Chapter 14: Totally an Ice Cream Cone

Ruby lay awake in the hotel, thinking about seeing Spike and how stupid she felt for wasting a perfectly good opportunity to talk to him. She intermittently vowed to be braver the next time she saw him and despaired over her hopeless situation. She tried to give herself a pep talk, but that failed to elevate her mood.

Tossing and turning in the bed, which she wasn’t used to sleeping in, Ruby considered her options. She could return home to a family who cared little for her and a life that now seemed far too dull. She could toughen up her scales and tell Spike why she was in Ponyville. Or she could travel somewhere else and forget the whole thing had ever happened, start a new life.

Ruby felt much too young to consider this last option, and returning to her family was out of the question. Therefore, she came to the conclusion that she must talk to Spike, and soon. What if she took too long and Spike forgot all about her? He promised he wouldn’t, but Ruby knew from seeing the feuding dragons that promises meant very little to them.

She imagined herself being humiliated when a stunned Spike discovered she had followed him. This whole thing was just so creepy. That she even thought she’d be able to explain to Spike what was clearly stalking reminded her that when she had made the decision to do so, she hadn’t been thinking at all. Aggravated, Ruby flipped to her other side on the bed and groaned.

Nothing would be accomplished without a good night’s sleep, she reminded herself. She tried to keep the thought of Spike out of her head as fatigue slowly settled to put her to sleep.

***

Rarity was also having a difficult night. She realized that what had started as a casual fling with Twilight was quickly getting out of hoof. Rarity had always found it difficult to control her emotions, which was part of the reason she had studied up on psychology. All of that scholarship could still not help her with the way she was feeling now.

What exactly am I feeling? she asked herself. Unfortunately, she could not come up with an easy answer.

Were she and Twilight still just friends? According to Twilight, well…Rarity wasn’t sure what Twilight thought. According to Rarity, on the other hand, that answer had to be a no. Thinking about Twilight sent her heart aflutter, and that sensation absolutely indicated something deeper than friendship.

So if it wasn’t friendship, what was it? Rarity thought about the numerous crushes she had had growing up, and this didn’t qualify as one of those either because, unlike her crushes, her feelings about Twilight were reciprocated. This meant no pining and no whining over some silly colt that was oblivious to her awkward flirting. Contrary to the belief of many in Ponyville, Rarity had not always been so elegant and alluring. That had taken years of practice and a deliberate breaking of the mannerisms she had inherited from her down-to-Earth parents. No, Rarity knew that this was deeper than a crush, too.

Then how deep did it go? Rarity considered love for a moment, but a fluttering in the heart was too weak to be considered love. Love was a heart-pounding, sweat-inducing excitement; this was just a light giddiness at best. Not that that trivialized her feelings about Twilight; they were definitely very titillating, but they didn’t amount to love.

Finally, after all else, Rarity considered the unusual agreement to be “friends with benefits.” This implied a casual relationship that encompassed sex as a means of pleasurable recreation and little else. Rarity thought that was closer, but her feelings weren’t quite that dispassionate. Rarity cared deeply for her friend Twilight, even more so now than before they had started to mess around. No, a connection beyond friendship had definitely formed, but it was impossible for Rarity to deduce exactly what it was.

Frustrated, Rarity questioned why she was even trying to label it. Why try to put a label on it if she didn’t even know which label to use? Still, for some reason, it bothered Rarity that she was unable to define her feelings, because only through acknowledging them could she truly experience them and grow as a pony. Rarity sputtered; that had sounded like a load of manure.

Rarity sighed, turning to her side. Why was the thought of Twilight keeping her up like this? Rarity suddenly smelled the mare’s glorious mane, a scent memory that triggered her hormones like a potent aphrodisiac. Suddenly, defining her feelings mattered a lot less than acting on her instincts. She took a whiff of the air to heighten the scent of smell and lowered her hoof down to her vagina. Playing with her vulva, she tickled herself, trying to emulate the way Twilight would touch her. She imagined that purple hoof of hers doing the work for her, rubbing faster and faster as their kisses grew more and more passionate.

Rarity started to moan as she picked up the pace. She thought about Twilight spreading her hind legs open, rubbing her thigh with one hoof and beckoning Rarity over with the other. Of course, the actual Twilight would be far less adept at such seduction, but fantasies were fantasies, right? The Twilight in Rarity’s head was certainly a lot more steamy as Rarity imagined her crawling over to her ear and slowly nibbling it, whispering dirty things as she did it. She imagined Twilight slowly lowering her head, kissing Rarity as she went down.

