oh!" She repeated herself again, but this time in a more excited tone and through a mouthful of food.

"Shpeaking ohh daat..." She quickly chewed and swallowed. "I figured out how you can get back on my good side."

"What's that?" You turned around and dried your hooves, curious.

"We're going to see my dad today."

Your eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Mhmm."

In any other situation, you would be scared shitless to meet a girlfriend's dad. However, you felt happy that you were finally going to be able to meet Vinyl's.

"When are we leaving? How long will it take to get there?"

Vinyl got up from the table and picked up her dishes with her magic. "We can leave now if you want. We'll have to take a long train ride there. Last time I went, it took about twelve hours."

"Geez..."

"Yeah. He lives in Manehattan." Vinyl put the dishes into the sink to add to your job a little. "You should start packing when you're done with that.

"Kay." You went back to scrubbing and picked up Vinyl's recently used plate. You thought that she was walking away from you, but her soft voice rang close in your ear and almost made you jump.

"Hey... I know you probably don't like talking about touchy subjects as much as me, so I'll only say this once." She spoke calmly.

You turned to your right and looked at her curiously.

She sighed and then began speaking sincerely. "We're cool, okay? I'm not going to leave you or anything..." She looked down at the ground, but quickly gave you a stern look right into your eyes. "But next time, I won't be as forgiving. Got it?"

Instead of feeling anxious, you smiled and put a hoof on her shoulder. "There won't be a next time, babe. Promise."

"Alright..." Her eyes softened and she hugged you gently. "Even though you can be a complete idiot sometimes... I still love you, alright?"

Hearing her say she loved you almost brought you to joyful tears. You pulled her tight and felt her muzzle brush against the fur on your chest. You leaned your head down and whispered into her ear.

"I love you too, Vinyl. Always have."

Vinyl lifted her head and looked into your eyes one last time before moving forward and kissing your lips. At first, you thought it would be a short but loving kiss, but her weight suddenly shifted and she leaned into you a bit harder. You nearly knocked over the stack of dishes when you threw your hoof back to catch yourself from falling backwards and you took a deep breath through your nose once you realized that you weren't going to be breathing out of your mouth anytime soon. You let out a moan when she opened her mouth wider and slipped her tongue inside your mouth to swirl it around a bit.

You managed to pull back and pant a little from the heated exchange. You looked deep into her eyes and you could already feel your dick growing out of its sheath again. Judging from the way she looked from you, you could tell that the two of you were thinking the same thing.

"When's Octavia coming back?" You felt over her body and rubbed her plot pervertedly as Vinyl began kissing your neck.

"A couple hours... Mmphh..." Vinyl's heart was beating hard and fast against your chest.

"S-should we go back to your room?" You squeezed her ass and felt your shaft rub against her thigh.

"No... Right here."

Oh god... You thought to yourself as she grabbed onto your shoulders and switched positions with you so that she was now leaning onto the kitchen counter. However, she turned around and faced away from you and your eyes instantly became glued to her ass with her tail swishing back and forth in front of your face. Your stallionhood stood straight up at attention and Vinyl began pressing her ass against it, squishing it between her cheeks and moving her hips up and down.

"What happened to my 'punishment'?" You grinned a little and pushed your hips forward, making her ass feel every throb and pulse of your cock.

"I don't care... Just buck me..." She looked back at you and continued to breathe heavily as she lifted her ass up and revealed her damp marehood to you.

"Okay..." You bit your lip and anxiously angled your flared head at her entrance. "Let me know if it hurts..."

It was at that point when you were looking down at her cute plot that you noticed something that you would've said something about if not for the situation at hoof. Just past her ass, a dark spot right above her hoof made itself visible to you now that she was standing upright and not cloaked in darkness like she was in the bedroom earlier. Your hips paused as you stared at it and the hardness in your cock began to diminish slightly as worry overtook lust.

"Just put it in me already!" She moaned and complained.

All it took was a glance back at her butt to get you completely hard again. The bruise-looking spot on her hoof no longer mattered to you and all you could think about was bucking Vinyl senseless with your large horse cock. You thrust your hips forward a little and felt the warmth of her pussy against your head. Tiny lewd fluid noises came from her sex as you pushed harder.

"Aahhhnn!!!" Vinyl screamed as your thick head popped inside of her. Her hoof was grabbing onto the kitchen counter so tight that you were afraid that she would break the tile on it somehow.

"Are you okay?!" You ignored every nerve in your body telling you to buck her silly and kept your hips still.

She replied with a series of muffled moans as her hips pushed back against you, making your stallionhood sink deeper inside of her warm tight sanctuary.

"I'm fine... J-just... Keep going..."

You complied and resumed your thrusting, making your stallion balls slap against her clit with every movement. You leaned forward and nibbled on her ear a little as you began to feel the precursors of your orgasm already. You tried to take deep breaths to calm yourself down, but after feeling her tightness and getting turned on from her horniness, you couldn't help it. Her soft tail brushing your cheeks as you pounded her plot made you smell the scent of her shampoo, which added to the bliss as well as your arousal levels.

Just when you were sure that you were going to pop, she leaned forward and pulled you out of her. Your cock twitched and throbbed since it was so close to cumming and you patiently waited as she turned around and faced you. Her breathing was heavy and she stumbled a little as she tried to lift herself and sit on the kitchen counter. It was blatantly obvious that she was being clumsy because she was so hungry for your sex and you couldn't help but giggle a little at her eagerness. You wrapped a hoof around her waist to stabilize her and went back in for a passionate kiss. A moan escaped her lips while you took your cock with your other hoof and angled it at her entrance before plunging it back in. The short break bought you time, but you began to lose yourself when the all-too-familiar tingling feeling swirled around in your lower stomach.

You know you didn't have much time and judging by the way her marehood gripped your giant rod, you could tell she was about to climax as well. You went all out and pounded into her fast and deep. Her moans began to turn into screams and she clung onto you with her hooves as if her life depended on it. Vinyl squeezed you tightly against her body and your grunting intensified greatly.

The point of no return had come and you knew you were about five seconds from filling her marehood with a huge load of potent stallion cum. In your lust, your body told you to stay in. However, you still had enough willpower to pull yourself out and push the underside of your shaft against her clit. You kept thrusting your hips and rubbed your shaft against her hot and bothered sex until she dug her face into your neck suddenly and screamed into your fur.

"Alex!!! Ahhhhnn!!!"

You felt her hot bodily fluids spurt out and drench your balls and thighs as you grabbed a hoof full of fur on her back. Your stallionhood began pulsating and pumping, and with one more strong thrust, you let your desires flow out of you in the form of your orgasm. Hot sticky ropes of cum splattered against her belly and you were even able to shoot one spurt all the way up onto her face.

Vinyl's body spasmed and squirmed, but it soon calmed down. You opened your eyes and looked down at her to see that her belly and a portion of her face was soaked in your cum. The fatigue began to settle into the both of you once you came down from your orgasm.

Vinyl leaned up one more time and kissed you with what little energy she had left, then pulled back and slid off the kitchen counter.

"Hah... Hah... W-we should start... Hah... Packing..."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Sorry for the long wait, had to through finals and all my graduation stuff. Hope you guys understand

Chapter 13: Redemption (Part 2)

The faint singing of the nearby finches in the window echoed through the hollow tree house. It was a truly peaceful morning, even though Spike wasn't yet awake to enjoy it. However, as usual, Twilight was. She had been reading yet another history book about Starswirl the Bearded, trying to piece together any information about Alex's strange magic. For once, she didn't stay awake the whole night trying to do so. She took a deep breath of the fresh morning air coming through the window and her tail swished back and forth involuntarily as she stared at the text in front of her.

However, she wasn't as relaxed as she should have been. Anxiety filled her veins every time she was reminded of her upcoming meeting. Even though she was able to get quite a bit of studying done thus far, she couldn't help but space out and daydream about what might happen later that day.

Her horn glowed for a moment and her magic forced the thick aged page to turn. Her eyes narrowed and her eyebrows furrowed a bit after reading the first few bits of the new page.

"That's odd..." She flipped the page back and forth to confirm before talking to herself again.

"This is the cutie mark that Alex has... But this one..." She turned the page back and tapped her hoof on the ancient symbol. "Looks completely different. Hmm..."

Twilight rubbed her chin. A dozen possibilities formed in her head and none of them made sense in retrospect. The marking below the cutie mark was written in a language that hadn't been used in centuries, but luckily, Princess Luna was kind enough to loan Twilight a collection of the translations that she had made over the years. It wasn't complete, but it still helped. Twilight looked closely at the text below the symbol and referred back to the translation book on her right.

"Root..." Her eyes stared at the ceiling as she contemplated.

What was it a root of? And what branched from it? Was there some sort of ceremony or event that needed to take place in order for the change to happen? All these hypotheticals swirled in her head until she realized that, with one translation, she had opened up a dozen doors for further study. She groaned a bit and book-marked the page she was on and closed it. Too much studying at one time wasn't good for the eyes, and it wasn't good for the mind. Even somepony as smart as Twilight knew the value of not having a fried brain.

She got back up on all fours and gritted her teeth as a few joints worked out their stiffness from lying down for the past two hours. Without taking her first step, her magic was already fixing breakfast in the kitchen. She was a bit tired of having cereal, so she decided to open the fridge and crack a couple of eggs into a bowl to make some scrambled eggs.

Her ears perked up and she almost dropped the eggs onto the floor as she stopped in the walkway into the kitchen. The knocks on her door were a little softer and more polite than she was accustomed to, with the exception of Fluttershy and Rarity.

Twilight decided to abandon the eggs and answer the door first, even though her stomach was growling slightly. She refocused her magic onto her front door and opened it.

"Sup, Twi?" Rainbow Dash greeted her as she walked inside. As usual, she didn't bother to ask whether or not she could come in.

Twilight sighed and smiled." Already finished with that Daring Doo book I gave you?" She pulled out issue seven of Daring Doo and set it down on the coffee table.

"Oh... Well, not quite yet. But I'll go ahead and borrow this one now. Thanks." Rainbow shoved the book into her bag and then put it down on the floor next to the couch. She smiled a little when she saw the slight indentation in the wall to her right from Alex's little episode a while back.

"Alright, then. Have you eaten yet? I was just about to make some eggs."

"Nah, I already had some grits back at home. Still picking them out of my teeth, though..." She mumbled to herself and plopped herself down on the couch.

"Hey, Spike's still asleep, right?" She looked over the back of the couch at Twilight who was in the middle of beating the eggs.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, okay... Well, um..." Rainbow Dash's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she fumbled for words. "I was thinking maybe... Since it's just the two of us for a while..."

Twilight already knew what she was about to ask. The two of them had been discussing it for awhile and she knew that the situation would pop up sooner or later. Twilight blushed and stared down at the bowl, but remained silent.

"I... I guess we could..." Twilight put down the whisk. Her body was already getting a little excited from the anticipation.

"Really?!" Rainbow caught herself and lowered her voice. "I mean... Are you really okay with it?"

"Well, Alex did say that I needed some other way to treat these...hormones... I just don't want this to spoil our friendship or anything..." Twilight walked out of the kitchen and sat down next to Rainbow with her eyes glued to the floor.

"Nah, don't worry about that. It's just a mutual favor between friends, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Twilight stayed still and kept looking at the ground.

"What's wrong? If you're not okay with it, then-"

"No, I'm okay with it. I'm just a little nervous." She smiled awkwardly as her blush grew.

Rainbow stared at her for a few moments before a sly grin grew on her face.

"What?" Twilight glanced over at her with a nervous giggle.

"Ya' know, I never really told you this, but you're kinda cute."

Twilight's blush reddened even more and her hooves shifted. She could hear the couch cushions rustling as Rainbow Dash crawled over to her. She was already past the point of no return and Twilight knew that whatever was going to happen was about to happen in the next few seconds. She looked to her right at Rainbow and almost jumped when she saw that she was right in her face.

"Don't worry Twi, I'll help you calm down. Just lay on your back and let the master work."

A strange urge almost tempted Twilight to embrace her in a deep kiss at that moment, but she held it off and did as she was told. She turned around and lay with her belly up on the couch, looking up at her pegasus friend from below. Rainbow Dash slowly and smoothly climbed on top of her and looked down into her eyes before taking a deep breath and leaning down to kiss her. Twilight immediately closed her eyes out of courtesy and prepared herself.

Their lips made contact and Twilight nearly let out a moan. Her body was already quivering in excitement and as Rainbow's lips sucked and kissed hers, she could feel her wings stiffen a bit. In addition, Twilight could feel Rainbow's hooves rub her sides softly. It tickled a little since she was rubbing her fur against the grain, but she still enjoyed the sensation.

A thin string of saliva hung between the mares' mouths as Rainbow pulled back and looked down at her again. She couldn't help but giggle in excitement.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Twilight shook her head slightly and stared back into her eyes.

"I'm actually quite good at this, ya' know..." Rainbow leaned back down and Twilight closed her eyes for another kiss, but her body shivered as she felt her soft lips kiss her neck instead.

"Ahh..." Twilight let out a gentle moan which encouraged Rainbow Dash to kiss more.

With a tiny spark of her magic, she locked the front door as well as the door leading up to the room that Spike was in.

Rainbow Dash pulled back and formed another naughty grin on her face as she looked over Twilight's body. She heard the deadbolts lock around her and knew what Twilight's intentions were at that point.

"Ready, Princess?" She whispered erotically.

Twilight nodded after a nervous gulp and smiled up at her.

Your body flinched suddenly as you felt a tap on your side. You were in the middle of a somewhat peaceful sleep despite the occasional bumps and noises from the train. Vinyl was kind enough to lend you her lap to lay your head on, which helped quite a bit. It was just as warm and inviting as any other part of her body and you would easily chose it over a pillow any night.

"H-huh?" It took you a little while to remember where you were as you shielded your eyes with your hoof from the strong orange beam of morning sunlight.

"Wake up, dude. We're almost there!"

"Oh..." You groaned a bit and sat back up on the train seat next to Vinyl. You still had to cover your eyes with your hoof for a good while, but you were eventually able to see out of the window at what lay beyond.

For a second, you thought you were right back in Ponyville. It confused you because the vast fields of green grass looked similar to the ones back at home. However, as your eyes adjusted, you could see ridiculously tall buildings on the horizon. That was when you realized you were in a different place. Still, the area had beauty to it. Every once and a while, you could see an occasional lonely tree on the open field which most likely was the home of nearby animals trying to escape the rising sun.

You could feel Vinyl's soft white hoof stroke your mane. "You're kinda cute when you're sleepy."

You were glad everything was back to normal after what happened a while back, but you still felt as if you didn't deserve her full affection quite yet. Still, you decided not to complain and you smiled back to her before giving her a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"You sleep alright?" She looked over at you as if there was something funny about you.

"Yeah... your lap feels nice." You rubbed your eyes and took a deep breath.

"Well, I can see you enjoyed it a lot." Vinyl giggled a little.

"Huh? Why's that?"

It was then that you noticed that the right side of your face felt strange. You felt over it with your hoof and quickly discovered that the fur on your face was completely messed up and tangled from sleeping on Vinyl's lap. Embarrassed, you tried to straighten it out with your hoof.

"Chill, babe. You look fine. It's not like my dad's gonna care, anyways."

Despite her request, you still tried to make it look neater. However, you quickly gave up once you realized that you'd need a brush to do so.

"How much longer till we're there?"

The train jolted you a bit as it slowed down which was quickly followed by a loud whistle and the conductor's shouting.

"Manehattan outskirts!"

Vinyl's face lit up and she pulled you up by your shoulders quickly.

"Come on, Alex! That's us!"

"Hope he's not that overprotective type who'd shoot me full of buckshot if he found out I was screwing his daughter..."

You thought to yourself and groaned as you got up and tried to catch up with Vinyl, who was already hopping out of the train car door and onto the train station. You couldn't help but smile at how happy she was. With another groan, you rose from your seat and worked out the stiffness in your legs by attempting to catch up with her.

"R-Rainbow..."

"Mhmm?" Rainbow Dash looked up at her after kissing and nibbling at Twilight's belly for quite some time.

Twilight's face was still blushing and she was ashamed to say the words. "Could you speed things up a bit? I'm..."

"Yes, Princess?" Rainbow licked further down Twilight's belly and spoke in a soft yet seductive voice.

"I don't like teasing..." Twilight looked to the side, embarrassed.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting the meek and modest Princess Twilight Sparkle to be so greedy.

"You asked for it..."

Rainbow Dash's tongue left a trail of damp purple fur on Twilight as her head slid lower down her body. It wasn't long until she could smell Twilight's sex. Even though she was asked to move things along, she always liked to tease before she went for the main course. The horny pegasus licked around the inside of Twilight's legs and closed her eyes. She could taste the fluids coming from Twilight's marehood, which suggested that she had been turned on for quite some time now. It was the only explanation given the fact that her juices were already halfway down her legs.

"Geez, Twi. Didn't know you wanted it this bad..." Rainbow Dash giggled a little before feeling a hoof grasp her rainbow mane.

Twilight was already beginning to moan. She couldn't help it. After being spoiled from Alex, her pleasure levels were easily able to spike at even the slightest hint of sex. Meanwhile, Rainbow was enjoying every minute of it. Every time her actions caused pleasurable results, it boosted her self-confidence even higher (if that was possible). She continued to mess up Twilight's fur by licking up her juices while simultaneously stimulating the sensitive parts of her body. It was only when Twilight's grip on her mane got so tight that it nearly hurt that she decided to quit beating around the bush.

"Okay, okay, I get it..." Rainbow winced and started to lick up.

Twilight's sex was swollen and throbbing. The sight of it made Rainbow pause for a few moments to admire how attractive it was. She hadn't seen enough marehoods to become a connoisseur, but she knew that Twilight's pussy was a lot more beautiful than many.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow leaned in and gave a long lick along the outside lips of Twilight's opening. It was warm and wet and it twitched a bit whenever she made contact with it.

"Ahhhn..." Twilight moaned.

Rainbow almost made another sly remark, but the taste of her friend drew her in more and urged her to have another taste. She licked closer this time and felt the smooth inner flesh of Twilight's cunt squeeze her tongue. It was so wet that her tongue accidentally slipped inside. Rainbow could feel Twilight's legs twitch slightly, which told her that she was doing something right.

Rainbow took a deep breath and decided to go all out. Even though she wasn't the one being teased, she wanted more and she wanted to have the favor returned soon. However, that wouldn't happen unless she did her job well. Her muzzle pressed against Twilight's clit and her tongue slipped inside of her marehood. She could feel the fur around her face being dampened by her friend's juices, which turned her on even more. Rainbow's tongue began to swirl inside of Twilight as she explored her.

"Mmmphhh... Oh, Dashie..."

It had been a while since she was called that and there weren't many ponies around that did. She could only guess that the familiar title was only being given because of how intimate the situation was. Rainbow took her hooves and helped Twilight spread her legs further until she was able to have more access. Her tongue curled up and down inside of Twilight and she closed her eyes as more and more fluids dripped down her face. Lewd slurping noises came from what she was doing and she couldn't help it. Something in Twilight's sex drove Rainbow to want to eat her out more and more.

Twilight's hips bucked up a slight bit and her marehood tightened around Rainbow's tongue even more. She was surprised at how close Twilight was to cumming.

"Aaaahhh! Mmphh!" Twilight screamed and then quickly covered her mouth with her hoof. Her hind legs began squeezing around Rainbow’s head.

Twilight's pussy throbbed and pulsed as she let her bodily desires take over. Her orgasm came quick and hard. Her hoof pulled Rainbow's mane into her crotch forcibly and she felt her tongue swirl quickly inside of her. Her entire body froze save for the occasional twitch of her legs as she came all over her friend's face.

Rainbow had to close an eye to keep some of the fluids coming from Twilight's marehood from getting in it. Her muzzle still pressed against her clit and she didn't stop licking her soft warm insides until she felt Twilight's body lose its tension and fall back on the couch. It caused her tongue to slip out of her and whatever juices were bottled up inside Rainbow's mouth spilled out onto the couch cushions.

Even though she wanted to have the favor returned, Rainbow knew that Twilight was too tired. After all, after seeing how much Twilight enjoyed it, she knew that this wasn't the last time they would be doing this. Next time, Twilight would most likely want to pay Rainbow Back.

Rainbow licked up Twilight's belly and crawled on top of her before tilting the unicorn's head towards her and embracing her in a gentle after-sex kiss. She played with Twilight's tongue a little so that she would get a full taste of her own marehood.

"Mmphh..." Twilight let out one last exhausted moan inside of Rainbow's mouth.

"So, how was that?" Rainbow asked after pulling back and watching a thin string of saliva and marehood fluids form between their lips.

"It was..." Twilight panted. "Amazing..."

"Heheh..." Rainbow laughed as her confidence rose. She knew she was good at what she did.

Twilight was finally able to catch her breath and her panting stopped for the moment.

"How did you learn to do stuff like that, Rainbow?" Twilight asked with closed eyes as she felt her friend's fast heartbeat thump against her chest.

"Same way I learn everything else. Practice." Rainbow gave Twilight a gentle kiss on her neck before lifting herself off the couch.

"R-Rainbow..." Twilight opened her eyes and looked over at Rainbow as if she was troubled."

"Yeah?" Rainbow bent her neck and cracked a few joints.

Twilight's eyes shifted around the room and the redness in her cheeks hadn't gone away yet.

"Could you stay with me? For just a little longer...?" She seemed embarrassed to ask.

Rainbow Dash looked down at her. She couldn't help but smile at how cute Twilight was sometimes. She sighed and climbed back onto the couch, snuggling close to her friend and tucking Twilight's head into the blue fur on her chest. Even though it was a little uncomfortable due to the wet stains on the couch, Rainbow could tell that her friend needed something more than just sex. She needed affection, and right now, Rainbow was the only pony who could give it to her. Slowly but surely, Twilight's body calmed down and her heart slowed to a steady beat as Rainbow stroked her mane.

"Thanks..." Twilight smiled wide and took a deep breath, smelling Rainbow's familiar scent.

"I'm guessing you wanna do this again sometime... Heheh."

Twilight nodded her head against Rainbow's chest and smiled.

"God, how long does this road go?"

"Bout a mile or so more. My dad's house is at the end of the road."

Vinyl paused and then looked back at you with a somewhat amused face.

"What, you worn out already? Sir Alex?" She teased and flipped her tail as she trotted along at a steady pace. You stuck your tongue out at her and she giggled back playfully.

You shook your head and smiled. Seeing her so happy was always a spirit lifter for you even if she was teasing you. The road the two of you were walking on wasn't that wide, but it was apparent even among the tall grass that surrounded it. You could tell that it wasn't used all too much which led you to wonder why it was in such relatively good condition. It was relative because it was a simple dirt road with the occasional damp puddle, but it was better than hiking through grass and weeds that came up to your chest.

It wasn't as chilly there as it was back in Ponyville and you were glad for it. However, the loss of the nip in the air caused your fur to start dampening a slight bit from sweating. It would be lovely weather if you weren't hiking five miles on a dirt road trying to keep up with your lover who was practically power walking the entire way. Even if it were colder, the cloudless sky made the sun beat down on you directly. It was bearable for a while, but now it was becoming bothersome. Still, the occasional breeze that came through from your right gave you what little mercy you needed from the long walk.

Vinyl was humming to herself and it was quite cute. She rarely did so. It only occurred when she was at her highest mood, and she most certainly was right now.

Another breeze came through the lonesome field and cooled you as it hit your semi-sweaty fur.

"Hey, babe?" You said as you picked up your speed to meet her shoulder to shoulder.

"Yeah?" She looked over at you with the widest smile on her face. There was nothing in the world that could get you down when Vinyl was so up. You smiled back, but it was more of a nervous smile.

"You really think your dad will like me? I'm kinda nervous..."

She turned her head back to the road. "Oh, you're fine. He's just as laid back as I am." Vinyl paused before continuing. "Just... Don't bring up any sensitive subjects yet. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..." You didn't want to make a bad impression on her father by talking about what happened yesterday, and you were sure that she didn't want to talk with him about it either until he was used to you.

"Hey!" A faint voice called out from above you. You could hear the quick flapping of pegasus wings. You looked up to try and see who it was, but the bright sun hurt your eyes. You squinted as the pegasus descended.

"Huh? Who's that?" Vinyl stopped and turned around before squinting just as you did.

"Dunno..." You answered back as the pegasus landed a good ways in front of you.

"Didn't think you'd be coming so early!" The pegasus said as she panted a bit. You could tell it was a girl from her voice. However, you didn't throw out the possibility that it was just a guy with a high pitched voice.

Her long blonde mane shone in the sunlight and blew a little with the breeze as she trotted up to meet you.

"Sorry, do I know you from somewhere?" Vinyl seemed confused as to why the pegasus seemed to know that the two of you were coming.

She finally caught up to the two of you and folded her wings behind her back. You could tell that she was a mailmare because of the large satchel that hung from her back like a saddle.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners... Name's Cloud Kicker." She smiled cheerfully as she greeted the two of you before looking at Vinyl closely. "Goodness, Vinyl, you look just like your dad. And you've got his good looks too."

"Nice to meet'cha..." Vinyl was obviously a little hesitant and suspicious. "Wait, how do you know who I am? And how do you know my dad?"

Cloud Kicker walked past you and Vinyl as she replied and the two of you followed her down the dirt road. You felt a bit left out since she didn't seem to address you all that much, but you tried to be selfless and let the two mares talk.

"I deliver mail to everypony in the Manehattan outskirts. There aren't many houses out here besides your dad's, so me and him got to be good friends. He talks about you a lot and last time we spoke, he said you were coming home."

She looked over at you finally and sized you up by looking down at your hooves and then back up. "And you must be Alex! It's such an honor to finally meet you! Saved the princesses and everything, right? Bet the girls are all over you..." She winked and then turned to Vinyl.

"Better marry that one before he runs away; he looks like a good catch..." Cloud Kicker whispered, but not out of earshot of you. Vinyl blushed a little and smiled as she looked down at the road.

"It's not like I have mares hitting on me every day. Besides, I've got the only mare I could ever ask for right here." You bumped against Vinyl's shoulder gently. You weren't usually so sentimental, but after last night's little bonding experience, you weren't ashamed of hiding how much you loved her from anypony.

"Aww..." Cloud Kicker rubbed Vinyl's mane before giggling a little. "You two make such a cute couple..."

"T-Thanks..." Vinyl was still looking down at the dirt road and blushing.

The mailmare looked up as if she was trying to spot something in the distance.

"Hey!!!" She yelled loudly. You had to lower your ears from the sudden shout.

Your eyes lifted and tried to spot whatever it was that Cloud Kicker was looking at. In the distance, about fifty yards down the road, you could see the outline of another pony. You almost thought your eyes were playing tricks on you since it, at least from a distance, looked exactly like Vinyl. He was bent down and searching through a mail box before he heard Cloud Kicker's yell, which caused him to pick his head up with his ears perked.

"Look who I found!!!"

"Is that yo-"

Vinyl took off running. No, it was a sprint. Dust flew up behind her hooves as she raced towards the pony and her blue mane flew wildly behind her along with her tail.

"Father and daughter reuniting... So sweet..." Cloud Kicker looked off into the distance, but kept her pace the same as it was before.

"Daddy!!!" Vinyl yelled out in joy at her father.

Hearing her call out to her father with such a childish name seemed to break her otherwise mature and independent character. You couldn't help but tear up just a bit from the situation. By now, you weren't nearly so far away and you began to recognize the stallion as, basically, an older male version of Vinyl.

"There's my little angel!" He laughed and talked at the same time before Vinyl nearly tackled him in a big hug.

"Angel..." You paused your thoughts as you remembered something that Vinyl said about that name. You closed your eyes and smiled as you came to the realization. "So that's why..."

"Whoa!" He almost fell back from the impact. "You've gotten so big since last time! Ack!" He seemed to struggle as he rustled Vinyl's mane. She was hugging his neck too tight. "Sweetie, I can't breathe..." He tapped on her leg for mercy as if it were a wrestling match between the two of them.

The intimacy almost made you a little jealous.

"I missed you so much..." Vinyl dug her muzzle into his big furry chest.

"I missed you too, angel..."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Chapter 14: Redemption (Part 3)

Vinyl's father was catching up with her, so you figured that it was best to leave them be while you inspected her father's house. The inside of the house was a little quainter than you imagined. When you stepped inside, you noticed that the living room was about half the size of the living room in Vinyl's house. The only defining features in it were a "C" shaped couch and a fireplace on the opposite wall. On your left was an open doorway to the kitchen which was comprised of a small walking space with a refrigerator and cabinets on one side and a medium-sized range on the other.

The floor, thankfully, was sturdy and rigid. From your surroundings, you would've assumed that the floor would've been made up of cheap lumber. However, when you looked down, you saw that there was a stylish set of tile squares that covered the living room and kitchen. You felt the gentle chilling breeze of an air conditioner as you wandered around the living room, which was a relief. As you looked down the hallway that led into the bedrooms and bathroom, you only saw three additional rooms which suggested that there was a master bedroom, a guest bedroom and a bathroom.

"Guess I'm sleeping on the couch tonight..." You mumbled to yourself as your eyes looked upwards towards the ceiling.

"Aw, don't you and Vinyl usually sleep together?" Cloud Kicker's voice echoed closely behind you. You thought she had gone towards the back room with Vinyl and her dad, so it surprised you a bit.

"Oh... Well, yeah, but I dunno if her dad would be okay with..."

"Yeah, good point..." Cloud Kicker laughed a little as she walked in the kitchen.

You walked around the couch and inspected it before sitting down on it. It was actually quite clean and your legs were worn out from the hike, so you did so and sighed in relief. Since Vinyl and her dad were busy catching up, leaving a somewhat awkward atmosphere between you and Cloud Kicker, you figured it would ease the situation by starting up conversation.

"So how long have you known Vinyl's dad?" You looked back from behind the couch as Cloud Kicker set down her mail bag.

"Oh goodness..." Cloud Kicker looked up in thought. "It's been so long... Maybe six or seven years?"

"Wow! You must know him pretty well, then."

"Sorta. He's a bit of a recluse sometimes, but he insists that I'm the only other pony he routinely talks to. Kinda flattering, really." She looked down at the kitchen counter and if you didn't know any better, you would've thought that she was hiding something. However, she quickly snapped out of her introversion and came to join you by the couch. You didn't want to push the topic seeing that it was making her at least a little uncomfortable, so you changed subjects.

"Hey, do you know Derpy? The mailmare from Ponyville?"

Her face lit up as she sat next to you. "Oh yes! Isn't she the cutest little thing ever?! We only meet up on occasion since we live so far away, but we bump into each other at the post office from time to time." She looked over at you. "Wait, how do you know Derpy?"

"Well, Vinyl and I live in Ponyville so, naturally..."

"Oh... Right." She giggled a little. "Sorry, I keep forgetting where Vinyl lives. So..." She leaned in close with a curious look on her face. "How are you and her doing?"

You smiled and decided to leave out what happened the night before like Vinyl asked. "We're good. We've gone through some ups and downs, but we're pretty solid." You looked down at your feet and blushed a little. "We both love each other a lot."

"Aw..." She leaned back on the couch. "I'm glad that mare finally found a good colt. Wasn't she dating that roommate of hers before? What was her name...? Uh..." She put her hoof on her chin and looked up at the ceiling.

"Octavia." You answered quaintly. You were well aware of her prior relationship and talking about it made you a little uncomfortable, but you figured that it didn't matter now.

"Yeah, that's right. What happened between them?" She asked as if you knew for certain.

"I-I dunno... I came here well after they broke up, I guess."

Cloud Kicker seemed to sense your unease. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything..."

"No no, its fine." You smiled at her reassuringly.

"Oh! Speaking of that, you're really from the human world? What was that like?" She leaned in again curiously.

"It's okay. The people there aren't nearly as... Nice... As the ponies here. To be honest, I love it here way more than my home world."

"Really now? That's interesting... What else is different about it?"

You took a deep breath as you thought. "Geez, where do I start... For one, we don't have magic, which a lot of ponies seem to find strange."

"Zero magic?! How do you get stuff done? Just like earth ponies do?"

"Eh... Sort of. We have technology that-"

"Hey, babe. Sorry for taking so long." Vinyl walked back into the living room with her dad closely following behind her.

You looked over the couch and smiled. "Don't worry 'bout it. Hey-" She turned back to her dad. "What are we gonna do for dinner?"

You hadn't really thought about eating up until this point and your stomach was feeling a bit empty. Cloud Kicker got up from the couch and swished her tail to neaten it out.

"I've got that covered." She trotted over to the kitchen pridefully.

"You sure? I'm sure I can just-" Vinyl's dad tried to object to her generosity, but it was futile.

"Nope! I know just the thing to make. And I think..." She paused as she looked through all the ingredients in Vinyl's dad's cabinets. "Yup. I've got everything I need."

"Well, I'll leave you to it! Unless you need any help." Vinyl's dad walked around the couch.

"Actually, I could use some help from Vinyl." Cloud Kicker looked over at her with a wink as if she had something planned.

"Oh, alright." Vinyl accepted her offer and joined her in the kitchen despite her suspicion.

"We're gonna make eggplant-" Cloud Kicker explained to Vinyl before a voice spoke right next to you and caused you to disregard what was going on in the kitchen.

"Hey, wanna join me on the porch?" Vinyl's dad glanced down at you before walking towards the front door.

"Y-yes, sir..." You were a bit nervous even though you knew a one-on-one confrontation with him was inevitable.

You quickly got up from the couch and followed him out. Vinyl looked back at you from the kitchen and you swore you could hear the words "Good luck" form from her lips even though no sound came out. You gulped as her father opened the door.

The sun was already setting. Thankfully, it was setting to the left side of the house so that you didn't have to look right at the blinding orange light from the porch. The door shut semi-quietly behind you and, seeing as Vinyl's dad chose the right chair on the porch, you sat down on the rocking chair on the left. It was a relatively nice rocking chair even though it looked as if it hadn't been used in years. It creaked a little as you sat down on it.

"You smoke?" Vinyl's dad asked.

You looked over at him with a bit of surprise on your face to see that he was pulling out an expensive looking cigar from a box. You used to smoke back when you were in the human world but you never quite had the urge to have another. Actually, up until this point, you weren't really sure if they did have tobacco-like substances in Equestria. You decided to take him up on his offer despite the risk of a bad first impression because you wanted to be social.

"I used to. But sure, I'll have one." You figured just one wouldn't hurt.

He tossed one over to you and you fondled the cigar in your hooves for a bit before getting a good grip on its base. A dim orange light appeared from your right and you looked over to see that he was lighting his with his magic.

"Um..." You looked at your cigar and then back at him awkwardly.

"Oh, you don't know fire spells yet?" He puffed his cigar a bit. The smoke traveled towards you and it actually smelled good. It had a cherry scent with a hint of cinnamon.

"I'm still learning." You got up from your chair and walked towards him.

You put the cigar in your mouth and leaned down as Vinyl's dad made a tiny flame appear in front of you. You took a couple of puffs to get the cigar lit and then walked back to your chair.

"I could try, but I'd probably blow something up. Thanks."

Vinyl's dad laughed heartily and blew out a thick cloud of smoke.

"Who's your teacher?"

"Twilight's teaching me. My horn's a little... Weird... So it's taking a little longer than usual."

"Yeah, I thought I noticed something strange about your ho-" His eyes widened once he realized what you said and he coughed a little when he accidentally inhaled some of the smoke.

"Wait... Twilight Sparkle is teaching you?!" He looked at you in surprise.

"Yes sir... She’s a great teacher, but I'm just not used to magic since I didn't have it back home."

"Well then..." He took a long puff of his cigar and then held it in his cheeks. "Looks like you have friends in high places. But, I guess that's to be expected of someone as important as you." Smoke leaked out of his mouth as he spoke.

You took a hit of the cigar and, as you expected, it tasted like cherry. You still weren't sure of his attitude towards you, so you tried to be as respectful as possible.

"Alex, right?" His face glowed orange from the embers on the end of the cigar.

"Y-Yes sir..."

He laughed again. "You don't have to call me sir, Alex. I'm sure Vinyl's already told you that I'm just as laid back as she is."

"Oh... S-sorry, its just habit. And yeah, she did tell me that. What should I call you? It seems a bit weird to just call you 'Vinyl's dad'..."

He laughed again as he blew out another puff of smoke. "You can call me Scribble."

"Scribble? So you're an author or something?"

"Yup." He said as he flicked his cigar, knocking some ash onto his porch.

"Oh cool! What kind of stuff do you write?"

"All sorts of stuff." He looked at his cigar as he spun it around a little. "Biographies, novels, poems... whatever my patrons ask for." He chuckled a little. "And whatever pays the most."

He continued and looked over at you. He seemed friendly enough and the more he talked, the more comfortable you felt around him. It was as if he was your same age even though he was probably twice yours.

"What about you? You got a job yet?"

Your mind spun as a flurry of memories came to you all at once. You were reminded of your commitment to Luna as an "assistant", even though you knew that it was more of a booty call service than a job. Also, you realized that the situation would prove troublesome if you didn't end it soon. You had almost forgotten about it and you knew that if you wanted to remain one hundred percent faithful to Vinyl, you needed to end it.

"Sorta..." You stared at your cigar and smiled. "But not really. I tried getting a job at a farm but the family there didn't quite like the idea of a unicorn working there."

"Yeah. I've run into those sorts of problems too. Kinda racist if you ask me."

You had to agree, but you didn't want to take any sides as of right now. "I guess. But, I can kinda see where they're coming from. They're nice people, though."

A silence hung between the two of you for a short while and both of you took a puff from your cigars. The sun was halfway below the horizon and you squinted your eyes as you looked at it. The weather was starting to cool down a bit and it was actually getting comfortable.

"So." Scribble Scratch leaned forward in his chair. He was already halfway done with his cigar. "You and Vinyl doing okay?"

Your heart rate increased a little. The subject was arising and you had to pick what you said carefully. The value of a first impression was paramount at this point. Again, you did as Vinyl asked and left out the rough spot that happened last night.

"Mhmm. We're doing great. We've been through ups and downs, but we're stable." You answered just like you did towards Cloud Kicker.

"That's good to hear. That girls been through a lot. It's good to know someone’s treating her in a way she deserves. How long have you two been together? Four or five months?"

"Yes sir. Or..." You tried to recall. "Something like that, yeah."

"And you still haven't gotten fed up with that washing machine yet?" He smiled and looked over at you.

You laughed as your tension decreased. "I'm used to it. Besides, I kinda like the kind of music she makes."

"I never quite liked it. Guess that's a sign of me getting old." He did a stereotypical old-man voice. "All them darn kids making their crappy music..."

The two of you laughed as he flicked his cigar away. You weren't even halfway through yours and he was already done with his. Perhaps it was because it was because you were feeling too comfortable with him, but you decided to further the conversation a little.

"So it looks like Vinyl gets her looks from you. She looks exactly the same."

"Yeah. She has my mane and my fur." He paused and looked off into the distance as if he was recalling a memory. "She has her mother's eyes, though. And her magic."

You noticed that Scribbles eyes were a deep brown despite his colorful mane and fur. You guessed that her mothers' eyes were magenta as well. You noticed that his smile was slowly fading and you quickly regretted bringing up the topic of his wife.

"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to-"

"Nah, its fine. It was a long time ago." He sighed. "I came to the realization that she wouldn't have wanted me to fret about her every second of every day."

"That's good..." You admired his resilience and optimism. "I'm sorry about your wife... Can I ask what happened to her?" You knew it was risky to ask, but you were curious.

"She never quite recovered giving birth to Vinyl. Stayed in the hospital for years afterwards. She finally passed after three years."

You looked down at your cigar and thought about what to say. After a while, you realized that it was best not to say anything at all. How could you? You had no clue what the stallion had gone through and even attempting to understand would be insulting.

"Alex, I already said it's alright." He got up and walked over to a post holding up the roof of the porch. He leaned up against it and looked off into the sunset.

"S-sorry..."

Scribbles simply looked over at you and smiled before pulling out another cigar and lighting it.

"So." He said again as if he was about to change the subject.

"Have you and my daughter had sex yet?"

Vinyl stopped stirring the broth for a second or two and looked down at the low flames beneath the pot. Cloud Kicker seemed to notice even though Vinyl thought that she was chopping up the eggplant.

"What’s wrong sweet pea?"

Vinyl snapped out of her thoughts and started stirring again. "Sorry, I'm just kinda nervous about Alex... I mean my dad's cool and all, but..."

"But nothing..." Cloud Kicker finished chopping the vegetables and came to her side. "Alex seems like a sweet colt. I'm sure your dad will love him."

