As I settled for sleep, Dust Kicker picked her way around the other ponies carefully and gave me a nudge with a hoof. She gestured out without saying anything and soon I was following her.

We met off the beaten path, behind what was once a bakery. "We need to talk."

Cindy yawned softly before asking, "What about?"

I nodded in agreement with the question.

She settled on her haunches. "He's fine enough with magic, and loyal enough, I suppose, but Dusk Hope, what's his purpose?"

I raised a brow. "Purpose? What do you mean?"

Dust pointed back home. "He's half feral. When he's not thinking about magic, he's thinking about how he can get on top of me. I don't mind the company of a stallion, but that's on my schedule, and every time I tell him no, he looks like I kicked him in the guts." She held up her hooves. "Now don't get me wrong. He has not forced himself, or been anything but polite mostly, but his mind keeps going back to that thing. It's as much a part of his focus as that magic he's good at." She pointed at herself. "I'm a unicorn, I can learn magic, and I'm better in a brawl. The herd doesn't need someone who obeys their cocks."

"I thought you liked him?" I was more than a little surprised at the sudden angry display.

"Sure, he's cute." Dust sat down. "I like that he's cute. I like that he's submissive. I don't like that he's hornier than a rabbit in spring, and I assume you know about the two pole thing? I know you have that too, but you aren't trying to mount me, he is." She glanced off and then back at me. "Besides, you've proven your worth a thousand times over."

Was she saying she'd do it with me? I felt a faint tingle between my legs at the approval of such a strong mare, but kept my focus on the topic at hand. "So, you don't like him at all? You want him to go away?"

Dust frowned a little. "I was hoping you'd understand where I'm coming from. We need to focus. We're going to be in more danger soon. I also don't need someone clinging to me that, ugh, isn't giving me what I want. A submissive colt of a boy is cute, and I didn't mind playing hug time, but he's not very good companionship. I can't even get magic lessons out of him because he gets distracted every time I move. A mare likes knowing she's attractive, but it's all overboard."

Cindy took control of an arm and pulled Dust close. We began petting her smoothly from her head down to her tail, and it relaxed her tense muscles quickly. She let out a soft sigh and leaned back against us. "I'm not trying to be mean. I don't want him to go to hell or anything, but he may be more useful away from this herd and all its females. Even you're mostly female, despite the heat you're carrying." She looked over her shoulder. "You are our alpha, both as a stallion and a mare. I don't think there's a pony in this group that would object if you studded for them, but that makes him that much more superfluous."

Cindy smiled gently. "He's very good at his magic. He's used it to help protect us, and he's followed us all the way through South America to reach Neon in the first place."

Dust turned around to face us again. "He didn't do anything you couldn't do yourself, or me, with a little practice. The paperwork's not finalized. I'm moving we boot him out and set him free to find his own path."

Dust suddenly jumped, leaving a tongue behind that withdrew quickly. Neon came around the corner with an amused expression. Dust pointed at her. "Even this bitch has more to offer, and Sandra adores her for reasons I don't even know."

Neon shrugged. "Don't be too happy to see me. Who are we talking about?"

I gestured back towards where we slept. "Dusk Hope. What do you think of them?"

Neon tilted her head. "He's the one that defeated me. If it was just Sandra, I would have spanked her good, and I'd be the one giving her pettings like a little animal instead of the other way around." Neon snorted softly. "No way I would have hurt her long-term, she's a fine specimen of our kind. The moment I saw her, I felt a connection, and she does for me too."

Dust lifted Neon from the ground with her magic, holding her aloft. "We're not asking about Sandra. She's the beta, and Will's favorite. She's pretty secure. What about Dusk Hope?"

Neon kicked a little, bicycling in the air before she let her tongues free. Dust tried to look brave and hold Neon back, but those tongues were fast and well-controlled. They assaulted Dust from all three entryways simultaneously, diving into snout, cunt, and ass without delay. "Naughty unicorn. You have to keep your magic to yourself, or this happens." With a muted spark she began to pull and push energy into Dust Kicker through the sensitive flesh.

Dust Kicker moaned loudly and lost control, releasing Neon to the ground as she collapsed, only to try to scramble away. The tongues in her throbbed with a brighter spark, forcing a new squeal of tortured delight.

I held up a hand. "No means no. Let her go. We're all the same herd now."

Neon frowned at me before she pulled Dust Kicker close. She hugged Dust even as she pulled her tongues back. "Stop hating me."

Dust drove a hoof into Neon's chin and got away in the distraction. "Maybe when you stop abusing me, I'll consider it." She shuddered powerfully, tail going down between her legs as if to defend herself. "That isn't right to do to anyone who didn't ask for it. Now answer the question. Do you think Dusk Hope's worth keeping around?"

