Four days; four long, grueling days of wandering through the desert. While it was nice to have company for the long walk, the limited rations the group scrounged up from the griffon camp were dwindling too fast. There wasn't much to do but talk, as such the only thing that would keep them going was sharing stories. Demo would tell them outlandish tales of his adventures with Draco before and after Tirek’s rule, often times with Draco adding in a few details the tall earth pony decided to leave out. It was all they had to help them trek on into the night, the only time they would finally get some rest from the long walk. It didn’t take long for Aaron to start loving the nights as he longed to cuddle up to his marefriends… or at least that’s what he thought would happen.

Dash ran a tight ship and treated the group like it was one of her battalions; meaning mares with mares, and stallions with stallions. Which meant that Aaron would be bunking with four, large, sweaty, stallions; a prospect he tried to fight tooth and nail over. Dash wouldn’t have any funny business keeping them up. They needed all the strength they needed for the long walk and she wouldn't have it being wasted on sex. Aaron and Draco tried their best to debate her, but often came down to her rules, as she would use the phrase “You can spend time with your mares when we’re walking.” The others were indifferent to it. Applejack and Twilight would try and put a positive spin on it, treating it as one of their old slumber parties. Aaron would have to fight for comfort, often sleeping on the edge of the tent.

The only stallion that wasn't opposed to this arrangement was Shining Armor; due to the fact that he didn’t exactly want to listen to his sister "get comfortable" with her coltfriend. However, Aaron had an ace in the hole; his connection with Applejack. It was the only way they could meet and talk in private. Sometimes Nightmare, or rather Luna, would join them, seeing it as the only time she could connect with those on the outside world. Applejack wasn’t really excited for such a thing, but would accept it on her previous show of trust.

After all that, they finally found their first sign of moving in the right path. The tracks leading from Dodge to the rest of the train system laid before them, and in much better condition than the tracks leading to the ghost town that was Appleoosa. Not only that, but the city was just on the horizon. So close they could barely make out buildings. If Aaron wasn’t so eager to reach the city as fast as possible, he would have dropped to his knees and wept. This would be his, real, first introduction to pony society. Yet that wasn’t what he wanted. What he was excited for was finding a bed; a real bed, soft and inviting, and no sweaty stallions .

“Come on, we’re almost there.” Twilight said as she urged everypony to pick up the pace. Their legs were sore from the four day trek, but soon it would all pay off. Aaron would keep to the back, trying to imagine what this town would be like. He’d soon find somepony walk up beside him while he was deep in thought.

“Hey.” Aaron was brought out of his thoughts to see Twilight standing next to him, a strange but familiar look on her face. She had done this at least once a day since they started walking. She had a look that showed she wanted to say something, yet it would derail to random trivia.

“Hey, Twilight. What’s up?”

“U-Um… The Sky?”

“Heh, good one.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. So, what can I do for you?”

“O-Oh.” She started to fidget with her fingers. Aaron had this down to a science by now and he could pinpoint the next course of action she would take. After she played with the fingers, she’d blurt out a random fact. “D-Did you know that… th-that there over 72 variations of parasprites in Griffonstad alone?” Aaron had no idea what a parasprite was, let alone what Griffonstad was. Still, he would smile and listen.

“Really now. So, what makes each parasprite so unique?” After that, she would descend into a rambling lecture detailing whatever it was she was explaining. Aaron knew he should know better, but after a bit, she would develop an enthusiasm in her lecture. It didn’t feel right to take that from her, so he would let her talk. Plus it helped to pass the time.

“Hey, Twi, could ya come up here for a minute?” Twilight’s lesson on the albino Parasprite was cut off when Applejack called her over.

“O-Okay. Sorry, Aaron. I’ll be sure to come back and finish.”

“No rush, gorgeous.” Aaron would wave her off as Twilight walked up to Applejack and Rainbow.

“So, what’s up?”

“The sky apparently.” Applejack would quip. “What are ya doin’ to that poor guy? You’re gonna talk his ear off if you keep that up.”

“He doesn’t mind.”

“Maybe, but maybe just give him a little time to recoup before your next lesson.” Twilight sighed to herself as she walked on.

“I’m sorry. It’s just… I’m trying to get the hang of this whole herd thing. I’ve never really done anything like it before.”

“I have. Well, one on one herd sort of thing, but it still counts. Just be casual.”

“But I don’t know the proper etiquette. Are there rituals, restricted topics of discussion, what are the proper roles we take-“

“First off; there aren’t any rituals or restricted topics. He’s just a friend,”

“With more banging.” Rainbow would add.

“Yeah, sort of like that. Look, Twi, you’re tryin’ to make a mountain out of a dirt hill here. Just be yourself and I assure you everything will work out swimmingly.”

“But what if he… what if he doesn’t like who I really am? What if he thinks I’m annoying?” Applejack placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder, reassuring her.

“Sugarcube, he doesn’t. If he did, would he have listened to your rant on how little ponies know about Starswirl? Just trust me, alright. Be yourself, stay calm, and I assure you that everythin’ will work out just fine.” Twilight took a deep breath and cooled her head.

“Okay.”

“Alright then.” With their little talk done with, the two would see the welcoming arch of the town passing over head. Unlike Appleoosa, Dodge was still a thriving city with plenty of ponies. Before they could take in the sights, they barely had time to walk into the archway before they were stopped by a group of ponies, holding swords close and ready to defend themselves. “Halt! No outsiders! Turn back the way ya came, we don’t want any trouble.” A pony with a badge would shout. Twilight recognized him to be the sheriff of the city. Some ponies would come out of their houses to see what was going on.

Shining stepped forward to meet him. “I am Shining Armor, we mean you no harm.”