Rarity’s moans began to become gasps. In her head, Twilight’s tongue was now lapping at her folds, trying to reach into the hole that led to Rarity’s clit. Rarity started working her clit in response to this, and she felt a sudden tightening of her thighs that indicated to her that she was about to…about to…oh, dear Celestia!

Rarity suddenly stopped just before she climaxed, panting heavily. Something about this felt wrong. She realized how badly she wanted Twilight to be next to her, doing the things Rarity had been picturing in her head. Her cheeks flushed as she descended from her high, the excitement in her body being enveloped by a burning desire, a desperate need for satiation from her lover.

Rarity considered not waiting for tomorrow night and instead going to the library now and jumping Twilight’s bones as soon as the door opened, regardless of whether Spike was around. Rarity regained some sense and laughed at how ridiculous the idea was. Still, it was clear to her that she sorely wanted Twilight now, but she lamented that her wants would have to wait another day.

It’s not fair, Rarity thought. She considered asking Twilight to move into the boutique, but that would require taking Spike on, and Rarity didn’t want the dragon’s attention 24-7. Besides, if they were to keep their affair a secret, as they had been doing, ponies would certainly start asking questions about Twilight’s sudden move. No, it’s best to keep things where they are now, even if I can’t get what I want all the time out of Twilight.

Now that she was no longer heated, she reconsidered how to label her feelings, and decided that the idea of labeling was a waste of time. Rarity turned over and finally fell asleep when she decided that she would not be able to reconcile her emotions in one night. Perhaps she could talk to Twilight when she saw her tomorrow night and ask for her help.

***

Fluttershy, having breached the subject of her father again, was now awake in bed considering how badly he had damaged her. It was a depressing thought that she could have been fated to have such an ill family, but Fluttershy knew she had to accept it as a reality. Some things, though, were too hard to accept.

For one, it would be a little easier if her dad had either always been kind and caring or always been a jerk. But he had flipped back and forth, especially when alcohol came into the mix, so Fluttershy had constantly built up her hopes that this time he would truly change, only to be let down when he laid another hoof on her helpless rump. She flashed briefly to Pinkie Pie doing this, and realized that she was reliving her old abuse and extracting from it sexual gratification.

Oh, what a sick thought, Fluttershy thought. What is wrong with me?

Worse than this, she could have sworn that there was something inside of her deep beneath the surface, some long-forgotten time that caused her great anxiety for no evident reason. This made Fluttershy even more distraught as she desperately tried to discover what could be causing this. Try as she might, though, her thoughts became more and more muddled and numb, as if her own head was defending itself against her feelings. Fluttershy groaned in frustration, chastising herself for being too weak to remember her own feelings.

Instead, she thought about the things she did remember: the beatings, the whip, the beer bottles, the bruises she couldn’t explain to her teachers, the bruises on her mother, the awkward lies her mother told her friends about her bruises. On and on these memories played through Fluttershy’s head, until she was much too distraught to fall asleep. She rose from the bed and started to pace the room, wondering if she could try journaling how she felt. But Fluttershy thought this a waste of time; what good would it be to have these thoughts on paper? And what if somepony found them? No, journaling was definitely not a good idea.

Fluttershy lay back onto her stomach with her face buried in her pillow and started to breathe heavily in an attempt to calm down. The stimulation of her memories made it too difficult to fall asleep and caused an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach. Angrily, Fluttershy cursed Pinkie Pie for bringing all of this up, but instantly felt guilty for doing so. After all, Pinkie Pie’s childhood had been no easier, and it wasn’t fair to be angry at somepony who was clearly miserable at heart.

Fluttershy thought more about Pinkie Pie, and realized she had known very little about her for such a long time. Up until they had started…whatever they were doing, Pinkie Pie had always been to her this bouncy, exuberant source of inexhaustible energy, smiling without a care in the world. Fluttershy realized now that this was all a ruse, a defense mechanism established to hide the real Pinkie Pie, who was a sad pony in desperate need of love. Fluttershy had seen a glimpse of this planning for Pinkie Pie’s surprise birthday party, but didn’t realize how far back it went. The idea that nopony enjoyed being around her must have reminded her too much of her parents’ inability to feel happy about her and triggered the brief psychotic sadness she had been through. Fluttershy desperately hoped she’d never see Pinkie Pie with her mane down again. There had been something frightening about seeing her in such a vulnerable state, something Fluttershy couldn’t understand, just as she couldn’t understand the extent of dread she felt about her father.