"Am I that bad?" Hope looked at us from the direction of the sleeping area. His eyes were becoming wet quickly and he trembled in place. "I didn't... I didn't know... I'm sorry..." He turned away. "What did I do wrong?"

Dust frowned a little and sat on her haunches. "Well, you're here, let's just be honest." She pointed between his legs. "You're attracted to me for sex, and that's it. You get distracted too easily, you've been kind of a pain to be around. You're a terrible teacher because you think I'm hot and that keeps you from thinking about much else."

Neon chuckled softly. "But you are hot, my former captain."

Dust scowled at Neon, then looked back at Hope. "Well?"

Hope shrank in on himself. "I never meant to bother you, Dust. You impressed me early on with how powerful you were, as a person. Everyone else scrambled to please you, and for good reason. You're a born leader, and I would gladly follow you." He rubbed at his chin with a hoof. "M-maybe you could help me?"

Dust tilted her head. "Help you?"

Hope bobbed his head. "I don't want to be so distracted, or to make anyone uncomfortable." He slowly sank to the ground, then rolled over. "Be my teacher for now? When I'm acting poorly, correct me. We are herd mates. I am listening, always. I can change, and would, for you, or anyone else in our herd. Please don't forget the good I've done. I helped Will's child, remember? I... I don't want to brag, I just want a chance. I'll get better, promise."

I did remember that, the intense pleasure of being pumped full of a unicorn's magic directly through his horn. I blushed at the memory of it. Dust put a hoof over her face. "Are you serious? Completely serious? If you're becoming my student, I won't hold anything back. You'll probably cry a few times by the time I'm done. Is that something you want?"

Hope rolled over onto his belly. "I won't cry. Nothing you could do would be worse than when I was all alone, starving and miserable, before Will found me."

Dust marched up and grabbed Hope by the ear in her teeth, tugging him to his feet. "Let's go. I want to know what makes you tick before we go too much further."

Hope sat up on his haunches and reached for her with hooves that became thick fingers. He scratched her gently behind an ear and she went wide-eyed in surprise. "When could you do that?!"

Hope worked his way down her back in slow pets. "It was Will's gift to me. I'm sorry for being a big feral jerk. I'm trying to get over that." He scratched at a sensitive spot that got Dust's leg kicking at the ground. "I still get urges, even without the gift. Please help me."

Dust backed away from Hope and his skilled fingers. "Fine. If you're willing to admit what you're doing isn't right, and you're ready to change, we'll try that first." She leveled a hoof at him. "I won't be kind. Being kind's only gotten you this far. I know Will, and I'm sure she's been nothing but kind to you."

Neon came up behind Hope, looking devious. I grabbed her in my magic and pulled her over away from the emotionally fragile unicorn. "Let them sort it out."

Neon snorted gently, then nuzzled into my chest and belly. "Fine. When are we going to New York? I don't want to be idle. There are things to do, and I plan to do them."

Cindy tilted her head. "Actually, Neon, could you go ahead and pull energy out of Hope?" She blinked. "Oh wait, I can do that. I keep forgetting that." She let her tongues free and ensnared Dusk Hope easily. The stallion squeaked, but once he saw who it was, he surrendered to it. Cindy pulled energy from his large balls carefully and Dusk trembled with the sensations of it, but when Cindy let him go, some of his libido was drained, at least temporarily.

Dust perked an ear. "That's useful. I'll be sure to bring him around to one of you tongues if he needs to be calmed down, but I don't plan on him needing that by the time I'm done with him." She shoved a hoof into his chest. "You act like you love me, but I've seen you give those same eyes to a lot of other mares. Let's see where the truth lies."

Dusk nodded quickly and rose to slightly-quivering legs. "Lead the way, Dust Kicker. M-maybe afterwards, we can try a magic lesson again?"

Dust smiled gently. "Maybe." She turned away from him and slapped his snout with her tail as she walked off, and he followed after her obediently.

Neon watched them go before looking back at us. "So, when?"

I nodded at her. "They're planning the trip now. Expect to move out in a few days. In the meanwhile, relax, and enjoy the company of your herd."

Neon allowed her eyes to go half-lidded as she gave us a smoldering look. "Does that mean you're available?"

Author's Notes:

Does Neon deserve a cloppy chapter to herself where she enacts sexy revenge to her new alpha and perhaps makes use of his generous endowments? Will they settle the exclusivity arrangements that Will and Sandra have?

Will the typos ever learn their lessons?

Will Dusk Hope get the boot to the bottom?