I lurched out of the House of Dusk, my legs like jelly and the mare in my arms extremely sticky. Mares and stallions waved us goodbye, one young male going so far as to hug my leg as I tried to leave. It wouldn't have been half as disturbing if I didn't recognize him from  Foxglove's asshole.

Eventually though I broke away, lurching into the dark night and towards the market. I could see Moon Light walking over already, a worried look on her face. She sniffed the air as she approached, stopping a foot away and cocking her head, "Benjamin...you stink like perfume and shame."

I rubbed my face, making sure not to drop my passed out wife. "Look...I know I said I was gonna visit all the houses...but...look, I just need to go--"

Moon Light pulled a note from her side, "I saw you walk with the whore mare...I have a list for the rebuild, prices already calculated by my father." she stuffed the note in my pocket and backed off, "Now...I...perhaps if you don't mind being vulnerable around me anymore...I may be able to help you."

I glared at her, "You have ten seconds before I teabag you and go home...and my balls are fucking sweaty right now...so you don't want that."

Moon Light took a step back, "Um...a bath in a hot spring?"

I continued to stare at her, "...Which way?"

She turned away, trotting towards the far end of the huge square market. My new subjects were starting to get back to their day, some nodding at me for the free food, and others shaking their head at my disheveled look. I stared down at the floor and followed Moonlight's tail. The stone road slowly turned to dirt, then to natural stone.

The walk was rather quick, taking us behind House Light and into a cave in the side of the rock that Arder sat on. I ducked down and hurried after Light as the air grew damp and warm. The inside of the cave was littered with lanterns, all surrounding a few pits of waist deep water.

I just stared at the pit of water, "Is this it?"

Moon nodded, "Warmed by- Uh...Sir--"

I slowly lowered myself, clothes and all, into the water. It was warm, just a bit below burning. I held Foxglove's head out of the water as I found the best way to get comfortable. She slowly woke up, looked around, and let out a deep sigh, "Ben...where--"

"Foxglove...shut, up." I commanded, letting her go and settling in. "I really...really...really can't deal with this right now."

Foxglove floated next to me, "Geez...way to--"

I glared at her, "Foxglove...don't, I'm about five seconds from losing my shit...so just don't."

Moon Light joined us, trying to see inconspicuous. "My Count...are you...you seem agitated--"

I felt my final string of tolerance, patience, and understanding break like a guitar string. "...Agitated? Agitated!? My life the past month has been completely fucking insane! Now I'm here, sitting in a bath, my balls covered in pony spit, my cock just about the same, my fucking wife had a stallion's tongue in her ass, I have to try and run a country, and all I was hired to do was care for foals!" I screamed, pressing my back against the far wall of the water pit. "You know...I don't even know how I fucking got here, between getting constantly drugged, forced to make decisions that I know will end badly, just to stop other horrid things from happening!"

Foxglove stared at me, her face wrought with anger, "You do realize I'm--"

"And you!" I turned to her and got in her face, "This is all your fucking fault!" I stared her down, eye to eye, nose to nose, "Foxglove...I feel like I have to say this first...I love you." I took a deep breath and settled in, "But, because of you, because of your crazy ass bullshit, I have been bit, drugged, transformed, attacked, raped, sent into places where no matter what I do I will get fucked up. I fucking hate you some times, because let me tell you this, you're fucking crazy."

Foxglove looked stunned, "Ben, what the fu--"

"When I met you...I saw a strong mare, that cared for foals, and had a decent sense of humor. Then...you got needier, and needier...and needier. And- you fucking raped me...but that's not the bad part. You're so fucking unstable, and don't fucking say you're not!" I grabbed her groin, pressing two fingers against her lips, "You think with this...not this-" I poked her in the forehead, "And I don't care if it's because of whatever you're on to make milk, I don't care."

"Ben I don't--"

Moon Light interrupted Foxglove, "Um...if I may--"

"Shut up!" I demanded, "I'll get to you later...." I turned back to Foxglove. "I love you...it's difficult, but that mare locked behind that fucking psycho is amazing. She's strong, she's caring, she obviously cares enough about the children and her race to modify her body and fuck up her mind. The mare inside you is outstanding, but all I see in you right now is that psycho that raped me, the psycho that goes through violent mood swings, the mare who sent me down this line of hell!"

Moon Light started to try and leave, "I don't need to be her--"

"Sit the fuck down!" I screamed, causing her to jump to attention and settle back into the water. "Back to you Fox.... I like the sex, it's the reason I put up with the crazy. It's why I visited a whore family second, without sex, I would have lost my fucking mind. Because since I got here a few months ago, I have been bit by foals, drugged and transformed into a fucking vampire, raped, forced into a semi abusive relationship barely held together by the shred of hope that some day you'll show me that mare inside not the crazy bitch I've come to know!"