"I guess..." Vinyl looked into the pot of broth as if it were a void sucking her in.

"Besides, the boys needed to talk anyways. Why else did you think I asked for you to help me and not your dad?"

Vinyl grinned a little and tapped the wooden spoon against the edge of the pot. "Figured that was the reason..."

An awkward pause hung in the air as Vinyl stared at the pot and Cloud Kicker looked in the cabinets above her for a few spices.

"Well...?"

"Huh?" Vinyl looked over at her.

"Have you done anything with him?" Cloud Kicker was obviously interested and curious.

Vinyl blushed a bit. "Y-you mean like kissing and stuff? Yeah..."

The pegasus giggled and pulled out some peppers. "Of course you've done that, silly. I mean..." She let the question hang in the air for Vinyl to figure out.

"O-oh..." Vinyl's blush got worse and she bit her lip. "Um..."

"Come on, Vinyl... We're both mares..." She leaned in close to her and gave her a wink. "It'll be our little secret."

Vinyl smiled and looked down at her hooves. "Well... Yeah, we've done stuff..."

Cloud Kicker noticed her embarrassment and backed off a little, going back to the opposite counter and dumping the chopped eggplant into a bowl.

"Sorry... That's none of my business... I was just curious, is all..."

"No, its fine." Vinyl turned down the heat on the stove once the broth started boiling. "Actually, we do that stuff all the time."

"Really?" The mailmare came up behind her and slowly dumped the eggplant into the pot. Vinyl could tell by her expression that she was at least a little jealous. "Like... Every day?"

"I guess. Or if not, when we can." Vinyl was speaking casually at that point.

"Oh..." Cloud Kicker went back to mixing up the spices into a separate bowl. "Forgive me, I haven't done anything like that in years..."

Vinyl suddenly formed a smirk on her face and turned around to face her.

"Okay, my turn."

"Huh? Um... Alright..." The pegasus at least acted as if she was going to play along.

"How long have you known my dad for? He's never written about you in the letters he sent me."

"Hmm... 'Bout six or seven years. Why?"

Vinyl paused and gave her a stare with amusement in her eyes. It made Cloud Kicker laugh nervously.

"W-what?" She chuckled.

"You like him?"

Cloud Kicker's cheeks instantly turned red and she fumbled the spices in her hooves. "H-huh? No! I, Uh..."

Vinyl raised one of her eyebrows. She didn't really mind if her father was in a relationship, but she enjoyed watching Cloud Kicker struggle.

"You said you talk to him every day... And he seems to be pretty familiar with you..."

"No! I... W-we're just good friends! I mean we're both single and uh..."

Vinyl's smirk turned into a grin.

"Okay okay, fine..." Cloud Kicker put down the bowl of spices and sighed in defeat. "I... Kinda like him..." She looked over to the side with her cheeks still red.

"Kinda?" Vinyl did the pegasus's job for her and added the spices into the pot. "Does he kinda like you too?"

"Well.. H-he's really friendly to me and..." Cloud Kicker bit her lip and Vinyl decided to stop torturing her.

"Sorry, I was just teasing." She paused and began stirring the pot a little. Not a peep came out of Cloud Kicker for the next several moments.

"I wouldn't really mind if you two were together. It's about time that old fart found some company." Vinyl continued and tried to reassure her new friend. She tried to sound as sincere as possible since she was sure that Cloud Kicker was feeling a bit nervous talking to his daughter about it.

"Really?"

The mailmare didn't even try to hide it anymore. Over the years of her knowing him, he had been one of the sweetest stallions she met and he was one of the only ones on her long work days that actually took the time to chat with her. The two of them were practically best friends since they talked every day and almost never got into arguments. She had entertained the idea of enhancing the relationship for a while now, but was either too scared or too shy to do so. She had eventually learned about his late wife within the first one or two years of meeting him which also threw a wrench in her plan. Coming on to a stallion who had lost his wife, no matter how long ago it was, seemed a bit intrusive and rude to her. However, after hearing what Vinyl just said, her hopes were lifted somewhat.

Cloud Kicker finally snapped out of her daydreaming and started preparing the salad.

"Yup." Vinyl answered shortly, but she sounded as if she was trying to think of what else to say. "If it's my mom you're worried about, that's no biggie." The unicorn leaned against the kitchen counter as she thought back to her earliest memories of her mother. They were few, but precious to her.

She continued since Cloud Kicker was too deep in thought to respond. "Mom told dad that if she ever went away, she wanted him to find someone else. Dad rejected her wish since his emotions were kinda weird at the time, but I think I speak for him when I say that we both think that he should move on and find someone else to make his hermit crab life happier."

Vinyl wasn't used to being so sentimental, but she was able to talk about the subject without getting too emotional. Cloud Kicker, however, was almost in tears. Vinyl looked over at her and noticed that she was lazily chopping the lettuce. Even though her back was turned to Vinyl, she knew that she was having trouble taking in what she had just said. Vinyl walked over to her slowly and joined her at her side before nudging her shoulder gently.

"Hey, what's the worst case scenario? He says no. You'll never know unless you try." She smiled to try and cheer her up.

Cloud Kicker rubbed her eyes a little with her hoof before turning to Vinyl and giving her a warm hug. She smiled as her neck brushed against Vinyl's and she patted her white fur gently.

"You're a good kid, Vinyl."

"Pfft." Vinyl scoffed as they both let go of each other. "That's not entirely true."

They both giggled as the tension in the air between them gradually diminished. There was another pause as Cloud Kicker went back to putting the lettuce in the bowl.

"So? You want me to talk to him about it?"

Cloud Kicker's blush returned. "N-no... I'll ask him myself. I think it would be best tha-"

The front door opened and two sets of hooves could be heard coming into the living room. Cloud Kicker quickly went back to preparing the salad, albeit a bit faster than before, and gave Vinyl a wink. Vinyl winked in return and turned the flame on the stove off.

"You boys have a good talk?" Cloud Kicker's voice rang from the kitchen. Even Vinyl had to admit that it had a sweet and motherly tone to it.

"Yup. Sure did." Scribble patted your back heartily.

"You didn't go too hard on him, did ya?" Vinyl turned around and looked at you as if she was glad you were still in one piece.

"I dunno. Did I?" He turned to you with an amused expression on his face.

"I, uh... N-no sir..." You accidentally called him sir again because of your nervousness.

Everypony laughed at your response and your face reddened in embarrassment. Nonetheless, you still managed to smile bashfully.

"Mmm..." Vinyl's father lifted his nose in the air and sniffed. "Smells good. What is it?"

"Manehattan style eggplant salad." Cloud Kicker closed her eyes and lifted her nose with pride. "My mother taught me how to make it when I was little."

"Can't wait..." Vinyl's dad plopped down on the couch and tucked his tail around him neatly. You could barely hear a grumble come from his belly.

"Alex? Could you be a dear and get some bowls for us?" Cloud Kicker used the large wooden spoon to take out the bits of eggplant that had been marinating in the broth the entire time while Vinyl added some cheese and tomatoes, along with some croutons, to the salad.

"Yes, ma'am." You went into the kitchen and looked through the cabinets until you found them.

"Oh come on. Don't go talking to me like that too..." Cloud Kicker giggled.

"S-sorry... It's just a habit." You took out four bowls and put them next to Cloud Kicker. Vinyl came up and bumped your shoulder as if to say "hey" before dumping the salad into the bowls. Shortly after, the mailmare pulled out a spoon full of delicious-smelling eggplant and started laying it neatly on top of the lettuce.

"Well, it's a good habit to have, but you don't have to be so formal. Around me, at least."

"Ditto." Mr. Scratch called out from the living room. You couldn't help but chuckle a little at how similar he was to Vinyl.

"Did you girls talk about me too much?" You teased as you picked up one of the bowls with your magic. You were proud of yourself when you found that you were able to balance it quite well, but you knew you were still too inexperienced to handle more than one at a time.

Cloud Kicker and Vinyl both looked at each other slyly and smiled.

"Just a little." Vinyl teased back and took the other three bowls with her magic.

Your curiosity almost got the best of you, but you figured it would be immature of you to pry about something like that.

"You're getting pretty good at levitation, babe. That trick I taught you must work pretty good."

"Well... Work well..." You said to yourself mentally. You always were a grammar nazi on the inside, but rarely let it out.

"She taught you that trick about your loved ones falling or whatever it was?" Scribble asked you as you sat down next to him, putting your bowl onto the oak wood coffee table.

"Mhmm. Twilight tried to teach me a few techniques, but the one Vinyl told me about seems to work best."

"Wow... You hear that angel? You might even exceed the princess someday." He sarcastically complimented her.

"Whatever, dad..." She rolled her eyes at him and sat down next to you.

Cloud Kicker came behind Vinyl, but chose to sit next to her dad who was already nibbling at his salad.

"Ah, ah, ah..." She took the fork from his hoof. "Prayers first."

"Prayers?" You raised an eyebrow. You were utterly confused. As far as you knew, there weren't any religions in Equestria. You looked over at Vinyl who shrugged at you in bemusement.

"What, you don't pray from where you're from?" Cloud Kicker laid her fork down.

"W-well yeah..." You really didn't want to go into the details since it would take all night. "But not quite..."

She glanced at each of you and motioned to bow your heads. Out of respect, you did so.

"Thank you, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia for this meal, and may we have many more from you in years to come. We ask your blessing your guidance and your protection over us all." She spoke softly.

There was a pause, but you kept your eyes closed as you expected an "amen" or something along those lines at the end.

"You can open your eyes now..." She giggled and addressed the three of you. It seemed as if not many ponies prayed to the princesses like she did. Nonetheless, you found her piety admirable.

Vinyl, her father and Cloud Kicker immediately dug in as you stirred your salad a little. You had never tasted eggplant before, but it did smell good. You stabbed your fork into the bowl, gathering some salad along with some of the veggies, and put it in your mouth.

"Mmm... Dis ish good..." You spoke with food in your mouth, which might have been a mistake if Vinyl's father wasn't as laid back as he was.

"Well done, girls." Vinyl's father was already nearly halfway through with his bowl.

"Thank you! Vinyl did most of the work, I just did a few small things."

You looked to your left at Vinyl who was staring into her salad for some reason.

"Vinyl?" You leaned down and tried to find her eyes past her long blue bangs.

"H-huh? Oh, sorry... Yeah."

"Something wrong?" You asked.

"Nah. I was just wondering what Octavia's up to. I hope she isn't too lonely all by herself." She said before shoveling a large portion of salad into her mouth.

"Yeah... I'm sure she's fine, though. She's probably enjoying not hearing your washing machine for once."

"Oh shush." She bumped you playfully before sticking her tongue out at you. It was closely followed by Scribble's and Cloud Kicker's laughter.

"A-are you sure it's alright?" Cloud Chaser closed the door to Octavia's room behind her.

"Oh goodness, yes. I've told you a million times. She's not coming back for a few days."

Octavia rolled her eyes at Cloud Chaser as she fell back onto her bed. Cloud Chaser, already heated up from the anticipation, climbed on top of her and began kissing Octavia's neck. Her hooves dug into the mattress around the grey-furred mare as their bodies slowly pressed together.

"You sure Vinyl doesn't mind?" The pegasus was still a bit uneasy even though her actions were saying otherwise.

"Ahh..." Octavia let out a soft moan as her friend's tongue glided up her sensitive neck. "N-no... She has Alex now. She'll- mmph- probably tease me about it for a while, but it’s nothing I'm not used to- ahh..."

Cloud Chasers' wings were erect and spread out wide in excitement as Octavia subconsciously lifted her hind leg up. It pressed into her marehood gently which urged her to get more intimate. Octavia could already feel Cloud Chaser's wetness.

The earth pony felt the tongue on her neck slide up and over her cheek before stopping just short of her mouth. The two ponies shared a silent moment as they stared into each other’s eyes before Cloud Chaser went in for a passionate and lustful kiss.

"Mmmphh..." The pegasus moaned through the kiss as Octavia's hind leg rubbed harder against her marehood.

They broke the kiss, leaving a thin line of saliva between their lips as their breathing and heart rate increased.

"No need to hold back, dear. It's just you and me..." Octavia said as she rubbed Cloud Chaser's back gently while looking deep into her eyes from below.

It was the only invitation that Cloud Chaser needed to resume the kiss. As she felt the warmth of Octavia's tongue against hers along with the constant pressure against her sensitive area between her hind legs, she knew that she would be there all night. Possibly well into the morning. She wasn't used to Octavia being so... Lewd... But seeing her act so out of character let her know that Octavia truly wanted this.

Cloud Chaser wanted it too. Badly. Perhaps even more than her friend did. She pushed the worries from her mind and started to grind her hips against Octavia's leg to let her know that she was committed.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Just a side note, I understand that other versions of Vinyl's dad may vary from fanfic to fanfic, and I know the name and characterization might be different than the ones I inserted. This is just my version of her dad and my version of her background Sorry if it doesn't quite sync up with other versions

Chapter 15: Role Diffusion

Scribble let out a sigh. It had been a long while since he ate food of that caliber and he was beginning to feel the effects of a good hearty dinner filling his belly. A soothing relaxation gave way to drowsiness as he lounged on the couch to the right of you. Vinyl was doing the same, but Cloud Kicker was in the kitchen cleaning up dishes. You had to admire her generosity for doing all this for the three of you.

"You sleepy, dad?" Vinyl looked past you and saw her father with his eyes closed.

"Mhmm. You know the food's good when it knocks you out right after."

"Yup." You agreed as her father's sleepiness slowly began to rub off on you.

The three of you sat in silence as the running water in the kitchen created a sort of white noise. Before you turned into a stallion, you weren't too big on vegetables, much like many of your friends. However, ever since you became a pony, you had acquired an odd fancy for the stuff. Even though you knew beforehand that ponies and horses were herbivores, it felt weird to not have a craving for a nice big juicy steak every once and a while. Now, the taste of marinated eggplant was just as good as a nine ounce sirloin was before.

"I'm not sure where you can sleep tonight, Kicker. You might have to take the couch." Vinyl's father said before letting out a burp.

Vinyl chucked in the back of her throat at the burp.

"Oh, goodness. I wasn't really expecting to stay the night here... I wouldn't want to impose..."

"I insist. I would hate to make you fly all the way home so late at night. It's no problem at all."

"W-well, thank you... I..." You couldn't see her, but by her tone of voice, you could easily guess that she was flustered and blushing.

"No need. You already made us a wonderful dinner. It's the least I can do."

"I- In that case, the couch will be fine. I'm not quite as prudish as most mares in Manehattan." Cloud Kicker came back into the living room after turning off the sink and stacking the dishes neatly on the kitchen counter.

"I've noticed."

Vinyl opened her eyes as if she had urgent business to do before the night was done.

"Hey dad? Could we talk for a sec before we all head off to bed?"

Her dad opened his eyes as well and a bit of confusion appeared on his face. "Oh... Sure, angel. What's up?"

"Outside?" Vinyl got up and cracked her neck before grunting a bit.

"Um... Okay. Yeah."

You were a bit confused, but you decided to not pry as you did before. An overly-nosy colt-friend wasn't what you wanted your first impression to be. The two walked out and Vinyl held the door open for Scribble. You looked over the couch at her and wondered what was up, but she didn't look at you. Instead, after her dad passed her and stepped into the night, she looked over at Cloud Kicker and gave her a sly wink.

"The heck was that about..." You thought to yourself after Vinyl closed the door, leaving just you and the mailmare together for a second time.

"Hey, Alex?" Cloud Kicker walked slowly around the couch and looked at you as if she was afraid of what you might think of what she was about to say.

"Yeah? Oh, thanks for the dinner by the way. It was awesome."

"Well, thank you, dear... Like I said, though, Vinyl did most of the work."

She sat down next to you and let out a long exhale.

"What's wrong?" It was obvious that something was bothering her and that it had something to do with Vinyl.

"If you died..." She asked as she stared down onto the table. Your eyes widened and you realized that the topic wasn't going to be as lighthearted as you imagined.

She continued after thinking for a short time. "Would you want Vinyl to find somepony else?"

You were taken back at how serious and deep the sudden question was. There was no way you could answer it immediately. You sat there awkwardly as your eyes drifted away from hers.

"I-I'm sorry, that's probably none of my business... I just-"

"No, it's fine. Well..." You laughed a little. "To be honest, just seeing her talk to another colt makes me a little jealous..."

She smiled. "That's just a sign you want to protect her. There's nothing wrong with that, Alex."

You blushed from the compliment and tried to finish the thought. "But... If I died..." You sighed and leaned back into the couch, looking up at the ceiling. "I guess... I wouldn't want her to live the rest of her life alone. Even though I wouldn't be there, I'd want her to find another colt that could love her as much as I could, or more. I'd want her to live the rest of her life being happy with somepony rather than mourn over me every day. I hate seeing her sad and I guess... If there's an afterlife or something, I'd never really be able to rest at peace knowing that the mare I love spent the rest of her life being sad because of me."

You looked over at Cloud Kicker who was still staring off into the abyss. After putting together context clues in your head, you were quickly starting to understand what Cloud Kicker was going through. She saw Vinyl's father all the time, according to her, and they had apparently become good friends. They even acted as if they were family members when they talked. Between that and the bashfulness that she developed whenever Vinyl's father was around her, you had a good guess as to what was going on. The mare hadn't said a word since you finished talking and was shifting her hooves around nervously.

"I think I understand what's bugging you." You said with confidence even though you knew that there was still a chance that you were wrong.

"H-huh?" She looked over at you with pink cheeks and widened eyes.

"You like Scribble and you're afraid to make any moves because of his late wife?" You were fearful that she wouldn't appreciate you prying, but you really did want to help her.

Cloud Kicker bit her lip and nodded. "But... What you just told me... Vinyl said the same thing."

You didn't want to say "really?" since it would be implied that it would come across as a surprise to you, which it wasn't.

"Yup. And you know what else?"

She was staring right at you. Her curiosity and lovey-dovey butterflies was just as visible as a star in the night sky and it reminded you of the first sparks of love you shared with Vinyl.

You scooted closer to her and smiled. "When we were talking outside earlier, the topic of his wife came up."

"What did he say?" The mare asked eagerly as her ears perked up.

"He said that after a few years of living without her, he came to the realization that she wouldn't have wanted him to fret about her every second of every day."

She sat there in silence and a cute smile grew on her face as her confidence grew.

"If you wanna ask him out, I don't think that the memory of his wife would get in the way. In fact, if Vinyl's mom is up there somewhere looking down on us, I think she'd be happy that he found someone as nice as you to be with him; just like I would be if the same situation happened to me and Vinyl."

You could tell that she could barely contain her girlish emotions. She bit her lip and her smile grew wider as she looked down at her hooves.

"Spike, could you get that book about unusual and rare spells? I think it's over there somewhere." Twilight pointed her hoof to the vague area to her right where a huge tower of books sat on their shelves.

"Oh, yeah! I remember that one." Spike dragged the ladder around the room to the bookshelf and carefully climbed up to look for it.

"Uhhh... This one?" He pulled out a heavy book that had frayed edges with a purple cover and a beige spine. Spike nearly lost his balance on the ladder trying to hold the thing up with one claw.

"Yup. That's the one." Twilight seemed to know exactly which book he was holding without even looking in his general direction.

"W-whoa!"

Spike lost his balance and began to topple over, but Twilight's quick reaction saved him. He began to glow with Twilight's purple magic and his fall eased into a gentle float before landing gently on his legs.

"Thanks, Twilight... Geez, I really could've hurt myself there..."

"That's why you have me!" Twilight grinned and looked up as she levitated the odd book out of Spikes' claws and towards her. "Now, let's see..." She squinted her eyes as she brought the book closer.

Spike pulled the ladder away as Twilight kept flipping page after page, scanning quickly for anything in reference to what she was trying to find.

"So this mark..." She pointed her hoof to the crude etching of Alex's cutie mark.

She had spent quite some time deciphering the first symbol, and she had recently moved on to the second. It proved to be a bit more difficult for her since there was such a tiny amount of references in the vast collection of books she had. Even the books that the other princesses gave her contained nothing in relation to the symbol. It was only a couple of vertical lines and three dots, but finding out what it meant was a lot harder than she thought it would be. The closest thing she could find in Luna's translation book was a symbol with three lines, but without the dots.

It didn't take long to figure out that those lines meant "magic" in the ancient language she was studying. In fact, it was one of the first symbols that Luna listed on the first few pages of the book.

"Alrightie then... If I can't find this symbol with the dots then..."

Spike just sat in the corner and watched in case she needed anything else. He knew from instinct that when Twilight was studying this hard, she could ask for anything at any given moment. Him not being there to help her for one second tended to frustrate her.

Twilight followed her chain of logic and tried to find the three dots by themselves to see what they meant.

"There's one dot..." She looked back at her translation book. "Definitely has nothing to do with poison joke... Hmmm... Two dots... Deer? No, no, no..." Twilight was deep in concentration.

"Ah! There it is! Three dots..." Her eyes darted back to the translation book before she could blink.

"Huh?" She raised an eyebrow and her head leaned back from the books.

"What's wrong?" Spike got up from the corner.

"Well, these three dots don't really translate into anything... All that Princess Luna wrote here was 'negative'... What could that mean? Negative magic? It makes no sense..."

Spike scratched his chin with his claw and looked up towards the ceiling. "Hmm... What's the opposite of magic?"

"I don't know... Not magic?" She closed her eyes and thought hard. "What are some other synonyms for 'negative'?"

"Uhh... 'Counter', 'negate'... 'Cancel'-"

Twilights' eyes flashed open. "Wait..."

Her mind spun with a thousand possibilities at once, but she knew that only one made sense. To Spike, she seemed completely astonished at what she was thinking about.

"Spike, get a letter ready. If what I'm thinking is right, this will be big news for the other princesses."

"Geez, is it almost midnight already?" Scribble groaned as he stretched in his rocking chair and peeked through the window at the clock inside.

"Guess so." You took another puff of another cigar that Scribble had given you. You reminded yourself to stay away from tobacco shops since the flavor could get addicting. You were already practically addicted to cigarettes before, so that didn't really help your ability to say no.

"Better hit the sack. That food really put me down."

You chuckled. "Same here. Oh, wait. Before we head off to sleep..."

You pulled out the envelope containing the letter you wrote no more than five minutes ago. You managed to find some wax and a seal to make it look more professional. Not to mention, now that you were able to levitate one object at a time, writing got a lot easier for you. Once you realized that all you had to do to rotate and twist an object was to simply imagine it happening, the intricate strokes and dots of writing came naturally to you. Your writing was still a little messy. However, at least it was now readable.

"Could you ask Cloud Kicker to mail this letter for me tomorrow morning? I'm not sure if I'll be up before she leaves."

He took the envelope and examined it for a second. "Oh, okay... Wow. Addressed to Princess Luna herself? You really are an important little colt aren't you?"

Your cheeks reddened, but you didn't say anything.

"What makes you think this letter will get ahead of all the other piles of letters that they get?" He looked over at you with a raised eyebrow. There was no silliness in his tone anymore. He was just curious at that point.

"Well... It's a secret that Princess Luna told me... But I guess I'll tell you since you've already done such a huge favor for me." You smiled at him and he smiled back once he realized what you were talking about. It only happened about ten minutes ago, but his drowsiness was getting the better of him.

"Anyways-" You continued and walked towards him, making tiny *clap*s when your hooves touched the wood of the porch. "See this little mark right here?" You pointed your hoof to a symbol you scribbled right next to the wax seal on the back. It was a simple thing to draw; just a crescent with a full circle underneath it.

"Yeah?" His eyes squinted as he tried to focus through little to no light.

"Princess Luna told me that this is what important ponies put on their letters to make sure that they get their letters in first. That way they don't have a letter containing really important information piled in between fan mail and stuff."

"Oh... I see..." He truly looked amazed that you would know something like this and you didn't see any skepticism in his eyes.

"Mhmm. And if you want it to go to Princess Luna directly, you draw that crescent moon symbol on top of the sun. For Princess Celestia, it's the other way 'round."

He got up from his chair and held the envelope with his magic above his head. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous." He smiled as he used his magic again to simultaneously open the front door for you.

"Why's that?"

"Well, you're from a completely different world, you're obviously on a tight-knit basis with the royalty and-"

The second you walked past him and into the house you saw Vinyl's limp body snoozing on the couch. Her position was quite relaxed as two of her hooves hung off the side of the couch and the other two were tucked underneath her somewhere. You turned back to her dad and cut him off by holding a hoof to your mouth. He stopped talking once he saw what you were referring to.

Cloud Kicker sat next to her and smiled, ignoring the two of you as she looked down at the sleeping unicorn and stroked her mane slowly. You'd never admit it out loud, but you couldn't help but feel jealous.

"Dangit, Cloud Kicker... That's my mane you're stroking..." You thought as you slowly walked around the couch, making sure your hooves didn't make a sound. You wouldn't be surprised if Scribble was thinking the exact same thing.

However, if you wouldn't have known Vinyl and simply walked in on the scene you were looking at now without any prior information, you would've thought that Cloud Kicker was Vinyl's mother based on her behaviors. She was loving and gentle and sweet just like a good mother should be. It was obvious that she held a certain degree of affection for Vinyl, but you didn't quite know where it came from. To your knowledge, the two had never met before. Had something happened between them in the short time they've known each other to make Cloud Kicker admire Vinyl this much? You had no idea what it was, but you knew that something must have happened.

Your light-hearted mood sunk slightly when you saw the dark spot on her hoof again. It hadn't grown since that morning, but it hadn't shrunk, either. You thought that it might be a good idea to talk to a doctor about it, but that could wait until the two of you got back to Ponyville. It'd be silly to make her go to the doctor over a bruise but you were too protective of her to let it go.

"She asleep?" You whispered to Cloud Kicker.

She simply looked up at you and nodded with a sweet smile. A sudden snore from Vinyl supported her answer which led to Cloud Kicker giggling. She raised a hoof to her mouth to lower her volume.

You chuckled as well and your horn instinctively began to glow. Your magic wrapped around Vinyl's body, but before it could completely surround her, something felt off. It was if there was a force that was keeping you from completely spell-targeting her. You didn't want to try too hard to complete it in fear that something bad might happen, so you let your magic dissipate.

"O-Oh... Sorry..."

Vinyl's dad was right next to you and his voice nearly made you jump since you didn't notice him approaching you while you were looking at Vinyl. After looking at his glowing horn and then back at your marefriend, you realized what had happened. Her dad had done the same thing you did and tried to pick her up and carry her to bed at the same time you did. Apparently, that was what happened when two unicorns tried to spell-target something at the same time. It felt weird and a bit unpleasant, but not painful.

"No, no, go ahead."

You backed off a little and let her father pick her up. You had gotten used to carrying her to bed since her sleep cycle came swiftly and without warning. It caused her to simply pass out on the couch or even sitting in a chair whenever she got tired. Seeing somepony else do your job for you felt strange, but since it was her father, you didn't mind. After all, you didn't want to take away any bonding time between the two.

Her body slowly lifted and Scribble walked down the hallway with her in front of him.

"She zonked out within two minutes of lying down and closing her eyes... That mare's a heavy sleeper." Cloud Kicker stopped whispering, but she kept her voice down.

"Trust me, I know. Sometimes she'll fall asleep with her headphones on blasting music into her ears at full volume... It's crazy." You chuckled and sat down next to Cloud Kicker.

Drowsiness was creeping up on you as you let out a yawn. The pegasus yawned too after a few seconds and you started to feel your eyelids get heavy.

"Vinyl's a good mare, you know." She said suddenly.

"Mhmm... The best." You closed your eyes and smiled as you leaned your head back against the couch. "I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world."

"Vinyl's in bed." Scribble said after letting out a tired sigh. "You can sleep in my bed, Kicker. I cleaned my room up a bit so it should be fine."

"Huh? A-Are you sure? I don't want to impose..." She looked around nervously. "Where are you going to sleep, then?"

"I'll sleep on the couch. I made you stay and cook for me. I can at least give you a decent bed for the night."

"You didn't make me do anything... But, alright. As long as it's okay with you. " She blushed a little as she walked past Scribble and down the hall. "Night, Alex."

"Night." You smiled at her as she disappeared into the hallway, leaving you and Scribble alone.

"So, um... Where am I gonna sleep? If you have a sleeping bag or something, that's all I need."

He stared down at you as if you were speaking in a different language. "Don't you usually sleep with Vinyl at her place?"

You got a bit flustered and your hooves played with the couch cushions nervously. "W-Well yeah, but I just thought that, I mean, you wouldn't want me to because..."

He put his hoof on your shoulder before sitting down on the couch next to you and extinguishing the tiny flames in the candles above the fireplace. There wasn't much light left in the room now besides a single jar on the coffee table that he had brought in earlier that had a few lightning bugs in them. Their yellow-green light made his fur glow majestically.

"I'm not like that, Alex. She's your marefriend, after all."

You didn't disagree that he was too laid back to not get in a fuss about his daughter sleeping with another colt. The nervousness you felt didn't come from a fear that he'd judge you for sleeping with her. It was mainly out of respect and courtesy. Even though you knew he had "approved" of you, the last thing you wanted to do was to make the appearance that you didn't care about his wishes altogether. You wanted him to think that you didn't take her for granted, because you didn't. However, you also wanted him to know that you still knew that Vinyl belonged to him more than she belonged to you.

"I know... But she's your daughter, too. I just don't want you to-"

He put his hooves on both your shoulders this time and turned you around so that you were looking right in his eyes. His expression wasn't stern. He appeared as if he were trying to help you for some reason.

"Alex. Relax. I already gave you permission to marry her. If I had any problem with you, you would've known about it before I gave you that permission."

You hadn't really thought about it that way, but you had to agree with him. It would be unwise to give your daughter away to some colt before straightening out his rough spots. He obviously didn't see any rough spots with you. Perhaps that might've changed if you told him about what happened last night, but that was between you and Vinyl and you were quite confident that the two of you would move on from it in time.

His smile returned and he gave you a pat on the shoulder before letting go of you and laying down on the couch.

"Go sleep with Vinyl. I'm sure she's waiting for you. Just... No foolin' around, alright?" He said with a chuckle.

"Y-yes, sir..." You got up and stretched your legs before realizing that you called him "sir" again. "Night, Scribble."

"Night." He lay down and pulled a pillow under his head, but he tapped your hind leg before you walked off. "Hey, Alex."

"Yeah?" You turned around.

"I'm your friend, okay? Just remember that." He held out his hoof towards you.

For some reason, it was at that moment that all your anxiety concerning him had vanished. You grinned before giving him a bro-hoof.

A puff of green fire sent the parchment into the air. It turned into ash and then swirled out the window into the night sky.

"Phew... That was a long one..." Spike held his wrist and felt his fingers cramp.

"Sorry, Spike, but this really important. We haven't had anypony that could do that sort of spell since... Well, since Starswirl The Bearded!" She stamped her hoof down to make her point.

"I'm sure you could do it if you tried, Twilight. You've mastered nearly every spell there is!"

"I did try, Spike. I found the spell in one of his books and I followed every one of his steps, but I could never get it to work."

"Gosh. It must be pretty powerful if you couldn't learn it..." Spike began closing the books that Twilight was using and made sure that all the pages that were open had a book mark in them.

"It is powerful. I'm not sure if it's even possible! I mean... Cancelling magic? How does that even work?" Twilight walked in circles around her coffee table as she looked at the ground and thought hard.

"So, wait. If you can't learn it, what makes you think Alex can?"

Twilight tried to think but her brain was already fried from studying for so long. She let out a sigh and her eyes closed.

"I don't know. Maybe it's some sort of latent ability that he hasn't unlocked yet..."

Spike paused.

"You aren't jealous are you?" Spike grinned as he slid a book in its rightful place on the shelf.

"What? Of course not! Like you said, I know almost every spell in the books..." Twilight reacted too defensively for Spike to believe her.

"Suuure..." Spike teased. He cleaned off the dust from another book before reaching up and putting it back.

Twilight let out a sigh of exasperation. "Whatever, Spike."

After putting away the last dusty book, Spike paused as he thought.

"Still... Don't you think that kind of spell would be dangerous? I mean, even if he does learn how to do it, what if the spell is permanent?"

"I dunno... I'll have to find a way for Alex to try it out without risking anything like that. For now, let's get some rest."

"I second that motion." Spike said after yawning and cracking his knuckles.

Scribble's guest bedroom was almost completely dark save for the scant amount of light that filtered through the edges of the door. Like always, Vinyl's bright mane could be seen in spite of this. You couldn't hear her snoring, so you thought she might have woken up from her dad carrying her there. Still, you tried to be quiet when you slipped under the sheets in case she was still sleeping.

"Hey, babe." Her voice was filled with drowsiness. It caught you off-guard slightly. "You smell like smoke..."

"Oh, hey. Sorry if I woke you up." You pulled the covers over you and moved closer to her. It only took a single touch of your bodies to make her turn around and snuggle up next to you. "Your dad had a couple cigars outside and I guess it made me smell like this."

"It's fine." She yawned and you felt her breath tickle the fur on your chest. "I kinda like the smell."

You thought that she would just leave it at that and go to sleep, but she started whispering again.

"What did dad talk to you about? He wasn't hard on you or anything?"

"Nah." You kissed her forehead and stroked her mane. Seeing Cloud Kicker do it earlier made you want to do it even more and it felt good to do so. "He did ask if we had sex, though."

You felt her ears perk up. "Really? What did you say?"

"I told him the truth. Don't worry, I spared the details."

She giggled tiredly. "He wasn't mad at you or anything?"

"Nope. He's a really cool guy, actually. I really like him."

"That's good. I'm glad you boys got along."

Again, you thought that the conversation would end there, but you were proven wrong when one of her hind legs wrapped around yours. Her head tilted up and you felt her warm soft lips press against yours. It surprised you when it became apparent that she didn't intend it to be a simple peck on the lips. She pulled you closer to her body while she continued to kiss you deeply. Her lips tasted like salad since she wasn't able to brush her teeth before falling asleep on the couch earlier, but it wasn't a particularly bad taste.

Just as suddenly as it happened, she released you from her kiss and she tucked her head back under your chin. However, your body flinched once you felt her hoof start rubbing against your inner thigh. She giggled and kissed your chest.

"V-Vinyl... Don't you think it's bad to do that in your dad's house?"

She slid her hoof up and wrapped it around your back once she calmed her urges.

"Sorry... It's just been a month since I've seen you so..."

"It's okay." You went back to stroking her mane. "You'll have me all to yourself once we get back. I still owe you for making you wait so long and for-"

Vinyl held her hoof to your mouth and stopped you from continuing.

"I know you won't do that again."

You smiled and held back the urge to kiss her again. Her amount of faith and trust in you even after what happened amazed you. If she had done the same thing to you, you weren't sure if you would've been as forgiving as she was. Your eyes closed slowly as Vinyl's warm body slowly coaxed you to sleep.

"I love you, Vinyl. I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world." It felt weird to talk with such sentiment, but it was absolutely true.

She yawned into your chest again. "Same. Love you too, babe."

She sounded as if she wasn't being sincere, but her tiredness was probably to blame for that. You knew that she felt the same towards you. Otherwise, you'd be sleeping in Twilight's tree house right now with nopony to warm you while she slept in her bed alone and still heartbroken. Nothing you could do or say would ever make you feel better about what you did to her and you were going to try to make up for it as long as you possibly could. You supposed that this little trip was a way for you to get some momentum going with her again, and you wouldn't be surprised if Vinyl had it planned that way the whole time. Either way, it seemed to work out well. Knowing that you got along well with her father must've certainly made Vinyl feel better about you overall.

The amount of intimacy she gave you felt the same now as it did before you took your trip to earth, so you figured that she had forgiven you for the most part. Plus, you had no reason to believe that she'd fake any emotions towards you. She didn't seem like the kind of mare who'd do something like that. She was blunt and to the point. You always liked that about her. You'd be the first to know if she had a problem with you. From the small amount of time you spent with her dad, you learned that the two were similar in that aspect.

Vinyl had begun snoring lightly against your chest. Once you reassured yourself that she wasn't having second thoughts about you, you relaxed your body and tried to get some rest after your long day. The only fear you still had was the thought that all this might've just been a dream and that you would wake up alone, heartbroken, and single.

If it was just a dream, you decided to make the best of it and spend the last few seconds in peace with your lover in your arms as you drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Had a little bit of a problem with my editors this chapter so I had to rely on just one of them. Apologies in advance if you spot a couple of errors

Chapter 16: Purpose

One week later...

"Oh goodness... Ahhh!" Octavia moaned and spoke at the same time once she felt Cloud Chaser's warm wet tongue brush against her bare marehood.

Her head pushed back against her pillow and she clutched a hoof full of bed sheets as more and more cries of pleasure escaped her mouth. She opened one of her eyes and looked down to see the pegasus's face buried between her legs eating her out.

"C-Cloud Chaser, I'm really sensitive there- Ahhnnn!!!"

Octavia's other hoof went down and latched onto Cloud Chaser's stylish mane. At first, she was going to push her head back to give her time to breathe before she continued, but once she felt how good her friend's tongue felt against the sensitive nub above her opening, she decided to gently pull her mane to make her lick harder.

"Mmmph... You taste real good, Octy..." Cloud Chaser said while continuing to lick her clit. The hums of her voice only caused Octavia's pleasure levels to spike even more.

Before she agreed to, at least temporarily, let Cloud Chaser appease her appetite for sexual satisfaction, she had concerns about how skilled she was. Octavia herself didn't have much practice other than the few times she did it with Vinyl. However, that was long ago and the experience she gained had worn off years ago. After a few tussles under the sheets with her friend, her concerns were wiped away. Unlike her, she had most certainly done this several times before.

Cloud Chaser stopped licking the soft pleasure node and slid the tip of her tongue down her soaking wet slit until it reached her entrance. She could feel Octavia pulling at her mane, begging for more without saying a word. She decided to oblige since Octavia had paid her side of the bargain last night despite her inexperience. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't impressed. For somepony with such elegance and sophistication, Octavia did things to her last night that no other mare or colt had done ever before. The memory of her "borrowing" one of Vinyl's neglected dildos and bucking her with it while she seductively sucked on her tongue was still burning strong in her mind and it only made her want to pay her back even more. Cloud Chaser's legs were still a bit weak from how hard she came from that even though it happened yesterday.

The teasing stopped and Octavia let out a loud moan as Cloud Chaser's muzzle pressed firmly into Octavia's marehood. Her nose rubbed against her clit as her tongue slid inside her. It was even warmer there than it was on her outer lips and she could feel the earth pony's insides throbbing against her tongue as she went deeper and deeper inside her. Cloud Chaser's rump hung in the air and her tail swished back and forth playfully while her own pussy was beginning to leak down her inner thighs. A stallion would be completely helpless if he came in and saw Cloud Chaser's swollen outer lips peeking out between her ass cheeks. In fact, Cloud Chaser was almost hoping that they would be caught in the act so that she could have somepony rut her from behind with a huge thick horse cock while she swirled her tongue inside of Octavia.

Then, she remembered the dildo again. She didn't want to stop slurping juices for a second, but she forced herself to back off.

"W-Why did you stop?" Octavia panted and looked down at her anxiously.

"This is getting me too hot... I need something for me too..." Cloud Chaser spoke seductively as she licked her lips clean of the mare's fluids and reached under Octavia's bed to get the long thick rod.

It only took a few seconds of feeling around with her hoof under the bed until she felt it. Quickly, she pulled it out and admired it. It was jet black and, even though it wasn't very realistic, it had the same flared head as every colt had.

"Nngh... Do hurry it up... Please?" Octavia was waiting patiently, but her hoof started to rub her private area slowly due to her burning desires.

Cloud Chaser wanted to ram the thing inside her instantly, but she had a better idea. After licking up the shaft, she wrapped her mouth around it and went down as far as she could to lubricate it with her saliva. She pulled it back out and quickly bent down between Octavia's legs again.

She wanted Octavia to feel every moan that the dildo forced her to make.

"Mmpfff... Ahhh!" Octavia yelped again as Cloud Chaser resumed her meal and she felt the warm tongue explore her insides once more. She didn't realize it, but she had begun gently gyrating her hips up and down to make the pegasus's nose rub harder against her clit.

Cloud Chaser's wings erected and stood up majestically as she reached between her hind legs and prodded the huge toy at her entrance. It quickly got slippery from her juices and wished so badly that it was a real horny stallion behind her. The tip finally popped inside her tight marehood.

"Mmmphhhh!!! Cloud Chaser moaned loudly, but it was muffled by Octavia's crotch.