“We know who you are, prince. Jus’ turn around and leave with your posse, we don’ want no trouble with your ilk here.”

“What kind of trouble?” Rainbow asked, stepping forward.

“You resistance fellers; We got a good thing going on here. No pony pays much attention to us. If’n a bunch a you rabble rousers come along, it may bring the damned guard to our doorstep. We already got enough trouble ‘round these here parts with bandits. We don’t got the resources to bring no dang griffons ‘er minotaurs here.”

“Look pa, they’s already got a griffon with ‘em.” The young deputy pointed fearfully at Gilda, who would cock a brow at his remark.

“See! Already yur bringin’ in types we don’ want. Now git, before things get messy”

“We don’t want any trouble. Hell we just want to catch a train and leave.”

“No train’s come around here in months. It only comes here to drop of requisitioned supplies. You want a train then go somewhere else.” Rainbow was starting to feel frustrated, not liking the way the sheriff was treating her. Things took a quick shift once Twilight came forward.

“My name is Princess Twilight Sparkle. As princess of the land, I humbly ask that you let us pass. We will cause no harm; you have my word as such.” The sheriff and several volunteers grumbled to themselves, silently debating as they finally sheathed their swords.

“Fine. Though know that there fancy title ain't jack ‘round here no more, so don’t expect no free stuff. I only let ya in cause of the old ways. You want something though, you pay like everypony else.”

“We shall.” With the situation diffused, Twilight and the others would pass through into the town. Their greeting into it had been met with some hostilities, but it would soon all be worth it. Everypony was on edge, feeling the tension from the stares they got from the others. Mothers would usher their children into the homes, hiding them away from the so called rabble-rousers.

“Sheesh. Here I thought more ponies would support our cause.” Draco said, seeing a few of the locals shoot them some nasty looks. Spitfire would hold her husband back from doing anything stupid.

“Clearly, that is a misconception.” Shining would. “Keep your weapons sheathed and do not antagonize the locals. Gilda, Draco, that goes double for you two.”

“Psh. As if I’d give these dweebs the time o’ day let alone a taste of-“

“He means it, D. Cool your tits.” Rainbow ordered. The griffon immediately stood down, but only because she wanted to. Even with all of this going down, Aaron would still find it in himself to find wonder as he examined the area around him. Ponies were scared of him due to his strange appearance. Yet he would be utterly fascinated by the primitive little town. Somewhat reminding him of a pony version of the old west.

“This place is pretty cool. I had no idea ponies were so colorful.”

“Yep. They’re a real techni-color parade of acceptance.” Gilda’s annoyance of the staring was starting to get to her. “Yo Dash, think we can find a place to rest. My paws are barkin’ here.”

“Yeah, I think you guys earned a rest. You guys go find an inn while Draco and I go take care of the tickets. Shining, keep the everypony under wraps, I don’t want to find any of these guys back in jail.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“And knock off that ma’am crap. I told you that a long time ago.”

“Sorry. Habit I thought I got rid of a long time ago.” Shining flustered at his mistake, taking out a bag of bits and handing it to Rainbow to purchase the tickets. They had scrounged up some bits after ransacking the griffon camp for supplies, as well as a few other supplies for the journey.

After Rainbow and Draco parted from the rest of the group to get some tickets, the rest of them traveled the town in search of an Inn. They were all tired and wanted to rest in something that wasn’t the ground. Once they found the building they were looking for, they couldn’t help but dart to it with a renewed enthusiasm in their step. Even Gilda couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the inn.

Twilight was the first to walk in, the pony who had been entrusted with the rest of the bits. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the front desk to find a young mare, flipping through an old magazine with a dull expression on her face. Twilight would stand there for a moment before clearing her throat to let her know she was there. Breaking away from her magazine, she looked up to see a smiling Twilight. “Hi.”

“… Hello.”

“We’d like some rooms please. We’ve been walking for a while now and our hooves are pretty tired.” The mare sighed as she sat up in her chair. She was a pastel pink with a cotton candy blue, curly mane. Fetching a book, the young unicorn would look it over and see that no one had checked in a long time.

“How long will you be staying?”

“Not long. Maybe a few hours. We’re hoping to catch a train as soon as possible.” That seemed to make the mare snicker as she closed the book.

“If you say so. How many of you will be staying?”

“There’s eleven of us total. Three of us will be sharing one room, and I do believe Draco and Spitfire are going to be sharing too.”

“I see. So, what about the rest?” Twilight turned to the others. They didn't really care what they got, just so long as it involved a bed to sleep in for a little while.

“I… guess they could pair up too if the beds are large enough.”

“Alright, a total of five rooms for the day. That equals out to… fifty bits.” Twilight’s ears fell back as she looked into the bag. She only had thirty. With this realization, she chuckled nervously.

“Uh… hehe… you by chance wouldn’t happen to have a princess discount would you?” The mare at the front desk would look at her with a deadpanned face. Not all that amused by the thought of a discount

“Sorry ma’am. Business is rough these days and we can't really afford any discounts. Don’t get many visitors here anymore so we gotta get what we can take. You want cheaper rooms, go find somepony else’s inn.” Twilight reared back a bit, grunting as she pocketed her bits.

“Fine! We will.”

“Hold the phone, sugarcube.” It was Applejack’s turn as she walked up to the front desk and casually lean on the edge with a friendly smile. “Listen, I know times are tough here. It's tough everywhere these days. We’re not asking for much, we just want a few hours to recuperate and dust ourselves off.” The front desk mare looked them over, seeing them coated in dirt and grime. Then she turned to Aaron, fidgeting with a plant.

“What is that thing?” Applejack turned to the human.

