Author's Notes:

There we go. Even more stuff getting set up, as well as some explanation of motivations developed in the first book. I plan to do Rising Effort in a manner that makes knowing the first book mostly optional, aside from the desire for specific details. Hopefully, this will mean anyone starting on this second one isn't lost when referencing the first.

Also, for the next chapter being the squad I've been itching to start writing for!

And place your bets on how Vojin's problem is gonna play out...

I rolled my eyes in playful exasperation as Twilight giggled again, myself kneeling in front of her as we bid each other goodbye for the day.

She was still teasing me over the pictures I’d shown her last night, when I had remembered them being on my smartphone at all. It seemed to be such an innocuous offer at first, but from the very moment I’d mentioned them, she was adorably excited. She even let out an actual squeal when she saw the first picture in the album of old photographs I’d converted to digital a while back.

A picture of my naked little self the day I was born, according to my adoptive parents.

It was only a dozen photos from my first couple months of life, and it truly did feel really nice that I was able to share such a thing with her… but bloody hell, did Twilight express mountains of delight in seeing my baby pictures. We must have gone through them more than ten times before she relented on wanting to see them ‘just one more time’ again. Really, the only reason she stopped was my phone’s battery was low, and considering my solar charger only works in the daytime, she would just have to wait. And the only reason I didn’t have to fear the rest of the girls seeing them for now was a promise to create copies of those photos first, once I had learned how.

I was already imagining four more squealing ladies, and one blue-coated laughing one, in my mind’s eye when the time came. There was no hope for me to avoid it. I simply accepted my future doom gracefully.

Teasing about how cute I looked as a baby aside, there was a distinct warmth between Twilight and I after the fact. A feeling of closeness we both relished. It was such a simple thing to share, yet it was deeply meaningful that I was able to share such personal life stuff with her that could have easily been impossible to get back. A cherished little moment so comfortingly mundane that wasn’t lost, that my world jump hadn’t cost me.

Twilight sank into my embrace as I pulled her into my arms, forelegs and wings wrapping around me in return as she nuzzled into my neck. She knew my emotions at a thought because of our link, so she didn’t have to say a word as I let myself have a tiny moment of wistful longing before focusing on the present again.

Drawing back, she smiled as she resettled her wings, ears attentive, “Just one more day of paperwork tomorrow, and I won’t have to be gone all day. Hopefully you’ll have enough range to help AJ today. I also can’t wait till the girls get to see what you looked like as a newborn! You were so adorable that I’m tempted to figure out an age spell just so I can cuddle you!”

Rolling my eyes again at her ongoing obsession, I could only sigh and shake my head with a chuckle, “You’re making me consider erasing them, with all the fuss you’re making. I can only imagine the headache when I finally do make some copies so we can show the girls. You’re lucky I love you.”

Giving me a mock glare at the idea, her eyes twinkling, “You wouldn’t dare because you’ll make me sad.”

Seeing her change to an exaggerated pout, I put a hand over my heart as if I’d been struck, “Oh woe is me that I have ever considered any action by which my lady love would be so aggrieved! Such tragedy do I invite with such careless statements that invoke her to such great displeasure!”

“Careful there, Vojin. I might think you were being dramatic,” Twilight shot back with another giggle.

“Do you two have to act like this almost every morning?” Spike added with a flat look.

We both turned to smirk at the young dragon, speaking in perfect unison, “Yes.”

Turning back to each other, I caught Twilight’s chin with my fingertips and gave her a warm kiss on the lips, “I suppose I’ve delayed you long enough. See you when you get back, Purple Angel.”

Stepping back into the bedroom, I rubbed at the towel draped over my head after a post-workout shower I’d put off until Twilight left. Not even counting the partial cleansing trick I used because Twilight liked to snuggle an extra warm me after my usual training regimen at dawn, I was rather unwilling to skip this morning’s ablution. Even if I was heading out soon for farm work. I also found myself annoyed by the towel wrapped around my waist. Certain parts of my anatomy were being difficult.

I’d been unable to get last night’s other events off my mind. Twilight was adamant we try one new thing off her rather lengthy sex checklist each night. It went back and forth if she was insistent on it because of her fascination with a new direction of learning, or if she was trying to help me relax, or maybe to help us both relax, or even if she was gradually discovering her own kinks. Regardless, it wasn’t something I had any room to complain about, at the very least. Of course, considering my immediate condition seemed all too happy to linger over said previous night, I was starting to think I might have to be more proactive in dealing with it. Replaying the memory certainly didn’t sound like a bad idea…

Closing the door behind myself, I let the towels drop as I went to the dresser to get dressed. I’d had time to adjust to everything a bit better in the past few days and planned to simply be out and about more for the week, rather than stay cooped up to study. Once Twilight was more present again, we could study together and I wouldn’t feel as disconnected or alone.

However, hearing a very unexpected thump and faint pomf I couldn’t identify mixed in with the sound of the towels hitting the floor made me freeze in place, my head snapping towards the direction it came from.

I’m not sure which of us was more surprised in that moment as I discovered Rainbow Dash standing there with wings sprung wide and jaw hanging open, a book on the floor beneath her raised forehoof. Both of us just stared at each other with wide eyes for a long moment, trying to process what just happened. Her face was quickly taking on an intense blush, even as I felt my own face heating up.

Somewhere along the way, my brain registered she wasn’t staring at my eyes.

“Hey!” I said with a grin forming, pointing at my face when my brain finally unclogged. “My eyes are up here!”

“And…?” was Rainbow’s immediate response. Her eyes not only failed to change focus, but she gained a rather lascivious grin that had me looking at her with incredulity. I knew she could be forward and shameless at times, but I didn’t expect this much bluntness out of her. Then again, there was also the fact that, if I was honest with myself and circumstances were different, I’d probably have teased, or even outright encouraged her.

Instead, remembering the things I knew, it weighed heavily on me. It wasn’t even the fact I was already with Twilight that troubled me, and considering the fact she hadn’t given me any signs of displeasure that there was something hovering between Rainbow and I certainly wasn’t helping me figure things out. All that still didn’t stop me from being sorely tempted to swing my hips back and forth just to see if Rainbow’s eyes would follow, however.

After a moment more, I remembered the process for it and assembled a simple illusion spell with my magic. Sweeping a hand in front of my waist left a floating black rectangle to hide the appropriate area, though I knew ponies would probably never get the joke. It also caused Rainbow to shift to an exaggerated pout strangely reminiscent of Twilight’s from earlier.

It really wasn’t helping keep my mind out of places it shouldn’t be going as I made sure the spell would anchor on my waist, but remain angled flat to her view as we moved about. She got enough of a show for one day.

“Aww! I was looking at that!” Rainbow complained as she returned to the lascivious grin.

Giving her a flat look and, rather than give her a verbal response, I opted to modify the illusion spell to include a scrolling marquee with rather obvious wording before folding my arms across my bare chest. Illusion spells had an interesting capacity for forming one’s mental image without needing calculations past the initial visual energization. I was also quite careful with exactly what I used, as a stray thought could cause...unexpected results. At least Twilight was the only one to see what part of her body I’d been thinking of when I slipped that time…

Rainbow snorted out a laugh once she read it, shaking her head as she finally looked me in the eye, “Your fun bits are ‘Property of Twilight Sparkle’ now? How can you be so awesome and still manage to be such a dork sometimes?”

I had to roll my eyes at that, deciding to just ask the obvious question, “Why are you even in Twilight’s and my bedroom?”