"Hahhh!" The sudden vibration that her friend made caused Octavia to let out another sharp moan. It was like a vibrator had been taped inside of her friend's mouth.

Slowly, Cloud Chaser began to push the long shaft further inside her. She could feel every inch of progress it made as her warm flesh spread inside of her to accommodate its flared head. Once it was as far as she was comfortable with, she started pushing it in and out slowly. Her moans were becoming more constant as her fluids quickly began to trickle down the shaft and onto her hoof.

"Oh goodness, Cloud Chaser, keep moaning- Ahhhn!- Just like that..."

She didn't have to be asked to do so and she didn't have to try, either. The stiff long dildo being shoved into her from behind was making her do it all on its own. Octavia could hear the sound of her fluids sloshing around from the rod and judging from the time in between the sounds, Cloud Chaser was starting to buck herself faster with her new favorite toy. Her marehood-muffled-moans kept coming one after the other and Octavia could tell that they would soon cause her to climax.

Cloud Chaser, who was super horny to begin with, found that it didn't take much from the toy to make her get close either. Tasting her friends' fluids and hearing her lusty moans fill the room was more than enough to stimulate her desires.

"C- Cloud... Cha... Ahhhhnnn! I think I'm going to- Ahhhh!"

Octavia felt extensively guilty for partaking in such lewd activities, but she knew she needed it sooner or later. It wasn't happening with Alex, so it might as well be with a friend with no strings attached. The thrill of doing something so naughty was yet another variable that caused her to cum so early, but neither of the two mares minded that. As was common with most mares, an orgasm didn't mark the end of the fun; it was just a sweet release in between the fun.

Cloud Chaser was thrusting the horse cock dildo inside of her soaking wet pussy as fast as she could. She could feel the familiar burning sensation rise from beneath her belly and she breathed heavily through her nostrils. In addition, her moans were only getting louder and louder and they added to Octavia's pleasure as Cloud Chaser's tongue continued to rub against her g-spot over and over again.

The doorbell rang.

"Oh, you can't be... Hah... Serious..." Octavia let out a sound that was in between a groan and a moan.

"Just ignore it, Octy... Come on..." Cloud Chaser didn't pause for one second.

"No, I need to answer it... I'll be right back..."

Octavia quickly took a towel from the end of her bed. It was the same one she placed there in case the two horny mares needed to clean up. She wiped her hind legs diligently. She managed to get most of the mare fluids off of her, but it was still obvious from behind that she had been bucking. Cloud Chaser heard her say a soft prayer to Celestia that nopony would come in and discover what was going on.

Another ring from the door irritated the already frustrated earth pony.

"Coming!"

Octavia nearly galloped out of the bedroom and down the hall until she reached the front door. Quickly, she disengaged the deadbolt on the door and turned the knob.

She opened the door to find none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle right outside her home. Her heart stopped cold and her pupils shrank significantly. Her ears folded down and back as she bowed her head, not realizing that she had already met her before and that such formalities weren't necessary with her. She couldn't help but to be polite because of her nature.

"G- Good day, Princess! How m-may I help you?" A deaf mole could notice the nervousness in her behavior.

"Hi, Octavia! Is Alex there? I really need to speak with him..." Twilight was just as excited as Octavia was fidgety.

"Eh... M- My apologies... Alex is out with Vinyl at the market at the moment..."

"Oh... Alrightie then. I guess he shouldn't be too hard to find. Thanks!" Twilight waved her hoof quickly before turning and quickly trotting away. With a few flaps of her wings, she lifted off into the air and glided her way towards the main road.

Octavia didn't waste a single second. She shut the door and re-engaged the dead bolt before letting out the biggest sigh of relief she had had let out in years.

"Geez, good thing you answered the door for that one..." Cloud Chaser walked slowly into the living room from the hallway.

"Yes... Ever since Alex moved in, we've been getting some rather... Interesting company... Anyhow..." Octavia turned back to Cloud Chaser and walked toward her slowly. "Where were we?" She said seductively in her elegant accent.

Cloud Chaser pulled her close to her chest and embraced her in a deep kiss before taking the horse dildo from behind her back that she had been hiding the whole time. She reached around Octavia's plot and dragged it between her cheeks, over her ass, and finally prodding it at her marehood. It didn't take long for it to pop into the earth pony's cunt since she was so wet already. Octavia pulled back from the kiss in shock and instant pleasure.

"Ahhhhhnnn! Oooh! Cloud Chaser... You're so naughty..."

They both giggled a little and resumed the kiss before the two love birds fell back onto the couch to finish their session.

"God, I can't get enough of these fritters!" You said cheerfully after swallowing the last bite of Apple Fritter's apple fritter. "I need to ask Applejack for that recipe..."

Vinyl snickered at you. "Don't you go getting fat on me now..."

"Hey! I only have these every once and a while..." You nudged her shoulder even though you could tell she was joking.

"What are you talking about? You had one yesterday!"

"So?" You pretended to look nervous and defensive which made Vinyl laugh a little.

"You sure we got everything for the party tonight?" You said after the joke trailed away.

"Yup! Thanks to you! I can't thank you enough for sharing all the money you got with us. It's really helping us out..."

It was true that you had been helping her out, but you couldn't take credit for it since you had nothing else to spend it on. In addition, the generosity was on Princess Celestia's part, not yours. You still had fifteen royals left, which was more than enough, and you were sure that Princess Celestia would be happy to donate a bit more in case you ran out.

It was the thought of money that brought up the idea of getting a job again. Originally, you intended to "service" Princess Luna for money, which seemed shady by itself, but you had recently decided to decline her offer since it would mean breaking your newly made promise you made to Vinyl. The words you wrote to her the night before you left her father's house were still fresh in your mind even though it was a week ago.

Dear Princess Luna,

I do not have much time to write, so I will make this letter short. When you offered me a job as your "servant", I was quite thrilled and honored, but I'm afraid I must decline that offer because of recent circumstances. My relationship with Vinyl Scratch has grown significantly and I feel that taking the job you have offered me will compromise it. While I can't possibly understand what life has been like for you since your exile, I can understand how it's like to live without having intimacy with a partner. I apologize for not being able to give that to you, but I hope that you will be able to find somepony else who can. I'm aware that this might come with consequences since I'm basically refusing an order, but I am willing to accept whatever punishment you may have for me.

If there is any work that you need help with that doesn't involve me breaking my oath to my partner, I will be happy to assist you. And, again, I am sorry for not being able to give you what you need most.

P.S. Twilight finally taught me how to write! Although, I'm sure you've figured out by now.

Your humble and faithful subject,

Alex.

You had to admit that labeling yourself as a "subject" sounded a bit weird, but you figured that Luna would appreciate it. However, now that that job opportunity was down the drain, you had to look for more work.

"Hey, know any places that are looking for jobs?" You turned to ask Vinyl after a bit of silence between the two of you.

"Pfft. Job? Why do you need a job? You have all the money you could ever need!"

"I know... It's just that I don't want to sit at home all day being lazy and I want to do something to... You know... Help? I guess? I just feel like I want to do what everypony else does and not simply rely on Princess Celestia to baby me financially for the rest of my life."

"Well, being lazy and having Celestia give you money all your life doesn't really sound bad at all, but I think... I understand..." Vinyl took a pause, probably to think of some places she knew of that were hiring.

"Oh! Do you know how to mix drinks and stuff?" Her face lit up.

"Um... I guess? I was a bartender for almost a year back on Earth but I mostly just opened beers for people."

"Sweet! The bartender at the club keeps complaining about being overworked, so maybe you could split shifts with her? I dunno. It's been a while since I talked to my boss, but I'm sure he'll hire you."

Your first thought was the risk of relationship complications. Working with a marefriend might be fun for a while, but you feared that it might cause some tension eventually. Although, even though you'd be working at the same place as her, it wasn't like you'd be with her one hundred percent of the time. She'd be playing music on stage and you'd be in the back serving drinks. Not a lot of interaction would happen between the two of you. The only thing that was for certain was that you'd have to change your sleep schedule to match hers, which wasn't really a bad thing. Sure, if Princess Twilight or Celestia asked for a meeting or something, they would probably make it really early, but you'd just sleep some more when you got back home.

"Hmm... I guess that would work..."

"Omigod yes! That's awesome!" Vinyl was practically jumping up and down once you agreed, which was kind of cute.

"That was easy. I should've come to you first." You chuckled a bit. "Wait... Speaking of work, I haven't seen you play at the club a lot recently. Did something happen?"

"Oh... Well, no." Her jumping stopped, but she still had a smile on her face. "I only play when they invite me to play and they haven't invited me to play in a long time. I would've said something to my boss, but I guess I didn't bother with it since you came along and gave us all that money.

"You don't miss playing or anything?" You were certain that she had more worries other than money.

Her head lowered and her smile began to go away. "Well, you're right, I do... I haven't played in more than a month and I really loved doing that..."

You couldn't help feeling a little sad for her. After all, it was the thing she loved to do most.

"Okay." You couldn't let your marefriend get held back from her passion without doing something about it. "I'll go over there tomorrow and look for a job, and while I'm there, I'll ask the manager about you." You gave her a smile to help cheer her up.

"Thanks babe... You're the best..." She closed the distance between the two of you while you walked and leaned on you a little bit out of affection.

"It's no problem at all." You nuzzled her cheek which made her giggle a little.

As you looked around you, you could see a couple of ponies looking at the two of you. Their facial expressions could only be verbalized by "D'awww" as they watched the two of you lovebirds walk side by side.

"Hey! Alex!" A familiar voice called out through the crowd and, at the same time, you felt the intimacy between you and your lover instantly disappear as she stopped dead in her tracks.

It took you a while to make out where the voice was coming from, but you could soon see a purple pony gliding down from the sky over the multiple ponies below her. It wasn't until you could distinguish the pink stripe in her mane that you figured out who it was.

Instantly, you realized the danger of the situation. This was the first time Vinyl and Twilight would meet after what happened between you and her. You prepared to keep Vinyl from lunging at her and fighting her, but something was telling you that she wouldn't stoop that low. Still, you kept yourself aware that the situation would be extremely delicate and awkward at the same time.

"Hey! I'm so glad I caught you! Do you have a minute? I just fo-" Twilight's speech stopped instantly when she looked over at Vinyl. Her hooves clopped against the cobblestone road and her wings folded in once she landed.

"Oh boy... Here it comes..." You thought to yourself as you smiled at her nervously.

"Have a minute for what?" Vinyl asked in an overly sarcastic and rude tone.

"Oh! H- Hi, Vinyl! Uh... Well, I found out a new spell for Alex to practice and I was just wondering if he could come and let me teach it to him." It was obvious that Twilight was trying her best to be as diplomatic and friendly as possible.

You looked over at Vinyl who was still giving Twilight a death stare. You thanked Luna that you weren't the one on the other side of that.

"Babe... It’s okay if you don't want me to..." You turned to her and lowered your voice slightly. Your heart was beating fast.

Twilight was still smiling at Vinyl, but you could see in her eyes a fear that you had never seen from her before. You could imagine what was going through her head and, again, you were glad that you weren't in her position. It was obvious that Vinyl had no problem being aggressive towards royalty even though Twilight herself never quite considered herself to be so. The worst case scenario of Vinyl locked up in a prison for decades for striking a princess ran through your head and you hoped with all your heart that she wouldn't lunge at her.

There was an awkward silence as the two mares eyed each other. However, Twilight's eyes were occasionally darting left and right to avoid Vinyl's. You didn't blame her. It wasn't often that you received that look from Vinyl and even then, it was usually meant as a joke. But, when it was serious, it felt like she was eyeing into your soul and judging every mistake you had ever done in your life.

You were about to try to say something funny or witty to ease the tension, but Vinyl finally spoke up.

"Fine." She relaxed her stance and closed her eyes. "But on one condition. I'm going too."

"Huh? Are you sure? What about all the stuff we got? Some of it might spoil..." You looked over at Vinyl again. She was still staring at Twilight, but not as intensely as before.

"Oh, I can take care of those!" Twilight quickly picked up the groceries the two of you were carrying with her magic and, with a loud *zap!*, they were gone. "They're at your house now! So... No problem!" She gave the two of you another nervous smile.

Her magic surprised you, even though it was Twilight's magic. You supposed that it was because you were still getting used to magic spells and what not, but you didn't think she was capable of something like that. It was obvious that she was doing everything she could to appease the jealous Vinyl.

"Octavia, I'm gonna... Ahhhhn!" Cloud Chaser yelled as she pushed her hips into Octavia more.

Cloud Chaser had recently ditched the toy and began licking Octavia's marehood like a motorboat in the sixty-nine position as Octavia did the same from on top of her. Both of them had pussies pushing into their muzzles, but Cloud Chaser was getting the better deal since she was able to grab Octavia's plot and push her down onto her face harder. Their hips were both bucking involuntarily and they could both tell from their throbbing that they would be sharing an orgasm together very soon.

All it took was a playful spank from Cloud Chaser to make Octavia moan intensely and come. The pegasus popped her tongue out of the pussy she was pleasuring, since it was so tight, and instead began licking Octavia's clit while she came all over her face. The warm sex splattering over her and the intense moaning Octavia was letting out in her own marehood made her reach her peak as well.

"Mmmphhh!!!" Cloud chaser let out a high pitched moan when her hips began to buck up.

It was shortly followed by Octavia getting a healthy taste of climax juices inside of her mouth. Cloud Chasers' wings spread out wide from underneath her and one of them began to twitch, along with her hind legs, as Octavia pushed past her intense stimulation to make sure that her partner's orgasm was as good as hers.

Soon after, Octavia's body fell limp on top of Cloud Chaser's belly and they both began to pant heavily as the couch cushions became soaked.

A loud *zap!* erupted in the kitchen which caused both of them to jump in surprise and fall off of the couch with a *thud*.

"Ahh! What the hell was that?!" Cloud Chaser didn't have much strength left, but her fight-or-flight reflexes helped her jump to her hooves and look over the couch.

About seven or eight bags of groceries lay on the kitchen table and she was sure that they weren't there before. Octavia was still underneath her, apparently too worn out to care about what had happened.

The lack of speech from you, Twilight and Vinyl gave you time to admire the weather. It wasn't that interesting back on Earth, and the fact that the weather was created from pegasi made it that much more intriguing to you. The sky was almost clear right above you save for one or two wisps of cirrus clouds in the far-off atmosphere. However, there was a line of slightly darker clouds to the east that seemed to be getting closer. You had heard rumors that the pegasi were planning on bringing in a heavy snow tonight and early tomorrow morning, which was perfect since tonight was the night you were planning on having your "Christmas" party with your friends. It hadn't snowed in several days and it was beginning to disappoint you because of how much you liked the snow. It was definitely cold enough for it to snow and back on Earth, weather this cold would make the skies snow for days. However, the pegasi apparently had plans of their own. You truly had no clue as to why they would hold back the snow for so long, but you trusted that it had some better purpose.

Your fur was still surprising you with every passing day. The tip of your nose was getting cold very quickly every time you went out, but the majority of your body was able to keep warm even during freezing conditions. An occasional scarf was always helpful, though. The one Pinkie gave you way back when was still in Trixie's possession and you wished you would've gotten another one to replace it. You wouldn't have minded if it was another pink one. Back on Earth, wearing a pink scarf would've embarrassed you, but the ponies here didn't seem to mind whatsoever and you often found young colts wearing all sorts of flamboyant attire without attracting homophobic attention.

"So..." You said and gestured to Twilight in a humorous attempt to clear up yet another awkward silence. "What's this new spell you wanna teach me?"

"Oh! Well, I spent a long time recently studying the symbols of your cutie mark, and I finally found out that one of them meant 'negative magic'. It's still just in its theory stage, but I think the spell I'm gonna teach you might enable you to disable somepony's magic! Isn't that neat?!"

"Wow... That sounds really dangerous, actually..." You said as Vinyl walked in between you and Twilight, trying to keep a distance between the two of you.

"Don't worry about that. I figured out a way you can test it without risking anypony's magic. You'll see." Twilight was able to be remarkably cheerful despite Vinyl's presence, but you could still tell that there was certain uneasiness in her demeanor.

You were extremely thankful when you noticed that you were very close to Twilight's tree house since it meant a temporary end to Vinyl's passive aggressiveness. You truly envied her home every time you saw it. Even though there was some bits of snow covering the branches (you figured that some sort of spell was keeping them from melting since it had been a long time since it last snowed), it was still beautiful to look at and even more beautiful to live in. If it weren't for Vinyl, you'd have no problem living there with Twilight for the rest of your life. From a distance, you could see Spike's tiny body at the trunk of the tree watering the flowers that grew there. You wondered whether or not it was a good idea to water the plants since the water might freeze them, but since they were still there, you were sure that whatever Spike was doing wasn't hurting them. You could see everything from roses to tulips to lilies surrounding the base of the tree and it appeared as if they grew all the way around it. They must have been a new addition since you couldn't quite remember seeing so many of them there in the past. Spike finally caught you out of the corner of his eye and gave you a wave before setting down the watering can he was carrying and catching up to the three of you.

"Hey, Spike. What's up?" You said after giving him a bro-hoof.

"Not much, really. Twilight's been merciful today so I got to stay in and relax, mostly..."

You could see Twilight roll her eyes at him from your peripheral vision.

Instead of leading you towards the front door like you expected, Twilight led you to the right of her home and into the treeless meadow where you could immediately distinguish a few strange objects that were sticking out of the ground. As the three of you walked towards them, you could see that they were crude wooden training dummies that faintly resembled ponies with tiny sticks on their heads for horns.

"Oh, man. I can't wait to see this! You really think this is gonna work, Twilight?" Spike said excitedly as he jumped up and sat on Twilight's back.

"We'll find out soon enough, Spike." Twilight acted calm, but you could tell that she was anxious as well. She stopped about five feet from one of the dummies and turned around. "Okay, Alex. First thing's first."

"Yeah?" You made sure to pay close attention to her since her lessons were sometimes hard to follow.

Vinyl decided to take her leave and went to lie down in the grass a few yards away. She crossed her front hooves as her tail whipped once or twice, but her stern suspicious glare still remained affixed to Twilight. Your attention snapped back to your teacher once you heard the whizzing of her magic.

"We're going to see if you can actually do this spell, but first, you need to know how to do it."

Twilight shot a tiny bolt of her purple magic out of her horn and onto the dummy's horn where it stayed and shimmered. Although the thing attached to the dummy's head didn't resemble a real horn too well, the magical aura that Twilight put around it was almost identical to the one that unicorns developed when they were casting spells. You guessed that she put some sort of magic on the thing to imitate a unicorn while using magic.

"After studying the subject last night, I was able to find a couple of hints that might help you cast this. First, it's very important that you don't use your spell-targeting before casting."

"Huh? Why's that? How am I going to cast it then? The only spells you've taught me require that..." You looked at her in confusion.

"I'm not sure what would happen if you used spell-targeting beforehand, but I... Don't really wanna find out..." She seemed unsure of herself, but you agreed with her. The last time you "experimented" with your magic, it nearly caused a rift in space-time.

"Okay. So, what do I do instead?"

"Well, the second hint that I found said that you should..." Twilight paused to think for a moment. "Hmm... You know how some spells require incantations and spoken words?"

"Yeah...?" You were still trying to connect the dots.

"Imagine that somepony is doing an incantation, but then imagine that you're shutting them up. Or... Putting a hoof over their mouth? Whichever way works, I guess."

"Alright, I guess that makes sense. You sure nothing bad will happen like last time?"

Twilight and Spike looked at each other for a brief moment. "I can't guarantee that, but at least we'll be ready for that this time. Go ahead and give it a shot, Alex."

"Hmm..." You stared at the wooden dummy for several seconds and tried to think of what you'd do.

You guessed that the most straightforward tactic would be to imagine putting your hoof over the pony's mouth like Twilight suggested, so you decided to go with that for now.

"So... Don't spell-target, just cast it?" You asked Twilight for confirmation.

"Yes, but try to keep eye contact with the pony's horn so that your spell won't go haywire."

"Got it." You were still unsure, but you knew you probably wouldn't get it on your first try, anyway.

It was a little tricky at first to activate your magic without automatically spell-targeting the horn of the dummy since you were so used to it, but with a bit of concentration, you were finally able to make your horn glow white while the dummy remained unchanged. It took quite a bit of effort, though, and you had to stop for a minute to rest. Getting tired from using magic was nothing like you had ever experienced before. Your horn felt like your legs would feel after doing two dozen leg presses with three times your weight.

"Well done, Alex. That's a good start."

"Damnit, Twilight. Don't patronize me..." You thought as you caught your breath and prepared to try again.

The second time you tried your magic, it didn't wear you down as quickly. Your guess was that you just needed to warm up. You concentrated on the dummy's horn and activated your magic again. After a few seconds, even though you were beginning to feel worn down again, you tried shifting your thoughts to shutting the pony up. You couldn't see your horn, but there was a stronger magical aura coming from the top of your head that illuminated the wooden pony in front of you along with the grass underneath you.

Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to focus on the thought. Suddenly, the light coming from your horn flashed brighter than it ever had before and several other things followed. First, you felt your horn recoil and push your head back significantly. It wasn't enough to make you topple over, but it was certainly enough for you to break your concentration and cause your stance to stagger. Second, a flash radiated from your horn in a conical pattern in front of you, causing the wooden pony to uproot from the ground and fall over onto the grass.

"Ow! Shit!" You yelled out as a sharp headache throbbed in your forehead for several seconds.

"Are you okay?!" Vinyl rose up and ran over to you. You couldn't see her since your eyes were shut closed, but you could tell that she was extremely worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Geez that hurt... Twi, you alright?"

"I think so... Good thing I was standing behind you and not next to the dummy, though... What happened?" Twilight seemed concerned as well, but not to the same degree as Vinyl.

"I think I might've lost concentration once my horn started to flash like that..."

"That's what it looked like... I think if you try again and-"

Vinyl cut her off harshly as she let you lean on her. You were pressing your hoof to your forehead in an attempt to nurse your headache.

"Don't you think he should rest for a while before trying that again?" She had the same rudeness in her tone as before. You admired her protectiveness, but you still wished she would treat Twilight a little nicer. However, you knew there was nothing you could say or do to make her do so.

"Babe, I'm fine... Nngh..." You lied. Your legs struggled at first, but you were able to finally stand up straight again.

"No... Vinyl's right. Why don't you go inside with Spike and get a glass of water?" You were surprised that Twilight made this decision since she seemed so eager to get results only moments before, but you really did feel like you needed rest at least for a few minutes.

"C'mon. I got something way better than water for 'ya!" Spike tugged at your leg and pulled you gently towards the tree house. You took his gesture and followed him.

It took a couple of seconds to understand that doing this would mean leaving Vinyl alone with Twilight. You were afraid for Twilight's safety, but you hoped that maybe the two mares could talk it out. You looked over your shoulder behind you to see that Vinyl was still staring back with worry all over her face and you gave her a reassuring smile to let her know that everything was fine.

"Here, go lay down on the couch. I'll get somethin' for 'ya." Spike said immediately after opening the front door.

Faint murmuring could be heard from Twilight and Vinyl's direction, which made you worry, but you tried to ignore it and obey Spike for the moment. The couch creaked and moaned as you laid down on it and you instantly felt your body relax once you took your weight off your legs. The gentle breeze from the living room window was just strong enough to reach your body and give you a slight chill. It felt nice, though, and a long sigh escaped your lips.

You could hear spike running up the stairs. His little dragon claws made *tap* sounds on the wood as he made his way up. You didn't have your eyes open, which led you to believe that Twilight had somehow installed a heater in her house since the fireplace was fire-less when you came in. It was probably some sort of spell, but it really felt like there was a heater that came on the second that gentle chilly breeze hit you.

"Got it!" Spike yelled out from on top of the stairs.

You didn't hear his claws tapping against the wood on his way back down, so you imagined that he was sliding down the hoof rails instead. He was already right next to you once you opened your eyes and he had a small vial filled with a strange blue liquid. It was strange because the liquid seemed to glow slightly, but other than that, it was just a plain ordinary bottle of blue goop.

"This'll help your magic regenerate a lot faster. Twilight always uses it after trying a new spell, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind you taking a couple of sips." He handed you the vial and you decided to grab it with your hoof instead of your magic since your horn felt sore.

"Thanks, man..." Spike had already pulled the cork, so you sat up straight and took a sip.

The mixture actually tasted good. Most medicine that you took in the past often tasted nasty, which let you know that it was medicine. However, if Spike would've simply given you the vial and hadn't told you a thing about what was inside of it, you would've simply thought that it was raspberry juice. It was slightly warm which helped soothe your throat. It had been dry and cold from breathing in the winter air nearly all day. You were only going to take one or two sips of the stuff, but you soon found yourself enjoying more than five.

Almost instantly, you felt the soreness from your horn dissipate. It was as if somepony injected a strong pain killer directly into your forehead. Not only that, but you could also feel other parts of your body relax as well including your legs and your back. It also did a good job at calming your nerves, and you knew this because the worries for Twilight outside seemed to fade away seconds after you sipped the potion.

"Careful, Alex! Don't drink too much!" Spike took the drink from you quickly and put the cork back on it. "That stuff's really potent..."

"Sorry..." You laughed lightly and smiled, but you could still hear Twilight and Vinyl talking outside through the open window.

"Oh, my bad. It's probably really cold in here for ya..." Spike noticed that you were looking towards the window and hopped up on the set of shelves underneath it before closing it shut, eliminating any possibility of hearing the conversation outside.

"Thanks..." You wished he hadn't, but you appreciated his hospitality. "By the way, I apologize in advance if we go back out there and Vinyl's beating up on Twilight." You said in a humorous tone.

"Huh? What'cha mean? Why would Vinyl Scratch do that?"

It had just occurred to you that Spike had no way of knowing what happened between you and Twilight. Twilight wouldn't tell him about something like that even though they were best friends.

"Oh, uh... Never mind. Vinyl's just jealous, that's all." You tried to cover it up as best you could and Spike seemed to buy it.

"Oh, please. Twilight's never been interested in stuff like that before. No need to worry."

"If only you knew, Spike..." You thought silently. It was funny that even he, someone who had been Twilight's closest companion, wasn't told about what happened.

"Anyway, just let me know when you're feeling better and we'll go back out and try again. Whatever you did out there, it was so cool! I'm not sure if it did anything, though... The spell Twilight had on that dummy was still there when we left. But, just between you and me..." Spike leaned closer to you which was unnecessary since the only two ponies that were nearby were outside.

"If you learn this spell, this'll be the only spell that anypony's ever learned that Twilight can't do. I mean, besides Princess Celestia and Luna and Cadence." Spike continued and smirked as if he were rooting for you.

You laughed, but remained humble. "Spike, it's not a competition. Twilight's so much better than me when it comes to magic. Even if I do learn whatever this spell is, it won't mean I'm any better than her."

"Well... Uh..." Spike's train of thought seemed to be broken. He finally sighed and smiled after thinking for several seconds. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still, wouldn't it be cool?"

"Eh... I guess..."

After a few minutes of chatting, you tried to get back on your hooves since your head felt a lot better. The potion must have worked since you felt completely rested and ready to cast more spells again. You even activated the magic in your horn once or twice to test it out.

"Wow... What exactly is in that potion? I feel like I just woke up from a nap or something!"

"It's... Really complicated." Spike apparently figured out that you were good-as-new and went to the front door to open it for you. "Besides, Twilight promised me never to tell anypony what's in it since-"

Spike fell silent once he opened the door, and after looking up, you could see why.

"Hi, Fluttershy! What's up?"

"Hey!" You trotted up next to him to greet her. You only got to see her every once in a while since she was so shy, so you were glad every time you got the chance.

"H- Hi, Alex..." Fluttershy's face slightly turned pink when she saw you. "I heard a loud boom come from Twilight's tree house, so I came to see if she was okay... But..."

She looked to her right at Twilight and Vinyl having an apparently serious discussion. "Twilight and Vinyl Scratch seem to be having a serious talk, so I didn't want to bother them..."

"Well, you can blame me for that loud boom earlier. Twilight's teaching me a new spell." You couldn't help but smile at her cute and shy demeanor.

"Oh! A new spell? How exciting!" Fluttershy was almost unable to be heard, but you could tell that she was excited. "What kind of spell?"

"I think it has something to do with canceling magic or something... I dunno. I'm about to try it out again. Hopefully it'll work this time." You walked past Fluttershy who quickly stepped back to get out of your way even though you had plenty enough room between her and the door frame.

"Are you sure?" She seemed hesitant and a little scared. "I mean... They might be talking about-"

You cut her off by putting a hoof on her shoulder. The sudden physical contact surprised her a little since she was so skittish, but you managed to make eye contact with her and gesture towards Spike who didn't know about what you and Twilight did. You weren't sure whether or not Fluttershy knew, but you had to stop her just in case. Also, you couldn't help but notice how warm and soft her fur was.

"Talking about what?" Spike seemed confused and rightly so.

"Oh, you know. Just mare stuff." Fluttershy put on the most innocent and cutest smile with a *squee* as she picked Spike up and put him on her back. She looked at you quickly enough to give you a wink without Spike noticing. You had to love how sly Fluttershy could be at random moments.

"But, anyways, don't worry. Even if they are just talking about mare stuff, it's not like this is the only chance they have to talk about it." You began to walk forward and encouraged the timid Fluttershy to follow.

The truth of it was that you wanted to interrupt them to make sure things didn't get out of control between the two. Nothing good would come out of it if Vinyl decided to pick a fight out of jealous vengeance. You could hear the grass crunching behind you instead of beside you which indicated that Fluttershy was intending to hide behind you.

However... You were completely taken by surprise when you actually saw a slight grin on the two mares' faces. It was a good kind of surprise since it would make it seem that Vinyl and Twilight weren't exactly on terrible terms. The last few words you picked up on before they noticed the three of you were:

"Don't worry. I promise it won't happen again. In fact, one of my friends is actually helping me out-"

Twilight cut herself off once she saw you in her peripherals and turned to face you. Vinyl didn't look upset whatsoever which relieved most of your concerns.

"Alex! How are you feeling?"

"A lot better thanks to Spike here. Flutters decided to drop by, too." You weren't sure whether calling her by such an informal name would be acceptable, but you figured it wouldn't hurt anypony.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting..." Fluttershy said in her usual well-mannered and soft voice. "Alex told me he was working on a new spell, so I thought it would be fun to watch! That is, if it's okay with everypony..." She smiled. She really did seem eager to watch what you could do which motivated you slightly.

"Of course, Fluttershy! You didn't interrupt anything, though. Vinyl and I were just having a little chat. Ready to start again, Alex?"

"Yup. I got this." It seemed as if the potion you took rejuvenated your spirits as well.

"Great!" Twilight said cheerfully and quickly put another magical aura on the tip of the wooden dummy's horn. "Okay, everypony. Stand behind Alex, just in case."

Fluttershy was already one step ahead of everypony else, or rather, one step behind. You assumed your position in front of the dummy once you made sure everypony else was out of harm's way.

"Okay... Concentrate..." You told yourself after taking a deep breath.

It didn't take long for your bright white magic to return to your horn. In fact, it took little to no effort thanks to whatever was in that potion. All you could see was the pony's "horn". Everything else was blocked out. It was as if the wooden horn was all that existed in the world.

Your magic got brighter and brighter until you almost had to squint to see what was in front of you. Again, you tried to think about shutting the pony up, but instead, you imagined a zipper being zipped up over the mouth instead of putting a hoof over it. This was the spot where you messed up before and you knew it, so you tried extra hard to keep your focus while you thought of your little zipper idea.

Just like before, your horn flashed brightly, causing you to close your eyes. There was recoil, but it wasn't the same as last time. You didn't physically feel it and your body kept still until the blinding light faded, but you instantly felt light headed afterwards. It wasn't the type that you felt when you got overly excited about something. It was the type you got when you held your head down and breathed too fast. Your head started to tingle a bit as your stance wobbled like before.

The last two things you sensed were the sight of the bright sun setting over the horizon and the sound of Vinyl yelling your name. After that, all you could remember was fuzzy. You knew you were about to faint a few seconds before you did, but you had no time to prepare yourself for it. After your vision went black, you still had some feeling in your body. You felt the left side of your body collide with the cold ground. You didn't feel the pain, but you felt the impact despite the weak functioning of your brain at the moment.

After a while, though, all of your senses failed and you fell into a temporary sleep.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Chapter 17: Christmas in Ponyville

Your head spun as you came to and you felt like you were waking up from drinking a whole bottle of tequila. Your mouth was dry and you felt like throwing up every time your head moved in the slightest. As you opened your eyes, the harsh light from the orange setting sun struck them, making you close them shortly afterwards.

"Nnghh..." You groaned as you began to feel a dull yet painful soreness in your forehead.

"Oh... Thank goodness... I didn't know when you were going to wake up!" Fluttershy's calm and soothing voice relaxed you slightly and you could tell that she was very close to you because of how well you could hear her near-whisper tone.

"Shit..." You groaned as you tried to lift your head. You told yourself you would try to limit the cursing in front of your friends, but the pain was just too much.

For the second time since you woke up, your body stopped you as your head throbbed the second the back of your head came up from the pillow. Fluttershy quickly held a hoof down on your chest to keep you from rising. It somewhat reminded you of the time she was nursing you after your stab wound from the changeling. Just the thought of that sharp pain in your chest made everything worse. You wondered why Vinyl wasn't there looking over you as well, but she had to be there somewhere. It wasn't like her to just leave and go home when you were in trouble.

"Um... H- Hold on, I'm going to get Vinyl and Twilight... Please don't get up, Alex." Fluttershy seemed tentative after looking you over quickly.

Apparently, Vinyl was still there. With a few flaps of her wings, Fluttershy was in the air and out the window. The breezes created by her angelic wings brushed against your mane and made your fur rustle a tiny bit. You let out a sigh as you decided to keep your head rested against the pillow. The lack of sheets and the narrow width of the mattress you were lying on suggested that you were on a couch, and it only took a couple of peeks from your eyes to realize that you were. You were still at Twilight's place.

"Alex! Damn, are you alright?!" Vinyl rushed in the door, nearly breaking it off of its hinges. Twilight was close behind her.

You wanted to turn around to see her, but your body just wasn't having it. You kept still and stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah... My head hurts a good bit, but I'm fine."

"Alex, I... I'm so, so sorry... I had no idea the spell would backfire like it did and I... I-" Twilight was nearly in tears. You stopped her short since you hated seeing somepony like her cry, especially her.

"Twi, Twi... It's okay..." You smiled and pulled her hooves away from her eyes. She was standing in between Vinyl and Fluttershy. Spike's tiny spikes on his head could be seen behind them. "It's not your fault. I promise."

"But it is! I should've waited until you were ready to use that caliber of magic, but I got too eager and I wanted to see results, so..." Her eyes drifted towards the floor.

Feeling a little more stability in your head, you attempted once more to right yourself on the couch and get up off your back. It didn't work.

"Agh! Shit..." Your teeth clamped together once your head felt like exploding.

"Alex! Please don't move... I don't want to cause you anymore pain than I already have." Twilight didn't have to force you onto your back like Fluttershy did earlier. Her authoritative tone laced with concern was enough for you to do it yourself.

Twilight sighed and sat down on the couch next to where one of your legs was hanging off. "You probably have magic recoil sickness. It happens when you use up too much magic at one time. Trust me when I say its best you take it easy for the rest of the day."

"Okay... Is everypony alright? Whatever happened out there... It didn't hurt anypony else?" You said in a worried tone. You'd never forgive yourself if you caused anypony harm, especially Vinyl.

"We're fine, babe. Don't worry." Vinyl smiled past her overwhelming concern and sat down on the opposite side of Twilight, right next to your head.

You took a deep breath and tried to ignore the pain. Vinyl was looking down at you like a mother would with a sick child, and it gave you a certain warmth that you hadn't felt in a long time. You were a grown man, or a grown pony, but it seemed that Vinyl was the only being you knew who could make you feel like you were alright only by staring into her eyes. You rested your head against her thigh as she stroked your mane. It was a far superior pillow and it felt nice to have your mane affectionately petted for once. It only took that little gesture and her calm smile as she looked down at you to convince you that she cared for you just as much as you cared for her.

"Sorry, Vinyl... I went and hurt myself again..." You chuckled a bit to ease the seriousness of the situation.

She closed her eyes and shook her head while still keeping her smile. "What am I going to do with you?”

"B- But wait! If Alex can't move for the rest of the day, how are we going to have our... Um... What was the name of it, again?" Fluttershy spoke up shyly.

"Christmas. I suppose we could just have the party here instead. Is that okay with you, Alex?" Twilight was still at your feet, sitting down and hovering over a notepad and quill to write something down.

You looked over at Vinyl for confirmation and she nodded shortly after.

"I don't see why not. Is it okay if Vinyl stays here too until then?" You didn't want to make her feel left out.

"Actually, I need to go back and get all of our presents. Plus, I need to drag Octavia out of the house since she won't go otherwise." Vinyl rolled her eyes as she rose off of the couch. "You sure you're okay, babe? You need me to get anything for you while I'm there?"

You had to admit, you felt a little spoiled to have her treat you like this after what you did to her. You were trying not to dwell on it, but at times, you couldn't help it.

"Nope, I'm fine. Just need to lie down for a while, I guess."

"Okay. Good."

Vinyl kissed your forehead and your smile widened, but she soon turned around and trotted towards the front door to leave. The clock on the wall next to the stairs indicated that it was nearly six o'clock which was the time you were planning on starting the party.

"Seeya in a little bit, babe." Vinyl said as she shut the door behind her. You waved a hoof over the arm of the couch since you couldn't turn around to look at her without your head hurting.

"Here, drink some more of this. It might help you feel be-" Spike held up the same bottle of blue goop that you drank before, but Twilight snatched it away from him as soon as she saw it.

"What? Where did you get that? And what do you mean by more of it?" Twilight was staring Spike down like an angry mother.

"Oh, w-well, I gave some to Alex after his first try to help him recover a little faster..." From the expression on Spike's face, you could tell he knew he wasn't supposed to do what he did.

"Spike! What were you thinking?! You know that potion is made specifically for my magic, not anypony else's!"

"I just figured that it would be the same since he was working on a spell that you hadn't been able to learn... I'm sorry, Twilight..." Spike lowered his eyes in defeat.

"Well there's your problem!" You couldn't help but laugh at the situation, but then you started to feel bad for Spike.

"It's alright, buddy." You patted his tiny head with your hoof. "So, you think I could've done the spell right if I hadn’t taken that juice?" Your head tilted towards Twilight.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Twilight said with a touch of confusion on her face.

"Like, I would've been able to do it if I didn't drink that?" You thought that what you said was simple enough for her to understand, so you felt awkward explaining it to somepony who was apparently so smart.

"Oh! Right... Fell unconscious..." Twilight giggled at herself. "You did it! The magic on the dummy's horn was gone when we took you on so... It worked!"

It took you a few seconds to absorb what she said.

"Wha- Really? You mean I actually did it right?" You were completely surprised. Even though you tried your best, you had a serious doubt that you'd be able to cast said spell the first or the second time.

"Yep! Congratulations! Although, we still need to work on your conditioning to make sure you don't faint like that again." Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. "But still, you did great for your first try!"

"Plus, the spell on the horn came back about five minutes after you passed out. So, that means it's not permanent." Spike followed up after Twilight finished. That was a relief.

You could tell that Twilight was being sincere and that she wasn't stretching the truth to make you feel better, so your self-confidence grew significantly when she said it. You were now able to cancel a pony's magic; it was an ability that nopony had been able to do since Starswirl the Bearded. It still puzzled you as to why only you were able to produce this rare magic, but you figured that it was too over your head to worry about at the moment. After all, you had a Christmas party to worry about and Twilight was more gifted at figuring these things out than you were.

"So, all I have to do is use my magic more to condition it? And then I'll be able to cast it without dying?"

"Well, there's no way you could die from it..." Twilight said after some introspective thinking.

"I know, I know. I was kidding." You smiled at her lack of humor.

"Oh... W- Well, in that case, yeah. Just be sure to keep working on your levitation spells. I think learning another basic level spell wouldn't hurt either..." She rubbed her chin and thought some more. Meanwhile, Spike and Fluttershy were each sitting on a large comfy chair on the opposite side of the coffee table.

"What's next? Time travel?" Spike said sarcastically from behind Twilight.

"No, Spike..." She said after sighing. "That's not possible. However, I suggest working on a few of these spells..." Her horn glowed and a book gently glided down from the top level of one of her bookshelves. "By yourself."

As the book got closer, you could see the typical "101" title on the front that most tutorial lessons had.