What about my mother? Fluttershy suddenly thought. If anypony could help explain her father, it would be her mother. Fluttershy regretted having lost touch with the mare, who had been too weak-minded to keep Fluttershy from leaving Cloudsdale. The mare had been a terrible role-model for Fluttershy, but Fluttershy still felt sorry for her and wished she could find her and comfort her. But Fluttershy would not know where to begin looking for her. Obviously, she could ask around Cloudsdale, but if her mother had moved and not told anypony, Fluttershy would hit a dead end.

Then again, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to hit up Cloudsdale. Though her mother had been a recluse, Fluttershy couldn’t imagine her moving away without somepony knowing where she had gone. From there she could pick up the search and track the mare down. Anything to remember and relieve the pain Fluttershy had felt growing up. Plus, if it proved successful, Fluttershy will have been able to help Pinkie Pie do the same thing, if Pinkie Pie had been okay with it.

Feeling like she now had a plan, Fluttershy found it easier to fall asleep.

***

Applejack awoke early in the morning and went down to breakfast. Only Applebloom was in the kitchen, eating a small pile of hay on her plate.

“Mornin’, Sugarcube,” Applejack said groggily. Applebloom waved sleepily to Applejack and continued to eat her hay.

“How’d ya sleep, hon’?” Applejack asked.

“Fine,” Applebloom said through a mouthful of hay.

“Don’t talk with yer mouth full, missy,” Applejack said. “’Tain’t polite.”

“Whatever,” Applebloom said.

“Care to explain yer attitude?” Applejack asked.

“What attitude?” Applebloom asked with a tone decidedly nasty enough to reveal her attitude.

“Why are you all in a huff?” Applejack asked.

“Why do ya think?” Applebloom asked, slamming her hoof on the table. “Yer hardly around the farm no more! Do ya even realize how much extra work Big Mac has to do while yer gone? We didn’t have time yesterday to check on the corn crops! Fer all we know, they could be dyin’ out there! Do ya even care?”

“Of course ah care,” Applejack said, “but I’m not about to bail on my friends neither. They’re important to me. What if ah told you ya couldn’t hang around with Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo ’cause we needed yer help harvestin’ the apples. Wouldn’t ya feel a little put out?”

“Yeah, but you’d make me do it anyway!”

“Course ah would, ’cause ah’m yer older sister. If ah want to see mah friends, though, ah have every right to go whenever ah want.”

“It ain’t fair, it just ain’t fair!” Applebloom shouted, and she looked like she was about to cry.

“Sweetie,” Applejack said, softening her tone, “what’s the matter?”

“You’ve just been…so secretive lately and ah hardly git to spend time with ya outside of farm work, and ah really miss you…”

“Applebloom, ah’m sorry. Ah had no idea ya felt that way. Is there anythin’ ah can do to make it up to ya?”

“There is one thing…” Applebloom said.

“Name it,” Applejack said.

“TELL ME WHAT YER UP TO WITH RAINBOW DASH!”

“Whoa, lower yer voice, missy! ’Tain’t no way ah’m gonna tell you what ah do with mah friend. It’s hardly any of yer business.”

“Aw, come on! It’s gotta be juicy, or you wouldn’t be tryin’ to hide it so much.” Applejack groaned.

“Listen to me, Applebloom. Fer the last time, ah’m not gonna tell you what ah do with Rainbow Dash. You’ve got to learn not to poke yer snout in other ponies’ business, ya hear? Yer gonna get yerself in trouble. Don’t ya remember the newspaper?”

“Well…ah promise not to tell anyone this time!”

“No deal,” Applejack said, finally getting herself some hay to eat and sitting down at the table. “Is there anythin’ else ya want me to do for ya?”

“Do all my chores!” Applebloom demanded.

“Now, weren’t you the one who said ah needed to help more on the farm? How can ah help when ah’m doing all of yer chores?” Applebloom groaned.

“Forget it. Yer so stubborn, AJ.”

“Same goes fer you, AB,” Applejack said. “Now look, just because ah like to have a little fun with Rainbow Dash don’t mean ah want to ditch the farm, understand?”

“Fun…? What fun?” Applebloom asked.

Shit! Applejack thought.

“Did ah say that?” Applejack said. “Well, it is fun to hang out with yer friends.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t say yer friends. You said Rainbow Dash. What’s so special about her anyway?”

“Ask Scootaloo, she’s the one who treats her like Celestia.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Applebloom said, frowning.

“Ah know what you meant,” Applejack said, “and I ain’t sayin’ no more about it.”

“You suck…” Applebloom said.

“Watch yer language, missy,” Applejack warned.

