"So yer leavin' tomorrah?" Mac asked, placing a paper into one of the many piles scattered around Dash's office.

"Yeah. The Weather Board needs to see me bright and early, then I've got to work out a deal with the weather factory. I'm not going to need as much of an extensive plan as before, seeing as a bunch of those clouds went to waste anyway. So it probably won't take too long."

"How long do ya think you'll be gone?" Mac asked. She could hear a tinge of sadness already.

"A couple days at least. There's no way I'll get this done in a single day, and it might go to three if I'm unlucky."

Mac nodded. "Well don't hesitate to call the farm once in a while, okay? Ah know the phone service can be crappy up there, but still."

"It's only a few days, Mac." She put down the paper she was dealing with, looking over at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He replied. "Ah'm just gonna miss you, is all." He sounded a little too sad for only that. But she wouldn't push the issue if he didn't feel like talking, and besides, she'd missed him when she had gone to Canterlot, and that had only been a few hours. Mac was just a more emotive pony, and he had less on his mind. He was worried for her and how everything went, she was sure, probably a little annoyed that he couldn't come with her. She would be in his position.

"I could try to get Twilight to give you a cloud-walking spell." Dash paused, chewing her cheek. "But those don't last that long, and the last thing we need is you falling through the bed in the middle of the night."

"Ah can't leave, even if Ah wanted to." Mac responded, sounding slightly less depressed. "Ah've got more apples to buck, and Ah've got the first big deal of the season ta make. Should be a thrill."

"So then we're both missing out." Dash responded. "I always did want to know how those went."

"Well Ah like ta think we'll be dating for more than another week or two, and you'll see one."

Dash put a hoof to her chin, making a thoughtful expression. "I dunno, I'll have to look at the calendar."

"Darn, I forgot every stallion in the town got to sign up for an attempt to woo you." He chuckled.

"You're still in the lead with forty-three stallion appreciation points. I wouldn't worry."

"How many points did I get for bein' this smokin' hot?" He asked, striking a model's pose in a free section of floor. He licked his hoof, keeping the reaction to the taste to a minimum as he touched his rump and made a hiss noise. The he broke into a coughing fit.

"Didn't like the taste of Ponyville ground?" Dash asked.

"That wasn't just the taste of street." He gasped, shaking his head. "Whatever it was, it was vile."

"That's what you get after working all day and coming over here after." Dash laughed. "But you at least made your joke."

"It's all worth it for that." He chuckled, looking at his hoof. "And anyway, you still didn't answer me."

"Oh, seventeen." Dash decided, making the number up off the top of her head.

"Out of ten?" Mac queried, going back to the paperwork. "Because I would've thought I was at least a strong eighteen."

"Keep dreaming." Dash retorted, punching him in the shoulder. "You better be worried if I ever do find an eighteen."

"Ah'm sure everypony'll fall for an eighteen." The stallion replied, regaining his concentration towards the work at hand. "But enough about that, we're almost done with all this stuff. We've just got the home stretch."

"Oh, Mac, that reminds me." Dash began. "While I'm gone, there's supposed to be a small storm. I have all the instructions laid out, and Thunderlane should be able to do fine. But watch the skies a little bit while you're working, because if something goes wrong, I want to at least hear it from a pony on the ground that generally knows how we work. I'm sure I'll hear it from Thunderlane, too, but that usually doesn't give me as big of a perspective. You should be able to see all of it at once, rather than the small part he'd be working on."

"Ah mean, Ah've watched the storms before. Yer pretty well disguised against the sky, 'cept for that mane and tail of yers. But yer super clear against clouds, like when ya were flyin' last week."

"You watched that?"

"Well, yeah. Ah mean, Ah get distracted sometimes, and it looked like it was gonna rain, and we weren't meeting to discuss the Weather Board till later, so you were the most interestin' thing around. Ah'm probably the most secure pony you'll ever find about mah body. Ah mean, Ah'm built for what Ah do, and Ah like what Ah do, so it's all fine with me. But when Ah watch ya fly, Ah do sorta wish Ah could do the same."

"You'd have big wings." Dash said simply, imagining him flying around with her. "Wingspan of a griffin at least. That'd be great, for sure." Wings would suit him well. And flying with him would be nice... Ooh, that reminded her...

"Ah'm still surprised that ya wanted ta date a non pegasus, in a way. It's not like yer gonna get any aerial races out of me."

Dash dismissed him with a hoof. "Pfft. I like flying, but it's not my entire life. I have this to do now, anyway. The Wonderbolts was a great dream, and it's still something I'd love to do someday. But this goal is attainable, and it relies on me, not one of the members of the Wonderbolts finally deciding I'm material for their team. To be honest, I could really just start my own team if I wanted to, like I'm doing with this. The name isn't everything."

Mac nodded, looking at his sides. "Well, maybe one day, huh? Science is still advancing."

Dash laughed. "Sure, figure it out, then we'll talk. Plus, I'm fine with you how you are." She walked over, pushing her forehead against his. He grinned, pulling her into a hug. Dash moved her hooves about slowly, trying not to give away her plan. If this didn't work, she could just explain it as a bust, but if it did... well, it was for science. And he already seemed to be enjoying the forehead contact. Maybe that was just because it was her, though.

She estimated where his wings would be if he had them, and began raking up and down his back slowly with more pressure. She knew it felt good, so he wouldn't mind. He hummed out his approval, letting her continue unencumbered. She felt his ribs, moving back up and starting from his shoulder blades. She quickly passed by the rib where her shoulder blades ended, realizing that the pony had been right. They went on a couple longer, ending suddenly. Extra armor was right. Probably around there, she figured.

As soon as she dug her hooves around the edge of the bone, Mac's back arched backwards, a sort of shocked sound coming out of him. Dash let go, worried she had hit a pressure point. Mac regained his balance and stared at her, planting his forelegs firmly in between her and his crotch.

"Wh-why did that feel so good?" He asked. "And how did you know it would be there?"

"Uh..." She shook her head. "Well, I'm glad it worked."

"Yeah, but what is it." He pressed. "Only pegasi are sensitive on their backs."

"That's not true." Dash explained. "Wings turn into extra armor and bone mass on earth ponies, but you still usually have some of the nerve clusters."

"Then how come I've never had that happen?" He asked, his voice changing from an accusatory tone to one of curiosity.

"Well, apparently they're sort of hidden. I had to really get my hoof in there to touch that, you know." The forehead thing could stay her little secret a while longer, at least until she knew it worked. It was fun when she could get him to feel good, especially when he wasn't expecting it. "So I'll just have to poke you occasionally in public."

Mac looked down, irritation on his face. "Jerk."

"What, did he come ou-" Dash blushed. "Woah, that got you going."

Mac stared. "Ah'm gonna move behind yer desk, so that when somepony inevitably comes in here, they don't get an eyeful." He stood up, quickly moving behind the desk, and after a moment of looking at her chair, sat in it instead. "And just for that, Ah get the chair."

"So how good did that feel?" Dash asked, genuinely interested.

"It was nice, but ya know it doesn't take me much. Ah'm sure it wasn't as good as yer wings."