"They shouldn't be too hard. Plus, Vinyl probably knows a lot of these as well, so she could help you! Consider it an early Christmas gift." Twilight got up from the couch and put the book where she was previously sitting.

"Thanks, Twi."

"Oh! That reminds me. I have something for you too! I really hope you like it..." Fluttershy said and helped you out by picking up the book and giving it to you so you could read it.

"Aw, thanks. If it's from you, I'll like it. Don't worry." You gave her a warm smile before opening the book and looking at the table of contents. In the background, you could hear Twilight in the kitchen running water in the sink and making dishes clatter as she cleaned them.

You heard a tiny *squee* come from Fluttershy. You could tell she was excited for the Christmas party. The title "beginner's spells" at the table of contents caught your eyes and you flipped over to see what the section contained.

"Hmm... Page seven...." You flipped through the pages, making sure none of the bookmarks that Twilight put in them fell out. There had to be at least one for every two pages. It instantly reminded you of something funny you remembered about her and Rainbow Dash and you decided to pick on her a little.

"Hey, Twi?"

"Yes? You need anything?" She said from the kitchen as you heard the sink turn off.

"Nah, I just thought of something." You smiled as you took one of the bookmarks out to read it. The writing was way too small for you to read. "Remember when you were trying to help Rainbow Dash study for her Wonderbolts exam?"

"Yeah. I remember that. I don't understand how you remember that, but I guess I've learned to just accept it."

"You gave her a book to highlight important parts of it? And then, she went through and highlighted everything?"

"Oh goodness, that mare is hopeless sometimes." Twilight rolled her eyes after sighing.

"So then why is it that you have bookmarks on every page and nearly everything highlighted in this book?"

Twilight was walking out of the kitchen and she came into your view as she came around the couch. You gave her a sly look as if you had just bested her in intellectual combat.

"W- Well, you see, that was when I was a little filly and..." Her cheeks flushed a little and you heard Fluttershy and Spike chuckling. "Okay, smart guy. Let's see how many of those spells you can learn in a week. I learned all of them in two." Her chin rose with pride, but her cheeks were still red.

"Simmer down, smarty-pants... I was just kidding." You laughed in the back of your throat a little more before going back to reading. "I'd be lucky if I could learn just one of these by next week- Nnghh!"

A sudden jolt of cold made you grit your teeth. Fluttershy had apparently gone to make an ice bag for your head while you were teasing the princess. A warning would've been appropriate, but you decided not to make a big deal out of it. After all, she was just trying to help.

"T- Thanks, Flutters. Ahh... That's cold..." You got a whiff of whatever kind of shampoo she used in her mane as she walked around the couch and sat down in the chair again. It smelled like... Bananas?

"So. Spike?" Twilight's blemish finally went away. Somehow, you knew that she was about to scold the little dragon despite her lighthearted demeanor. "What did we learn today?"

Spike sighed. "Not to take other ponies' things without permission..."

"And...?"

He groaned this time. "Never use a potion unless you know for sure what it does..."

"Good." Twilight smiled before turning around and heading up the stairs. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Its five minutes until the party starts, so that means Pinkie-"

"Heloooooo?! The party master is heeeeree!"

You heard what could only be interpreted as Pinkie Pie's voice muffled behind the front door. It couldn't be anypony else based off of how silly the tone was. Loud knocks sounded at the door and it nearly made you jump. In fact, it sounded more like beating than knocking.

Twilight's ears perked up in attention before you saw her quickly retreat upstairs in panic.

"So... You mean to tell me that Cloud Chaser's been hanging out here nearly every day, and all you two were doing was having tea and chatting?"

"Y- Yes, Vinyl! That's what I'm saying!"

It was painfully obvious to Vinyl Scratch that her roommate was lying, and it amused her to pry one bit of information out of her at a time. A raised eyebrow and a grin remained on her face for the entire interrogation.

"Oh, cut the crap, Octy. Cloud Chaser's one of my best friends. I know she's not into that shit."

"I'm just telling you what happened... Maybe she simply wanted to try something new?" The grey earth pony simply couldn't look Vinyl in the eye.

"Really, now? Something new? Something new like... My dildo that I haven't been able to find since last week?" Vinyl's grin grew once she knew she had her cornered.

Octavia's face went red and she took a large gulp of her tea to tactfully give her time to think about what to say next. However, Vinyl's attitude changed as she relaxed and sat down next to her best friend.

"Look, I'm sorry. There's nothing wrong with you doing those things with her and I'm happy that you're finally starting to loosen up a bit." Vinyl reached a hoof out and tilted Octavia's face so that she could make eye contact with her. "But could 'ya please do it in the bedroom instead? Coming in on two mares having sex in the living room is kinda awkward." She giggled.

Octavia managed to smile as the amount of embarrassment slowly diminished.

"So, how was it?" Vinyl resumed her curious prodding for information.

"H- How was what?"

"Oh, the tea. I was just curious. No, the sex! How was the sex?" She was in Octavia's face like a child asking for an allowance raise. Her eyes were wide and her ears were perked up to hear every syllable that came from her friend.

"It... It was..." She almost seemed happy. It was as if a portion of her prudish nature had escaped her personality once she let herself indulge in a few acts of harmless fun. "Exciting..."

"What did you do?! Come on, details!"

"Vinyl Scratch! That's hardly any of your business!" Octavia was grinning bashfully instead of scolding her like Vinyl expected.

"Well.. Whatever. I'm just glad you finally let loose for once." Vinyl let go of her eagerness and embraced Octavia in a warm hug.

"I suppose... I am too."

The two mares shared a few heartwarming moments in their hug before Vinyl released her and walked back to the fridge.

"By the way, there were some bags that were... Delivered here a few hours ago."

"Oh, yeah. Long story. I'll fill you in on the way." Vinyl took a large jug of milk with her magic after opening the fridge and drank a few gulps of it. Ordinarily, Octavia would've fussed at her for drinking straight from the jug, but to Vinyl's surprise, she didn't.

"On the way? To what, may I ask?"

"The Christmas party! Don't tell me you aren't coming..." Vinyl screwed the cap back on the milk jug and threw it back into the fridge.

"Well, yes, but I thought we were having it here."

"Change of plan. It's at Twilight's place now. Like I said, I'll explain on the way."

You discarded what you said earlier about medicine tasting like medicine. The potion that Spike gave you to help your magic tasted like fruit juice, but the pain reliever that Twilight mixed up and gave to you in a tiny vial tasted like sardines and cold medicine. It made sense since she admitted that one of the ingredients for it was fish oil. However, it didn't make you nauseous. In fact, it worked faster than any pain medication you had ever taken before. That included the time you had to take opiates after a surgery on your broken arm quite a few years ago back on Earth. Albeit, it didn't make you feel like you were in wonderland.

After about five minutes, the throbbing dull pain in your head was almost completely gone and you were finally able to sit upright again.

"Ooh! A warm spot on the couch! Thanks for keepin' it warm, Alex!" Pinkie Pie leaped over the back of the couch and came down with a *thud* on the cushion next to you, causing the couch to groan in protest.

"Eh... You're welcome?" You chuckled oddly. Before too long, she started chatting again.

"Soooooo, how are you and Vinyl doing? I heard you two got in a fight or somethin'." She leaned close and acted as if she was trying to interrogate information out of you with her wide bright smile.

"We're fine. It was just a little hiccup, but she's forgiven me... Thank Luna she forgave me..."

"Awesome! Be sure to keep your cock in your sheathe next time, silly billy!"

The sudden intimate subject made your heart skip a beat and your face instantly turned red. Your body got hot from nervousness.

"P-Pinkie! Why... How..."

"Juuuuuust sayin'! Anyways, when's this party gonna start?! I can't wait to get some of that new punch Twilight's been talking about!" She hopped up and down like a rabbit as she talked.

You were somewhat curious as to what kind of punch she was talking about, but you figured that you'd find out sooner or later. Still, you thanked her for not dwelling on the previous subject for too long.

"Oh, yes! I heard it had eggs and milk... And some sort of cream too! It sounds delicious!" Fluttershy's calm voice made your ears perk up.

You had almost forgotten that she was there, even though she had been decorating the room the whole time. Her gentle flying barely made a sound compared to most other pegasi. She had just finished putting up what resembled a holiday wreath that, no doubt, Rarity had a part in making since it was decked out with glitter and jewels.

"Omigosh! So it's like a cake punch?!"

"Well, yes, I suppose it does sound like that!" Fluttershy gently flew down and got another wreath to put on the inside of the front door.

"They couldn't possibly be talking about..." You thought to yourself. "No, they wouldn't know what that was."

"Hi, Pinkie! I see you're early to the party as always!" Twilight glided down the staircase with her wings stretched wide. Her wings were so much different than anypony else's, but they strangely resembled Luna's, which was why you liked them so much. It was a shame she didn't use them more often.

"Are you kidding?! Element of laughter? Parties are my thing, girl! I'd never be late to one!"

Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. "But, still. It's not like Rarity or Applejack to be la-"

Suddenly, you could hear the chatter of mares outside the front door. Fluttershy let out a yelp as it flew open, and Applejack trotted right in. The pegasus was barely able to get out of the way in time.

"Howdy, y'all! Merry Christmouse!" Applejack called out with her twangy accent as Rarity and Rainbow Dash followed her in.

The ridiculous error made you burst out laughing. "Christmas, AJ!"

"Oh, uh... Sorry, sugarcube." Applejack laughed back while taking off her hat and setting it down at the end of the couch.

"Come now, Applejack. It's pronounced Chrrristmas. Right, Alex?" Rarity tried way too hard to sound correct and she rolled her tongue on the "r" for a bit too long. However, it was an improvement from Applejack's attempt.

"Close enough."

"Sup, Alex? Heard you learned a rad new spell today." Rainbow Dash trotted over to you and held out her hoof for you to bump.

"Yeah. Almost blew up half of Ponyville. 'Ya know, the usual." You play-acted cool and Rainbow Dash snickered as you bumped your hoof against hers.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad... It's a spell that lets you cancel magic from unicorns, and he was actually able to pull it off." Twilight acted proud as a successful teacher would be and used her magic to tie her hair in a ponytail since it was still a little damp from the shower. It was weird, but you swore that every mare you knew looked cuter in a ponytail.

Rarity gave you a suspicious look from the corner of her eye and took a couple of steps away from you.

"Don't worry, Rarity. It's all under control." Twilight tried to reassure her.

"I dunno... I could lose it and accidentally take away all your magic forever! Rawr!" You teased and held out your hooves menacingly.

"Ahhh!" Rarity shrieked and stumbled back a few steps which caused everypony in the room to erupt in laughter.

You were about to get up and go close the door since Rainbow Dash apparently forgot to, but Vinyl and Octavia trotted in right before you could get to it.

"Geez, what's all the ruckus about?" Vinyl set down the large backpack full of gifts next to Applejack's hat.

"Vinyl!" Rarity rushed to her in panic. "Do you still have your magic?! Please don't tell me Alex took it away from you! Is it contagious?!" She made her horn glow purposefully to make sure her magic still worked.

Your marefriend gave you a look of confusion and you gave her a sly wink in return. She instantly understood the situation despite the minor context clues. It amazed you how well she could pick up on things like that despite her blunt personality.

"Oh... Yeah... Ever since Alex did that spell... I've been so weary and... I can't cast any spells..." She pretended to act weak and defenseless and made a faint spark or two come out of her horn. More laughter ensued.

"You can't be serious!" Rarity turned back towards you. You decided to finally stop torturing her.

"Relax, Rarity. I'm only kidding. Even if the spell did backfire or something, I don't think it's permanent."

The overly ecstatic unicorn let out a moody sigh as she clutched her chest. "Goodness gracious..."

"Sorry, Rare. It's all in good fun." You smiled apologetically after getting up on all fours.

Rarity took a moment to pause and calm herself. You were half expecting her to fuss at you and snap in anger since you knew that Rarity's emotions were... Unstable, to say the least.

"Well, Alex. I've figured out yet another one of your many talents..." Her long eyelashes fluttered a few times as she looked you right in the eye.

"H- Huh? What's that?"

Rarity sighed and her lips curled into a gentle grin. "It is simply impossible to be mad at you."

"Heh. You're right about that one, Rarity." Vinyl trotted around the couch and joined you at your side before giving you a tiny smooch on the cheek.

You smiled in embarrassment. "Vinyl..."

"And he's really cute when he's embarrassed." She nudged your shoulder a tiny bit and your cheeks reddened as you looked down, smiled, and played with your hoof nervously. The room was silent and still save for the occasional giggles from the other girls.

"A- Anyways... Should we get this party started?" You tried your best to end the awkward situation even though you loved it when Vinyl gave you PDA.

"'Ya don't have 'ta ask me twice!" Applejack said energetically.

"There's just one more thing we need before we start." Twilight backed her up as her horn glowed bright.

A purple flash of light came from the middle of the room not three feet from where you were standing. You shielded your eyes and backed away a little, almost tripping over Vinyl. It soon faded and it left your eyes with a dark spot. It was like looking directly at a flashlight and then turning it off. For a second, you couldn't see anything. However, your eyes slowly adjusted and you began to recognize the outline of something you hadn't seen in quite some time. In fact, you were almost certain that you'd never see it again.

It was a Christmas tree. It wasn't just a plain one, though. It was already decorated with ornaments including a star on top. You had to reach out with your hoof and feel the pine needles poke against it to convince yourself that it was real. It even had the smell you were used to. The strong smell of pine and sap filled your nostrils and it instantly soothed you whilst bringing back faint memories of past Christmases back home.

"Ta-da!" Twilight smiled with a *squee*.

"Geez, Twi. You've really out-done yourself... How did you know...?” You couldn't take your eyes off the tree.

She dodged the question and moved on. "So, should we move on to the gift exchange?"

"Oh, uh... Sure!" You looked around for your backpack and dragged it into the middle of the living room.

"So... Everything you bought for us is from the human world?" Fluttershy settled down on the floor in front of the tree and looked up at you cutely.

"Yup! I guess we should get those out of the way first?"

"Duh! I've been waiting for this for weeks!" Rainbow Dash flew over the furniture in the living room a bit before sitting down next to Fluttershy.

"But Alex, 'ya didn't have to spend all 'yer money just for us..." Applejack, even though she appeared just as excited, was humble as always.

"You girls have done so much for me over the past few months... It's the least I can do." You observed that the ponies were starting to form a semi-circle around you, so you sat down on the large comfy chair in the middle before lifting up your backpack to open it.

Vinyl didn't join them, though. She simply sat down next to the chair and looked up at you expectantly. You could see that she had brought one or two boxes with her as well as she pulled them from behind the chair and set them neatly next to her. Octavia soon did the same and sat down on the carpet to the left of Vinyl as the rest of the mane six gathered in front of you. You had almost forgotten that Octavia was there since she hadn't said a word since she arrived.

The bruised leg on Vinyl caught your eye once again and your tide of worries rose for a few moments. You couldn't quite tell if it had grown in size over the past week since it was mostly under her fur, but that's what bothered you the most. It wasn't a bruise. That much was for certain. A normal bruise would've healed up in a matter of days. Even though you promised yourself you would have fun at the party, you wrote a mental note in your head. She needed to see a doctor about this and it couldn't wait another day.

For now, though, it was your job to make sure your two roommates were having a good time. Your head turned to face Octavia and you tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, you okay?" You turned to her and whispered.

"Oh, yes. I'm just not accustomed to... Informal parties and the sort... I suppose this is a pleasant change of pace, though." Octavia flipped her tail a couple of times to get comfortable as she smiled up at you. Like Vinyl, you were glad when she was able to let loose and have some fun every once and awhile.

"Come on, Alex! Show us your package!" Pinkie yelled out, obviously impatient and hyper.

"Okay, okay!" You laughed and unzipped the bag.

As you did so, you could faintly see Vinyl grinning mischievously as she held her present close under her hoof.

"Of course... Vinyl comes first." You announced to the group once you felt the item in your bag. You instantly recognized it once you touched it and prepared to pull it out.

"Aw! Come on!" Pinkie yelled again.

"Patience, Pinky, dear. Patience." Rarity put a hoof on the hyper pony's back.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Chapter 18: Holiday Happy Hour

It took Luna's personal tailor a week to make the preparations. This was mostly because what Luna requested was so strange and out of place among most of the other projects he worked on. However, Luna sprang up from her royal bed and trotted over to Celestia once she entered her room with a large cardboard box wrapped up in the white alicorn's magic.

"At long last, it is finished!" Luna took the box from Celestia and opened it quickly.

"What... Is this?" Celestia questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It is a present for Sir Alex, sister. What do you think of it?" Luna took out the item from the box and held it up with a wide smile.

"It's... Vibrant... But what purpose does it serve? I'm afraid I don't quite understand..."

"You will see tonight." Luna put the item back in the box and tucked it underneath her bed.

Princess Celestia only shook her head with a smile as she still failed to comprehend the meaning of what Luna was doing. "Well, I do hope you enjoy... Whatever it is you're planning on doing. I must head off to sleep. I have an important meeting with the Duke tomorrow morning.

"Very well, sister. I suppose you will not be participating in Sir Alex's Christmas festivities?"

"Oh goodness, no. I don't wish to make a scene by traveling to Ponyville at such a late hour. Besides, I would rather him enjoy it with his new friends instead." Celestia started to turn around and leave Luna's chambers, but stopped halfway.

"Are you going to attend?" Celestia raised her eyebrow again.

"Yes... And no..." Luna's eyes looked around the room nonchalantly with a grin as if she was hiding something.

"Whoa..." Vinyl turned the music player over several times to try and figure out its function. "What's this thing do?"

"It's my old mp3 player! Look-" You flipped it to its front and turned it on for her. The glass screen lit up and you unlocked it with your hoof for her to use."

"What the hell?" Vinyl's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in awe as you showed her how it worked.

"I have tons of songs on here that you can listen to whenever you want. All you have to do is plug your headphones in here and you can listen to music whenever you want! I've got some rock, some 80's music, and a ton of the type of music you like to make. It even takes pictures, too!"

"Oh, wow! Earth technology! You'd better take good care of that thing, Vinyl!" Twilight was looking at it just as closely as Vinyl was.

"I will, but... Won't it run out of batteries or something?"

"I've got that covered." Twilight said proudly.

"Usually, you'd have to plug it into an electrical socket, but Twilight found a way to charge it using electricity magic. You can just go to her whenever the battery's low."

"Aw sweet!" Vinyl said enthusiastically as she scrolled through the songs.

Everypony waited in silence as Vinyl enjoyed her gift. You knew that there were about ten thousand songs on the thing and Vinyl was browsing through all of them. However, she soon realized how caught-up she was in the device and put it back in the box for the time being.

"S- Sorry... Thanks, babe. You're the best!" Vinyl wrapped her forelegs around your neck and kissed your cheek before hugging you tight for a few moments.

"I've got one other thing for ya, but I'll save it for last." You grinned and nuzzled her cheek.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me next, me next!" Pinkie was bouncing up and down on her butt. You weren't surprised that her energy was beginning to leak out after sitting still for so long. It was only a few moments for everypony else but for her, you were sure that it felt like a century already.

"Alright, alright." You dug through your bag past all of the other presents. It was a book, so you were sure that it had settled to the bottom.

"Here we go." Gently, you pulled it out and showed it to her. "One hundred and one best party ideas!"

You had to admit that any book wasn't a good fit for Pinkie. In fact, you were a bit ashamed that you couldn't think of anything better to get for her. Still, you smiled and offered it to her sincerely.

"Omigosh!!!" Pinkie jumped at you and snatched it out of your hoof. "This is perfect!"

Pinkie opened the book and flipped through the pages quickly. There were pictures in it, so you thought that it would help her understand it more. You didn't think that she was unintelligent. In fact, Pinkie had a strange ability to know the things that some omniscient beings would be ignorant about. Rather, you doubted that her short attention span would help her with reading bland black and white text.

"Party games, party food recipes, party tips, tricks, hints, suggestions, ideas... This has everything! Thaaaank you!" Pinkie hugged your body and nearly tackled you. It knocked the air out of your lungs for a brief moment.

"Agh! Heheh. You're welcome, Pinkie. I thought you'd like it."

Just as quickly as the hug began, she let you go and you fell back onto the chair. Your shoulders hurt a bit from the pink pony squeezing them so hard. After taking a deep breath and relaxing yet again, you looked over at Vinyl to check on her. Like you guessed, she was playing with her new toy again while Octavia's curious eyes watched from beside her. Every once and a while, you could hear an "ooh" or a "wow" being muttered from the two.

"Hmm... Let's see." You dug in your backpack and reasoned that it would be easier if you took the heavier books out of your bag first. "Oh! Here you go, Twi!"

Twilight's smile stretched from ear to ear and her front legs were clopping on the wooden floor in excitement. It was so cute you almost wanted to hug her at that moment. After taking out the books you bought for her, you held them out with the assumption that she would take them with her magic.

Instead, she got up from her seat on the floor and took them from you with her hoof. It surprised you, to say the least, since she used magic for practically everything she did. Your facial expression must have mirrored your thoughts because Twilight seemed to catch on to it.

"Important gifts from friends and loved ones should always be taken by hoof. It's just more polite." Twilight said as she looked down at the covers of the books.

"Oh... Alright. I'll be sure to remember that... Anyways! So, these books are all part of a series called 'Lord of the Rings'. It's an action-adventure story that's similar to the Daring Doo books you read, except... It's a bit more complicated than that; and make sure to read the prequel first so everything makes sense later."

"Uh... Which one is that?" Twilight shuffled through the books with a confused look on her face.

"The Hobbit." You pointed it out to her by tapping your hoof on the edge of the prequel.

"Aw, man!" Rainbow Dash pouted and crossed her front legs against her chest, obviously jealous of Twilight's gift.

You laughed and dug through your bag again. "Don't worry, Dashie. I know you like to read too, so that's why..." You let the sentence hang for dramatic effect. "I got you a copy of them as well!"

Her face went from intense jealousy to joy in a way that almost made your heart melt.

"Omigoshohmigoshohmigosh!" She stood up and bounced up and down on her legs. You felt a lump in your throat form as you tried your best to keep from tearing up from her adorableness.

"So, you two bookworms can read the story at the same time! If you girls like Daring Doo, you'll definitely like these."

"Aw, thank you so much, Alex!" Twilight set the books down next to the tree.

She walked over and wrapped one of her hooves around your neck to give you a hug. Soon after, Rainbow Dash did the same. Their warm feathers brushed against your cheek and they tickled you a little as you hugged them back. The hug ended sooner than you expected and you blamed it on Twilight being afraid of making Vinyl jealous or over-protective.

"Alright, let's see..." You inserted a hoof back into the bag and pulled out the first thing it touched. "Ah, here we go."

You had to turn the bag slightly sideways for the rope to come out. After that, the cowboy hat and the box of apples fell out quite easily. The rope you got her wasn't like any old rope, it was the absolute best rope you could find. It was triple-woven and weatherproof with laminated tips on either end. The box that it came in said that it would last ten years, but even if it didn't, you figured it was still a good replacement for whatever Applejack was using at the time.

"Here you go, AJ." You smiled at her after wrapping the rope around the box of assorted Earth apples and putting the cowboy hat on top.

You were lucky. Not only did you not expect to find a decent cowboy hat during your Earth travels, but you also managed to find one with red rope around the inner seam. In addition, it had a shiny silver horse shoe insignia on the front that made the whole hat look that much better. There were also silver tips on the ends of the red rope. Applejack didn't say a word as she walked up to retrieve her gift.

"A weatherproof super-duty multi-purpose rope, a brand new cowboy hat, and a whole bunch of apples from Earth!" You said and held out her gift.

"G- Gosh, Alex... Ah... Ah don't know what ta say..." Applejack's cheeks reddened.

"Do you like it? If you don't like anything, you could just sell it and use it for your farm. I'm sure Earth antiques would sell for quite a decent amount.

"Are you kiddin'? This is tha best gift ever!"

Her face lit up as she picked up the hat and put it on her head. You had to congratulate yourself. The colors and slight decorations on the hat went with Applejack's fur and mane perfectly. Judging from her reaction, you figured that she thought the same way as well.

"Wow! That looks great on you, Applejack!" Fluttershy got up and fixed the new hat on AJ's head to make it straight.

"I absolutely agree! I'm not quite enthusiastic about country attire, but I simply must admit that it matches you perfectly!" Rarity looked at it closely while circling her. "Alex, I never thought you had such an eye for fashion!"

"Uh... I don't, really." You smiled and chuckled.

"And these apples... Ah've never seen anything like these before! They look so... Different... Than what ah'm used to."

You knew that some of the apples grown on Earth were chemically altered to increase their size and that they would no doubt be juicier and thicker than the ones here on Equestria. For that reason, you weren't exactly surprised with Applejack's reaction. She put them into her saddle-bag she brought along with her for safe keeping, which was a good idea since they would rot faster if she took a sample-bite out of one.

Applejack tugged her hat onto her blonde mane to fit it comfortably. Her hooves caressed the sturdy fibers of the rope as she inspected it. After a couple of tugs, she seemed satisfied with it's quality.

"So how is this thang weatherproof?"

"I'm... Not really sure, to be honest. My dad used to have a rope like that back in the day, though. I remember it lasting years before he had to replace it."

"Huh. Well ah guess ah'll take yer word for it, Alex." Applejack put all of her gifts down and crossed the middle of the room to give you a warm hug around the neck.

"Thank ya', sugarcube. That was really sweet of ya'."

"Oh come on! This is taking too long! Just give em to us all at once!" Pinkie Pie shouted out. Even though she had already received her gift, it seemed as if her patience was still thin.

"Okay, okay." You smiled apologetically and put your bag of gifts on the floor in front of you. After all, it was starting to feel a little slow and drawn-out to you as well.

Everypony was already huddled close to the bag, waiting to get their share of your generosity. Even the girls who had already received their present were anxious to see what else was left. Their multicolored tails swished back and forth as they sat in a tighter semi-circle around you. Meanwhile, Spike managed to climb up onto the arm rest next to you to try and get a peek inside your backpack.

"Let's see... A karaoke recorder for Fluttershy..."

"Ooh! What's this?" Fluttershy carefully inspected the device with curious eyes.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy. I'm sure he'll explain after he's done." Twilight said as she was already buried in the first few pages of the book you gave her.

"Next, a pair of earrings for Rarity..." You gave the small jewelry box to her and her face lit up with excitement.

You could almost see sparkles in her pupils as Rarity opened the box and gazed down at the brilliant amethyst gems hung by white gold rings. They were a bit gaudy for most girls' tastes, but you knew that Rarity was a huge fan of that sort of thing. The whole package was completely out of your price range, mainly because the stones, even though they were thin and pointed, were each approximately one inch in length. Your credit card easily made it affordable, though. You still felt a little naughty for being able to cheat your debt.

"Goodness... They're simply divine! And they even match my mane!" Rarity stared at her reflection in the gems before picking them up with her magic and attaching them to her ears.

"A pack of ballpoint ink pens for Spike... And, last but not least, a full collection of classical orchestral pieces from Earth for Octavia."

"Whoa... What are these things?" Spike pulled one of his pens out and looked at it with a humorous expression.

"Take the top off of one and start writing down something."

"Uh... Okay." Spike seemed confused and rightly so.

He extracted a piece of scroll parchment from the stand on the other side of the room. Instinctively, his claw made a motion towards the ink jar.

The other girls were chatting over their various gifts, so you had to raise your voice at him slightly.

"No, no. You don't need that, buddy."

Hesitantly, he retracted his claw and rested the tip of the pen against the paper. You could almost feel his excitement when he began to drag it across, leaving a thin neat black line of ink.

"Wow! That's amazing, Alex!" He turned with a wide smile on his face.

"Yep! Hopefully all the letters and lists you have to write for Twilight will be easier now."

"Absolutely!" Spike went back to his parchment and began writing some things down again. You had to take your attention off of him because somepony was tapping you on your leg.

"Got this for 'ya when you were away."

Vinyl's voice seemed to cut through the other girls, but she wasn't yelling. She gave you a large heavy object that felt like a book. However, what surprised you the most was the fact that it had clean and neat crimson wrapping paper around it along with a golden ribbon on top.

"Aw... Thanks, babe." You leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek. Curious, you began taking off the wrapping paper.

It always made you feel guilty ripping apart something that somepony took effort into putting together, so you tried to take it off from the seams neatly. Needless to say, it didn't quite work. Vinyl was looking at you funny the whole time.

You were able to see a stack of pages on the side of the object which confirmed that it was a book.

"What in the world... A book? From Vinyl?"You thought to yourself. It really was the last thing you would've expected to get from her.

You finished unwrapping it. Your face turned blood red.

"Heheh. Like it? I figured it would come in handy..." Vinyl gave you a sly look and grinned.

You couldn't take your eyes off of the cover page. Fun Spells For Two Lovers. It had a minimalistic picture of a blue stallion and a pink mare making love right below the title in the doggy position.

Quickly, you stuffed the book between your back and the back of the chair so that nopony would see. Nopony seemed to notice, thankfully.

You jumped and your eyes widened as Vinyl got dangerously close to your ear.

"The other half of your present is waiting at home..." She whispered in a seductive tone. You had to quickly grab a pillow from the couch to cover your crotch in fear that it would begin to grow. Vinyl giggled as she laid back down next to the seat.

"Damn you, Vinyl..."

"Hey... Who put that present under the tree?" Rainbow Dash said through the chatting which caused everypony to become silent.

"Twasn't me!" Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Me neither..." Fluttershy looked up close to inspect the gift. "It has a tag on it! To Alex, from... Santa?"

"Twilight..." You looked over at her accusingly.

"Hey! Don't look at me! I was here the whole time, remember?"

"We were all here... How did it get there without anypony noticing?" Rainbow Dash said.

"And, who is Santa?" Fluttershy asked, a bit out of place.

"He's just some fairy tale we have back at home. We tell our kids that there's this guy who flies around on Christmas and delivers presents for everyone. Or, erm... Everypony. For how it got here, I have no clue..."

"It's a mystery present!!! Open it open it open it!" Pinkie's hooves clopped together as she yelled and interrupted your explanation.

It was oddly shaped in the sense that it was long and slender rather than a box that most presents came in. The entire box measured five feet tall and about two feet across and it had quite a bit of weight as you took it from Fluttershy who had struggled to bring it over to you via dragging it along with her teeth.

It took you a couple of moments to open it, but you finally managed to. What you saw made you and everypony around you drop their jaws.

It was a broadsword. It wasn't what you were expecting, but it was familiar somehow.

"Why would Santa bring you that?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

"Santa didn't bring anything. Like I said before, he's just a fairy tale. I'm sure it was just somepony-"

"But... If he's just a fairy tale, how in Equestria did it manage to wind up here? And with Santa's name on it, too? It ain't any of us!" Applejack said sternly as if demanding an answer.

You didn't have a good one for her. You had a full view of everypony from the very start since they were all circled around you so you would've noticed if one of them put the present under the tree.

"Alex... You don't think..." Twilight pondered whilst rubbing her chin.

"No. It's just a kid's story."

"But what if..."

You had to be honest with yourself; the concept of someone like Santa Claus wasn't so farfetched when compared to everything that went on in Equestria on a daily basis. But still, your skeptic mind continued to win you over.

"Twi, there's no way. Even if he did exist, he would be on Earth and not in Equest-"

"Ho ho ho!"

A strange loud booming voice sounded from outside and made the windows rattle a bit. It made you and everypony else in the room jump in fright. That is, except for Vinyl. She simply perked her ears and lifted her head from her music player, seeming almost unphased.

"What the hell..." You got up and galloped over to the window as fast as you could with all of your friends following close behind you.

What you saw defied everything you had ever believed up until that point. It wasn't enough to put the debate of Santa to rest, but it was just enough to keep your mind wondering.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a figure fly into the night sky wearing a red and white outfit that was only barely illuminated by the ambient light of Ponyville. It was only a blur, but you knew what you saw in that tiny window of time.

"There's no way..."

"BYE SANTAAA!!!" Pinkie opened the window and yelled right next to your ear. You were deaf in your right ear for several moments afterward.

As suddenly as the figure appeared, it vanished into the night.

"Oh, I can't wait to try some of these pieces!" Octavia kept her head down in the sheet music as the three of you walked back home. "They're so... Fluid, and..."

"Yeah, that one's by Mozart. He was really popular back in the day." You said as you peeked at the page she was looking at.

"Mozart..." Octavia dwelled on the name for a short while. "Is he still around? In your world, I mean."

You chuckled.

"No no no. He lived... Hm... Two hundred or so years ago."

"Fascinating..."

"So... How did you two like the party? I know it's a little strange compared to the kinds of holidays you girls usually celebrate."

"It was cool, but didn't you say you had something else for me? I didn't see any other boxes or bags inside your backpack."

"Oh... Uh, about that..."

The truth was that you were simply too nervous to go through with it. Vinyl didn't say anything about it when everypony was around her, so you let it go and decided to put it off until later. You knew you might regret doing so in the future, however.

"Don't worry about it. I'll show 'ya when we get home."

It would be much easier to go though with it in private even if Octavia would be there.

"Mhmm..." Vinyl seemed uninterested. She was still scrolling through the thousands of songs you had downloaded over the years.

"It was very nice, Alex. I was... Hesitant to go, but I'm glad that I did." Octavia lifted her head from the book to give you a reassuring smile that lifted your spirits.

The large heavy broadsword almost fell off of your back and you struggled to keep yourself balanced while trying not to slice anything or anypony open with the thing.

"Need any help with that, dear?" Octavia offered.

"Nah, I'm good. Nngh..." You groaned and lifted it over your back once more. Once it was secure, you kept walking.

"So I was thinking... You think this is that sword I used to..."

"I was thinking the same thing, Alex. It does have some strong similarities." Octavia stared at the blade on your back as she explained.

"Yeah, it's the same one. I remember. See those parry marks on it?" Vinyl reached over and poked the blade near its point.

Octavia could apparently see what her roommate was talking about, but you couldn't quite turn around to see it without losing balance again.

"It's a bit heavier than I remembered..."

"Well, your human strength should be to blame for that."

You couldn't help but to be a little excited since Vinyl hinted at giving you another "present" back at home. You didn't have to think hard about what it was and every nerve in your body was working to keep your package from growing as you visualized what might happen.

Vinyl heard you gulp nervously and gently leaned against your shoulder as you walked.

It wasn't long until you were at the front door. Octavia was usually the one who carried the keys when they left, so you waited by the front door assuming she would open it for the two of you.

Instead, she walked right past it and turned around and Vinyl pulled out the keys. It didn't seem that out of place for you until you noticed her staying outside while you and your marefriend entered.

"Octy? You coming?" You said as you turned around and looked at her quizzically.

"I'm afraid not. I'm going to stay at Cloud Chaser's for the evening."

"Oh... Um, okay. Well, have fun I gue- Waaaah!"

Octavia seemed to look at something behind you. You could've sworn that she winked at you before a force pulled you back into the house and quickly slammed the door.

"Hey! What was that- mmmph!" You were cut off yet again by Vinyl embracing you in a deep and sudden kiss that made your heart skip a beat.

Butterflies swirled in your stomach and it wasn't long until your cock began to unsheathe itself. Quickly, you tossed the sword and your other gifts to the side so they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire. You could feel Vinyl's hot wet tongue exploring your mouth and you let her do so without resisting. As she pulled back, a bit of her saliva trickled down your chin and you felt that your cock was fully extended. She started to stroke your length which made you bite your lip and you could already tell that precum was leaking out of your tip.

"You wait riiight here... I'm gonna put on something special for you."

"Oh god..." You thought to yourself.

Your cock was throbbing and twitching, begging for attention and your lustful urges were beginning to take their toll on you. As Vinyl walked away, she swayed her hips back and forth for you, giving you a decent view of her plot. Her tiny outer lips were visible behind her tail and it made you want to run up and buck her right then and there.

The door to her room shut and you were left in the living room with nothing but a horny cock and your thoughts. That naughty book about sexual spells was laying on the floor behind you where it was dropped, thanks to Vinyl. You picked it up and flipped through some of the pages.

The very first page you flipped to made your cheeks go beet red.

"Double the fun!" was the title on top of a strange diagram of two ponies making love. However, instead of having one penis, the stallion seemed to have two. You read the instructions.

"Step 1: Gently place the caster's horn on the appendage you would like to duplicate."

That seemed easy enough..."

"Step 2: Use arcane material layering to-"

"Oookay. Never mind..." You said and closed the book after the complex magic lingo made you have a tiny headache.

"Babe? I'm ready... And bring that book, too." Vinyl called out from behind her door in a seductive tone and you quickly trotted down the hall with the book in your magical grasp.

"I'm coming in..." You said hesitantly.

Your hoof twisted the door knob and you opened the door slowly. The only light in the room was coming from the bedside lamp. As the door cracked more, you began to see Vinyl's body lying on the bed.

Your heart skipped a beat yet again.

She was wearing thigh high stockings with blue stripes on all of her legs and you could also see that she had put some makeup onto her eyes. The darker lines and eye shadow nearly made you faint when she fluttered her eyelashes at you and laid down in a seductive pose on top of the sheets.

"Like what you see, big guy?"

You gulped and nodded nervously. She took the book from you as you approached her.

"See any spells in there you like?" Vinyl was gliding her hoof up and down her hips gently and you noticed her stealing a few peeks at your hard rod several times.

You almost decided not to tell her, but you figured since she would be the one casting it, maybe she knew one or two things about "arcane material layering", or whatever it was. Besides, having two cocks at once did sound fun.

"Uh... T- This one..." You opened the book and found the page.

Vinyl paused and scanned over the instructions.

"That sounds fun..." Her lips grew into a mischievous smile, but then it quickly disappeared. "These instructions sound kinda complex... Uh..."

After a few moments of her trying to figure it out, she turned the page and looked for another perverted spell. It seemed as if Vinyl wasn't as well-versed in magic lingo as you would've hoped.

"Heheheh..." She stopped at a page and looked back up at you.

"W- What?" You were almost afraid to ask what spell she was looking at.

"I found something much better..."

The crickets and other night time critters were already singing in the otherwise silent garden outside of Luna's balcony when she arrived home. Gusts of air blew the nearby fallen leaves from the floor beneath her as she landed.

"Is that some sort of..." Princess Celestia, who was waiting for her sister inside, hesitated when she noticed Luna's strange clothing.

"'Tis nothing, dear sister!" Luna said innocently as she took off her Santa Claus cap and tossed it onto her bed. "I was simply paying Sir Alex a visit."

The white alicorn's brow raised as she tried to piece together what Luna had been up to. It didn't take her long to do so since Luna made it so blatantly obvious. A faint grin appeared on Celestia's face.

"Did he like his present?"

Luna's cheeks turned red and she broke eye contact with her sister.

"I... We, um..."

Once she gave up on trying to cover herself, she sighed and smiled with Celestia.

"I... Believe so, yes."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Chapter 19: You Should Get That Looked At

"What'd you think, Spike? Pretty cool party, huh?"

"Are you kidding? A holiday where you get free stuff? Best holiday ever!"

Twilight quit putting all of her presents away for a moment and turned towards Spike.

"Spike, it's supposed to be mutual..."

"Aw, come on! It's not like you pay me, anyways. How am I supposed to get enough bits for that kind of stuff?"

"I-" Twilight stopped herself once she realized that Spike actually had a point. "Never mind."

Conversation stopped between the two for a moment while Spike helped Twilight clean up the living room. She didn't consider putting some sort of sheet below the tree, so she had to deal with sweeping up all of the tiny pine needles from the floor. However, her magic made it a much simpler task than it would've been otherwise. Spike took the liberty of lounging on the couch after making sure that all of the presents were tucked neatly in the storage closet.

"Oh, by the way. Did you see that bruise on Vinyl's leg?" Spike said as he scratched his belly.

"Actually, yes. I did." Twilight answered with a troubled tone in her voice.

"You don't think... Alex is... You know..."

"Goodness! Of course not, Spike! Alex would never do something like that! Plus, Octavia would say something if that was happening... She's not the kind of pony that would let something like domestic abuse go unpunished, especially towards her best friend."

"Okay, okay. I was just wonderin'."

A few more moments of silence went by as Twilight dumped all of the tree needles into the trash bin.

"So, what do you think it is?" Spike sat up and puzzled while rubbing his chin.

"Well, it looked like a bruise... There's only one other thing I've seen that sort of mark from and I really hope it's not that..."

"Huh? What's that?"

Twilight paused and thought for a moment whilst running a few possibilities in her head.

"Don't worry about it. There's no way Vinyl would get something like that unless she took weekly trips into the Everfree Forest, which I doubt she does since she lives so far away from it. That's something she wouldn't do since she stays inside most of the day. Or, at least, that's what Alex tells me about her. It's probably just a bruise."