“Why? Rainbow Dash swears in front of us all the time.”

“Rainbow Dash ain’t exactly the most foal-friendly pony,” Applejack said.

“She’s still cooler than you…” Applebloom muttered.

“Hey, ain’t nopony cooler than yer older sister.”

“Yeah right, yer such a stick in the mud,” Applebloom protested. “Yer no fun at all…”

“Whatever,” Applejack said. “Say, where are Big Mac and Grannie Smith?”

“Already out in the field, checkin’ on the crops,” Applebloom said. “They asked me to tell you we’ve gotta join them as soon as we’re done eatin’.”

“Then let’s get crackin’,” Applejack said.

***

Rainbow Dash had the day off today, so she was casually flying around Ponyville looking for something to do. It wasn’t long before she spotted a pink mare bouncing down the street, and Rainbow Dash knew it could only be one pony.

“Hey, Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash cried, swooping down to greet her.

“Oh, hiya, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie said, beaming. Rainbow Dash smiled. Something about seeing somepony so happy to see her was really nice. Pinkie Pie was practically bouncing out of her own hide with excitement.

“You’re even more wound up than usual,” Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. “What’s the deal?”

“No deal, it’s just such a nice day out! You pegasuseses do a great job keeping the weather as beautiful as this.”

“Don’t mention it,” Rainbow Dash said, though she still beamed at the compliment. “So, what are you up to?”

“Oh, not much,” Pinkie Pie said, “just taking a stroll through the town. Wanna join me?”

“You know it! I was pretty much doing the same thing,” Rainbow Dash said. Pinkie Pie jumped for joy and led the way, bouncing across the cobblestone. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but look at Pinkie Pie’s rump as it hopped through the air. That ass… she thought. She quickly shook herself out of it, though, reminding herself that she was with Applejack now. Still, Rainbow Dash liked a little junk in the trunk, and though Applejack was hot, she was a bit leaner than Rainbow Dash’s usual choice of pony. Pinkie Pie, however, definitely had a sexy booty.

“Whatcha looking at, Dashie?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Uh…what?” Rainbow Dash asked, suddenly embarrassed.

“I was looking at the clouds! Aren’t they pretty?”

“Yeah, sure…” Rainbow Dash said. “Um, I was looking at the clouds, too!”

“Let’s get out of the town and just lie down and watch the clouds!” Pinkie Pie suggested.

“Sounds great,” Rainbow Dash said, wondering if Pinkie Pie could stand lying down for more than five minutes. Expecting this to be quick, Rainbow Dash followed Pinkie Pie out of Ponyville proper and into a grassy field. In the distance, Rainbow Dash could see Sweet Apple Acres and was reminded once again of Applejack. The two ponies lay down in the grass and looked up at the sky.

“Hey,” Pinkie Pie said, “that one looks like a cupcake!”

“It does not,” Rainbow Dash said, “it’s totally an ice cream cone.”

“I say…cupcake!” Pinkie Pie said. “See how the frosting swirls up from the base like that? Classic cupcake!”

“That’s the ice cream!” Rainbow Dash said. “And that there’s the cone.”

“No, it’s the base of the cake! Really, Dashie, you don’t know very much about baking. Maybe sometime you can come into Sugarcube Corner and help me make cupcakes!”

“But you just said I suck at baking,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Silly, I’d be doing all the baking. You’d just have to help me with the ingredients!”

“I…think I’ll pass,” Rainbow Dash said. “Thanks, though.”

“No problem!” Pinkie Pie said. “How about that one?”

“Um…I don’t see anything,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Oh, come on! That doesn’t look like a little birdie to you?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“No, not really,” Rainbow Dash said.

“Look,” Pinkie Pie said, scooting closer to Rainbow Dash and taking her hoof to point at the cloud. “There’s the beak, and those are the wings,” she said, circling the wings.

“Oh, I see it now,” Rainbow Dash said, enjoying Pinkie Pie’s proximity admittedly a little too much.

“The clouds really are nice,” Pinkie Pie said, snuggling next to Rainbow Dash.

“Oh!” she said. “You don’t mind, do you? Only I know you’re with Applejack now and…”

“It’s cool,” Rainbow Dash said. “Applejack wouldn’t care.”

“You’re right! She’s a nice pony, she’d understand,” Pinkie Pie said before resting her head on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. Rainbow Dash gulped nervously, knowing she shouldn’t be enjoying the company this much but enjoying it all the same.

