The day had started anew and Aaron was feeling better than ever. Though his body ached, he was more than happy to find Twilight resting naked on his chest. A small smile crept along his face as he gently strokes her soft mane. The soft fur against his skin was something he found all too comforting. With his returning consciousness, Aaron had his hands explore his mare’s soft figure. Exploring every curve on her body.

Though her fur was soft and inviting, he would find a few coarse patches from last night’s activities. Though, as his hands caressed her soft wings, he began to hear Twilight let out a soft moan from the sensation of Aaron’s fingers running through her feathers. With a flutter of her eyes, Twilight slowly looked up to see Aaron smiling back at her. Recalling what happened the night before, she formed a smile of her own and kissed his nose. “Morning.” She said in a tired voice.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Twilight would lay her head back down on his chest, unable to find the energy to leave his side, let alone the bed. As much as she wanted to stay, Twilight knew that she was already running late for work. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a log… a log that had the best night of her life.” She purred. Aaron would only smirk as he placed his other hand on her rear. Twilight let out a soft coo of approval.

“I’m glad I could help with that. Maybe we can try topping it tonight.”

“Ooh, are you already planning something?”

“I could be.” Aaron gave her butt a nice squeeze. “I wouldn’t mind having another night like that with you, Twi.”

“Mmm, why not later this afternoon? I could swing by during lunch and we could sneak off for some fun.”

“Oh no, I’ve corrupted the beautiful princess.” Twilight slapped him on the chest. “Ow!”

“I’m not turning into a debaucherous mare. I just get really frustrated and need some release every now and then. Plus… I like spending time with you.”

“Thanks Twilight. I like spending time with you too.” The purple alicorn would lean in for a loving kiss with her herdmate, soon finding a pair of arms wrap around her to hold her close. The two were growing closer and closer to one another, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, this tender moment had to come to an end. Hearing a few knocks on the door, the two would sigh. “Yes?” Aaron called out.

“Aaron, can I come in? Jubilee sent me to tell you something important.” The voice was immediately recognized as Shining Armor.

“I’ll be out in a moment.”

“I’m kind of in a hurry. Can I just come in?”

“Not unless you want a few years of therapy.” Aaron chuckled to himself, but the two lovers soon turned beet red when they heard the door open.

“Don’t worry, I doubt you have anything I haven’t... seen.“ Ignoring Aaron’s warming and opening the door, Shining would see a sight he prayed never to see; his little sister, naked and on top her lover. The siblings’ eyes met briefly, turning the two either a shade of red or losing their color entirely. “Y-You know what… I think it can wait.” Turning around, Shining Armor slowly walked out of the room, already in the process of removing everything he had witnessed in the room.

Petrified, the nude alicorn sat atop her lover with a mortified expression, having been caught in her most intimate of moments by one of the few ponies she held close to her heart. Concerned, Aaron would softly caress her arm in a comforting gesture. “Twilight, you alright?”

“No! My brother just saw me naked in a sensitive and private moment!”

“Oh… uh… I’m sorry?” Twilight sighed to herself, getting her prosthetic leg strapped on before sliding off the bed.

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know, I just… don’t know what to say in this situation. Though, I could have sworn we locked that door.” Twilight bit her lower lip, avoiding eye contact.

“Well… you did… but, I kinda got up late last night for a bit of a snack. Turns out sex makes me hungry. Go figure.”

“It was a bit of a work out wasn’t it?”

“Are you gonna keep patting yourself on the back or are you going to get dressed? From what Shining said before he-… ugh… walked in on us, he seemed to need you for something important. So, get your suit on.”

“Fine… on one condition.”

“Aaron, we don’t have time for this.”

“It won’t take long. All I want is one more kiss.” Twilight rolled her eyes, pulling her shirt on and leaning over to him for one last peck on the cheek. “I was hoping for tongue, but that works too.”

“You’re such a foal, ya know that.”

“A foal who loves you.” Twilight let out a giggle before making her way to the door.

“I’ll see you at lunch, sweetie. Don’t let AJ get to you before I do. I want you nice and fresh for when I get back.”

“We could always invite her for some threeway action. I don’t really want to show favoritism.”

“Of course we can… tonight at least. But you’re all mine later today.”

“Keep talking like that and I’ll just come visit you at the office.”

“We’ll see how things go. Bye Aaron.” The two parted ways, leaving Aaron to get his clothes on to start the day. His new suit was cleaned and pressed, ready for the day of watching over the house. Making his way to the bathroom, Aaron found himself with a stroke of luck as he found a toothbrush; unused and with no owner. He took it immediately and removed a taste in his mouth that had been building up for quite some time. After a quick comb of his hair, and washing up, Aaron made for the door to begin his day.

With a strut in his step and a smile on his face, Aaron would make his way down to the main floor to find Cherry Jubilee. However, it wasn’t long before a mare in a scantily clad outfit passed by him with a bit of urgency. Normally he wouldn't pay such an outfit any mind, considering where he was. Yet from the way this mare dressed seemed extra tantalizing with a shorter skirt and no sign of underwear to speak of.