It sounded to Spike that she was trying to convince herself instead of trying to convince him, but she suddenly sounded confident again when she said that it was just a bruise, so he let the subject slide.

Just before Twilight walked up to her bedroom, Spike saw Twilight grab a book from a low shelf. She did it in a way that made Spike think she didn't want him to see her doing so. He didn't have time to read the entire title, but he could make out the first couple of words.

Everfree Forest.

Your heart rate was already fast, but it got worse once Vinyl told you about the spell she found. You were more excited and turned on than anything, but you now felt some nervousness as well.

"S- So it's not permanent, right?"

"Yup. Only lasts twenty-four hours. That's plenty of time for us..." Vinyl said in her best seductive voice, her eyelashes fluttering in your direction.

"So... That means..." You were beginning to stutter. "It's okay to cum inside you?"

"Mhmm. All you want. All... Night... Long..." She lifted a hoof up and scratched your chin seductively. You gulped and bit your lip.

She leaned back on the bed and looked down at herself after taking a quick glance at the instructions in the spell book. You were still a little scared that she might permanently damage herself, but you tried your best to put faith in her magic ability.

Her horn began to glow and her magic aura traveled down her belly until it reached right above her crotch. Vinyl's eyes closed so that she could concentrate and, since you didn't want your marefriend to be childless for the rest of her life, you kept quiet and did your best not to distract her as she did so.

"Okay. All done..."

You blinked in surprise. "W- What? That's it?"

Vinyl giggled. "Yup. Now, come here you stud..."

Before you knew it, she was down on the floor stroking your thick meaty cock. The familiar tingling sensation grew in your lower belly. You looked down with one eye closed to see Vinyl's gorgeous face below your shaft before her tongue dragged along the bottom of it. Your stallion cock twitched in pleasure and you bit your lip. The warm soft feeling of her tongue made you groan a little and you started to leak out pre-cum once her tongue began to play with your head.

"Mmmm... Somepony's excited..." Vinyl said before popping your head into her mouth and licking off your pre-cum.

"Fuck..." You reached down and played with her long bangs.

"Lets see how much I can take in this time..." Vinyl popped your head into her mouth once more and you felt her tongue swirl around it.

A low pleasure-filled groan escaped your throat as she began to take you further into her mouth. Her tongue was pressed to her bottom lip and she slid along the bottom of your thick shaft. Her mouth was extremely warm on the inside and you prepared yourself to enter her throat. Instead, she sucked back and played with your head once more.

Her second try was much better. Just like before, she slid you into her mouth. Vinyl moaned as the tip of her nose made its way farther down your cock and you felt a jolt of pleasure when her tongue passed over the ring on your shaft that marked the halfway point. She stayed there for a few seconds and savored the taste of your dick. You could feel the back of her mouth and you knew that one more inch would make you enter her throat.

She slid back and pulled you out of her mouth, gasping for air once the tip exited. Her eyes were completely filled with lust and she couldn't take her eyes off of your enormous horse cock.

"Much bette- Ahhh!"

You were cut off by her suddenly going down on you again. She slid down faster this time and before you knew it, her throat was squeezing your head and her chin was pressing against your balls. As she pulled back and began her sucking motions, thick drops of saliva trickled down your shaft and rolled over your balls. Lewd slurping sounds filled the room as your marefriend gave you the best head you ever received. Involuntarily, your hips moved back and forth in sync with her sucking.

"Sweet Luna, Vinyl... Ahhh! That feels amazing..."

Vinyl raised a hoof up to stroke the base of your cock as she continued to suck on it like a whore. You knew you couldn't take much more but you could tell that you'd be able to cum at least one more time after this. Her teeth lightly touched your shaft every so often but it didn't ruin the experience whatsoever. You couldn't blame her either; she was taking a cock that was almost thicker than her leg.

"Vinyl I'm gonna cum... I'm gonna cum, babe..." You spoke low through your moaning and closed your eyes as pressure built up in your abdomen.

Vinyl slid back on your cock and just sucked the first two or three inches of it while her hoof did the rest of the work, stroking hard and fast as you throbbed and twitched. It was obvious that she wanted you to blow your load inside her mouth, so you didn't hesitate to do so.

"Hnnnggg!" You grunted.

Your orgasm hit hard and caused your legs to twitch. You pumped ounce after ounce of thick creamy semen into her mouth as Vinyl's tongue continued to swirl around your head. Her hoof was still stroking you back and forth, attempting to milk every drop from you.

Vinyl moaned as she attempted to swallow your load, but some of your cum still managed to leak out of the sides of her mouth. Slowly, while still sucking on your cock, she took you out and caught her breath again. She took a moment to swallow what was left in her mouth and then licked her lips.

"Mmmm... You've been eating a lot of fruit haven't you?" She asked while looking up at you with her drop-dead gorgeous maroon eyes.

"H- Huh?" You were still catching your breath from your orgasm.

"Never mind." She got up and laid back down on the bed. "Your turn, lover boy. Take me however you want..." Vinyl held a seductive pose which left her soaking wet outer lips exposed through her rump cheeks as she presented her rear to you. Her muzzle was pressed into the bed sheets, but her eyes still turned back to look at you expectantly along with a naughty smile.

You felt a bit of blood trickle down your nose.

Spike knew he wasn't supposed to interrupt Twilight during her studying especially since she took the time to lock her door to her room to do so in this particular instance. Still, his curiosity got the better of him and he knocked on her door three times before preemptively flinching for a scolding.

Instead, in a low and uninterested tone, she answered. "Come in."

"It's locked, Twi."

It wasn't as if Spike could reach the door knob to check to see if it was locked. He simply assumed that it was since Twilight wouldn't have any other reason for closing her door all the way.

He heard a small sigh from inside followed by soft hoof steps on carpet. The door opened and the busy princess immediately turned back to her books which she temporarily abandoned on her bed.

"What'cha studyin'?" Spike asked as he hesitantly entered Twilight's room.

"Nothing." Twilight said nonchalantly. Her eyes were already focused onto her next book and she seemed as if she was worrying about something in particular.

Spike, Twilight's best friend, couldn't let that feeling go.

"Twilight. I can tell when you're worrying about something. Tell me whats up."

Twilight took a moment to think whether or not to tell him, but her friendship values eventually won out.

She sighed. "I'm worried about Vinyl. That bruise we talked about earlier... It might not be just a bruise."

"What'cha mean?" Spike hopped up onto her bed.

"Well..." Twilight flipped through some pages. "There's this fungus called 'Mors Moss' that grows in the Everfree forest that's been known to cause symptoms like that."

Spike scoffed. "What could something like that do? It's not like her skin's melting off."

"Spike, according to what I'm reading, if she doesn't get that treated soon..." Twilight's pupils dashed left and right as she scanned through text.

"Then what? She'll catch a cold?" Spike seemed as optimistic yet ignorant as always.

"No, Spike! Out of all the recorded afflictions associated with that fungus, eight out of ten ponies died within a week! What's worse, there's absolutely zero symptoms except for that bruise!"

"So, what are you saying is..." Spike's face contorted into fear as he suddenly realized the weight of the situation.

"I'm saying that if she doesn't get that treated soon, she could die!"

"Damn, Alex... Ahh!" Vinyl yelled out in surprise and excitement as you pinned her against the wall and rubbed your cock in between her ass cheeks. "I didn't know you were that horny..."

"You're the one teasing me..." The tip of your penis slid in between her cheeks and prodded at her warm marehood. "Your fault."

Vinyl let out an adorable moan as her forehead rested on the wall. Her entire body was shaking from excitement and desire.

"S-Stick it in already, dumb ass..."

You looked down to see that her juices were starting to dampen the upper portions of her stockings and you concluded that her body desperately needed to be fucked, so you did as she said and popped your head inside of her. It wasn't as if you could've resisted otherwise.

"Ahhhhn!" Vinyl moaned. It became apparent in that moment that she was extremely sensitive because of her being turned on so much.

You didn't waste a second. Your hips gently pushed forward and you felt her marehood constrict around your shaft. You had to bite your lip again to cope with the unbearable pleasure that came from penetrating such a tight and hot pussy.

Before you knew it, you could feel your balls mashing into her crotch and your base sliding inside. At the end of your lengthy dick, you felt her womb tighten around you and it urged you to start fucking the daylights out of her, but you gave her a moment to acclimate to you first.

She didn't, however, show as much restraint as you expected.

"Damnit, Alex! Buck me!" Vinyl reached back and spread her plot so you could enter her easier.

She didn't need to ask you twice. In one fluid motion, your hips swung back and plowed into her which caused her to let out another loud moan against the wall she was being fucked into. Again, you would've waited for her to get used to it, but because of how desperate she sounded, you didn't hold back. You obeyed your body's instinct and bucked her at a moderate yet forceful pace as you felt her warm fluids leak down your cock. In addition, her juices were beginning to dampen your fur and mat it down.

Vinyl's body rose up against the wall every time you thrust yourself into her. Her tail, even though you doubted she had control of it at the time, tried to wrap around your body in a futile attempt to hold on to something.

At that point, you were beginning to lose it. Vinyl's tight cunt was like a drug and you couldn't last long without it taking over your mind and driving you insane. You slid your meat out of her which lead to her yelping once the wide flared head popped out.

She was about to protest you stopping, but you didn't give her the time. You took her by her hooves and pulled her towards the bed with your lust driving your strength.

"H- Huh? Alex, wha- Ahhhh!"

You threw her on the bed, making sure not to hurt her in the process, and mounted her rump from behind. Her face was stuffed into the bedsheets in the same fashion as the wall, but her hind legs hung off the bed and shakily stood up on the carpet. Her other two hooves quickly grabbed the sheets in preparation for an upcoming fucking.

You could tell by the look on her face that she loved it when you were forceful.

Your jet black horse dick swung back and forth between your legs as you lined up the tip between her ass cheeks yet again. You were almost tempted to stick it in her ass because of your intense pleasure trip, but you wanted even more to cum inside your marefriend.

"Baby... Ahhhh...." Vinyl let out a moan into the bedsheets as your cock pushed against her opening. "Please, I want you to cum inside... Give me your jizz..."

And at that point, you completely lost it. You hips slammed right in between her perfect white ass and into her soaking wet fleshy marehood. As you pulled out and pushed back in, sloshing noises confirmed that she was just as turned on as you were. Vinyl bit into the bed sheets and kept giving muffled moans and screams as her body rocked back and forth on the bed due to your forceful thrusting. You couldn't think straight and all you could focus on was your hips pushing into your marefriend over and over again. It was as if everything else around you faded away and all you could see was her perfect body as you made passionate love to it.

You couldn't take much more. The all-too-familiar pumping sensation started in your lower stomach yet again.

"I... I can't... I'm cumming! Fuck!"

What happened next couldn't be accurately described in words. In short, you felt as if your cock was melting inside of her. The pumping of your thick potent semen and her inner walls throbbing around you gave you a sensation that made you yell out in intense pleasure. Your balls squished against her crotch as you froze with your entire length inside. You came hard, giving her several ounces of your cum.

Apparently, the intense feeling of cumming inside was mutually appreciated because Vinyl's orgasm hit shortly afterwards. Even though your cock was sitting still inside her, the pumping and the hot jizz pouring inside of her was too much for her to handle. Instead of screaming, she went silent and her eyes rolled back in her head slightly.

"Holy Celestia... Ahhhhnnn..." Vinyl finally let go of the sheets in her mouth and looked back at you.

You didn't stop there. There was no way such a horny cock would be satisfied after just two orgasms. Whilst keeping yourself inside her, you laid down on the bed on your side with her back facing you. You lifted one of her legs up and, with one hoof, turned her head around to kiss her deeply as you resumed pounding away into her. Quickly, you felt her warm slippery tongue swirl around yours.

"Mmmphhhh!!!" Vinyl nearly screamed in your mouth.

Because of the speed of your thrusts, your balls slapped up and tapped her clit with every complete entrance inside her. You could feel it despite the intense feeling in other areas and you were sure that it was doing something to get Vinyl off as well.

Suddenly, with as much force as you exerted earlier, she lifted her hips and pulled herself off of your joy stick. After just a few moments of rough housing and intense making out, she pushed you on your back and crawled on top.

Vinyl had to catch her breath before speaking.

"Hah... My turn..."

You looked down to see her stroking your cock that was dripping wet with cum and mare fluids. As she raised her hips to put you inside of her yet again, you saw a thin white trail going down her and leading from her entrance from where you came inside.

Expecting her to take her time, you grabbed onto her hips and pulled her down on top of you. However, she wasn't planning on doing so and the two combining forces made her take your entire length in all at once. She yelled out so loud that you were afraid the neighbors would hear.

Vinyl put the rest of her weight onto her front hooves which planted themselves on your chest as her hips began to rise and fall. There was no way your lustful sex drive wouldn't allow you to bounce your hips up and down in sync with her riding. Your hooves slid around to her ass and you squeezed it while your girthy veiny black horse cock continued to plow into Vinyl's tight hole.

Her front hooves began to tremble and her body soon collapsed on top of your chest. Her head tucked under your chin and she continued to moan against your fur as you kept thrusting up into her.

"Mmmph... So much for your turn..." You grinned mischievously and tilted her chin up to look into her eyes as you fucked her.

"Ah... Ahhhhnnn..."

Her eyes were completely glazed over and she could only respond in moans, hinting that her dominant strength was gone and she was completely at your mercy.

You tilted your head down and kissed her passionately. She opened her mouth wide so you could explore her mouth with your tongue as you explored her marehood with your cock.

You started to moan a bit more and you felt your third orgasm approaching. Vinyl must've sensed it because she broke the kiss and began licking on the nape of your neck; it was one of your weak spots.

Her legs trembled and you started to feel yourself melting inside her yet again. You closed your eyes and moaned deeply with the added plesure of having your neck licked and kissed. Vinyl didn't have the strength to cum anymore and she instead pressed her warm body against your chest, breathing in and out heavily as your cock pumped your gooey jizz inside of her.

Your eyes rolled back as Vinyl's did earlier and you realized that as soon as your sex-driven adrenaline rush ended, you would most likely pass out from exhaustion.

"Hah... One more, babe... Hah... I wanna feel your cum all over me..." Vinyls words tickled against the fur on your neck.

"Damnit, this girl's gonna milk me dry..." You thought to yourself while flipping her over to her back and mounting on top of her.

You nibbled and licked her ear in revenge for earlier and you felt her hooves wrap around your sturdy back as your cock, still as miraculously hard as ever, spread her marehood wide open one last time. She wasn't as tight as before because you had been bucking her silly, but the warmth and wetness of her marehood gave you enough pleasure to push forward towards a last climax.

Her hooves pulled your body down on top of her so that the two of your bodies were pressed together and you immediately began to make out with her once your lips were close to hers. Her fatigued moans resonated inside your mouth every time your thrusts made her bounce up and down.

Vinyl didn't make any recognizable change in her whorish moaning, but you could tell that she came again because your cock felt her walls squeeze your stallion stick tight. Before, you were somewhat worried that it might've taken an hour for your next orgasm to come, but the sudden tightness of her marehood increased your pleasure levels exponentially.

Her front legs curled around your neck while her hind legs pulled your hips closer to her. All of a sudden, she broke the kiss and screamed out with her mouth right next to your ear. Her orgasmic yell went silent and she left her mouth agape while she slowly came down from her cumming. Her eyes rolled back into her head even more than before and you were afraid that she would pass out, but her surprisingly powerful legs were still embracing you and keeping you from continuing your thrusts.

The only thing you could do was grind inside of her since you were virtually locked in place. Vinyl had zero energy left, so she responded with silence as her tongue hung out.

One throb of her inner walls triggered your final orgasm. Remembering where she wanted it, you slid yourself out of her with her legs no longer holding you back, and started to stroke your long thick horse cock above her sexually exhausted body.

It wasn't nearly as good as the first since most of your cum had already been dumped inside of her warm marehood, but seeing spurts of your seed splatter all over her body, face, and mane made it a worthy finish. You managed to miss the inside of her mouth even though it was still open and panting heavily. She still circled her tongue around her lips to lick up any nearby semen she could reach.

After watching her swallow, your body collapsed onto the bed next to her and you started to pant with her. Your stiff dick pressed between your belly and the sheets and you felt it pump one or two last tiny spurts of cum before going back to throbbing.

One of Vinyls' stockings rubbed against your leg and you felt how damp it was due to her fluids. You soon felt her weight on top of you as she rolled over. Her belly rested against your back and all of your sticky cum was sandwiched in between.

"Merry Christmas, babe..." Vinyl whispered into your ear which was soon followed by her nibbling at it and panting.

Meanwhile, your face was contorted into a satisfied grin which was accompanied by rosy cheeks as you thought to yourself.

"Best. Christmas. Ever."

"Come on, Spike! If we don't do something, it could get even worse than it already is!" Twilight exclaimed as she picked up her assistant and put him on her back.

"Wait! What if they're-"

"What if they're what?"

"What if they're... You know..." Spike grew nervous about the concept of barging in on a love-making couple as the two of them dashed out the door. Twilight quickly shut and locked the door behind them once her tail had made it out.

She groaned. "That's not important! Vinyls life could be in danger!"

"Still, could we at least knock first? I don't want that image burned into my head forever..."

"Whatever, Spike. Did you mail that letter to Princess Celestia yet?"

"Huh? You mean you were serious about that?" Spike, as clueless as ever, raised an eye brow in surprise.

"Yes! This kind of illness hasn't been recorded or documented in centuries! It's imperative that she know about this!" Twilight seemed to be on her last nerve with Spike, but he reluctantly summoned parchment and one of his new ink pens.

Using Twilight's back as a pseudo-desk, he quickly wrote:

"Princess Celestia,

Your presence is required in Ponyville at once. No time to explain. Rare illness. Vinyl Scratch and possibly Alex in danger. Meet at hospital.

Twilight Sparkle."

and then sent it off in a green puff of smoke.

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Chapter 20: Swiftly Malignant

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

"S- So you're sure you won't get pregnant? As much as I love gifts, I'd rather not have that sort of gift just yet..." You said and tucked Vinyl Scratch's head under your chin.

"Chill, babe..." Vinyl sounded extremely exhausted. "The spell worked, trust me. I used it last time you came inside, remember?"

Even though it was hard for you to "chill" about such an important risk, you decided to put it on the back burner for the time being even though you failed to remember her mentioning using that spell before at any time.

"How'd it feel? I know I've done it before but... I just wanna make sure I did okay..."

"You were great, babe..." Vinyl smiled.

"Good..."

That certainly was a relief.

"I know this might be the wrong time, but... Has anypony else...?" Your eyes shifted nervously.

"Pfft, nah. I've only let one other dude down there before and he was terrible..." Vinyl chuckled.

You were tempted to pry about it since it made you a bit jealous that you weren't her first but it wasn't worth it. Besides, you weren't exactly sinless yourself. Vinyl was with you now and it seemed as if you were able to satisfy her adequately. That's really all you cared about.

"How was he terrible?" You asked. It was more out of curiosity than anything else.

"Well for one, I could've fit his dick up my nose."

You laughed out loud and she did as well as she snuggled close to your chest.

"Geez... For real?"

"Eh... Yeah. Pretty much. I wonder how good a nose job would be..."

"Ew..." You giggled some more. "What else was wrong with him?"

"Luna... You name it. His cum tasted like shit, he came in like five seconds..."

"Yeah... I kinda did that too a couple of times, though..." You said apologetically.

"Mhmm, but you're better because you can keep going after that... Just means more juicy cum for me. Hehe." Vinyl giggled some more and kissed your chest flirtatiously. "Don't worry babe, you're everything I could possibly need and more."

Something about how she said that last bit made you think that she meant it in several other ways as well. Your heart felt warm and fuzzy and you gave her a kiss on her forehead right next to her horn.

"Love y-"

Several loud knocks came at the door and made the two of you jump in surprise.

"You've gotta be kidding..." Vinyl laid back down, her smile gone.

You groaned with frustration and got up, checking yourself to make sure you didn't have any visible cum on you. You had to wipe off some parts with a towel that was hanging at the end of the dresser but other than that, you were reasonably presentable.

The knocking started up again; it was louder this time. You quickly walked out of the bedroom and into the living room.

Getting a bit angry about being interrupted, you set a spell lock on the door knob and pulled back hard. The door nearly came off its hinges and it made a *bang!* when it hit the wall behind it.

"What?" You grumbled. It didn't matter who it was, nopony was worth interrupting a night of warm fuzzy snuggles with Vinyl.

"Where is she?!" Twilight galloped in with Spike on her back.

You repeated yourself. "What? Where's who?"

"Vinyl! Where is she?!"

You stepped back a few feet as Twilight had a panic attack. "Back there... In the bedroom. Why?"

Without wasting a single breath, she dashed past you and ran down the hall, nearly ramming the bedroom door down once she got there.

"Hey!" You went after her. Although you knew Twilight would never hurt Vinyl, there was a sort of protective instinct that swelled inside you that told you to go in and stop whatever she was doing. It didn't take you but two seconds to catch up to her. Vinyl was covering herself with the bed sheets, her face flushed with embarrassment since she still had cum leaking out of her marehood.

"Where's your bruise? Let me see it, quick!"

She responded in much the same way you did when Twilight first came in.

"W- What? Why?"

" just let me see it! " She demanded. Spike laid low on her back in shame. Unlike Twilight, he seemed guilty for interrupting the two of you.

"Okay, okay, fine... Geez..." Vinyl kept the sheets over her crotch, but stuck out the leg with the bruise on it.

Your heart skipped a beat and you felt chills on the skin beneath your fur when you saw what Twilight suspected. The "bruise" had expanded threefold since you last saw it at the party.

"What the fuck..." You tried to form sentences but you were too shocked to do so.

"Oh no..." Twilight bit her lip and looked around the room as she tried to work past her panicking and figure out what to do.

"Vinyl, what the hell is that? You said it was a bruise!"

"B- But it is... I think..." She pulled more sheets on top of her as if she were scared of you.

"Bruises don't do that!" You pointed a hoof at her leg where the bruise was. Now that you got a closer look at it, you noticed that it had gotten darker as well. "How did you get that? And tell me the truth this time."

You felt guilty every time you argued or raised your voice to her, but in that particular instance you felt as if it was warranted.

Twilight put her hoof to her chest while the two of you were "chatting" and then let out a smooth exhale.

"Vinyl?" Her voice calmed down. "Have you gone to the Everfree Forest recently? Please be honest, this is very important."

Vinyl bit her lip this time and her eyes shifted to her left to avoid you and Twilight.

"Um... Yeah..." She answered nervously and quietly.

"Wait what?! Why would you do that?"

You hoped that you weren't sounding angry. You were more concerned for her than anything. Before she could answer though, Twilight interrupted.

"I'm sorry you two, but there's no time to explain. I have to take Vinyl to the hospital right away." Twilight's horn was already glowing bright by the time she finished her sentence.

"Meet us there as fast as you can, Alex." Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Wait, no!" You reached out a hoof in a futile attempt to stop her.

You locked with Vinyl’s deep red eyes for a fraction of a moment and her mouth began to move as if to say something before she vanished. However, she was gone before a single syllable came out.

After a bright flash of light and a sound like a firecracker, the room was empty.

"God Damnit Twilight, couldn't you at least say something before taking my marefriend away?!" You scolded the absent princess and galloped as fast as you could towards the hospital.

There were several splits in the road leading through the center of town and you knew most of them by the back of your hoof already. However, you were beginning to reach the outskirts and the only one place you were familiar with around there was Applejack's farm. Unfortunately, you saw no apple trees and no ranches or farms. Worse, the scant amount of signs on the roads pointing towards the hospital were getting fewer and farther between.

Luckily, you saw the faded outline of a pony with the aid of the moonlight and slowed down.

"Hey, sorry." You caught your breath via several pants. "I'm lookin' for the... Hah... Hospital... Do you know where it is?"

The young colt rubbed his chin and looked off into the distance as he tried to recall. He almost looked familiar, but you didn't have time to stop and chat.

"Uh, yeah. Follow that road there until you get to a big pond. After that, just keep left and look for the lights."

"Awesome. Thanks!" You took off again with zero hesitation and the earth pony behind you scratched his head, wondering what your hurry was.

Your chest was starting to ache from all the cardio you were getting but the nervous adrenaline pushed you through to gallop farther than you would've otherwise. Countless trees past by you and were beginning to block the overhead view of the moon. The dirt road was just barely visible enough to guide you through until you reached a clearing with the pond the stranger mentioned.

"Damn... Hah... You'd think the hospital would be closer to town..." You said to yourself again and followed the left road, panting all the way.

Your hooves were getting sore and after a minute or two of running and not seeing any lights, you feared that the directions you were given were incorrect. This fear was multiplied when the dirt road began to end and give way to a thin grassy opening through the trees. It was looking more natural than pony-made.

"Ugh... Shit."

Just when you were contemplating turning back around and looking for another path, you saw something that took a metaphorical two hundred pounds off of your shoulders. It was a tiny yet noticeable red twinkle past the branches and leaves that began to resemble a big red plus sign as the forest started to clear again.

Knowing Vinyl was somewhere in that area, your body summoned more adrenaline and pushed you to the front doors. There was a pony standing near the front door that was visible only by the faint light radiating from the big red cross and the few tiny windows that had yellow lights glowing within. She looked familiar at a distance, but once you got closer and saw her red cross cutie mark, you knew exactly who it was. It was Nurse Redheart. Although, you weren't entirely certain as to why she was outside the building and not inside treating patients.

"Alex?!" She called out as you got closer. It surprised you that she knew you by name even though the two of you never met. Although, being the special interdimensional-human-turned-pony certainly seemed to cause some unintentional popularity from time to time.

"Yeah!" You yelled out even though you were a mere twenty feet from her when you did so.

"Come with me. Vinyl Scratch is this way."

Apparently, she had been instructed to escort you in once you got there which was considerate considering the fact that your marefriend was technically kidnapped from you against her will.

"Can you tell me what's going on? Please?" You pleaded after catching your breath. Your mind was racing so fast that you were halfway down the main hall in what seemed like seconds.

"We think Vinyl Scratch contracted a rare illness from a fungus in the Everfree Forest called 'mors moss'. She's stable now, but the nature of the poison of the fungus seems to take effect without warning. We're keeping a close eye on her just in case." She explained as she led you through several sets of double doors.

"Then what are you doing out here, then?" You thought to yourself.

"Stable? Just how serious is this plant?"

"Mr. Alex, I'm not going to be dishonest with you. The survival rate of ponies affected by it is very low. Although, I've never seen a case of it in my lifetime to know first-hoof."

"Just how slim are we talking?!" Your heart was beating like a drum and nervous energy oozed from your body.

"It's difficult to say for sure. But, I'd estimate about thirty percent."

Thirty percent. It took you a few moments to come to grips with the fact that your dream mare's life depended on a roll of the die especially since it came about so suddenly. To you, the entire ordeal felt like a bad dream that you would've gotten if you got too hot in bed at night. None of it felt real but you still tried your best to focus regardless of how hard that might've been.

"She's right through here. She's awake but-"

You burst through the last set of double doors on your right that Nurse Redheart led you through and came into a room clustered with ponies. The first ones that caught your eye were all four Princesses standing next to each other and looking at something that you couldn't see since they were standing in the way of it. There were also a few doctors as well. You paid no attention to them since they were the least of your worries and finally saw Vinyl once you slid past them. She was lying down in a hospital bed with several I.V.'s hooked up to her. Her eyes were a bit droopy, probably from whatever they were pumping into her, but they rose to meet yours when you walked up to the bed.

"Babe?! Are you okay?!" You went right up to the side of the bed and looked her over quickly.

"Yeah... I mean, my leg hurts a little but..." She gritted her teeth in what seemed to be a sudden jolt of pain. The series of monitors flickered and then turned a yellow color and the doctors surrounding her quickly came to her.

"Shit what's-"

"Alex, we understand that Vinyl Scratch is very important to you, but it is imperative that you calm down and let the doctors work." Celestia's voice spoke up from behind you.

If it were anypony else, you would've turned around and scolded them for daring to tell you to "calm down" over such an event. Before you could respond, Luna took your hoof and, rather forcefully, led you outside the room.

"Hey! Let me go!" You were desperate to be with Vinyl even though seeing her in pain made you want to cry.

Luna didn't listen. Or, if she did, she ignored you. She led you to the hallway outside and made you sit on one of the chairs placed there. None of the other ponies, or princesses for that matter, followed her out and you were left with just you and the Princess of The Night.

"You must wait here while the rest of us decide what actions should be taken. Little is known about the poison that is inside of Vinyl Scratch and until we change that, we cannot take any risks."

"But..."

You were about to plead with her to let you see her just for a moment, but she did have a solid point. For all you knew, you could've been doing something that was making it worse.

"Fine... Just- Please let her know I love her, okay?"

"I will." Luna's stern demeanor diminished a bit. "Try not to worry yourself, Sir Alex, as difficult as that may seem. I assure you that Vinyl Scratch is in good care."

Your head drooped and nodded at the same time. Luna's hoof rested on your shoulder for a moment in an attempt to reassure you, but it didn't help much.

She turned and went back inside, leaving you by yourself. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

There were only two things you knew for certain. First, the "bruise" on Vinyl's leg was dangerous enough to have all four princesses present for it at the same time. That fact didn't sit well with you whatsoever. Secondly, whatever the bruise was, it definitely came from the Everfree Forest. You didn't know much about the place but you could imagine that any kind of poison plant that grew there was bad news.

Everything else was uncertain, though. You didn't know why she would try to hide the fact that it wasn't a bruise until just now even though she apparently had some knowledge of what it might be. You didn't know why it didn't bother her until now. If it really was some sort of poison, it puzzled you as to why there was no pain or even slight discomfort. You didn't know whether or not everypony was just overreacting about it since it was so rare. Your mind was muddled with unknowns.

You had a terrible case of butterflies in your stomach as you tried to listen to the faint murmurings coming from behind the door. None of it was understandable, though.

"Fuck..." You cursed yourself for not forcing Vinyl to get her injury checked out sooner.

Your nervousness made you flinch when the doors at the end of the hall burst open and Scribble Scratch came galloping in. You stood up from your chair.

"Alex! What's going on?! Princess Twilight sent me a letter telling me to come right away!"

"I don't know. All they said was that the bruise on her leg was from some sort of plant that she ran into in the Everfree Forest. I really have no clue-"

"Everfree Forest? What in Celestia's name was that mare doing out there?" Scribble seemed just as panicked as you were when you first arrived and rightly so.

"Like I said, I don't know. Twilight just came in and took off with her before I could ask anything and now they won’t even let me in to see her. They probably won't let you in, either."

"Oh the hell they won’t... That's my daughter in there!" Scribble declared strongly as he pushed the door open and went inside. You couldn't help but admire his determination.

Some commotion came from inside, but it became hard to hear again once the door closed.

Several minutes went by and you came to the conclusion that Scribble was somehow able to convince them to let him stay. It aggravated you since you had every right to be in there as he did.

You did your best to fight off the tiredness that came from working up such a sweat with Vinyl no more than an hour ago, but it was starting to take its toll despite the intensity of the situation. Your eyelids became heavy and you found your head wavering back and forth.

The door opened and your eyes snapped up at full attention. It wasn't anypony you recognized, but you could tell that it was some sort of doctor.

"Mister Alex, I'm sorry for the confusion earlier. Allow me to clear up a few things." He sounded as if he were in a hurry or he was just as nervous as you were.

"Yeah, please do."

"As Princess Twilight Sparkle predicted, Vinyl Scratch somehow managed to come in contact with the fungus called 'mors moss' that only grows in certain sections of the Everfree Forest. She probably didn't say anything about it since ponies affected with it hardly have any noticeable symptoms."

"So, what's it do? Is it fatal?"

The doctor paused as if thinking of what not to say.

"I'm afraid so, yes. Very few ponies who are afflicted with its poison survive. However, it's good that she was brought here when she was. A majority of the ponies who fall victim to the fungus die not even knowing what it was doing to them all along. Now that Vinyl Scratch is here, we can do what we can to slow down the poison until we find a solution."

"Okay... Is there anything you can do to stop it?"

"That's what we have been discussing. On the few occasions that the ailment is cured, it's usually done so by a very potent potion that reverses the spread of the poison in the body. However..." He paused.

"However what?" You didn't like how he said it one bit.

"This hospital isn't as... Equipped as most others are. Even if we had the ingredients, which we don't, it would take hours to make the potion. One of our fastest couriers has already been dispatched to retrieve a bottle of it from the Canterlot hospital, but I'm uncertain how long it'll take. We can only hope that we can slow down the poison enough before then. Right now, the poison in her body is spreading closer and closer to her heart. If it manages to reach it, I'm afraid there's nothing we can do."

"Shit..." Your body was physically shaking from how nervous and scared you were.

"We are, however, discussing alternate ways in which to extract the poison. You may come in with me now, Mr. Alex. I apologize for not letting you do so earlier."

You rose and followed him in. Everypony was still talking and through them, you could see Vinyl's delicate body lying on the bed with her eyes closed.

"Welcome back, Alex." Princess Cadence turned her face away from everypony else and scanned you over.

Vinyl's eyes opened and her ears perked up once she heard your name and she looked all around the room for you.

"Hey... I'm here, babe. Sorry for leaving..." You approached her and held her hoof in yours. "How are you feeling now?"

"Fine, I guess..." She looked up at you and squeezed your hoof. "But the doctors said-"

"I know, I know... Don't worry, Vinyl. I promise I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Even though it was a tall order considering the circumstances, she smiled and appeared slightly more reassured.

"I assume the doctor filled you in?" Cadence said again.

"Yeah, I- I mean yes ma'am..." You accidentally used your formal language due to your nervousness.

"The other princesses and I have been trying to come up with a solution to stop the flow of the poison but so far, we haven't conjured any decent ideas." She continued.

"Isn't there some sort of spell...?"

"That's the problem." Twilight stepped forward. "I know several spells that might work, but I have no clue whether or not trying them will make the poison flow faster..."

"What about the Elements of Harmony? Couldn't they-"

Cadence stepped forward and glanced over at Vinyl. "We've considered using that method as well, but it would simply take too long to summon all of Twilight's friends. Even if we could get them here in time... I'm just not sure..."

"Zecora?" You looked back at Twilight.

"We would have to send somepony else over to her all the way in the middle of the Everfree Forest and then come all the way back... The courier we sent would be back twice over by then. I could send her a letter through Spike, but he's had to send about a dozen letters in the past hour..."

Spike wheezed and coughed up some black smoke. "Please... No more..."

"Nopony can just teleport to Canterlot and back?" You were starting to get a little angry.

"I used up a lot of my magic getting here... I dunno if I can make it that far..." Twilight looked down at her hooves.

"The same goes for us as well. We arrived here by teleportation since it was a dire emergency. We may be alicorns, but even we have our limits, Sir Alex." Luna explained.

"Well shit, is there anything we can do?!"

"For now, no. The doctors have all the available methods to slow the poison until our courier returns from Canterlot. The potion is our only safe bet." Celestia's motherly tone halfway calmed you down, but not entirely.

"So we're basically just waiting?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry, Alex. I know how difficult this must be for you." Cadence put a hoof on your shoulder.

Some *beep*s sounded from the machines behind you and the three doctors in the room rushed forward to check them. You took a few steps back to give them space.

"The poison's reached her chest." One of the nurses said after reading the paper that ejected out of one of the machines.

"We've got not choice then. We have to use a stronger medicine to slow her blood flow."

Your heart was about to burst out of your chest as you were forced to watch.

"Mr. Scratch, we need to give her some-" The head doctor babbled off some weird medicinal name that sounded like gibberish to you. "It'll slow down the poison even more, but it'll make her fall asleep."

You looked over at Vinyl's dad who looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Mr. Scratch, we need your permission!" One of the nurses filled a syringe with a clear fluid.

"Okay, okay! Fine! Sweetie, you're gonna fall asleep for a little while, okay?" Scribble took Vinyl's hoof with both of his. "You're going to be okay. I'll be here when you wake up. I love you."

You joined him by his side and put your hoof on her shoulder since he had already taken up her hoof.

"I love you too, dad... Alex?" Vinyl looked up at you with worry in her eyes as the nurse put the syringe into the I.V.

"I'll be here too, babe. Like I said, I promise I won't let anything happen to you." You tried your best to give her a comforting smile despite you being scared shitless. "Love you."

The two of you stayed at her side like you were until her eyes began to close. She tried to say something else, but the drug was making her speech slurred. You somehow knew that she was trying to tell you that she loved you too. It would've been cute if not for the fact that her life hung in the balance. Several seconds of silence passed and the nurse finally pulled the syringe out.

"Good. It's slowed by a good amount." The doctor said before writing a few things down on his clip board.

You and Vinyl's father removed the hold on Vinyl and stepped back.

"Did she say why she went into the Everfree Forest?" You asked once everything had calmed down.

"We asked her several times, but she never gave a definite answer." One of the nurses said.

"It almost sounded like she was trying to hide something..." Shining Armor finally spoke up. His presence surprised you since he was somewhat hidden in the background and silent the entire time. "Do you know why?"

"No, sir..." You hadn't met Shining Armor before so you decided to play it safe and be polite. "I didn't even know that she went there until an hour ago..."

Everypony sat in silence and thought.

Thirty minutes later...

The silence was killing you and you decided to break it with some small talk to pass the time.

"By the way, is it all right for both of you to be here? Shouldn't somepony stay in the Crystal Empire?" You directed the question towards Cadence and Shining armor even though the same could've been said for Princess Celestia and Luna.

"We've got our best military officers taking charge while we're gone. There's nothing that'll come up that they can't handle." Shining answered.

"The same goes for us." Celestia added.

"Wait a minute..." Cadence stared down at the ground, obviously in deep thought. "Shining, remember the time the crystal heart cured that colt of his sickness so that he could see his true love again?"

He thought for a moment or two and stared down at the polished helmet in his lap. "Yeah, I remember that... He had some sort of pneumonia and it was keeping him from traveling to meet his fiancée in time for his wedding. Why do you ask?"

"What if we took Vinyl to the crystal heart? Could it do the same thing to her?" Cadence suddenly looked excited even though she had no smile on her face.

Everypony's spirits were temporarily lifted and Shining Armor contemplated.

"It might be able to absorb the poison somehow... But the Crystal Empire is even farther away than Canterlot. We wouldn't be able to get her there in time for-"

He cut his sentence off halfway through and looked directly at you.

"Wait..."

Before you could put the pieces together, a bright yellow cage formed around where you were sitting. You looked up to see that it was coming from Celestia.

"Hey! What the heck?!"

"I'm sorry, Alex. We cannot allow you to do that." She stared you down as if she were afraid of something.

It took you a moment or two but you finally understood.

"My horn... It has a shard of the crystal heart in it!"

"Yes, but-" Cadence tried to explain.

"So... I can use it to draw out the poison!"

"Absolutely not! Even if it did work, it would infect you with the poison as well!"

You gritted your teeth and looked over at Vinyl's sleeping body on the table.

"Where's that damned courier?!" Vinyl's dad growled.

"Silence!!!" Luna let out her booming authoritative yell and everypony immediately stopped talking. "Twilight Sparkle, what news of the courier?"

Twilight shook her head. "I tried contacting him via telepathy but he didn't respond..."

"Princess Luna, please... Let me do it. If the courier doesn't make it in time it's the only way to-"

"I will not have two deaths on my account today, Alex-" Celestia sounded angry now which scared you more than you thought it would. "Especially the death of our Earth informant!"

"What?!" You wanted to be reasonable with her but the need to save Vinyl's life drove you to be more assertive. "You're telling me you're picking her life over mine just so you can learn more about Earth?! Vinyl's going to die if we don't do something!"

"What if it doesn't work and you die too?" Cadence interjected. "And what if the courier comes back in time?"

The thought of dying wasn't entirely a foreign concept since your encounter with that sneaky changeling back at the Castle. Even if it wasn't, you were confident that you would sacrifice yourself for her if it meant any chance of her surviving.

"I'd rather die trying to save her than just sit here and watch the poison kill her! I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to her and I intend to keep that. The poison could kill her any second!" You knew you were way out of line. However, you had gone this far already so it was pointless to back down. "Cadence, what if it was Shining Armor on the bed there? Would you do it? Twilight, what if it was your brother? Celestia, what if it was your sister?"

It was obvious that your words held some weight to them because everypony you referred to lowered their eyes. You knew that they knew that they would do the same and that they just wouldn't admit to it.

Celestia, however, didn't falter whatsoever.