"I dunno," Dash smirked, sauntering over. "I think it was a little better than you're letting on."

"Even if it was, I don't want any of that sound going through that door. Because unlike you, Ah apparently have modesty." His irritation slowly dissolved into a grin. "So at least wait until Ah can handle ya a bit better."

"As in never, because I'm so good?" She asked, puffing out her chest. "Too good, some may say."

"Ya may be the only pony Ah've ever had sex with," Mac began, "and while that makes you the best, let's not forget it also makes you the worst."

Dash laughed. "Fine then. Belittle my prowess." She calmed down a bit, trying to return to the papers. That would be easier if her thoughts weren't on her coltfriend's erection. "But I gotta try to finish this, so I'll attempt to keep from teasing you."

Mac raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Maybe just delay said teasing for a few hours, huh? Ah bet Ah would win the back touching contest."

"Is everything a competition with you?" Dash asked.

"Only because you want it to be." He replied, chuckling. "You gonna work late again? It's confusing my sister when ya end up in my bed without having actually come home with me."

"Well if we figured out a semi-permanent cloud walking spell, we'd be at my house more. But unfortunately, that's the disadvantage of dating me. Of course the other side of that is you wake up with a mare in your arms that you don't remember arriving."

"Ah remember two nights ago, when ya accidentally kicked me in the balls." He jibed.

"Oh, shoot, that woke you up?" Dash blushed. "I thought that'd be the one time when a ball shot was forgotten."

"Ya woke me up the other time, too. Yer lucky ya happened ta be lookin in the window when ah woke up, because Ah thought we were about ta get invaded."

"So basically it was a bust then." Dash mumbled, feeling dejected. She'd thought that was pretty spontaneous and loving. The way Mac made it sound, it seemed silly, and maybe it was. Ugh, she'd never get it at this rate.

"Why're you looking so down?" He reached over the desk, just barely getting his arm far enough to lift up her chin. "It's the thought that counts, as cliché as that sounds. And I don't need you to woo me every second of every day. You hold my interest a little better than that."

Dash couldn't keep herself from giggling. "Yeah, I know. But you always do such a good job... like the dancing and The Hole in the Map, and I just feel like I'm not doing enough."

"It's not actually a competition, Dash."

"I know, Mac. But you know me, and relationships are supposed to be a give and take, and I just feel like I'm doing the taking sometimes." She laughed, shaking her head. "I'm amazed that I was the one you fell for, because so far I don't feel like I've done anything special."

Mac grinned. "Yer too self-critical. Yer supposed to be the confident mare in town. But just the fact that you like bein' around me so much... well, it means a lot. Ah don't need anything more than you."

"You sure know how to sweet talk a mare." Dash replied quietly. "I'm so pissed I have all this paperwork." She stood up, leaning over the desk to kiss him. It was gentle and loving, a startling difference from what she was sure the rest of the night would be like. Her without Mac for two or three days? She better get her fill of him now.

Dash returned to where she had been, breaking the kiss after some amount of time. It was as if her brain turned off whenever they kissed, taking her perception of time with it. Her world became the connection they shared, the warmth and the slight taste of their lunch on his lips. She was really glad she had decided to start breaking off ties with the Weather Board, but it could get annoying at times like these. She wanted to spend the rest of the night with Mac, watching a movie or doing anything else. But at best she would end up with some time off before she went to sleep, and they would do something steamy. There was nothing wrong with that, really... it was fulfilling and satisfying, but it was only a part of the coltfriend experience. They were supposed to date, not just do paperwork.

"Thinkin'?" Mac queried, breaking her from her stupor.

"Just wishing I had a little more free time."

"There." Dash said resolutely as she filed a paper. "Everything's more organized than it's ever been before, and if I do get audited, which I will, it should be a breeze."

"Ya know, Ah never did ask why ya wanted ta get them through here so fast." Mac murmured, shaking himself awake.

"It gets in the way of work." Dash explained, looking around at the perfectly ordered room. "I have to stay out of my office, and trying to get any sort of reference material for designing a storm or checking rainfall figures is all slower. And this time it's going to be worse, now that we're independent."

"Lemme see the certificate." Mac implored, watching her grin and move behind her desk, opening a drawer. The framed certificate came out, and she placed it on her cleared desk.

"All I have to do is figure out where to hang it. But would you look at that? The piece of paper that lets me say I don't care what the Weather Board says, because I know what I'm doing and have the freedom to do it!"

"Does it do tricks?"

Dash scoffed. "Real funny. I think maybe I'll frame it twice."

"A new art trend, I suppose." Mac acknowledged, smirking. "Now come on, time's a-wasting! We still need food, and Ah'm gettin' ya somethin' special."

"Oh yeah!" Dash exclaimed, running over to her saddlebags. "You never asked what I got from Canterlot!"

"Did ya get yerself somethin' pretty?"

"I sure did!" She hollered back, excitedly turning to reveal a small jewelry piece hanging from her hoof.

Mac looked at it, his eyes widening as realization swept over him. "How'd you find that?"

"It just happened to be there!" Dash handed it to Mac, turning around as he and he slid the necklace around her neck and clipped it in the back. "There were tons of cool necklaces there, made out of this stained glass stuff, and one of them happened to match your cutie mark, more or less."

He turned her around, grinning. "Well Ah think ya look beautiful."

"Well then you should be happy that it only cost ten bits," she reached around her back, pulling another from her wing, "because I got two!" She dangled the other one from her hoof, the light shining through it in interesting ways. "I figured you wouldn't want a necklace, and they didn't have these as necklaces anyway, so it should fit nicely on your hoof."

Mac took it from her, holding it up to the light. He hadn't looked hard enough at the last one to see its other effects. They acted a little like prisms if they pointed at light, and as Mac held it up to his hoof it's shadow cast a faded, fragmented bits of rainbow on his fur. "How did they make it do this?"

"Well I assumed it was something about different types of glass or a weird cooling process, but they wouldn't tell me. I wouldn't divulge a secret like that either if it kept me in business a block away from main street."

Mac nodded, still examining his tiny cloud. "That city's pretty at night. Sparkles like this does. Thanks, Dash."

"You're welcome," she beamed, thrilled that he liked it. "I'm suppressed you'd like the look of a city, though. You seem more like a nature kind of pony."

Mac shrugged, trying to put the bracelet on his wrist. "Ah do like nature, but there's something to be said for modern engineering. Manehattan's turning into quite the city."

"I guess it better, seeing as it's going to be over two million soon."

"Havin' that many ponies in one place still seems insane ta' me." Mac shook his head, finally getting the bracelet on with one hoof and holding it up above his head, up to the light. "And would ya look at that..." He trailed off. "Ah love ya, Dash."

"I'm just glad you like it."

"Well then, hopefully Ah can repay the favor with dinner, huh?" He asked.

"I suppose you can." Dash responded. She could only imagine what place he had in mind. Surely one she'd never heard of. And she couldn't wait.

"You know, I sorta expected The Hole in the Map." Dash confided, looking at the somewhat run-down buildings on the older side of town. She passed through, or at least over here often, but never had business being here. If Ponyville had a bad side of town, this would be it. Not that it really did, compared to Las Pegasus for sure, but it was still shady.