Heading down the staircase, Aaron wasn't greeted as he did previously. Instead he found the entire lower section of the house in a cleaning frenzy with hurried looks of desperation trying to clean every inch of the house all in one fell swoop. “Silver Lining, straighten the paintings. Blue Skies, wash the couch cushions. Sweet Dream, loosen that bosom; I wanna see those breasts bounce. And will somepony please go get- AARON!!!” Jubilee saw her temp-bouncer and had a look of relief on her face. “Oh, I am so glad you’re awake. Please, there’s not much time. I need your help.”

“Whoa, calm down, Cherry. What’s going on here?”

“It’s bad, sugar. He’s comin’ and on such short notice too.”

“Who’s coming?”

“His name is Bull, and I had hoped that he wouldn’t be comin’ this week. Lily, fix that mane!” Jubilee called out a lone pony, which began to fluff up her pink hair to be much more eye catching. The two would walk through the house together while Jubilee explained what was going to happen. “Bull Long-horn the Third, or Junior as he’s called, is the son of a rather nasty raider around these parts. They’ve pillaged, destroyed, and taken just about anything they come across along the southern section of the continent. They are ruthless, vile, and downright horrid.”

“So, what does that have to do with us?”

“Well, the son of the leader has taken a liking to the town, specifically my little business. He comes here once every few weeks for some drink, sex, and then he leaves. Doesn’t pay a single bit, but it keeps the town safe. So long as Bull is happy, so is the town.”

“Okay, sounds rather important.” The two turned the corner, seeing that the rest of the dressing room was full of mares wearing the maid outfits that Aaron had seen prior. “I’m gonna take a guess that you want me to do something then?”

“Sugar, I would be mighty thankful if you could do me a huge, HUGE favor today."

“Of course, I’d be happy to-“

“HE’S HERE!!!” Jubilee seemed to lose all of her color at the mere sound of that sentence. The mares would scurry about like a nest of bees, making their way to the front as Jubilee brought Aaron along by the collar. He and Jubilee were front and center facing the door as they waited for their guest.

All was silent; nopony moved a muscle as they all looked to the door. That’s when something started approaching. A massive, lumbering figure slowly came to the door with two long horns sprouting from the top. The hoof steps were loud and made the wooden porch creek under its massive weight. Aaron saw a few of the mares around him begin to sweat, fearful of what they would soon meet.

Without warning, the door snapped off the hinges as it fell to the ground. Bursting into the room in a flashing display of light from a reflective vest was their esteemed guest. “WHAT’S UP, WHORSES!!!” With a massive grin, Aaron would squint through the flashy lights and see a minotaur. His hair was slick and greased up, reflecting almost as much light as his vest. His muscles were bare due to a deliberate modification to his shirt. As much as Aaron found the Minotaur visually unappealing, the smell of heavy cologne invaded his nostrils and almost brought him to vomit with its utter potent and chemical scent.

The minotaur strutted forward and greeted Jubilee. “Ah, Cherry you sexy bitch, it’s literally been an eternity since I saw you.”

“I know sweetie. I’ve been so lonely waiting for-“

“Yeah, shut up. Hey, sexy.” The minotaur diverted his attention to the other mares, almost ignoring Jubilee the first chance he got. Aaron could see that Jubilee was not amused with his disrespectful attitude to her or her mares. Hell, Aaron had half a mind to smack the guy. As much as he wanted to, Jubilee held his wrist, keeping him back while shaking her head. While Bull started teasing the mares, responding with sweet giggles or moans as they felt the meaty hands touch and grope, their expressions almost gave way to disgust. While Bull was oblivious, Aaron could see through their smiles and knew that they hated being around this walking ego. He could see a mare or two turn a shade of green from his cologne as well. Even a mare that was already green. “Damn, you got the outfits, a bunch of sexy feather brains and horn heads. I’m surprised you managed to get this done in such short notice.”

“What can I say Bull. You’re worth it.”

“Heh, damn straight I am. Now, how about we get things off right; I’ll be in the lounge. Let’s get to work with a bit of a BJ and how about a drink.”

“Sure thing, Bull. Anything for you, baby.”

“Thanks. And get it done fast, Jubilee. Don’t let your age hold ya back.” Wrapping his arms around a few mares, Bull would head into the lounge. The others would disband and ready themselves for when they are called in to switch out with the other mares. Until that time, they enjoyed their freedom while it lasted. For now, it was just Aaron and Jubilee for the moment. But only Aaron was left dumbfounded at what he had just witnessed.

“… Wow… I mean… wow! Where do I begin with that?”

“Keep your voice down. You don’t want him to hear you.”

“I’m sorry but… holy shit, Jubilee.”

“I know, I know. But it’s only for a day.”

“I know, but I had no idea he was that bad. Cherry, I really don’t wanna do this.”

“Sweetie, I know what Bull’s like, but please, I need this. I’m so sick of having to deal with him. I just want some time where I can relax and not have to deal with this.”

“So get someone else. I’m sure you can find a suitable replacement.”

“I tried, but I can’t find anypony under short notice. Shining has to watch the barrier, plus he seemed kinda out of it when I saw him come down. No idea what that was about.” Aaron cleared his throat as a small fluster formed on his face.