"Alex, you will not risk your life to save her." The golden prison around you seemed to brighten, suggesting that she was strengthening it. "That is a direct order from your Princess!"

You looked at Vinyl’s father. The look on his face was tough to read, but you knew what he was thinking when he gave you a discreet nod.

You turned back to Celestia, the desire to save your one true love burning deep in your eyes and heart.

"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia." You charged up your horn and imagined a zipper on her mouth.

"That's one order I can't follow."

The following five seconds seemed like an eternity. The second you imagined closing the zipper on Celestia's mouth, the room flashed white and the cage disappeared. Your legs felt like rocks as you tried to get them moving towards the hospital bed. You didn't think about it before but you were afraid that somepony else would trap you again. However, the blinding flash from your horn managed to stun everypony long enough for you to close the distance between you and your lover.

"Alex, no!!!" Twilight's voice rose above the rest but you ignored it.

"Crystal heart... Whatever you are, if you can hear me... Please, help..." You thought to yourself and pulled the sheets away to expose her wound.

Your eyes squinted and prepared for something painful and you lowered your head before touching the tip of your horn against the bruise.

Instant excruciating pain filled your entire body. It was so bad that you couldn’t even scream.

After a loud *crack!*, you lost consciousness and everything went black. You were out before you felt yourself hit the floor.

Chapter 21: Where I Failed, You Will Succeed

For a while, it seemed like you were dead. The only reason you knew what being partially dead was like was because of your encounter with the changelings several months back. This time, however, instead of feeling a void in your chest where the changeling nearly pierced your heart, there was an intense pressure in your head that felt similar to having sinus congestion times one thousand.

Gravity was nonexistent. There was no way to tell where was up and where was down. Strangely enough, you were still somehow aware of yourself. Rather, you were semi-conscious enough to recognize the blackness and spacelessness of your surroundings. Slowly, thoughts began to return to you

"Nngh... Am... Am I dead?" You didn't say, but thought quite loudly.

The black void seemed to thin out and give way to a dull light that came first from in front of you and then spread all over. It wasn't bright, but it was most definitely a change from the pitch black before.

Then, something even stranger happened. You heard somepony... Laughing? It seemed hard to believe that you weren't the only pony in this expanse but you knew what you heard. It was a deep hearty chuckle coming from all directions and it sounded like it was from somepony very old.

The dull light grew brighter and brighter until it became as white as Vinyl's fur. Your eyes didn't squint because you weren't technically using them. Slowly but surely, you felt gravity return and your hooves eventually touched the floor of whatever sort of room you were in.

"Such a peculiar set of circumstances... That we meet at this place and time... Alex."

Your heart sank in your chest and fear gripped you. The voice was bold and deep and you were convinced that you were about to meet some sort of Equestrian god that would judge your good and bad deeds and then send you to pony hell.

"H- Hello? Where am I? Who are you?" It wasn't until you actually tried that you noticed that you were able to look around with your head and speak. The only object in the "room" that gave you heading of left or right was the silhouette of a pony directly in front of you.

"I believe you already know who I am. Although, you do not know that my voice belongs to him."

"What...?" You had to admit it was one of the most uncouth things you could've said in response.

The pony's shadow grew larger as it approached you.

"I have several names. Many call me the master of magic, keeper of lore, mentor to the crown..."

His shape finally took more definition and you were able to see a long beard attached to... Whoever you were talking to. A pointy wizard hat sat on his head and a rather majestic looking cloak trailed behind him. His horn stuck out right below the line of his hat and a small pair of reading glasses rested on his nose. If there was a god, he definitely fit the persona minus the silly wizard hat.

"You might know me better as Starswirl the Bearded."

Your eyes widened, or at least they felt like they did, and you took one or two steps back once he got within touching distance of you.

"S- Sta..."

He chuckled again. "Calm yourself, my child. I only mean to converse."

It took you a few moments to come to the realization that you were speaking to one of the most powerful ponies in Equestria. However, you still couldn't understand where you were or why he was here.

"Wait... Aren't you supposed to be dead? Hold on. If you're dead, then..." You frantically touched yourself with your hooves.

He put a hoof on your shoulder and smiled.

"You are neither dead nor living, young one. As for where we are..." He paused and looked around. "Come. Walk with me."

You did so obediently and caught up to his side, still looking up at him and taking in who he really was. You had only heard stories about him from Twilight and the other princesses but to see him in person filled you with awe and made you feel extremely nervous.

"Are you aware of how the brain functions after the heart stops?" He asked while keeping his eyes forward.

"Well... No, not really... Why?"

"It is said that the brain functions for approximately seven minutes after the body dies."

You gulped. "So... I am dead?"

"Hm. That much remains to be seen." His old raspy voice answered and then sighed. "Mors moss... Such a tragic and vile poison. Did you know that my great uncle also died from it as well?"

"I... Don't really know much about you other than the fact that you're a great wizard, to be honest..."

"For that, I cannot quite blame you. Many texts that describe my deeds have long since been forgotten or destroyed. It seems that the only thing keeping me alive is the faint memory passed down from one interested soul to another. I suppose I have your friend Twilight Sparkle to thank for that."

You kept silent and continued walking as he used his magic, almost the same color as Celestia's, to remove his hat and tie it around his back. More of his long silver mane fell down.

"We are inside of your own mind, Alex." He digressed. "But, do not fret. I am not just a figment of your imagination. I am very real. Through my extensive study of the magical arts, I was able to create an incantation that allowed the blood of my ancestors communicate with me in dire times of need. That is why you see me here now."

Your head was still swirling to try and figure out what was going on as he continued.

"From Twilight Sparkle's studies, as well as your own, you have learned that I am much like yourself. Princess Celestia brought me to this world of Equestria when I was about your age. I have seen many other beings from Earth come and go ever since. However, you are the first of my kin to return here."

Your ears perked up. "So am I really related to you?"

"Yes."

"But... How? My mom and dad... They-"

"They do not know of my lineage because I wished them not to." He sounded a bit agitated as if he was remembering something about them, but he left his response at that and dropped the subject.

It seemed like you had been walking for ages, but your legs weren't getting sore. You decided not to ask any more questions so that he could explain more.

"I must say that I am impressed, child. Not many who call themselves my kin are able to learn the spells that you have in such short a time. In particular, I must compliment you on your anti-magic spell. It took me decades to master it, but you were able to cancel Princess Celestia's magic after such little training.

He laughed and looked down at you with pride in his eyes. "I'm quite certain you must have given her quite a surprise!"

"I guess... Heheh..." It certainly seemed silly now, but you were sure that you'd get a royal scolding if you made it out alive.

A few moments of silence went by and the only sound you could hear was the *clop* of two sets of hooves.

"Now, I have a question for you if you don't mind."

"Oh, uh... Sure."

"Why did you cast that spell against Celestia?"

You briefly recalled what happened in that short amount of time and thought of the most reasonable answer you could think of.

"I guess it was because she was in the way of me saving Vinyl."

"Exactly!" He sounded like a teacher that was overly happy with a student getting a hard question on a test correct. "You didn't cancel her magic just for the sake of it, you did it for love."

You couldn't tell if you were blushing or not but your face certainly felt flushed.

"Yeah- I mean... Yes, sir. I guess..."

You only noticed it at that moment because you were either looking down at your hooves or up at Starswirl the entire time, but you began to see some object in the distance that was set apart from the vast whiteness around you.

"If you remember your stories, you know that my... Scope... Was limited because I did not understand the true power of friendship or love."

"I think I remember hearing something along those lines."

"But you, my kin, have succeeded where I have failed. Do you recall under what circumstances your magical ability was at its greatest?"

You tried to remember, but he followed up shortly which suggested that it was rhetorical.

"When Vinyl Scratch, your companion, taught you how to use levitation? You were able to learn quickly by envisioning saving her from a fall, correct?"

You nodded and kept walking. The object in the distance was starting to get closer, but it was still unrecognizable from anything you had seen before.

"In addition, you were able to cancel the magic of the most powerful princess in Equestria because you were desperate to save Vinyl. It was your love that caused your magical ability to grow tenfold!"

He closed his eyes momentarily and sighed, his excitement vanishing. "I only wish I could have understood love like you do. I could have done so much more..."

The thing in the distance started to resemble a floating heart and Starswirl led you closer to it.

"Do you understand, young one?"

"I think so... I guess that's why I was able to learn all these spells so quickly. I thought it was just because my horn was special."

He smiled. "No, Alex. Even an alicorn's horn loses its potency when love is taken out of the equation. It isn't what the horn is made out of that determines the strength of one’s magic. What determines the strength of one’s magic is where it comes from. I was convinced in my years that the most important source of magic was the mind. However, as you have directly experienced, when magic comes from the heart, nothing on Earth or Equestria can stop you. I learned this lesson thanks to you..."

He gestured towards the floating heart in front of you. "As well as her. I believe you know who this is?"

"Is that the crystal heart? But, I thought it was in-"

"Again, this is only a manifestation of the real world in your mind, not the physicality."

"It is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Alex." A beautiful angelic womanly voice sounded in your mind. The heart pulsed with a white light with each syllable it made.

"Whoa... You can talk?"

"Only to those who might listen. You called upon me before your recent actions, if you remember." The voice seemed to have the power to soothe your worries away just by speaking. "I trusted Princess Cadence in her decision to fuse part of myself with your magic. I'm afraid I must apologize for not believing in you at first, but you have most certainly proven yourself."

"When I first came into your mind, Alex, I discovered that I was not the only being here." Starswirl explained.

"The crystal heart was here before you were? When exactly did you get here, then?"

"I was able to reside here once you received your cutie mark. Although, the circumstances in which you received it were quite... Unexpected."

"Wait... I thought you said you could come to me in times of need because of my blood line. Now you're saying it's because of my cutie mark?"

"I first had to make sure that you were worthy of holding such a burden." He spoke down to you.

You had no idea what it meant, but you had more important things to ask.

"So then... When did you get here?" You looked at the heart.

It seemed amused by your question. "I have resided in your mind and in your heart ever since you stepped foot in this world. The gift given by Princess Cadence helped me further connect with you, but I have been here nonetheless."

Suddenly, the white area around you darkened for a moment and tiny veins of black spread all around before retracting. It was almost as if it were a throbbing, living being.

"Our time is short, young one. Listen to my words carefully. I was able to absorb the poison you extracted from your lover because I sensed that true love drove your motivation, but it is still too powerful for me to keep at bay alone. If we do not do something, the poison will spread further. We can help, but you are the central determinant of whether you live or die this day."

Your heart began to race from the sudden urgency, but you tried your best to pay attention.

"What do I have to do?!" You said as the ceiling throbbed black once more.

"Believe in us. Starswirl is the manifestation of your magical talent and I, the manifestation of your undying love. You must concentrate on combining our powers together to contain this disease."

At that moment, a beam of red energy flowed from the crystal heart and connected with Starswirl who was also meeting the energy with his yellow aura of magic.

"Alex, you may not realize it, but you have taught me a great lesson in combining magic with the power of love." Starswirl raised his voice as he concentrated his magic. "I do not have the time to properly thank you for this other than to use all of the magic I have at my disposal to help save your life. Perhaps one day I will be able to repay you somehow, but that day cannot be today."

"You empowered me by selflessly saving your companion and you have also empowered Starswirl by means of direct ancestry." The heart sounded more desperate now. "If we combine our strengths, we may be able to purify the poison coursing through your veins!"

The ceiling throbbed again, harder this time.

"Quickly! Close your eyes! Concentrate on the power that can truly come by combining the power of magic with true love!"

You didn't know what exactly to think about, so you followed her command and shut your eyes, focusing on how easily your spells worked in the past while thinking of Vinyl since it was the closest representation of what she was talking about.

Everything began to darken as more black pulses sounded.

"What’s gonna happen?! Will I ever see you two again?!"

"Keep a pure heart and a steady mind, Alex! You will see us in those things that you hold most dear!" The heart nearly yelled. "Concentrate! The evil is nearly purged!"

Ignoring the fact that what she said was extremely vague, you thought more about Vinyl and how your levitation spell worked when you thought of saving her. It was the best thing you could think of that had anything to do with combining love with magic. You felt your horn burn as the whirring of the two colliding beams from Starswirl and the crystal heart became louder.

"What the- What's happening?!"

"I don't know, but the poison's retracting! Disconnect the I.V.!"

The white world around you collapsed in on itself and your head spun terribly. The first feeling you had was a terrible pain in your forehead which was followed by the sharp pinch of a needle being taken out of one of your legs.

Once your sense came around and you felt the soft sheets of the hospital bed beneath you, you began to hear two voice yelling instructions to each other that didn't make any sense to you at the time.

"Well... Done..." A different yet somehow clearer set of voices rang in your ears before you gathered the strength to open your eyes.

White light from the bulbs overhead stung your eyes and you quickly closed them again. Your teeth gritted together and a grunt sounded in your throat.

"What?! He's awake?! Alex, can you hear me?!" You peeked through one of your eyes once a dark figure blocked the light from them.

It was the doctor that was working on Vinyl, but his eyes looked baggy and tired.

"Alex! Nurse Redheart, pull out those damn I.V.s!"

"Y- Yes, sir!"

Another set of stings came from your chest and another one of your legs.

"Hey, can you hear me?" The doctor’s tone calmed somewhat.

You groaned again. It was like waking up from a two hour nap after drinking an entire bottle of liquor. You managed to mutter "Huh?" lazily.

"Sweet Celestia, I can't believe it! He's awake!"

Several sets of hooves clopped against the floor and you closed your eyes again before passing out.

When you awoke a second time, it wasn't nearly as chaotic and painful as before. Soft *beep*s came from the nearby machines every couple of seconds, but that was the only sound you could hear. You moved your head slowly and noticed that there was an oxygen mask attached to your muzzle. The lights had dimmed from the last time you saw them which helped you open your eyes a bit wider than you could before.

It was early in the morning and you knew as much because there was a rich orange light filtering through the closed blinds from the window to your right. When you listened closely, you could hear songbirds singing right outside as they heralded the coming of day.

"Nngh..." You groaned and lifted a hoof to pull off the mask. Surprisingly, the pain that came up when doing so wasn't too unbearable.

As you woke up and gained more and more of your consciousness, you distinguished a second set of *beep*s coming from your left. You didn't have the energy yet to turn your head and look, though.

The mask came off rather easily and you smelled the sterilized hospital air. Your eyes moved around the room but your vision was still somewhat blurry.

You took the gamble and tried turning your head to your left to see where the other *beep*s were coming from. Your neck was stiff but other than that, there was little to no pain.

As you suspected, there was another bed next to you with machines next to it. The blue highlighter mane sticking out beneath the sheets led you to believe that it was Vinyl. There was another pony lounging in a chair near the bed which you instantly recognized as her dad.

"H- Hey..." You managed to speak softly to try and get either of them to notice.

They were both too asleep to hear you, though.

"Welcome back to the world of the living." A familiar voice came from your right.

You turned your head around slowly to see Octavia sitting next to your bed. She had a gentle smile on her as she looked down at you.

"Oh... Hey." You tried to move your body a little and even though it didn't hurt much, most of it was extremely achy and sore.

You were curious as to what happened while you were out but you were more concerned about Vinyl.

"Is she okay?" You laid your head back on the pillow and closed your eyes.

"She still needs some rest, but whatever you did took all the poison out of her. The doctors are still trying to figure out how it didn't kill you instead."

"Heh... Long story..."

"What? So, you know?"

"Sorta... I think. I'll explain later. Nngh..." Your head was still throbbing with pain and every time you tried to remember what you saw while you were out, it got worse.

"Shh..." She put a hoof on your head and stroked your mane. "Sorry... I shouldn't make you talk. You need to rest, Alex."

You exhaled deeply and tried to relax.

"So what happened while I was out?"

"Well..." She pulled back the memory. "I didn't quite make it here in time to see it for myself since I was somewhat busy at Cloud Chaser's house... I had to pry it out of the doctors."

She continued. "When I got here, both of you were in hospital beds and it was rather chaotic. They wouldn't let me come in, but they told me the details as the night progressed. According to them, after you absorbed the poison with your horn, they... Had to remove it to stop the poison from spreading further..." She said with disappointment and sadness in her tone.

You touched your hoof to your forehead and confirmed her assertion. Your horn was gone and all you felt was a tiny hard spot where it used to be that was covered with several bandages.

You kept an even set of breaths and listened, trying not to get worked up over it.

"Vinyl woke up shortly after and "freaked out", as she might say."

She stopped and you opened your eyes to see that she was starting to look troubled.

"What?"

"They said that... You died. Your heart stopped beating for almost a whole minute but... Something happened..."

You figured that she would explain without you interjecting so you stayed silent.

"According to them, the poison just vanished halfway through the night and you woke up, just like that."

"Alex?!" Vinyl's dad finally woke up and noticed that you were awake. He immediately yet quietly got out of his chair and approached you, careful to not wake up his daughter.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"My head just hurts, other than that I'm pretty much sore all over. I guess I could've been worse if what y'all say is true."

"You bet your bottom bit... I thought you were dead..." It warmed your heart how much Scribble Scratch seemed to care about you.

"How's Vinyl?" You asked after glancing over at her again.

"She's just fine thanks to you. Oh! I should wake her up. She'll want to know you're okay." Scribble turned away and leaned over her.

"No, no. I don't want to-"

"Hey... Sweetie? Hey... Wake up." He shook her shoulder gently and whispered into her ear.

You figured it was too late to protest; you wanted her to rest but at the same time, you had to agree with him. If you were asleep and your dream mare was in critical condition, you'd want to know right away if she was okay.

The bed sheets rustled and Vinyl let out a groan as she woke up.

"Ugh... What, dad?" She asked, appearing somewhat annoyed.

"Alex is awake!" He said softly.

"W- What?" It was obvious that her mind was still muddled from recently waking up.

She moved herself around and rolled over to face towards you. The orange sunlight illuminated her brilliant red eyes and made them ten times more beautiful than they already were.

"Hey, angel." You smiled weakly and coughed.

Her first instinct was to get up from the bed and come over to you, but her dad held her back.

"Alex! Oh my god, are you okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. My head just hurts a little."

"Maybe we should... Let them have a moment?" Octavia interjected and gestured at Scribble.

"Oh, uh. Sure."

Vinyl didn't wait for them to leave before bombarding you with questions.

"Why the buck did you do that?! What were you thinking?!"

"I-" You waited to explain until the other two closed the door behind them.

"I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"Yeah, but... I didn't think you meant doing that! Ugh, hold on."

Vinyl got out of bed out of frustration and disconnected the single I.V. that was resupplying her with fluids. She groaned as her hooves touched the floor and her weight came down on them but it didn't seem to bother her that much once she walked over to your bed.

"No one knew where that damned courier was so I just reacted. I... I guess me wanting to save you got the better of me."

You scootched over in your bed to make room for Vinyl who was determined to climb in with you. There weren't many things attached to you but thankfully, the things that were weren't in her way. Her soft fur warmed you and you immediately pulled her close to you. It almost made you tear up feeling her heartbeat again after almost being convinced that you'd never experience it again.

"You bucking idiot..." She squeezed you tight and sobbed slightly. Her face was buried in your chest.

"You know you would've done the same for me." You smiled and stroked her mane, closing your eyes and enjoying the feeling of her being so close to you.

"Yeah, but..." Vinyl's tears dampened the fur on your chest. "If you died... I... I dunno..."

You couldn't help but smile at the irony. "I was thinking the same thing when I decided to do what I did."

Vinyl didn't respond. She instead sobbed a bit more, happy that you were still alive.

"Y- You didn't have to..." She sniffed as she got more emotional. "Do that for me..."

A single tear rolled down your cheek and you smiled wide.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself-"

You were about to explain more about how you felt but Vinyl broke down in tears and cried heavily into your fur. You bit your lip hard to keep from doing the same and tucked her head under your chin, wrapping your legs around her to let her know that she was safe and that you were okay.

"I- I..." She stuttered between her sharp inhales and crying. "I thought you were dead..."

"I'm sorry I made you worry..." Your lip quivered out of emotional instability. "I'm here now. I'm okay..."

You rubbed her back reassuringly and her crying started to dry up. Several warm fuzzy emotional moments went by as the two of you held each other tight and bonded. She finally lifted her head and planted the most romantic kiss you ever received right on your lips. You took a large inhale from your nostrils and kissed her back, your heart nearly exploding from how happy you were.

"I love you, babe... I- I'm so sorry..." She pulled back and returned to nuzzling her cheeks against your chest.

"Don't apologize. You didn't know what was going on. But... Why did you go to the Everfree Forest? You never told anyone..."

Her eyes opened slightly and stared into your fur. "I guess... When we were arguing a week or so ago, I got really mad and stormed out..."

You chuckled lightly. "Yeah. I remember that."

"I wasn't thinking straight... I guess I stormed off and walked around in the middle of nowhere and wound up there."

Your happy mood went away a tiny amount when you put together the pieces and realized that her illness was partially caused by you.

"Why didn't you tell everypony sooner?"

She sighed. "Because if... If I didn't make it, I didn't want you to think that it was your fault." Her hoof covered your mouth softly before you could respond. "It's not your fault, Alex. Please don't blame yourself for me being stupid..."

You paused and thought about what to say, but nothing you could think of was really worth saying at the time.

"Whatever... I'm just glad you're okay..."

You kissed her forehead and enjoyed the smell of her mane while she kept her head tucked under her chin. It was obvious that she was still sleepy and you knew that she would doze off in your grasp at any moment.

"Hey... I know this is a bad time, but... I really don't wanna wait any longer."

"Hm?" She mumbled and kept her eyes closed.

"Well... Remember the other half of your present that I was gonna give you last night?"

"Mhmm..." She nuzzled herself against you, loving the warmth of your body.

"Um..." You blushed and tried to muster the courage to ask. "I've already asked your dad and he thought it was okay... So..."

Vinyl's eyes opened and looked up at you drowsily. "What, babe?"

You hesitated and your eyes darted left and right out of embarrassment. Eventually, you took a deep breath and summoned the courage to ask her while looking her right in the eye.

"Will you... Marry me?"

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Chapter 22: This Time With Feeling

You woke up with a yawn and stretched your weary legs, discovering from the discomfort in your forehead that the doctor put a few layers of bandages over where your horn used to be. The whole day at the hospital left your joints stiff and achy and when the doctor told you that it was okay to stand up and walk around, you felt like you had toothpicks supporting your body. Everything seemed just dandy, especially since Vinyl miraculously said "yes" to your proposal. Neither of you could fall asleep that night because of a severe case of giddiness as the two of you discussed wedding plans.

You would've thought that Vinyl would want a small wedding and your suspicions were correct when she said she wanted the ceremony to be in Ponyville; you knew in the back of your mind that it would be much bigger than expected, though, simply because so many ponies would show up to see the "Earth dude"'s wedding. There was really nothing you could do about it. It would've been rude to turn away so many ponies.

The topic of whether or not to move out to another home was brought about during the long night of excited chatting. You knew you could most certainly ask Celestia or Luna for a new place to live and they would provide you with your own miniature castle. Since not moving Octavia in with the two of you would be out of the question, just three ponies wouldn't need much space. Though, both of you knew that a change of scenery would be nice, especially if it was free.

The idea of children came up as well which was to be expected when talking about marriage. You smiled the entire time talking about it. Having a son or daughter to carry down your line was always a big dream for you and being able to do it with Vinyl by your side made you even happier. It took an hour or two to think of a couple of names, but you settled on two depending on if it was a colt or filly. If it was a colt, the two of you decided to name him Alex after you and if it was a filly, she would be named "Angel" after Vinyl’s favorite nickname. The second part of the name would come after he or she got a cutie mark, of course. It wasn't like you or Vinyl to completely control the child's destiny.

Normally, the woman would take the man's family name, but you instead insisted on taking on Vinyl's. It felt right since your family name wouldn't really matter here and the name "Alex Scratch" had a nice ring to it.

The two of you fell asleep talking about future plans and the next morning, along with the doctors complaining about Vinyl getting out of her bed, there were some consequences you had to pay. It was funny to you. The two of you were so excited about the wedding that you never got around to explaining what happened to you while you were out.

Celestia and Luna were the first to come and see you the next morning and neither of them seemed happy when they strode in. After remembering what you did to them, you could plainly see why. Vinyl was still asleep at the time which was good since you were afraid that she'd overreact.

"G- Good morning..." You said with an apologetic smile as they stared down at you condescendingly.

"Alex. I am happy that both of you are alive and well."

"Oh good... That's all?" You thought to yourself and let out a sigh of relief.

"However..."

"Oh boy..."

"Your actions simply cannot be ignored. Not only did you disobey a direct order from your princess, but you also assaulted both of us in doing so. Such acts are criminal, Alex. I hope you understand that."

You gulped and looked up at her, waiting for your inevitable fifty year prison sentence.

Celestia looked to her sister who was also sharing her disappointment, but it seemed as if they calmed down for a bit.

"While these acts are severe, I cannot in good conscience separate such a close couple in eve of their wedding."

Your eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... How did you-"

"I believe a month of house arrest and community service should be adequate?" Celestia asked Luna.

"I suppose that is a fitting punishment. For now. But be warned, Alex. Such acts of defiance will not be so easily forgiven again."

"Y- Yes ma'am... Sorry, ma'am..." You knew that you had been let off the hook since house arrest with Vinyl could hardly be considered punishment. Plus, community service wasn't that unbearable since it would give you a chance to meet all the ponies in town that you didn't get a chance to meet yet.

The two princesses turned and walked out and after they left, several ponies rushed in to see the two of you. Some, including Twilight, were frustrated with you for so recklessly risking your life, but most were just happy that the two of you were okay.

On your way home from the hospital, you got some glances from the ponies walking past you which were different than the ones that you were used to receiving. You supposed that it was because your selflessness and the weight of what you did was finally starting to become apparent to you, although you were confused as to how they managed to find out what happened back in the hospital so quickly.

Not only did you risk your life for somepony else, but you did it as an outsider- somepony who wasn't expected to care as much about a world he had nothing to do with. Putting yourself in their shoes, you would've been just as grateful and appreciative even if you didn't know Vinyl personally.

"I guess you won't be able to do magic anymore..." Vinyl said, somewhat disappointed as she looked at your bare forehead. However, she seemed intrigued by something suddenly. "Wait a minute..."

She proceeded to pull back your bangs and look closely at the fur on your forehead in the middle of the street. It was a little embarrassing since you were in such dense public.

"W- What?" Your cheeks flushed a little and you looked around nervously.

"There's some kind of tattoo here... You didn't tell me about that!"

"H- Huh? I haven't gotten any tattoos since I got here. What are you talking about?"

Vinyl took your hoof and led you to the front door of your house hastily with a bit of frustration in her tone.

Once inside, she quickly went to fetch a mirror. She paused for a second for you to pick it up with your magic but then apologized for clumsily forgetting your predicament.

"Oh... I see what you mean now... It's kinda like... Ah!" You touched your hoof to your forehead and learned that it was still rather sensitive.

"Like one of those symbols on your cutie mark..." Vinyl added and finished your sentence for you.

"Guess I'm going back to Twilight's tomorrow. Heheh."

"Yeah. Probably should. But for now..." Vinyl softened her voice and fluttered her eyelashes at you while biting her lip.

"Geez, Vinyl... You were about to pass out last night and you're already horny again?" You smiled and rubbed your neck with your hoof.

"Mhmm..." She reached down and instantly started to caress your stallionhood which quickly came out of its sheath and began throbbing. "Ooh my... Looks like I'm not the only one who's horny..."

You blushed and smiled bashfully.

"Come on, babe... Lemme pay you back for what you did for me..." She got right up to your face and locked eyesight with you, taking your hooves in hers and pulling you back towards the bedroom.

"Well..." You stopped her rather forcefully. "If this is payback, then we're gonna do it right here..." You pulled her back onto the couch and put her on her back before quickly climbing on top of her and licking her neck.

"Oh Luna, babe... I love it when you're forceful... Mmm..." She spoke and moaned at the same time and you could feel her muscles twitching from excitement.

You had no idea where your lustful drive was coming from. Just last night, you came three times and worked up quite a sweat with her. Regardless, you couldn't hold yourself back. Your licking quickly lowered to her belly and then her inner thighs while you teased her and made her beg to be licked in her marehood. Her hooves pulled at your mane, but you flinched in pain once you found out that it agitated the wound where your horn was. You grunted at the sharp pain and it got the point across to her. She quickly stopped and wrapped her hooves around the back of your neck instead.

She didn't protest or tell you to hurry up, though. It was something that usually happened when you teased her, but she was instead letting you do whatever you liked to her. It finally began to dawn on you that she was truly set on paying you back for what you did for her. She seemed entirely submissive. That was what turned you on the most. You looked up at her and her entire face was contorted in agonizing lust. It was obvious that she couldn't wait any longer and you were too nice of a coltfriend to keep her waiting any longer.

You got a good taste of her marehood by flattening your tongue and slowly licking up and down her tender slit, making sure you rubbed against her clit on the way as well.

"Ahhhn!" She yelped and her hips bucked up slightly from the stimulation.

You knew you did something right, so you kept doing the same thing: pushing inwards gradually so that your tongue was slipping inside of her with every lick of her pussy. Her breathing was getting heavier by the second and you could tell by the intensity of her throbbing against your tongue that she wouldn't last much longer.

"Hah... Alex, please... Mmphh!" She was gripping your mane so hard that it was beginning to hurt and your thick cock was practically begging to go inside her, so you leaned back and wiped your mouth clean of her juices.

Her legs wrapped around your waist the second you mounted on top of her and she pulled your head down to kiss you deeply while the flared tip of your cock pushed against her slit.

Your hips pushed forward and you entered her tight wet hole with a *pop*. Vinyl screamed whilst kissing you and her entire body jolted.

"Hey... You wanna... Since we're gonna get married..." Vinyl smiled and looked deep into your eyes.

"I was thinking the same thing, angel." You booped her nose with yours cutely and then proceeded to thrust inside of her gently, at first.

"Ahhh!" Her hot breath brushed against the fur on your neck as she moaned.

It felt nice to no longer have to worry about not cumming inside her. It was like an iron gate had been lifted, allowing you to do whatever you pleased to her. The feeling was apparently mutual since Vinyl's marehood was constricting tighter than usual, suggesting that she was enjoying it much more than she usually did.

"Don't you dare stop... Ahhhn!" She said as you picked up your pace.

You tilted her chin up as your thrusts continued to make her body rock back and forth and kissed her deeply. The two of you kept your eyes open for a while for intimacy's sake, but they soon closed and she began to moan inside of your mouth. Her tongue swirled around yours and explored all around while your cock did the same to her.

You drove further and pushed deeper, making your head slide into her womb and your entire length disappear inside of her. You teased her by staying all the way inside and grinding your hips back and forth. You felt her hips buck against you in a desperate attempt to make you thrust into her again.

After a few moments, you quit teasing and let her have it again. Only this time, you slid your entire length in and out of her at a much quicker pace. Vinyl's pleasure levels spiked and she pushed you off of her with a strength you didn't know she even possessed. She got on her side and pressed her hind legs together so that the next entrance would be tighter than ever.

It didn't take you long to resume fucking her and as you expected, it was much tighter than before. Your hips slapped against her plot and your hooves grabbed on to it, pulling it back to you in sync with your thrusting to make it more intense for both of you.

"Oh god, babe! Ahhhh! I'm cumming!" She yelled before biting her lip and muffling more screams.

Even though she constricted tight enough to make it so that you couldn't move, you kept going and added to her orgasm by gyrating your hips while you continued to thrust. You stared down at her, happy to see her enjoying herself. Her eyes rolled back slightly and she was biting her lip to keep her tongue from hanging out.

Suddenly, her front hooves wrapped around your waist and pulled you into her further.

"Don't you bucking stop..." She said in a desperate yet excited voice. "Until you fill me up..."

She didn't have to tell you twice. Your hips swung back and plowed into her again, making her scream more. The desire to cum inside her made your body enter into orgasm mode and your shaft began its inevitable throbbing and twitching, letting you know that it couldn't take much more.

You breathed heavily and panted into her ear as she did the same into yours. In a spontaneous burst of affection, you kissed her deeply while digging deep inside her and triggering your climax. Your hips twitched and your legs shook as you pumped out your juicy cum deep inside of her.

It still felt a bit unsettling since you were used to being so cautious about not getting her pregnant. It was as if you were making a decision that would change your life forever and after the last few spurts of semen shot into her, you knew that it was too late to reconsider.

Almost instantly, your body lost all its energy that it had before and you fell to your side whilst staying inside her. You pulled her to her side with your bear hug embrace so that you remained inside of her.

Vinyl tucked her head under your chin. It was a similar finish to any session of naughty fun with your marefriend, but it felt more special because the love making was one hundred percent genuine this time. It was for reproductive purposes as well as plain fun.

You shed a single mental tear knowing that the days of sexy times with Vinyl would soon be over. She would be a mother and you would be a Father. Sure, there would be time for the occasional fooling around, but it would be fewer and farther between with a kid to take care of.

You were somehow okay with it, though. Kids had always gotten on your nerves and every time a co-worker would show you his children's baby pictures, you'd cringe and wish they would shut up as soon as physically possible. Now that it was going to be your child, you felt... Different. It was like part of you was already growing inside of her belly and someday it would come out and be your beautiful child. On any other day, you would've cursed yourself for thinking so mushy-gushy, but you couldn't help yourself.

"Babe? You okay?" Vinyl calmly said once her body settled down.

"Hm? Yeah. I'm just excited, I guess. We're gonna be parents..." You smiled and closed your eyes, loving the smell of her hair.

Vinyl didn't say anything, but she squeezed you tighter and let out a tiny *squee*. Despite her up-front tomboyish party girl attitude, she seemed just as excited and mushy-gushy as you were. It was always adorable when she broke out of her normal character and her girlish joy over future children proved to be no exception.

It wasn't long until the two of you dozed off to sleep. It was still mid-day, but the amount of exertion was too much for either of you.

You woke up with a drowsy soreness in your head that was mostly due to your wound. It was becoming a bit of a bother and you noticed it itched quite a lot as you rustled around in bed and realized that you forgot to clean the sex fluids from earlier.

You weren't sure how to replace the wrappings on your head, so you decided to bear it and leave them on. Octavia might be able to help; she seemed to know a lot of things that usually come in handy in a pinch. Unfortunately though, you looked over Vinyl to see that it was well past Octavia's bed time.

It was an awkward situation since it was too late to do anything fun or productive, yet you were too awake now to go back to sleep without waking back up at three in the morning.

"Well, fuck." You smiled at the odd predicament, unsure of what to do.

After a moment or two of thinking, you decided to get out of bed and stretch out your legs. Even though you just had an extensive workout with Vinyl, they still felt stiff for sitting in a hospital bed for so long. You made sure that your marefriend was adequately tucked in bed and wasn't fidgeting in her sleep before getting out and feeling your joints pop a few times.

Vinyl seemed undisturbed by your actions, luckily. Although, you knew as much as anypony else that it'd take a freight train to wake that mare up.

Something irked you as you exited her room. Not only was Octavia's door wide open, but her lights were on inside and her bed sheets were pulled back, revealing that it was empty.

"Hm..." You puzzled and raised an eyebrow. It was certainly unlike her to be up at this hour.

Nevertheless, you brushed it off and made your way to the kitchen. Your bad habit of going to the fridge when you were bored seemed to manifest in your pony body from your human one.

You heard a muffled discussion going on outside which led you to change your mind, close the fridge, and open the front door to see who it was.

"Oh, it's no problem at all." You heard Octavia's voice as you cracked the door open.

The second you were able to see who was outside, you were met with two pointy shiny halberds in your face. Your eyes crossed to focus on them and you nearly fell backwards trying to save yourself from being stabbed in the face.

"Whoa!" You exclaimed as you caught your balance.

"Stay inside, sir! You've been placed under house arrest."

"Oh... Uh, sorry. I guess I forgot..."

"Wait, house arrest?! What in Equestria did you do, Alex?!" Octavia turned and scolded you. It became apparent that the two royal guards didn't fill her in on that little detail.

"Erm... Long story." You figured it would be unwise to elaborate on the issue while the guards were there.

Octavia let out an aggravated moan and stomped past you. Assuming that the guard ponies outside didn't want you to converse with them any further, you closed the door on them after giving them an apologetic smile.

The second you turned around, Octavia was right in your face with a look that would've made Bulk Biceps afraid. She was obviously waiting for an explanation.

"So, uh... You know that magic cancelling spell I'd been working on?"

She raised an eyebrow, unamused.

"I kinda... Used it on the princesses so I could get to Vinyl. They had me trapped and-"

Octavia's mouth hung wide open and her pupils shrank. Behind her, you could see Vinyl coming into the room and rubbing her eyes.

"Hey... What's going on? Are those guards outside?"

"Vinyl Scratch! Are you aware that your coltfriend assaulted the princesses in order to save you?!"

Vinyl paused and held up a hoof, gesturing for you to hold on a moment. She stepped into the kitchen and cracked open an energy drink to wake her up.

"Okay. What, now?" She said, staring into her drink.

"Well... I was gonna try and use my horn to save you back in the hospital, but Celestia and Luna were holding me back. I guess I wasn't thinking straight and used that magic cancel spell on them to get to you."

She didn't respond and took another sip of her drink.

"So... They put me under house arrest for a month."

Vinyl sighed and shook her head with a smile. "I swear, Alex. You haven't even been here a year and look at all the shit you're stirring up."

You sat down next to her, feeling guilty about what she said. You imagined her life before you came and how relatively peaceful it was.

"I'm kidding, babe." Vinyl leaned over and kissed you on your cheek. You could smell the strong aroma of energy drink coming from her breath. "Not many colts would do that for me."

"Well I'm glad you're okay with semi-regicide." Octavia snipped before going back to her room.

"Regi-what?" Vinyl puzzled.

"No idea." You chuckled a little.

As expected, everypony that didn't get to come see you at the hospital came over to the house to visit you that evening as soon as they found out all the details. The guards were kind enough to let them in since most of them were closely associated with Princess Celestia.

It actually turned out to be an informal impromptu party celebrating your health as well as Vinyl's.

Trixie even came to visit. She was denied at first, but Twilight hesitantly vouched for her once you asked her nicely.

"Alex... I'm so sorry about your horn... I can't imagine-" She spoke to you when nopony else was paying attention to you. It took you off-guard since she again used a sincere tone that wasn't very characteristic of her normal persona.

"Eh, it's alright. I'd rather have Vinyl alive than my magic. I guess... I won't be able to teach you any of those spells, huh?" You grinned awkwardly once you were beginning to realize how many aspects of living would be affected by not having magic. In a way, it made you feel more like your old human self.

"I don't mind, Alex. I'm just glad you're okay." She hugged you with one hoof and tried to make it look as un-romantic as possible since Vinyl was nearby.

You wished that Twilight and her friends could see that side of her.

Being reminded of your horn (or lack thereof) made your head throb more. Thankfully, Twilight was there as well and cast a pain-numbing spell on your forehead. It seemed to work, but it left you a bit dizzy at times.

You didn't want to mention it yet, but Vinyl eventually had a bit too much to drink and spilled the beans about your engagement. Of course, everypony in the room freaked out and you could see Vinyl glancing over at you through them with a look that said:

"Oops. Sorry."

The only ones talking to you at that point were Spike and Big Mac. The rest of the girls were all surrounding Vinyl, trying to make wedding plans and talk about kids.

"Wow, didn't take ya long, huh?" Spike said after popping open a ginger ale.

"Nope. But, rushin' ain't so bad if ya really feel strong about 'er." Big Mac added, giving a surprisingly higher amount of syllables than you were used to him giving.

The two took a sip of their drinks and lounged back against the kitchen counter.

"So, ya know what this means, huh?" Spike turned to you with an evil grin.

"What?"

"Stag party."

"Oh boy..." You smiled back awkwardly with fear in your eye.

It seemed like it would never happen, but Vinyl's drunkenness finally began to wear off. You couldn't really blame her for having a few hard drinks against the doctor's will since the last few weeks had been extremely stressful for her.

As anticipated, Octavia ran off with Cloudchaser after the "party" was done with. You had your suspicions about what the two were doing just by listening to how the two talked, but you held judgment and rumors for when you had more evidence. After those two left, you were finally alone with Vinyl once more.

The majority of the rest of the evening was spent lounging with her and changing your bandages every so often. Even though it wasn't that eventful, you still enjoyed every second you had with her, especially now since her life had ridden on such a fine line recently.

Just when you thought she was about to fall asleep, she shifted around with her head in your lap and whispered.