"Did ya expect The Hole in the Map when we went to The Hole in the Map?" He inquired. Dash rolled her eyes, kicking a tin can down the road.

"No, I suppose I didn't." She replied, looking around. Saying she was scared was an overstatement, but slightly wary was a good way of putting it. It was dark around here, the streetlights spread out a little too far. It reminded her of a few too many horror movies.

"Well, we're here anyway." He said, stopping under a streetlight, and pushing a door open with his hoof. They moved into a different world. Not literally, but it might as well have been. From quiet, nearly deserted streets to a bustling tavern.

"Two?" A mare asked. Mac nodded. "Right this way." She walked them towards their seats, moving past the most well stocked bar Dash had ever seen. Across from the bar were some old, worn looking booths. The waitress pointed to one, and they took their seats. "Could I get you two started with anything? Water maybe?"

"Sure." Mac said, and she left.

Dash looked around. "Well, here's another place I never knew about."

"There are apparently a lot of them." Mac grinned. "But I suppose you know a thing or two more than Ah do about the Crystal Empire or the Palace. Ah wouldn't mind travel that didn't involve business... although Ah realize yours still is."

Dash frowned. "Yeah, sometimes I wish I wasn't an element. I mean, I guess I'm loyal, but..." She paused. "I dunno, it's gonna be the death of me, and its cool and all but I never got a sign-up, you know?" Dash sighed, thinking for a moment. "Rarity's a big fan of fate and stuff, but I would've rather chosen. It's not like I would have refused or anything... well, maybe I would have. If nothing was at stake, I wouldn't want any part of it."

"But Ah thought that ya didn't need the charm. That you were the element."

Dash sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm glad that I can do a lot to help Equestria, but I mean, these things get dangerous. Not that I don't like dangerous things, but it's my fault if I screw up, and due solely to my error. I'm essentially the cause of my own injuries. But we've fought changelings, and Sombra, and all these things, and they're risky, you know? Like, they make cool stories later, but it's surprising we survive sometimes." Dash shuddered. "It's a noble way to go and all, but it's not the way I want to go. I like to think I'm like Shining Armor occasionally, you know, cold and calculating... I've never really seen him break his calm before in anything other than a few circumstances. One of those was under changeling magic, so that doesn't even really count. But I'm not like that. I think about ponies when I'm about to do this hazardous stuff, and it bothers me. I think about my friends, and I'm sure now I would think about you..."

The waitress dropped off some waters, and they both extended their gratitude.

"But basically it scares the crap out of me to think I could just stop living in some pitched battle." She tapped a hoof against the table. "Just like that. I know what I'm fighting for and why I do it, and I'll do it again, it's just that..."

"Ya want to live your life without the effects of this element and what it does to yer free will."

"Yeah. I guess that rambling point got through. Another thing is, though, it would probably make me a target, don't you think?"

"Like in the spy movies." Mac replied, chuckling and trying to snap her out of her thoughts. It worked, slightly.

"Mhm."

"Look, Dash. Ah know yer stressed for a variety of reasons right now, and ya probably need a little more sleep, but we're a team now, okay. They don't know who they're messing with. And besides, you're just letting your stress and nervousness over tomorrah do the talkin'." He was making some weird motion with one of his hooves. "So come on, maybe crack a smile?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Dash couldn't help but grin back, giggling at his goofy face.

"Hey, Macintosh." A stallion began, walking up to the booth. "A couple ciders?"

"Yup." He replied, grinning. The stallion smiled back and returned to the bar. "We sell cider to him." Mac explained, moving his fork around idly. "And mah sister tells me ya love the stuff we make, so considering the fact that you've got a bunch of stuff to deal with tomorrow, Ah thought it would be fitting that ya indulge a little before hand."

"I'll need it." Dash sighed, shaking her head. "That, and some good sleep."

"Ah would say that ya shouldn't work yerself so hard, but ah know ya won't listen ta me. So get a bit buzzed and forget."

"An interesting way of dealing with things." Dash chuckled.

"If it doesn't work, Ah have a few more bottles of the heavy stuff." He replied with a grin. "But really, what are they gonna do to ya? Look angry? Stare ya ta death? Ah think the worst thing is the audit, and while we may act like they're worse than death, Ah like ta think there's some exaggeration there."

Dash shook her head. "I know you're right, but it's just weird. I've never done anything like this before, and... it's just worrying thinking about a bunch of bureaucrats with nothing to do, and a perceived personal insult against them. I know I said they were just stupid, but corruption is a very real possibility. It's one that I don't think is true, but it's still possible."

"Dash, yer workin' yerself into a frenzy again." Mac began, Dash's tired eyes perceiving the worry on his face. He'd hidden it well up until now.

"I know." She sighed. "I can't think of anything else. Probably because I've been doing weather stuff for the past few days nonstop. It's tough."

"What about Scootaloo? She was all excited to see you out and about a few days ago. Apparently ya haven't been doin' a lot of practice flying?" He asked, raising his eyebrow inquisitively as if he didn't know the answer.

"She told you that?" Dash asked, becoming interested. She hadn't seen the kid as much as she would have liked.

"Yeah. They bugged me for a while when Ah was trying to finish bucking apples for the day. Apparently Applejack or Applebloom told them ya were my marefriend and after the usual kid stuff about it being weird or whatever they started asking questions. And because Ah hated the 'when you're older' excuse when Ah was a kid, Ah just told them stuff."

Dash's eyes widened. "What did you tell them?"

"Oh, you know, just sex in detail." He replied. "No, they didn't ask stuff like that. It was more stuff like why do ponies date, and things like that. They're getting older, and they were givin' me some good questions. 'Why Dash?' they asked, 'why not someone else like Cheerilee?'"

"Well, why me?" Dash asked cutely, batting her eyelashes.

"You already know, Dash."

"Remind me."

"Well..." Mac began, thinking, "yer smart, cunning, and yer driven. And yer competitive, that's got some charm to it. Because Ah know what you'll ask next, Cheerilee didn't have the dreams you do, or the aggressive drive to get there. And she just wasn't interesting, really. But apparently we looked good together, so there's that."

"I guess I could see that, purple and red."

"Yeah, we looked alright. That whole thing never really got anywhere, though, partially because of Applebloom and her friends."

"How was the whole love potion thing? How did that feel?" Dash asked. It was a question she'd had for a long time, but had never thought was appropriate for a normal conversation. At least, not until she knew him a little more. Which, as it happens, she know did.

Mac shrugged, lowering his voice. "It was like Ah was in heat, but the only thing that mattered was the other pony's pleasure. But it was also something where Ah felt really content being near her. It's not something Ah enjoyed in the slightest. It turned love into a sort of drug fix."

"Applebloom got grounded for quite a while, if I remember correctly."

"She got a lighter penalty for helping to keep us apart." Mac replied, resting his head on his hoof in thought. "God, that was a weird day."

Dash laughed, accepting a cider as it was handed to her by the bartender. "I can imagine."

"What can I get you two?" He asked.