“Oh, that’s-“

“Our friend!” Twilight shot up, covering Applejack's mouth. “H-His name is… Right Hook” Twilight said once she recalled Aaron’s code name. “He’s had it worst of all. His coat fell out, his muzzle was beaten into his skull… and his cat died.”

“Sweet Celestia, that poor stallion.”

“I know. He’s a real trooper. Somehow he manages to smile every day, despite what happened.” Aaron turned to them and saw that they were all looking at him. Confused as to what was going on, he merely smiled and waved before going back to poking a strange plant. “He’s really devastated about what happened.” Twilight let go of her friends mouth after lying through her teeth, a new skill she managed to pick up on her journey. She didn’t like it, but they were desperate.

“A-Alright, five rooms for thirty bits. I can’t do more than that, I’m sorry.” The mare fetched the keys, handing them out to one after the other until, only to leave the desk and approach Aaron, inexplicably bringing him in for a hug. “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re gonna be fine.” Aaron was beyond confused as to what was going on. He looked over the mares shoulder and saw Twilight give a ‘roll with it’ gesture. He slowly embraced the mare, but looking around like a scared puppy as the hug went from comforting to very awkward very fast.

The moment she let go of him, Aaron rejoined Twilight and the others as they were escorted to their rooms. Applejack, Aaron, and Twilight were given their room and the moment the door closed, Aaron turned to his herd. “So… what was that all about?”

“Nothing. Just remember your name is Right Hook, you were beaten so bad your muzzle was forced into your skull and your cat died.”

“… Okay?” Aaron walked to the bed, taking a seat as he tried to comprehend what exactly it was that just happened. Applejack soon joined him, a disgruntled look on her face as she wasn’t all too happy with what Twilight did. She knew it worked out in the end, but it gave her a terrible feeling in her gut. “Who wants the first dibs at the shower?” Applejack soon smirked, seeing a chance to get back at Twilight.

“I think I will. You and Twi can spend some quality time together while I wash all this gunk off.”

“Just don’t use all the hot water.” Twilight’s smile vanished, realizing that this would be her first time being along with Aaron. Almost leaping off the bed, Twilight turned to Applejack.

“I’d actually like to-“

“Sorry, I already called dibs. You can go in next. You have fun, you two.” The door closed, just in time for the room to go silent. Twilight could feel an awkward tinge floating about in the air as she turned to Aaron.

“So… uh…” Twilight was coming up with nothing as she took to the bed, rubbing the back of her neck as she didn’t know what to really do with herself. “Do you… like… books?”

“Yeah, they’re okay. Though, I don’t see what good it would do me though. I can’t read.”

“Oh. Yes, that’s right. I forgot.” They heard the water turn, easily reaching the bedroom to make the silence just a bit more uncomfortable than it already was. “Would um… Would you like me to teach you?”

“You’d do that?”

“Of course. We’re friends, I’d be happy to teach you how to read.”

“Heh, don’t you mean herdmates?” Twilight would turn a deep red, never really been referred to such before, at least not all that often. Aaron saw her reaction and sighed. “You know… if you’re not ready for that kind of thing, you don’t have to.” Twilight looked up to him in shock.

“What?”

“If you’re not ready to be in a herd, I won’t force you into it. We can just be friends and that’ll be enou-“

“No!” Twilight caught her small outburst and cleared her throat. “I-I mean, no. I do want to be with you. I’m just… not all that used to it. It’s jarring to say the least.”

“I’m not either. Polygamy is frowned upon in my world. Though, we’re not in my world right now, and I really like you and AJ equally.” A thought crossed his mind. “In fact, I’ve spent quite a bit of time with AJ. You’ve never really gotten a chance to grow comfortable with me.”

“W-What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, or rather asking, that maybe we should spend some time together.”

“Are you…”

“Twilight… would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” Twilight could feel her heart start to skip. She had recalled asking that of Aaron days ago, but never in a million years would she believe somepony would ask her that question. She began to feel a soft heat come over her as her cheeks turned a brilliant red.

“I… I-I would love to. W-What time should we meet? Oh, do I have to wear anything?! Celestia, where are we going to go?! We don’t have any bits and we’re-“ Aaron placed a finger over her lips to stop her rambling.

“Twilight, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to do anything fancy. Just be yourself, that’s all I ask.”

“Told you!” Twilight sighed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be bathing?” Twilight shouted back.

“I can do two things.” Shaking her head, Twilight would direct her attention back to Aaron.

“Okay, casual dinner, I think I can do that.”

“Great. I’ll be looking forward to it.” They had a plan set out for themselves, but their small moment together would be interrupted with the sound of a knock at the door.

“Guys, time for a meeting.” Shining Armor was on the other side.

“Alright, we’ll be there in a moment.” Aaron leaned into Twilight for a kiss before getting up and knocking on the door. “Applejack, time for a meeting.”