“Y-Yep. No idea why that is.”

“As for Draco and his friends; to be fair, I think they'd end up killing Bull. If that happens, his father will surely burn this place to the ground.”

“Alright, get Applejack to watch him then.”

“I told her to take the day off. I don’t like taken mares around Bull. Besides, do you really want AJ near him?” They hear a loud muffle followed by a satisfied grunt from Bull.

“Go on slut, get to suckin’.” Aaron let out a groan as he heard what was going on in the lounge.

“Okay, ya got me there. What about…” Aaron was trying to think of a name, but he was lost with so many choice that would be met with a bad end. “Oh come on, I don’t wanna!”

“I know it looks bad, but I need you on this. You’re the only one I can trust to make sure that Bull stays happy and nopony gets hurt. Aaron, you’re my only hope for this.” Groaning in disgust, Aaron was not wanting to be a part of what he'd see in that room. But the moment he turned back to face Jubilee, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes, he finally caved in.

“… Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, sugar. I’ll make it up to you.”

“I hope so.” Taking a deep breath, Aaron sighed to mentally psyche himself into his new job for the day; babysitting.

“Yo, Jubilee. I know Alzheimers sucks, but where are we on that drink?”

“Coming.” Giving Aaron a thankful nod, Cherry Jubilee would head into the bar and fix up a special drink for Bull. While she fixed the beverage, Aaron walked into the lounge and saw Bull getting service by a mare who was trying to force herself to work through a blow job on Bull’s rather enormous member. Aaron turned a bright red, seeing this take place. Looking up from the mare, Bull saw Aaron standing in the archway staring at them.

“Hey, string-bean.” Aaron looked around and pointed to himself. “Yeah, you. Are ya just going to stand there with your thumb in your ass or you gonna pull up a seat?” Aaron figured he may as well sit down; close enough to watch but far away to give him some space. Bull’s service didn't stop with the addition of the audience. Slowly, the mare let go of Bull’s throbbing pink rod, coughing from the constant sensation of his tip hitting the back of her throat. Once her gagging had ended, she took a deep breath and tagged out with the other mare. Instead of going down on him, she straddled the minotaur reverse cowgirl style and began to ride him, in front of Aaron and the other mares that were there.

While Bull laid back, Aaron saw Cherry Jubilee come in with an exotic looking drink, topped with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Snatching it from her hands, Bull guzzled every last drop and let out a small belch. “As usual Cherry Jubilee, your liquor tastes like finely fermented piss. But, I will admit it is the best piss I’ve had in a while.”

“Thank you, Bull. You’re such a sweet heart.”

“Yeah, yeah. Now, could ya get outta my way. Your crow’s feet are killing my boner. Don’t wanna leave the lady unsatisfied.” Jubilee sucked in air through her teeth, restraining her want to vocalize a few choice words to the bovine but held her patience firmly. Before she left, she turned to Aaron.

“Need anything before I go, sugar?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“He doesn’t want anything. Fuck off! Damn, fix that hearing aid.” With a sigh, Jubilee took her leave. As she did, Aaron turned to the mare with a concerned look.

“Hey Cherry.” The mare turned to the human. “You look very pretty today.” A smile crossed her face as she left. Seeing how she was treated, he at least wanted her have her feel something positive. Now that Aaron was left with the bovine, he would do his best to ensure that nothing would happen.

“So, what’s your name, String-bean?”

“Hm? Oh, my name’s Aaron.”

“Psh, that’s a stupid name.”