She finally had the decency to give a polite cough and look away as she rubbed the back of her head, though her wings hadn’t budged from full spread, “I, uh, well, I was just dropping by to pick up a Daring Do series’ compendium that details some of the stuff she’s used on her adventures. I’ve mostly finished getting Blossomforth ready for taking over as Weather Captain, since she’s known she was my successor when I finally moved on to something bigger. I was just looking for something to help keep me busy until the squad shows up and I can start my Wonderbolts combat training. Twi knew I was coming by. Guess she didn’t mention it to you. We both kinda figured you’d have left for AJ’s place by now anyway, but I really can’t complain about the free show I just got.”

“Blossomforth? I thought Cloud Kicker was your second?” I returned, blatantly ignoring her commentary.

Waving a hoof, she explained. “Yeah, and she straight up refuses a promotion because it’d interfere with, as she puts it, her ‘rigorous banging schedule’, due to the mandatory night duties. She’s been happy to fill in on a temporary basis when I was sick or otherwise unavailable, and more than capable of the position too, but she’s happy where she is.”

“Night duties?”

Rainbow arched a brow. “Yeah. You know, I explained my duties as a Weather Captain already. You forget me telling you that?”

“Hmm, it might be one of those missing pieces from the Rose Window again. Quick rundown on night duty?” I asked as I moved to start getting dressed. At least the distraction made earlier concerns go away.

Rainbow Dash shrugged, her wings slowly starting to flex again. “Well, the short answer is a Weather Captain is responsible for keeping an eye on the weather during the night. Usually, I’d just have to get up around one or two in the morning and tour the sky for an hour or so to make sure everything was staying on track as planned. Longer if I had to fix something. It’s a huge pain in the tail for the weather team to wake up to an unexpected storm, and that’s not even counting the stuff that can show up over the Everfree. Most sectors don’t have a wild magic zone giving them headaches. Some of the bad nights can take hours to counter and set straight, but at least I could start waking the rest of the team at that point. It’s amazing how many ponies don’t even realize what a Weather Captain actually does, or how far from the idea ‘we’re all just lazy’ we are.”

“Huh. That’s why you tend to nap so much during the day, right?” I asked as I slipped on some boxer briefs and simple brown pants. Once I was properly modest, not that I was body shy to begin with, I dispelled the illusion spell. Between the ingrained habit, and the fact Twilight really liked getting to keep certain things about me all to herself, I doubted I’d be changing my preference for keeping covered anytime soon.

“Yeah. Most ponies think all our work happens when the sun’s up, but that’s totally not true. The weather never stops just because somepony’s sleeping. Makes it kinda hard to feel rested sometimes, but I’m awesome enough to handle it.” Rainbow added with confidence.

Having gotten a shirt on, I set to brushing out my damp hair so it dried without going crazy. I had a couple ways, but this time I figured a simple warming spell on my hair to speed up evaporation would give me time to chat with Rainbow, assuming she stuck around, as I dealt with my hair. I could always speed things up if she didn’t.

Sitting on the edge of the bed to take care of my hair, I pondered what I might ask her, but she didn’t give me a chance as she spoke up.

“You know, I have to ask… Where’d the rest of it go?” Rainbow inquired as she gestured to my groin, sounding as if referring to my wedding tackle was completely normal. “I mean, you looked like you were at full attention. And after seeing the outline of it under your pants on the train, I know it should’ve been a bit longer than that. Do humans have some weird ability to pull part of it back in or something? Seemed kinda funny-looking, too.”

Pausing in my brushing, all I could do was stare at her and blink, words temporarily abandoning my brain at what she just said. I might not be body shy, but that gave me another blush as I realized she was paying close enough attention to even notice such a thing. And the sudden thought I had that I was glad she was paying that close of attention to my happy place did not help my warm cheeks one bit, either.

“I…,” was all I could manage at first before getting my wits back, clearing my throat before continuing with a flat tone as I pinched the bridge of my nose, “Seriously, Rainbow? No, humans don’t… That’s just… Ok, well, uh, pony mode also leaves me a bit longer there, for whatever reason. And, uh, it’s a normal shape for humans. Pony mode makes it look like a regular stallion’s, from what Twilight has told me. You planning to stop being a pervert sometime today?”

“What?! I…,” Rainbow blinked as she suddenly paused and her face bloomed, taking a moment to clear her throat as she looked to one side, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof with a sheepish grin on her flushed face, “Oh, I, uh… Heh. I guess I kinda flew right into that one.”

“Rainbow, you flew into that one so hard they’ll put a picture of you next to the word ‘pervert’ in the dictionary,” I told her with a bemused look.

“Heh, well, I suppose I am awesome enough to have more than just the word ‘awesome’ dedicated to me,” Rainbow returned with a smirk, then stretching her neck out a bit with a tilt of her head and tossing her mane to the other side from my viewpoint, giving me a sidelong glance with a hint of a different kind of blush, “And coming from you, I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Quirking a brow at her, I felt myself worrying a bit more upon seeing her taking a moment to show off her neck like that. If I had any doubts about how heavily she was flirting with me before, seeing her accentuate her neck that way left me no choice but to accept what was right in front of my face. She still hadn’t quite folded her wings like usual either, being more animated with them as she exaggerated her expressions.

I didn’t understand most of it, but I remembered Twilight explaining some things about pegasi and how they often express themselves. Still, so long as she wasn’t being too direct, such as with feathermarking, I didn’t know if it was a thing or not yet, or something else that intimate, I should be able to put her off gently. It didn’t tell me just why the fact that I needed to do so was such a strangely unpleasant thought.

Before I found the right words, Rainbow spoke up again, “Hey, Vojin, uh… Can I ask you something?” I nodded. “Cool, uh… I just… Are humans more like swans when they date or, uh, are they more, um… flexible?”

The almost poetic choice of wording was a surprise as I took a slow breath and I looked to one side, trying not to read what had started to reflect in her eyes when I looked away to avoid her reading my own. A moment of consideration passed and I felt sharing an experience I had would help. I could deal with my slightly damp hair in a few minutes as I set the brush aside and folded my hands, resting my elbows on my thighs and staring at the floor.

“Rainbow, why don’t you have a seat. I think I’ll tell you a story about a part of my life on Earth that happened six years ago,” I said, old memories coming up as I got myself ready to share the tale.

It was a little surprising when Rainbow hopped up on the bed and sat down right next to me, which made me feel a bit nervous, but at the same time, her presence was comforting and welcome. It was so strange in many ways that she reminded me of my best friend Barry so much, while at the same time being almost nothing like him. It wasn’t due to gender or species, either. After Twilight, it was pretty easy to say Rainbow was my best friend in Equestria since arriving.

Feeling that faint difference of warmth in the air from her sitting so close shouldn’t be causing me such a mess of emotions so easily either, but it was.

Taking a little more time to collect my thoughts, I finally leaned back on my hands and looked at the ceiling, my damp long brown hair falling behind me as I temporarily let myself get lost in the past. “It was both kind of out of the blue, and kind of expected, when two close female friends of mine asked me to talk. Their names were Angie and Denise. The two of them and myself had been doing some back and forth about dating each other, but neither I nor they could quite decide which of them should get to try going out with me first. I know it sounds kind of egotistical like that, but humans generally just date one at a time. It was seemingly inevitable one would get left out, and my friendship with both of them was itching for a step further. They were lifelong friends themselves and never kept secrets from each other, so I wasn’t really all that surprised when they’d later told me they had the idea at the same time. Somehow, they got it into their heads to ask if I was willing to date them both simultaneously. While that is pretty unusual for humans, it’s also not unheard of. Now I’d be lying if I said the idea didn’t inflate my ego at first, but considering how it progressed and eventually ended, it balanced out when it was over. The three-way relationship lasted for a little under a year.