“Alright, just let me finish up.”

~~~~~

Everypony had gathered into one of the rented rooms. They had chosen the largest of the five and were all huddled close as Rainbow and Draco stood before them. They wondered what was going on and what was so important that it warranted an actually meeting. Once everypony was settled, and dry, Rainbow would begin.

“Alright guys. Here’s the deal. We have some good news, some bad news… and some more bad news.” Things were off to a good start.

“Well, what’s the good news?” Shining would unenthusiastically ask.

“The good news is, we got us the tickets for the train. We’re all heading out to the home base on a train with no guards on it. We can sneak on board and be on our way without being taken into custody.”

“Alright, so what’s the bad news?” Gilda asked. Rainbow sighed to herself as she began with the hard part.

“The train won’t be here for another week.”

“You’re kidding?”

“'Fraid not, G. We’re stuck out here for the next seven days.”

“So, what’s the other bad news?”

“We don’t have enough food or water to last us that long.” The room fell silent, realizing the weight of the situation. “But, don’t worry. There’s an easy fix to that one. All we gotta do is pitch in around town and help out where we can. We can save what bits we got left and use it for what we can. So… how much money do we have?”

“Well,” Twilight began, showing the empty coin bag. “We sorta… spent it all on the rooms.”

“Okay, so we’re dirt poor. All the more reason to start looking for work, I’m sure there’s something the town could use getting fixed up. AJ, you’re still good with a hammer, right?”

“Course I am. Built my own tree house in the Everfree. I can probably get some stuff done.”

“Awesome. Shining, Strong Heart, the ponies out there guarding the gates could use some extra hands. See if some of you can volunteer.”

“Sure thing.” Shining responded.

“Twilight, Aaron, I want you two to go out and talk to the sheriff. See if you can work out some sort of deal for food or shelter. I don’t want us having to work all day only to come and sleep on the ground.”

“We’ll do what we can.”

“As for the rest of us, we’ll be doing our own thing. Don’t come back until you got yourself some work. I won’t have any freeloaders.” They all waited and discussed it with one another. “Did I say sit and chit-chat? Get off your asses and go look for a job!” Everypony scrambled about, scurrying out of the door as Rainbow rubbed her temples. “Sweet Celestia this is going to be a long ass week.”

Twilight and Aaron were among the first to leave the hotel. Aaron held onto the keys, keeping them in his pocket as he walked along the dirt roads. The sun was starting to set on the horizon, but they would have a few hours of sunlight left. “So, what should we do?”

“What do you think? We go talk to the sheriff.”

“Not what I meant. I was thinking what kind of job we are going to do?”

“I was a librarian and a princess before this. I could probably do some work at the government office. I could probably get you a job working with me?”

“Aw, you’d vouch for me?”

“Of course.” She froze for a moment, recalling something. “Wait… no, no you can’t work with me?”

“Why not?”

“Because…” She looked around, making sure nopony was listening, thinking that it was a rather embarrassing secret to bare. “You’re illiterate.”

“So, you’ll teach me.”

“I can’t teach you and work at the same time. I’m sorry Aaron, but I don’t know if I can. We’ll have to wait before we can do that.” Aaron sighed as he brought her in close, making the young alicorn blush from the public attention he was giving her.

“Alright. I’ll wait.”

“Thank you for understanding.” She saw a few onlookers focusing their attention their way, realizing what they were seeing. She was a princess to them and some strange thing was laying his hands on her. She knew this wasn’t an appropriate form of display for a princess, but a part of her really didn’t care. She wanted to hold Aaron close and bury herself into his form, enjoying his inviting company. However, much to both of their displeasure, she had to pull away. “Sorry, but… as much as I like that. We’ll have to wait until we’re alone. I don’t really want to rile the ponies up.”

Aaron took a deep breath and sighed. “Fine, if you say so.” The two soon found the sheriff’s office with the sheriff sharpening his blade on a grindstone. The sparks flew about as the dulled blade was brought back to its keen sharpness once more. Twilight tried clearing her throat, hoping to catch his attention.

“Excuse me.” Her voice tried to catch his attention over the loud buzz. “Excuse me, sheriff!” Still no response. “SHERIFF!!!” The buzzing soon stopped, his attention finally belonging to Twilight and Aaron. Sheathing his blade, the Sheriff stood before the two.

“What can I do for ya?” He seemed a lot calmer, but he wasn’t all too happy that they had interrupted him.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we’re in a bit of a situation. We’ve gotten our tickets for the train and-“ The sheriff held up his hand, realizing where this is going.

“Lemme guess. It ain’t comin’ for a while.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“I figured as much. So, what do ya want then?”

“We were hoping for some temporary sleeping and food arrangements in exchange for manual labor. We’ve exhausted what little money we had for the food and temporary housing at the inn, but we don’t have enough food or a place to stay while we wait for the train. So, we’re hoping that we could maybe work something out.” With a small huff, the sheriff began to think of a solution.

“Well… I ain’t got that kind of authority little lady. Though, if you’re looking for a place to stay and work, I do know a place you could go. She’s lookin’ for some hands to help her out around the house. It’s big an’ it should fit the lot o’ ya.”

“Oh that’s wonderful. Do you have an address.”

“Don’t need it. Just follow the main road an' take a left at the intersection. Go far enough an' you'll find a big red house.”

“Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to us.”

“No problem, yur highness. Jus’ no causin’ trouble.”

“We won’t, we swear.”

“Alright, now off with ya. I gotta get back t’ my blade.” Returning to his work, the sheriff would continue to use the grindstone as the two left down the road. Twilight was left in a thrilled mood as she practically bounced off the ground with glee. “That was easy. Plus, we can get a job for somepony there too.”