"The usual, Ah guess." Mac replied. "Fer her too."

"Sure thing." The pony replied. "We'll have that out in a few."

"Thanks." Mac replied, turning back to Dash. "Anyway, what Ah've ended up thinking about that potion was what it would do to me now, assuming you were the target. Like, Ah already hate not being around you, but I guess Ah'm admittedly not pushed subconsciously to find you to an extent where Ah actually go looking."

"I feel so insulted."

Mac grinned. "Maybe when we're old and bored."

"I'll take you up on that offer." Dash laughed, holding up her mug. "To time wasting."

Their glasses clunked together, a few drops of cider sloshing out. Mac chuckled, taking a sip. "Ah'll definitely drink to that."

"Mac, are you sure this is the best-"

"Oh! Get back Dash!" Mac shoved her backwards, pulling her a safe distance away.

"This should be green with some crackles at the end." A stallion said, who Dash had been introduced to as Caramel.

"What worries me is that ya aren't sure." Mac replied with a chuckle, the three of them starting as the firework launched, racing up into the air. It arched over them, exploding a hundred or so feet straight up. Blue streamers of light trailed downwards, crackling as they began to cool.

"Okay, so they were blue. Sue me."

"Wow..." Dash mumbled, her eyes following the sparks as they went out one by one. Real fireworks were a bit of a rarity. They were starting to become more common, but there were just too few ponies skilled in making them. "How did you come into making these?" She asked.

"My brother wanted to make fireworks when he was a kid." Caramel explained. "He gave it up after a while, but I liked them too much."

"You've gotten pretty good!" the blue mare complimented, "Have you ever thought about putting on a show for Ponyville to make the magic ones obsolete?"

"I have, but I'd need others that really knew what they were doing to attempt something like the finale. That's when it gets really technical." The stallion pulled out a box shaped firework with several tubes, neatly wrapped. "So I sell them on the side for a few bits. It keeps it as a hobby so I can focus on my job and friends." He grinned, the light of his flashlight reflecting eerily off his face. "Speaking of friends..."

Mac took a second to realize what he was doing. "Oh, come on, Caramel."

"It's worth it." He affirmed, tilting the plank he was using as a launchpad and propping it up with a stick. He checked that it was sturdy and drew his fuse backwards, standing next to them. "And if this goes south, we have a few trees right behind us."

Mac rolled his eyes, but Dash giggled. It was boring when all the safety was there. This was interesting and new, and the off-chance of injury made her feel alive after all that paperwork. She nudged Mac in the side as Caramel lit the fuse and dropped it. The flame sparked its way across the grass, disappearing inside the firework for a moment.

The first rocket made a fwoomp noise as it ejected, sailing right over a nearby house and detonating. The ordeal would have been much more worrying if it had been dry out, which it definitely had not been. They'd had a small shower earlier in the day, a sort of small rationing system she had the crew doing until she had more time to manage their storms. It would be annoying in the long term, but for a week it worked fine.

A second flew out, then a third, blowing up in similar positions. The fourth moved the launchpad slightly, aiming the remaining fireworks lower. The fifth went off, blowing up a little closer to the roof. They were all different colors, breaking into different patterns as they exploded. It was great to watch, way better than these unicorns with their unrealistic and intricate designs. This was real, and it was amazing that Caramel had refined them as much as he had.

"Get back." Mac said, backtracking.

"What?" Dash asked, her attention elsewhere.

"They didn't go off yet!" Caramel exclaimed, galloping the few strides to the nearest tree. Dash slid into cover behind him, peeking out at the smoking explosives, partially lit up by the abandoned flashlight.

There was a horrendous boom, as the casing tore itself apart, spinning several feet up in the air. A firework launched out just after it started to descend again, hitting the railing of the balcony on the house, barely managing to bounce off before dissolving into a burst of white and an explosion that was somehow louder than the case blowing up.

"Ta-da." Caramel muttered as the dust settled, walking out towards the wreckage.

"What happened?" Dash asked, her ears ringing

"Caramel annoyed Bonbon again, that's what." Mac replied with a laugh.

Caramel ignored him. "One got stuck in the tube, I think." He stopped a fair distance away, making sure he wasn't in the path of what remained of the barrels. That took out two others, hopefully, then the high-explosive finale, without the bells and whistles, flew out midair. That one's loud because it doesn't fling any particles. Most of the energy is turned into sound, which you felt in the shockwave that-"

"Caramel!" A mare screamed, easily louder than the racket of dogs barking and annoyed birds. "My house is not a target!"

"Bonbon?" He asked, feigning surprise. "Did you move?"

She put a hoof up on the railing and rested her head on it, staring at him. Caramel shrugged. She mumbled something, returning inside. Several windows lit up, and she exited from some sliding doors downstairs. She had a scarf on, signs of wariness evident on her face. Bonbon stopped in front of the group, extending a plate of cookies towards Mac. "Lyra is sick, so she's not always stealing them from me. They'll go bad otherwise, so you guys may as well have them." She noticed Dash. "Oh, I heard you two were dating."

"Yeah?" Dash asked.

"It's not so hard to get information out of Mac. Sometimes he acts like a little filly with stuff like this, but I got him to tell me he liked you a while before it became official, I guess." She grinned. "It's nice to finally see him with a mare, in a way. And I'm sure the stallions around here can breathe a sigh of relief. Especially you, Caramel."

"An honest mistake." He replied, not intimidated by her implied threat.

"Your honest mistakes always wake me up."

He nuzzled into her neck. "I'll make it up to you."

"Sometimes I swear you're just trying to get me mad at you so you can spend time with me." Caramel just grinned and shrugged, to which Bonbon rolled her eyes. "I guess I'd be angrier if I didn't know your apologies are worth it."

Dash laughed, seeing a bit of themselves in Bonbon and Caramel's relationship. The joking, the sometimes weird dating procedure. "Maybe I should do that to Mac?" She asked, getting a grin out of Bonbon.

"Sure, just try to annoy him. If those Crusaders can't drive him into a rage, then nothing can."

Caramel stopped his light nuzzling for a moment, looking around. "You know, I don't want to break the mood or anything, but fireworks that loud still aren't technically legal around here, so..."

"Hey! You four!"

"Shit!" Caramel yelped, pulling Bonbon away with him as the four broke into a gallop. Caramel sprinted away and grabbed his creation, still remarkably in one piece. Dash and Mac caught up as they ran through a row of trees, turning onto a street. "It's only like, ten or something. We'll just go to the market. He couldn't have seen anything but outlines."

"Sometimes, when I wake up in the morning, I think I'm going to have a day where I live as an adult." Bonbon veered, bumping into Caramel. "I almost made it, but you woke me up, you jerk!"

"I'm an adult most of the time, that's all I ever agreed to!" He retorted, bumping back against her, albeit a little lighter. "And you go to sleep too early!"

"Well if ya guys want ta follow through with yer plan here, turn into this alley!" Mac yelled, and they veered hard left, the sound of hooves scraping on the pavement and fighting for traction reflecting off the buildings as they entered the alley. Dash chanced a look before the wall got into the way, not seeing anypony. Maybe he hadn't followed. It wasn't as if they had really endangered anypony to his knowledge. Or he was slow.