"Hey... You wanna go for a little walk? There's someplace I kinda wanted to visit."

It threw you off since Vinyl usually didn't go for "walks" that often.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Sure." You said as she lifted herself off of you and stretched. It was late at night and the guard ponies outside the door appeared to have left, so you decided to take a naughty risk and sneak out with her despite your house arrest.

The night air was as cold as it was the night before when you were sprinting to get to the hospital. Granted, it wasn't as bad now given the circumstances.

She took a turn to the left which meant she wanted to go someplace quiet and open since everything to the right was just shops and bars.

"Where're we going?"

She took a deep breath and let out a long exhale, obviously enjoying the fresh air.

"Someplace I haven't been to in a while."

Being honest with yourself, you didn't much care where it was. Just being able to enjoy a walk with her was good enough.

"By the way... I know I said this before at the hospital, but please don't blame yourself for all that." Vinyl said semi-quietly as you felt her body lean against yours while the two of you walked.

"But... I was-"

"Shush." She kissed your shoulder affectionately and it was enough to cut you off and drop what you were about to say.

It didn't take you long to figure out where she was leading you. It was the vast open meadow that you knew by the back of your hoof. However, you recognized the exact spot where she stopped to lay down.

The damp cool grass brushed against your belly as you joined her and you quickly felt Vinyl lean against you.

The full moon was stunning that night. It easily illuminated the field with a soft white light and it made Vinyl's fur glow as it usually did. You could even distinguish the tiny glimmers that it gave to the leaves on the nearby tree.

"You remember this spot, right?" She spoke softly. You could tell she was getting sleepy.

"Yup. It feels like yesterday we were sitting here under the meteor shower and-"

"Doing things..." She interrupted you and nudged your side teasingly.

"Y- Yeah. Heheh."

The grass beneath you began to warm as the two of you matted it down.

"So... Are you glad you decided to stick around with us?" Vinyl asked out of the blue. It was a little vague, but you assumed she was referring to you choosing to stay in Equestria versus going back to earth.

"Yeah!" You said, a little surprised at the seemingly obvious question. "Why?"

"I guess I just worry about you feeling like you're trapped here."

"Well... I mean, I do miss my old home a little but I can still go back once a year, remember?"

Her eyes closed and she smiled faintly. "Okay. That's good."

"So, once a year you don't have to put up with my shit anymore. Heh." You rubbed your cheek against hers.

"Whatever." She said while laughing. "I'm used to it by now."

"Ouch..." You mimicked pain by biting your lip.

"You know I'm picking with you, babe. Oh! I've been meaning to ask you, can I go with you the next time they let you go to earth? I'd really hate to wait a month again..."

Thinking about seeing Vinyl as a human made you have some naughty thoughts, but even without sex, you thought it would be... Interesting. You'd feel bad for making her wait so long for you to return again, anyway.

"Sure! You'll have to bring some human clothes, though. Don't wanna pop in nude."

"I'm sure you'd like that." She smirked.

"No comment." You looked up at the sky and acted innocent.

The two of you chuckled a little and as the small humor was fading, so was your energy. You could feel your muscles ache and your eyelids begin to get heavy.

A cool breeze came along and made you shiver slightly, but Vinyl's warm body took most of the edge off of it.

"But seriously, I'm glad you decided to stick around."

She paused as she tried to think of what to say. You could tell when she was being sincere and straight from the heart because it made her words lag slightly.

"Not a lot of colts would do what you did for me back there at the hospital... I really feel lucky to have you."

The comment warmed your heart as you felt her silky tail flip up and rest on your back.

"I'm the lucky one... After all the shit I put you thro- ooh!"

You were cut off mid-sentence by Vinyl grabbing the fur on your shoulder and rolling around so that she was on top of you. The sudden intimacy made your heart rate spike.

"Enough beating yourself up, babe." Her nose poked against yours. Her eyes were right above yours and the moon made a white angelic lining around her long mane as it hung directly above her.

You couldn't help but smile bashfully from the affection.

"There's my happy colt."

You weren't sure if it was the beautiful view above you or a sudden unleashing of your pent up love for her that had been building up ever since you saved her life. Either way, something snapped inside you and you quickly pulled her to you, embracing her in a passionate kiss that took her by surprise.

She moaned in your mouth and her eyes widened, but they soon relaxed as she pressed her body against you more and eased into the kiss. Your hooves wrapped around her waist.

You couldn't help it. Your giant boner started to come out and rub against her warm tender belly. You knew that she knew that it was there and it wasn't going away.

Vinyl pulled back and breathed heavily.

"Tree..." She said in an exasperated tone.

"H- Huh?"

"Behind the tree..."

Vinyl looked like she was staring at a buffet with an empty stomach when you semi-forcefully pinned her to the tree. She was upright and you could see her underbelly breathing in and out quickly. The lights coming from the town behind the tree were still on, but the two of you were too far away for any late-night walkers to notice.

Your passion was too great for you to worry about anyone seeing, though. Your hoof quickly found its way down to her thighs and rubbed the inside of them, feeling a chilled dampness due to the cold air.

"Got one more in ya, babe?" Vinyl looked up at you with passion in her eyes.

"I've always got one more for you, angel." You replied before purposefully rubbing your hoof against her wet slit.

She moaned quite loudly, but her hoof that was previously clutching the tree behind her moved to her muzzle to keep herself from drawing attention. A smirk grew on your face once you realized the position you were in.

The tip of your hoof bumped against her clit as you licked her neck like a pervert. Her eyes shut and muffled moans became trapped in her mouth as she tried desperately not to make any noise.

Your cock was already standing completely upright and wavering back and forth as your hoof rubbed your marefriend's sensitive spots.

Vinyl instinctively grasped your rod and started stroking it slowly and sensually. Your hips bucked at the sensation but you kept going at it.

"Y- You sure... No one will see us?" She said between moans as her face got redder.

"Don't worry about that... Nngh..." You felt pre-cum leak from your tip; it helped her stroke you more smoothly.

Vinyl wrapped her other hoof around your neck and started to pull you down towards the trunk of the tree. In a stroke of convenient luck, there was a space between the creases of the trunk for the two of you to nestle into.

She leaned her back against the tree and slid down, opening her legs in the process. You joined her and pressed the base of your shaft to her soft marehood, grinding on it a little to make her moan more.

You had to bite your tongue to keep from yelling out when she took your cock with her hoof and forced it inside of her. The warmness of her canal was magnified by the chilly air around you.

"Fuck... Gimme a warning next time- Ahhh..." You pushed further inside of her and felt more and more of your rod warm up from her hot tight sanctuary.

You were about to start thrusting since it was obvious that she wanted it, but she pushed your hips back out. The head of your flared cock popped out and swung back and forth, now dripping with her juices.

She looked up at you and smiled bashfully as her hoof guided the head of your cock to her ass.

"Starting to like anal, huh?"

"Mhmm... Go ahead..."

You could already feel her tight hole spreading for you which meant that she was getting better at relaxing her muscles. You decided to take it slow at first even though your brain was yelling at you to fuck her silly.

You lifted her hind legs to get better access, then pushed into her further. Vinyl quickly covered her mouth again to prepare.

The head popped in and the rest slid in easily enough. Her muscle tightened significantly around you the further you went in.

"Mmmphhh!" She shut her eyes and moaned into her hoof.

Her juices covering your cock from earlier helped you ease inside, but you knew just how big your cock was compared to her tight little ass. The last thing you wanted was to see blood on the grass below you.

"You okay? Does it hurt?"

"I'm fine, just go..."

You spread her cheeks a little and started going back and forth slowly, savoring the way she tightened around you the deeper you went.

One of her hooves grabbed onto the fur on your side. You winced because of how hard she was pulling at it, but the pain drove your sexual desire further and encouraged you to ram your cock into her faster.

Her bangs were covering most of her face; they fell down in all the action. Continuing to churn her insides, you moved them out of the way and leaned down, kissing her passionately. You instantly felt her pent up moans escape into your mouth. She bit your lip from the intense pleasure you were giving her, but you didn't mind one bit.

You tried your best to keep the slapping noises coming from your hips hitting her ass to a minimum, but you were feeling too good and couldn't slow down. Over and over again, your sexes slapped together followed by a sharp moan from Vinyl into your mouth.

Her tightness was getting too much for you to handle. It was getting more and more difficult to thrust inside of her and you could feel your rod slipping out of her. All it took was a tiny squeeze of her legs to make your head pop out. It swung around a bit before resting on Vinyl’s belly.

Using the strength of a mare in heat, she pushed you off and got up, getting a firm grip on the tree and turning around to present her ass to you. She moved her tail out of the way to give you a better view and then looked over her shoulder at you with bedroom eyes.

You hopped up on your hind legs and put your weight against the tree via your front hooves. Your wet throbbing cock slid between her ass cheeks a little before you grasped it to guide it inside.

Your body loomed over hers; you felt completely dominant. You could tell that she wanted it badly because her hips were pushing back against you.

The head popped into her pussy and your hoof went back to leaning against the tree above your marefriend's head.

"Ahnnn..." She moaned as her hips pushed back into yours, forcing your cock further inside while you stood there and watched. "C- Come on... Mmphh..."

With a grunt, you pushed inside her and started humping her from behind. You could feel your flared head throbbing and growing inside of her as your level of pleasure increased exponentially with every motion.

Lewd sloshing noises came from where the two of your sexes melted together and her warm juices were beginning to drip down your balls and onto your legs. Each thrust became easier due to how wet she was. Eventually, you sped up further and bit down on her ear out of passion.

"Mmphhh!" She moaned into her mouth again and you felt her tail wrap around your waist.

Her chest fur mashed against the bark of the tree and brushed up and down each time you dug your cock into her. Her cute butt propped up for you to have better access and you took advantage of it, spreading her cheeks and watching as your girth stretched her wide.

The hoof that she was using to hold on to your fur was grabbing you so tight that you were about to say something about it. However, doing so would ruin your concentration.

You had to push inside of her with more force than usual because her insides were squeezing you so tight. You could feel your flared head churn her insides with every thrust and nearly suffocate when you got to her womb.

The all-too-familiar tingling feeling in your lower stomach made you speed up in anticipation. Vinyl turned her head over her shoulder to look up at you and, judging by her dilated pupils and her tongue hanging out, it was obvious that she was about to cum.

Because you had already splooged inside of her earlier today, there wasn't a doubt in your mind as to where she probably wanted it. Now that the two of you were ready for a kid, it didn't really matter anymore.

"Hah... I'm gonna cum, babe... Nngh!"

She was either physically unable to respond or too caught up in the sensation. Gritting your teeth and shutting your eyes, you involuntarily shoved every inch of your thick rod inside of her, mashing your hips against her plot before shooting out streams of hot creamy cum inside of her. Her legs trembled underneath her as her cheek pushed against the bark of the tree; the force of your stallionhood being plowed deep into her pussy was the only thing supporting her weight at that point.

"Ahhhnnn!" Vinyl moaned one last time.

A mixture of her juices and your cum leaked down your thighs and dripped onto the cold wet grass beneath you.

After staying frozen for several seconds, you reluctantly pulled yourself out; a large glob of your semen spilled out all over the tree trunk. Her body started to fall, but you were quick enough to catch her. You pulled her to your stomach and put your back to the tree before sliding down until you were sitting down in the perfectly rounded gap in the roots.

The warmth of your bodies were enough to take off the edge of the chilly air, but all of the moaning and heavy breathing left your throat cold and raw. By now, your once raging stallion boner was now tucked back in its sheathe. The cold was partially to blame for that as well.

Your exhaustion finally evolved into tiredness and you almost felt comfortable enough to just sleep under the tree for the night with her.

"You alright?" You said with your eyes closed, stroking her mane and feeling her breaths tickle the fur on your chest as she often liked to do post-sex.

"Mhmm." Vinyl snuggled closer to you and yawned.

"You think we should be getting back? We shouldn't really stay out here in the-"

Vinyl's horn glowed for a moment and shortly after, you felt the sharpness of the winter night warm up.

"Oh? What's this? Some kind of warming spell?"

"Yup. Been peeking around in all those spell books Twilight sent over to ya." She said with a prideful grin.

"Well look at you, smarty-pants..." You flicked her ear to tease.

"Well at least I have a-" She started to tease back but realized how insulting it would be given that you lost your horn so recently. "S- Sorry... I..."

You laughed. Oddly enough, not having your magic anymore didn't phase you as much as it should have.

"It’s cool, don't worry."

Your hoof wrapped around her waist and you squeezed her tight. "I'd give my left hoof for you too if I had to."

"I know you would. That's why I agreed to marry you, goof."

You took a deep breath and rested the back of your head against the tree. Being honest with yourself, you thought that the warming spell was out of Vinyl's abilities and that it would wear off soon. You were proved wrong, though, as you still felt as if you were sitting right next to a campfire full of hot red coals.

"You're gonna be the best wife ever, you know?" You thought aloud.

You felt Vinyl squeezing you tighter, probably because she was touched by your compliment.

"Like I said back when we were at the portal: This is my home now." You continued, looking up at the stars. "And I promise you won't have another sad tear drop from those beautiful red eyes as long as I'm your husband."

You felt your chest dampen as she turned emotional.

"And don't worry. I'd rather die a million times than divorce you. I was lucky enough to get this far with you and I'm not going to take that for granted. Ever."

Vinyl took a quick intake of air, hinting that the tears of joy were growing too strong for her. Normally, you would've checked to see if she was all right, but you knew that she was. There was no way she couldn't be given the circumstances.

"I love you-" She sniffed. "So much, Alex..."

You smiled and fought back tears.

"I love you too, Vinyl. Always have, always will."

You opened your eyes again in time to see a single shooting star race across the sky.

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading the last chapter of Becoming One With The Beat: Assimilation! I hope everyone enjoyed reading as much as I did writing it!

There will be shorter miscellaneous slice-of-life chapters following this chapter in the near future, so stay tuned!

Also, the first chapter of the next part of this series, Becoming One With The Beat: Prodigy, will be out soon! Be sure to keep a close eye on my story list for when it does. Other than that,

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks for reading! <3

Epilogue: Grandeur (Part 1)

"Damn, this tux is too tight..." You protested as Octavia snugged up the bow-tie on your neck.

"Oh, quit your fussing. You look handsome." She replied and lifted your chin up to get the bits of fur away from the collar.

"Fine... I get to take this thing off after the ceremony, right?"

"Yes, yes. Now, turn around. Your tail is a mess."

You did so and immediately felt her tugging at your tail with a thick brush. You gritted your teeth when she came across a couple of knots.

"Goodness, Alex. When was the last time you brushed your tail?"

Your cheeks puffed up a little in frustration and you chose not to respond since you knew that you'd been neglecting it.

"How’s it coming, Octy? We need to be there in thirty minutes..." Cloudchaser came in, blow drying her wild mane.

"Eugh... He's a little un-kempt, but I believe I've done the best I could with him."

"Hey! Whaddaya mean 'un-kempt'? Ow!"

Octavia apparently found another knot and her marefriend giggled at the scene, staring right at you.

"I have to admit, Alex. Vinyl's one lucky mare." She trotted past you after scanning you up and down, but maybe it was a bit too close. Her mane brushed against your face. "If my barn door didn't swing the other way I might've just tried to get 'cha myself!"

"Good thing Vinyl's not here or she might've fired you for saying that- Ow! Geez, Octy! Don't yank my darned tail out!"

Thankfully, she did listen to you that time and she began to go slower with her brushing.

"You're going to the spa after all this is done."

"Aw, come on..." You whined some more, but you were relieved when you finally felt her brushing come to an end.

"I'm serious." Octavia placed the brush on the coffee room table, but picked up another one and started working on your fur.

That part wasn't nearly as bad and it actually soothed you as the tiny bristles massaged your skin.

Everyponys' ears perked as the front door flew open, allowing Rarity to prance in gracefully.

"Good morning!" She sang and put down two very large and noticeably heavy bags onto the kitchen table. She was wearing her signature red reading glasses and her general appearance hinted that she had been hard at work for the last several days. However, her mood was as cheerful as normal.

"How is our lovely groom coming along, Octavia?"

"Don't worry, he'll be ready in no time-"

"Ow!" You winced and felt her brush tug against another knot

"Goodness, Alex. Hold still..."

"Oh, don't you just look dashing... Look at you!" She walked around in front of you and adjusted the bow tie on your tux. "Vinyl certainly is a lucky mare."

"I was just saying the same thing." Cloudchaser called out from the kitchen.

"How's Vinyl?" You asked as the last of the knots worked themselves out.

"She looks absolutely divine. I hate to brag, but the dress I made for her is one of my best accomplishments."

You were about to ask whether or not you could see her, but you knew that nopony would let that happen.

"Yeah, thanks for making the tux for me, by the way. It fits really nice."

"It's the least I could do, Alex. Girls, I think Alex has had enough attention for now. Let’s get you all in your bride’s maid dresses."

Octavia and Cloudchaser eagerly abandoned what they were doing and started ogling at the dresses that Rarity pulled out of the bags. It gave you time to stretch and breathe a little since you'd been standing still for the last fifteen minutes. The outfit you were wearing, even though you hated formal attire, seemed rather comfortable and it didn't bother you much as you walked around.

"So, when exactly is thing supposed to start?" You glanced over at the clock.

"Weren't you listening during rehearsal, dear? Nine o' clock sharp!" Rarity said as the girls put on their dresses. They were light blue, obviously meant to match Vinyl's mane color, and were intricately detailed with embroidery from neck to hoof.

"Oh. Don't you think we should get going, then?"

"Aw... Isn't that just sweet? He's so eager to see her..." The master tailor made a few last minute adjustments to their dresses. "It's alright. We've got another hour."

"Um... It's eight thirty..."

The mares all froze and looked at the clock with shock on their face.

"Shit..." Cloudchaser gulped and looked over her dress frantically.

"Out the door. Now. We'll finish fitting the dresses on the way there." Rarity put all of her tools and measuring equipment back into her bags and hurried out.

Octavia nudged you from behind to get you going and Cloudchaser followed closely behind as you exited and began making your way outside and onto the road. Everypony who would've been out and about was probably at the wedding already, so the four of you didn't have to suffer through surfing through ponies. Cloudchaser wouldn't have had to deal with it anyway since she could fly, which made you a bit jealous because being able to do so would've gotten you there faster. From the looks on Octavia and Rarity's faces, you could tell that they felt the same way to a certain extent.

Rarity was using her magic to snug up certain parts of their dresses while they trotted at a quickened pace. Your tux was apparently suitable since her attention was mainly focused on the other two girls.

"Geez, everypony's already there! Come on, hurry up!" Cloudchaser came back down from a high altitude before speeding up ahead; you picked up your pace.

Despite the loss of time, the four of you managed to make it to Twilight's tree house which would serve as the preparation and reception area. You only had a second to look around before they took you inside, but you caught one glimpse of a gigantic crowd gathering in the field to the right of Twilight's home.

"Okay, Alex. We don't have much time, so good luck and remember to smile." Rarity checked you over one last time while giving you a last minute pep-talk. "Keep your head upright and don't slouch-"

"Alright, alright."

She sighed and stepped back, taking you in.

"You look perfect." She turned and trotted towards the front door. "Don't forget your cue to come out. Do you remember what it is?"

"Two knocks on the door. Got it."

She didn't have time to respond; the door slammed shut and you were left by yourself, which didn't help your nervousness. It would've helped if Big Mac or Spike could be there to talk you through it, even though on second thought, Big Mac might not have given that much verbal support.

The rehearsal was a bit abridged, but you knew that the actual ceremony involved you waiting for your cue for thirty minutes. You sat down on the living room couch, perfectly aware that you were risking wrinkling your outfit and that Rarity would most definitely scold you if she were there. Thankfully, she wasn't. You closed your eyes and leaned the back of your head against the cushion, taking deep breaths and attempting to relax. The overwhelming amount of noise coming from the crowd outside inevitably leaked through the aged wooden walls and provided a bit of white noise as you changed your position and sat down across the couch on your back.

It felt strange to not technically be at your wedding. You were certain that everypony out there was talking about you, but there you were, lounging on a couch while everypony else sat out in the cold and listened to some boring official go on and on about ceremonial talk. In a way, you felt somewhat lucky that you didn't have to sit down in an uncomfortable chair and wait for nearly an hour before anything interesting happened. Essentially, you'd go out there when the cue came up, wait for a few minutes, walk down the aisle with Vinyl...

The weight of the situation was beginning to sink to your stomach once you realized what was about to happen. Sure, the whole ceremony had been rehearsed several times, but it was for real this time. Within the next couple of hours, you were going to be a husband and it made you sweat slightly. You had your vows practically memorized at that point, but you knew you'd mess up and stutter or something.

You gulped and caught your hind hoof tapping nervously against the arm of the couch.

"Fuck..." You pinched your temples and tried to calm down.

"Wha- Hey, is somepony there?" You heard whispering coming from behind the door next to the stairs. It made you jump in surprise.

"What the- Hello? Wait... Vinyl?"

"Alex!?"

You got up immediately and approached the door. You pushed aside your instinct to open the door, but you knew you wouldn't hear the end of it if anypony else found out, even if Vinyl herself didn't care much for superstition either.

"Hey!"

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be outside!" Vinyl's tone seemed just as nervous as you were.

"What? No I'm not, I'm supposed to be in here, remember?"

"Yeah, but they changed everything up or something... I dunno, I thought they were going to put you outside sooner."

"Well, apparently not." You laughed lightly and leaned against the door.

There was a long pause and you could hear Vinyl taking deep breaths.

"How are you feeling?" You asked through the door.

"Nervous as shit... What do you think?"

You couldn't see her but you somehow knew that there was a smile on her face behind that door, all things considered.

"Me too... It'll be okay, though. All we have to do is go out, say a few things and kiss and then we're done."

She sighed. "It's not that simple... It's just... I'm happy, but I'm scared and-"

"What are you scared of, angel?"

"I dunno, just being in front of so many ponies with their eyes all on me..."

"Well, you do that all the time when you play music, right?"

"Yeah, but... It's just different, okay?" She snapped. You couldn't blame her for being a little overwhelmed.

"I know, I know. Maybe if we just focus on each other and forget about the crowd, it'll be a bit easier?"

"I'll try..."

Two sudden knocks on the door made your ears perk up.

"Shit..."

"Go on, babe. I'll be fine." Vinyl said, not sounding as nervous as she did before.

"Okay... I'll see you out there. Love you."

"Love you too!" You replied while running to the door and opening it.

"Come on!" Octavia said in a hushed tone while pulling you out of the door.

As you began to walk towards the giant crowd of ponies, their heads started to turn and you tried your best to avoid eye contact. You followed her until she took a turn to the left to sit in the brides section, and then continued down the middle aisle. The sweat on your neck started to chill you as the mid-winter air swept across it.

You picked your head up to look at the stage and you almost stopped walking when you saw Princess Luna and Princess Celestia standing behind the podium.

What the hell...?

It shouldn't have surprised you that they would be attending such an important event, but it certainly threw a wrench in what you were expecting. During the practice ceremony, there was just an old fart sitting on stage; you assumed that the M.C. would be him and nopony said anything about royalty showing up with the exception of Twilight.

Spike and Big Mac were close to the front row and they both waved at you quietly as you took your position.

You remembered Octavia's instruction and put a soft smile on your face once you turned around to face everypony else. Your hip almost bumped against the table in front of the stage due to you being so overwhelmed by the audience. Luckily, the candles sitting on them didn't fall over.

Celestia was giving some boring scripted speech about harmony and love or what not, but it went in ear and out the other. The only thing that was on your mind was when you'd get to see Vinyl walking down the aisle and how you'd handle it.

A generous round of applause snapped you out of your thoughts. Princess Celestia was stepping down from the podium and Luna was coming up. You looked around you to see what was going on; Fluttershy was tending to her songbirds over to your right, and more ponies were standing on your left who were apparently unable to find a chair in time. Octavia was setting up chairs for them, but at the rate she was going, the ceremony would be over by the time she had enough of them down for each individual.

"So much for a small wedding..."

Luna picked up the script and you could tell that things were progressing faster than you imagined.

"The bondage of marriage is a sacred pact in which two souls, fated to endure hardships together, are bound together by fate. This bond is considered the ultimate level of friendship: love. It is something that both our groom and bride have experienced directly. Vinyl's devotion and trust, as well as Alex's selfless sacrifices, have proven these two to be more than deserving of a life filled with happiness."

Luna glanced over at you when she said the bit about your sacrifice, and then continued.

"Our friend, Alex, has gone through much. Not only did he choose to give up his earthly life for this one, but he used that life in order to love and protect those that he held dear, even in the direst of circumstances. It has not been long enough for me to forget his valiant efforts to save me from the vile intent of changelings. While he almost lost his life that day, he demonstrated his character and bravery in a way that even I cannot fully understand. While our appreciation has been repeated several times, I thank you, Alex, for fighting for us when we needed you most."

She bowed to you and another round of applause rang in your ears. Bashfully, you smiled and bowed your head.

"His character was also shown when he, while rather recklessly, risked his life yet again to defend his love, Vinyl Scratch, from a vile and terminal illness. This decision had also cost him his unicorn horn."

There were some gasps going around the crowd as they all stared at your forehead. Apparently, not everypony recieved the memo.

"While tragic, Alex's actions have strongly persuaded all of us that his love for Vinyl Scratch is pure and untainted. It is only fitting that this love should manifest in marriage."

You had to admit, you were getting a little embarrassed from all the compliments that Luna was giving you. Still, you did your best to stay put and keep a sturdy smile.

"Let us unite these two in faith that they will love one another with heart and soul for the rest of their days."

Fluttershy's songbirds started singing the all-too-familiar tune and you snapped your view to the aisle; Vinyl's head poked through a group of her bride's maids.

You felt your body tremble and a cold sweat overtook you as your dream mare walked down the aisle holding a bouquet of flowers that strangely resembled the lily you remember receiving from her when you were recovering from your changeling battle. Her wedding dress was almost as gorgeous as she was. The only odd thing about it was that it wasn't all white. There were some silk strands in it that were blue and draped over her back. She had a light amount of makeup on her cheeks and eyelashes, but other than that, she was her normal self. Her mane was straighter and less wild than usual and her bangs beautifully swept across her face. And, to top it all off, a silver necklace with a garnet gem hanging from it wrapped close to her neck, matching the color of her eyes perfectly.

She was keeping her gaze fixed down the center of the aisle, but her occasional glance in your direction convinced you that she was just as happy to see you.

Scribble was right next to her and he was wearing a tux similar to yours, but with a blue bow tie to match his mane. You weren't entirely sure, but you thought you could see a thin line of tears on the bottoms of his eyes.

She eventually approached you and her father stopped and stared at you, giving you a nod of approval. Most fathers would feel a bit jealous and protective at that point, but both of you knew the extent of which you'd proven yourself to be a worthwhile lover.

Vinyl continued while her dad stayed behind and you took the cue, walking with her to the front of the stage. Princess Luna looked down at both of you for a few seconds before continuing with her script.

"Alex and Vinyl Scratch, we have all seen the fruits of your love for one another. Through thick and thin, I have personally observed a type of love that I have not witnessed in several years."

Vinyl's shoulder was leaning against yours. You could only imagine how happy she was.

"We come now to the words Bride and Groom want to hear the most today…the words that take them across the threshold from being engaged to being married. A marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life. Before you declare your vows to one another, I want to hear you confirm that it is indeed your intention to be married today. Bride, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Groom in marriage? If so, answer 'I do.'"

"I do." Vinyl answered with a bit of emotional shakiness in her voice.

"Groom, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Bride in marriage? If so, answer 'I do.'"

"I do." You tried to sound more stable than your partner, but even you were beginning to feel your heart strings tugging.

"Bride, please give your bouquet to Octavia."

Vinyl did as Luna asked and Octavia took the brilliant lilies from her.

"Groom and Bride, having heard that it is your intention to be married to each other, I now ask you to declare your marriage vows. Please face each other."

A single tear slowly ran down her cheek and it was blackened by her mascara. Smiling, you lifted a hoof and wiped it away, staring into her eyes the entire time.

"Omigosh, omigosh omigosh! I'm so excited!!!" Pinkies voice rang out in the crowd. She was trying to whisper, but it obviously wasn't quiet enough. A "shhh" from somepony else calmed her down temporarily.

"Alex, I..." Vinyl began, but she was still having some trouble composing herself. You put a hoof on her shoulder to try and support her. "You've done so much for me, and nothing I could ever do in a thousand lifetimes could ever make up for it... Sure, you've made one or two mistakes, but I can tell just by the way you look at me... The way you hold me... That you really really love me. I've never felt like this towards any other pony in my life, and I'm glad that I'm feeling it for the first time with you."

Hearing her words straight from her heart made your lip quiver.

"From the way you've treated me, I know that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and there isn't anything in Equestria that'll make me stop loving you. Thank you, Alex, for everything you've given me." She ended with a sniff of her nose and wiped away another mascara-stained tear.

Luna averted her intense gaze over to you.

"Vinyl, I love you more than anything I had in my past world and anything in this one. All the things I've done for you I've done because I couldn't bear to spend one day, one hour, one second without you with me."

You took a deep breath and mustered the courage to continue.

"I didn't save your life because it was just the right thing to do. I didn't do it for anypony's approval. I did it because I love you. I'd die a hundred times over and over again if it meant you could be safe. I admit that I've been reckless sometimes, and I know I've screwed up. But, you were right there with me every step of the way, loving me anyway. I've told you several times, but... You're the reason I chose to stay here. Without you, my life would mean nothing."

Another pause separated your speech.

"Every night when I look up at the stars, I can't help but to think of where we first confessed our feelings for one another: right here in this field. That night... You truly made me the happiest man- um... Stallion in Equestria. My feelings for you since then have only multiplied and I can't wait to see how much farther they can go in the future. For the rest of my life, I want to give you everything you deserve and more."

Vinyl inhaled sharply, indicating that your words were getting her even more worked up.

"If there's anything I'm happy about in this life, it’s that you've let me show you just how much I love you. You gave me a chance when so many others shut me out, and I promise that you'll never doubt your feelings for me as long as your heart is beating. I'm excited beyond reason to live the rest of my life with you and to feel the same way I do now until I die." You finished and took a sigh of relief.

Luna carried on.

"Groom and Bride, you have just committed yourselves, one to the other, by the pledge of your marriage vows. Your life is now one. To celebrate your new union, we light the candles on the table before us: the unity candles. Bride and Groom, as you light the two side candles, we are reminded of your individuality, your many gifts and talents, your strengths and weaknesses… All that you individually bring to your marriage."

Vinyl took her candle with her magic and tipped it over to the single lit candle, spreading the flame to it.

Instinctively, you thought about initiating a targeting spell for your levitation, but halfway through thinking about it, you remembered and took it with your hoof.

You and Vinyl both flinched when a sudden *snap* of something occurred where you halfway imagined your "spell" to take place. The candle flipped out of your hoof and landed on the table; you quickly picked it back up even though you had no clue what happened. Your eyes widened in shock and Vinyl seemed to be extremely taken aback as well, but you shook yourself out of it and went on with the ceremony, dipping the wick of the candle into Vinyl's candle and spreading the flame to yours.

Luna had obviously noticed what happened since she took a few moments before continuing.

"The individual lights now shining before us tell us that each of you is a bright light on Equestria… Living with honor, taking your responsibilities seriously, and offering care and love to those who are important in your life. And the light also symbolizes the life given to you by your parents. Now I ask Bride and Groom to take the individual candles and light the center unity candle together."

The two of you did so and placed the flames of your candles to the larger candle sitting at the center of the table. Once it was lit, you both set your individual candles back on the table as well.

"As the flame from the center candle rises upward, may the light of your combined lives shine to the skies in a beam that is now stronger and brighter because it unites the two flames of your hearts. May the flame of your love shed its light on your married life in all the years to come."

Oh boy, here it comes...

"Vinyl and Alex, I offer my blessing to you this day. May you always value friendship as well as love in times most dire. May your relationship serve as an example to those around you. May your lives be charitable and happy for all your days to come. And lastly, may the love you both share last forever like an eternal flame, burning through the veils of doubt and sadness. Vinyl, do you take this stallion to love and to cherish from this day forth, till death do you part?"

"I... I do..." Vinyl struggled to keep herself together.

"And do you, groom, take this bride to love and to cherish from this day forth, till death do you part?"

"I do, your highness."

"Then, by the power invested in me, as Princess of The Night and Princess of Equestria, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife! You may seal this declaration with a ki-"

She didn't even get finish her sentence before you embraced Vinyl and planted the most romantic kiss on her that you could produce. She was trembling in your embrace at first, but the shivers eventually stopped as she relaxed. Loud thunderous applause and cheers echoed all around you, but all you could focus on was her.

"I now bring this ceremony to a close! Now, it is time to celebrate!" Luna announced loud and proud, but you were still busy with your kiss.

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading part 1 of 2 of the epilogue! Part 2 will be out shortly

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks!

Epilogue: Grandeur (Part 2)

You took Vinyl's hoof that was grabbing onto the knife and pushed it down, making a clean vertical slice downwards through the huge wedding cake. Cheers filled your ears and you felt Vinyl lean against you as you lifted her hoof up to make another slice.

"Make it a big one!" Spike yelled behind you.

With the second slice done, you gently pulled it out and put it on a plate, then went back for more. It hardly took more than a minute for every slice of the cake to split up and go around the room.

"Mmphhh... This is good..." Vinyl said in a muffled tone with her cheeks stuffed with cake.

You couldn't help but agree with her since the icing tasted like it had raspberries in it; it was your and Vinyl's favorite flavor.

"I know, ri-" A generous portion of cake smacked you in the face and cut you off as cool creamy icing smeared all over. "Mmph!"

Conveniently, you were expecting it to happen and you had a hoof full of cake ready to return. You found Vinyl's face and stuffed the cake into it, causing you, Vinyl and everypony around you to erupt in laughter. The top of Vinyl's dress was almost ruined, but you were certain that she wouldn't care. You didn't care that there was a giant white frosting stain on your tuxedo, anyway.

Vinyl made a peace offering by taking the icing off of your face with her magic and then putting it into her mouth.

"How did I know you were going to do that...?" You chuckled and resumed passing around plates with slices of cake on them.

"Because you know me." She replied while trying futilely to clean off her dress.

"Fair enough."

"Hey, um... I know it's not really my business to ask and I know it’s a special occasion, but... Do you mind not getting hammered tonight? I mean, a few drinks is fine but-"

"Pfft. Of course not, babe. I wouldn't do that to ya."

"Thanks, sweetie." You pecked her on the cheek. "By the way, who's gonna handle the music tonight? I figured you'd want to, but I guess you can't."

"Nah. I got 'Chaser to handle it for me. It's my music, so all she needs to do is play it. So, how was the bachelor party last night?" She said with a sly wink.

"Erm... It was... Interesting. Big Mac doesn't talk much, but put a few beers in 'em and he'll talk up a storm."

"Oh really? So you didn't do anything crazy?" She paused and gave you a suspicious look." You didn't go to a strip bar or some shit, did you?"

"What? Hell no, I wouldn't do that. Although, Spike suggested that. We just hung out at the Apple's farm for a night and camped."

"Ooh... Sounds fun. Me, Octy, 'Chaser and a couple of other girls did makeovers and stuff at 'Chaser's house. Trust me, it wasn't my first choice."

"Oh geez... It didn't hurt too badly, did it?"

"Eh... They plucked my eyebrows... Other than that, it was bearable."

You laughed. "Glad to hear, babe."

You leaned against her shoulder and she leaned back against yours as you finished putting the last of the cake onto plates.

"Hey, you two!" A familiar voice came from behind you and you turned around to see Twilight and her friends.

"Omigosh I'm so excited! I know I said it already during the ceremony and I'm reeeeeally sorry about that! Luna looked so pissed when I did that! I hope didn't get on her bad side... Have you ever seen her when she’s absolutely pissed? Trust me, you do not want to see that. Oh! By the way, but I just wanted to say congratulations!!!" Pinkie jumped up and down and used her not-so-inside voice.

"Heheh. It's alright, PInkie. And thanks!" Vinyl answered a bit awkwardly.

"Y'all just make the cutest couple. I swear I knew you two were gonna git hitched A.S.A.P." Applejack was sipping on some of her cider. Apparently, she used the big celebration to sell some of it. You set a mental note to try some later since it had so much hype behind it. "How do 'yer eyebrows feel, Vinyl? We gave 'em quite a yank last night, didn't we?"

"They still sting, but I'm good. Thanks, A.J." Vinyl smiled back. Apparently, Applejack was part of her bride party the night before.

"Alex, I'm really happy for you-" Twilight stepped up and put a hoof on your shoulder, but you caught Vinyl giving her a jealous look. "If there's anything I can do to make your marriage any better, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks Twi, but having this mare as my wife is all I need for a perfect marriage." You put a hoof around Vinyl's back and smiled. Everypony let out an "Aww" and Vinyl smiled widely.

"Have you picked a honeymoon spot yet?" Fluttershy's voice was barely able to be heard over the music.

"Mmm... Yep. But I'm keeping it a secret to surprise Vinyl." You winked at her and she stuck her tongue out at you. "Since she loves surprises and all."

"Oh shut up. You know I hate surprises." Vinyl rolled her eyes and the other girls giggled.

At that point, you realized that Rarity, despite her valiant efforts with your tux and Vinyl's dress, didn't seem the least bit perturbed that the both of you managed to ruin them with cake smears.

"Rarity? You don't seem to be that upset about our outfits..." You smiled and tried to pass it off as a joke.

"It's fine, dear. It's fine." She seemed a bit hesitant which suggested that she was harboring some feelings of anxiety deep down within her sub-conscience. "Besides, wedding gowns and groom tuxes are... Made to be... Um... Broken in? So to speak?"

Your surprise was reflected by everypony around you.

"What the hay?! I thought you were a neat-freak when it came to your dresses!" Rainbow Dash eyed her skeptically.

Rarity cleared her throat and you realized that she was holding back her lecture in lieu of the celebration and the fact that it was supposed to be a time of happiness.

"Don't worry, Rare. We'll be sure to get 'em all cleaned up."

She let out a sigh of relief; you and Vinyl shared a humorous look.

"Hey look, they're clearing out the dance floor! Come on, everypony!" Applejack turned and cantered towards the large crowd of ponies in front of the DJ set.

"Where's our lucky lady?!" Cloudchaser spoke into the microphone.

"You better get going, babe. Looks like they need 'ya." You nudged her forward and followed her once she started going.

The upbeat electronic music abruptly stopped and smoother slow dance music came on, which you found quite odd. You made your way through the crowd and they were considerate enough to get out of your way once they saw who you were. Suddenly, you bumped into Scribble who abruptly hugged your neck tight and rubbed his hoof hard against your head in a manly manner.

"There's my new son in law!" You could smell the alcohol in his breath. "Hey. You wouldn't mind me having the first dance with Vinyl, would you?"

"Of course not! She's your daughter, after all." You smiled reassuringly while fixing your mane back. You didn't have the heart to tell him "no" since you would've felt a bit jealous and protective of your daughter if you had one in this situation.

"Thanks. I won't keep her from 'ya too long."

"Take as long as you need, Mr. Scratch."

"Hey, you're 'Mr. Scratch' too, now. Just call me Scribble from now on."

"Oh, uh... Alright." You chuckled a bit as he turned and stepped onto the dance floor.

Vinyl glanced your way; she was obviously uneasy about not letting you have the first dance, but you nodded happily and she got the message. It was a heartwarming scene, really. Her dad rested his neck against hers and slowly danced with her to some romantic music that Cloudchaser was playing. Your sense of selflessness trumped your jealousy and you sat back and watched as Vinyl started to whisper to him with tears forming in her eyes. It made you wish that you had some family there, too.

"Isn't that just the sweetest thing..." Rarity suddenly appeared next to you.

"Yeah. I'm kinda wishing I had my family here, too." You weren't sure why you let that bit of information slip out loud, but it was too late now. Rarity paused before replying.

"Well... You can think of us as family if you like, dear." She turned and smiled.

You put a hoof around her back and gave her a polite yet sincere hug. "Thanks, Rarity... You girls are the best friends I've ever had."

She sniffed and wiped her eye with her hoof. "Goodness, Alex. Don't do things like that to a girl when slow dance music is playing..."

Before you could apologize, Twilight came up on your other side and gave you a friendly nudge.

"How do you feel, Mr. Scratch?" She said a bit sarcastically.

"Hey, now... If you start calling me that from now on, I'll start calling you 'Your Highness' again." You smirked when you saw disgust on her face.