“I know. I was expecting that to go a lot worse. He didn’t seem all that thrilled to see us earlier.”

“Who knows why he’s like that. Let’s just get to this house and see if we can get somewhere to sleep for the night.” Aaron would try to follow Twilight to the best of his abilities. The young mare was filled with an eagerness and energy to see where it was that they were going. When they got there however, was an entirely different story. The moment they found the red house, Twilight’s smile had utterly vanished. With Aaron running up behind her, wondering how she could run so fast, would stop to see what it was she was looking at.

The house itself stood at nearly three stories high with stained windows decorating it. Inside, Aaron could hear soft piano music with the faint hint of lustful moaning. “Oh my god…” Aaron would say as he saw the house of debauchery. “… I think this is a Denny’s.”

“A what?”

“Nothing Twi. That joke was more for me than you.” Twilight didn’t know what to say about this. Sure the house was big and could fit their group three times over. It was just what went on in there that made her feel uncomfortable. That and the name wasn’t all that easy looking at. The Red Cherry. Seeing it would stir some emotions in Twilight as she began to turn a faint red. “Well… we need a place to stay, and they need work.” Aaron started to walk, only to feel Twilight grab him, keeping him from walking in. “Hm? Twilight, you okay?”

“I… I think we should look somewhere else.”

“What, why?"

"Because… I-I don’t like this place.”

“Is it because it’s a brothel?”

“No!... W-Well, yeah. It is kinda… uncomfortable. Please, I don’t want to go there.” Twilight averted her eyes as she turned to walk away.

“Okay then.” Aaron came to her side once more. “If you don’t want to work there, we’ll go somewhere else to sleep.”

“Y-You mean it?”

“Of course, but I do suggest we keep the place in mind. As a last resort of course.”

“Yeah. That seems smart.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, let’s get back to-“

“Twilight?” The alicorn mare stopped in her tracks as she heard a familiar voice. “Twilight Sparkle, is that you?” The southern belle accent was a giveaway for her. Turning to the door, Twilight could see a mare with a soft, cream colored coat but a vibrant cherry red mane. “Oh my stars, it is you.” She came closer so they could see her, revealing and yet tantalizing bordello dress.

“Cherry? Cherry Jubilee? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I never left, sugar lump. I can’t right leave mah home, even when I don’t got no magic to grow cherries.”

“So you… opened a brothel?”

“What can I say? Mare’s gotta make a livin’. I had quite a fancy penny stored up right when all this ruckus started. So, instead of pickin’ cherries, I guess you could say I pop ‘em now.” The mare let out a giggle as she looked to Aaron. “Oh my, who are you, young’in.”

“U-Um…” Aaron was left speechless, his eyes transfixed on Jubilee’s rather generous rack threatening to pop out and punch Aaron in the face at the slightest hint of a tear in the brazier. “M-My name is… A-Aaron?”

“Oh? That’s a funny name. It’s a pleasure to meet ya, young man. My name is Madame Jubilee, but you can call me Cherry since you’re with Twi here.”

“Breast yo- THANK YOU!!!” Aaron began to turn a shade of red much like Cherry’s mane, who was giggling uncontrollably.

“Oh, you’re a funny one. So, Twilight. What brings you to my neck o’ the woods?”

“Catching a train.” There was a hint of jealousy in Twilight’s voice. Seeing how Aaron reacted to Jubilee had triggered something in her, something she thought she didn’t have. “We were actually looking for someplace to work for food and a place to stay while we're stuck here.”

“I see. How many of ya are there?”

“Eleven, counting Aaron and I.”

“Oh. Oh?” She had a strange look in her eye as she got closer to Twilight. “This tall stud your herdmate?” It was Twilight’s turn to fluster.

“Y-Yes.”

“I see. I had no idea you had an exotic taste.”

“Yeah… who’d of thought.”

“Well, if you’re lookin’ for a place to stay and eat, I got plenty of rooms for ya’ll. “

“We’re grateful for the offer, but… we’re just considering this place for the moment.”

“Oh? Well that’s a damn shame. I would have loved to have you back in mah company. Seein’ you reminded me so much of when Applejack came to visit.”

“You know Applejack too?” Aaron began. Twilight would turn to Aaron in a fit of fear as he continued. “She’s actually traveling with us.” That was when Aaron sealed their fate. Cherry Jubilee began to gasp in pure delight as she brought Aaron in for a hug, smothering him in her cleavage. His muffled screams could be heard as he was buried in her chest fat, just as Twilight looked to her own breasts, before turning away from the sight.

“Sweet Celestia, I have missed that young filly. Oh please tell me she’s close by.”

“She’s out looking for work like the others are.”

“Oh that settles it then! Ya’ll are stayin’ here. I won’t hear nothin’ about it.” Just like that, Cherry dropped Aaron on the ground who immediately gasped for air. “Oh my goodness! I gotta prepare dinner for ya’ll. Ladies! Ladies! Break out the dinner wear, we have guests comin’” Cherry ran off to alert the house of their incoming guests. Twilight knelt down to the gasping Aaron.

“You alright?”

“I saw… a bright light… at the end of a long tunnel. I looked closer and… I saw more cleavage. What does it mean!?” Twilight rolled her eyes then helped him up.

“I think it means you’re a perv.”

“Hey, no shame in that.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s some shame in it. Come on, we may as well tell everypony that we’re being expected. Thanks for that by the way.”

“What? She knew Applejack. Did you see how happy she was to hear about AJ being with us? I couldn’t just hold that in.”

“Yes you could. Now we're honored guests at a house of debauchery.” From the sound of Twilight's rough tone, it was clear that something was bugging her. Aaron would bring Twilight in around his arm, trying to amend what he did.

“I’m sorry, Twi. I didn’t mean to do that. If you want, we can just go for dinner and try to find somewhere else?”

“No, we can’t do that. It would be rude to just eat and leave.” Twilight sighed, rubbing her temples. “Let’s just get the week over with. I don’t want to spend more time there than we have to.”

