Dusk Shine, the pony formerly known as Twilight Sparkle, dawdled on the path to Applejack’s farm as he tried to make the trip last as long as possible. It wasn’t that he was reluctant to visit, quite the opposite. It was just that he was pretty sure it would be bad manners to show up just as Applejack was getting out of bed and ask her if she needed to copulate. He wasn’t even sure when Applejack got up when at home. On their trips she was usually the first one up, or at least she was always awake when he woke and he assumed she was up and going before any of his other friends.

Part of Dusk’s problem was he was not a morning pony. This did not mean he was lazy, just that his work habits tended to see him falling into bed at this time of the day more often than was likely good for him.

This morning was different. Not because he’d gotten to bed at a reasonable hour, but because he’d never actually fallen asleep at all. He’d lain awake for hours with his mind in a turmoil as it replayed the events of the evening before, and the consequences of those events.

He’d purchased Applejack from her brother! To be his sex-slave! The fact that it was an imaginary transaction that had no weight under Equestrian law, didn’t matter. If and when they went into the dark perverted land of Caridoon it would become all too real. Not only would he be able to do anything sexual he desired to Applejack, he would be expected to do so. For someone who had been a virgin just a little over a week ago, and female at that, it was a daunting, yet arousing, prospect. Made all the more complicated by his mixed feelings for Applejack. Part of him still saw her as nothing more than one of his best friends. But the new feelings that had accompanied his shift in gender could not help but also see her as an inviting set of receptacles into which to sink his erection. The fact that he felt guilty about regarding her in that way didn’t cause those feelings to evaporate. In fact, not thinking about having sex with Applejack —and Pinkie Pie and Rarity for that matter— was the next best thing to impossible for him since the day Pinkie Pie had helped him discover how much fun copulating was.

Dusk didn’t know if it was because he was now male, or because he had never experienced copulation as a mare and thus had no idea what he had been missing, but next to researching a brand new spell, intercourse was now his most favorite thing in the world.

Well, there was tea with Princess Celestia. That was number one. So maybe third on the list? Except now that he thought of it, Princess Celestia was a very attractive mare… Dusk gave a startled gasp and pulled his mind away from that thought that had suddenly started to take form in his head. Thinking such thoughts about Princess Celestia was just wrong. It was as bad as thinking about his mother in that way.

His mother! Why did he have to think about his mother? How was he going to tell Twilight Velvet that her little daughter was now her not so little son? Worse, how was he going to tell her that he had somehow, through circumstances out of his control acquired three mare friends? And that he had copulated with all of them? And there were three, even if he would have to save his energy for Applejack and would have to forego fornicating with Pinkie Pie and Rarity until a solution to the farm pony’s problem could be found.

Which was all the more motivation to get it done.

That meant he needed to run lots of tests on Applejack. He knew there was not supposed to be a cure for what was wrong with her, but he didn’t believe in incurable curses. Thus, one of the things that had kept him awake the night before had been calculating the modifications he’d need to make to the Pinkie tester in order to fully scan Applejack. And since her affliction was sex-based, there would have to be a lot of fornication and sexual stimulation in order to get readings that were significant.

That consideration was the other reason he’d not been able to get any sleep.

Just thinking about thinking about sex had consequences, however. Dusk suddenly found himself walking with a hitch in his step as his penis swelled in size and grew down the left leg of the tight pants Rarity had tossed together for him in a bout of creativity.

He had been enthused by the idea of the pants at first. Because he had wanted to avoid the embarrassment of airing his new endowment in public, especially given its tendency to swell to ludicrous proportions at the least little excuse. But given the way his new pants were highlighting his obvious erection at the moment, he wasn’t sure if they had been a good idea. And he was even less certain that Rarity had not had this in mind from the start. She had certainly spent more than long enough measuring his sexual organ in every state of arousal to have made sure the pants could accommodate him, which they most certainly were not doing. He winced as the twisting pressure became even more uncomfortable.

Casting a quick glance up and down the laneway to make sure there were no other morning travelers, Dusk stepped off the trail and loosened the top of his pants so he could free his trapped organ and rearrange it into a slightly less painful position. He could not help but admire himself as he did so. He no longer felt embarrassed at the size and girth of his penis. His three mare friends were wildly enthusiastic at copulating with him because of it, and anything that gave them, and him, so much pleasure was something to be proud of, not ashamed.