“At first, it was pretty great, all things considered. I mean, trying to keep up with two ladies was mentally and physically exhausting at times, but also more rewarding in some ways. Heck, the three of us didn’t even start sleeping together until two months in, which, while it’s own kind of fun, wasn’t going to build a relationship. That’s what caused it to fall apart in the end, too. The relationship we had between us.

“Long story short, after a pretty good start, for the latter eight months it was a very gradual, initially subtle process of decline. One of them wanted me for something and it interfered with the other’s time with me. At first, it was just communication issues we tried to work on. Over time though, they both wanted my time to themselves more and more until they couldn’t help but clash. Then sometimes they got upset just because they’d spend time together trying to say they were sorry for fighting and fed off each other’s guilt over me being left out. I’m simplifying things a ton here, but that was what I think it all boiled down to. I never got jealous of them spending time together, but they sure did of each other spending time with me.

“Finally, I couldn’t put up with it anymore and was worried they were going to tear each other, or me, down in a way that couldn’t be forgiven. Say something they couldn’t take back, stuff like that. Accepting that we weren’t going to fix anything with how everything kept getting worse, I told them I was removing myself from the equation.” I took a moment to sigh and lean forward again, glancing at Rainbow for a second as I did with a strained, sad smile before running my fingers through my hair and staring at the floor a short distance ahead.

“The three of us had a long talk that night. We all cried because we knew it had to end before the fights got any worse. We stopped kidding ourselves and chose what would let us stay friends in the end. Even had one last night in bed together to remember the good moments. Heh, I ended up practically being their personal sex toy that night,” I said with a more wistful smile. “You know, I’ve kind of been feeling like my pony mode was almost made to be one sometimes, considering the way it makes me look, and the other stuff. Anyway, that night certainly marked new directions in more ways than expected, too.” I turned a sidelong look at Rainbow. “Have you heard my story about that rockslide I was in five years ago? I only remember telling it to Twilight while they were stitching me up after jumping off her balcony to catch her when our link incapacitated her mid-air.”

She nodded once and tilted her head with an odd look before it passed, “Uh… Yeah… It almost killed you, right?”

I smirked and went back to staring ahead. “I took that trip less than a week after the breakup. I figured it would help all three of us if I was completely gone for a while, though I never expected how it turned out. Angie and Denise both were beside themselves and tried to blame their fights for me being stuck in the hospital for a while, but obviously that’s just pure bad luck at work. They ended up being my personal pair of sexy nurses while I recovered, too.” I chuckled at the memory. “I also found out after a couple weeks that Denise was pregnant with my daughter during my recovery, thanks to a broken condom on our last night together. To top it off, the two of them also ended up staying together as a couple after I bowed out, and once they got over feeling guilty for it, they were really happy together. Like I said, that night was the start of several new directions.”

With a slow breath, I brought myself around to the part I was trying to say. “I… I know what you’re trying to ask me, Rainbow. I’ve done a three-way relationship and… I didn’t really say how I felt when it ended, how deep it cut me. I don’t think I could go through that again. I…”

Going quiet for a time, the silence stretched on longer than it needed to. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to just tell her in nice, simple words that there couldn’t be anything more than friendship between us. There were still a lot of areas of Equestrian society I hadn’t learned about, or had currently forgotten, and I was regretting not looking into how they were with polyamory sooner. Although, observation had only shown me standard couples of two only so far, leaving me even less sure of where exactly she was coming from.

Feeling Rainbow’s hoof touch my shoulder as I felt her lean closer seemed to free my words even as I turned to her at the same time she began to speak.

“Rainbow…”

“Vojin…”

Then one of those worst case scenario moments happened and we found our noses touching, eyes locked on each other as the world froze. She had moved a lot closer than I realized.

Both of us were wide-eyed and unmoving as our breaths washed over, and a little into, each other’s open mouths, mutual blushes starting to creep over our features. Of all the things that could have happened in that moment, both of us suddenly breathing quicker from the contact, such an emotionally intimate act wasn’t exactly on my list of good options to choose from. I already knew touching noses in such context was akin to kissing to Equestrians, yet it was only intimate, with minimal sexual connotations (and a near touch is a big tease). In other words, the act is seen as highly romantic for them. This was one of those moments where I knew the message was going in the completely wrong direction from what I had been intending.

Worst of all, was that feeling of being powerless to stop as she, maybe we, pressed ever so slightly closer, and I could swear more than breath was tracing against my lips, feeling the faintest sensations that somehow screamed through my nerve endings. Each breath we took from each other’s open mouth felt like it got louder as I fell ever deeper into Rainbow’s rose-colored eyes, drinking in her intimately close presence, her scent like a wild summer storm filling my lungs and making me desire more of it. Part of me was wanting, craving, for her to close the gap, fully aware of what it would bring if our lips met right now.

And how lost to her such an action would leave me.

The world suddenly began moving again when Rainbow moved back, rather than forward. She hopped off the bed with an attempted cool smirk that looked more like a dopey smile, her wings giving a quick flap to carry her a little further in the process. All I could do was give her a stunned stare.

“Ok, uh, I better get going. Still plenty of paperwork to complete for Blossomforth’s promotion, and me leaving the Weather Service, and stuff.” Rainbow said as she slowly backed her way towards the bedroom door, an obvious spring in her step, “I’ll, um, see you soon I guess. Probably tomorrow, or maybe when we meet the squad. Might even be tomorrow...er, wait, I said that,” she chuckled awkwardly as she bumped into the door before turning to open it, “See you when I see you, big guy!”

And she really didn’t help matters one bit when she flicked her tail with a pointed glance and sly smile over her shoulder as she turned to go through the door. It was similar to a trick Twilight does when she’s trying to tease me for later bedroom activities.

It wasn’t long before I heard the front door open and shut downstairs, my gaze falling to the floor in front of me as a hand covered my mouth, everything working it’s way through my head.

There had been five visions of critical moments when the other five Guardians I had to find were confirmed. Five points in time when the Bearers needed protection I couldn’t provide for various reasons. Of those, four were matters of life or death in fights against unknown enemies. Four Guardians were going to save the life of their Bearer when we reached the moments to come. The fifth was an anomaly, when, for reasons unknown, both Bearer and Guardian argued and brawled with each other, and I only watch as that Guardian protects their Bearer from something I somehow won’t be able to understand.

And since that wasn’t enough on it’s own, there was also the apparent need for each Bearer to have a foal when things were over, assuming we succeed in stopping whatever was coming, which left the lingering sense that the Guardians were also potential romantic interests. Then I had to remember that while three were to be stallions, there was still a hanging question that the other two could be mares, and I had to ensure those Bearers had foals in the absence of their own stallions, which suggested I had to have some romantic or similar close connection to them as well. My life was getting really bloody complicated since ending up here.

What bothered me most in the moment was my worrying so much about what could happen if one of the girls failed to connect with their Guardian. If Rainbow Dash failed to connect with her future Guardian because of feelings for me and wasn’t the one Bearer that stands out…

Above all else, know that if even one Bearer is lost, so too shall all else be lost.

The voice from the Tree of Harmony wasn’t beating around the bush or unclear. If one of the girls dies, we lose. Period. And I was specifically told by the bloody voice of the bloody tree not to tell Twilight, or Celestia and Luna for that matter, what it said. Meaning I couldn’t even share the true weight of the burden placed on my shoulders. Unless I came up with another option somehow, I had to bear this one alone as I continued my blank stare at the floor in front of me.