~~~~~

Once Everypony was alerted of what was going on, the group walked into the house and be greeted by the various mares, and some stallions that worked there. They bowed respectfully to their guests, walking them to the dining hall. The place was extravagant and elegant. The soft red carpets, paintings of cherry orchards, and the occasional statue or bust gave the room a sense of classy charm.

Aaron was left in awe at what he saw walking to the table. Though the air held a tinge of sex, Aaron could smell something delicious cooking in the kitchen. His stomach began to grumble at the thought of freshly cooked food. He hadn’t eaten anything that was in a can for a very long time. The dinner was something he would be looking forward to.

Taking their seats, Aaron would sit between Applejack and Twilight. Draco pulled Spitfire’s chair out for her before taking his own seat. Rainbow took the edge of the long table, overlooking everypony as they took whatever seat they could get. “Applejack, it is so good to see you’re alright. After what I heard about the apples, my heart grieved greatly for you kin. You have no idea how happy I am to see you at mah table today.”

“I appreciate that, Jubilee. I’m glad to see you’re doin’ alright for yourself.”

“Oh yes, I have become quite a well off mare. Now, please enjoy this dinner. It’s my ma’s special recipe and I’ve been dyin’ to try it out again.” Jubilee jingled a small dinner bell, calling out several scantily clad mares and stallions in revealing servant’s wear. Gilda and Strong Heart took in their view of the stallions as they came around, laying out napkins and forks while the mares laid out the platters. Aaron was ready for this, he didn’t care for the sexy maids; his attention was on the food.

His mouth watered like a faucet as he smelt the freshly baked food under the silver domes. One after the other, Aaron was nearly brought to tears at what he saw. Thick, juicy burgers with cheese and bacon, cheese stuffed potatoes with more bacon, steamed carrots with bacon bits mixed in, and hot dogs. With bacon. The sight was something that would stop Aaron’s heart, before and after he started eating. “Well, what’cha waitin’ for. Dig in.”

With their host's blessing, no one could stop him.“What about you and your uh… friends?” Applejack would ask, motioning to the waiting mares and stallions.

“Oh, we’re on a strict diet to help keep our energy up and to help keep our physique looking nice for the guests. If we eat that stuff, it would utterly throw us off. You lot enjoy, it’s all for you.” Aaron wasn’t going to argue. He immediately took a burger and sank his teeth into it. Everypony began to follow suite and began taking anything that caught their eyes.

As Aaron chewed with a vigor that slowly faded with every motion, he began to notice something odd about the burger. The taste was, for lack of a better word, wrong. “Um… Miss Jubilee. I don’t mean to be rude but… these burgers taste kinda… funny.”

Applejack and Twilight turned to Aaron with a confused look. “What are ya talkin’ about?!This is the best food I had in years.” Applejack would emphasize her words by taking a massive bite out of her food.

“Yeah, come on dude. This stuff is pretty awesome.” Rainbow scarfed the burger down and went on eating like she had never seen real food before.

“I don’t know what’cha mean. I made those patties this morning. Those are probably the freshest hayburgers in town.” Aaron would freeze as he stopped chewing; staring at Jubilee before turning to the burger, where he could see that the patty itself was a mass of ground up hay.

“Oh... O-Okay.” He put on a fake smile and continued to cautiously eat. Fully recognizing the taste now. It wasn’t long before they heard a small bell go off.

“That must be my pie. Don’t ya’ll go away now.” Jubilee scurried off into the kitchen to fetch the dessert. The moment she left, Aaron nearly gagged as he reached for the napkin and spat out the food.

“Aaron!” Applejack chided in a whispered tone. “Don’t be rude! We’re guests to the house, ‘n you’re not being a good guest.”

“I’m sorry.” Aaron whispered back. “I can’t eat hay.”

“Well, why didn’t ya just say so.”

“Cause I thought it was a burger.”

“it is a burger, ya dolt!”

“Yeah, but not with meat in it!” Everypony stopped eating as they turned to Aaron in a small bit of shock. Things went ominously quiet for far too long.

“You’re… a carnivore?” Shining asked.

“Omnivore.”

“So. You can eat plants. It ain’t meat, but ya can still eat it.” Applejack continued.

“Yeah, but not hay. I don’t eat hay, it’s not good for my digestion.”

“Well… give it to me and I’ll eat your burger.” Aaron placed the burger on her plate, only to go to the selection again and look for something that won’t destroy his insides. “So… I take it that isn’t regular bacon?”

“It’s hay-bacon.”

“Of course it is.” Aaron said in a disappointed tone. Taking a second survey of the spread, Aaron saw that nearly everything had hay-bacon in it. Sucking it up, he went with the one thing that didn’t have that much hay in it. Scooping up a stuffed potato, he would scrape off the bacon bits, something he never thought he'd ever do to a dish, and start eating. “So… is the cheese at least cheese?”

“It should be. Why, can you eat dairy?” Gilda teased.

“As long as it’s made from real milk, yeah I can eat it.” At least he wouldn’t be going hungry tonight. The void of silence was soon filled as Cherry walked back into the room carrying a couple of pies. Aaron started to pray that they didn’t have any hay or anything else he couldn’t it in them, because the smell made his pallet moist.

“Alright ya’ll. Hope you like some good ol’ cherry pie.” Aaron began to lick his lips as he turned to Cherry.

“Excuse me, ma’am.”

“Yes handsome?”

“Um, just out of curiosity, what’s in the pies?”

“Oh, I can’t really tell ya that, sweetie. Family secret, you understand?”

“I do… but is there hay in any of them?”

“Oh good heavens no. Ya can’t mix it in well with the filling and it just makes the whole thing all stringy. Same with the cheese cake.” Aaron took a deep breath, hearing his favorite dessert of all time.

“Ch-… Ch-Cheese cake.”

“What? Never heard of cheese cake, dweeb?”

“Ohh-ho-ho, I’ve heard of it alright. I love cheese cake.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear, cause I baked four of them.” Aaron’s eyes began to light up.

“Will you join my herd, please?” Cherry began to laugh uncontrollably, finding what Aaron said hilarious.

“Oh, sweetie. I’m too old to be in a young stud’s herd. That’s awful kind, but I’m good where I am.” Applejack would chuckle with the rest, knowing it to be a joke. Twilight however, felt the strange sensation return the moment Aaron uttered that sentence. One of the stallions leaned into Jubilee’s ear and began to whisper, her smile faded for a moment as he spoke. “Oh. Oh I see. Well, that’s just unfortunate. Hm.” Thinking for a moment, Jubilee came to Aaron, who was eating his second stuff potato. “Darlin’, Stud just told me ya didn’t like mah food. Somethin’ wrong?”