The group slowed to a walk, exiting into a busy part of Ponyville and becoming one with the crowd. Caramel tossed the firework carcass in a trash can as he passed.

"It really gets the adrenaline up, huh?" Dash asked, getting a chuckle out of the other three.

"I'd be a lot harder on Caramel if stuff with him wasn't as exciting as it is." Bonbon replied, laughing. "And no, you're not off the hook."

"Fiddlesticks."

"Anyway, I still have the cookies," Bonbon said, unraveling her scarf to reveal the plate and its still mostly intact cookies. "So if anypony's interested..."

Dash grabbed one, taking a bite out of the side. The flavors of berries flooded into her mouth, and she pulled it away to find that what had looked like a sugar cookie had in fact turned out to be way better.

"Are they exquisite as usual?" Caramel asked, taking one for himself and biting into it. "Because personally, I like to think that they're the best things on the face of the planet."

Bonbon kissed him on the cheek, laughing. "Points awarded."

"All joking aside, they're always pretty damn good." Dash nodded, grabbing another.

There was a lapse in the conversation as they all ate quietly. Bonbon, not particularly interested in her own cookies, spoke first. "So I hear that you're thinking of making Ponyville weather independent?"

"How'd you hear that?" Dash asked, not denying it. Her efforts weren't exactly a secret, though it would sort of annoy her if the Weather Board caught wind of it before she could tell them.

"Thunderlane told me. Well, he told Caramel, who told me. They're pretty good friends, so I can't say that's weird, and then evidently we're sort of acquaintances..." She grinned, gesturing to Caramel.

"Yeah, I don't mind, so long as the whole town doesn't know." Dash responded. "Technically, Ponyville is already independent, but I need to inform the Weather Board and get a new deal with Cloudsdale. We don't need extra clouds that often around here, so that shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Well from what I've heard, you have a much tougher job than most ponies would think." Caramel interjected. "Especially with the rumors about how lazy you are that circulate from time to time."

Dash shook her head. "Yeah, well last time I checked, I'm allowed to nap when I've finished with my job. Weather's not like accounting, there's not always something you can do." She laughed. "Oh well, at least Mac knows that I'm not some lazy blob. That's what counts."

"Well if you have your meeting tomorrow, we should probably let you go." Bonbon noted. "I don't want to be the reason you aren't well-rested, even though Caramel may not have a problem with that."

"Only for you, Bonbon." Caramel teased, getting bumped by her.

"Well then, Ah guess Ah'll see ya around. Don't end up in jail."

"Him?" The beige mare asked. "No promises." Caramel just grinned. Dash couldn't help but grin back. His energy reminded her of a younger version of herself. She wondered how he kept it around.

The four bid their goodbyes, moving through the thinning crowds of downtown once again. They got away from the majority of ponies quickly, walking under the light of the moon by themselves. Dash pushed herself gently against Mac's side, finding it somewhat humorous the height on her back where she made contact with his stomach. His warmth quickly started to flow into her, the cold of the night not affecting her with him at her side.

"Ah'm gonna miss ya." Mac mumbled. "It's only two days, but it'll be a boring two days."

"Don't think I'm any different." Dash reassured. "And besides, it'll be the last thing for a while. I have your phone number, so I'll just call from my hotel, okay?"

Mac grinned. "Ah'd like that."

"Okay, that's settled. But before we call it a night, I say we get about as crazy as my level of exhaustion will allow."

Mac stared at her, unsure. "Yeah?"

Dash decided to have some fun. "You know, slow... You're moving me up and down on you, so slowly you can feel every-"

"Dash! Wait until we get to mah bedroom!" Dash giggled, veering around an apple tree.

"And then you hilt, and we're against each other, as deep as-"

Mac slowed his walk and Dash turned, fully knowing what she would find. "Ah know Ah get goin' easily, but come on, Dash." He whined. His house came into view, and it was immediately clear that at least one member of the family was still awake. Mac looked like he was trying to concentrate on anything else, to variable results. He'd managed to avoid a full erection, and Dash had the heart to let him continue to calm down. She wasn't a total savage.

Mac pushed open the front door, walking inside. He had delayed long enough for his shaft to retreat, and luckily, too.

"Hello, Darling!" Rarity exclaimed, almost looking surprised that Mac would show up to his own house.

"Hey, Rarity" He replied shortly. If he was irritated that they couldn't get down to business, he sure didn't show it. But that was the first thought to spring across Dash's mind. She needed to get to sleep, and she needed to get intimate with Mac. The idea of it was burning away at her already, clouding her thoughts. Mac moved across the room, and she followed. "What brings you to this part uh town so late at night?"

"Oh, is it really that late?" Rarity looked at the clock. "Oh, heavens! Well, we've been chatting for much longer than I had planned for." She started to gather up her things.

"So how've you been, Rarity?" Dash asked, breaking into the conversation.

"Surely not as good as you, the pony that devastated mares everywhere by taking Macintosh out of the singles pool." The pair blushed. "I've been busy with the usual things, slowly moving up in the world... You know how it is, Dash."

"Yeah, I guess." She replied, not sure what else to add.

"Applejack tells me you'll be missing the spa day tomorrow because of business arrangements? Would you like us to reschedule?"

Dash grinned. "No, you guys go without me. I'm not missing much."

"Stubborn as usual, Rainbow." Rarity chided. "Well, there'll always be next week." She threw her saddlebags over her back and started to move for the door. "Thanks for having me, Applejack."

"The pleasure's all mine." The farm mare replied, taking a cup from where Rarity had been sitting and her own, placing them in the sink.

The door shut, and Applejack turned her attention to Dash. "Good luck tomorrah, even though ya won't need it."

Dash cringed. "We'll see..."

Applejack threw a dismissive hoof into the air. "You'll knock 'em dead, just watch. Maybe if it annoys them enough, they'll actually die."

"Maybe that can be my thing to calm down? Image the audience is dead?"

Applejack snorted, pulling a leftover sandwich out of the fridge. "Points for originality."

"Well, we're gonna hit the hay early, Ah think." Mac piped up, moving towards his room. "Dash needs her rest."

Dash suppressed a giggle, keeping her face neutral. Maybe he wanted this more than she did. "Yeah, I don't want the extra nervousness that comes with being tired. But the upside to all this is that flying to Coudsdale early tomorrow will clear my mind. I'll get up a few minutes early, and throw in a trick or two. Then I'll hit the Weather Board with some facts, and call it a day. If they roll over and die, I can do that weather deal as well, and be back by sunset."

"Wishful thinking, but Ah wouldn't doubt ya." Mac replied, sending a wave to Applejack.

"Maybe someday ya can get a better cloudwalking spell and take up Dash's bed for once, eh?" Applejack asked, grinning.