“So I’ve been told.” Aaron turned the clock and saw that it not even an hour had passed since he had woken up. Without breakfast, he would be looking forward to lunch a whole lot more. He just wished it would come a lot faster.

~~~~~

Twilight would sit in the mayor’s office and going through the motions as she filed, alphabetized, and categorized a mountain of paperwork that seemed to show up again and again every time she returned to the office. As she wiped a bit of sweat from her brow, she turned to the clock once again to check the time. She didn’t know why the kitchen was closed in the brothel, but Twilight really wished she grabbed something to eat on the way to work.

The door to the mayor’s office opened as a short grey unicorn waddled out. “Oh, Twilight. So good I saw caught you.”

“Yes sir?”

“I’m going to be heading out for a little get together at home. So, I’ll be letting you off a little early.”

“Aw, you don’t have to do that sir.”

“Oh, but I insist. You’ve managed to make something from this place. I can actually find my dental records for once without having to go through several boxes at a time now.” The short stallion let out a chuckle. “Anyway, once you’re done, you’re free to go.”

“Thank you sir. I’ll be sure to enjoy myself.”

“See that you do.” The mayor took his leave, only to move passed an oncoming visitor.

“Hey Twi.” A familiar earth pony came into the door, taking off her glasses and Stetson. “How’s work treatin’ ya.”

“Ugh, it's hard APplejack, But it is rewarding. I miss doing this sort of thing.”

“Yeah, I kinda miss the things from the good ol’ days too.” Walking to Twilight’s side, AJ would assist Twilight with her work. “Where’s this go?” She held up a few papers. Naming them from left to right, Twilight would point them out on the spot and where they would go.

“Finances, work order, daily margins.” Applejack found the appropriate files and put them away. Without the knowledge to properly assist, Applejack would make do with handing her papers to speed it up a bit.

“So, how was last night?” AJ asked in a teasing tone. Twilight would fluster at the question as AJ handed her more papers.

“It was… fun.”

“Just fun?” Biting her lip, Twilight looked around and saw that they were alone.

“It was amazing, AJ. Oh sweet Celestia, I never imagined that it would feel so good. I mean, the books I read never came so close to what I felt last night.”

“Heh, can’t really experience everything in a book, sugarcube. Gotta go out and experience ‘em all for yourself.”

“I know, I just never really saw that coming is all. Though, come lunch, I know what I’m gonna do.”

“Ooh, got something planned?”

“You could say that.”

“Mind if I join you guys?”

“As much as I would like that, I called dibs for lunch. Though, I would like you to join me tonight.”

“I can live with that.” The two continued to work until AJ suddenly asked a rather strange question. “Hey Twi, what do you think will happen when this is all over?” Twilight was caught off guard by her odd query.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, when we stop Tirek, bring the world back into order, what do you think will happen to us?”

“Nothing new. We’ll go back to our old lives, but you and I be closely involved more since we’re in a herd together.”

“I guess I could see that. But… what about foals?”

“A little early to be thinking about that, don’t you think?”

“Sorry, but I’m just in this for the long haul. I’m not sayin’ I don’t want any, but I wanna think about the future. Aaron can’t give us foals, so… what’ll we do?”

“I dunno. I never really considered that. But, to be honest, I’d rather cross that bridge when we get to it. I’m just getting comfortable with our relationship and I don’t really want to think too far in case… w-well… one of us doesn’t make it to the end.”

“Now I won’t be hearin’ any talk of that. You know I wouldn’t let anythin’ happen to you or Aaron. You guys are the only family I got left.” Twilight would smile warmly at her friend, her herdmate.

“Thanks AJ. That means so much to me.” The two shared a loving hug with one another, only for their sensual moment to be interrupted. The door swung open, and with it came a panicked Draco.

“Guys, you gotta come quick!” his voice was filled with urgency, immediately catching the mare’s attention. Exchanging looks, the two got up fast and began follow the pegasus out to see what had happened. They would only hope that Aaron was not involved.

~~~~~

Time seemed to come to a stand still for Aaron, as every time he looked at the clock, only a few minutes managed to crawl passed. To make matters worse, Aaron had to listen to Bull boast about his previous conquests and often clearly fictional stories detailing of his “heroic” exploits. “And after the bitch’s husband came in, I kept on fucking her in front of him, just to show him how a real stud fucks a mare.”

“Yeah… ya don’t say.” Aaron would watch the one of the mares dance on a pole for Bull’s amusement. Though, Aaron was just glad he had something to give his attention to for a change other than Bull. He kept his wits sharp in case things went south, but there were times when Bull’s words were like listening to Styrofoam squeaking mere inches from his ears.

“Anyway, after that, I went back a week later to bang her daughter and lemme tell ya, like mother like daughter. Ha!” Bull would huff and grunt and reach climax in a mare’s mouth, Aaron turned to her as she began to gag on his thick semen. Finished, Bull soon passed her over to Aaron.

“Here, have some fun. You’re really killing my boner.” Aaron would see the mare choking and got up to fetch her some water. He came back and offered her the glass, to which she drank. She tried to get the horrid taste and cease the coughing, to which the water did wonders for. Gasping for air, the mare would panted to recover from the horrid sensation.

“You alright?”

“Y-Yeah… thanks.”

“Ah, don’t be such a bitch.” Bull chuckled, laying back with his limping cock for all to see. “I thought you mud ponies were tougher than that.” The mare snorted as she got up. With a bow, she would walk away with a sense of urgency. “Send the next ones in. I’m gonna be getting hard in a few minutes.” Taking his seat, Aaron would watch the pegasus mare dance.

“So, where ya from?”

“Hm?” This was the first time Aaron heard him ask about something other than himself. “I’m from… out of the country.”

“Oh yeah? Nice. Where are you headin’?”

“No where specific, just waiting for the train to take us out of here. Though, Manehattan has been talked about for some time now.”

“Nice. Always wanted to head out there, but Pa wouldn’t let me leave the gang. Says I gotta stick around to know how a real leader leads. Pffft, the fuck does he know? I’m a damn good leader. The old coot is just blind. Ain’t that right, girls.” They all nodded in agreement before continuing to do as they were told. “Anyway, I’m sure you understand.”

“Actually, I don’t. Never had any parents. I’ve been on my own my whole life.”

“Wow, I envy you. No one to tell you what to do; you’re your own… whatever you are.” With a smirk, the minotaur removed the mare from his groin and moved closer to Aaron. “Heh, I bet you take shit from nopony.”

“Not really. I just learn to ignore it.”

“Aw, that’s no fun. You gotta bust a few heads if they disrespect you; can’t have any smart mouths wandering around.”

