Chapter 10: The Cutie Mark Crusader Detectives

“‘Dear Twilight Sparkle,’” Twilight read aloud. “‘I wanted to write you about how things have been going the last four days. It feels like I’ve been gone a month, so much has happened.

“‘I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The good news is that I finally met a dragon that wasn’t a complete jerk. Her name is Ruby, and she reminds me a lot of you. She’s smart, kind, and caring, and it looks like we’re going to become very good friends. The bad news is that…’”

“What is it, Twilight?” Rarity asked. She had decided to sleep over, and the two unicorns had awoken to this letter forwarded from Princess Celestia by Derpy Hooves. As Twilight scanned ahead, she realized there was some information in Spike’s letter that she didn’t feel comfortable reading in front of Rarity.

“I, um…it just says that the other dragons are bullying him, just like last time. I was afraid this would happen, but I really thought he could handle it this time.”

“You’re lying,” Rarity said jocularly, but Twilight’s reaction cemented it for her. “You really are lying to me, Twilight? Well, why don’t you tell me what it really says?”

“I can’t…it’s personal.”

“Really, now, what problems could a baby dragon have that are personal?”

“Rarity!”

“I’m sorry, dear, but I really want to know what’s bothering my little Spiky-Wikey.”

“It’s about you, okay?” Twilight said out of frustration, and she was being honest this time.

“Oh,” Rarity said. “Oh…” she emphasized after realizing what this implied. “Right. Well, I suppose I don’t really need to hear it after all. Continue.”

“‘Anyway, I really miss you, even though I’m glad you decided not to follow me this time, and I’ll be home before you know it. Love, Spike.’”

“That was all he wrote?” Rarity asked. “I thought he said a lot has been happening.”

“I suppose those two things are the important parts,” Twilight said. “He’s probably up to much more than he had time to write down. Maybe he’s just really busy.”

“Well, where did he get the parchment and quill, I wonder?”

“He brought some with him,” Twilight explained.

“That makes sense,” Rarity said. “So, what do we have in store for today, hmm? Do you want to try what we did last night again?” Twilight looked a little dismayed.

“Are you sure? I hurt myself when I tried to do that to you. I wasn’t good at it at all.”

“Dear, it was only your first time. Don’t feel ashamed about it. Celestia knows you feel badly enough about yourself as it is.”

“Hey,” Twilight said, sounding wounded, “take it easy.”

“My apologies,” Rarity said quickly. “I think you should give it another shot. Just, you know, try to be more careful. It is a sharp appendage, I realize that.”

“Well, it was your first time, too, and you did it really well.”

“I suppose I’m a natural then,” Rarity said, flipping her mane gracefully. “But we can’t all be gifted at everything, can we? Oh!” Rarity cried, as a magenta aura surrounded her horn.

“Why don’t I just do it like this?” Twilight asked.

“That…might work, too, but didn’t you like having my horn in your mouth?”

“To be honest, it kind of lost its charm when it gouged the roof of my mouth and I started bleeding.”

“Fair enough,” Rarity said with a sigh. “Do what you need to do, then.” Twilight used her magic to rub Rarity’s horn up and down. Rarity began to purr with delight, but her purring became gasping when Twilight increased the pace.

“Oh, Twilight, this is magnificent…” Rarity said as Twilight caressed her horn with her magical aura. Twilight began to kiss Rarity as her magic pumped the horn faster and faster. Now blue auras of magic began to mingle with the magenta, indicating Rarity’s pleasure. Twilight concentrated her magic and also sent a few magical tendrils up Rarity’s vagina, eliciting a squeal of surprise. Twilight worked both ends of her friend until she cried as she came. Rarity collapsed onto the bed, spent, while Twilight looked at her with a smile.

“Twilight, that was so much better than last night. No offense, but I can tell that blowjobs aren’t really your specialty.”

“It’s okay, Rarity,” Twilight said. “Magic’s not really yours.”

“I know, I know, I’m not as gifted as you when it comes to manipulating magic, but I can definitely out-blow you.”

“Prove it,” Twilight said with a devilish smirk. Rarity pounced on top of Twilight, finding newfound energy as she wrapped her mouth around Twilight’s horn. She started to lick it sensually, which sent shivers down Twilight’s neck and made her horn begin to glow.

“Twilight, you taste so good,” Rarity said as she started to suck on her horn.