Yes, I had some qualms about going anywhere near another three-way relationship, but that wasn’t what scared me about Rainbow being interested in me. I was worried this growing thing between Rainbow and I might leave her vulnerable, without a protector when the moment came that I wasn’t able to keep her safe from something deadly. In hindsight, I now realized our last sparring match was bordering on foreplay at some points. The more I looked at our interactions, the more tense I became as I realized how much it had snuck up on me.

Then there was also a strong sense the Bearers and I needed to trust each other deeply. I knew I couldn’t tell Rainbow about the visions of the Guardians, which were separate from the vision of the Tree when the voice spoke to me, on a warning from Celestia and Luna. They intimated she, or any of the girls, might make a wrong assumption and get her Guardian or herself killed in some twisted dance of fate. Yet, if Rainbow thought I was hiding something she deserved to know, just that knowledge alone could weaken our bond of trust in a critical moment. I had thought so long as nothing really happened first, I could turn her away without too much trouble overall, but that just got thrown out the window.

Now sitting there on the edge of the bed with my hand over my mouth in worry, I knew it was going to be so much harder to turn her down gently after that moment we just had. Worse, I knew how badly I wanted to kiss her just then on top of it.

Really not helping to know screwing this up could indirectly end up destroying the world. With all this crap starting to give me a headache, I hope drama of this scale isn’t normal for me. Feeling just great now, having no idea what to do, or what the right answer is.

This kind of luck is why I stopped buying nice things.

Shit…

Some time later, I was walking down the road towards Sweet Apple Acres. The time was a fair bit later than I had originally planned, having taken some time to meditate in hopes of helping to settle my mind after Rainbow left. It hadn’t worked as well as I would’ve liked.

Applejack knew I was coming to join her for some farm work today, so she and Big Mac should be in the orchard nearest to Ponyville for the day. Spending a little time with some good old fashioned hard work would hopefully help me work off the building stress I was feeling. I was also curious how things measured up, considering pony mode made me a little stronger. My previous working visits to the farm were apparently forgotten, but from what AJ had said, it took me too much effort to kick apple trees to be efficient before. Perhaps the difference in my pony mode would tip the scales. A doctor’s appointment I had scheduled tomorrow would hopefully provide some specifics as well.

With a faint lopsided smirk as my thoughts moved on, I mused to myself about what Twilight and I had decided to do with revealing pony mode to the rest of the town. Considering the timing of Nightmare Night being so close, we ended up coming to the conclusion it would be funny if we waited until that night for the reveal. To add to it, we were working on an adaptation of Starswirl the Bearded’s historical robe and hat so it fit my bipedal frame. I’d even make myself a beard out of my own tail and she would regrow my tail for me. Both of us had shared a laugh as we wondered what the ponies in town would think when I did my morning exercises, or occasionally walked around town in pony mode, after Nightmare Night.

Now that I was thinking of it, I wondered what the squad would think. I needed to train in both forms in order to be appropriately prepared. While there was a difference in strength, and my lower leg structure was quite different, there wasn’t all that much of a functional change between my human body and pony mode. Past the change in looks and obvious differences, it was nearly the same over all. Might make the cold a little more tolerable as well, though the opposite was probably true for hot weather.

As my thoughts wandered, I suddenly heard a sound that made me tense. A variable I’d forgotten about while having been up in Canterlot. It occurred to me that it was a wonder this hadn’t happened sooner in the week.

“Heeeey there, human! What’re you doing way out here all by your handsome lonesome, and why haven’t we banged like rabbits yet?” came the voice of trouble in the form of the infamous Cloud Kicker.

Of all the possibilities, I had the rather questionable fortune of winding up with the openly declared interest of that Cloud Kicker.

There was a standing agreement she’d restrain herself when I was with Twilight. Of course, with Twilight busy at the town hall, I was walking along the road alone. I was already mentally preparing myself for a no reason open season teasin’ of the perverted kind. Although, she does make a good distraction from normal in way different from most, so there was that.

Turning my head to see the pale persian blue, or maybe an almost grayish lavender, coat and blonde mane of the grinning pegasus drifting into a near hover beside me as she matched my pace in the air on my right, I only gave her a raised eyebrow in response. There were no safe responses with her. Anything and everything, whenever she feels like it, leads back to a reference of trying to get me to bed her. I might have been offended if she wasn’t so cute about how much of a pervert she was. Perhaps part of it was also because I knew she actually did have standards and limits to her ludicrously forward behavior and stops at a certain line, or when the target of her endless craving for sex was being upset by her antics.

Cloud Kicker’s grayish cerise eyes twinkled, “What’s the matter? Aren’t you happy to see me anymore? Maybe you’re just feeling out of sorts and need some stress relief. I know a few ways to help~.”

“You seem to be in a good mood. Two passes at me right out of the gate.” I returned as I casually focused on the road and my walk, trying to avoid merely giving in immediately. It can be trying at times, when she knows I appreciate her humor, so I was at least going to make her work for it a little first.

“Actually, it’s not me that’s been in a good mood. I don’t know what the hay you did, but the boss has been almost giggly so far today. And since she was getting that way when talking about you… With not much for the weather team to do on clear days like this, there isn’t much to keep me occupied. When I saw you down here, I just had to come and say hello when you seem to be the cause of her being all happy like you just said yes to a date or something. Or maybe you gave her a really good morning bang…” Cloud Kicker was starting to give me the impression she looking for qualifying details to explain Rainbow’s mood.

For my end of things though, I didn’t like where that was leading. If I was going to settle things with Rainbow in a way I could stomach, it was feeling more and more like I needed to do it sooner and not let this wait very long. Letting her build up a false impression first would only make it more difficult.

My face must have been betraying some of my thoughts, as I heard hooves hit the ground. A glance showed Cloud Kicker was now walking beside me with a small frown.

“Buck. I know that look. And knowing the boss like I do, I’ll bet she jumped to a conclusion about you and her somehow. You’re thinking you gotta turn her down, aren’t you?” Cloud commented in a more serious tone, her eyes genuinely concerned.

Looking forward again, I found myself feeling inclined to tell her a little of what happened, strangely enough. I could keep certain stuff to myself, but an outside perspective might actually help me clear my head about the problem. I let myself exhale noisily as an initial response, before gathering my words. “Accidentally had her see me after a shower this morning. Obvious parts were ready for action at that exact moment, no less.” Cloud snorted and covered her mouth with a hoof as she continued with a three-legged walk, surprisingly trying to stay quiet. “Long story short, I was trying to get myself around to telling Rainbow we should just stay friends, and after a story from my past to help me explain why, we wound up bumping noses and sharing a moment. I was too stunned to talk before she left shortly after that, and you pretty much just confirmed the way she misunderstood where I was going after the story. Where I come from, polyamory is exceedingly rare. And after trying it once to it’s painful failure, I really don’t want to go there again. Then this morning happened, and she’s left me in a much more uncomfortable position than before.”

We walked in near silence for a bit before Cloud Kicker spoke up. “I can see how she could get the wrong impression. I’ll bet it was all nice and romantic, from the sound of it. Was probably even a complete accident too, like some bucking romance novel. Still, I don’t hear any actual reasons why you’re trying to turn her down. Maybe even spending more time trying to convince yourself you shouldn’t just because something didn’t work in the past.”