Feeling a lot more comfortable, Dusk started to refasten his unfamiliar pants, and discovered a new problem. His fully erect member projected at least two inches above the waistband of his pants. Between his penis’s girth, and the fact that the large flat flange was nudging his belly button, there was no way he was going to be able to do up his pants until he did something about his current erection.

Dusk had already considered masturbation the last time his penis had displayed a life of its own at an inopportune time. He’d dismissed it then on the grounds that he had no idea how many times a day he would have to perform in order to keep Applejack stable. He’d been in private then and concern for Applejack had been the only con to the idea. This time he was in the middle of the countryside and somepony could walk by any minute, many more downsides. He bit his lower lip and considered his options. While getting caught with his penis jutting out of his pants would be embarrassing, it would be nothing compared to being caught masturbating in the open. While there were nearby bushes and trees, they did not really offer the level of privacy required. He decided to calculate Pi to the thousandth place while at the same time calculating the speed of a fully loaded Zebrican sparrow. With any luck, by the time he was within sight of the farm gate his tumescence would have subsided and he could pop his penis back into his pants.

Ready to dive into the bushes if he heard hoofbeats, Dusk set out for the farm with a hand on his waistband to keep his pants from falling down.

In the end Pi didn’t cut it, as he had already memorized it to nine hundred and ninety places. So he switched to calculating primes. That did the trick. Dusk was lost in a fog of numbers when he arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. So much so that he was oblivious to Applejack loading a cart with apple baskets just off to the side.

It was only when the farm pony let out a loud, “Look out for that rake, Sugarcube,” that Dusk escaped the mesmerizing effects of calculating twelve digit primes. He glanced over at Applejack and noticed that the only thing she was wearing was his collar and a hat.

“Ouch!” Dusk cried out as he stepped on the rake he been warned about and the handle flew up and hit him on the tip of his tender muzzle.

“Gosh dang it, Sugarcube. You can’t go walking around in a farm yard like you were in a library,” Applejack chided him as she hurried over.

The farm pony went up on the tips of her hooves so she could take a firm hold of Dusk’s forelock and twisted his head one way and the other before announcing, “Huh, ain’t nothing worth all the fuss you’re making. Just a itty bitty smudge.” She licked her thumb and reached out to wipe his muzzle with it while leaning in close to see better.

“I wasn’t making a fuss,” Dusk protested while trying to keep his view from dropping below Applejack’s neck. His attempt to retain some control, and pride, proved futile as Applejack leaned in even further, causing her large breasts to press against his chest. Dusk winced as his penis once again attempted to burst out of the front of his tight pants.

Dusk didn’t have to wonder if Applejack had noticed the sudden prominent bulge in his pants. She gave a slight gasp, which puffed a gust of alfalfa scented air right up his muzzle. Dusk had never liked alfalfa, but Applejack’s breath smelled as sweet as clover right at the moment. Without thought he started to lean into her, his muzzle puckering slightly, only to be brought to a stop when she placed both hands on his bare chest and pushed against him while stepping back.

In a rather flustered voice that was trying too hard to be casual, Applejack said, “Looks like y’all have discovered that it ain’t all sunshine and daisies being a stallion, Prince Dusk.” With a rather strained laugh she bent down and picked up the rake that had bopped Dusk on the muzzle and leaned it against a fence, tines inward.

Dusk let out a little snort as he watched Applejack’s heavy breasts sway under her bent over torso. His licked his lips at the memory of licking salty sweat off of those pendulous globes.

“So, what brings you all the way out here, Sweet Pea?” Applejack asked casually as she started to stroll back to where she’d been working.

This time when the farm pony bent over to pick up a stack of baskets, Dusk’s gaze fell on her firm muscular posterior, and the way her tail swished back and forth, alternatively hiding and revealing the sweet cleft between her thighs. It was a view he’d seen a hundred times before as Applejack led the way during one of their adventures or simply when they were wandering around Ponyville. And never in all those times had his mouth filled with drool while at the same time his belly seemed to twist itself into knots.

He’d experienced similar feelings recently in regard to Pinkie Pie and Rarity as well. It was distracting, it was embarrassing, it was wonderful, and it filled him with confusion and guilt.