"If it's as comfortable as you say, then Ah think she'll have to worry about me deciding to put down roots." He proclaimed with a chuckle, disappearing through the door to his bedroom as Applejack began making her way down the hall. He closed the door quietly, fully aware that Applebloom was probably asleep by now. Mac turned around and immediately bumped into Dash's lips, melting into the kiss but not allowing it to get more aggressive. They both knew that despite their lust and want to begin with fast, somewhat rough sex, it couldn't happen. It would keep them up too long. Mac pushed Dash backwards gently, bumping her into the bed and pushing her onto her back with a gentle hoof.

Mac broke the kiss briefly, making sure she was situated to keep from bumping teeth before he continued. Mac laid lightly atop her, his hind hooves still on the floor as they kissed, not moving too quickly yet making sure to skip foreplay as best they could. There was no need with them, and it often became a simple formality that they used as a delay before the finale. Then again, Mac's stamina devalued it into more of a warning firework, the first one that shot off in order to notify ponies of the impending show. There were probably better analogies out there, but still.

Dash pulled away, pressing her forehead against Mac's. She could feel his member, draped over her lower stomach, quickly rising away as it stiffened. He left a thin trail of precum as it lengthened with every heartbeat, leaving her fur within seconds to bounce against his stomach. Mac caressed her cheek with a hoof, blushing with arousal as he began to position himself. God, he looked so sexy.

"Oh!" Dash exclaimed, wrapping her arms over his back as he pushed lightly against her lower lips. After the usual resistance he slipped inside, sliding a little bit further than he probably wanted to immediately. Dash gasped, Mac's breathing stopping short. He shut his eyes, his length pulsing as she squeezed it. It'd been like two or three days since they'd last had sex, but it felt as pleasurable as the first. Dash heard a squelch, figuring it was from Mac seeing as there was no way there was space left inside her. She wished they had time for her to get to all of him. He started to move and she groaned, pushing his chin up with a hoof so they could enter back into a kiss.

Mac pulled out slightly before inching back inward, trying to get to the depth that they both loved. His medial ridge stretched her, scraping against her walls and leaving them alight with pleasure. It had barely been a minute and they were already panting, pleasure building up in the both of them far too quickly. Mac made a few short thrusts, staying as far inside her as he could while still making reasonable movements. He was seeming to forget about the sex itself, focusing more on the kiss. Their tongues were intermingling, fighting between their mouths as their idle hooves explored each other's bodies.

Mac got a hoof under her arm and suddenly pushed forwards, moving her further onto the bed and thrusting against her. He had been almost hilted already, but the tiny amount of movement combined with a large amount of force added a little roughness that had been missing. Mac rolled them onto their sides, and Dash caught on to his plan as he started playing with her wings, his other hoof in the small of her back, keeping his leverage for his small thrusts. He had achieved a slow rhythm, keeping his movement to a minimum in order to keep them both excited but away from the edge. He was getting more experienced at this every time.

"Ah, shit!" Dash moaned, her wings flaring as much as they could while she was on her side. Mac moved his kisses to her neck, continuing to massage her wings. Two could play at that game, mr. nerve clusters, especially since she had two hooves free. Dash let a grin spread across her face, moaning as her marehood pulsed around his length, Mac's groan in response a clue to the fact that it was as warm and tight as he said it was. He never could seem to get over the feel of her, and in a way she hoped she always seemed like a drug to him. He definitely was for her.

Dash got her hooves onto his back, going straight for the kill. One hoof got a grip on his shoulder blade, digging around until Mac jolted and tensed, thrusting inside her with the leverage he received from his iron grip on her. Pleasure flared from Mac's hooves, and she let out a quiet moan.

"Apparently I'll never get used to that." Mac mumbled, groaning as she continued to move her hoof around. The other one had not found purchase, but she had enough concentration left to continue to look.

Mac's hoof left her back, caressing her wings for a few moments as he slowed down to almost nothing, pulsing hard inside her. The break went on almost until Dash urged him on to continue. His hoof returned downwards and played with her tail briefly before planting his hoof firmly just above it. Then he lengthened his thrusts. It wasn't a large change, but it was enough of one to account for their rising lust and arousal, and Mac didn't let himself get distracted. Dash could see the concentration on his face, his back arched as he tried to account for the new pleasure he wasn't used to. Maybe that was why he slowed down.

She started pushing against him with his every thrust, inching closer to her climax. From how much he was pulsing inside her and the way the little bursts of warmth that was his precum were getting closer together, there was definitely no way he was far either. Dash got a hoof on his chest, pushing them apart. His member slid out of her as she sat back on the bed, making her shudder. She missed it immediately.

"Sit up, Mac." She said, watching his stallionhood sit up with him, bumping against his stomach. He tilted his head backwards in pleasure as it bumped his stomach, pushing it out away from the contact with a hoof. Dash had never really seen it this close to orgasm, all angry and veiny like it was, leaking a steady stream of precum that had already started to slide down his length.

"Jeez, Dash." He started, the pulses in his member calming down. "You trying to kill me?"

She kissed him, giggling. "I knew you were close, but not half a second from bursting close." The pegasus wrapped her hooves around his neck, sliding against him until she came into contact with the thick head of his length. "I- unf- figured it was easier when one of my arms wasn't stuck between you and the bed."

"I'd suppose-" He replied airily. She slid a couple inches onto him and Mac gritted his teeth, letting out a groan. Dash tensed as much as she could, massaging his sensitive flare before she let herself take in the rest of him. He was as close to the edge as he was going to get without losing it the rest of the way, and as she came to a halt he almost went over the edge. He pulsed several times, a particularly large blob of precum hitting her deep inside and making her groan. "That was close again, Dash." He murmured, panting. She'd heard his marehood match a few of her pulses with its own winks, and it only made her more aroused. "Why ya gotta torture me like this?"

"It'll just make the end better. I have p-plans I'm trying to get to here." She replied airily, only a few thrusts away from climaxing herself. Sitting stationary wasn't working. Dash braced herself on his shoulders, pulling herself up in a long but smooth motion. Almost immediately, she let herself slide back down just as quickly. If this was the end, then they were hitting it at full speed. Mac braced himself with a hoof, thrusting upwards.

Dash's hoof slid from Mac's shoulder and she pulled him onto her as she tried to recover her balance, throwing a weirdly aimed thrust into the mix that hit her in all the right ways. Mac's lips hit hers as his hooves found her wings. He was past gentle thrusting at this point, and as soon as he repositioned he started moving them both as quickly as his body would allow. Dash felt her climax hit, growing in intensity as Mac continued to thrust, his hug around her getting tighter as he neared his peak. She'd lost all control of their coupling by now, but she couldn't find a reason to care.

He moaned into the kiss, growing louder as Dash managed to get another poke at his back in. His seed hit her like a bullet, but he didn't stop thrusting, stretching her just a little more with his impossibly hard member. He got in a few more good thrusts before succumbing to the pleasure and pushing himself in as far as he could. He held her tightly, his activity lolling in the kiss for a few moments as he twitched and huffed, his movements for some reason the only thing Dash could focus on as she lay there, basking in pleasure. His orgasm seemed longer than usual, her less intense pulses keeping it strong for a few precious moments longer.