I gave a grunt at that. It wasn’t like I could deny it. With how observant she was demonstrating herself to be, I’d probably get called out on it if I tried. Instead, I didn’t, and decided to just be honest with a pony who was probably the strangest possible choice for relationship advice. “There’s a lot of other factors involved, but that’s part of the problem, too. She’s got my attention in exactly that way. What little talking I’ve done with Twilight about it just makes it more frustrating because she hasn’t shown the slightest hint of disapproval either. Bloody hell, I’d almost swear Twilight is actually hoping Rainbow and I start going somewhere romantically. If it wasn’t for all the other stuff, I think I’d even consider giving the idea a chance after talking it over with Twilight, but it just isn’t that simple!”

My hands had clenched into fists as the frustration grew more visually obvious. I really cared about Rainbow, and had perhaps too easy a time imagining her with Twilight and I, but with the visions and the Guardians and the mess we were getting ready for, I couldn’t simply toss caution to the wind. Maybe it was feeling a little like I had the whole world on my shoulders, and that making a poorly considered decision could cause huge problems I could scarcely even fathom. I really bloody hate drama, yet that seems to be what I was overflowing with right now.

“What the buck is such a big deal? You’re acting like the fate of the world is hanging in the balance or something.” Cloud said with an amused tone. If only she knew. “Seriously, unless you wanna start explaining, it all just comes down to deciding if you want Dash to join you and Princess Twilight. I’d think all you really need to do is talk with your mare and make a choice. I can see you wanna bang her when you talk about her, so the choice is made as far as I can see. You just gotta admit it.”

I blinked for a moment before raising an eyebrow at her, not sure if I should be annoyed at her bluntness, or relieved she’s taking things relatively serious and trying to help. I also remembered the vision of the Tree of Harmony had only specified not telling Twilight, Celestia and Luna. And the diarchs had only warned against telling the other Bearers about their Guardians. It was stretching the meaning of things a touch, but I decided to be cautious and vague as I shared a glimpse of it because I really needed some additional perspective. “Ok… Well… Um… If I tell you anything else, you going to keep it only to yourself? And I mean absolutely zero repeats.”

Cloud Kicker arched her brow back at me. “Fair enough. I might be lax and loose and love to bang ponies as much as hold a conversation with them, but I can keep a secret if you need me to. Whatever you have going on seems to be making you lose a few feathers, cause I don’t think deciding whether or not to bang Rainbow Dash is your real hangup.”

Her casual ‘gotta bang em all’ attitude was probably never going to stop making me pause on some level. Instead, I ignored it and just nodded. “Yeah. If that was all that was going on, I’d honestly just talk it out with Twilight and figure it out with her. The problem is…” I paused to sigh, trying to word it right. “I… I recently had some visions of possible events in the future. Not gonna get into the details, but let’s just say it might be very bad if I was romantically involved with Rainbow. Possibly even put her in serious danger. If it wasn’t already obvious, it worries me enough to have me crawling up a wall.”

“Huh. That’s way off from what I was expecting.” Cloud said as she blinked in surprise and tilted her head briefly. “Well, let me tell you a little story about myself from years ago when I had my own vision of the future in a drunken dream. Or was it a too-exhausted-by-sex dream? Eh, probably both. Anyway, I had one when I was coming up on the time for me go start my term in the Solar Guard after getting a West Hoof education. I was getting more nervous by the day, and I was really close to running away from the five year commitment. Then I had that dream, suggesting what I thought life might be like if I did turn tail and skip town. Scared me just enough to show up the day I had to report, and I’m glad I did. I got out of the Guard just over a year ago and moved to Ponyville at Dash and Fluttershy’s suggestion.”

She paused, rustling her wings before continuing. “I don’t think I’m in all that different a place now than I would have been, had I run off like I was gonna do before I had that glimpse, but I do know I don’t regret it. Wound up banging my way across half of Equus along the way with the Guard, so that was even a bonus. Thing is, I spent days agonizing about what to do. As bucking cheesy as it sounds, I eventually just let my heart pick. I look back and realize that’s all I could do. Besides that, for all I was worried about in that vision, a form of it came true anyway, regardless of what I did. Be it dumb luck, or something bigger than me, it was a signpost of sorts I could still question the exact meaning of today and not really have an answer. I can’t say if it’s quite the same for you, or if you’re right, and picking the wrong thing will end up with Dash in some kinda trouble, but buck all if you actually have the ability to tell in the first place. Trust your gut, your heart, instincts, whatever. I’d say trust your dick, but that won’t lead you back to me anytime soon.

“Just… Whatever you choose, if you do gotta turn her down, try to go easy on her. I knew Dash as a foalhood friend and we go way back. We grew up together in Cloudsdale, even if I’m a little older. She’s never smiled like that over a stallion since she went through some stuff a while back. She’s had more than her share of trouble already. Oh, and don’t tell the boss I said anything. She’s tough though, and I’m sure she can deal with it if you can’t, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping you do accept her.”

There were a lot of possible reactions I could have taken, but ultimately settled on quiet contemplation of what she said as we walked along the dirt road together. I was already glad I took a chance on talking with her. Hiding behind all her obsession with sex, Cloud Kicker had experienced a lot of life, and earned a rather unique perspective on some things because of it. It still didn’t stop her from all but asking outright for sex with me, which she’d already done previously anyway. Regardless of anything else you could say about her, she was kind, and genuinely did care about others.

My thoughts turned back to Rainbow Dash and the situation I was in with her. Perhaps what was driving me nuts the most was seeing how much I’d love trying to pursue a relationship with her, and feeling trapped behind a big wall of reasons not to. Twilight and I had it easy because of our link, what with being able to sense each other’s emotions and intuitively understanding how much we could trust each other. It gave us a very powerful base upon which to build up our relationship. It also left me wondering how unfair it all would be to Rainbow, on the off chance she joined us, because Twilight was always going to be first with me. No matter how much was felt between us, Rainbow would always be second with me because of the link, and there was no getting around that. Maybe it wouldn’t be an issue at first, but I could see the long term challenges of Rainbow not having someone, somepony rather, that would truly be able to put her first.

I could never let myself cause Rainbow that kind of pain.

The soft sound of hooves and feet traversing the dirt road was the only noise to be heard aside from a whispering wind flowing through the grasses on either side of us, feeling my long hair wandering with the breeze. I felt more relaxed about the problem, but not really any closer to having an answer. Both choices currently felt wrong and right in nearly equal measure.

Finally, I settled on taking time to process the new perspective, giving Cloud a lopsided smile. “I suppose I have more to think about now. Still don’t have an answer, but I do feel calmer about trying to figure it out. Thanks, Cloudy.”

“I take my thanks in the form of dick, when you’re ready to repay me. Just so we’re clear,” came her smirking reply, causing me to roll my eyes in exasperation.

“You have absolutely zero shame. Geh, I can already tell it’s just going to get worse after Nightmare Night when I show off an ability I picked up since arriving on Equus.” I commented, knowing she was going to find out about my pony mode eventually. After thinking about it, I realized it really didn’t matter when she finds out. Maybe I wanted to get it out of the way, or possibly distract myself for a bit.

Cloud eyed me curiously. “And what ability is that?”

“Well, since I can already see you pestering me all the more no matter if I wait, and I was going to show the whole town then anyway, I may as well tell you.” I paused and took a breath, though I would never admit to doing a dramatic pause. “Somehow, in my getting linked with Twilight, I gained the ability to turn into a half-pony, half-human hybrid.”

She stopped and blinked as she stared at me, causing me to stop and look at her.