Then Applejack’s words registered and Dusk snapped his gaze away from her swaying tail. Applejack seemed to be unconcerned, and was not even looking at him, but he knew her well enough to see the tenseness in her back and the way she held herself as she stood back up and loaded her baskets into the cart, all while very carefully not looking straight at him. And he had a pretty good idea that it wasn’t to avoid looking at his all too visible erection.

Or maybe it was? “Applejack? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the taint already?” he asked.

“What!” Applejack said in a startled tone. Then, visibly gathering control she gave a chuckle and said, “No fear of that, Twilight. You did a right good job last night. I’m as right as rain and fine as frog’s hair.”

“Dusk. I’m Dusk Shine now, Applejack.” he said, feeling a bit embarrassed at making an issue of it, but also determined. His current gender wasn’t a paper mask over his former personality. His hormone balance and physical reactions were far different. It wasn’t just his sexual responses that had changed, he had already found upon reading some of his old notes that his mind seemed to work slightly different. Pretending he wasn’t different would be a lie, and the best way to not fall into that trap was to embrace being Dusk Shine while he was a stallion.

Applejack laughed again. “Reminds me of when Apple Bloom was six and wanted everypony to call her Princess Sunlight Sparkle. Gosh, that seems so long ago.How many years was it? Dang, almost twelve. Where does the time fly? Anyhow, ‘Dusk’, there ain’t no rhyme or reason for you to stay like that. You and Big Mac fixed me right up. I’ve got a handle on it now. You can use that there cure you have and we can get back to being Twilight and Applejack, just like we used to be. Friends for life, right.”

“You just want to be friends?” Dusk asked in a befuddled tone as he tried to figure out how to deal with the fact that Applejack was clearly in denial. Or was she? Who would know her body better than her? No, he didn’t think that was the case. It was the the same as when she didn’t win first prize at the rodeo and ran away from home rather than admit her boasting before hoof had been just that, boasting. Or the time she insisted she could handle the harvest at Sweet Apple Acres all by herself when Big Mac was laid up with cracked ribs and ended up working herself into a coma of exhaustion.

He should have expected this, Dusk thought to himself. After all, think about what she had to endure due to a taint that was none of her fault. She had to let a pony with strong earth magic mount her out of medical necessity. Love, friendship, pleasure, none of that mattered. Her right to choose had been taken away from her. He couldn’t think of anything worse. In her hooves he’d almost certainly do the exact same thing she was.

And wasn’t he just as guilty as Applejack? While helping her deal with her taint might have been part of his motivation, he could not deny that copulating with Applejack had been very pleasurable. Was his determination to service her daily really just about keeping her healthy? Or did it have more to do with him desiring continued access to her body? And the whole master/slave dynamic. Why take that path? Simple uncomplicated intercourse was all that was necessary. Maybe the reason Applejack didn’t wish to continue an intimate relation with him was due to the enthusiasm he has shown for ravaging her. Again, in her hooves he would have felt the same way. The mere thought of copulating with a stallion made him uncomfortable. Adding restraint and forced sex play into the mix induced nausea.

In this case it wasn’t even a function of his current gender. He’d felt the same way about physical intimacy even when he’d been a mare. After all, his discomfort at the idea of engaging in sex with a stallion had been why he’d been so determined to find a spell to turn into a colt all those years ago. Of course, to be fair, at that time he had thought sex had to involve rope and spankings as well as other unpleasant things. But even though he learned better, he’d never grown any more comfortable with the idea of being mounted by a well hung stallion.

The only reason he had given up the search in the end was because he had discovered the truth about the stallions and the mares and that he had the option of not having a relationship with a stallion if he didn’t want to.

He had that choice, and it had taken a great deal of anxiety out of his life. The problem for Applejack was that she didn’t have the option of avoiding some form of coitus. Unlike him when he’d been a mare.

A sudden thought put a speculative look on Dusk’s face. Was that really the case? Applejack needed an infusion of sperm to neutralize her taint, but did that actually require penetration? Either oral or vaginal? Hmmm, maybe if Applejack were to drink fresh sperm while it was still viable? She wouldn’t even have to take it from the tap, so to speak, if she didn’t want to. What would he need? Would a sterile flask to eliminate any variable caused by contamination serve as a transport device? Maybe if he were to put out a notice that he was doing a scientific study that required large quantities of earth stallion sperm? No, that might raise questions as to why it had to be earth pony sperm. A comparison study of all three types of stallions? That might work. The flasks could be labeled and kept separate. As long as Applejack swallowed the right sperm while it was still warm and fresh it might work. Of course he would contribute his own sample. It might not be as satisfying as having her drink it straight from him, but watching her tilt back the flask containing his fluids and seeing her throat move as she drank down his seed would be better than nothing.