“W-Well, it’s not that I didn’t like the food. It tasted pretty fantastic when I thought it was… well, actual meat.”

“Oh, you’re one a' those types. I’m sorry to say, but we don’t really get much of you meat-eatin’ folk around these parts. I would make a little something special for ya if I knew.”

“That’s very kind of you, but I can probably find somethings here. I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Oh, nonsense. It’s no trouble at all. You're a guest in mah house just as everypony else here. I don't wanna make ya sick. Besides, any friend of AJ is a friend of mine."

“Actually, Ms. Jubilee.” Applejack said just as she finished Aaron’s burger. “I’m in Aaron’s herd.” Jubilee held a look of shock on her face after hearing AJ speak those words.

“Oh my. You got quite a collection. I take it the others gals are with you too?”

“No, just AJ and Twilight for now.”

“Well, ya got yourself some mighty fine company then. I’ll be sure to… prep a special room for ya’ll.” Shining nearly choked on his drink when Jubilee spoke those words. The room went quiet as he tried to gather himself.

“Sorry. Ice cube slipped down the wrong pipe.” Shining would go back to sipping his drink, trying to play off what had happened to him. After Shining’s episode, Aaron would clear his throat to retake the conversation.

“To be honest, Ms. Jubilee, that won’t be necessary. A regular room will just be fine.”

“Ya sure, sweetie? I can cook up something really romantic for you... or if you want, maybe something naughty.” Shining started to turn pale.

“I’m sure. Thank you for the offer though.”

“Oh, it’s no problem. If ya ever change your mind, you let me know. I’d love to help out a lovely young couple out.” Aaron would take himself a slice of pie, hoping that it was edible. To his relief, it tasted like pie and nothing else. He took a few bites and savored the flavor. As he ate, Rainbow would take the conversation for herself.

“So, Twilight says that you’ve got some work that needs doing. We’re actually looking to get some work in to earn our keep.”

“Well, normally I wouldn’t hear of any guests of mine workin’ off a few meals or beds. But… we could use the extra hands around the house.”

“We’d be happy to help in any way we can… except doing what they do.” Rainbow motioned to the various mares and stallions wandering the house.

“Oh, don’t worry. I got all the special hands I need. I just need some other things taken care of. Chores, innocent entertainment, that sort of thing. Nothin’ sexual… lest ya want to that is.”

“I don’t think we’ll be doing anything like that.”

“I understand. But that can wait for tomorrow. Once ya’ll are done, feel free to leave yur plates. The maids will take care of the rest.” With that, Cherry Jubilee took her leave, only to return for a few seconds to set several plates of cheesecake. If Aaron was going to eat anything, it was going to be the cheese cake. He didn’t care if it was full of hay or rat poison. He was going to have at least one bite, regardless if it was going to kill him.

~~~~~

Once dinner was finished up with, everypony would head to their own rooms while the maids cleaned up. Aaron, Applejack and Twilight would make their way through the halls, lead by one of the house guests. “Here is your room.” She said softly, opening it to show a violet room with a large bed that could surely fit the three of them and some others. “If you require anything, pull the rope at the side of the bed, somepony will come to your aid.” Before they could walk in, Applejack smirked as she turned to the mare.

“Actually, think I could get my own room? I wanna give these two sometime together.” Applejack smirked devilishly as she could see Twilight’s nervous expression.

“Very well then. Follow me, ma’am.”

“Have fun you two. Aaron, I’ll see you in mah dreams.” Aaron chuckled at her little joke.

“Likewise, beautiful.” Now just the two of them, Aaron walked in and fell onto the bed, practically writhing in the soft and comfortable fabrics. “Oh my god! Twilight you gotta feel this bed. It feels soooooo good.” Twilight walked in, closing the door behind her. She looked around the room with an uneasy gaze, something about the room creating unease for her. Though seeing Aaron’s strange reaction to the bed made her smile. He was so strange, but that was probably why she liked him. Taking a seat, she would feel it against her coat, enjoying the softness, but not with the enthusiasm that Aaron had towards the bed. “Ah, it’s so good to be in a real bed.”

“I gotta admit, it is nice to be in a bed to sleep in for a change.” Twilight began to undo her leg straps, fidgeting with the locks before sighing and feeling the sand trickle down. The small particles had been a nuisance for so long; she thought she would go insane if she didn’t get it out soon. Free from the irritation, Twilight fell back and began to relax. At least try to as something had been bugging her for some time. “Aaron… do you… like big breasts?” The question came out of nowhere and disoriented Aaron when she asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Do you like large breasts?”

“Yeah, I guess. As much as the next guy I guess.” Twilight felt herself start to shrivel up inside. “Can I ask why?” Twilight turned on her side, avoiding Aaron’s gaze. Though, as she did, she began to grow self conscious of her own endowment.

“No reason, Aaron. Good night.” Aaron wasn’t having that. As Twilight laid on her side, she soon felt someone slide in beside her and hold her close. “W-What are you doing?”

“What do you think? I’m cuddling with my gir- marefriend.” The human began to wrap his arms around her waist, holding her close. Twilight began to feel a strange sensation wash over her as she began to enjoy him so close to her.

“B-But I thought you liked mares with big breasts.”

“I do. Doesn’t mean that’s what I look for exclusively.” Aaron chuckled as he looked over her shoulder. “What’s got you so wound up, Twi? Is it something I did?” Twilight would pause before speaking.

“I’m just… unfamiliar with how this herding is firsthand. I’ve read countless books on it, but my experience is nil. I don’t know if I can be a good mate. I’m afraid… you’ll get bored of me and kick me out of the herd.”

“Why on earth would I do something like that?”

“Because… I can be annoying with my ramblings.”

“Says who? I love your ramblings. You’re a smart pony, the smartest I know.” His compliment began to make her cheeks fluster.

“You mean it?”

“Wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

“Now you sound like Applejack.”Twilight turned herself over and was face to face with Aaron now. “So… you’re not gonna kick me out of the herd?”

“Wouldn’t even dream of it.” Twilight soon wrapped her hands around Aaron and brought him in for a long kiss. Once she parted, she would look into his eyes, feeling a soft spark of something as she looked into his pools of blue. “We uh… should probably get some sleep.”

“Sure thing, Twi.” Aaron began to disrobe, getting comfortable in the bed. Twilight began to follow suite but took a few eyefuls of Aaron as he was getting undressed. A look of satisfaction crossed her face as she laid down in the covers. “Hey, I’m sorry we didn’t get our one on one dinner today.”

“It’s alright. We can try it tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it.” The two slid into the covers, soon clinging to one another as night fell over the town. Sometime through the night, Twilight would start to moan softly as she began to dream of herself and her lover. Throughout the night, Aaron could hear her softly call out his name in her sleep. It brought a soft smile to his face, but soon became shocked when he felt something soft and moist grinding against his leg. He would put up with it, not wanting to take such a pleasure from here. He was just happy she was enjoying herself. Once he was sure she soaked his leg and she had fully passed out, Aaron would lay back and let sleep take him. He truly thought things were starting to look up for them.