“Mm…” was all Twilight could muster for a response. Rarity’s tonguing sent tingling sensations throughout her whole body. Twilight reached down and started to masturbate as Rarity did her work. Twilight screwed her face up in concentration until she broke her barrier and started to come more and more quickly.

“Almost there, almost there…” she whispered, and then she screamed out ecstatic delight as she felt herself come. Her hoof was now moist with her fluids as Rarity tasted Twilight’s magic spewing from her horn. It tasted like Twilight’s juices, only much stronger and unique, although more like lemonade than anything else. It was Twilight’s turn to collapse onto the bed in post-orgasm exhaustion. Rarity kissed her gently on the cheek.

“You rest, dear. I’m going to freshen up and then we can get some breakfast, my treat.”

“Okay…” Twilight mumbled as she closed her eyes. Another kiss from Rarity sent her mind aflutter, and Rarity chuckled as she trotted towards Twilight’s bathroom.

***

Applejack was jolted awake when an angry Applebloom pounced on top of her.

“Get up, you lousy filly!” Applebloom cried. Applejack, shocked wide awake, stared at Applebloom angrily.

“Just what in the hell do ya think yer doin’, Applebloom?” she asked, not bothering to censor her language around the filly.

“Where were ya last night? We expected ya back fer dinner, but ah reckon ya didn’t come in till after ah went to bed!”

“So ah was out late, big deal. What’s yer point, anyway?”

“Ya shouldn’t do that to us. Ah was worried sick about you.” Applejack saw through Applebloom’s angry façade to the worry and hurt she had caused her sister.

“Ah’m awful sorry, Applebloom. Ah didn’t mean to get yer saddle in a bunch.”

“So what were ya up to?” Applebloom asked, calmer after hearing the apology.

“Ah…can’t say. It’s private.”

“Well, ya shoulda thought about that before ya decided to ditch our family dinner. Ya know we eat together every night, that’s nothin’ new.”

“Ah know it isn’t, Applebloom. Ah was havin’ a good time with mah friends and ah lost track of time. How many times have we had to force you home after hangin’ out with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, huh?”

“Wait, ya said it was personal, and now you tell me ya just lost track of time. Which is it?”

“Why do you care, anyway?” Applejack asked.

“Because ah want to know,” Applebloom whined, stomping on Applejack’s sheets in frustration.

“It’s personal,” Applejack said. “Ya wouldn’t understand.”

“Yes, ah would,” Applebloom said. “Why don’t ya just tell me, Element o’ Honesty?”

“Even the most honest of ponies need their privacy, Applebloom.”

“Don’t start lecturin’ me like ah’m some newborn filly. Ah’m a big pony, and ah demand to know what you were up to last night! It musta been bad, or ya already woulda told me.”

“It’s not bad, Applebloom, it’s just personal. Can we drop it? Ah’m still tired.”

“Yeah, right, only ’cause ya were up so late…”

“Really, Applebloom, that’s enough. Ya need to stop bossin’ yer big sister around. Now get out of mah room.”

“Look who’s bein’ the boss now?” Applebloom cried.

“Big sisters are supposed to boss their little sisters around. It’s the rule.”

“Only because our parents are gone…” Applebloom whispered sinisterly.

“Don’t bring our parents up!” Applejack said. “How many times have ah told ya never to speak about them?”

“Ah didn’t even know them!” Applebloom said. “You and Big Mac told me they left when ah was just a baby, but ya never told me why.”

“There’s good reasons we’re keepin’ secrets from you, Applebloom, just like there’s a good reason why ah’m not telling ya what ah was up to last night.”

“So you were up to no good!” Applebloom cried triumphantly. “Tell me, or ah’m tellin’ Grannie Smith on you.”

“Go right ahead. She’ll just tell ya that ah’m in the right.”

“Fine! Oh, Grannie Smith!” Applebloom cried, galloping out of Applejack’s room. Applejack lay back down and tried to fall asleep again.

Applebloom found Grannie Smith asleep in her rocking chair. She galloped up to her ear and yelled, “Grannie Smith!” The old pony screamed as she was awoken.

“What in blazes, ya whippersnapper! Ah coulda had a heart attack!”

“Grannie Smith, Applejack won’t tell me what she was up to last night.”

“And fer good reason. Yer much too nosy fer yer own good.”

“Oh!” Applebloom whined. “Make her tell me, Grannie Smith. Aren’t ya the least bit curious?”