“Yeah, sure. Why not.” Aaron would find himself being brought closer to Bull. Worst yet, a little uncomfortably close to his shaft.

“Ya know, string-bean, I like you. I feel like ya get me. Like, you’re the only other being I can truly confide in. The mares here are, well, mares; dad doesn’t understand me, and the guys are a bunch of yes-men. But you, I like you. I feel you understand me on a whole new level.” Trying to free himself from his grasp, Aaron soon saw somepony he knew walk in. Her blue coat smelt of sweat and she soon took a seat across from the two. She was clearly exhausted, and looked to take a seat. She soon saw the two together and was starting to make a few assumptions. “Woah, better not let Twilight or AJ see ya like that. You’d break their hearts.” Rainbow chuckled as she grabbed a cider and started to enjoy the cool air of the house.

The utterance of Twilight caught Bull’s attention. Turning to Aaron and began to smile. “Twilight? As in… Twilight Sparkle? The Princess?”

“Um… yeah? What about her?”

“What about her?! String-bean, do you have any idea how amazing it is to be in the presence of a princess? Plus, the rumors I’ve heard about their features is just… amazing.” Aaron could agree to that. “But… AJ... where have I heard that name before?”

“Applejack.” Aaron would say, unsure if he was thinking of the same mare.

“Wait… like the Applefamily? Holy crap, that is amazing.”

“Why?”

“String-bean, there are two rare breeds of mare in this town as we speak, n’ I want them.”

“… What?”

“I want to make my final mare to be an alicorn. I don’t really give a shit about the mud-pony, but hell she can at least tell me the secret of her family’s rare cider. I’d make a fortune on that stuff.”

“Well, hate to break it to ya, but they’re already in a herd; mine.” Bull would burst out into laughter, thinking that Aaron was telling a joke of sorts. The bovine wiped a tear from his face, amused by what he had said.

“Oh, that’s a good one. Your herd; an Apple and an alicorn. That’s some good shit.”

“Nah, it’s true.” Rainbow stated. “AJ and Twilight are in his herd.” Bull stopped laughing as he looked at Rainbow in utter disbelief.

“No way, that’s impossible.” The more he looked at Rainbow, the more he began to realize who she was. “Wait… aren’t you that resistance leader?”

“I could be.”

“Yeah… Yeah! I recognize you. The rainbow mane, the attitude… but, you seem to be missing something.” He got up, going to inspect Rainbow. “Oh… I see… you’re missing your wings. What happened, ya get ‘em clipped?” Rainbow let out a small growl of annoyance. “Heh, I bet ya wanted to be like your mud pony friends or something.”

“Uh, dude… ya may wanna stop.”

“Psh, why should I? Am I huwting the widdle mawe’s feewings.” After letting out a short guttural laugh, Bull soon found himself getting a heavy uppercut to the face. Rainbow wasn’t as strong as she was back in the day, but after she got some real food in her, she felt like she was ready to take on the world. Bull was merely a practice run.

“Yes… Yes you were.” Rainbow emptied the bottle onto the downed minotaur before turning back to Aaron. “Hey… did he hurt you?” Aaron shook his head. “Alright, take care Aaron. I’m gonna go-“ Rainbow felt a pair of legs wrap around her and bring her to the ground. Once the mare was down, Bull’s meaty hands wrapped around Rainbow’s head and flung her into the wall.

“Broken pony bitch, thinks she can treat me like that.” Filled with rage, Aaron leapt into action. He knew he was supposed to keep Bull happy, but he had just crossed a line. Taking hold of a bar stool, Aaron slammed it across Bull’s face. The stool shattered into pieces, but Bull was unfortunately still standing. “String-Bean… I’m very disappointed in you.” Aaron found himself being lifted into the air by the throat. “I open up to you, and this is how you treat me?!” Aaron would let out a choked cough, trying to breath in air. Bull’s attention was soon drawn to Rainbow, shakily standing from being tossed. With a smirk, Aaron soon found himself being thrown at the blue pegasus and crashing through the wall.

The two slowly got up, a little disoriented. “Ugh… really getting sick of being tossed around.” Aaron would help Rainbow up from the ground and soon see Bull cracking his knuckles. “You okay Rainbow?”

“I’m fine, String-bean.” rainbow said in an attempt of levity.

“Please don’t call me that. Do you have any ideas on how we can take him down?”

“I’m about to shove those horns up his ass.”

“Okay, but I think it’d be best if we didn’t kill him.”

“Why? The guy is an asshole.”

“True, but- LOOK OUT!!!” Bull came charging form the two of them mid-conversation. Aaron rolled out of the way while Rainbow sprung over him in an elegant display of acrobatics. Propelling herself over and spinning until landing on her hooves in what could only be called a perfect landing. Aaron was left dumbfounded by her maneuver. “Wow… that was awesome.” Flustered from the compliment, Rainbow returned to reality where she was prepared to fight. Rainbow went further to impress Aaron as she weaved through his punches like a professional boxer; punching, kicking, and kneeing Bull in the face, gut, and groin. She was fast in her movements, almost like a blue ghost attacking with the ferocity of a jungle cat. However, Bull would soon show to match her ferocity and caught her mid-chop to the neck. With a growl, Rainbow felt Bull’s fist run into her gut with the speed of a train, making her spit up onto his arm. Rainbow fell to her knees where she tried to catch her breath as she was left in a stunned state. Bull cracked his knuckles, preparing to slam both fists down onto Rainbow. That’s when Aaron leapt into action.