“Seriously?”

I nodded. “Purple-tinged gray fur, white mane and tail, with two ears and a horn sticking out of my head. And my feet turn into a pair of hooves”

Cloud grinned as her eyes danced. “Ok, this I gotta see. Can you show me right now?”

“Kind of figured you would want to see it. Since I was just going to transform at the farm anyway, I don’t see why not. Just don’t say anything until Nightmare Night, so the rest of the town can be surprised, alright?” I added before using telekinesis to slip out of my shoes and socks to a wolf whistle from Cloud Kicker, causing me to roll my eyes as I stuffed the socks into my footwear and tied the laces together to hang them off my shoulder.

“So that’s what your feet look like. Kinda cute with how smooth they look. Bet they’d be all soft and warm for fetish play, too. So how do you do it?” Cloud looked intrigued, to say the least.

I ignored that. “Change takes me a little less than ten seconds, so just watch.”

Once again, I focused on the biggest differences, with my ears, tail, and hooves getting a thought as I willed myself through the shift again. The only thing about me that didn’t really change visually were my molten silver eyes, which had only the barest of alterations. That was another thing I’d learned about the differences from the show and actually being here. Their eyes weren’t so ludicrously oversized, a little more prominent than a human’s own perhaps, but it was another exaggeration changed for entertainment on Earth. The texture of the dirt road against my feet mostly faded out as they became hooves, and I fished my long white tail out of the back of my pants before focusing on Cloud Kicker again.

Open-mouthed, wide-eyed shock wasn’t entirely unexpected. Sadly, neither were her slowly rising wings. I just waited for the inevitable from little miss naughty wings… Wait, I called Twilight that two nights ago. Bad brain.

The town pervert got her mouth working a moment later, thankfully it was only in the sense of recovering her ability to speak. “Buuuuuuuck! And you’re probably never gonna bang me when you look like that, too! You’re like, a combination of several popular body kinks most ponies look for in each other and in the biped races! Buck, I’ll bet you’ve even got a perfect-for-banging rock-hard flank from all that training I see you do almost every morning!”

I blinked, raising an eyebrow at her. “You’ve watched me train? I’ve never seen you around.”

“Oh, well, assuming I’m not having a morning bang, that’s cause I’m up on a cloud clopping myself silly while I watch your muscles at work and getting all sweaty. The best days are when you take your shirt off and I see even more. I like imagining you going to town on me and putting that flexibility of yours to good use in all kinds of positions. And I’d absolutely love to run my hooves up and down that nicely toned front side of yours. While I’ve got you hilted in me, of course.”

Part of me wanted to be surprised, but by this point I was far, far too aware of how big a pervert she really was. It didn’t stop me from just staring at her with a bemused look, not sure if I should laugh, feel flattered, or be creeped out. I think if I didn’t know she was genuinely harmless outside of her perversions, and did half of what she did just to mess with everyone else’s head, I’d probably be closer to the latter.

Settling on a facepalm as my pony ears splayed out sideways, I groaned. “Restraint and modesty. You really should up your daily doses. I think you would benefit.”

“Ha! My only daily doses are dick and vag. That’s my favorite medicine, and all I really need. Hmm…” Cloud Kicker had a blatantly lascivious grin as she kept looking me up and down. At least she wasn’t being grabby. Still, I didn’t like that hum. It could lead to far too many places.

“You know… Dash would totally kill me for telling you this, but she can swallow dick a good deal better than I can. She even taught me a few things. Bet she could suck two loads out of you before she pulled her lips off the base even once, and faster than you’d believe.” And Cloud proved my danger senses were correct, and that she was a massive pervert, yet again.

Struggling to prevent my mind from having much time to consider that little factoid, I wasn’t really thinking about my response, hand still over my face. “Not like I have to worry about reload time anyway. Why are you this much of a perv again?”

“Because banging is the best thing ever. What do you mean you don’t have to worry about reload time though?”

I blinked and looked at her, registering what I said, and began to worry how much worse she’d be if she knew about my ears. At the same time, I noticed her eyes starting to widen in a realization I hoped wasn’t what I was afraid it would be.

Her jaw worked for a moment as she stared before words formed. “You can’t be that kind of… Please tell me you don’t have the Diviso Amore Response too…”

All I could do was stare back at her as my ears slowly began to fall back against my head in a wonderfully visual answer, a look of dread appearing on my face as my hand moved away. I began to wonder if I could outrun her as I watched her expression change to some strange mix of predatory lust, utter disbelief, and frustrated fury.

“Argh!” Cloud Kicker let out a shout as she suddenly leapt and tackled me, colliding with my chest. I barely had time to react as she planted her flanks on my front as her forehooves grabbed my shirt and pulled me close while she leaned in, leaving our noses roughly pressed together as she growled. “I can’t believe this! I know there’s no bucking way you’ll bang me and you’re set up to be a bucking perfect lay! Is this some kind of sick joke of fate being played on me for accidentally breaking a bunch of hearts before I came up with my banging rules?! I’ll bang your overly sexy princess too! You can double-team me! Of all the possibilities, why does your dick have to be off limits?!”

There are things that make your brain pause, and some that make your brain malfunction. I found myself on the extreme end of malfunction at that moment, blinking dumbly at Cloud Kicker’s frustrated yet lusty look. I simply had no words available as I tried to process what just happened.

After another pause, she let me fall flat again with an muffled thump. She got up and stalked away for a couple steps, wings still spread wide as she grumbled quietly with her head low.

I sat up and stared at her, still trying to get my brain working again. The situation had gone sideways in a way that left me torn between wanting to escape, say something about manners, and simply start laughing.

I settled for staring.

This was not exactly the best option.

“Ok, I think I’m gonna go find myself a cloud or go back to my place and clop off a few times while I dream about the bang that’ll never be.” Cloud lifted her head and gave me a naughty smile. “Keep being bangable, Vojin. I’m jealous of Princess Twilight. And assuming you go that way, jealous of the boss’s luck too. Feel free to cop a feel if you need to talk again, and I hope you can figure things out. See ya in the morning~!”

With a flirty sing-song tone at the end, Cloud Kicker, pervert extraordinaire, gave a flick of her tail and winked. And because she was facing away from me as she got ready to fly, she just had to wink at me from both ends before taking to the air.

My gray fur-covered hand met my face again as I closed my eyes and groaned in exasperation. In my life, I have met a lot of weird people. Now there were a number of ponies rapidly adding themselves to that list. I was starting to hope I don’t have some kind of weird aura that draws in perverts. That’d just be the worst thing ever.

“This day keeps getting stranger…”

Around ten minutes or so after dealing with the avatar of perversion that was easily the most shameless friend I had now, I was starting through the orchard, following my ears as they caught the sound of a heavy thunk not far away. As it was the plan anyway, I had remained in pony mode. One ear turned towards the sound as the other wiggled at random because I still thought it was fun to do.

Soon, the large red form of Big Mac was visible through the trees as he delivered a buck to the next tree, a number of muted thumps following a moment later. He paused as I came into view and eyed me with caution, having not seen me in pony mode until now. So far in Ponyville, only the girls and Spike, and now Cloud Kicker, had seem me like this.

As I waved and gave him a smile, he spoke before I could say anything. “Seein’ them clothes… That you, Vojin?”

“In the flesh. Don’t mind the appearance. Short of it is my link with Twilight did a few things to me. The ability to shift to this hybrid form is apparently part of it. Aside from the obvious visual stuff, I’m interested in seeing if my being a little stronger like this will make a difference with the trees. Going to show the town on Nightmare Night as a little prank, too. AJ nearby?” I replied as I looked around.