“No, Applebloom. She probably just lost track of time playin’ with Winona. Why don’t ya run along now? Go find yer friends, it’s Saturday. Ya should be hangin’ out with them instead of pesterin’ yer sister.”

“Fine…” Applebloom said, pretending to leave to see her friends. Instead, she snuck into Big Macintosh’s room. The red stallion was still asleep, so she jumped up onto the bed and yelled into his ear, “Big Macintosh!” The pony groggily woke up, unfazed by his sister’s outburst.

“What is it, Applebloom?” he asked sleepily.

“Make Applejack tell me what she was up to last night.”

“Nope,” Big Macintosh said.

“Oh! Why not?” Applebloom asked.

“’Tain’t none of yer business, that’s why,” Big Macintosh explained. He closed his eyes and started to snore. Applebloom, frustrated, left the house in search of her friends. If she couldn’t make Applejack tell her what she was up to, then she’d find out for herself!

***

Pinkie Pie had elected to stay over at Fluttershy’s cottage, which Fluttershy had not minded in the slightest. She woke up next to her lover and felt lucky to be here, so comfortably wrapped in Pinkie Pie’s legs.

Pinkie Pie woke up shortly afterward, looked into Fluttershy’s eyes, and smiled, giving her a soft kiss on the lips.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Fluttershy said.

“Morning,” Pinkie Pie mumbled. “Breakfast?”

“Is that really the first thing that comes to mind when you wake up? Food?”

“What can I say?” Pinkie Pie said. “I do work at a bakery, so I smell food all the time.” Pinkie Pie thought briefly about her low self-esteem regarding her weight, but decided to let it slide.

“Okay, I’ll whip breakfast right up. What would you like?”

“Pancakes?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Pancakes it is,” Fluttershy said, kissing Pinkie Pie again and rolling off the bed. Fluttershy thought about how nice the night before had been as she cooked. Being subjugated had been as nice as it always was, but acting as the dominatrix was almost as titillating in its own way. Pinkie Pie had taken her to new depths that she had never explored, and Fluttershy was starting to like where things were going.

When she had finished making the pancakes, Pinkie Pie was sitting at the table, fork and knife in hoof.

“I can’t wait! I’m starving!” Pinkie Pie said.

“Here you go,” Fluttershy said, placing a plate of pancakes in front of Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie noisily began to dig in, and Fluttershy enjoyed watching her eat the meal she had made for her. It felt so good to mother Pinkie Pie, whether she was making her breakfast or instilling a little sexual punishment.

I could get used to this… she thought.

***

Spike awoke feeling good about sending the letter to Twilight the other day. It was nice to share with his friend how deeply he still felt for Rarity and how sorely he missed her. Getting it down on paper had been a relief, and if he knew Twilight, he’d get back a long letter offering advice about how to deal with it.

However, Spike hadn’t said too much about Ruby yet. The problem he was beginning to notice was how intense Ruby was becoming. She seemed to hang on Spike’s every word and made a point of seeing him as often as the other dragons would allow.

He didn’t have much time to think about it when, once again, Ruby had found him.

“Good morning, Spike!” she chirped happily, hands behind her back. “Did you sleep well?”

“I slept fine, Ruby,” Spike said.

“I got you breakfast,” Ruby said. “Shh, I stole it from my brother’s hoard.” Ruby exposed her hands to reveal a small pile of rubies. Spike looked at them hungrily, and didn’t realize why she had picked only rubies for him to eat. He took them from her and started to eat, their fiery taste awakening him from his slumber.

“So, how much longer do you think you’ll be staying?” Ruby asked.

“Um…not too much longer, I think. I’m really starting to miss my friends at home, and I haven’t really started to fit in here. I should have realized it after what happened last time I tried this.”

“You’ve tried this before?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, different colony, though, although I thought I saw your dad there. It was during the Great Migration.”

“I never heard about that,” Ruby said. “So what happened?”

“A bunch of teenage dragons tried to get me to smash a phoenix egg, but I refused to do it and my friends helped me return home. Turns out they’d been following me the whole time to make sure I was all right. As if I couldn’t take care of myself…” he added, annoyed.

“Well, I’m sure they meant well,” Ruby said.

“Yeah, so it was pretty lousy last time. The whole reason I even bothered this time around was because I wanted to see if I could meet any girls I’d be interested in.”

“So, what do you think?” Ruby asked, suddenly very nervous.

“About what?” Spike asked. Ruby huffed.