Maybe Applejack would understand, Rainbow Dash thought, but I certainly don’t…

***

Spike was out enjoying the beautiful weather, taking a leisurely stroll through Ponyville. Twilight had an assignment for Princess Celestia, so she had given Spike the morning off. It was during the walk that Spike ran into somebody he thought looked familiar. As he approached the stationary figure, he suddenly realized who it was and sprinted to her to close the distance.

“Ruby, what the hell are you doing here?” Spike asked. Ruby turned away shamefully; that hadn’t been the way she had wanted to be greeted.

“You don’t have to be so harsh, Spike…” she said.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Spike said, “I was just really surprised. How far did you have to walk to get here?”

“Pretty far,” Ruby said, sighing.

“Well…why?” Spike asked.

“Why do you think?” Ruby asked in return. “Ever since you’ve left, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you, and I know it sounds crazy and that I’m like a total stalker but I don’t really care because it’s so great to see you and wow I sound like a nutcase right now but―”

“Okay, okay,” Spike said, “I think I get it.”

“Do you?” Ruby asked with a shimmer in her eyes.

“I, um…well, maybe not,” Spike said, although he had a sneaking suspicion that if Rarity moved, he might have done the same thing.

I didn’t know she liked me this much, Spike thought.

“Well, look, Ruby,” Spike said. “I’m very flattered that you came all this way to see me, but I think you should be going home.”

“You do?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, won’t your family miss you?” Spike asked.

“Not really,” Ruby said. “Dragons don’t pay attention to their families very much. At least my parents don’t…” Spike felt a twinge of sadness for Ruby, so decided to backtrack a bit.

“Well, do you have somewhere to stay?”

“I’m at a hotel,” Ruby said.

“Oh, good,” Spike said. “Well, since you’re here, I guess we can hang out as friends. Does that sound good?”

It’s not enough, Ruby thought, but given that Spike wasn’t running away from her in horror, she thought it best, for the time being, to take what she could get.

“That sounds lovely,” she said.

***

Late in the afternoon, Twilight was still busy working on an assignment from Princess Celestia. Spike walked into the bedroom and groaned.

“Twilight, you haven’t been outside yet?” Spike asked.

“Hello to you too, Spike,” Twilight said, not even looking up from her paper.

“Twilight, it’s a gorgeous day outside. You should take a break and enjoy the weather,” Spike said. “Besides, you’ll never believe who I just ran into.”

“Who?”

“Ruby!” Spike said.

“What?” Twilight asked in shock. “But how did she…?”

“Travel all the way to Ponyville? I have no idea,” Spike said. “But I spent the day with her and we talked about Ponyville. I showed her all the cool spots, but she said she didn’t want to meet any of my friends yet. We’ll probably hang out again tomorrow.”

“And you’re sure this isn’t like a date?” Twilight asked.

“Of course it’s not,” Spike said.

“Are you sure she feels that way about it?” Twilight asked, smirking.

“What do ya mean?” Spike asked.

“I mean I just don’t want you to lead her on,” Twilight said.

“Well, I’m not doing that,” Spike said.

“That’s good,” Twilight said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work. Maybe you can straighten out the library for me. Does that sound good?”

“I guess,” Spike said, “though I don’t see why. The library isn’t even open on Tuesdays.”

“But we need to be ready for tomorrow,” Twilight said.

“I know,” Spike said before leaving Twilight to her work.

***

As Princess Celestia finished setting the sun for her sister, she was thinking about what Luna had said to her yesterday. At first, she had flat out refused to entertain Luna’s strange fantasy, and she thought she had scolded her harshly enough. But now that she was thinking about it, strange things were entering her head.

Being an immortal being, Celestia knew better than to fall in love with any mortal pony. After all, what was the point if she was just going to have to watch them die? But Luna, on the other hoof, was immortal like her. And even though she was her sister, there was something touching about the way she had tried to teach her to masturbate and wondered where that feeling of warmth came from. Was it sisterly camaraderie or something more?

Celestia shook her head. It was sinful to even think of such a thing, she told herself. It’s best to just leave it alone.

And yet, she thought, that it’s forbidden makes it all the more enticing…

Get a hold of yourself, princess! You know better than to entertain such perverted thoughts!

Oh, give me a break. I’m the ruler of Equestria. I’m allowed to think whatever I want.

But as ruler of Equestria, you have to set the example for the other ponies, Celestia told herself. You mustn’t consider doing anything immoral, or the consequences could be dire.

Celestia realized that this was true, but the thought was too titillating to let go. Perhaps she would apologize to Luna sometime and see what she thought of the whole thing. Surely the two of them could work something out…