Not much mind you.

Of course there was no point in suggesting that idea here and now. Applejack would just dismiss the whole concept as unneeded. And maybe she was right and she could handle it without needing him. The thought made his stomach knot but he plastered a smile on his muzzle and nodded at Applejack. -who was looking at him in exasperation while tapping a hoof impatiently in the dirt- “Okay. I understand,” Dusk told her. “We can wait and see how it works out. If it starts to overwhelm you again we can try something else that won’t involve your copulating with me, or any other earth pony.”

If Dusk hadn’t been so focused on his own disappointment, or in trying to put up a supportive positive front, he might have noticed that Applejack looked a bit disappointed herself, an expression that vanished from her face as quickly as it appeared. “No need for you to fuss yourself, Twilight.”

“Applejack…”

“I know, I know. Y’all want to be called Dusk. That’s just plum foolishness, if’n you don’t mind me saying so. You’re Twilight, my friend. And as my friend I expect you to pop right back to that there fancy palace of yours and take a nice bubble bath with the cure for your curse.”

Dusk bit back hard words at Applejack ordering him around like he was a foal. As well as her lack of respect for his very well thought out motivation for his insistence on being called Dusk Shine. He wanted to grab hold of her and shake some sense into her. No! What he really wanted was to turn the prideful, stubborn, exasperating, mare over his knee and swat her posterior till she begged to copulate with him.

The strength of his emotions scared Dusk, as did the direction his thoughts took while under their influence. Closing his eyes and calculating the radius of a nearby wagon wheel based only on visual evidence calmed him down. Taking a deep breath, he gave Applejack as good a smile as he could manage, and said, “I have a few tests I want to do before I give up this body. But once they are done I’ll seriously consider your request.” Dusk couldn’t keep a little sarcasm from leaking into his tone of voice at the word, ‘request’, but Applejack didn’t seem to notice.

“Alrighty then. So if you ain’t got nothing else, I got work to get back to,” Applejack said as she turned from him and went back to loading baskets into the cart.

“Okay, I’ll just be going then. I’ll stop by tomorrow and see how you’re making out,” Dusk said while making sure to keep his eyes adverted from the tempting sight of Applejack’s muscular golden ass flexing in invitation just a few feet away.

“If you want to. I don’t reckon I’ll be anywhere else,” Applejack replied in a casual tone as she peeked back at Dusk from under one arm. Once again a brief expression of disappointment crossed her face as Dusk simply walked away from her.

Dusk was so busy not looking at Applejack that he very nearly ran into a red brick wall. Only of course it wasn’t. “Oh, sorry, Big Mac,” Dusk apologized in a distracted tone as he stepped back and to the side to let the bigger stallion by.

The big farm horse had a large barrel balanced on his shoulder. Standing two paces behind him was his slave, Bother. The small white-tailed doe stood with eyes downcast while clutching a basket with a dozen or so eggs in it.

Seeing Bother, another victim of the Caridoon taint, caused Dusk to gird his loins, so to speak, and address Applejack’s big brother. “Do you know what sort of stallions Applejack is attracted to,” he blurted out. “She dislikes the idea of my servicing her so much that she’s not thinking straight. You know as well as I do that she needs a good strong influx of earth magic to counteract her taint. If she won’t accept it from me I need to try and find a stallion, or stallions, that are more to her taste.” Dusk trailed off, breathing heavy from the effort of getting all of that out in one burst.

Big Mac stared at him for a moment with his head tilted slightly to the side. He gave a long slow blink and reached up and pulled the straw he was chewing free. He glanced over at where Applejack was now unloading the baskets from the cart into the barn. Dusk saw with some dismay from her body language that she seemed angry. He must have really annoyed her, pushing the idea that she needed to copulate with him. But what else could he have done?

Just as Dusk was wondering if he should go and apologize to Applejack, Big Mac answered his question. “Enope. Not getting involved. You and Applejack are going to have to figure this out your ownselves.”

Dusk was a bit surprised by Big McIntosh’s reply. Surely he could see how important this was? They needed to find Applejack some studs. But what was he to do? He couldn’t force the big farm pony to answer him.