“Have you found anyone you like?”

“Well…not yet. I mean, not really. But I’ve gotten to meet you, and I think we can be really good friends.”

“Okay…” Ruby said, trying to hide how upset she suddenly felt.

***

Applebloom went out to the tree house that served as the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse to find Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo already there.

“Mornin’, y’all,” Applebloom said.

“Good morning, Applebloom,” Scootaloo said, yawning. “Boy am I tired. Did you two sleep well?”

“Sure,” Sweetie Belle said. “How about you, Applebloom?”

“I slept great,” Applebloom said.

“You sure did. You look all wound up about something,” Scootaloo said. “What’s up?”

“Applejack came home late last night, and she won’t tell me why!” Applebloom said.

“Really?” Sweetie Belle asked. “That’s odd.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo added. “If she didn’t tell you, that must mean it was something bad.”

“That’s what ah said!” Applebloom cried. “So ah was wonderin’ if y’all could help me figure out what happened last night. We could be the Cutie Mark Crusader Detectives!”

“Didn’t we already try that when Twilight thought she was missing a book from the library, and it turned out that Spike had taken it for some light reading?” Scootaloo asked.

“This is going to be better, ah swear.”

“Whatever you say, Applebloom,” Sweetie Belle said. “So what’s the plan?”

“Um…kidnap mah sister and force her to talk?” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stared at her quizzically.

“Never mind, ah got nothin’.”

“Why don’t we ask her friends about last night?” Sweetie Belle said. “One of them might know what Applejack was up to.”

“That’s a much better idea!” Applebloom said.

“Let’s go!” cried Scootaloo.

***

Rainbow Dash woke up feeling quite content and excited, all thoughts of her haunting feelings forgotten with the night’s rest. The only thing she could think of was Applejack and how excited she was to see her again. She kept imagining what it would be like to have real sex with her, although touching each other the way they did had been incredible enough already. Rainbow Dash supposed that while it was already great, it could only get better from here, and that made her happier and more satisfied than she’d felt in a long time.

She wondered how to start her day, and figured a casual fly around Ponyville was in order, so she took off and started floating just above the ground so she could see the sights. As she started to fly towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse, she ran into said crusaders.

“Hey guys!” Rainbow Dash said.

“Howdy, RD!” Applebloom said.

“Hello,” said Sweetie Belle.

“Hi,” said Scootaloo, staring longingly at her idol.

“What are you three fillies up to today?” Rainbow Dash asked politely.

“We’re on a mission!” Scootaloo declared.

“Really? What’s that?” Rainbow Dash said, hiding a chuckle.

“Well,” Sweetie Belle explained, “Applebloom told us that her sister came home late last night, so we figured since she couldn’t find out from her where she was, we’d start asking her friends.”

“You…want to know what Applejack was up to last night?” Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly alarmed.

“Sure do!” Applebloom said, oblivious to the sudden change in Rainbow Dash’s countenance.

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Rainbow Dash said. “Sorry, girls, but I’ve gotta fly. Got things to do!” Rainbow Dash suddenly took off, leaving the crusaders far behind.

“That was weird,” Scootaloo said.

“Was it? Ah didn’t notice,” Applebloom said.

“You didn’t notice?” Sweetie Belle deadpanned, dumbfounded.

“What? Ah thought that’s how she acted all the time.”

“I think we should follow her,” Scootaloo said.

“And how’re we gonna do that? Rainbow Dash is the fastest flyer in Equestria. We’ll never catch her now.”

“That’s easy,” Sweetie Belle said. “We find someone who can track her down.”

***

Pinkie Pie left Fluttershy’s house feeling quite full after her satisfying breakfast. She promised to bring toys for next time, and started to bounce back towards Ponyville without a care in the world. So careless was she that she bumped into the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“Sorry, girls!” Pinkie Pie said, helping the three fillies onto their hooves.

“Pinkie Pie, we’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Applebloom exclaimed.

“You have?” Pinkie Pie asked. “What for?”

“We need your help to find Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo said.

“Oh, you want to talk to Rainbow Dash, huh?” Pinkie Pie asked, oblivious as to why the crusaders needed to do so. “Okay, hold on.” Pinkie Pie raised her tail and started sweeping it around like a radar device. Suddenly, her tail pointed in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. In the distant, the four ponies could see a rainbow-colored blur headed for the farm.

“She’s probably talkin’ to mah sister!” Applebloom cried.