“Should be headin’ back with the cart any minute now. Y’all are runnin’ pretty late. Run inta trouble?” Big Mac said as he started pulling down a net from the tree he just finished clearing.

Wait, net…?

I looked at the setup on the tree and saw a circular arrangement of netting that dipped at the edges straight into the arranged wooden bushel bucket things. I’m not a farmer.

My reply was a little distracted as I answered him. “Got caught up in a chat with Rainbow Dash, which led me to needing to deal with some rather frustrating private stuff that’s come to light. Then on the way here, I was intercepted by Cloud Kicker. Not oddly enough, she gave me some advice about something giving me a headache and was mostly only moderately perverted… Also, I’m sure one of you explained this last time, but I don’t remember any of it right now due to a magic problem. What’s with the net?”

Big Mac gave a snort at the mention of Cloud Kicker, and for a second I thought I saw him smirk. The large red stallion arched a brow at me before returning to his work and continued unhooking the net as he spoke. “Enchanted ta prevent bruising the apples as we kick em down and they roll into the tubs. Only piece of magic on the farm. Saves us a lot of time and bruised apples. Enough that the cost was still worth it even before Twilight started refreshin’ the enchantments for us twice a year ta help us out. Used ta be a lot more difficult ta prevent bruising.”

“Huh…” I guess that explained that. “Things going well with you and Fluttershy since you started having dates in public?”

This time, he did smile. “Eeyup.”

Having nothing else to say, I just started helping him move the netting sets to the next bunch of trees, and I only asked him a couple relevant questions on the setup. Otherwise, we just worked in companionable silence and were just about to begin knocking down the next round when Applejack came back with the cart.

“Howdy there, Vojin. Ah was starting ta wonder if something came up and ya weren’t gonna make it out. Everything alright?” Applejack inquired once she drew close with more empty tubs in the otherwise empty cart.

I gave her the short rundown like I did with Big Mac, drawing a quick laugh out of her. “Ah can’t believe Cloudy can be as shameless as she is sometimes. Still, she sure does know her way ‘round a mare…”

Quirking a brow, I eyed Applejack with some surprise. “You make it sound like you’ve had a roll in the hay with her.”

Chuckling, Applejack smiled as we started loading tubs of apples onto the cart once it was cleared of empty ones. “And ya said the exact same thing when ya found out the first time. Ah do hope yer memory fills back in for ya soon… Yeah, Ah’ve had a few rolls in the hay with her. Course at this point, so has most of the town. Y’all explained before about why it surprised ya, so Ah will skip that and remind ya we ponies just ain’t as bound up about sex as humans seem ta be. Even then, Ah used ta be more bound up myself, but putting it all on the line a few times for Equestria loosened me up ta makin’ sure Ah ain’t holding back none on living. Cloudy’s always ready for some fun when the mood strikes, and Ah’ve apparently got me a bit of a healthy liking for wings.”

Soon, the three of us had the full tubs loaded on the cart and got ready for the next round of applebucking. Big Mac just headed down the line to the far end and set to work, while Applejack and I went to the first one.

She gave me a few quick words on the straightforward process of kicking a tree and making the apples drop, noting striking force and techniques she used herself since I had forgotten previous visits. Unfortunately, my height forced me to duck and slide along underneath the netting. It was set up to permit Big Mac easy access, not anyone taller. If I stood up straight, my ears would be poking through the netting as it draped over my head.

“Alright, let’s give this a go…” I announced as Applejack stepped clear, then sent a purple-tinged gray hoof slamming against the trunk with a solid impact. A moment later, I was rewarded with numerous muffled thumps of falling apples. Several of which bounced off my head.

I realized it was going to be one of those sorts of workdays when one apple made a delayed drop to conk me just when I thought they had finished. Applejack snickered as I decided to take the perspective it being an unusual head massage. Not like I could blame the apples for anything anyway.

“Not bad, Vojn. Give it another kick and see if ya can finish off the tree. Y’all were close before, so that bit of extra strength ya were talkin’ about may have done the trick.” Applejack said, sounding pleased.

Once I had taken a moment to look up at the tree and see for myself, I threw a second kick, and was rewarded by a smaller number of muffled thumps. Yet, as if in defiance of all sense and logic, it felt like just as many apples bounced off my head as the first time, including the straggler that dropped and bonked me after the others were mostly in the tubs at the edge of the netting.

There are times I sincerely believe some entity on Equus is laughing at my expense.

At least Applejack thought it was funny, and having given the affirmative that I could handle applebucking without unnecessarily exhausting myself, all three of us set to knocking down apples. Most of the time, I needed two kicks, and an occasional third, but I could keep pace. Applejack and Big Mac only needed one in most cases.

Some time later, as the day was winding down and Big Mac was hauling a fully laden cart out to the barn, Applejack and I were removing the netting from the last round of trees. The three of us had finished gathering the day’s apples early, as they could only gather a certain amount each day. It also meant that the time was only mid-afternoon, thanks to the steady pace and three of us doing the work of two. I was also expecting I would be a little sore tomorrow.

Perhaps I’m a touch masochistic, but I love that kind of soreness earned in hard work.

Applejack spoke up in the lull as we removed the netting from the last set. “Ya know, I’ve been kinda curious about something, sugarcube. Maybe it’s a might strange for me ta be noticing, but Ah keep tryin’ ta figure out why ya call Twi yer ‘Purple Angel’ all the time. Ah always figured she had more of a lavender coat. Mind if Ah ask why?”

Flashing her a grin, I had to chuckle a little at the question. “It’s actually from a small joke between Twilight and I. It’d be too much to explain everything of how it happened, but it’s mostly the result of a couple things. In part, back on Earth, there’s a stereotype about human males being bad at knowing the names of various colors, instead generally calling them all simple base names as a result. Lavender is a type of purple. Another part of it is kinda cheesy, and inspired by a story on Earth, but ‘Purple Angel’ means the same to Twilight as me telling her I love her. Except, by saying her pet name instead, I don’t have to repeat the same thing quite so often, and I can get away with telling her that I love her that much more often. I think you’re already aware I’m kind of a romantic sap, so you can imagine I tend to enjoy saying it rather frequently.”

“Y’all do get kinda sappy when yer around each other. Ah’m just glad yer both happy.” Applejack sighed, her smile then turning a bit hesitant, yet curious. “While we’re on this kinda subject, Ah wanted ta ask ya about something else too.”

Raising a brow at her tone, I caught her eye with a smile of my own. “You can ask me anything, AJ. If nothing else, I can’t imagine you’ll surprise me more than Cloudy did earlier.”

That gave her a chuckle as she shook her head. “Nope. Nothin’ like that. Like Ah was sayin’ earlier though, Ah try not to hold back on livin’. Ah know it’s a bit forward, but ya already know Ah admitted ta likin’ the way ya look. Ah just wanted to ask if Ah have a chance at gettin’ up close with ya, have a few rolls in the hay, stuff like that. Ah ain’t never seen the sense in dancin’ around when Ah can just ask ya straight.”

I had to pause as I looked at her, my fuzzy ears twitching as I recalled events earlier in the day. Considering the aggravation I’d endured with Rainbow Dash earlier, I have to say I much appreciated the blunt approach and subsequent lack of annoying ambiguity.