While he wasn’t as skilled as Rainbow, he was able to think on his feet. Grabbing a wine bottle, Aaron shook his weapon up and take aim. Once he had his target, Bull jerked back as he felt something strike him dead in the eye, making him roar out in rage. While he screamed and tried to dull the pain, Aaron took advantage of the opportunity to bring Rainbow out of harm’s way. She groaned softly, gripping her gut to do the same. “You alright?”

“Ugh… y-yeah. I’ll live.” They would hear Bull running amuck in the lower regions of the house, kicking and punching at furniture and the walls in a fruitless attempt to hit his attackers. He was momentarily blinded but he would soon be able to see once again. And that happens, he’ll most definitely make the two pay. “So, what’s the plan?”

“I asked you first. You were the one kicking his ass like it was your day job.” Rainbow let out a groan, feeling a lightheaded sensation starting to take over. “Well… maybe I should do something.”

“N-No… he’ll chew you up. We… we’ll do this together.” Aaron nodded as he helped his friend up. “Alright, follow me.” The two would stand up, taking a chair leg as their weapon. Roaring out, they took to the attack. Rainbow would take his legs, bringing him down to his knees while Aaron slammed the wooden object against his thick skull. Bull was momentarily disoriented.

Taking advantage of the momentary opening, the two took the opportunity to beat the ever loving crap out of Bull. Fist after fist after fist would strike the bovine in the jaw, even knocking out a tooth or two. They thought they were winning, they thought they would beat the minotaur… but they were wrong. With a flash of red eyes, Aaron was knocked aside and Rainbow pushed into the opposite wall. A surge of pain had hit her as the impact to her back caused a paralyzing amount of pain. Her nerves cry out in agony, telling her to stop doing whatever it was she was doing. She could barely move, barely breath from it all. Her vision would blur at random times, not helping her situation. Despite all this and the threat of unconsciousness, she still found the strength to stand up.

Wiping the blood from her mouth, she put up her fists back up and looked Bull dead in the eye. “Is that… all you got… bitch.” Bull leaned forward, standing on all fours. Scraping his hooves on the floor, Bull prepared to skewer Rainbow in a rampaging charge. Growing more and more furious as he looked at her, Bull charged at Rainbow at full throttle. Anything caught in his path would be crushed immediately. Midway through, Bull was blinded once more as a bottle crashed against his thick skull, pouring glass and liquor into his eyes. Crying out in pain, Bull would not see that Rainbow had once again leapt over him and landed a few feet away safely, though not as gracefully. The house shook as Bull made contact with the wall, embedding himself into the wood.

Aaron would come to see his handy work, and smiled at the sight of Bull thrashing, trying to free himself from his own horns. Yet the sight of seeing Rainbow alive was much better, but this victory would not last. Before they congratulated each another, they heard a loud crash. Rainbow turned to see the wall giving way as Bull pulled with every ounce of his strength, breaking wood and beams in his escape attempt. Before long, a massive chunk of wall was pried away and now sat atop of Bull’s head. “Oh… YOU THINK YOU'RE CUTE!?” Bull shouted at the two in a stupor of blind rage.

“Hmph... I’m adorable.” Rainbow retorted. Bull would furiously scream and rush the two. Rainbow swept at his legs and brought him tumbling down due to his newly top heavy body. The moment he fell to the ground, Rainbow leapt up into the air and came down on his head. A loud snap seemed to echo through town, almost alerting everypony close by as to what happened. Aaron was stand up to see what Rainbow had done, and he was utterly speechless. Bull was not dead; however he may want to rethink the name Long-horn. Broken off at the base, Bull’s horns had been snapped from his head. As he let out a pained groan, losing consciousness fast from the pain, Rainbow stood over him with a triumphant smirk. “Now look who’s broken.” Bull lifted his head but was knocked out by a blue hoof.