Frustrated, he decided to trot back to his lab. Maybe he could find an answer in science. Just as he was about to set out, Big Mac spoke up.

“Got a question for you, Prince. If that’s okay?” Big Mac said, reaching up and tugging on a forelock as he gave Dusk a nod.

Dusk was never comfortable when somepony he knew well, sort of, used his title. His discomfort this time was ratcheted up several notches. Big McIntosh was Applejack’s brother. He had come here this morning with the specific purpose of going somewhere private and copulating with her. The fact that Applejack had pretty much shot him down did not change those facts. Was the big farm pony going to tell him to stay away from his sister as she had clearly made her disinterest clear?

It was silly, really. After all, it had been Big McIntosh who had come to him and requested that he buy Applejack and copulate the heck out of her. Nonetheless Dusk could not shake his nervousness as he said. “Certainly. You can ask me anything you want, Big McIntosh.”

“Jest Big Mac, or Mac, is fine, Prince Dusk Shine.”

“If you’ll call me Dusk,” Dusk quickly shot back.

Big Mac actually grimaced, before reluctantly nodding his head and saying, “Eyup, Dusk.”

“Thank you, Mac.” Dusk said with a weak smile. It was a small victory, but right now he’d take what he could get. “Now what did you want to ask?”

With a grunt Big Mac heaved the barrel off his shoulder and let it thud onto the ground with an impact hard enough that Dusk felt the ground shudder under his hooves.

Having put down his barrel, Big Mac seemed a bit lost as to what to do or say next, but eventually he said. “Early this morning, just before she left to visit aunt and uncle Orange, Granny gave me some old family papers my Great Grandpa and Grandma left. Some of them are were written by Great Grandma’s sisters as well.”

Dusk was a bit boggled by Big Mac’s first words. He would have sworn that right this minute was early in the morning, but the rest of Mac’s words snapped his attention away from that diversion. “Old family papers? That sounds very interesting. As far as I can tell most of the history of Ponyville from that time was passed down via oral tradition. To have some actual personal records from that period is incredible. I can’t wait to have a look at them.”

“Ah, well, I’d like to have a good look at them first before I let y’all or any other pony have a looksee at them.”

Dusk was disappointed, but could see Mac’s point. If he’d been in the farm pony’s horseshoes he’d have not wanted to share till he’d read each and every word, and maybe made copies to preserve the originals. “I understand. I hope you’ll let me see them once you’ve had time to review them. I have some good preservation spells that I could cast on them if you wanted.”

“Mighty kind. Not needed. Were stored carefully. Mostly not touched. Pretty good shape.”

Dusk’s interest was becoming more and more engaged. If the papers were that well preserved this could be a find of astounding historical importance. He’d do just about anything to have some private time with them. Why, if Applejack were to suddenly change her mind and drag him into the barn for some hard copulation… well, he’d go, but reluctantly.

“Well, it all sounds fascinating. I’m glad you told me about them. I look forward to reading them when you are ready to let me,” Dusk said as politely as he could, while wondering how the day had gone so wrong, and with the sun barely up. He wasn’t going to get to copulate with Applejack, and now Big Mac had cruelly teased him with the existence of some primary source historical documents that he wasn’t going to let Dusk read for who knows how long.

“Still need to ask a question,” Mac reminded Dusk when the prince started to walk toward the gate in a rather dispirited manner.

“Oh, of course. What was it you wanted to ask me again?”

“There was a mention of something in the paper I’d never heard tell of. Was wondering if you might have.”

“What would that be.”

“You know anything at all about something called, The Clocktower Society?”

Author's Notes:

RrrrrrRrrrrrrRrrrrrr.
That is the sound of me grinding my starter trying to get my Muse to turn over.
Fortunately Manifest Harmony created the ClockTower Universe, and then gave my permission to use an Anthro version of it in my universe.
Clocktower Society

This has been a bit motivator for me in getting my muse ticking over once again.

It was always my intention for Luna to create a training facility where the mane cast could undergo BDSM training in preparation to infiltrating Caridoon. The ClockTower Society offers the perfect venue.

Which is why this is the last chapter of Dusk Shine Rising. I hope you will join me in a short little bit, I hope, to try out the first chapter of "Dusk Shine and the Mysterious Society." Working title.

Suggestions and comments welcome.