She could usually tell fairly easily when Mac was coming down, but his renewed interest in the kiss made it quite clear. He pulled a hoof from her wing, placing it on her cheek, his other hoof sliding behind her head. They laid onto their sides once again, the sensual kiss only breaking occasionally as they attempted to get their breath back. He didn't make an effort to pull out, and she didn't force him to. It felt nicer being slowly let off of the addictive experience that involved being filled by him, and while it was never something she really liked to let go...she knew it wouldn't last forever. She giggled slightly into the kiss, using a hoof to play with his mane. Well, it was definitely something that she'd miss in the coming days.

"Ah love ya, Dash." He murmured, throwing a blanket over the pair and diving straight back into the kiss before she could respond. Dash took a little more control, hugging him tighter and making completely sure he knew what her reply would be. Over whatever period of time they spent making out, Dash could feel them both falling asleep, the kisses becoming less common, slower when they did happen. More and more sensual as the lust melted away. Mac started to fade and she called it quits, nestling her head into his warm shoulder and passing out almost immediately, without even a chance to think of everything that she had to do in the morning.

Dash woke up with a start, rolling over to look at Mac's alarm. She read the time and sighed, letting herself lay in the cool covers she had migrated to for a moment. It was about six, which was good because she wanted to get out of here quickly, if possible. She was supposed to be there in time for the thing at nine, which left her a lot of time to mess around while she flew. A trick here or there would clear her mind.

Mac grumbled something, rolling onto his back. Dash chuckled at his expression. He almost looked like he was comatose. It didn't take her much longer to notice what she presumed was his member, making its own ridge under the bedspread. She allowed herself another chuckle, wondering how often Mac would have sex with her if he could whenever the urge hit him. Maybe he had a stronger drive than she did. Time would tell, she supposed.

She pulled herself out of bed, going through her usual daily routine. She may as well just move in, given the amount of things she had brought over here. She brushed her teeth, starting the shower. She spit and washed out her mouth, checking the water. It had warmed up by now, and she stepped in. Her mind wandered.

Being a pegasus, one of the lessons they were taught as kids was to make sure you were completely dry when you flew. Young pegasi were particularly susceptible to sudden cold attributed to windchill, and if your wings got too cold it was hard to avoid crashing at that age. Naturally, she had been one of many to learn the hard way, but thankfully she had been close to the ground at the time. Once she had grown up, her wings had finished maturing, their complex structure of blood vessels and the thickness of her flesh enough to protect from any immediate danger. But she still knew when she was getting towards the danger zone, and she'd had to ground weather operations in the past because of freezing rains and snow. They could manipulate weather perfectly... when the conditions were right, and they could still get stumped by the more volatile storms. At least the Everfree didn't produce any storms they couldn't fight. So far, anyway.

Dash shut off the water, shaking herself mostly dry. Her mane was still drenched, and she would have to make sure it was ready to go before taking off, especially this early. The spring heat hadn't kicked in, and it was surely still humid from the rain shower they'd had a couple of days ago. Plus they had a front moving in. It wasn't anything to worry about so long as she prepped properly, but it would still be chilly.

Presumably, ponies figured that flying was easy, without risks to those that were born to it so long as they didn't attempt, say, insane maneuvers. But there was preening, and all the times she was stuck on the ground or in her house because of some extreme weather. Heat could be dangerous for cramps, for instance, though those weren't exactly as much of a worry. Probably a big thing for foals, though.

She squeezed the water out of her mane as well as she could, wrapping the towel around her head tightly. Nopony would see her and be able to make a spa joke anyway. Dash looked at herself in the mirror, making a circle in the water that had condensed with a hoof. She looked a little tired, maybe, but she also looked ready for the day ahead, prepared and mentally at peace with the whole affair. Would she get nervous right before? Probably, but it didn't matter. She knew what to say, knew how they would react. Even if things didn't go to plan, she could wing it. This was the stuff she had spent years honing, learning down to a science. No one knew weather like she did, especially not the Weather Board. Her break would be today, and her proof would follow soon after, as Ponyville became the pinnacle of weather control.

Dash started humming to herself, idly separating a red hair from a yellow one. She wandered out of Mac's bathroom, closing the door behind her. She shivered, shrugging and grabbing his massive robe, draped over the back of his desk chair. She threw it on, stumbling back into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. Dash laughed, pushing a hoof to her mouth as she glanced at Mac. He was still asleep, good. She turned her attention back to the mirror, grinning at her reflection. She looked like a foal that had found her father's robe. Maybe not that bad, but it was still comical.

She rolled up the sleeves, pushing them over her shoulders so they would stay. The back of the robe trailed along on the ground, looking ridiculous. It was still amazing to her that he was so large, and even though he had fit into her mind as normal by now, things like this were still insane to her. He was like that guy in those action movies that took a punch from the main character and just sort of stood there, unfazed. He was the main crony, but with intelligence.

Thank god she thought out her compliments more than this before they came out of her mouth.

Dash poured herself a bowl of cereal, munching on it as she read the back of the box. She really needed to float a few bits Applejack's way for all the food she ate here. She thought about just leaving them on the counter before thinking better of it. Surely there was a more eloquent way. The Griffin Empire had paper money, which apparently would sometimes wind up in cards and things, from what little information ponies had told her. When she had been asking what they gave as gifts, she at least expected a more interesting answer. There was probably a variety of other things, but she couldn't recall what they were.

Bits were so annoying, though. Applejack had complained from time to time that she couldn't negotiate by half bits, which was only really a problem in town when they were selling things one by one. But apparently griffins could just buy a hundred apples or one blueberry, and they had the denominations for that. She had heard about it possibly happening here in Equestria, but so far nothing had changed. Admittedly it didn't affect her much, but it would be a hell of a lot more interesting. Maybe she just wanted something less heavy. That was probably it.

And with more types of money, the chances that she could get her face on one would skyrocket. Ooh. At the moment it was just Luna and Celestia hogging the two faces of the bit to themselves, selfish bastards. Of course, if she ever did get her face on a coin or a bill, it had better not be for being an element. Maybe for revolutionizing the weather system across Equestria or something--she couldn't exactly see fancy flying being that important--but even then, there had to be more important things to put on a coin.

But there the griffins had them again. They had a revolution like a hundred years back, and had all their original leaders on there that had crafted their country into what it was. Equestria just had Luna and Celestia for however much longer they lived, then maybe something chaotic would happen that lasted more than a day or so. But those didn't really exist, because of the elements or Twilight or whatever.

It wasn't as if she loved the Griffin Empire and wanted to move there, it was nothing like that. They had weird customs, and she was sure she would find at least some small part of their diets unsettling. They didn't eat pony, and the usual response to the question was a joke about it being too tough or something. Tasteless, too. It was a little weird to hear, because there was always the thought that went through her mind about how they knew. That thought would cancel with the one that said the entire statement was a joke and to lighten up a little, but it still made her think. And her thoughts always went to how she would taste. Apparently, not so good. She didn't have any fat on her, and that was where the flavor was. Being almost entirely ignorant when it came to meats and their proper preparation, fat just seemed gross.