Ponies would gather around the door to see Bull unconscious with a slab of wall with two large horns sticking out. Pushing through the crowds, Jubilee would gasp at the sight of Bull on the ground. She came closer, seeing he was still alive. Looking to Aaron, who would smile innocently at her, Jubilee would take the only good thing to come out of this; and kicked Bull in the ribs, If not for catharsis sake alone. Following Jubilee, the sheriff of the town came to see what had happened. Aaron’s smile vanished when he saw that scowl form on his face. “Uhhh… Officer, I can explain everything.”

~~~~~

Aaron and Rainbow were in the sheriff’s office behind bars. Rainbow wasn’t all that happy being imprisoned again, but at least it wasn’t like the last one. Aaron was laying on the one bed they would share. While he tried to pass the time, all he could do was look at Rainbow, pacing around the small cell. “Rainbow, are you-“

“I’m fine!” She snapped, before going back to her pacing. She was visibly uncomfortable and a blind man would be able to see it as well. Sitting up, Aaron made some room on the bed for her to sit.

“Rainbow.”

“What?” She turned to see him offering a spot to sit. With a small sigh, Rainbow would take a seat beside Aaron, parting her mane from her eyes. Things were quiet for the time being, mostly because they were the only prisoners in town.

“So… where did you learn to fight like that?” Aaron wanted to break the silence, finding it a bit uncomfortable to just be sitting without anything going on.

“My dad taught me.”

“Cool.” Aaron cleared his throat. “You were pretty awesome back there.” That was a word Rainbow had not heard to describe her in a long time. It brought a faint smile to her face. “I take it you know some sort of martial arts?”

“I’m a black belt in a few forms of martial arts actually.”

“That explains a few other questions I had. Certainly explains how you kicked Bull’s ass.”

“Psh, minotaurs are just brawlers. If they aren’t trained well, any green belt could out maneuver them. Let alone hand them their own plot to them.”

“I see.” Aaron couldn’t help but see that she was still shaking. “Rainbow, are you scared?”

“What?! Me scared, naaaah. I’m… I’m…” Aaron would look at Rainbow worriedly; his soft eyes would bring her to confess. “I’m just… not all that happy being locked up again. I’ve only been out little over a week and I’m back as a prisoner. I just hate being kept in a cage.” Aaron understood well, more than she’d know. Placing a comforting hand on her leg, he would feel the mare jump at his touch.

“At least you got me to keep ya company.”

“Yeah… I guess that’s something.” Aaron could see Rainbow start to relax somewhat. It wasn’t much, but some progress was better than no progress. Before the silence sat in once again, the front door opened to reveal the sheriff and Twilight. Jumping to his feet, Aaron would move to the bars to greet his lover.

“Twilight!” He called out, relieved to see his marefriend. “Please tell me you’re here to get us out.” Twilight didn’t respond. In fact her face told him a lot more than he wanted to.

“Oh, you’re not goin’ anywhere. I told you n’ your friends not to cause trouble. And what do ya do?”

“… Cause trouble?”

“Cause trouble. Not only that, but you go ‘n get drag the town’s well being into this.”

“What are you talking about?” Rainbow got her answer. The door opened once more, revealing a third person to walk in. Aaron and Rainbow thought they were seeing Bull, but this minotaur was different. The grizzled bovine walked up with a thick five o’clock shadow, and bore a commanding presence. The sheriff and Twilight stepped back as they came up to greet the two prisoners.

“So,” He said in an ashen voice. “You two are the ones who put my boy down.” It was at this time that Aaron realized he was meeting with Bull’s father.

“Yeah, we did.” Rainbow stood her ground, glaring the minotaur in the eye. He stared Rainbow down with the one good eye in his head , the other having been clouded over and was now blank.

“Hm… Figures. That boy was gettin’ too big for his britches. Ah knew he was gonna get put in his place eventually.” Aaron held his breath, hoping that things would not get out of hand… but that was just wishful thinking.

“So, what happens now?”

“Well,” Bull senior would stand up, stroking the lining of his gruff beard. “One of two things are going to happen. Either you come out to town square and give my boy an apology… or we settle this like a couple o’ civilized folk with a duel.” Twilight would tense up, not wanting to get into anymore fights.

“This apology thing, what do I have to do?” Rainbow asked. Twilight was shocked to hear Rainbow taking the peaceful option.

“All ya gotta do is come to town, and public apologize.”

“Sounds easy.”

“Course, knowin’ him, he’s gonna want ya to satisfy him.” Rainbow grimaced at the idea. The very thought of doing anything kind in that bovine's direction caused her to be physically sick to her stomach. Yet…

“Fine, whatever. So long as ya don’t hurt the town.”

“Now, that wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“What?!” The others would shout.

“Sir, if I may." The sheriff cut in. "We don’t want no trouble. We’re simple folk and we just want to live in peace.”

“And you have, but when ya hurt mah boy, that peace was broken.” Aaron came forward suddenly, gripping at the bars. He didn’t want to bring the ponies of the town ill will.

“Wait! Wait!” He called out. “The duel, wh-what about that?” Bull turned back to the cell, facing Aaron.

“Hm… you must be that weird deformed earth pony I was told about.”

“Dammit.”

“The duel is simple; one on one against my son. Swords, no magic, no intervention. Ya lose when you die or forfeit. Or in this case, just die.” Aaron gulped but continue on.

“A-Alright, I’ll do it.” Bull senior cocked a brow.

“Ya sure you wanna do that, son? You look like you won’t last a second against my boy.”

“Regardless, I’d rather try than sit back and do nothing. So, what are the terms?”