Foxglove was nearly crying as I finished, "Ben...you know I love you...but I don't...I don't know how else to say it! I just--"

"Throwing sex at the problem isn't the right idea!" I snapped back, grabbing her by the shoulders.

She squirmed in my grasps, "But...I need sex.... Every time they make me drink the potion that makes me produce milk, it puts me into heat, and if I don't- you know...fuck, I get really fucking emotion, really fucking sad, and I get an unbelievable pain in my fucking pussy! I'm sorry but--"

I pulled her against my chest, "Foxglove...like I said, I love you. But if it doesn't change soon...I'm gonna cheat on you...probably with the Av Iron mare...because she's got a beautiful face, and a more consistent personality." I turned her around and laid her back against my chest, "So please...figure out what you are, if you're a kind caring mare, or a super freak. Because you're not gonna take anymore hormones, once your tits empty out...no more wet nursing, I want a wife...not a girlfriend."

Foxglove placed her hooves on my hands as I wrapped my arms around her chest, pinning her to my sternum, "Ben...why didn't you--"

I coughed roughly, "Because since I changed, my decision making has been piss poor. I'm jittery, excitable, I have poor impulse control, and I still have a constant craving for red meat. My change wasn't perfect. But I stuck it through...granted I don't think it will change much...but I've got to try, I've got a city to run, and it's time to sort shit out." I rubbed my face, wiping off my nose, "House Dusk...that was for...the ties...." I brought up my hand, looking at the weird bracelet, "And some fucking release. I mean...I wasn't expecting all that...and I feel gross now, but it was good."

Moon was fidgeting like mad. "My Count...perhaps you two--"

I shook my head, "No...I've said what I needed to say about her...let's talk about you." I smiled evily, "The psycho who tried to fight me when I got here, the mare that raped my unconscious body. Let me say first off, you're not getting away with it, I know I said bygones are bygones, but this is my revenge." I deep breath, a laugh causing me to sound crazy, "I don't care why you did it, I could understand the fight, but the rape...I don't know if it's customary to rape your visitors, but I came here to explore, I came here because it sounded exciting. Not once did I think I would be doing all this!"

Moon looked nervous, "My Count...you had just survived something most wouldn't...I wished to--"

"Shut, the fuck, up." I reached out, grabbing her and wedging her next to Foxglove and against my chest, "All, of you bats, are fucking crazy. All in different ways...but I can honestly say, if I have to put up with any more I might actually lose my shit, and decapitate someone like Vlad the fucking Impaler. So I will say this one last time, to both of you, figure your shit out...stop driving me mad, and let me have my god damn fun. Because after everything you two have done to me, I have no reason not to just hang out with the whores all, fucking, day."

Things grew deafeningly silent. The water sloshing about as the two mares gently squirmed and tried to avoid eye contact. I took a final breath and let them go, "Yeah...I've been holding that in for a while...."

Foxglove floated back to me, hugging my chest and remaining silent. She nuzzled my chest, letting me put a hand on her damp mane and gently caress her. Moonlight floated across from me, staring at me with a pitiful look plastered over her face, "Um...My Count...I...suppose an apo--"

"No...no apology. Apologies don't fix things, changing fixes things." I rubbed Foxglove's mane, she was either sobbing or chewing on my shirt, I couldn't tell but either way I think my message got across. "Now...if anything I said leave this place, I will shave you head to tail."

Moon's eyes shot open, "That's...pale, that is a joke...yes?"

I started laughing menacingly, "Oh no...you all created a mad Count, and I would love a pony mane wig." I smiled deviously, "But seriously. I need to start buckling down my life, taking control of my decisions...gotta be honest, those whores though...they have not seen the last of me. But I will completely shave you if you tell anyone about this. That wasn't a joke."

Once again things grew horridly quiet. The mares were too stomped back to talk, leaving me alone with my thoughts, "You know...this is nice." I rubbed Foxglove's back, letting my fingers press against the bases of her wings and making her flare out. "You know...I think I'll bring Wayne with me when I visit the others...little guy's the only sane one amongst us."

Over the sloshes and breathing Foxglove piped up, "Ben...I'm sorry."

I pulled her head against my shoulder, "I know...you should be. But it's okay...not too late to change, not too late to figure life out. God knows I haven't figured everything out yet either." I turned to Moon Light, "Now get that list you made to the castle...I think I'm gonna stay in here a while."

Moon Light nodded, lifting herself from the water, "Yes, Pale, and...I...you will make an interesting leader.... Goodbye."