~~~~~

Walking up to the wreckage to the sound of shuffling armor, the lone mare would look over what had become of the griffon outpost/prison. The piles of burned corpses and destroyed cabins were all that she found. Her curiosity peaked, Sunset Shimmer would carefully search for anything and everything that would help her discover what became of the princess and the outpost. “Hm. Looks like we missed the party.” She said to herself.

“H… Heeeeelp~.” The voice was raspy and dry. The mare turned to one of the collapsed buildings, seeing a bloodied hand stretch out, calling for aid. Holding out her hand, Sunset’s horn began to glow a mint green as she prepared to cast a spell. The broken wood walls, beams and door lifted up and separated to free a battered and broken Griffon General. Using her telekinetic abilities, she brought the griffon towards her.

“Report. What the hell happened here?” The griffon didn’t look much better close up. His beak was busted, the wings were mangled, and Sunset was sure that there were a few pieces of board lodged in his side.

“P-… p… prison… break.” Sunset found that hard to believe. “P-…. Prin… cess.” Raising a brow, Sunset lifted the griffon up with her bare hands.

“Where is she?”

“D-… Don’t know… left… four d-days ago.”

“Dammit!” She tossed the griffon to the ground, causing him to squawk. “I knew we shouldn’t have stopped. Your damn stomach caused us our prisoner.” Walking up to Sunset was a tall figure. His scales gleaming a deep violet and his eyes glowed like the moon.

“Don’t give me that shit. You were just as hungry as I was. Serves you right for not eating when you're supposed to.” The griffon general saw this new figure, his eyes shrinking at the sight of his sharp teeth. “Still, we at least know that Twilight was here. So that’s at least something than the other times we went out searching for her.” The general tugged at Sunset’s leg, catching her attention.

“Hm? Speak.”

“M-… Monster.”

“No, the only thing monstrous about him is his appetite.”

“N-… Not the d-dragon. M-… m-… monster.” The two would look to one another; Sunset leaned down to get closer.

“What monster?” The griffon tried to speak more, but he had already used what little strength he had left. With that warning, Sunset would think to herself.

“What do you think he meant by that?”

“Who knows? Maybe Twilight got a replacement for you?”

“Oh, that bitch would do that.” His words were filled with venom with each syllable.

“Calm down. We’ll catch her, and then you can vent your frustrations on the way back.” Sunset would look at the dead griffon. “Hm. You hungry big guy?”

“Kinda. Why?”

“Well, if ya want, you can eat this guy while I look around.”

“Nah. I like the live ones. They taste so much better.” Sunset would roll her eyes as she continued to survey the area. The only thing that would catch her attention was the small patch of a glowing substance. Kneeling down, she would begin to investigate.

“Hey Spike.”

“Yeah?”

“I think I found something, can you take a look?” Spike meandered over, taking a look at the small glowing patch. He dug his claws in and began to sniff it.

“Hm. Smells like that magic shit, but… it’s contaminated with something.”

“Contaminated with what?” Spike’s forked tongue came out and sampled it, only to spit it out short after.

“Blood, but… not any blood I’ve ever tasted before.”

“Think it’s that monster the griffon was talking about?” Spike took a long whiff of the clue and soon began to get a feel for the smell.

“Who knows? All I do know is that it is heading...” Spike raised his claw and began to point in a certain direction. “… North-East from here.”

“Only thing out there is Dodge City. Think we can get there before she escapes again. Or do you wanna stop at an ice cream parlor first?”

“We’d better get going.” Spike began to grow and change. Falling to his claws and talons, the drake began to shift into a much more terrible and feral form. His body began to grow three sizes, his arms filling out with thick muscles, his tail sprouting a few fins. Once his transformation was complete, Sunset mounted him and was ready to head out. “I’m coming for you Twilight, and when I find you, there will be hell to pay.”

Author's Notes:

Next time; Chpt. 22: Popping Her Cherry

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Here's a little fun fact for you; I actually planned on making Jubilee as a closet cannibal that would feed her guests and the other patrons of the house the mares that 'under-performed' in their duties. I cut it cuase... I thought Twilight and the gang deserved a small break for what I have planned.