"Fine, fine... In all seriousness, though, I'm really happy for you. I think you and Vinyl will make an excellent couple. I think I speak for every mare here when I say that I'm a bit jealous, to be honest."

"Trust me, I know." Octavia came up next to Rarity.

Blood rushed to your cheeks; it was quite embarrassing to be surrounded by so many mares that would otherwise be all over you.

"Oh, hey. Um... I know it’s a little bit late, but... I know that you had a thing with Vinyl way back when and-" You turned to Octavia and scratched the back of your head.

"It's no problem at all, Alex. No hard feelings." She smiled as she loosened her bow tie. "Besides, I'm sure you've noticed my frequent 'meetings' with Cloudchaser?"

"Oh yeah, I was gonna say... What have you two been doing at her house lately? You're, like, never home anymore."

A light blush appeared on her cheeks and her eyes averted away from you.

"Ohh I see..." You teased and laughed. "Seriously, I'm happy that you finally found somepony. Hey, maybe we'll be going to your wedding next."

"W- Well... Perhaps..." She smiled bashfully and you decided to stop picking on her.

Applause erupted and you saw Vinyl hugging her dad, not dancing anymore. You took your cue and stepped up, giving Scribble a manly hug once he let go of Vinyl.

"May I have this dance?" You asked with a romantic twinkle in your eye, but with a bit of sarcasm as well.

Surprisingly, she didn't make any kind of remark back; she took your hoof and molded against your body in an intimate neck hug. You started swinging back and forth smoothly to the song and moved your hoof through her mane.

"How are you feeling? You're still shaking a little..." You whispered into her ear.

"Y- Yeah... I'm just really happy. I dunno." She seemed uneasy but it was to be expected of a girl who just got married.

"I'm really happy too; it's the happiest I've ever been and I'm not lying about that."

Her grip on you tightened and she buried her face into your neck, hinting that what you just said did something good.

"You... You think I'll be a good mom?"

"Pfft. Are you kidding? You're gonna be the best mom in the world. I wish my mom was half as good as you."

Vinyl paused and continued to let you lead.

"Thanks... I- I don't know why, but I always feel better after I talk to you... About anything. It's like you're the one puzzle piece that could ever complete me..."

The analogy hit an emotional nerve and you tried your best not to tear up.

"Yup... And this puzzle piece is never going away. Ever. I'll die before ever leaving your side again."

"Oh geez..." Vinyl stumbled slightly. Luckily, she did so in your direction, so you caught her shoulders and propped her back up. "I think somepony spiked that punch... Heheh."

"Yeah, I thought I tasted rum in there. You okay?"

"Yeah. I only had one or two cups so it'll wear off soon."

"Good... I don't want you all dizzy when we get there."

Her cheeks puffed up and she crossed her hooves. "When are you gonna tell me?"

"Uh... You'll see. You'll like it. I promise."

"Ugh, fine. I just need to lay down on a couch or something... These shoes are starting to kill me." Vinyl reached down and adjusted one of her elegant fancy shoes so that it wasn't annoying her as much.

You got a sudden and unexpected idea that didn't sound too great in theory, but it was worth throwing it past her.

"Hey, there's really nothing keeping us here. You wanna just split now? I'm sure nopony would mind."

Her face lit up.

"Really?! Can we?"

"W- Well... Be sure to talk to your dad and Octy first... Wouldn't want them worrying about where ya went."

"Yeah. I guess you do the same and we'll meet back here?"

"Deal." You kissed her lips lightly and the two of you split up.

The dancing recently died down, so there weren't that many ponies on the dance floor; it made it a lot easier to pick out a particular face from the crowd. You weren't really sure who you should or could talk to, but anything was better than just bailing without saying a word. It sounded a bit rude to you.

"Yo, Alex! Good to finally meet ya, man!" A shaggy-looking stallion approached you from the side and took you off guard. He had a major case of five-o-clock shadow that hinted that he hadn't gotten a lick of sleep the night before with shaggy brown fur and a blonde mane. It took a minute, but you eventually recognized him as the one who managed to catch the bouquet.

"Oh, howdy." You tried to be friendly even though you didn't know him.

"Listen, I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done for us. I know you probably get that a lot, but I figured it'd be rude of me to come and not say anything about it. I'm a contractor here in Ponyville and I might have a proposition for you two lovebirds."

"Oh?" You were suddenly interested.

"I don't have that much business going on right now and I'm guessing you get funds directly from the Princesses, so I'd be willing to set you two up nice and big out in the countryside of Ponyville."

"You mean like a house?" The slight amount of alcohol caused your mind to lag behind.

"Yeah, yeah. I've built a lot of fancy type houses before, so... Yeah. Here's my card." He reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a card. You could barely read the text because of the dim light, but you made out the bigger words: "Big Brick Construction L.L.C."

"Oh. You're names Brick, then?"

"Celestia, I'm so rude." He cleared his throat. "'Name's Brick, yeah."

"Ah I see. Well we'd definitely want to move out of the house we've been living in, especially since there'll be a kid on the way. Yeah, I'll be sure to hit you up."

"Really? That's amazing! I promise, Mr. Scratch, I'll make you the best getaway you've ever seen!"

"I'm sure you will. Thanks for giving me the offer, bud." You patted his shoulder. "Hey, guess you'll get married soon, huh? Since you caught the bouquet and all?"

"Huh? Oh. Nah, I'm already married. I got a kid on the way, though. I'll probably have it preserved and give it to her."

"Wow! Congratulations!" You smiled. "Have you thought of a name yet?" You weren't sure why you were being so chatty with a stranger, but the guy was friendly enough and you felt oddly comfortable around him for some reason.

"Yup. Lightweight. I know it's a bit of a tease given the job I have, but the missus thinks it's cute."

"Well, I agree. Sounds like a good name to me."

He laughed as if your opinion meant something to him. "I'll be sure to tell my wife that! Well, I won't keep ya any longer. Be safe on your honeymoon and congrats!"

"Thanks, Brick. I'll meet up with you in a few weeks?"

"You bet!" He waved, turned, and walked off.

Well that was interesting...

You looked back down at the business card and your eyes squinted, trying to make out the finer text.

The rest couldn't be read because your eyes were straining too hard for too long. You folded the card up once and stuck it inside your inner tux pocket before taking a deep breath. To your right, you could see Twilight and all of her friends dancing away center stage even though nearly everypony else had finished up for the night.

A cold leathery material bumped against your hoof while attempting to tell them goodbye, and you looked down to see that it was a pile of their things on the floor including saddlebags and shoes.

Probably best to just let them have fun...

You sat down and found a small piece of parchment in Twilight's bag, marked with her cutie mark on its front flap. You were quite used to writing with your magic before the big incident, but thankfully, Twilight thought ahead and managed to teach you how to write with your mouth just in case. Right then, you were feeling pretty thankful towards her for doing so. It didn't take long to find one of the ballpoint pens you gave to her as a Christmas present within her bag, and you pushed the end of it against the wooden floor. With a *click*, the tip extended and you began writing.

"Grr..." You grumbled and scribbled out a tiny mistake.

You smiled and slipped the note back into Twilight's bag, but a pony close to your right made you jump in surprise on your way up.

"Ah!"

It was Trixie. As you quickly scanned her, you noticed that she was probably the only mare there that looked good and matched in the bride’s maid dress. The blue hue matched her fur and mane brilliantly. It reminded you of the fact that her mane was probably the second prettiest mane of any mare you've seen. The first being Vinyl, of course.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, Alex. I didn't mean to frighten you..."

"So Trixie Lulamoon finally makes her appearance!" You hugged her with one hoof and teased.

"Why, of course. The Great and Powerful Trixie simply must make some sort of appearance at such social events, wouldn't you agree? W- Wait..." She suddenly broke out of her facade. "How do you know my last name?

Surprisingly, you weren't used to hearing her talk that way, so you chuckled a bit and didn't respond.

"It's a complicated and long story. But seriously, I'm glad you could make it. You having fun?"

"Oh, yes. Even Twilight Sparkle is... Being more... Friendly towards me." She acted as if she couldn't believe the words she was saying. "You didn't happen to say anything to her about it, did you?"

"Well... I just told her that she should lighten up towards you and give you a second chance. I thought you deserved a second chance for some of the things you might've done way back when, and I guess she agreed with me after we talked."

She hesitated and shifted her hoof around nervously.

"I can't thank you enough, Alex... I probably would've been shunned from everypony if it weren't for you giving me a chance. I know some- most of the things I did in the past were wrong, but..."

"Hey, it's okay. No need for that." You looked at her cheerfully to try and lift her mood since it was obvious she was still dwelling in the past. "I know you'll be a great friend to everypony. I guess they just needed a little reminder about forgiveness."

Trixie hesitated again, but it was quickly followed up by a swift peck on your cheek followed by her face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"You're really sweet, Alex... If there's anything I can do to repay you..."

"D- Don't sweat it... I guess..." You were taken aback by the abrupt unexpected affection. "Hey, I should probably be going. Vinyl and I wanna scram since we're worn out and all."

"Very well." Her arrogant tone showed up probably as a defense mechanism towards feeling too many emotions from the kiss on the cheek. "The Great and Powerful Trixie will meet you again soon, Alex."

You couldn't help but chuckle.

"Ahem... Just a joke. Be safe?" She changed back to normal.

"We will, your magnificence!" You bowed to tease her and she rolled her eyes before waving goodbye and trotting off.

"Hey, babe. You ready to go? Dad and Octy said it was alright to scram... Was that... Trixie?" Vinyl was apparently waiting some distance behind you for you to finish.

"Yeah! I'm really glad she could make it."

"Yeah, same here. I don't really see her that often... Oh well."

You sighed in relief; she must not have noticed Trixie kissing your cheek, but it was odd because she was apparently waiting behind you the whole time. There was no way she didn't see it.

Did she just not mind that Trixie did that...?

You thought curiously, but Vinyl snapped you out of it.

"Hey, what kind of house do you want to live in? We could do a modern style house or maybe a log cabin?" She mouthed on while nudging you forward and walking with you out the door.

"Hmm... I wouldn't really want something too stand-out-ish..."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Might get tiring after a while..." She paused. "I guess we can decide that later, though."

"Yup. We've got a lot of other stuff on our plate right now." You booped her nose and she giggled. Out of your peripherals, you could see the carriage already waiting for you with Big Mac at the front to pull it. Thanks to your tux, once you stepped out into the night air, the cold didn't bother you as much.

"You all ready, Mac? You remember where to go, right?" You waved to him as you opened the carriage door for your wife.

"Eeyup." He nodded.

"Big, Mac, dearie..." Vinyl broke horribly out of character, probably due to the spiked punch, and acted fancy. "Be a dear to a newly wedded wife and tell me where we're going?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him in an obvious attempt to guilt him into spilling the beans.

"Erm..." He looked at you with uncertainty and you shook your head discreetly. "Nope."

"Surprise..." You teased her while she found a seat inside; you hopped in to join her.

"Oh come on!"

The journey there wasn't that eventful except for the occasional makeout session between you and your wife. You ordered the highest quality carriage to take you there, so the bumps were almost indistinguishable as the two of you cuddled together on the soft red leather cushion. Bright orange sunset rays came through the side windows and gave the trip a more romantic feel and the aesthetics of the situation were decent enough to compliment the rich amount of emotions the two of you were feeling.

You had to feel bad for Big Mac even though he was being paid quite handsomely for a relatively short trip. He must've felt a bit lonely up there, but you figured that since he was as emotionally tough as he was physically, he'd be fine. Either way, he volunteered to do the job. He wouldn't have taken it on if he couldn't have handled it in any way. The walk back would be even lonelier for him, albeit it would be easier without him having to carry two adult ponies as well.

You were beginning to see familiar natural landmarks from your preliminary visit a few days before. At the last leg of the trip, Vinyl dozed off to knock off any leftover dizziness she got from the spiked punch earlier. The strangely located small island in the distance with a single palm tree sitting in its center told you that you were about five minutes away, so you decided to wake up sleeping beauty.

Her eyes fluttered after you nudged her shoulder.

"Hey, babe. We're almost there."

She groaned drowsily and almost rubbed her eyes before reconsidering since she still had mascara on. You could see the excitement in her eyes as she looked out the window past you onto the clear beach accented by a beautiful red sun hiding behind the horizon.

"W- Where are we?" She said with joy as she pulled her mane out of her face.

"It's a stretch of beach north of Los Pegasus. Shining Armor and Princess Cadence went here for their honeymoon and they generously offered it to us for a week."

Vinyl practically climbed on top of you to get a better view through the window. She was like a child in a toy store.

"Aw hell, yeah! I love the beach! Sweet choice, Alex!"

"Heheh. Figured you'd like it. You'll love the house, too. Nice and secluded and away from everything. I think we should be there in five or so minutes."

You felt a sudden tight warm hug wrap around you and you looked down to see Vinyl's happy face buried in your chest fur.

"We won't have to go anywhere to get food or anything, right?" She asked.

"Uh... Nope. Cadence said there's plenty of food for us to cook there. I think they even said there were pre-made pizzas we can cook in the oven."

"Yesss! This is gonna be the best trip ever!"

"You got that right." You booped her nose again and she giggled slightly, nuzzling into your chest more.

A couple of uncomfortable bumps later, the carriage slowed to a halt. Vinyl was quick to get out and you followed after her.

The house that Cadence loaned you wasn't all that bad. In fact, it was just what you were hoping for: nothing too big or fancy, but warm and cozy at the same time. There were several windows on the outside which gave a generous view of the living room inside including a rather lengthy deck that wrapped halfway around the outside filled with beach chair recliners and tables. It sat up on stilts above the gentle waves rolling up onto the shore.

"Holy shit!!!" Vinyl yelled out and you tried your best not to burst out laughing. You walked up to Big Mac as Vinyl trotted up to check the place out.

"Hey, man. Thanks again for your help. I know it was a long trip for ya... It wasn't too bad, was it?"

"Nope. I've had longer." He said in his deep twangy accent.

"I left your payment in the carriage. It's a little more than we agreed, but I don't think you'll mind."

He chuckled lightly and smiled. "Nope. You two have fun and be safe. I'll see ya in a week." He said as he turned the cart around and started back on the road.

"Thanks, Big Mac!" Vinyl yelled from several feet away.

You could already feel sand collecting between your hooves and under your fur, but it was dry sand. Wet sand was much more uncomfortable. You pulled out the key from your tux pocket and tossed it over to Vinyl who caught it with her magic.

"Ooh, I can't wait!" She jumped up and down as she put the key in and turned it.

You wished that she would've taken in the scene a little more first. It was absolutely gorgeous. But, you could understand her wanting to just collapse on the nearest cushion and putting the weight off her legs first.

The door popped open and she didn't even bother taking the keys back out of the door before trotting in. A cool wall of air hit you as you followed her in. The first thing you noticed was the beautiful wide window on the opposite side of the house granting a generous view of the gentle beach waves glistening from the dying sun. There was a large white leather couch in the middle of the room that was complimented by a couple of matching single-seat reclining chairs in the corner of the room, all of them facing a large black television screen to your right.

"Whoa!" Vinyl's jaw dropped as she looked around.

To your left, there was a large kitchen with fruits and vegetables already placed on the smaller window above the sink. They looked so fresh; you were convinced somepony was here no more than an hour ago to set everything up for the two of you. The kitchen tabletops were made of polished black granite and were accented by silver appliances. There was a light beige colored set of tiles for the kitchen, but it turned into pure white carpet once the floor hit the living room.

Vinyl was nowhere to be found and you deduced that she was already checking out the back rooms. Your hoof slid against the granite kitchen table that extended through a cutout of the wall that separated it from the living room and formed a neat mini-bar as you went back to join her, loosening the bow tie on your neck significantly.

"Alex, look at this!" She exclaimed as you turned into a room that you discovered was the bedroom. The bed was certainly the centerpiece. It was at least a king sized bed, if not more, with deep red sheets and soft white pillows with a large love seat at its foot for a cherry on top. There were even rose petals on the sheets with two roses crossing over each other on the love seat. There was a window much like the one in the living room with translucent off-white curtains.

"Christ..."

"Yeah, I know, right? Wait, what? What's 'Christ'?"

"Oh, uh... Never mind. Look at how big this bed is, though!" You tried to divert away from your little slip. Apparently, some figurative speech was still left over in your head from Earth.

Vinyl jumped up and fell on the bed, sending several of the rose petals up in the air and falling gently to the carpet.

"Oh sweet Luna... Finally..." She sighed heavily and relaxed as whatever light was left from the sunset outside leaked in through the window and lit up her mane.

You sat down next to her and put your hoof on her shoulder, smiling.

"You okay?" She looked up and asked you.

A grin appeared on your face and you slid down beside her, planting a romantic kiss on her soft white lips while wrapping your warm body around hers as your answer. The two of you let out soft moans as her hooves slid around the back of your neck and you disengaged once you heard her breathing getting a bit strained from the excitement. A heartfelt stare into each other’s eyes lasted a few moments as Vinyl licked her lips.

"Let's clean up and meet back here in thirty." She said with determination and eagerness in her voice.

"Solid copy."

Author's Notes:

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks!

Epilogue: Grandeur (Part 3)

The Jacuzzi was built into the wooden floor of the deck that wrapped around the house and it had a simple-to-use dial to set how long you wanted the jets to engage. It felt nice after wearing a stuffy tux all day to let the fresh cool sea air blow through your fur and mane.

The sun was halfway below the horizon and a deep red glow lit up the beach beneath you as you slowly stepped into the hot bubbling water, feeling it soothe and relax wherever it touched you.

You figured that waiting for her in bed was a bit too boring, so you decided to surprise her and used the rose petals on the bed as a trail leading outside where you were currently. For a romantic touch, you left a whole rose sitting at the edge of the Jacuzzi tub to end said trail where you would be waiting for her. You had to assume that Vinyl would like it. After all, you'd find it just as romantic if the opposite happened.

A gentle sigh escaped your lungs as you eased further into the hot water and felt a strong jet shoot directly onto your spine, giving you a pseudo-massage. It was absolutely blissful, not only because of the Jacuzzi, but also due to the gorgeous view all around you.

You couldn't do anything to stop your length from getting excited since you knew what was about to happen soon. It was customary to consummate the marriage, but you had a feeling that it would've happened anyway without the circumstances. The tip of your flared black dick barely poked above the steaming water, and you simply didn't care enough to worry about making it go down since it'd make a more enjoyable sight for Vinyl to see when she arrived.

The back of your head rested against the side of the tub and you closed your eyes momentarily.

How the fuck did I get here...

You had a moment to yourself and reminisced about everything that happened since you arrived in this strange yet familiar world. So much had happened so fast; you rarely had time to sit back and think.

The sliding glass door on the other side of the house opened and you heard hoof steps tapping against the wood. In an awkward attempt to look presentable, you took some water in your hoof and slicked your mane back.

You could see her coming from your peripherals, but before you could turn to see her, a white delicate object collided and stuck to your face.

"What's up with your mane, you goof ball?" Vinyl said somewhat seductively as you smelled her scent. You deduced from the texture and smell of the thing on your face that it was her panties.

By the time you took them off and tossed them aside, Vinyl was already stepping into the Jacuzzi with you. Her hoof rose above your forehead and flipped your wet bangs back down in front of you like they were before. You stared into her eyes from behind them bashfully while she began to stroke your stiff rod underneath the water.

"Mmm... I see you're already prepared..." Vinyl whispered in an extremely seductive tone while you bit your lip and let out short little moans. She was leaning extremely close to you, almost close enough for her to kiss you, but enough for you to smell a strong scent of spearmint on her breath.

Her grip tightened around your cock and your body squirmed slightly out of pleasure. You weren't sure if it was because it had been so long since the two of you did this or if it was due to the added stimulation of the Jacuzzi, but you were already feeling pretty close to climaxing. You knew then that you were able to go twice or even three times without losing your stiffness, so it didn't really bother you.

"Fuck... I can never get over how sexy your cock is..." She whispered and looked down at your shaft before licking circles around your tip. Her warm wet tongue pressed itself against the sensitive skin and slid around several times. You lifted your hips slightly to make your cock come above the water more.

Once you did that, she licked down your shaft and then back up as she stared into your eyes the entire time. Before you could think another thought, you were in her mouth, throbbing like crazy as she worked on sliding it in farther and farther. Her soft tongue pushed against the underside of your stallionhood while her sucking motions gradually took in more.

"Fuck... Nngh." Your breaths started to get more strained as you saw your thick black horse cock get swallowed by Vinyl. "I might not last too long..."

As usual, Vinyl heard this and eagerly sped up, happily waiting for your jizz.

"D- Damn it! Ahhhh!" You groaned loudly as your lower body tightened up.

Your hot rod started pulsing and pumping intensely to your orgasm and your hoof grabbed hold of a piece of Vinyl's mane while your semen spurted out and filled her mouth. She began to gulp it all down, but your hips involuntarily jolted up and down as well which made it a bit harder for her. Nevertheless, she eventually drank it all and popped your cock out of her mouth, licking her lips and then smiling up at you.

"Yummy as usual, babe... You were pretty backed up, weren't you? You usually don't cum that fast." She continued to stroke your length while sitting in your lap, sandwiching it between both of your stomachs. Her eyes looked down at you with an intensity that felt like she wanted to just gobble you up.

"Y- Yeah... I'm sorry..."

"Relax... I know you've got a lot more in ya." She leaned in close and nibbled your ear slightly; you could feel her hot slit between her legs press against your shaft. "But I've gotta ask you something..." She whispered sensually.

"What?" You could tell that something exciting was about to happen.

"This is our honeymoon. So... I want you to extra dominant to me... 'Kay?"

Your heart started racing and your cock reached its highest level of hardness. Hormones went crazy inside of you and changed your thought processing, forcing you to kick your sex drive into a higher gear.

"There's my colt..." Vinyl licked your neck, apparently sensing your heightened arousal.

Without thinking, you grabbed her two firm ass cheeks and lifted her up while sliding yourself down so that your flared tip rested in between her legs. Her hoof grabbed on to the shaft to help guide it while you gently lowered her down. A sudden warm sensation surrounded your head and it was quickly followed by her sexual moans.

"Ahhhhhn! Fuck... I... I can never get used to how big it is..." Vinyl said in between gasps and moans.

You didn't give her much time to get used to it; you felt more and more of her warm tight marehood envelop your cock as she slid further down. Your hips pushed up into her simultaneously to achieve even greater penetration and eventually, you couldn't go any farther inside. She tightened around you and her muscles contracted, hinting that she wanted more.

"I can never get used to how tight that little pussy of yours is..." You teased back and licked her neck back.

"Come on, Alex... Don't just sit there." She said while rocking her hips back and forth.

You took the hint and started to pick her butt up with your hooves, making yourself slide out of her, then letting her drop down onto you and pushing your hips upwards. You would've gone faster, but Vinyl's pussy was much too tight. It was best to go slow for now either way and pick up the pace when she loosened up a bit.

The water around you splashed quite a lot, yet it wasn't enough to spill over the edge of the Jacuzzi. Vinyl's moans grew louder and more passionate which was completely fine since the entire five mile stretch of beach was reserved for the two of you. Nopony would be anywhere near to hear. You slid all the way inside and stopped to give her a break since your gentle thrusts were still driving her crazy. Her insides throbbed harshly against your cock once you did so and she put her weight forward, lying against your chest.

"Geez... You okay, babe?" You laughed lightly at her reactions even though you were concerned at the same time.

"Y- Yeah..." She huffed out after breathing heavily for several seconds. "Just came a little, that's all..."

"You sure you can handle me being dominant?"

"Bring it on..."

You knew she was just putting on a tough front even though in reality, she was having a tough time handling you. Regardless, you began thrusting in and out of her again, feeling her pussy gradually relax to let you fuck her a bit more easily. Her front hooves wrapped around your back and her cheek pressed against your chest as your hips pumped up and down. You winced when she bit down on your chest fur, but as usual, the slight amount of pain helped drive you further.

"Fuck... Nngh..." She moaned into your chest while your hips slapped up against her butt over and over again from under the hot water, churning her warm insides.

Her moans turned into semi-yells after a minute or two. It was getting to the point that the squishy walls of her marehood were actually feeling warmer than the water around it. She then pulled herself up slightly and spun around so that her back was resting against your chest. Her pussy rotated with you still inside, which gave you a blissful feeling that made you throb heavily a few times. The fur on her back matted against the fur on your chest as she slid back down and you wrapped your front hooves around her waist while biting down playfully on her ear.

The passionate hip movements resumed and her cute butt rubbed up and down on your waist while you fucked her.

"Ahn! Don't stop, Alex! Ahnn!!!"

"Mmph... Your moans are louder than usual..." You said deviously between panting. "You really love my cock, don't you?"

She blushed from the dirty talk and hesitated, continuing with her whorish moans.

You stopped.

"Nngh... Don't stop... Please..." Her hips moved back and forth, desperate to feel more of you.

"Tell me." You bit her ear again.

"I... I love your cock, Alex... I want more of it..."

"Good girl." You smiled and forcefully started banging her again, but pulling more of your cock out every time you lifted her up so that she could feel your thick head go through her entire pussy with every movement.

You had never been this dominant during sex before, but you had to admit that you were enjoying it. Vinyl's general nature as a mare was more dominant than most and it usually took form in the bedroom, so it was quite nice being able to flip the tables for once.

Pressure was starting to build in your lower stomach. Judging by Vinyl's continual heavy moaning, you were almost certain that she was about to climax as well.

"Where do you want my cum, sweetie?" You whispered into her ear and started to ram your cock into her faster.

"Ahhhn! Inside, you idiot! Do it inside!"

In an act of uncontrolled lust, you leaned your head down and sucked on the tip of her horn. There was really no reason for it other than because you'd heard rumors that it was a sensitive spot for unicorn mares. Regardless, it caused her orgasm to trigger the instant your mouth wrapped around it. You crammed as much of your cock inside of her as you possibly could. It, along with Vinyl's marehood, flared and throbbed aggressively as more of your hot jizz filled her insides.

"Hnnghh!" You gritted your teeth.

She let out a scream which was followed by spasms of her body from the climax. Her front hooves dug into yours and her tight entryway constricted even tighter around you. Eventually, though, everything died down and her body began to relax. You could feel your slick cum still inside her, trapped in between her womb and your stallion head.

You soon discovered that it wasn't over as Vinyl slid off of your chest and, even after receiving a harsh pounding from your dick, stood on all fours facing away from you and lifted her rear in the air just above the surface of the bubbling water. All the semen that was trapped inside of her now spilled out, leaving a lengthy wide trail of white fluid down her outer lips and onto her legs. Still panting heavily, she turned her head and looked at you with her deep maroon eyes.

"More... Please, I need more..."

You didn't waste a second. Putting your front hooves around her back, you mounted her and dug your still rock hard cock into her yet again. Her soft ass jiggled slightly as your strong stallion hips pushed forward. There was still cum leaking out of her and it began to cling onto your jet black shaft.

"Ahhh! Harder! Fuck me harder!" Vinyl's unsteady voice yelled out to you.

It was your duty to fully satisfy her, especially since it was your first honeymoon night and she did instruct you to be a bit more forceful than usual. Despite your fatigue, you pushed through it and slid your cock inside of her faster and faster. Water was going over the edge at that point from the passionate love making, but you didn't notice and didn't care.

Vinyl's tail was waving back and forth on its own, so you took some of it in your mouth and tugged at it with your teeth knowing that it would certainly spice things up a smidge. In response, she rested her head on the side of the Jacuzzi and it slid back and forth against the wet tile from your cock having its way with her body. With her head in that position, she looked out onto the beach where the moon was beginning to make the waves sparkle with white light and you could see her eyes slightly rolling up from the intense pleasure you were pounding into her marehood.

You continued to pull back on her tail so that you could penetrate deeper into her pussy and it wasn't too long until she started to lose control of her body again. Due to a long period of intense fucking, it didn't take long for your third orgasm to rear its head as well. Her tail fell out of your mouth and you leaned over her body to kiss her deeply as the final few thrusts slowed down to a screeching halt.

You came inside her again and felt her getting filled up even more thanks to some of your cum from last time staying in. Vinyl moaned at a high pitch inside your mouth and her entire body shook, but you were fully wrapped around her to keep her steady while you shot your seed inside for what you knew was the last time that night.

Vinyl's hard breathing resumed once your lips parted from hers, but her cheek remained on the tile. She soon collapsed onto the underwater step after struggling to keep herself up with her weary legs, and you felt a jolt of sensitivity in your fully flared head as you finally exited her, sending all of the cum stored in her womb out into the water and making a portion of it somewhat cloudy.

You huffed and puffed your lungs out. It wasn't easy having such a girthy cock since it meant more blood flow to the region and therefore less blood dedicated to everywhere else in your equine body.

"I know we're both worn out, but we should really get inside." You said with concern even though you didn't move a muscle.

"Aw... Why- hah- why can't we just sleep out here...?"

You weren't sure if she was being sarcastic since the tone she used for it was somewhat masked by her exhaustion.

"We'll catch cold, babe." You took a deep breath to help calm your panting. "Plus, it's just... Not a good idea in general."

"Fine, fine."

"Not to mention, I've got somepony else I've gotta keep safe, too..."

"Huh? Who?" Vinyl shifted her eyes back towards you while gathering the strength to get back on her hooves again. Her voice made her sound like she had just woken up from a twelve hour nap.

You poked her belly gently and smiled, making Vinyl laugh with whatever energy she had left within her.

"Hey, now... Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Yeah, Yeah. I know. I guess it just makes me more protective, I guess. If, you can imagine that." You got out and the chilly air hit your soaked fur, making you recoil instantly.

She paused while looking down at the water, then smiled. "That's sweet, babe."

"Come on..." You took her hoof and lifted her up. She tried to protest, but Vinyl inevitably brought herself out and felt the same chill you did just a few seconds ago. The fur on her back stood up straight and shook.

It was probably because of the jolt of energy she felt when getting hit by the wind; she quickly trotted past you and went inside, leaving you by yourself for just a few moments before going through the front door and locking the dead bolt securely behind you.

It took a few minutes longer for Vinyl to dry her mane and tail since both of them were considerably longer than yours. So, you took the liberty of relaxing on the bed until she was done. It felt twice as nice as it looked. Already, you could feel your sore muscles relax from a long day of ceremony and love-making while the faint scent of the rose petals that were randomly scattered about helped ease your mind.

The muffled noise of waves crashing onto the shore beneath the house was extremely soothing, too. You always loved the beach; you felt like it's always been part of your life because the area you lived in back on Earth was very close to one. You couldn't see the moon yet because the large window in the room was facing the west, but the scene outside was peaceful nonetheless. If you weren't so worn out, you would've considered going for a walk along the shore, with or without Vinyl.

"Hey, babe? I never got a chance to ask, but... Did I look okay at the wedding today?" She called out through the partially opened bathroom door to your left.

"Of course you did, silly butt. I almost fainted when I saw you, for Luna's sake."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it because I usually hate wearing formal shit."

"What?! No way!" You teased sarcastically and smiled up at the ceiling.

"Oh, shush. I know you don't like it, either. Octy told me all about this morning."

"Really, now? What did she say?"

Vinyl giggled. "She said you were fussing like a filly the whole time."

Traitor...

You cursed her mentally while your eyes winced, but you weren't surprised that she told on second thought.

"Whatever. That tux was two sizes too small, anyway."

Vinyl paused and you could see a portion of her through the crack in the door, brushing and straightening her mane.

"You looked really handsome, though. You should fix your mane like that more often."

Even though it was a bit difficult to get that way that morning, it was mainly because you had never brushed it. You knew if you did it that way every morning, it would be easier to manage and less difficult to put up with. You decided that you'd try to fix it that way yourself since she apparently liked it so much.

"Fine, then. Maybe I will." You teased again while running your hoof through your mane.

Vinyl laughed a little and exited the bathroom, flipping the light switch. The only remaining light then was the faint amount of moonlight filtering in through the window, but your eyes were closed, so you couldn't exactly tell for yourself. You felt your wife fall onto the bed to your left; you were too tired to say or do anything. Instead, she wrapped her hooves around you and, rather forcefully, pulled you into a hug while she lied down on her side. Her face nuzzled against your chest fur and you involuntarily brought one of your hooves up to hold her.

The two of you let out a long sigh.

"So... Either Angel or Alex, huh?"

Vinyl smiled and snuggled closer.

"Yup."

"Don't you think having two Alex's in the house would be a bit confusing? I mean, we'd have the same last names, too..."

"Hm... I dunno. I guess we can- Ow!" Vinyl suddenly gritted her teeth and flinched, curling up into a ball.

Your eyes shot open and a shot of adrenaline flew through you.

"What happened? Are you okay?!"

"Y- Yeah..." Her face had an odd expression on it. "That's weird... You must've had some static... It zapped my stomach."

"Are you sure? Maybe it was just static from the sheets?" You leaned up and looked down at her with a great deal of concern since you would've felt if it were static off of you.

"No. It was, like, inside me... I dunno."

Her sense of alarm gradually faded away and she slid back down to your side as she was before.

"I guess it's nothin'... That was weird, though. By the way, what was with that reaction? You looked like you saw a ghost or something." Your wife smirked.

You went back to where you were earlier and shifted your eyes down to the pillow where Vinyl was laying her head.

"Like I said earlier... I'm really over-protective sometimes..."

She let out a deep breath onto your chest which tickled the fur on it. "I'm glad you are."

"Huh? Why?"

"I just am."

Vinyl's sturdy heartbeat reverberated against your belly and her breathing was starting to become uniform, hinting that she was getting closer and closer to falling asleep. You couldn't shake off the feeling that you were as well.

"You wanna call it a night, babe?" You closed your eyes and semi-whispered.

"Nah. I wanna go run a Running of The Leaves. Wanna come?" Her sarcastic tone came out.

"Go ahead. I'll stop you when I wake up."

"Hmm..." A faint laugh escaped her and you could tell that she was out of fuel.

"Night, Angel. I love you."

"I love you too, Alex." Vinyl tilted her head up and kissed you briefly before snuggling back into your chest.

A bright light that was hitting your closed eyes for quite some time finally disturbed you enough to wake you from your peaceful rest. You didn't open them for a few seconds, though, due to the intense drowsiness you still felt from the night before. Your hooves and chest ached as if you had just swum a mile. Several parts of your body cracked as you instinctively stretched.

Mid-stretch, you stopped once you figured that doing so would probably bump you into your newly-wedded wife and wake her. Her head was tucked closely into your chest, similar to the night before, and her legs were wrapped around you. It was surprising to you that you didn't wake up from getting so hot from her body heat, but in hindsight, you were glad that you didn't. You tactfully and carefully slid your hooves over her waist; she moved around a little, but you were sure that she was still asleep.

The one thing that made you feel most comfortable with her at that moment was the slight smile she had. It seemed as if you were able to keep her happy even in her dreams, which gave you a drastic amount of self-confidence. Your horse cock, which was flaring and raging the night before, was unusually relaxed even though you habitually had morning wood nearly every morning. So, it was easier to resist the urge to wake her up for morning sex, even though you knew she wouldn't reject it if you offered. There'd be many more chances for that during the trip. That, you were sure of.

All the things you had to do to lead you to this point washed through your mind; the wound from the changeling was particularly painful to remember. The scar was still easily visible on your belly from the ordeal even though you'd changed bodies since then. It was a bit strange, but you already knew better than to ask questions about logic in a world filled with talking pegasi and unicorns. Your hoof reached down and rubbed the scar. There was still some discomforting sensitivity and it was fairly visible once you pulled your short fur aside. It wasn't a clean scar, either. It was jagged and uneven, just like the blade that pierced you. Just thinking about how sore it was the following months made you cringe. Though, it was entirely possible that you wouldn't have gone as far with Vinyl if it weren't for it.

Sleep and rest were things that you took for granted in your previous world, but now that you were so busy managing such an intense love life and doing other such crazy things, it made you develop a sense of gratitude whenever you got to chance to just lay your head down for a few. A kid wasn't too far down the road, either. That'd probably take some time away from R&R, but in many aspects, it'd be worth it.

Equestria had made you a completely different person; it wasn't just your physical body that had changed. Love wasn't just a futile practice of courtship anymore. It actually meant something to you now that you realized how precious it was and how easily it could be lost. Vinyl was quite effective of teaching you that and you were thankful for it despite all the heart attacks she gave you throughout your journey. It was a shame that it took so much to teach you relatively so little.

You smiled and thought to yourself.

I guess that's love. Complicated as hell but simple at the same time...

Vinyl stirred and snored a few times, but quickly relaxed and dozed off again once she turned onto her side facing you. Your smile stayed as you wiped a small dribble of drool off her lip.

The sheets weren't very neat even though you changed them just the night before. The red ones were too itchy, but thankfully, there was a spare set of fresh fluffy white ones lying in the closet. They were pulled down just above Vinyl's waist when you woke up due to her habit of moving and rolling around when she slept. It was warm enough so that it didn't bother you, so you didn't bother pulling them back up. Besides, getting a peek at Vinyl’s attractive body was always nice bonus to any situation.

You felt Vinyl's body shuffle around yet again, but this time, her eyes partially opened.

"Morning, sunshine." You kissed her forehead next to her horn.

A groan came from her throat as she rubbed her eye and stretched her hind legs; it was followed by her going limp again and letting out a large sigh.

"Morning..." Vinyl barely managed to mumble. "What time is it?"

You looked around the room for a clock, but there wasn't one, which was somewhat odd for a house that seemed so first class. You were left to your own judgment based on the shadow the small wooden pier was making on the sand outside. You squinted, looking out the window, but you couldn't see any shadows being cast.

"'Bout noon." You said before lying back down.

All you got in response was another groan followed by your wife snuggling up against you, but her face contorted strangely as if she was looking for something.

"Hm? No morning wood?" She said with her eyes still closed.

"Heh. I dunno. Maybe it’s still recovering from last night."

She kissed your chest and smiled, probably feeling a wave of self-confidence from her performance.

Sounds of gulls outside complimented the muffled crashing waves and they both made an extremely soothing melody that was just enough to make you drowsy again. Not only that, but Vinyl's warm body possessed an aura that helped relax you just by snuggling up to it. You felt it taking effect as your eyelids grew heavier and your mind emptied itself of thoughts, save for one.

The scene reminded you of the morning in the hospital after you had proposed to her. It, along with the morning you were experiencing now, had a completely different feel than most other mornings with your favorite unicorn. Sure, it was romantic and sweet to wake up eye to eye with your lover, but something wasn't the way it usually was. As you looked at her peacefully sleeping face, you saw in her something that you hadn't seen before; it was hard to label because it was such an unfamiliar feeling.

For some reason, you saw yourself. You could see all of your flaws and strengths manifested into one cute little white mare that was cuddled up to you like a filly with a teddy bear. But, you also had the feeling that they didn't matter anymore...

"Bride and Groom, as you light the two side candles, we are reminded of your individuality, your many gifts and talents, your strengths and weaknesses… All that you individually bring to your marriage."

Luna's words at the ceremony finally made sense to you and you understood a little more about what marriage meant. You both had flaws, but it didn't matter because you'd be able to overcome them with her by your side. In a sense, she was like a rope that became intertwined with you the second she was committed with your life, strengthening your weak spots while you did the same to hers, all while making the both of you stronger as a couple in the process. When something tugged at your rope, Vinyl would keep you from breaking apart. It was a beautiful bit of symbolism, really.

Like intertwined rope, you slid your legs in between hers and felt her warm thighs soothe you closer to sleep.

Understanding Luna's analogy gave you confidence in the life you'd lead with your new wife; she'd help you in dark times and you'd help her, making both of you stronger as one at the same time. You once said that you wouldn't know what to do without her, and you were right. By yourself, your rope would fray and snap under life's pressure. You realized you were right back then, but not in the same way you would've thought. Your rope was rightfully banged up from all the times you couldn't be your best for Vinyl. Still, her love worked like glue to mend all the damage you had done whilst strengthening your love for her simultaneously.

A memory flash shot through your head; you were at the portal deciding whether or not to say. Thinking back, the first words you said as a full Equestrian citizen still held true to that day.

I am home...

You told yourself and kissed Vinyl's cheek before sleep took over your body. You held on tight to your mare and thanked every pony and every event that brought you to that point.

I am home.

Author's Notes:

Thanks for reading the final chapter of Becoming One With The Beat: Assimilation! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! It was tons of fun, but I'm not stopping here. Becoming One With The Beat: Prodigy is currently in the works and its next chapter should be up soon!

I apologize in advance for any errors since none of my editors had time to take a look at it; I had to do a lot of the editing myself.

If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please send me a PRIVATE MESSAGE and let me know so that I can fix them asap. Thanks!