Eh, the bits of meats they mixed into food were always nice. It definitely didn't bother her in any sort of ethics way, and maybe at some point she'd have to get one of those fancy steak things. Those were just a big slab of meat, though, and probably there was a way to work up to it. Her only experience with one had been when a steak had passed by her table in Canterlot, and she'd gotten a good whiff. She couldn't lie that it smelled good. She'd probably get one to annoy Rarity. Rarity loathed meat.

Dash got up from the table, washing her dishes and returning Mac's robe and towel after making sure she was dry. She trotted out the door, hopping into the air with an emotion she didn't expect to feel: excitement. She did a few loops before getting her bearings and flying off in the direction of Cloudsdale, grinning. So it began.

Mac jerked awake, putting a hoof to his head. It came away sweaty, and he threw the blankets off in an attempt to cool down. In doing so he revealed to his own tired mind his stiffened member. A second of shock washed over him before he started to feel a familiar burn and he let himself fall back against the pillows.

"Fuck me." Mac grimaced at the irony of the statement. He lay there for a moment longer, before arising so that he could begin to pace. "Shit." He said simply, trying to think as much as he could now before it got hard. Fuck these unintentional puns.

This explained a lot, unfortunately. He had been feeling unusually hot yesterday morning when he had taken a shower, but had written it off as just a weird event. Then last night he'd felt a little too aroused. Dash had gotten him going outside, sure, and he would've gotten something from that, but the dirty thoughts came all too easily and vividly to his mind. Then he'd felt more needy during sex, and-- he should've just seen this coming. Dammit. He'd just assumed it was because he was around Dash, or it was a little bit warmer than the forecast had said. Anything but this.

The walking felt nice, at least. It was one of his strategies for keeping his mind elsewhere, and usually it worked. Air was cooling his marehood fairly well, slowly drying the moisture that had accumulated there. Hopefully Dash didn't know. He didn't want her worrying about more than she already had on her plate. But this was insane. He couldn't be having another heat. It didn't make sense. It had been like a week. This couldn't be happening.

"Probably just a wet dream and Ah'm comin' down with somethin'." He reasoned, but the logic hardly made sense. At least at this point, the light burning sensation between his legs wasn't going away, and he didn't have any other ideas. Mac looked at the clock. Applebloom would be off to school soon, and afterwards he could check if AJ was still around and see if she could get his doctor on the line. The heat tests had maybe shown a pattern, the guy wasn't sure. At least it was progress, and this one could be the breakthrough. It was weird enough to at least reveal something.

But he was without Dash, and if he was already feeling this heated then the week was off to a bad start. Usually the first day was easily manageable. Heat eased itself onto him, as if realizing how annoying it was and offering an apology. But this was already annoying, and he'd been awake for five minutes. That wasn't a good start, by any means. He looked between his legs, verifying that his member was as erect as it felt. So it wasn't going down, that answered that.

The objective now became getting ready in time for the worst of it. At this rate, he maybe had the day. Tomorrow it would be hard to think about anything other than Dash and some form of penetration. That wouldn't have been a bad thing if she were here. He shook his head, sighing. Whatever, it couldn't be helped. He needed to fill up the water coolers, dump in the half-gallon milk containers that he'd made into ice cube trays with populations of one, and... well, just wait, he supposed. It would probably be helpful to get as many apples out of the trees as he could handle, seeing as he'd be MIA for at least a few days. Applejack usually was able to work through her heats, but ever since she had seen him try she had told him to stay in the barn and stay cool. He assumed she thought his were worse, at least sometimes.

Alright, with the idea of getting work done in mind, he needed to get in a few minutes of... well... God, he hated heat. Mac laid back on his bed, avoiding the wet spot from his dreams. At least the early part of heat could be staved off with a little bit of attention, but it wouldn't last long. He laid his hoof against his member, feeling it pulse against him. It had been a while since he'd even bothered to touch himself; with Dash around it just seemed pointless, and to be honest the thoughts didn't come to his mind. He sighed, but chucked to himself a few moments later. He was probably one of the few that got angry at the chance for pleasure. But then again, he'd be drooling at it in a few minutes time anyway.

He hurried the movements of his hoof along, feeling the tingles of the beginning of an orgasm on the horizon already. Dash's hoof immediately replaced his in his imagination, his other hoof poking at his balls for a moment before continuing downwards. He met wetness, his marehood winking in enjoyment as he pressed his hoof against his clit. Mac wasted no time in his ministrations, moving quickly to push himself towards the edge in any way he could. After all, his main objective here was just to look presentable so he could do everything he wanted to today.

Mac hooked his hoof into his wetness, attempting to get the edge as deep as his stocky hoof could. As usual, it was no use, and the pussy that Dash had described as tight kept him from making any progress. To be fair, he didn't exactly need to be tight in the slightest to block his hoof. His dick was pulsing heavily, pleasure building up impossibly quickly. His thought process finally broke as pleasure swept over him, seed hitting him in the nose and making him jump. His hoof was a blur across his marehood by now as it winked, occasionally stopping briefly as Mac lost concentration. He had his own rhythm down to an art, speeding up as he pulsed and contracted, pushing himself closer in spurts.

His length slowed its pulses, drooling with the last of his seed yet refusing to go down. Damn. Mac just restarted his stroking, a vision of Dash replacing his hooves again as the thick line of his seed across his body started to cool.

"You're not done?" He imagined her saying. She paused for a moment as he caught his breath. "I guess we'll just have to see how good this heat is at keeping you hard, huh?" Dash grinned her trademark grin of competition before disappearing momentarily as Mac's pussy contracted and new pleasure sped across him. He almost let out a moan, but bit his lip hard. He wasn't sure if Applebloom was gone, and the last thing he wanted was noise seeping out. Dash returned as his pleasure started to die down, not stopping with his length. Mac curled his stomach with the pleasure, rolling onto his side as his length erupted again and his vision went white. Nothing existed in those precious few moments other than the ecstasy rolling through him. If heat could make masturbation feel this good, he wondered as he floated in space, how would it make the real Dash feel?

As the stallion started to come down, he could feel his length slowly slackening. He figured he probably had two or three minutes in maximum afterglow mode before it started to come back, and he couldn't help but enjoy his time off. As soon as his heat started to return it would be off to the shower with him for a few more, then onto all of his work. Hopefully he could knock it out for the morning at least.

It was going to be a long day.

God dammit. Fuck that pun.

Author's Notes:

Well, everything's getting hectic. That's good for me, seeing as things going to plan is usually boring as hell. Also, the fimfic servers were naturally down so I couldn't post this when I wanted to.

Last chapter I asked whether people read this for the story or the sex, and it seemed like just about all of those responses were for the story. That's nice to see, but I'm sure there were also a lot of people that didn't feel like typing with their left hand. Heh.

Probably, there are people that follow me for other stories than this one. Why am I not working on those? Well, I'm not sure, but this story is mostly planned out and I quite like the plot. It's really solid, and it makes me feel like this story's totally under control. It's really easy to get excited about writing it. Now, the unfortunate part is that I have a huge block on Ecstasy and my first story is kinda... spoiler alert... not that well written because it's my first. It annoys me that this isn't more popular, and I'm known for my first story. This one's better, yo.