“Nothin’ fancy. You win, you n’ your lot go free. My boy wins; he takes your herd and you die.” Aaron could see Twilight start to turn pale from those terms. But as he took in a deep breath, holding his ground, Aaron accepted the terms.

“Alright, but I want something else.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, if I’m putting my life on the line, I want something worth it.”

“And what would that be?”

“I win, you and your gang leave this town and never comes back. That includes you, your son, and just about anyone who you hire to come and cause these ponies trouble.”

“Heh, you got one hell of a pair on you.” Bull reached into a pouch, and in it he brought out a worn out piece of paper. Twilight recognized it and felt her sweat drop. Hell, even Rainbow knew what it was and she was afraid. “Ya know what this is?”

“Ah do.” The sheriff spoke. “And that’s highly illegal stuff you’re carrying.”

“Well, arrest me then. I dare you.” The sheriff shrank in his boots, backing off from the bovine. With no more interruptions, he would unfurl his parchment and show it to Aaron. At first it was blank, but then a black text began to appear on it. “This here is the Tartarus Pact. This here document will make any and all agreements binding by those who sign it.”

“Wicked.”

“You have no idea. After you sign this, it will make our little wager binding by the very pits of Tartarus itself. I have all mah members sign this to make sure they don’ double-cross me. After you give it a quick read, we can-“

“I can’t read.” The room went quiet for a moment. “Twilight, could read it for me?” Upon hearing her name, Twilight came over to Aaron’s side and began to look at the document, reading it over as a form of notary.

“It’s all there. The rules, the bargain, the seal of approval. Just gotta sign.”

“Cool, does anypony got a pen?” Bull was quick to produce one. Though, before he signed, a thought occurred. “Do I really have to give up my herd?”

“Hm?”

“Twilight and Applejack, do they really have to go to your son?” Bull thought that over for a moment and shrugged, he was already burning a town to the ground when his son won. Plus, they had more than enough mares at their disposal.

“Well… I don’ see why they should get involved in this.” He pointed to Rainbow.” Lest that she-devil’s apart of your herd.”

“Nope, she’s just a friend.”

“Hmmph… Fine, your mares are stricken from the deal.” Part of the deal began to fade away. “Besides, we can always just wrangle ‘em up if we find ‘em in our territory.”

“Sounds fair enough.” With that said, Aaron signed his name in his language on the paper. Bull took a look and had no idea what to make of Aaron's bizzare language.

“What kind of chicken scratch is this?” Rolling his eyes, Aaron would not answer his question. After Bull signed his name on the papers, the document erupted in fire, casting a shadow over the building for several seconds. Twilight could feel dark magic in the air, sending a chill through her spine. The smoke from the flames would swirl in the air before flying into the nostrils of Aaron and Bull senior. The sensation was wholly uncomfortable for Aaron, feeling something invade his body through the most unpleasant of means he could think of. Once it was done, the pact was sealed. “There, it is done. In three days time today, we’ll be back. And you better be here.”

“I will. Don’t worry about it.” With everything taken care of, Bull senior took his leave. Once he was gone, Twilight turned to Aaron with a very disapproving scowl. Aaron looked around a bit concerned, feeling danger around him for some reason. “What?” Twilight didn’t respond verbally, but instead walked away. After Twilight left, the Sheriff unlocked the door to their cage. “You’re letting us out?”

“Don’ see why I gotta keep ya in here. You already signed your death sentence. Plus, you’re in a whole new dog house, son.” The sheriff let out a chuckle, walking back to his desk in his small bit of amusement. Rainbow left the cell with a new sense of urgency, darting to the door to get away from the jail cell. By the time she and Aaron left the building, Aaron couldn’t see any sign of Twilight. He didn't like the look she had when she left. Thinking back, he was worried that he did something wrong back in the sheriff's office.

“Don’t let it get to ya." Rainbow said. "Twilight can be a bit of a hot head at times. Just let her cool off for a bit and she’ll be fine.” Rainbow would say.

“You sure?”

“Definitely… probably… maybe. I dunno, but what I do know is that you got a duel on the way. And taking a guess, I take it you don’t know how to use a sword.”

Aaron turned a deep red, realizing that he may have made a terrible mistake.”No, not really."

“Well then, since I owe you a favor for… something that never happened, I think this is a good time to use it. I want you to meet me in the back of the Brothel tomorrow morning. I’m going to do my best to make sure you don’t die.” Aaron let out a groan, knowing full well what was coming. He just hoped running wasn’t involved. Feeling an arm wrap around him, Aaron found himself close to Rainbow. “Hey, don’t be so down. I don’t like being around the depressing types. Look, I’ll make sure everything goes right. Then, we’ll be out of this town, you and Twilight can talk things out when she’s cooled off, and I’m sure you two will be all lovey-dovey in no time.”

“I… I guess I’ll take your word on that. This is all new territory for me.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t know much about this relationship stuff, but I know Twilight. She’s been my best friend for years. Just let her simmer down, and talk to her. Maybe even get her a book. She loves books. Like really loves them.” Taking her advice into consideration, Aaron smiled at Rainbow.

“Thank you. For everything.”

“Hey, what pals are for?” Rainbow let out a chuckle as the two of them walked through the town.

Author's Notes:

It's good to be back. Also, sorry if this chapter seems a little... weird. I haven't exactly been able to practice my writing abilities on my little break. Anyway, thanks for sticking around for so long. You guys are awesome

Next time; Chpt. 24: En Garde