“Let’s get moving!” Scootaloo said. They had the jump on Rainbow Dash, as Fluttershy’s cottage was far closer to Sweet Apple Acres than Rainbow Dash was. Still, Rainbow Dash was a fast flyer, and so made it to the farm well before the crusaders. By the time Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle showed up, Rainbow Dash was well into a conversation with Applejack.

“We need to get closer,” Scootaloo whispered. The three fillies jumped into a nearby bush and snuck the bush towards the two mares. They remained unnoticed as they came close enough to hear Applejack and Rainbow Dash talk.

“…so you’d better not let them fillies know what we were up to last night, ya hear? Mah sister’s askin’ too many questions as it is.”

“I know,” Rainbow Dash said, “she told me. That’s why I came here.”

“Well, are ya sure ya weren’t followed?”

“Please, remember you’re talking to the fastest flyer in Equestria! There’s no way they could have kept up with me, let alone know I was coming here to warn you.”

“Well, all right then, but hush up about this whole affair, will ya? The hills have ears…” Applejack looked around and saw the bush, but she also saw Scootaloo’s head quickly withdraw into it. “…and apparently, the bushes have eyes. Girls, git outta there!” Looking guilty as sin, the Cutie Mark Crusaders left the bush with brambles caught in their hair.

“How much o’ that did y’all hear?” Applejack asked.

“We didn’t hear anything!” Scootaloo pleaded.

“We swear!” Sweetie Belle added.

“Oh, please, big sis, ah’m really sorry. Ah promise, no more snoopin’.”

“You’d better not be lyin’ to me, Applebloom. Yer big sis always finds out when you tell tall tales.”

“Then I Pinkie promise we won’t go snoopin’.”

“Ooh, they’re using the Pinkie promise,” Rainbow Dash said. “They mean business.”

“All right, now y’all run along and forget this ever happened, ya hear?”

“Yeah, if anypony asks, I wasn’t here,” Rainbow Dash said. The Cutie Mark Crusaders left, all the while assuring they’d keep their noses clean.

“We’re going to keep snooping, aren’t we?” Scootaloo asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

“Well, duh,” Applebloom said. “This is only the beginning!”

***

That night, Ruby couldn’t help but start crying. Spike had told her they could be “good friends,” but had said nothing else. It was painful to be stuck being friends with someone she liked so much. She almost thought it would be better if she never saw him again, because at least he wouldn’t be around to remind her that she wasn’t good enough for him.

Meanwhile, Spike was thinking about the conversation he had with Ruby and was starting to piece together exactly what was going on with the two of them. He realized the possibility that Ruby liked him, and then groaned about how he said they could just be “good friends.” He’d put Ruby in the friend zone, the same place in which Rarity had left him time and time again!

Spike groaned, wondering how he’d gotten himself into this mess. Hadn’t he just met her? And already he was breaking her heart. Is this what love was about? Because if it was, Spike wondered if he was better off making do without. Spike soon realized that was a crazy thought, because that meant giving up on Rarity.

Maybe I should just leave now, Spike thought. No, best to leave the same way I came, because I wasn’t paying attention to where they were driving me. But how am I going to break it to Ruby?

Spike decided to cross that bridge when he came to it, and so he fell asleep and slept soundly through the night, unlike Ruby, who’s dreams were plagued with Spike making fun of her and rejecting her.

***

“So, how do you do it?” Luna asked. Celestia shook her head as she began to explain it for what felt like the hundredth time.

“You just take your hoof and put it…there,” Celestia said, moving Luna’s hoof to her vagina. “And then you start rubbing it.”

“Like this?” Luna asked, and started to rub against herself so roughly that it started to hurt.

“Smoother than that, and it’s best to rotate your hoof in a circular motion,” Celestia explained.

I can’t believe I’m doing this… she thought.

“So, is this supposed to feel good?” Luna asked. “I don’t feel too good right now.”

“That’s because you’re trying to shove your hoof into that hole,” Celestia said. “You have to be more gentle with yourself, and realize you aren’t going to penetrate yourself. You’re supposed to just, you know…rub your clitoris from the outside.” What am I even saying?

“I don’t get it,” Luna asked. Suddenly, a royal guard walked into the room.

“Get out of here!” Celestia yelled. The frightened guard quickly left the room. Celestia sighed, understanding that being a royal figure means you almost never get privacy.

“Let’s start over again,” Celestia sighed. This is going to take a while…