With a moment to think, I went for a straightforward answer in return. “If I were single, I wouldn’t turn the idea down, just so you know. Since I’m not though, I would appreciate it if you take me off your list of options. Also, humans are generally monogamous in the culture I come from. While I have nothing against polyamory, I tried it once. Maybe different partners would’ve changed things, but it didn’t work out well for me.”

“Ah understand. Ah am disappointed, but mostly Ah was just wondering what it’d be like with ya, more than anythin’ else.” Applejack sighed, then seemed to slowly gain a salacious smirk, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Still… Would it be too much if Ah ask ta kiss the idea goodbye? Could at least satisfy that part of mah curiosity…”

Blinking, I eyed her for a moment as the idea worked it’s way through my head. I was confident in my awareness that such a thing would be, all other things considered, strictly a platonic one-time thing for a friend. For a brief moment, I also remembered what led me to have a certain additional degree of mental separation from my physical actions. I banished that memory again almost as fast as it came to mind. I wasn’t letting myself go down that road again. It was a long time ago.

Having given it a moment, I only shrugged with a small smirk as my own male curiosity won out on something that would have no illusions or expectations of going further. Although Rainbow was as confusing as she was enticing in her interest in me, Applejack’s request wasn’t complicated to my mind. “Eh, why not. Since she’s a little taller than the rest of you, Twilight is at a perfect height when she’s up on her hind legs, but you aren’t so far off to be out of reach. Want me to kneel down instead, though?”

“Nope.” Applejack grinned like the cat that ate the canary as she strode right in front of me and raised herself up on her hind legs. One foreleg caught the front of my shirt and pulled me towards her, her other foreleg snaking around behind my neck to do the same. I simply set my hands at her sides and let her lead as our mouths connected without hesitation. Somepony doesn’t waste any time, does she?

The first thought I had was the fact that Applejack was as direct in a kiss as she was about bringing up the subject. She wasted no time in pulling me in tight as her tongue slid straight into my mouth. The hoof that had pulled on my shirt slipped under my arm and around my back, pulling me in as close as she could press us together, while she continued to go to town on my mouth.

My own response was less limited after the initial surprise wore off. I found myself tasting the apple she’d eaten before we started talking as I returned the kiss in full, the unique scent of honest sweat adding more to the picture. For whatever reason, such things never seemed unpleasant to my senses, and among Equestrians, the scent was even interesting. My own tongue slid along hers and into her mouth as she let out a pleased hum. Then again, with how much suction and force she was employing, it would have been a little difficult to resist doing so in the first place. Like her approach to work, she dove straight into the kiss for all it was worth. It made me glad my altered anatomy included a stallion’s muscle control to physically restrict an erection from starting, which would have been a lost cause in my human form at this point.

Just as I began to think maybe things were getting a little too intense, Applejack pulled away with a very suggestive draw on my tongue before we separated. I was fairly certain I had a modest blush to accompany my tingling lips and tongue. Both of us were panting for breath as we looked at each other.

“Now that there is how an Apple takes ta kissin’! Too bad Ah gotta make that a one time thing, sugarcube. Them sharper teeth of yours sure do add some excitement!” Applejack’s smile was openly playful and sultry as she stayed close, her eyes half-lidded as our noses brushed together, then pulled back a short distance. “And thanks for lettin’ me do that with ya. Seems ya ain’t a bad kisser yerself… Suppose Ah can thank ya for being so good to Twilight, too. Ah don’t understand all that link stuff y’all got goin’ on together, but she’s been… well, there ain’t no better word for it… braggin’ about ya to the rest of us girls those few times ya ain’t been right there ta hear. All of us girls see it plain as day though, she needs ya more than ya realize.” Then she gave a genuinely tender nuzzle under my chin before she moved away and dropped back down, her smile now more relaxed.

“Heh… I’ll give you credit for that one, AJ. You’re a pretty aggressive kisser. Rainbow’s comment on the train back from Canterlot, about you being an aggressive lover, is probably part and parcel with that as well. With Twilight… Well, because I can sense her heart through our link the way I can… All I can say is, I know.” I gave her a soft smile in return, blatantly refusing to let my mind bring up my ultimately limited time with Twilight. “Honestly, I’m really grateful you’re being direct about all this. I had a misunderstanding with Rainbow this morning that I still need to figure out.”

Applejack frowned. “Huh… Ah’m gonna take a wild guess from that and say you were tryin’ ta turn her down, and that somethin’ is doing a mighty good job of making things harder? The rest of us had a talk just yesterday about her, you’n Twi. Pinkie had a feelin’ it was about ta get kinda complicated, and one interruption was gonna lead to another for a while before it’s settled.”

Letting a sigh escape as I pondered just how predictable Rainbow was being, and what Pinkie might have hinted in her own obscure way. Now I was wondering if there was any simple way out of making a mess of things left for me to take. I found I could only frown, giving a nod in response. “Yeah. Told her about trying polyamory while building up to turning her down, but wound up having one of those perfectly accidental, yet perfectly romantic moments. She left so soon after that, I couldn’t get my brain sorted out enough to say something in time. Cloudy pretty much confirmed the way Rainbow took it was opposite of what I was going for, too. Another part of it is frustrating because Twilight seems to be almost hoping I start something with Rainbow on top of it. I haven’t sat down to talk it over with her just yet.”

She nodded at that, making a face. “As much as Ah know Ah gotta stay out of it for the most part, Ah also gotta ask ya try and go easy on RD. Long as I’ve known her, she ain’t never shown any interest in more than a quick lay with a stallion. Only the occasional mare ever caught her eye for more than a night until you showed up. If ya can, Ah really do hope y’all will give lovin’ her a try.”

What the heck could Rainbow have gone through to cause this kind of response in more than one pony that knows her well? My overactive imagination ran through numerous dark scenarios before I shook it off. Pessimistic guessing wouldn’t help, and might even make me say or do something careless and stupid by getting caught up on an assumption that wasn’t true.

I paused, realizing all this thinking about it was making me less sure of the whole thing, not more. Why did Rainbow have to catch my attention so easily? Why couldn’t Twilight have made it easy and looked jealous or something? Would me welcoming Rainbow in as a lover somehow help her heal from some kind of past hurt? Would I somehow blow up the world if I didn’t let her in?

Geh, this kind of stuff should be simple, yet I had to think about tons complications. Or maybe the stress I’m under is affecting my thoughts more than I realize, considering I’m thinking myself in circles today.

Despite my internal confusion, and growing headache, I tried to be neutral and diplomatic in my response to AJ, unable to tell her even half of what I had to factor in. “I’ll sit down and talk with Twilight about it before I make up my mind completely. I’m pretty wary of being open like that again, you know? Things are going really great with Twilight so far, too, and I don’t want to mess it up…”

Applejack nodded at that. “Ah suppose that’s all Ah can hope for. Plain as the nose on yer face there’s more goin’ on than ya seem wantin’ ta share, though.” Is it my poor acting skills, or just her uncanny capacity to detect varying levels of honesty? “If’n ya need somepony else ta talk to, Ah’m always willin’ ta lend an ear.”

“I appreciate it, AJ. I’m sure I’ll figure things out soon enough.”

We finished up with the netting and last tasks of the day out in the orchard soon after. We bid our goodbyes then, with me taking a slow walk back towards the library, deep in thought.

Once I had some time to sort things out in my head, I’d sit down with Twilight and do what I could to figure things out on exactly how she felt about the idea of Rainbow being a potential romantic partner to us. I felt pretty certain I knew how she felt already.

So very glad the squad is coming in a couple days. I need some action or distraction soon, which was something they should bring plenty of as the training starts. I’m not sure how much more of all this crap I could take.